St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Philippians 3:10-14

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Different Water

Time flows forward, never backward. Also time never stops. It never stays the same. It always moves forward. It never lets you stay the same.

It always brings changes. So as a temporal being, you have to accept that life will always change. We cannot say whether changes are good or bad. We just cannot avoid changes. It is our inevitable reality as people who live in time.

Ancient philosopher knew this reality very well.

Heraclitus said,

No one ever steps in the same river twice.

By the time you step into the river the second time, it will be a different water.

I went to Korea in a long time. I went there 21 years ago when my another brother passed away. This year, unfortunately, my second brother passed away. My sister went to Korea for the first time in 50 years. She said she could not recognize anything. She felt like she was in a different country. That was what we experienced.

CHANGE

Did I like the change or not? I can't tell. It is just the way it is.

Living your life, expecting nothing will change is not good. You will get only disappointed. People change. Our relationships change. Our circumstances change. Sometimes it is sad but that is the way it is.

Rooted

Yes, changes bring not only sadness but also chaos, confusion, and uncertainties. When you are not prepared, you will be knocked down by the strong waves of change.

We once went to a beautiful small village in France. There was a beach. When my kids walked, all of a sudden a strong wave came and my kids were knocked down. Josh lost his wedding ring and my camera was ruined. Yes, changes can knock you down.

You will have to be strongly rooted. You have to know who you are, what you want to do, and what your goal is. You cannot just hold unto the past. You have to look ahead. Instead of resisting the waves, or being knocked down by them, you have to ride the waves. Changes bring you chaos, confusion, and uncertainties but they also bring you new opportunities. Don't be stuck in the past. Pursue what is ahead.

St. Paul experienced tremendous changes in his life. Knowing Christ was a big change for him. That brought so many changes in his life. He was kicked out from his community. He was rejected by his friends. He was even disowned by his family. These changes brought so much pain, sadness, and suffering.

But St. Paul was very rooted. Instead of being knocked down by the waves of change, he was able to ride the waves.

Listen to what he said and judge for yourself.

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. (Philippians 3:11-12)

He knew clearly what he wanted. He was not stuck in his past. He was able to ride the waves of change and sailed through the storm. He pressed on towards the goal.

New Journey

There is a song I like. Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water. The last verse goes like this.

Sail on silver girl

Sail on by

Your time has come to shine

All your dreams are on their way

See how they shine

Oh, if you need a friend

I’m sailing right behind

Like a bridge over troubled water

I will ease your mind

Today, we are celebrating the Graduates. Graduation is also called Commencement. Commencement means beginning. So graduation is the new beginning. Somebody told me retirement is re-tire. It's like changing tire for the new journey.

Yes, the new beginning will bring so many changes. You will experience what you never experienced before. You are stepping into the unknown. But don't be scared of changes. Experience the power of resurrection.

Resurrection

Go back to v. 11.

If somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

To St. Paul, the resurrection was not what would happen after he died. The resurrection was what he experienced now. The resurrection was the power he experienced in his present life.

Let us read v. 10:

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection (Philippians 3:10)

He was not scared of changes. He wanted to know the power of his resurrection. When you enter into the unknown, be rooted in Christ and the power of his resurrection. In these changes, you will experience the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

When we experience the power of resurrection, every cell of our body will come alive. My thinking will come alive. My consciousness will be awakened. My soul will dance with joy and aliveness. That is the power of resurrection. When the power of resurrection comes upon us, then our life can move forward. The power of resurrection is like an engine that move your life forward. The power of resurrection turns the destructive power of waves into propelling power of sailing towards the goal. When we sail through the storms and challenges of our life with our own strength, we become tired and drained. We cannot move forward. I need power within me that energizes my life to move forward.

Move Ahead

I see many people who don't do much for the dreams and purposes of life anymore. They used to live with the deep passion for life, but now they just live doing what they have to do. Just coast along. They experienced one too many failures and disappointment in their lives. They were so completely controlled by their life situations that they lost their own dreams and purposes. They don’t even have power to resist against what takes away life from them.

They are satisfied with maintaining the status quo. But that is not how the power of resurrection works in our lives.

Listen to St. Paul:

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own I press on toward the goal. (Philippians 3:12)

If the power of resurrection works in us, we are not fooled by the false satisfaction and false destination. We know that oasis is only a temporary place to enjoy but for the real destination, we have to take the journey. The power of resurrection gives us the courage to move forward.

