just cross my mind

[adjiemind]

Spiderman

Peter’s journey of becoming fisherman of men was started by a miracle on the day when he returned from the sea without gaining a single fish. Then Jesus came and taught the multitude from the boat. Having finished his preaching, Jesus told Peter to put out in to the deep and let down the nets for a catch. With hesitation in the heart, Peter still did what Jesus said. Then miracle happened; their nets were breaking due to a large number of fish they enclosed! (Luke 5:1-11)

Deliberately or not, this event occurred once more in Peter’s life but under the different situation which was right after Jesus resurrected. Apparently this situation couldn’t make Peter recognize Jesus, or perhaps Peter was still mourning and confused by Jesus being crucified to death.

Albeit he’s unable to recognize Jesus, Peter was willing to spread out his net when Jesus told him to. This time Peter was not told to put out his boat in to the deep; though his boat was quite near the shore. Peter casting the net on the right side of the boat was enough for Jesus to make another miracle; the same kind of miracle that happened before was happening once more in Peter’s life. And although there were so many fish caught, the net was not torn. (John 21:1-14)

Have we ever reflected on the difference of Peter’s life with ours? Don’t we also experience obedience and denial in our faith life for Jesus? Why does it seem that Peter was always given another chance to heal his faith by Jesus’ miracle; whereas God seems like doing nothing when it is us who endure the faith crisis?

Actually Peter went in the faith crisis as well. Right after Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter returned to his previous life as a fisherman – the life he had before encountering Jesus. Isn’t that another form of his second ‘denial’ to Jesus?

Amidst the similar weaknesses of faith life between us and Peter, there is one major point to watch closely – the net. While having crisis in his faith life, Peter didn’t use just any nets. Peter didn’t use his old net. Don’t you think it’s more efficient for Peter to fix his old torn net or just buy the new ordinary net? Peter did not only change his net but he also used stronger net with greater fish capacity!! Maybe we claim the net as one package in God’s miracle; but if it is, then why was the previous net torn so bad? Both nets “contained” God’s miracle, right?

Yes, we can’t avoid the fluctuations in our faith life. It doesn’t matter how much we deny God or how great our desire to leave God because all those downfalls will be meaningless when we find faith experience (even the smallest one) and implement it right away in our life.

Just close your eyes and hear the sound inside of you. Something inside that makes you do what you got to do.

 

[adjiemind]

Fruity


I found a verse about a fig tree with no fruit and how God wants to cut the tree down (Luke 13:7).

Actually this verse is very simple but I’m not satisfied and even bear extra curiosity. Why the tree has no fruit? There’s no sign of the tree being damaged or its trunk being broken.

Being graduated in Biology Major during high school, I did a little research on how the tree lives. The physical appearance looked fine, so there must be an ‘internal disease’. Just like some Christians; they seem holy and have a great spiritual health in their outer appearance but their ‘inner spirit condition’ are terribly dying.

Through my reading research in some biology books, I found two things:
(Assuming the root is Jesus, the shallow cambium in the tree trunk is us and the fertilizer/nourishing food is God’s Words and Holy Spirit)

“The root has the ability to supply/push the nourishing food (or fertilizer) from the ground into the plants/trees.”
Jesus Christ is the one who supplies the food/fertilizer into the cambium. We only have to distribute it till the end (becoming fruity). What’s so difficult of becoming God’s cambium? Are we too stupid? Even the dumb one is able to distribute things when being told so.

“The food is delivered through shallow cambium. The cambium is very shallow so the food should queue in line to reach the branches and leaves. When the front queue line moves forward one step, then the back line will also follow to move one step. But when the front part is stuck, then the back line is unable to move forward. This distribution movement should be supported by the ‘magnetism force’ between the shallow cambium and the food itself.”
This reminds me of the verse in John 15:5; we abide in Christ and Christ in us. It’s not a reversing in words-game but it’s just the way it is and of this I believe as the ‘magnetism force’ between the shallow cambium and the food itself. “God abides in us” obviously becomes the task of the tree root (Jesus), whereas “we abide in God” is the cambium task (distribute the nourishing food to the entire tree until the tree grow fruits).

