Humility

 

Greek terms for Anointing

 

Communication Skill in God

I struggle with my communication skill in my whole life, especially in spoken communication. I often have self-doubt about the way I am communicating: Should I be more open or reserve? Should I talk more? Should I be silent instead? Should I express things in a better way? Was my body-language/expression/motivation correct? How was my emotion? Should I have longer small talk? Additionally, I often lost words/blank out in the middle of sentences. I often face difficulty in learning new languages and in formal speaking (even in my mother language). When I was little, I did suffer from selective-mutism (which at that time was seen as part of personality). This somehow affect my spoken communication ability, especially when I am tired. But of course, I also know there are many people have more difficulty than me, e.g. communication difficulties that comes with autism.

Communication is defined as a process by which information is exchanged between individuals. Communication (to others and God) is a vital part of our live. It do have a big impact. For example, in leadership, communication is very important in expressing goal / vision / motivation / believe / faith / encouragement / point-of-view, public speaking, understanding, conflict management [1], project management, organization, team building, training, and discipleship.

There are times in life that communication is so tough and might lead to argument, disagreement, chaos, and confusion. However, there are also times that communication is so easy even without many words, heart to heart, and with one vision/thought. 

In a relationship to one another and God, a smooth communication is closely related to the ability to love (1 Cor 13:4-8). Communication is smoother when people learned to forgive and accept forgiveness. Also if they learned for being humble, listening, and investing time.

I believe that God can interfere with our communication. He can speak to people heart that make people understand others and also understand Him. He can make people heart/spirit/thought become one. Moreover, He can help us in learning new languages. There are several occasions written in the bible on how God interfere with the communication between people, e.g.

The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let Us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” - Gen 11:6-7.

(20) And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time. (64) Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. - Luke 1:20,64

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. - Acts 2:4-6

for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say - Luke 12:12

Even tough now you might feel not confidence about your communication ability, trust God that He can work in your communication with others and with God.

The Parable of the Sower

A farmer went out to sow his seed (seed = an illustration of God's word).

Parable	Meaning
Seeds fell along the path. Birds come and ate it up.	As soon as they hear the word, Satan comes and take away.
Seeds fell on rocky places/no much soil. The plants sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. The plants were scorched, when the sun came. The plants withered, because no root or no moisture.	They hear the word and receive it with joy. The word has no root and last only a short time. When trouble or persecution come, they quickly fall away.
Seeds fell among thorns. Thorns grew up and choked the plants. The plants did not bear grain.	They hear the word, but worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Seed fell on good soil. The plants came up, grew, produced a crop, and multiply.	They hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop.

Source: Mark 4:1-20, Mat 13:1-23, Luke 8:4-15

One factor that affects how the word of God grows is how well the person accepts it. There are times that we realize that the evil ones, troubles, persecution, deceitfulness of wealth, desires, and worries affect our growth. When that happens, I suggest asking God for good soil and seeds in you. He loves you and wants you to grow. 

In the Wilderness, Desert, or Solitary Place

The Greek word 'ἔρημος (erémos)' [1] is translated in the bible as wilderness, desert, and solitary place. Wilderness [2] is defined as a region uninhabited by human beings. Desert [3] is defined as desolate and sparsely occupied. 

In the bible, some appearances of 'ἔρημος (erémos)' is in:

• Matthew 3; Mark 1; Luke 1 & 3; John 1: John the Baptist is preaching in the wilderness.
• Matthew 4; Mark 1; Luke 4: Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.
• Luke 4:42; Luke 5:16; John 11:54: Jesus went out to a solitary place; Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
• Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9: Jesus withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place; Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.
• Luke 15:4: Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country, ...
• John 6; Act 7; Act 13:18; Hebrew 3: Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, ...
• Act 7:30: An angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.

Wilderness, desert, and solitary place mean a place away from the population/public. It seems like many things, including spiritual growth, can happen in the wilderness. Even though being in a community is undeniably important, a place away from other people (together with God) can also bring growth in your spiritual life.

[1] https://biblehub.com/greek/2048.htm
[2] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wilderness
[3] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert

Is God Happy?