People who prepare for marathon, they go through hard training for the last 10, 20 minutes. Swimmers go through the hard training for the last 10th or 100th of a second. In the middle, everyone runs well. But the important thing is to pursue to the end.

What's done is done. Don't look back. You have a journey ahead of you to take. You have a road ahead of you to walk.

St. Paul said,

forgetting what lies behind and straining forward what lies ahead, I press on (Philippians 3:13, 14)

Don't give up. Don't get settled down with just maintaining the status quo.

Let the power of resurrection work in you. The way you see life will change. You will have energy, vision, passion and excitement. Even when you are tired and drained, you will feel the power that moves you forward.

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Matthew 15:21-28

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How We Pray

Bless me. Have you ever prayed this way? God, bless me. Do you ask God to bless you? Some of us may, some may not.

In fact, we may find these words difficult to say. Who am I to ask God to bless me ? It sounds selfish, demanding, and even arrogant. It is easier to ask God to bless others. Even though we know that God wants to bless us, we are usually reluctant when it comes to asking God.

Whenever I speak with our young people and older adults, I find that one of the biggest hang-ups that people have about prayer is they feel inadequate and unsure. I haven't prayed in a while, so I don't know if I should pray. I don't think I'm a good Christian so I shouldn't pray. Is it too selfish of me to ask God for such and such things? Will God answer my prayer?

How we pray is often dependent on how we feel about ourselves. How we perceive our own worth is at the root. If we are feeling good and confident, we can pray. If we are feeling bad and guilty, we find it difficult to pray. How we feel about ourselves directly shapes our assumptions about God. God's face seems to change according to our feelings.

The Canaanite Woman

Today's scripture shows us a radically different picture. It is the story of a Canaanite woman. She has a daughter suffering from a debilitating condition. She comes and asks Jesus for help. But she doesn't ask in a quiet and reserved way.

Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon. (Matthew 15:22)

The woman SHOUTED. Loudly enough for Jesus to hear. Loudly enough to make the disciples uneasy.

Jesus doesn't answer her at first. When she asks again for help, he says some harsh and difficult words.

It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs. (Matthew 15:26)

To us, this may seem very uncharacteristic of Jesus. How could he say that? Does he really see her that way? Matthew doesn't tell us.

But given the context, perhaps he was voicing what those around him were thinking at that moment. Particularly the disciples. The Canaanites were considered as outsiders. They weren't the Israelites God's chosen people. They were seen as unclean. But what is more interesting is how the woman responds to what Jesus says.

Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table. (Matthew 15:27)

The Canaanite woman could've been crushed by what Jesus said. She could've just turned around and walked away. Maybe I am not worth his time after all.

But she doesn't. She doesn't remain silent. She stands her ground. She isn't demeaning herself here. She is speaking with BOLDNESS and CONFIDENCE. I know how I am perceived. But I know who you are. That's all that matters. BLESS ME!

The Humble

Asking God to bless you is not demanding God to give you what you want or what you are owed. Asking God to bless you is to say, God, be gracious to me apart from you, I have no good thing. It has both Have mercy on me and Help me . It is more than the specific things we ask God for. It is a prayer built on our understanding of who God is, rather than how we see or feel about ourselves.

That is where we find our confidence and boldness. That is how we overcome our feelings of guilt and shame that often prevent us from asking God for what we need. That is why we can pray so persistently, without giving up.

The Canaanite woman was not an Israelite. Yet she still recognized Jesus as Lord, the Son of David. She clearly knew whom she was asking. She saw what many could not see. She didn't give up easily.

It is not just the Canaanite woman, though. You see this kind of attitude in other places in the Gospels. Jesus talks about what it means to be persistent in our asking. For example, he tells this story of a friend

Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.' And he answers from within, Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.' I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs. (Luke 11:5-8)

Later, Jesus also tells the parable of a widow who goes to the unjust judge to ask for justice. She comes to him day after day after day.

For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' (Luke 18:4, 5)

God hears and answers the cries of the humble. The humble aren't those who don't ask. Proud people don't ask for help. The humble are those who ask for help with confidence. The humble are those who are persistent. They see no other hope than the one they are asking. They recognize their need for God. How we pray reveals who we are and what we believe.