We are often lack of this magnetism force. We often receive God’s Words and even ask for His Holy Power without realizing that the next step is to “grasp and deliver” God’s Words and Power in every aspect of our life to be fruity in Christ. We often become stagnant and our cambium stuck ‘the food’ proper distribution (related to the second process I wrote in previous passage).

We can say that we’ve received too much of God’s Words and Power; yet too little, moreover, forget to use God’s Words in our daily life so we are lack of ‘the fruit’ because the fruit we ought to produce is the action of God’s Words in our real daily life.

Sometimes we also act like the wise ones. That’s why Jesus said that Christian faith is foolishness to the world. So being fruity is becoming the loyal cambium to distribute His Blessing for our surrounding.

 

[adjiemind]

H O P E

I’m inspired by the tales of four leprous men written in 2 Kings 7:3-9. These four men were facing three complicated choices; all three choices that might lead them to death. Let us focus on verse 3-4 to observe the detail consequences of the three options they had.

Now there were four men who were lepers at the entrance to the gate. And they said to one another, "Why are we sitting here until we die? If we say, 'Let us enter the city,' the famine is in the city, and we shall die there. And if we sit here, we die also. So now come, let us go over to the camp of the Syrians. If they spare our lives we shall live, and if they kill us we shall but die."

Then, was there any hope for them at that time? What’s the use of hope? Is it just a dreamy desire or heart-comforter? The followings are what you’ll get when having hope in Jesus Christ.

1. Heading for Better Things (Hebrew 6:9)
It’s quite amazing to see how these four leprous men chose to go over the camp of the Syrians, though it means they had to put their lives as stakes. They did this on a very simple reason; they did not want to die! Isn’t that remarkable? Moreover, some of us choose to die when hopelessly facing problems. We give up so easily because we’re too afraid to see all those problems waiving our life. Are those four leprous men in better condition than us?! This is the use of hope in Jesus Christ, not for dreaming, but as the guidance that leads us to better condition. When we’re in hesitation to make a decision, find that better thing by putting all hope in Jesus Christ.

2. Full Assurance (Hebrew 6:11)
To conduct uncertainty is very difficult. When these four men were close enough to see the camp of Syrians from afar, they might feel terrified and not wanting to continue their journey. Unnoticed by these four men, God made a miracle. God made the army of Syrians to hear the little steps of these four leprous men as the sound of chariots, horses and great army; so they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp as it was, and fled for their lives.
Have we ever seen the certainty of a hope? Only by faith and knowledge of Jesus’ love and power, we can experience the full assurance of hope. God may allow great miracles to happen (without being noticed by us) so we can overcome our difficult problems. Having hope in Jesus Christ will free our mind from worries.

3. A Sure and Steadfast Anchor (Hebrew 6:19)
When these lepers came to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent and ate and drank, and they carried off silver and gold and clothing and went and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent and carried off things from it and went and hid them. Yet they then realized that their city also needed the food, so they passed along this good news to the people in their city.
Will we stop hoping in Jesus Christ when we have achieved our desires? Will we end it with our greed so we will ignore Jesus Christ? Are we convinced that we shall never encounter more troubles in our life? We often lose control and drag ourselves to bigger and worse problems. If we don’t stain our hope in Jesus Christ, then we are like a sure and steadfast anchor. Problems may waive our life but we will not be carried away with it.

 

[adjiemind]

Don’t let God be the last to know

In the Garden of Eden, God forbade Adam to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for in the day that he eats of it he shall surely die. The God created Eve whom got tempted by the evil to eat of the tree. Eve also gave the fruits to Adam. To see Eve still alive after consuming the fruit, Adam decided to eat it also. This is the first violation of man; unfortunately this trespass is great enough to ruin the interactive relationship between God and human.

Eventually God will allow human to consume the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. It is written in the book of Revelation. However, God knows it’s not the time yet for them to eat those fruits.

