gospel reference: genesis 18: 16-33, nehemiah 1:4-11, mark 9:14-29
based on the sermon/series: getting God's attention
enlightened at: trinity@paya lebar
how often have we heard others pray and felt that our own prayers pale so much in comparison? well..maybe it is time we shed this inferiority complex because..God does not grant prayers and wishes based on the flowery language one uses, He does not dismiss one's prayer just because it lacks eloquence or is filled with "lahs", "wats" and "hors" and i highly doubt He runs a spell or grammar check before letting your prayers through!
in the first passage abraham's prayer was conversational but God still acknowledged every word that abraham said. in the end, because of abraham's prayer, we see that God granted salvation to lot (abraham's nephew's) and his family.
in the second passage, nehemiah's prayer acknowledged all his own weaknesses and faults and humbled himself in front of God. God delivered him to Jerusalem to rebuild the place nehemiah calls his homeland.
in the last passage, the father put his trust in Jesus to overcome his own doubts and to heal his son. and through his faithfulness, his son was healed of the evil spirit.
we can see from the passages that all three prayers were very different. abraham's prayer was but a conversation with God, nehemiah's was a humble plea and the father's was a cry for help but yet all their prayers were answered. therefore we should be comforted that God hears all our prayers, not the eloquence of them, not the flowery language we fill them with, not the perfect grammar or pronunciation, but He grants them based on the faith and the sincerity we put into them.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
respecting your parents: the gray between idolatry and God
gospel reference: exodus 20: 1-17
based on the sermon/series: a christian's response to ancestral worship
enlightened at: lighthouse evangelism woodlands
what happens there is a conflict of religious views within a family - especially in a chinese family where many traditions are still being practiced today? do we as christians follow in these practices to honour our parents as in the fifth commandment? or do we refuse to "bow or worship" any "idols" as in the second commandment? the answer is to find a compromise - not of our christian faith but - between what is right, what is wrong and what is extreme. for simple understanding here are a few examples of what is acceptable and what is not:
1. bowing or kneeling to ones' parents at a tea ceremony during a wedding - acceptable
the act of bowing or kneeling to ones' parents is not a form of worship but rather as a form of honouring ones' parents. in fact, the act of bowing is also common in japanese culture as a form respect and greeting (doesn't mean you worship your japanese friends right?).
2. exchanging mandarin oranges with relatives during chinese new year - acceptable
mandarin oranges are meant to symbolise prosperity and thus the ritual of exchanging mandarin oranges during chinese new year to wish one another prosperity and good fortune. however, the exchange is done as a sign of well wishing and respect to the relatives - not as an act of worship to them. in fact, the whole celebration of chinese new year is based on chinese mythology but we still celebrate it all the same don't we? and besides, don't we eat oranges throughout the year too?
3. burning money or offering joss sticks - unacceptable
while such acts are usually done in honour of ones' deceased family members, these are deeply rooted in the taoist and buddhist religions and often involves various chinese gods.
4. your parent places a statue in your house - acceptable
such a situation is tricky because such statues are usually of gods or idols. the key thing in such a situation is maintaining a respect for your parents and trusting in your own faith. regardless of what the statue may mean to the other person, it represents nothing to you and as long as you do not worship it, it is just that, a statue. throwing it out of the house may be seen as an act of rebellion, not as a child to a parent, but rather as a christian to a non-christian. that said, if the statue was placed in your room, you have the right to reject it.
while the above will not be able to cover every situation, i hope it clarifies things a little. in situations which potentially challenge your faith, before picking a fight with your family or rejecting them straight in the face, ask yourself the following questions:
1) is the request tradition or religious?
2) is going through the act a form of worship to any idols?
3) is allowing someone else to carry out the act (as in situation 4 above) an indication that you worship any idols?
there are always gray areas when there is a conflict of religious views within a family and it is always easy to overreact. just remember this, we worship only one God and our God wants us to honour our parents. allowing common sense to prevail shows off the graciousness of a christian and when you are gracious enough, God will work out a way for you and your family.
based on the sermon/series: a christian's response to ancestral worship
enlightened at: lighthouse evangelism woodlands
what happens there is a conflict of religious views within a family - especially in a chinese family where many traditions are still being practiced today? do we as christians follow in these practices to honour our parents as in the fifth commandment? or do we refuse to "bow or worship" any "idols" as in the second commandment? the answer is to find a compromise - not of our christian faith but - between what is right, what is wrong and what is extreme. for simple understanding here are a few examples of what is acceptable and what is not:
1. bowing or kneeling to ones' parents at a tea ceremony during a wedding - acceptable
the act of bowing or kneeling to ones' parents is not a form of worship but rather as a form of honouring ones' parents. in fact, the act of bowing is also common in japanese culture as a form respect and greeting (doesn't mean you worship your japanese friends right?).