Bold, Tenacious, Persistent

In our prayer life, we don't have to be so timid. We don't have to let our insecurities dictate how we pray. God has already accepted us in Christ.  God calls us his own, and we belong to God.

We can be BOLD. We can be TENACIOUS. We can be PERSISTENT. Not because of what we've done, but because of who God is.

Reflecting on today's passage, Jacob came to mind. Based on what he did in his life, he had no ground to stand on before God. But when his life was in danger, he fought and wrestled with God on the mountain all night.

Then he said, Let me go, for the day is breaking. But Jacob said, I will not let you go, unless you BLESS ME. (Genesis 32:26)

Jacob REFUSED to let God go. I love that image.  He needed God's assurance and blessing. He wasn't going to have it any other way. In the end, God blessed him.

That is faith. The same faith that the Canaanite woman showed. No matter what the others thought or said, she trusted that Jesus would ultimately grant her what she asked. In doing so, she showed greater faith than any Israelite there. Jesus praised her for it.

Then Jesus answered her, Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish. (Matthew 15:28)

There is no problem too big or small for God. There is no prayer too trivial for God. A simple and sincere prayer powerfully moves God's heart. All we need to pray is, Bless me.

It might feel uncomfortable at first. Don't overthink it. Just pray it, regardless of how you feel. Repeat it every moment. When we wake up, during the day, and when we lie down. The more we pray, the simpler our prayer becomes. We ask because we know that God will hear us.

And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him. (1 John 5:14, 15)

Prayer offered up in faith opens the floodgates of God's grace. God's blessing will pour into our lives. God's goodness will follow us everywhere we go. Bless me, Lord. Bless me.

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Matthew 14:22-33

The Sea of Galilee

Albert Einstein once said, Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed. I think fear is the greatest and most pervasive force of all. Stupidity and greed can come from fear.

Fear exercises a powerful influence over us. It paralyzes us. It makes us small. It prevents us from truly living. Fear is the biggest impediment to our journey of faith. It is our stumbling block.

We all have our fears. But we can never get rid of them. Fear will always be there, showing up when we least expect it. Certain situations will bring out certain fears in us. We will have to deal with them over and over again. However, we don't have to be mastered by our fears. We can deal with our fears and overcome them. The only way to do that is through faith.

That is what the disciples had to learn. They had to learn how to deal with their fears, rather than running from them. But it took them a long time. They didn't get it right away. They stumbled every time when they faced their challenges. That's what we see in today's passage.

Today's story takes place at the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee was known for its sudden and fierce storms. Many Jews didn't like the sea in general. They believed it was filled with scary creatures. They saw it as a place of chaos, violence, and unpredictability.

It was here that the disciples struggled against the waves all night. By the morning, they were tired, beaten, discouraged, and even more fearful than before. They were so afraid that they didn't even recognize Jesus when he came towards them on the water.

But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, It is a ghost! And they cried out in fear. (Matthew 14:26)

This wasn't the first time that the disciples experienced something like this. Earlier in the gospel, they get caught in a big storm at sea, while they are with Jesus on the boat.

And they went and woke him up, saying, Lord, save us! We are perishing! (Matthew 8:25)

So the reaction we see today is understandable. They were deeply afraid. Fear can distort how we see things.

Fear of the Storms

Our attitude toward life is like how the disciples relate to the sea. We often look at it with the eyes of fear. We see it as uncertain and unpredictable. We've been traumatized by the storms it has brought on us. We are usually anxious because of it. Many times, we try to deal with it on our own. We try our best to be in control. But each time, we find that that itself isn't enough. We eventually lose control. We become frightened and overwhelmed. Our fears leave us feeling powerless and more fearful than before. We remain in our boats, unable to move.

What does Jesus say to his disciples? He reminds them

Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid. (Matthew 14:27)

Jesus makes an emphatic statement. IT IS I. I here means I AM . I AM is the name of the Divine. I AM was what God said to Moses at the burning bush. In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes a number of I AM statements. In saying these words, Jesus is telling the disciples: Trust me. You have nothing to be afraid of.

Jesus' words give a feeling of confidence and fearlessness to one person in particular. PETER. He experiences a spiritual moment. It seems as if he is no longer under the influence of his fears. When Jesus tells Peter to come to him, Peter gets out of the boat and does the unthinkable. But what happens then?