There’s an interesting part of this scene; there’s the change of punishment from death penalty to be exiled from the Garden of Eden. Why did God cancel to give death punishment to human? He did it by His Wisdom and Love. God is like a Father who never runs out of idea to educate his children. God prefer to change the death punishment and choose another kind of punishment to educate human.

God created us like knitting, each thread upon another so it’s very impossible if God doesn’t know our weaknesses. Don’t undervalue His Wisdom and Love by feeling unnecessary to talk about our weaknesses to Him. Don’t let Him be the last to know. Are we afraid to make God angry? If God is angry by our weaknesses, He probably vanished human since the day Adam and Eve committed the first sin!!

In the story of Noah, it’s written that God felt regret. He didn’t regret for bringing the great flood, but what grieved God at His Heart is no human ask for mercy nor forgiveness. If only Noah was not that close to God, the flood probably would end the human kind.

This scene also emphasis that we are still not deserved to consume the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. It proved that even though we know which is good and which is evil, but we are still having difficulties to arrange it in the correct classification. Again, this weakness doesn’t grieve God. God grieves on us each time we don’t involve Him when we’re classifying good and evil. We frequently pray and worship God, that’s good … but don’t let it transform us to be the perfect human according to our version, as to cover our weaknesses or “to please God”.

Jesus stated that we are His Friends, not His Servants. Jesus is not ashamed to speak the truth, to talk of how God loves us and also how God doubt our faith because we will suffer before encountering Him in heaven. God wants you to be the first to know about it. Just as Noah was obligated to build up an ark, God really wants us to join in His Rescue Plan.

Therefore, appreciate His Wisdom and Love. Do not fear and avoid Him in our weak time. Even in our darkest moment to commit sin, just share it to God; don’t let God be the last to know. Maybe God will stay silent … but behold; for His Mercy and Love never stay still. Don’t avoid ourselves from the “already damaged” relationship to God.

 

[adjiemind]

Superman


Superman is one of the most world-wide known comic. They describe Superman as the fictional superhero who does good deeds for others by using his remarkable superpower.

There's someone in the Bible who's similar to this Superman prototype; someone named Job. Job also loved to do good deeds for others. In fact, the bible said that Job was so special in God's sight and made God very proud of him. In addition, Job finally could overcome "the evil’s attack" and go through the level of "great sufferings". Isn't that also a remarkable superpower?

In the comic version, it is told that Superman has one weakness over an element of the certain planet. The only inability of Superman is perfectly described in the episode of Superman's death.

Superman's imperfection also occurred in Job's life. God found a certain factor in Job's life that made God decide to improve Job's ability as His prototype of Superman. That factor was the sin in Job's family. We all know God hate sins and can't tolerate any of it. Job seemed unable neither to avoid his family from doing sins nor to eliminate the sins in his family. Job could only pray. It's good, but it's not good enough for Superman!

Actually there's not much to be upgraded because Job still had the ability to endure great suffering. But there's another important ability to be added in Job which only Jesus Christ could manage that - the ability to stop living in sin.

I believe God is not a cop who deliberately waits for someone to break the law and fines that person on the spot. In fact, God is The Remarkable Planner and all His Plans will be successfully done. It means His Plan of trusting us as "the new prototype of Superman" is not just a sloppy plan, although it's pretty much obvious to see how sloppy we are doing our roles as God's Supermen in this end time.

Hmm, perhaps God is still patient to us because He still needs to socialize this new prototype of Superman. Hopefully we can fit ourselves so later on we will not appear like a man in a funny red sheet.

 

[adjiemind]

Stupid

If we were among the ten girls in the parable of wise and foolish girls, whether we were one of the wise nor the foolish one, let us ponder for these questions:

Was it stupid to fall asleep due to waiting for so long? Weren’t the wise girls also asleep?

Was it wise to bring along some extra oil so we could maintain our lamp lit on for unpredictable timing? Could we stay on guard like that? Frankly, it is very impossible for us to be like those wise girls.

