Do we really love?

 

I have just read a wonderful story. Last June, a 31-year-old priest donated his kidney to a 60-year-old parishioner of his. He approached the man after Palm Sunday mass and told him of his intention to give him a kidney.

However, when it comes to transplantation, one needs more than willingness to help because in most cases, even parents and brothers are not always compatible. But, as GOD alone would have it, the priest had no antibodies against and was a perfect match to his old parishioner. On the day of the surgery, he came in with anointing oil, gave the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick and invited the patient’s wife and children to join him in the laying on of hands for the man’s healing. Then, he left him in a state of absolute calmness for the surgery. All along, the priest only concern was the impact the drastic surgery would have on his life in ministry. When he was certain it would only be temporary, nothing would stop him.

Apparently, there are a few other cases of pastors donating their kidneys like that; there is one in Jacksonville, Al. and the other one in Denver, Colorado.

What I found most fascinating in this story, is what the priest, Father Jonathan, said. 

1) He first said that whenever he meets somebody who has any kind of need, he always asks himself whether he is the person who can respond to that need.

2) And, framing his gift in the context of the Christian concept of sacrifice, he said that even from before the time of Christ, a priest has always been defined as one who offers sacrifice. So, since Christians are baptized as priests, prophets, and kings, offering sacrifice is a therefore a real aspect of the life of every Christian.

Jesus asked us to love one another AS we love ourselves and love our fellow brethren AS He has loved us. He loved us to the point of giving His life that we may live. Do we really love one another? Do we love our brethren as Christ loved us? Do we see ourselves as the solution to the problem of X and Y or do we keep running away from our duties and responsibilities? We can mesmerise ourselves everyday thinking that we truly love our brothers and sisters. We can even congratulate and praise ourselves for the love that we have for one another because we visit them from time to time, lend them a bit of money now and then, pray a 2min-prayer when they are in distress. But can we really give a kidney to a fellow church member? Many of us would not even do the preliminary blood tests in fear of hearing that they are a match. “If I give my kidney now, and tomorrow my wife or child needs one, what will I do? And if I lose the only one I have left, who will help me? I’m only 31!” Some will even say that this priest could do such a thing because he had no family to think of. Let’s not forget that two pastors have also done the same. We are still very far from the Christian ideal and the way to love is very tedious...

These men of GOD have exemplified what Christian love is; and those who know how serious the surgery they underwent is, are also aware that, in a way, they have actually given their very life to save their own.

2Co 4:8-12, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.”

Have a great week. May the love of Christ, which has been liberally poured into our hearts, find full expression henceforth. GOD bless you.

You can read the original story here.

Know your sheep…

 

About two months ago the Norwegian Prime Minister went out to the streets and drove around the Capital city Oslo for hours as a Taxi driver, in order to be able to understand the minds of his people. One can say that he spent time listening to the heart of his people.

I am sure you would agree with me that this is probably unprecedented. Let’s be reminded that Norway is a kingdom and thus, the PM is actually like the President, like in the UK.

It is written: Know well the condition of your flock, and pay attention to your herds (Pr. 27:23).

This PM has put this verse into practice. Nowadays, politicians and all sorts of leaders tend to safely stay in their ivory towers, far from the concerns of their voters. They are surrounded by advisors who do not often tell them the truth about the real state of the country. In general, these leaders don’t even know it themselves, since they are too busy doing other things and stuffing their pockets while it all lasts. Consequently, they make unfruitful decisions or, worse, decisions which are contrary to the best interests or their voters. Know well the condition of your flock.

Churches are no exception. In many of them, there is a world between the pastor and the members. Many pastors do not visit their flocks – there is a dedicated team set-up for this purpose. In some cases, their members do not know their pastor’s home address; and when they do, they will not even dare going there because they may never even be received.