But when he [Peter] noticed the strong wind, he became frightened (Matthew 14:30)

Peter's eyes quickly turn away from Jesus, to what's happening. He becomes afraid again. He loses composure and panics. He begins to sink and drown.

Like Peter, our eyes can so easily shift from Christ to what we see around us. We focus on what is wrong with our situation. We imagine the absolute worst. We let ourselves be consumed by our circumstances and our problems. We forget the words, IT IS I.   As if we had never heard them.

But even when we forget and cry out of fear, Christ saves us with his mighty hand. That's what happened to Peter.

Jesus didn't let him sink and drown. He grabbed Peter's arm and rescued him. RIGHT AWAY.

and, beginning to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me! Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, You of little faith, why did you doubt? (Matthew 14:30, 31)

With Jesus' help, Peter was able to overcome his fear. He experienced the saving power of Christ pulling him up. For him, IT IS I was no longer just a saying. Those words became a LIVING REALITY in his life.

When Jesus says to him, Why did you doubt? , he is not talking about intellectual doubt. He is addressing Peter's existential fear. He is asking Peter: WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID? IT IS I. You are safe in my hands. The waves won't swallow you up. Just keep your eyes on me. You will be okay.

Trust Requires Courage

Faith is connected to trust. Trust requires courage. We often experience how much we lack courage. We feel as if we lack the faith to simply trust in God in the midst of a turbulent storm.

That is where Christ comes to us and says, It is I. I AM enough. It is Christ who completes our faith and gives us the strength to overcome our fears. It is through Christ that we experience God's power bringing peace and calm to our lives.

Last week, Rev. Simon shared his mission report at Sioux Valley. It was truly a memorable experience. It affected everyone deeply. There was a lot to process and reflect on after the trip.

Leading up to the trip, Rev. Simon emphasized the need for us to put our complete trust in God as we prepared to leave. I remember him saying repeatedly, We will just trust in God. That God will lead and provide.

Of course! Who would disagree with that? At times I thought it was redundant to say that.

But it wasn't until we set our foot in Sioux Valley that the weight of those words dawned on us. From the moment we arrived there, it was just go, go, go. There wasn't a moment for us to stop and think. Unless we were sleeping, we were constantly moving. Every situation felt like more than we can handle. The meal team had to deal with the constant pressure of preparing enough food for the visitors who came through the doors. The children's camp team had to look after the children whose energy never showed any sign of slowing down. Simon and I barely had any time to adequately prepare for things, let alone our morning devotions. We were busy trying to adapt to the new environment and meet the demands of each day at the same time. It felt like we were stranded at sea. Things seemed totally out of our control.

For the first day or so, we ran on pure adrenaline. Eventually, this took a toll on all of us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. There were times when I thought to myself, Can I do this ? For all the members, prayer became our lifeline on this trip. During one of the morning devotions, I shared how prayer is learning to be still and knowing that God is God. What else could we stand on?

The way to deal with the storms is not fight them head-on. We can never avoid them either. The way to overcome the storms of our life is to put our trust in the one who has power over them. One who shows us the way in all the noise and chaos. It is to FOCUS ON CHRIST who is right there with us.

We may see the sea as a negative place. A place of danger and uncertainty. Where bad things are lurking beneath the surface and waiting to swallow us up at any moment.

But Jesus shows us that it can also be a positive place. Where we experience God's helping hand and walk through what may be threatening or overwhelming us. Where our faith becomes stronger and we come out with a deeper understanding of God. Who is this man? à Truly you are the Son of God

Fear may be a great force. Faith is an even greater and much stronger force.

When the storms come, may we focus on Christ. Let us not fix our eyes on what is going badly, but on who is right there with us in our troubles. Remember the words, IT IS I. They are the words of salvation.

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Revelation 21:1-4

Sioux Valley

The writer of Revelation talks about the new heaven and new earth. He compares it to the old order.

The old order consists of death, mourning, crying and pain. In the new order, tears are wiped away, and the things of the old are no longer. Sadly enough, we experienced so much of the old order during our mission trip this past week to Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. Sioux Valley is a beautiful place in southwestern Manitoba. They are a beautiful people with beautiful hearts. But the legacy of colonialism, residential schools, and everything else is visible in the lives of the people of Sioux Valley today.