The door was already closed when the five stupid girls returned from buying extra oil. Jesus didn’t matter about their being late, but Jesus answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Jesus still couldn’t recognize the stupid girls though their lamps are fully filled with oil. It seems that Jesus doesn’t concern about oil or lamps.

Then what kind of stupidity that makes Jesus didn’t want to recognize the stupid girls? Let us observe the moment when the foolish girls were awaken by the arrival of the bridegroom. It is clearly described that their lamps had not gone out. But these stupid girls became so panic and left the arriving bridegroom. These stupid girls suddenly lost their confidence when they found out that their lamps nearly gone out. They are used to “hide” behind the bright lamp, that’s why they need oil.

There’s another verse describe this foolishness, which is "Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house." (Matthew 5:15)

Do we really like The Light? I would answer “Yes, I like it, but not that bright!” It’s not impossible that after putting the candle on a candlestick and later on I put the candle under a bushel. Why? It’s too bright, man!! How long are we capable to the light in this life?

If only the stupid girls encouraged themselves to see the bridegroom even though their lamps nearly went out, then probably we could get the picture on how minimum the light Jesus wants in our life, because we eventually can’t glow all the time hehehe

The difficulty to be bright is the challenge to draw near Jesus, but leaving The Light (Jesus) is foolishness.

 

[adjiemind]

Swordsmanship

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow. If we are not careful, we could probably harm ourselves by using the word of God.

Each time we use the "Forgiveness" Sword Stance, we always state on "how Jesus is very kind to forgive all sins of human". But do we realize that deliberately or not the sword has injured our "forgiveness joint" so like joint-less bone we are not able (nor willing) to forgive. We let only Jesus to do all the merciful forgiving. Does this case also occur in other stances?

Actually we have talents in the swordsmanship; don't we have such a sharp tongue so that could hurt other people's heart? It's a pity if we only use this talent to hurt others. If we want, we could improve our sword art so even the evil could be harmed.

As God's Words becoming man, why don't we unite with His Words? But be doers of The Word, not hearers only. Thus, His Words will not harm us anymore because we have united with Him in harmony and smooth to follow His Movement upon our life.

 

[adjiemind]

Like Father Like Son

God so loved the father figure, He even wants to be the Father for human which is His Creation. Recalling what is written in Matthew 19:16-26, we find the young man has kept all the commandments from his youth up and asked Jesus what he still lacked. Jesus said to him, "If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." The young man went away sorrowful from Jesus because he couldn't afford to do that. For God, being Father is to close with His children so Father can love His Children fully.

There's time when a father can't fully escort his grown-up child. But a child can still feel the father's presence through similar behaviors and thoughts, yes like father like son. Just as what happened to Isaac in Gerar, Isaac did exactly what Abraham did; claiming his wife as his sister when King Abimelech was fond of Rebekah. This is a contrary; they (Abraham and Isaac) had deep experiences with God, like the moment when Abraham demanded to give Isaac as a burnt offering for the Lord. Isn't it supposed that Isaac's faith increased stronger and Isaac should believe that God would help though the King of Philistines insisted to take Rebekah? Either by reflect or not, Isaac remembered more of what his father Abraham did than of what God did.

After God solved his quandary with Abimelech in peace, Isaac then followed every God's words; Isaac even became so patient when the herdsmen of Gerar strove with him and took over his wells one by one. Maybe this is the reason of why God wants to be our Father, so we can have similarities with Him.

Try to notice that Jesus always claimed that all things He did were of His Father's Will. In other words, it shows the similarities between Father and Son; moreover Jesus also emphasis that He and the Father are one. How about us? Are we the children who become more like Father?

Abraham, known as father of all nations, was not a person who was similar to Heavenly Father. Remember that Abraham agreed with his wife to have child from his slave than to wait upon God's promise. But God was not angry to Abraham. There we can see how our Heavenly Father unfailingly loves His children though they have committed wrong things; God even amazes us by sacrificing His Only Child to redeem our faults.

So becoming similar with Father isn't measured by our ability to obey all God's words. But be like the little child who adores the father and wants to be like him, whether we could accomplish it or not, but we are always encouraged to achieve it.