2. exchanging mandarin oranges with relatives during chinese new year - acceptable
mandarin oranges are meant to symbolise prosperity and thus the ritual of exchanging mandarin oranges during chinese new year to wish one another prosperity and good fortune. however, the exchange is done as a sign of well wishing and respect to the relatives - not as an act of worship to them. in fact, the whole celebration of chinese new year is based on chinese mythology but we still celebrate it all the same don't we? and besides, don't we eat oranges throughout the year too?
3. burning money or offering joss sticks - unacceptable
while such acts are usually done in honour of ones' deceased family members, these are deeply rooted in the taoist and buddhist religions and often involves various chinese gods.
4. your parent places a statue in your house - acceptable
such a situation is tricky because such statues are usually of gods or idols. the key thing in such a situation is maintaining a respect for your parents and trusting in your own faith. regardless of what the statue may mean to the other person, it represents nothing to you and as long as you do not worship it, it is just that, a statue. throwing it out of the house may be seen as an act of rebellion, not as a child to a parent, but rather as a christian to a non-christian. that said, if the statue was placed in your room, you have the right to reject it.
while the above will not be able to cover every situation, i hope it clarifies things a little. in situations which potentially challenge your faith, before picking a fight with your family or rejecting them straight in the face, ask yourself the following questions:
1) is the request tradition or religious?
2) is going through the act a form of worship to any idols?
3) is allowing someone else to carry out the act (as in situation 4 above) an indication that you worship any idols?
there are always gray areas when there is a conflict of religious views within a family and it is always easy to overreact. just remember this, we worship only one God and our God wants us to honour our parents. allowing common sense to prevail shows off the graciousness of a christian and when you are gracious enough, God will work out a way for you and your family.
perseverance
gospel reference: matthew 15: 21-28
based on the sermon/series: getting God's attention
enlightened at: trinity@paya lebar
besides possessing faith, perseverance is required in order to gain God's attention sometimes. just like the Canaanite woman in the passage, there are many times in our own lives that we feel like God has abandoned us and is not responding to our prayers. but just like Jesus to the Canaanite woman, perhaps God is simply keeping quiet, as a test of our faith and waiting for the right time to minister our requests to us. in the passage, the Canaanite woman not only had to content with Jesus' silence, she then faced rejection from His disciples followed by an open rejection from Jesus. but that did not deter her and we can see her perseverance pay off right at the end of the passage - when Jesus healed her daughter.
similarly, during times when our prayers are not answered, instead of giving up, thinking that "maybe God has forsaken me", persevere and look out. while perseverance reinforces our faith in God, we too need to look out - for our rewards or for any signs from God. because often in our obsession in seeing our prayers fulfilled, we miss out on the other things God intend for us, choosing instead to dwell in our dejection and seeming rejection by God.
therefore, let's show our faith and not give up easily on God. let's persevere even when God keeps quiet. there is light at the end of the tunnel...but only if you walk to the very end of it.
based on the sermon/series: getting God's attention
enlightened at: trinity@paya lebar
besides possessing faith, perseverance is required in order to gain God's attention sometimes. just like the Canaanite woman in the passage, there are many times in our own lives that we feel like God has abandoned us and is not responding to our prayers. but just like Jesus to the Canaanite woman, perhaps God is simply keeping quiet, as a test of our faith and waiting for the right time to minister our requests to us. in the passage, the Canaanite woman not only had to content with Jesus' silence, she then faced rejection from His disciples followed by an open rejection from Jesus. but that did not deter her and we can see her perseverance pay off right at the end of the passage - when Jesus healed her daughter.
similarly, during times when our prayers are not answered, instead of giving up, thinking that "maybe God has forsaken me", persevere and look out. while perseverance reinforces our faith in God, we too need to look out - for our rewards or for any signs from God. because often in our obsession in seeing our prayers fulfilled, we miss out on the other things God intend for us, choosing instead to dwell in our dejection and seeming rejection by God.
therefore, let's show our faith and not give up easily on God. let's persevere even when God keeps quiet. there is light at the end of the tunnel...but only if you walk to the very end of it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)