Be Different

My last post here prayerfully challenges women to be different, not because we are women but because we are Christians. This post still shouts the same, BE DIFFERENT! And may it shout into our ears louder.

I lost the draft of a supposed blog post a month ago. I can’t remember the exact words anymore or the flow of my discussion there. Nonetheless, the incidence that brought me to write that supposed “blog post” keeps me unsettled. And I know I will be until I do something about it; at least through this blog.

That incident is this: It was my uncle’s funeral wake and relatives were gathered together. My sister uttered some words that made my heart sank into discouragement. She said that our cousin (who claims a believer of the Lord) now drinks beer with her unbelieving husband and an unbelieving cousin’s boyfriend. I was discouraged to hear that but was even more disappointed when she told us their justification; she told us that my cousin believes (and so is she) that there are pastors now who are “modernized”. And “modernization for them is believers and pastors drink (and so act) as the unbelievers do in order to reach them for the Gospel.

I know that this incident and this view is now rampant. Even in our church, a “church leader” and a Sunday School teacher even encourages carpenters renovating the church building to drink with him inside our church building. Yes, inside the church. And these people grieve me much. They do not know what damage/s they do for the body of Christ and what judgment from God they are storing for themselves. Where is the difference? Where is the new creation? Or should I ask the question Is there really a new creation?

That one reason why a church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church. (C. H. Spurgeon)

The Bible tells us that if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (II Corinthians 5:17). There are so many passages and so many reasons in the Bible why you should BE DIFFERENT. Let me just give four:

1. There is no in-between, no gray; just either light or darkness.

This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. (I John 1:5-6)

If indeed you are a new creation, you should BE DIFFERENT, different from how this world thinks, different from how it lives. Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. (I John 2:6)

2. There is no shining crooked star.

So that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. (Philippians 2:15-16a)

This passage is about doing without grumbling but take note children of God in a warped and crooked generation, you should shine like stars in the sky when you hold firmly to the word of life and do what it tells you to BE DIFFERENT and be blameless and pure. The Bible never tells us to be like this depraved world that you may shine like a star among them. It doesn’t and will not tell you to be like them so you could win them.

If indeed you are a new creation, you should be different, different from how this world thinks, different from how it lives. If you live in the light, you will shine like a star - not by walking in the darkness but by walking in the light. BE DIFFERENT!

3. There is no bad works that glorify God.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. (Galatians 5:19-21a) Obviously those deeds are acts of the flesh and therefore won’t give glory to God. Why compromise and do the very things that will not honor God? And read the passage again, just in case it doesn’t strike you and take a look at my emphasis: let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Have you read that you have to be like them so they may become like you and thus, you and they give God the glory? Then why is the need to compromise and act as if God needs your strategy in soul-winning? And why contradict the Bible with your strategy?

If indeed you are a new creation, you should be different, different from how this world thinks, different from how it lives. If you live in the light, you will shine like a star - not by walking in the darkness but by walking in the light. And if you walk in the light, you will let your light (not their darkness) shine before others. These are deeds that mark you DIFFERENT.

4. There is no unholy child of the HOLY HOLY HOLY GOD.

Are you an obedient child of God?

As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. (I Peter 1:14) If you are a new creation, the old is gone. Peter tells you that you should not conform yourself again into that old you. Why?

But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.^" (I Peter 1:15-16, emphasis mine)

If indeed you are a new creation, you should be different, different from how this world thinks, different from how it lives. If you live in the light, you will shine like a star - not by walking in the darkness but by walking in the light. And if you walk in the light, you will let your light (not their darkness) shine before others. And you shine blamelessly because you just reflect what you are called to be - you are called to be holy because He who called you is HOLY HOLY HOLY. The world is not holy; so you should BE DIFFERENT!

My brethren, let me say, be like Christ at all times. Imitate him in "public." Most of us live in some sort of public capacity—many of us are called to work before our fellow-men every day. We are watched; our words are caught; our lives are examined—taken to pieces. The eagle-eyed, argus-eyed world observes everything we do, and sharp critics are upon us. Let us live the life of Christ in public. Let us take care that we exhibit our Master, and not ourselves—so that we can say, "It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me." (Charles Spurgeon)

Redefining Beauty and Strength in a World That Redefined Them Already

Last Friday (October 29), I was able to attend a debut party of a friend. I was there as one of the 18 candles, meaning as one of those who would render a message for the debutant. I am not that acquainted with the debutant; in fact, I was surprised to know that I was on the list. The debutant is my best friend's niece and her mother was my first Vacation Bible School (VBS) teacher - both or either could be the reason why I was there. I knew what to say that time but I was grasping for a more personal message. So I started my speech about her mother and the unfading beauty I saw more than two decades ago. Yes, I may not know her that much but I am confident with the mother who raised her up.