 

[adjiemind]

The Unspoken Thought of Jesus

Jesus' first miracle is on the wedding at Cana of Galilee. When the mother of Jesus said to him about the wine ran out, Jesus only answered "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." Have we ever thought it as Jesus' polite way of rejecting his mother's request? But Mary knew that Jesus was not an ordinary human, so it's normal if Mary asked for help (miracle) to Jesus. Obviously Jesus, who is full of love, would grant her request. It didn't happen only to Mary but to everyone. Even great crowds accompanied Jesus and He said unto them, "Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple."

We often see Jesus as God, not as human. Isn't Jesus 100% God and 100% human, why don't we respect the human side of Jesus? God's intention to be human is so we can see Him as human, the living God's Words in human. Jesus is our way to be prefect human; unfortunately we often focus on His Miracles. It doesn't mean that I underestimate miracles; I also enjoy miracles. But the most important thing so we could be close to miracles is to be perfect human who is close to God.

As the rich one surrounded by his friends, however his friends left him after his bankruptcy. See the reality when Jesus did nothing (or so called as bankruptcy of miracles) during His Crucifixion and His disciples confusedly left Him. How stupid they were. Didn't they remember the lessons about Jesus' love they received during the discipleship? This reality may happen to us; we become numb when no miracle happens; we become like ones who don't know God at all. This wastes God's sacrifice by descending to earth to be human.

This probably made Jesus in an agony more earnestly praying and his sweats became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground of Gethsemane. Yes, Jesus already knew the great plan of Abba Father; Jesus even supported the plan by telling the disciples three times about the crucifixion. But when the time came, why did Jesus suddenly be in an agony? I doubt it. Even if we see Jesus through His human side, Jesus is not an ordinary man, He is the role model of perfect human with no sin, and how could we exclaim Jesus as weak and scared human?

The combination of 100% God and 100% human in Jesus is one magic phenomenon that would never happen again. God could just overlap the baby-growing process, just like the moment when He created Adam. I mean, it's legal for Jesus to show up as a grown-up human like Adam. I believe no one would protest Him, hehehe. But through the baby birth process and Jesus' condition as 100% human created a certain bond or in other words, this lit Jesus' spirit to make "Plan B" from the great plan! In Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, saying "My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will." This prayer indicates that there was "Plan B" in the thought of Jesus; Jesus knew that the crucifixion process was too difficult for human although He will release The Holy Spirit later on. Jesus' desire at that time was His Enthusiasms to give direct teaching and impartation for human a bit longer until He feels enough which is when human is able to do all His Words under any condition.

Eventually God still chose to conduct His Great Plan. God may consider that human would stay the same and only repent because of His Great Plan. And His Great Plan still continues; there will be antichrist, rapture and all kind of tortures as written in the book of Revelation. Enjoy it.

If only all human deal to earnestly learn from the love of Jesus, we may touch the heart of Abba Father to make "Plan C"!! Hehehe it's just cross my mind.

 

[Ann]

You show very good insight into these matters and it helped me a lot to understand these parts of the Bible better.

Thanks for taking the time to write and post these threats.

Blessings!

 

[adjiemind]

Heaven Love Story

Have we ever wondered why God create us and even consider us as preciously honored? Maybe this thought also slightly occurred in angels' mind; did angels less worship or even less obedient to God? It is impossible for angels living in heaven to have an evil thought. But curiosity urged Lucifer to proof that God was wrong to love such weak human. And the incident in the Garden of Eden has proofed that Lucifer was right. Human were punished due to their weaknesses, but how disappoint Lucifer was to find out that God also punished him.

No wonder Lucifer furiously hate human so he continually pours suffering in human's life and draw human even farther from God. Like a timid sheep following his shepherd, human always choose to conduct sins and unable to free themselves from Lucifer.

God doesn't want human to spend forever as the target of Lucifer's jealousy. His longing for human brought Him to the decision of emptying Himself to be human. Let us picture the process; God has to be born as a helpless little fragile baby. We could envisage how thirsty Jesus was as a youth to absorb all the holy bibles as like Jesus want to regain "His Godly Mind". And finally Jesus as an adult human, has achieved His Perfection.