Pay attention to your herds. In serving His own, even in tasks as servile as washing people’s feet, Jesus showed that the way to greatness is through service. Indeed, washing the feet was the duty of the doulos, the lowest among the slaves. Imagine the state of feet in those days. People used to trek, in the desert, with just some little leather sandals. The rich had donkeys or camels. It seems as though Jesus only used a donkey once, to enter in Jerusalem (Mat 21). Most of the time, Jesus’ feet and those of His disciples, must have been very ugly and dirty. One of my daughters loves taking care of my feet; but as for the other, it is a completely different story. You need to see her when I ask her exceptionally to remove nail polish from my toe nails. She just doesn’t like peoples’ feet. It is even one of the first things that she looks on people; and she can be very critical on her criteria regarding beautiful feet. If my feet were muddy and I, her mother, was to ask her to wash them for me, she would not touch them; or, may finally do it in tears after may be an hour of serious pressure.. Yet, Jesus did not hesitate to wash, anoint, perfume and dry (perhaps, even massage as well) 12 pairs of such feet: 24 little horrors before dinner!

The way to greatness is through service. Today, those who are exalted – in the world or in church – think this means that their greatness will be measured by the manner and extent to which others are going to serve them; and not by the manner THEY will serve others.

The way to greatness is through service and humility goes before glory and elevation. There are upcoming elections in September in Norway, and I will not be surprised to see that his party has won, and that after struggling in the poll, Jens Stoltenberg, the PM is sworn in again for another term.

We are all leaders to some extent; and those who are not yet, aspire to become one. I pray that the examples of the LORD and of the Norwegian Prime Minister inspire us all. Have a great week in CHRIST JESUS and serve people. Know your sheep very well and pay attention to your herds. GOD bless you.

The church and money…

 

I read a very well written article dealing with the issue of church and money. The author, Larry Tomczak, shares a collection of charismatic aberrations destined to motivate Christians to give –or rather, to plunder the believers-, which he had recently watched during a telethon. You can read the original article, “The truth about the church’s fundraising tactics,” here. In the meantime, below is a summary thereof, along with a few personal comments.

He writes that in a highly charged atmosphere, a speaker told her audience to shout "Amen!" and then, to "Slap someone in agreement." In Agreement with what? He wondered. Then, the speaker quoted Psalm 71:21 - You will increase my greatness and comfort me again - and promised that if viewers would pledge $71.21 a month for 12 months ($854.52), God would give them "increase and greatness." She went on saying: "He'll stop that lawsuit. ... Greatness will be released in your job and finances and ministry and marriage even if you don't have the resources or have ten cents to your name or don't have a man to support you! Go to that phone and pledge $71.21 a month; and I prophesy to you that God will increase your greatness! Give now!"

He also writes that later, a bishop, who remarried only one week after divorcing his wife, forcefully told his audience to "obey the prophet of God and give." He said God gave him a word for the young people: "You are in tremendous credit card debt, but if you'll get up and pledge money and put it on your credit card, God will intervene for you. Don't let anything hinder you. Today salvation comes to your house." Larry Tomczak says he wished he could have reminded him of Pr 22:26-27 which says that if you foolishly go into debt even your very bed will be snatched from under you. Personally, I would like to say two things:

It is true that one must obey the prophet in order to prosper (2Chr 20:20). But it is exactly that: obey the PROPHET, i.e. someone who speaks on GOD’s behalf and whose life testifies that he/she hears the LORD’s voice and hearkens to it themselves. Anybody can take the title and pretend to speak in GOD’s Name; but you will be mad to listen to such a person. A young man of GOD ended in the belly of a lion because he had listened to an old prophet (1Ki 13:1-24). Listen to the PROPHETS and obey them; and you will know them by their fruits, Jesus said (Mat 7:15-16). The gift of discerning between spirits should not be forgotten or neglected in these end-times. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1Th 5:20-21, 1Jn 4:1). Test EVERYTHING. Do not swallow everything because somebody says he/she is sent by GOD. The apostle Paul himself had asked his followers to curse him or even any angel from heaven if they happened to preach another Gospel (Gal 1:8-9). I do not know many men of GOD of his stature nowadays; and yet, those that we have in our midst do not hesitate to threaten all those who dare to question what they say. Test EVERYTHING. Renowned pastors, bishops, popes and miracles-workers said to Jesus on that day: “We have done this and that in your name.” He rebuked them saying: “I never knew you. Depart from me…” (Mat 7:22-23). Do not follow people who are not known by the LORD and that He has not sent. No matter the sincerity of your heart, you will bitterly bite your fingers in regrets, like the young prophet (1Ki 13:24).