After that, I can't help to think of how valuable are the roles of mothers (or even older women) in shaping their kids; moreover, in influencing young women's way of thinking in a "modernized"/feminized world. There are many views that corrupt the Biblical definition of a woman. If not for the guidance of a godly mother or a godly older woman, they may be embracing how women nowadays define beauty and display strength.

Beauty - an individually pleasing or beautiful quality; grace; charm (dictionary.com)

This is one of the most abused words among women. Beauty is measured by crowns, titles, admirers or even boys. But I Peter 3:3-4 says that your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. Do not desire the charm that the Scriptures say is deceptive nor the beauty that is vain (Proverbs 31:30). For more about this imperishable beauty, click here.

Jay Adams puts it this way:

A vital Christian, radiating that hidden beauty of the heart, is more attractive to the right sort of Christian man (the only kind you want) than the raving beauty who is hollow within. A woman who is developing her domestic abilities, who is reasonably attractive, and who is a vital Christian in her own right is an irresistible person.

Strength - the quality or state of being strong; bodily or muscular power; vigor (dictionary.com)

A woman defines strength when she is able to par if not to surpass that of men's. I received a text message which says that the LOUD VOICE of a man really shocks and threatens a woman...but, the SILENCE of a woman tremendously shakes the consciousness of a man.

However, Titus 2:3-5 says: Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God (emphasis mine).

Strength is not the ability to display the power over those viewed as superior than you, it is not the ability to control your situation or control a man. Strength is best displayed in domesticity. Carolyn Mahaney says that domesticity - devotion to the quality of home life - is an essential facet of femininity. Looking for some quotations about domesticity, I encountered this Harriet Spofford who says that if a woman is not fit to manage the internal matters of a house, she is fit for nothing, and should never be put in a house or over a house, any way.

This is the strength of Biblical women and the strength of the women of reformation (a term I learned referring to the wives/mothers of those men of reformation). Nancy Leigh DeMoss explains:

“In contrast to the wise woman, the foolish woman is not content to be a keeper at home. She is not satisfied with where God has put her. One of the things the feminist movement has done so successfully is to stir up discontent in women with being homemakers and to convince them that other pursuits can increase their sense of self-worth… Fueling discontent and pushing women out of their homes in search of greater meaning and satisfaction has resulted in off-the-chart stress levels for many women who can no longer survive without pills and therapists… The greatest spiritual, moral, and emotional protection a woman will ever experience is found when she is content to stay within her God-appointed sphere. This does not mean that she never leaves her house, but rather that her heart is rooted in her home and that she puts her family’s needs above all other interests and pursuits.”

Remember Martin Luther when he says that earth has nothing more tender than a woman’s heart when it is the abode of piety. What kind of woman are you? Are you one of those who struggle to show that you are one of the most beautiful women? Are you one of those who cry "girl power" and demand the exhibition of your greater ability than men's? Or are you a different woman?

The fact that I am a woman does not make me a different kind of Christian,but the fact that I am a Christian does make me a different kind of woman.

Those are words of Elisabeth Elliot. Are you a different woman?

Why Women Love Jerks

(This is just an adapted article from Girls Gone Wise. I re-posted it here to share among those who read my blog and I really love the article.)


Why Women Love Jerks
(by Gabrielle Pickle)

I had coffee, recently, with a girl who was in a serious relationship with a young man who was guilty of “cheating” on her by secretly seeing other women behind her back. I encouraged her to break up with him. “Oh, but he’s such a great guy! He really loves Jesus!” was her response.

Are you kidding me? That’s not even remotely true. This young woman wasn’t thinking rationally. Great guys who love Jesus don’t cheat on their women. PERIOD.

It was this encounter I thought of when I came across Gabrielle Pickle’s article, “Why Women Love Jerks.” When it comes to romance, many women are so needy, and get emotionally enmeshed so quickly, that they throw their brains out the window. They foolishly make excuses and rationalize giving their hearts away to guys who are jerks.

In the article, Gabrielle gives two great checklists from Proverbs that outline the characteristics of men who are jerks and men who are gems. If you’re wise, you’ll listen up and guard your heart. Don’t give it to a jerk. Save it for a gem.

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Read the whole article here:

Jesus Lived a Life of Prayer

The Bible records how God moved whenever His people come into their knees. When Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened king Hezekiah and his kingdom, the latter king tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the Lord (II Kings 19:1). Furthermore, when he received a letter from his oppressors, he spread the letter before the Lord and prayed earnestly for God’s deliverance. And indeed God delivered him and his kingdom. Hannah was so desperate for not bearing a child and her despair was intensified whenever Peninnah provoke her. I Samuel 1:10 says that she was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly. God answered her prayer. King Xerxes spared the life of Esther though she approached him even without summoning her. That is not because of her charisma but because Jews prayed for God’s intervention (Esther 3 &4).