Lucifer still couldn't believe in God’s existence in this world in the form of human being. That's why Lucifer wanted to proof Him in the desert. Based on the knowledge of human weaknesses, Lucifer tempted Jesus. This time Lucifer was unable to deliver "human" towards sin. I don't know how Lucifer felt when he found out that God really love human and even humble Himself as human.

When Jesus was about to leave the earth, He prayed so wherever Jesus is, human will always be with Him. Christmas is not about celebrating the birth of a fragile boy. Christmas is the proof of God's love towards mankind. Jesus went down to earth only to die for you; will you go to Jesus just for a few minute?

 

[adjiemind]

A Broiled Fish

A BROILED FISH


The account of Jesus Christ's ascension from the dead, had startled His disciples. And even when they were still in confusion, Jesus came to them in His new glorious body, in order to assure them. Though He was ready to go to heaven with this new body, yet He decided to consume a broiled fish. This He did, with the purpose of helping His disciples in realizing that it wasn't a ghost who came to them (LUKE 24:36-43). For Jesus Himself, this small act wouldn't taint His sanctity. But we could learn a lesson from there, that Jesus cared more for the continuity of His disciples' faith in Him (as a form of His holy love towards them), rather than occupying Himself with bodily sanctity.

The event of Jesus' birth was supposed to be surrounded with sacredness, yet instead it was followed by the bloodshed of many innocent babies. Jesus did not prevent this incident from happening, nor did He punish the Magi (as they were the ones who came to King Herod to ask for the whereabouts of baby Jesus, which resulted in King Herod's jealousy and thus the bloodshed). Jesus saw what the Magi did was the product of imperfect sacredness of men's love towards their God.

And this imperfection of man's sacredness in loving his God still continued on the event of Jesus' crucifixion. This event was not a "God's scenario which was forced to men"; thus making Judas, the betrayer, became "a hero" in crucifying Lord Jesus. Here, the love of money had tainted the sacredness of man's love for his God. This also led to the need of Holy Christ to savor "a broiled fish" in the forms of humiliation, torture and crucifixion.

Then, can we become holy? No, we can't - not by ourselves, anyway. When we remember what the Lord has said, "Be holy, for I am holy" (1 PETER 1:16), this has a meaning that He asks us to receive His holy love. Lest God consume another "broiled fish" again. We need to receive Him in every situation, even when things turn out to be bad. Believing that there isn't anything that could hinder the love of God, no matter what happens, because He cares more for us, His creations. We'll always be in His love that is pure and holy, forever.

Always preparing Jesus' kind of diet on our menu, which is "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work" (JOHN 4:43). We, who could not become holy on our own, but in receiving Christ, we could then become holy, since Christ would come in and dine with us.

 

[adjiemind]

Peace

Psalm 62:3 describes an assailed condition like a bowing wall or tottering fence; in that kind of situation can we still be calm and believe in God's help? I wonder what will happen to the wall when God favors it, will it be battered or stand still in solidness?

The similar event happened to the Disciples of Christ when Jesus asked them to go across to the other side of the lake. But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy. Jesus still slept. The disciples began to panic and woke Him. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was calm. Then Jesus asked then, "Where is your faith?"

Isn't it normal for the disciples to wake Jesus and ask for help? Why did Jesus ask where their faith was? Should the disciples let the boat drown?

Have you ever imagine what would happen if the disciples didn't wake Jesus and keep on striving in the windstorm. Obviously the boat would drown due to so many much water filled in their boat. Would Jesus be awake by the water? If He did, what would He say to His disciples? Would He ask why they didn't wake Him? It's going to be another mistake for them, then. Or if Jesus deliberately created the windstorm to teach His disciples, what lesson did they get?