In Sioux Valley, every day seems to be like the old order of things. Everyday is a catastrophe waiting to happen. You never know what tragedy the next day will bring. There is a lot of pain. These days, there is a drug issue on the reserve. One evening we held a worship service at the local church building that's owned by the community. Some kids from the neighbourhood saw cars in the parking lot and were curious so they peeked in. Sarah went to talk to them and asked where their parents were. One girl said that her mom died so she was staying with her auntie, but she wasn't sure where she would be tomorrow. Another said her dad had died and she was staying with a grandma. And another girl with a similar story. They spoke matter of factly, as if it was a everyday occurrence. Prayer at Martha's house?

Any one of these things would shake us to the core, and we would need a lot of time to process just one of these. But for so many people there, these are everyday occurrences. How can you function in such a world?

We held a memorial service at the community cemetery. I looked around the cemetery. So many young deaths. Our norm these days is for people to live into their 80's at least. If they die during their 70's, there is a feeling that their lives were unfortunately cut short. But there, so many people die at a young age: adults in their thirties, twenties, teens, and even babies. There are so many health issues too. So many people there have diabetes

The legacy of residential schools and other colonial policies destroyed families, their cultures, their way of life and even their bodies in the form of poor health. But the most lasting legacy is the legacy of damaged hearts

A heart that is damaged cannot receive or give love properly. A damaged heart instead inflicts its damage onto others. It sees no hope or purpose

What is needed is healing of damaged hearts. So they can love again. The ingredient that the heart needs to heal is love.

Love Is All We Need

As we began the trip, we weren't sure how it was going to go. Would people be open to us? Would they welcome us? But then an interesting thing happened: some of the first kids to come were children of those who used to attend the camp at Sarah and Joon's old church. A lot of people who attended these camps as kids came to see them and say hi, and they brought their own kids. After all these years, they still remember the love they received at these camps. It seems like a small thing for us, but the love they received has remained in them. As the days went on, word spread about our presence there and more and more people came. Door to door: you guys are the Koreans from Toronto? Our meals were obviously the most popular thing – at one point we had one hundred people come to eat. Our kitchen crew had their hands full the entire trip, and I'm so thankful for them.

Jesus said the kingdom is heaven is like a mustard seed: it is the tiniest of seeds, but it grows into the greatest of shrubs where birds can build nests. Love is like a tiny seed. It is not visible when planted. But if it is nurtured and grown, it has the possibility of becoming a tree that bears fruit

Love is what we all need. The kids came like magnets. Over 50, 60, 70 kids and youth. They cleaved to our young leaders, for whom I'm also so grateful. They developed the same bonds with the kids that were formed with their parents and others many years ago. A lot of Sioux Valley people move to the nearby city of Brandon to find jobs and opportunities. It's about half hour away. But they drove to Sioux Valley and back each day bc they treasured this camp. It was hard saying goodbye on the last night – there were many tears shed. Everyone kept asking: will you guys come back again? I had to keep responding: I really hope so There are a group of women who are faithful believers. But there is no congregation in the community. Speaking with these women, their desire is for a pastor who can shepherd a congregation. A place for children and youth to learn the Word of God. To hear the message of Jesus' love. Safe place for love and the Word to flourish – counter to what they see on a daily basis. They lament that there is no such place for them

It made me realize the second thing that people need: the Word of God has the power to change hearts. Love heals the heart; the Word changes it. There needs to be a place where hearts can be changed by the Word. That's is what the church is.

What's on my heart is that they need a church and a pastor that can be with them day after day, week after week, whom we can support. It's not enough to just go there once a year. They need a space where love and the Word of God is present on a regular basis.

This will not be easy. Young people are not interested in hearing anything religious or spiritual.

There is also sense a resistance to Christianity among leaders of the community. I totally understand. Christians did so much damage, damage that remains to this day.

The Centre

But I came to see one thing very clearly: the central importance of love. Only love will heal. Not the religion or form it takes. If love is not at the centre of a religion or practice, it will not heal, it will not bring about positive change. Jesus came to restore love at the center of life. We have lots of work to undo the legacy of what people did in Jesus' name that was opposite of who he was.