The Bible has more examples of how God answers prayer. But prayer is more than letting God know our needs (besides He already knows them before words come out of our mouth). For A. W. Pink real prayer is communion with God, so that there will be common thoughts between His mind and ours. What is needed is for Him to fill our hearts with His thoughts, and then His desires will become our desires flowing back to Him.

If we want to imitate someone who lived a life of prayer, there is no one else who has done that than Jesus. The following are the thoughts of my meditation and some I owe to Pastor Paul Washer:

• Jesus prays to know and do the will of the Father. (see Luke 6: 12; Matthew 26:36)

Jesus knew who will be his disciples just as much as He knew those He has chosen even before the creation of the world (Eph.1:4). Yet in this text it says that Jesus prayed overnight then in the morning He chose His 12 disciples. And then in the book of Matthew, Jesus earnestly prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane hours before His arrest. He prayed if it is possible to take the cup away from Him yet He prayed for the will of the Father be done.

Jesus wrestled in prayer. Jesus spent much of His time in prayer. Jesus who is God-man is a man of prayer. We are only humans with natures so much attached to sin and to this world yet we often neglect praying.

Isn’t it a great rebuke to us that we belittle the value of prayer especially during times of seeking the will of God?

• Jesus prays to commune with the Father. (see Matthew 14:23)

I always hope for holidays most especially whenever I know that there are lots of works to be done. I always utter that I need a break. But that is not the case for Jesus. After working for the whole day, He preferred to be with His Father. He went up by the mountainside to pray and He was there alone – alone with His Father.

Isn’t it a great rebuke to us that we neglect the value of communing with God through prayer because we are so tired from work?

• Jesus knows that prayer is His priority and He enjoys it. (see Luke 5:16)

Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness and prayed. I love how Paul Washer exegete this verse. He says that people often slip away or sneak away to the things they most enjoy. And for Jesus, He often slips away to do what – to pray. He knows that praying, to commune with His Father, is His priority and He is not doing it for duty’s sake but because He enjoys and He loves to be with His Father. Let me quote Paul Washer in what he said in one of his sermons:Real love for Christ is demonstrated not in the advancement of power but in retreating in communion to be with Him.

Isn’t it a rebuke that we often sneak away to do the thing we enjoy the most and that is not praying? If we say that we love God, how much do we enjoy praying to Him?

• Jesus retreats Himself through praying. (see Mark 1:35)

Jesus’ time is different from ours now. Today we have so much work to do and though we are thankful for the advancement of technology that enables us to do multi-tasking we often find 24 hours not enough for a day. We are too busy to pray.

Are we really busier than Jesus? I don’t think so. Read the Gospels and you’ll see how busy Jesus was. He can’t even have a break because people are always following Him. After teaching in the synagogue, after healing Simon’s mother, at sundown the whole city gathered there waiting for Jesus to minister unto them. I wonder at what time Jesus stopped ministering to take a nap. And while others are still sleeping, while it is still dark, Jesus again departed to a desolate place to PRAY.

Isn’t it a rebuke that because we are so tired and because of lack of sleep we sacrifice our time of prayer to take a rest? But Jesus retreats Himself in His Father’s presence.

• Jesus teaches the necessity of prayer. (see Luke 18:1)

When Jesus taught this parable, He stressed the necessity of praying always. The disciples have experienced to be with Jesus; they have witnessed that the life of Jesus is a life of prayer and that is maybe the very reason why in Luke 11:1, after Jesus prayed a disciple asked Him to teach them how to pray. They, the disciples who are far greater than us in witnessing and communing with God, have seen how devoted Jesus was in prayer that they wanted to imitate Him. They have grasped that they ought to pray always.

Martin Luther says that "I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

Isn’t it a rebuke that we are so much bothered on many things but we often take them to the Lord in prayer?

• Jesus emphasizes the importance of prayer in the Christian walk. (see Luke 22:40)

A. W. Pink says that prayer is not so much an act as it is an attitude—an attitude of dependency, dependency upon God. We are so weak yet the battle is so fierce, not just the battle in this world but most is the battle within ourselves. Let us be honest with ourselves, we fail whenever we take a step in this Christian walk by our own effort. We find it harder to do the things we want to if we do them on our own; we even sin and fall into the temptation.

Jaci Velasquez’ song entitled On My Knees says: See I don’t know how, but there’s power When I’m on my knees.

Isn’t it a rebuke that we often wonder why we fail and we condemn ourselves for our failures but we neglect the power that is supposed to be in us if we just pray to God?

As this truth impacts greatly in my life, I used this also as my topic when the youth asked me to lead their devotion. While I was preparing for this topic, I looked at my concordance to search for more passages about prayer and I found a passage I know I have read before, maybe many times before, but as I read it that day, it was as if it was the first time I learned about that passage. It really blessed my heart and may it also speak to you:

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him? (Deuteronomy 4:7)

(picture is taken from http://searchwarp.com/UserImages/CB6_prayer.jpg)