I don't know that for sure, but there is one absolute point as written in the Psalm that there's peace in God alone. If the disciples should drown, weren't they with Jesus? We certainly will go through the panic process when big problem occurs, but the faith of having Jesus in our heart will be the best solution for that big problem because it will overcome our fear of any possible risks that may happen.

 

[adjiemind]

Sleep

I learn something from the tale of Jonah. Jonah was a man who tried to run away from God because he didn't want to do difficult things. But how could he suddenly acknowledge His God and want to take the punishment? Then why Jonah went through all the trouble of getting away from God by attending the ship?

And the time when Jonah thanked the Lord for saving him, but then Jonah became angry to God, that's just because of a tree? Was Jonah a feeble person? We also seem to be like Jonah; we praise God but we also become angry to God sometimes.

I’m interested in what Jonah did onboard; sleeping. How could a man asleep onboard in the midst of the storm?

That reminds me of the moment when Jesus was sleeping onboard and how the disciples wondered because it was storm outside the ship. Then they woke Jesus and the storm was calmed, and Jesus scolded the disciples for their disbelief.

I'm sure Jonah was not experiencing a normal sleeping, just like Jesus. When Jesus woke up, He made the faith of His disciples grew stronger. That happened to Jonah as well, Jonah woke up from his sleep and made ship captain and crews to trust God. Isn’t that amazing?

God also made Adam fell asleep when He took his rib. I could imagine when it would be if Adam didn’t sleep; he might be very confused or probably felt the great pain in his body. God made Jonah asleep to calm his fragile soul.

So, when troubles come in our life, we need to "sleep" a lot in order to be calm and not to blame God in a rush. The point is whether we could sleep in trouble time. In this context, sleeping means praying; continue your effort to drown in it. Never cease to pray before we find His Peace. In the book of Psalm, David told us how God bless His beloved while he's sleeping.

If we are lack of "sleep", then our earthly desire will take control and don't be surprised if we're behaving like the ones who don't know God, whether we realize it or not. Just like fragile Jonah; he was angry to God although he just received a miracle.

 

[adjiemind]

Asking Why

At the time when the Pharisees were so angry toward Jesus, they took a woman who was caught in the act of adultery and presented her to Him. They were trying to get hold of Jesus. They resented Jesus, because up until then, He'd always managed to escape from their trickeries. If there were even one person who would dare to throw a stone at the woman, it's surely possible for others who would join him to do the same thing, and the situation would be so uncontrolable.

Jesus was faced with a difficult situation. In John 8:15-18, He said that He doesn't judge by Himself, therefore He wanted to ask His Father. I would think that this situation was similar with the one when Jesus was on the cross, as He said "Eloi, Eloi, lama Sabakhtani" to His Father. In the midst of His sufferrings on the cross, Jesus asked His Father as to why it seemed that the Father had left Him. Nevertheless, Jesus still managed to forgive the ones who had wronged Him.

And thus when Jesus was facing the pressures from the Pharisees to judge the woman, He tried to divert His attention in writing with His finger on the ground. He might had written something like this to His Father, "I need You, Father, why it seems that You have deserted Me?"

The Pharisees kept on pushing Jesus who was writing His prayer on the ground. Then Jesus answered them according to what He had wanted to teach them, and that was about love. And afterward, He continued to write, knowing that His words might only fall on the Pharisees' deaf ears. Then, when there was only silence that He heard, He lifted Himself up and Jesus found only the woman standing nearby. And He asked her the Pharisees' whereabout. She answered that they had left her alone.

The words of Jesus, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her", would actually bear little meaning to the outrageous Pharisees. A lawyer might give this reply to Jesus, "We are only judging this woman, and not everyone else presents here" - let alone the Pharisees who would always want to contradict Him.

This could be the same thing as when I would say, that "I am in His love", sometimes I could shed my tears, but many times I could feel nothing at all. The Word of God without His touch would open to be influenced by our moods at the time. Thus we do need the presence of Father God. Imagine, how could the outrageous Pharisees were able to realize that they themselves were in the wrong and were not worthy to condemn another sinner? I believe, that it was the presence of Father God which had touched their hearts, one by one.

