Learning from the Wise Men

No, it's not Christmas yet, or Epiphany, but such is my job that I'm planning for it already.

It's been eye-opening for me to look at the Magi, the Wise Men, and see what I can learn from them about following Christ whole-heartedly.

Below is a summary. May it challenge you as it has me:

Learning from the Magi about Whole-hearted finding of Jesus:

1. They looked, open to being led
Matt 2:2 – ‘we saw his star…’
How do we look for God’s leading? Through His Word? Prayer? Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit? Others?
What do we do when God gives us a clear sign?

2. They obeyed, despite the cost
Matt 2:1-2 – ‘from the east… we have come…’ (A long way!)
Are we living a costly faith? (Luke 14:28) What does this look like?

3. They studied, prepared to answer
Matt 2:5-6 – ‘so it is written by the prophet…’
1 Peter 3:15-16 – Do we prepare ourselves to be able to give an answer to people who ask about our hope?

4. They believed, even though the King looked like a little baby
Matt 2:11 – ‘they saw the child…. And worshipped him…’
Do we trust God, even when we don’t see Him working in ways we expect?

2 Cor. 5:7 – do we walk by faith or sight?

5. They worshipped, giving of their best
Matt 2:11 – ‘… worshipped him… gold, frankincense and myrrh’
How do we worship? With our lives? With what is precious to us? Or is our focus less on God and more on our own enjoyment?

6. They repented (turned to go another way), taking God seriously
Matt 2:12 – ‘… warned in a dream…. Departed by another way’
Do we live lives of repentance?

7. They returned, back to their own country
Matt 2:12 – ‘…departed to their own country…’
The Magi went another way home. They had left hopeful to find the One to worship and they returned having found Him.
How does our encounter with Christ impact our normal, everyday lives ‘back home’? Will people be able to tell that we have met the King?

Prayer

"Prayer does not always bring the answers we want but it does set up the conditions for us to respond to whatever answers we get."
- Viv Thomas in 'Second Choice - Embracing Life as it is', page 34.

An eternal truth and very timely reminder.

Psalm 40:2

I was pulled from the mud
Many years ago
I was washed
Given new clothes
Set on a solid rock.
Yet I seek the mud
It seems cool at first
Inviting
And then it stains me
I dabble -
A smear here
Just covering my toes there
And before I know
It's pressing around me
I can't breathe
Chokes me
Then I realise
My feet are still on the rock.
I'm just pouring mud over myself.
Lord, let it rain
Wash this stupidity away.

I am clean.

Why do I seek more mud?
Again?
Instead, let me rejoice
At my new clothes
At the rock that holds me
Let me shout to those who are sinking
Come -stand on the rock
And sink no more!
I will shout joyfully
As one safe
And clean.
But why don't I?
Why do I reach instead
For another handful
Of Filth
to pour over myself?

Ready or not!

Because the ship I work on is having its annual 'Dry-dock' time of maintenance, many people are sent off the ship to work with local ministries during that time. Over the last few days I was involved in debriefing about 70 of our people who had just returned from two weeks of work with locals, then after two days of debriefing, were heading out again for two more weeks with new hosts.

The work is good but many people get very tired, and nervous about heading out again so soon.
What do you do when you have very little energy and so much is required of you?

Luke 9 was a chapter I read during my quiet time while at the debriefing. Jesus' disciples were in such a similar situation!

After seeing Jesus working miracles and demonstrating His great power, now He sends THEM out to work with HIS authority.

So they go, do amazing things, and even Herod gets to hear about it!
When they come back, they tell Jesus all about everything that happened.

He takes them to a remote place, and there they spend time with Him to debrief.
But the crowds follow. The debriefing is way too short. People are everywhere, demanding His attention, His time.

How would the disciples feel? Come on - they've just returned from their short-term mission. Now it's down-time with Jesus. Go away, people!

Of course, they can't say that straight. They're meant to love people, not shoo them off because they're tired of ministry. So they find a more plausible reason to get rid of them...

'Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, "Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here."' - Luke 9:12

That's a good reason. They should go. We only have a bit of food, and we want Jesus for ourselves. Let them sort themselves out.

