Posts

Showing posts from January, 2011

Extremely Radical

Image
Extremely radical. If you're doing things weirdly contrary to the norm and get both loved and murdered for it, you're nothing short of an extreme radical. Jesus was like that.  If Jesus were ordinary and tame, as ordinary and tame as your usual stereo-type, traditional, formal, and respectable church pastor, he'd just be loved, not murdered (or shall we say "persecuted" to use a milder term). Umm, on second thought, most pastors like this whom I know are not really respected; they're quietly tolerated. Extremely radical persons are highly respected--so highly regarded that they're seen as a serious threat. When you are persecuted for your extreme radicalism people secretly fear and regard you highly, though they hate you for it.  But Jesus' extreme radicalism was not out of rebellion. It was a nature. God is unique--and that uniqueness is always to the extreme, because God is all powerful. The Word says, "There is no God like God." O

Micah: Though I Fall, I Will Rise

Image
You fall first before you rise.  Because we're humans, this has become a sort of SOP--a standard operating procedure. We first fall into pride and self centeredness and rebellion, then God disciplines or punishes us, then we stand up again, if we repent and surrender to God.  Once we become born again, the same SOP happens. We join a church, be active there, fall into pride and self-centerdness and rebellion (all while "serving God" in church), then God disciplines us. If we repent and surrender totally to Him, we rise up again to quit our "church" ministry and do His will alone. If not, we regret our fall and say sorry to God, then continue in our rebellion while "serving" God.  "Therefore, I have begun to destroy you due to your sins," [Micah 6.13]. This is followed by a series of hard work "for God" without real fruit that remains. You eat but remain hungry, store up but remain empty, plant but not harvest, press

Micah: You Will No Longer Worship the Work of Your Hands

Image
The worst tragedy of using any human effort in ministry is it's propensity to end up in idolatry-- worshiping the works of your hand [Micah 5.13]. Thus, Jesus must appear in you 100 percent and live out your life and do the ministry through you. In Galatians, Paul said God revealed His Son in him , and that's the only time Paul was able to preach the Gospel to the gentiles [Gal.1.16]. You shouldn't be in ministry until God reveals His Son in you . If the Son is revealed in you, He will do God's work through you. This way, there's no human effort--and thus, no bowing down to what your hands have made. Only God can do God's work. Only Jesus in you can do God's will. There should be no human effort. NO HUMAN EFFORT. God should live out your life and do God's work through you. You should do nothing except watch God move in your life--in and around and through you. This means being thoroughly seeped in the spoken Word of God daily. As it is,

Micah: True Worship

Image
" Will God be pleased with thousands of rams and rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn as offering for my transgression, the best of my body for the sin of my soul?   He has shown you what is good. What does God require of you? To live acceptably to God, have the right attitude, and to walk humbly with your God." [Micah 6. 7-8]. Micah outlined the goodness of God to Israel, asking why they've turned their backs to Him after His show of compassion. With such acts of mercy and kindness from an all-powerful God and Creator, the least His people should've done was to worship Him. How? True worship acceptable to God is not what artificial worship man is accustomed with. We're often busy doing what we call "church worship"--that programmed ritual we do on Sundays involving a prelude, opening and closing prayers, scripture reading, special numbers, choir singing, praise and worship, and a sermon. Such a waste of time, energy, and money. A