Many times we also do not know why it seems that we have been left alone by our Father. We oftentimes do not know His will, and we won't know without His consent. But one thing for sure, when we ask Father God of His whereabout, Jesus knows how we feel, since He also had experienced it. Jesus would accompany us constantly. He won't leave us alone, just like He didn't leave the adulterous woman alone at the hands of the Pharisees. Infact, it is possible for Jesus to promptly defend our case before the Father, since He understands the feelings that we have at the times of our waiting for our prayers to be answered

 

[adjiemind]

VIP


I still remember when my mother had a stroke for the first time, in a panic state I prayed for her to be spared and to be given a chance to live. And my prayer was answered, my mother was quickly conscious without any significant injury. But one and a half years later, she was called home by the Heavenly Father. My mother then had another stroke and a heart attack. At that time, I wasn't praying anymore for her to be spared, but I only prayed that she would received what's best for her from the Father.

Perhaps in my first prayer, when I asked for my mother to be given a chance to live, that became her reason that made her to be unable to attend the wedding feast in the Kingdom of Heaven, then. Just like the parable of the marriage feast in Matthew 22:1-14 (also in Luke 14:15-24). And that could also be her reason that she still wanted to be here with her family. It doesn't mean that we don't want to go, but whether we feel that we are ready to go. Will we ever feel that we are ready? As the apostle Paul said, "to die is gain", it is a statement that shows he was ready to attend the heavenly wedding feast. And I'm convinced that whatever things he had faced in his life, those became the foundations of his particular statement. And this could also become the same with our lives.

In the same parable, with ease the Lord had invited people randomly from the highways, to come to the feast. When one was found to be without a wedding garment, the same person then was thrown out from the feast. There is one interesting thing that we need to pay attention here, and that is the wedding garment. When the Lord invited these "random people", it wasn't said that these people need to wear the garments and to think that these poor, and maimed
people who came to the wedding feast had to come in wedding garments?!

Who then was reprimanded by the King, because he didn't wear his wedding garment? And why this King had a need to ask about it? Have we ever thought that the King asked about it, because indeed this person was needed to wear it. In other words, this person was actually worthy to be invited, with a so-called VIP invitation, and he might not be from the same company as those who were found from the highways. In requiring the absence of the garment, it has the meaning that the King was still cared about the worthiness of His guests. He is indeed gracious, but it doesn't mean that He's cheap.

In Luke 14:24, it is said that no one who had rejected the invitation would taste the wedding feast. In this parable, God was illustrated as One who was in great wrath. But let us remember what had happened in Nineveh, when its people quickly fasted and repented, which resulted in God's anger was being pacified. The reason being that Nineveh had its people who were dumb, they could not even differentiate between the right hands from the left. Are we not also people who are dumb, we who sometimes could exchange the Kingdom of God with our own selfish desires?

Though sometimes we are like foolish people, but we don't resist God forever. We do feel regret and we also feel guilty when we did something wrong against the Lord. We want to get back to His ways. The Kingdom of God is not merely about the preparation to leave this world. But it is also about our worthiness and desire for our Lord, which are portrayed in us wearing the wedding garment.

And when I was praying for my mother to be given what was best from the Father, it was like that I had fastened a rose pin onto her garment. Because I was eager to usher my mother for her "coming home", since there would be so many good and wonderful things awaited for her over there.

The apostle Paul had said, that if he was still on earth, he was eager to work for the Lord. By that, he was like adorning his wedding garment. How about the preparation of our wedding garments, for us who hold the "VIP invitations" from the Heavenly Father? Or are we still busy with our own businesses and affairs? It says in II Timothy 2:12-13, that if we deny the Lord, then He will also deny us. If we are not faithful to Him, the Lord remains faithful, because He cannot deny Himself, Him who is full of grace.

 

[Boanerges]

Thank you my brother, I was blessed as I read your thread.

 

[adjiemind]

And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:37-38)

Praying is like feeding the thought; since there are so many lambs running around everywhere.

Staying awake and watch for all the lambs so the weak one will not stumble in trial.