But Jesus puts a definite full-stop on their hoped-for time of rest:

He replied, "You give them something to eat." - Luke 9:13

Us??? We're exhausted! We've just come back from our mission trip! We need a break! We have nothing!

And that's the best place to be.
Jesus takes the 'nothing' they have - (after all, 5 loves and 2 fish is basically nothing when you see more than 5000 diners!) - and HE multiplies it.

Just like He multiplied the nothing they had to offer when He sent them on their mission trip.
Just like He multiplies the nothing we feel when He calls us for a task.

What excites me about this passage is how Jesus knows how much rest His disciples need. He did take them away. They did spend time with Him. But while they may have wanted longer, He knew what was enough, and He pushed them to the front again - 'YOU give them something to eat.'

The disciples gave Jesus what they had.
He multiplied it.
He gave it back to them.
They gave it out to the people.
They received back a basket each of left-overs.


Our 70ish people are out again on new teams. Yes, they're tired from the old teams, following months of very busy work in Asia. But I am confident that, like the disciples, as they give the little they have to God, He will multiply it and people will be blessed.

And He knows if we're ready or not. More than we do.

Michael Jackson?

I said goodbye to a friend at Changi Airport two days ago, and as we were walking through to the gate, we saw a crowd of screaming youngsters gathered around a stage.
Michael Jackson mania had hit the airport. An impersonator - (I should say THE impersonator - according to the MC, Michael Jackson even used him when he didn't feel like meeting people), was wowing the crowd, moonwalking and taking photos with kids who probably never knew who the original was.

I thought, 'What a life-achievement to be an impersonator. Not to be known for anything you did, but that you were very similar to someone else. What a sad goal.'

Then it struck me - while not impersonators, we are called to be IMITATORS of Christ.
I don't want people to say of me, 'She's pretending to be Jesus.' But I would love for people to live around me and be drawn to Christ, because I want to act as He would have me act. I want to remind people of Christ by modelling my life on His.

Those kids in the airport can only say that they had their photos taken with someone who looked and acted a lot like Michael Jackson.
I pray that our lives will cause people to say, 'That person pointed me to Jesus Christ Himself.'

A little gross, but...

A few days ago, walking carelessly, I nearly ripped a quarter of the nail from my big toe. The only thing keeping the damaged nail to my toe was the bright blue nail-polish that I'd thickly applied a few days before.

Before I bandaged the toe up, I could see the visible crack, covered over by the nail-polish. I had liked the nail polish before. Now I love it! It has covered over the crack and held things together. I'm very grateful, since the next day I had to fly half-way around the world, and that sans a toe-nail just isn't fun.

1 Peter 4:8 says: 'Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.'

Love is a bit like my blue nail-polish. It may not seem essential to love people, but who knows what it can cover over. I am sure that we have no idea of some of the hurts we have been spared from because we have been covered by others' love.

This makes me reflect again on the greatness of God's love. While we were yet sinners...

Paint your toes blue to prevent injuries of idiocy. Love each other deeply, and cover and protect each other with that love.

When we ask 'Why'

Today's message at church was on Habukkuk 2 - waiting for God when we don't understand why things happen.
I was leading the music, and in my preparation, I looked online for any hymns based on that chapter. (http://www.hymntime.com/tch/scr/scriptur.htm is a good resource for that, if you're a sucker for hymns like I am!)

Anyway, I found this one. Don't know how the music goes so I just read it out. But wow, what rich words:

LORD, WE KNOW THAT THOU ART NEAR US
Jane Crewd­son (1809-1863). (Written during a long illness)

Lord, we know that Thou art near us,
Though Thou seem’st to hide Thy face;
And are sure that Thou dost hear us,
Though no answer we embrace.

Not one promise shall miscarry
Not one blessing come too late
Though the vision long may tarry
Give us patience, Lord to wait.

While withholding—Thou art giving
In Thine own appointed way
And while waiting we’re receiving
Blessings suited to our day.

O the wondrous loving-kindness
Planning, working out of sight,
Bearing with us in our blindness,
Out of darkness bringing light.

Weaving blessings out of trials,
Out of grief evolving bliss;
Answering prayer by wise denials
When Thy children ask amiss.

And when faith shall end in vision,
And when prayer is lost in praise,
Then shall love, in full fruition,
Justify Thy secret ways.