How do you imagine God’s personality is? Every person has his/her imagination, which is possibly different from each other. In many paintings of Jesus, Jesus is drawn with a peaceful and wise look. Some artworks about Jesus emphasize His suffering, His love, or His caring nature. Additionally, in the Bible, we can feel that He has bold character. Depend on where and when, he is sometimes angry, loving, patient, etc.

Lately, there is one personality that I forgot about Him, i.e. He is in some situations happy. Several Bible verses indicate this.

At that same time, Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit - Luke 10:21 (NLT)

For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. - Zep 3:17 (NLT)

For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate. - Luke 15:24 (NIV) 

God can give His genuine happiness to us, eg. as described in Psalm 126.

Who do you say Jesus is?

This question was raised by Jesus to his disciples (Luke 9:20) and maybe also to us. In the four gospel books, some people addressed Jesus as:

• Lord and/or God: John 9:38 (healed man) John 11:12 (Jesus's disciples) John 11:21-33 (Martha & Mary), John 13:6,9; John 13:36-37, John 21:15-17 (Peter), John 14:22 (Judas, but not Judas Iscariot), John 20:18 (Mary Magdalene), John 20:28 (Thomas), John 21:7 (John & Peter). 
• Teacher or Rabbi: Matthew 22:16 (Pharisees' disciples), Mark 10:35 (James & John), Luke 9:38 (A man with a sick son), John 1:38; John 9:1; John 11:8 (Jesus's disciples), John 3:1 (Nicodemus), John 20:16 (Mary Magdalene).
• Prophet (a person who receives and tells a message from God): John 7:40 (some people), John 9:17 (healed man), John 21:11 (crowd).
• Messiah (the anointed one, Christ): Luke 9:20 (Peter), John 1:41 (Andrew), John 4:25 (woman near the well), John 7:41 (some people).

Note that I do not list every bible verse on how people addressed Jesus above.

I learned that in this world, there are several religions, believes, and people that acknowledge the role of Jesus. Some acknowledge Jesus as a prophet (but not as God), some want to learn from his teaching/philosophy (but not acknowledge Him as the God). Do you see Jesus as your Lord, God, teacher, and Savior?

Even though we do not know what exactly is in Judas Iscariot's heart, but, interestingly, that he used the word 'Rabbi' during the last supper (Matthew 26:25) and in the Gethsemane (Matthew 26:49, Mark 14:45). He did not use the word 'Lord' in that situation.

Who is Jesus for you? Is He your Lord and God?

Operating in the Prophetic Ministry in Church

Because of the risks (Mat 7:15), some churches are reluctant to operate in the gift of prophecies or the office of prophet. The bible stated:

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing. He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said. It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have. - 1 Cor 12:7-11 (NLT)

Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages. - 1 Cor 12:28 (NLT)

So, rejecting all kinds of prophetic ministry will not be beneficial for a church.

A prophet or someone with a prophetic gift should submit to the leaders (Heb 13:17), do their ministry in love (1 Cor 13), without any arrogance, not intentionally hurt someone else, and be ready for rejection (Mat 10:41, Luk 4:24, Luk 11:49). It is unlikely that God asks someone to speak up a prophecy while not following other parts of the bible.

In my opinion, not every prophecy that someone heard/felt/see/dreamt has to be directly spoken. It can be controlled by the prophet (1 Cor 14:32):

1. Ask God to whom the prophecy is for. It might be just for yourself or your knowledge.
2. If it is for someone else, ask God how and when to mention it. Not every prophecy should be spoken as "God said [something]". No prophecy should bring chaos (1 Cor 14:29)
3. It is good to have confirmation from someone else. Over-interpreting a prophecy will not give a benefit to the person.
4. Prophecy should be according to the bible. Often, a prophet is not someone that does not read the bible.

The church leaders need to have the gift of discernment to have a healthy prophetic ministry in a church.

Note: The word 'Prophet' is defined in various ways in various religions [wiki]. Here, I refer to the definition according to Christianity.  

