Midweek Meditation: Difference Between "Busyness" and "Being Hurried"

"Being busy is an outward condition, a condition of the body. It occurs when we have many things to do. Busyness is inevitable in modern culture. If you are alive today in North America, you are a busy person. There are limits to how much busyness we can tolerate, so we wisely find ways to slow down whenever we can. We take vacations, we site in a La-Z-Boy with a good book, we enjoy a leisurely meal with friends. By itself busyness is not lethal.

Being hurried is an inner condition, a condition of the soul. It means to be so preoccupied with myself and my life that I am unable to be fully present with God, with myself, and with other people. I am unable to occupy this present moment. Busyness migrates to hurry when we let it squeeze God out of our lives."

(John Ortberg, Soul Keeping, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014, p134)

BookPastor >> "Circumcised Heart" (Hilmy Nor)

TITLE: Circumcised Heart
AUTHOR: Hilmy Nor
PUBLISHER: KL: Kairos Research Center, 1999, (102 pages).

This is a story of a courageous man (A Malay Muslim who embraced the Christian faith in Malaysia) who despite the odds, is able to remain faithful to the calling he had felt given by God. It is a story of how Nor gradually grows from fear to faith. As a successful marketing executive with Shell Petroleum company, a huge multinational corporation in Malaysia, the author shares about how his step of faith to embrace Christianity resulted in so many different kinds of persecutions and prosecutions. With one blatant expression of faith, he becomes a target by religious authorities in Malaysia. He was jailed for 14 months for his faith under the charge of being a threat to the internal security of the country. His career suffered a premature end. Instead of giving in to the accusations and charges of Operation Lallang, he remained steadfast to the end. Eventually upon release, in 1997 he headed to Regent College in Canada to study theology, ten years after he was arrested, humiliated, tortured, and jailed in a Malaysian prison. Instead of being squashed, his faith grew. Instead of harbouring bitterness for the guards who humiliated him, he extends love and prayed for them. Instead of becoming down and out, he learns to look up to God. Instead of stopping his involvement in the Christian Church scene, he went into full time ministry. This is a story of how faith in a Muslim country does not come easy especially during the fateful year in 1987.

This book shows us that we cannot take faith for granted. We cannot assume that the freedom we have now will remain unchanged. We need to pray for our persecuted brethren all over the world, both known and unknown. For with every one story told and published like this, there are countless others that remain unseen, unnoticed, unpublished and unknown. For such, the plain comfort is this: God knows. Lest readers begin to point fingers at authorities or powers around Nor, note that the author emphatically writes:

"This book is not about external power plays, nor rights, nor negotiations, nor justice. This book is about what happens inside an ordinary man when suddenly he is confined, cut off from everyday life, and bereft of all that is dear. It is about growth of a human spirit through the grace of God." (3)

Read this book to learn about how despite intense persecutions, the author is able to go through it all with his faith tested but remained intact to this day.

c

The Science of Happiness

This video is a touching and inspiring one. For those who are unhappy, it is an experiment that will elevate one's level of happiness. Gratitude. The universal formula for happiness.


conrade

Midweek Meditation: Arthur Bennett's Prayer

The world is often a paradox in motion. The English evangelist, Arthur Bennet recognizes this in a prayer.

Let me learn by paradox
That the way down is the way up.
that to be low is to be high,
that the broken heart is the healed heart,
that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit,
that the repenting soul is the victorious soul,
that to have nothing is to possess all,
that to bear the cross is to wear the crown,
that to give is to receive,
that the valley is the place of vision.

[Arthur Bennett, The Valley of Vision, Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1975, xxiv]

BookPastor >> "Alive!" (J. Warner Wallace)

TITLE: Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection
AUTHOR: J. Warner Wallace
PUBLISHER: Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook Publishers, 2014, (22 pages).

Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed!

The world all over celebrates and remembers the resurrection of Christ. With Easter Sunday yesterday, millions of Christians around the world celebrated the great occasion of faith, of joy, and of hope. Yet, there are skeptics who refuse to accept the validity of the Resurrection of Christ. There are also many who point to the lack of evidence to support Christ's resurrection claims. This book is one book that attempts to take a "cold-case approach" to investigate the resurrection claims like a detective. Written by a former investigator well trained in the technical field of "death-scene investigation," he begins by pointing out the cold facts of any murder scene. Gradually, he proceeds to the ancient story of how Jesus was killed and highlights four "minimal facts" that both "friends and foes of Christianity" will agree upon.

1. Jesus died on the cross and was buried
2. Jesus' tomb was empty, and no one ever produced his body
3. Jesus' disciples believed that they saw Jesus resurrected from the dead
4. Jesus' disciples were transformed following their alleged resurrection observations

The rest of the book looks at the different objections made my skeptics.

Accusation #1 - The disciples were wrong about Jesus' death

• How then do we explain the actual pulling of Jesus from the cross and the witnesses then of Jesus' death?
• The mixture of blood and water that poured out of Jesus' body when pierced is a scientific evidence of a dead body. A living body will only have blood.
• Roman guards face serious consequences if they allow a living person to be removed from the cross
• and others.

Accusation #2 - The disciples lied about the resurrection

• How do we explain the many other witnesses who can testify the resurrection of Christ?
• Jewish authorities were thorough about making sure no one can steal the body of Christ
• Disciples lacked motive to lie.

Accusation #3 - The disciples were delusional

• Why then the empty tomb?
• Are large groups of people capable of hallucinations together?
• Why the absence of the body?
• People like Thomas were skeptical, but he too finally believed.

 Accusation #4 - The disciples were fooled by an imposter

• It will take someone who is closer to Jesus than the disciples to pull off such a stint
• Impersonator would need miraculous powers to continue tricking the disciples
• Does not account for missing body

Accusation #5 - The disciples were influenced by limited spiritual sightings

• How to explain the many sightings by hundreds of people?
• What about the missing body and the empty tomb?

 Accusation #6 - The disciples' observations were distorted later

• The earliest activities of the disciples is centered on the resurrection of Christ. The "later" argument thus contradicts the evidence
• The testimony of the disciples were based on the resurrection

Using the system of abductive reasoning, Wallace finally moves toward concluding that Jesus has risen. The accusations hold no water as they seem more incredible than to trust the resurrection of Christ. If you are looking for a quick study and arguments to support the resurrection of Christ, this book will be a fine read.

conrade

A Good Friday Moment

Today is Good Friday. Take a moment to reflect on the price Jesus had paid for us.

If you like to read my Good Friday meditation, check it out here. An excerpt below.

"This prayer is where earth meets heaven. From earth, one floats the deepest desires of the heart. From heaven, one receives the ultimate instructions from God. Surrender lifts earth up to heaven. Obedience brings heaven down to earth." (Sabbathwalk)

c

Toughest Job in the World

This video clip is based on a fake job posting but conducted with real interviews. Look at the way the interviewer highlights the many demanding requirements, and how society has often missed out the most important job in the whole wide world.



Remember May 11th, 2014. It's for the person in our lives who has the toughest job in the world.

Mothers.

conrade