It is written: “But now also finish the doing of it, so that, as there was a readiness to will, so also the finishing, giving out of what you have. For if the eagerness is present, it is acceptable according to what one has, and not according to what one does not have. For it is not that others may have ease, but you trouble…” (2Cor 8:11-13). A pastor, who truly has a shepherd and a father’s heart, will NEVER push people to borrow to give what they do not have. And every wise Christian should never allow themselves to be manipulated by unscrupulous men whose eyes are only on their wallet. There is place in Christianity for sacrificial giving, but not in such a manner.

The author writes again about this internationally known church leader who told his TV audience that eight men were supposed to give $1 million each in the offering. "You have a choice," he told them. "Obey God and win or disobey God and keep losing. You will lose God's blessing! Go! And praise God while you're dialling the phone." I leave you to judge. You may shout because we are talking about a $1 million pledge; but if he had said $100, maybe you would not have noticed anything wrong with it…

After saying in other broadcasts that people would be healed if they sow money into his ministry, another leader apparently told the viewers that the more they pledged, the more protection they would have from God!

It is time to stop the Madness, Larry Tomczak wrote, wishing that Jesus would pick up His whip to cleanse the temple once again! As for me, I am convinced of this: when the LORD calls, He equips. When He sends, He supplies and there is no need to manipulate people for His provision to abound. When Moses was called to build the tabernacle, he had to tell the people to stop giving (Ex 36:6). Today, on the contrary, preachers beg people not to stop giving, because one has to keep up with the ‘lifestyle of the anointing’; a lifestyle of stars – the stars of the Gospel -, a royal lifestyle – the princes of the Kingdom.

I am a member of a ten year old ministry which has never made any appeal for donations. We only have one collection during services, no matter what special event; and guest preachers are never asked to motivate people to give. Yet, we have bought a massive temple in extraordinary circumstances. We have buses bringing people to church, free of charge. Believers even heard about the buses when they were already bought; they were never asked to contribute beforehand. We have our challenges, but GOD is aware of them and frequently sends people to drop envelopes full of money in our letterbox anonymously. Not to mention donations made by people abroad who just like what we do.

If anybody feels the need to pressurize people to support a project, then either the project does not come from GOD, or the person lacks the necessary faith to back it up. Know this: GOD does not need any help to support what He has initiated Himself and He is not a beggar. The whole universe and everything in it, belongs to Him.

I strongly recommend you read the original article which is full of personal testimonies of divine provision divine and instructions as to what to check before giving money to any ministry. Have a wonderblessed® week!

Go to sleep…

 

This week’s exhortation is relatively short. I was going to write on another subject matter, but I was greatly touched by certain things that my pastor said in his message of yesterday and decided to share.

August 2013 is our month of divine rest. We have been urged to stop fighting and allow the LORD fight for us. Yesterday, Pastor taught about the correlation between faith and rest; and the supporting Scripture was Mark 4.35-41. 

“On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"”

The disciples were awake and panicked whereas Jesus is peacefully asleep. Our pastor reminded us that GOD neither slumbers nor sleeps (Ps 121:4). Therefore, He is the only One allowed to keep His eyes opened and none of us can watch for Him – besides, if He is not the one watching, whoever pretends to watch does it in vain (Ps 127:1). However, since the disciples decided to stay awake, well, GOD –in Jesus- went to sleep! “You think you can watch? Then, watch!” We know the rest.

No matter the problem or worries that may be yours right now, I would like to extend my pastor’s invitation, to rest in GOD, to you as well. Go to sleep and switch off the lights. He told you: “Let us go across to the other side.” You will get to the other side. You will not sink. He told the Israelites that He was going to lead them out of Egypt and into the desert. He kept His promise. The Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army could not stop Him from keeping His promise. Are your problems bigger than the Red Sea or greater than the Egyptian squads? No! So, stop fretting; you will cross; He is taking you to the other side.

Let’s also note than when Jesus woke up, the first thing He did was to proclaim the peace and command the sea to be still. Our pastor reminded us again that the mouth speaks out of the abundance of the heart (Mat 12:34). So, peace, calmness, assurance, rest and tranquillity were the things that filled the heart of the Son of GOD and Prince of Peace. Today as well, He is giving orders to all the storms of your life to be still.

Have a wonderful week enjoyng GOD’s rest!