Room for Jesus

When Jesus was born, His parents struggled to find a room (Luke 2:7). Opening room in our heart for God is often an important point for experiencing God. Sometimes our heart is too full of so many things, for example, our activities, our own wishes, our own way of thinking/philosophy, any kind of social pressure, worries, doubts, or others.  There are times that we just need to be open to Him and trust in Him.

Worshiping by Anointing Jesus

The act of worshiping by anointing Jesus appears in every gospel in the bible. The stories come with some differences in details, which make the discussion if it is the same occasion or some separate occasions.

	Matthew  26:6-13 Mark 14:3-9	Luke 7:36-50	John 12:1-8
Where?	Bethany, home of Simon the Leper	Pharisee’s house	Bethany
By whom?	a woman	a sinful woman	Mary
How?	using very expensive perfume, pure nard	wet with tears, wiped with hair, kissed, and poured perfume.	using a pint (0.5 l) of pure nard, poured on feet, and wiped with her hair.
On what?	head	feet	feet
Criticized by	disciples	The Pharisee: Simon	disciples

If these are separate occasions, I am impressed by the number of intimate worship acts that take place in public. If this is just a one time action, I am impressed by how deeply this act touched people, that every storyteller remembered different details.

Isn't that an intimate worship to God so beautiful? It brings to a place very near to God, where everything feels so different. Additionally, it changes and touches hearts.

Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere

- Psalm 84:10a (NIV) -

Kingdom of God

The following bible verse caught my attention:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power (1 Cor 4:20, NIV)

It makes me think: what is the meaning of power here? For me, power can relate to the energy flow (energy/sec) or it can also relate to authority and sovereign state.

The bible verse makes me wonder: what is actually the kingdom of God? The kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven as mentioned in the book of Matthew) is sometimes interpreted as a kingdom in the future or a kingdom now on earth. However, it always means the state of God being in power/authority (over our life, problem, circumstances).

The kingdom of God here on earth are often linked together with the financial or security situation. It seems that some situations make us easier to allow God ruling in our heart. (However, it never said that prosperity makes it impossible to make God our king)

Blessed are you who are poor (in spirit), for yours is the kingdom of God (Luke 6:20, Mat 5:3*, NIV)

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:10, NIV) 

It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God (Mark 10:25, NIV)

The kingdom of God can be asked (Mat 6:10a), seek (Mat 6:33), taken (Mat 21:43), and received (Mark 10:15). When someone finds the kingdom of God, it seems natural to "give" everything for it (Mat 13:44-46).

Your kingdom come ... (Mat 6:10a, NIV)

But seek first His kingdom ... (Mat 6:33a, NIV)

Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. (Mat 21:43, NIV)

Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it. (Mark 10:15, NIV)

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (Mat 13:44)

The kingdom of God has different "law" compared with any human kingdom. It is also not an easy topic to be understood by our brain. Therefore, Jesus (Act 1:3) and the apostles (Acts 8:12, Acts 19:9) took time in teaching about the kingdom of God. Still, there might be a misunderstanding (Act 6:6-8). The best way to understand the kingdom of God is by experiencing God/Jesus/Holy Spirit to be the King in your heart and life.

Give Up Everything

These days I was reflecting upon Luke 14:33:

Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be My disciples.

I was asking: everything? seriously?
Then, a question raised in my heart: Don't you trust God (for everything)?

Lambs among Wolves

I just realized that the verse about the 'white/yellow/ripe field' in Luke 10 is followed by the verse about 'lambs among wolves' and said to the 70 people he sent. I started to think, "How it is possible for lambs to be among wolves?" and "How come our God have the heart to do that?" Then, I read the verses following that story. Verse 17 explains that the 70 returned with joy because the demons submit to them in the name of Jesus.

We might feel like a lamb among wolves (problems, challenges, difficult people etc.). However, it does not mean that the lamb is not equipped with power. What kind of power? In the story in Luke (verse 19-20): "I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

A Fig Tree in a Vineyard

Luke 13:6-9: Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’. “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Maybe some of us feel like a fig tree in a vineyard. It feels difficult to produce 'fruits'. The climate might not give any support to you. Have a decision to trust God. Learn to trust with every process you that He gives to clean and to make you spiritually mature. Remember that fertilizer is not a perfume.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysGDQr8XgMM