We held a special prayer service for the believers in the community. We sang hymns they knew growing up while Bob played piano. I shared Jesus' last commandment to his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. For some reason, they all knew each other but were not meeting up together. Followers of Jesus are called to love one another, to pray together, bear each other's burdens. I went around asking what they would like prayed for. We would pray for that person, and then I would pray out loud for them. It was a wonderful time of God's presence among us. It was the first time they had prayed together with others like that in a long time

Love remains. There was a couple named Jodi and Dawn. They were kids when Sarah and Joon's old church went. They ended up coming out every day even though there's no program for them. I could tell that they've been through a lot of difficulties. And yet I see seeds of hope because of love. She went around with a notebook asking everyone from our mission team to write in it and sign it. So we did. I wrote that God loves her no matter what and to always remember that. She wrote a letter to Jack.

Love is the seed of hope for a new world. There's a family that Sarah and Joon got especially close to during their years there. One of the girls was Hannah. She was extremely shy and reserved when she first met them. But over time, she grew close to them and looked forward to each summer. She went through many challenges, including addictions and thoughts of suicide. She died after a complication during a surgery a few years ago. We held a memorial service for her. Yesterday would have been her 30th birthday. She was taken too young. Their family was at the prayer service, and their prayer request was that they be able to get through yesterday. So many tears run through the people of this community

But love carries the seed of hope for a new future. Their sister Hillary gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter. She's 6 months old now. So precious. So beautiful. They named her Hannah, after her deceased sister. The old Hannah passed away, but there is hope for something different with the new Hannah. She was at the prayer service in her stroller with her family. We had everyone pray for her. I prayed that she may grow up embraced and surrounded by love. That the life of new Hannah would wipe away the tears left by the old Hannah. It was a powerful moment where we all lifted her up in prayer. The community carries much pain, but they are tight-knit and resilient

Love is the hope for a new future. It is the only thing that can wipe away the tears. The central ingredient in the new heaven and earth will be love

St. Paul said this about love:

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. (1 Corinthians 13:7-8)

My friends, life is difficult. But when there is love, there is always hope. Love overcomes all things. Love overcame death on the cross. When there is love, anything is possible. Let us pray for the people of Sioux Valley. Let us pray for love to heal our own hearts. Let us pray that God's will be done on earth in love

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Romans 8:26-39

You Are Not Alone

How beautiful these words are! So loving, so assuring, so hopeful. Every single sentence is touched with grace and love. There is not too much to add to this beautiful passage.

It shows how much God cares for us. You are not alone. God is right there with you to take care of you.

The Holy Spirit helps you in your weakness and prays for you with sighs too deep for words. Jesus Christ intercedes for you at the right hand of God. God the Father loves you with love that nothing in the world can separates you from. The WHOLE TRINITY is right there. They all work together to take care of you. What a wonderful news. You are blessed.

You will be all right because behind the scene, there is God working hard for you. There is nothing to worry about.

This is what St. Paul said.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

All things work together for good – because God is working so hard for you.

Verse 31 comes to me as a loud declaration!

If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31)

If you believe in God, that absolute God is telling you, he is for you, not against you. That should give you confidence. If God is for me, who or what will be against me?

No one can condemn you. No one can bring any charge against you. No angel, no ruler, no power can stop God who HAS DECIDED TO LOVE you. Even death cannot stop God from loving you.

BUT THE IRONY IS WE ARE OUR WORST CRITIC. We don't love ourselves. We don't accept ourselves. So we have hard time believing that God loves us that much. No matter how much God loves you, if you don't accept the love, the power of love cannot have any effect on you.

The Monster

Last two weeks, we have reflected on the flesh and the evil. We saw that the flesh is our shadow self and it is deeply ingrained in us. And the evil is very much entangled with the good. We have been always surrounded by the flesh and the evil. We have been always surrounded by these dark forces. That makes it hard for us to love us.

Yes, We were not untouched by these dark influences. We were influenced by these negative thoughts. We made it worse by ruminating and overthinking negative things about ourselves.

We all experience failures and we all make mistakes. Instead of shaking them off and move on, we dwell on our failures and mistakes. They create anger, disappointment, fear, regrets, and heartaches within us.

We have become our own prisoner. We have become our worst enemy. We have become incapable of loving ourselves. We have become slaves of the flesh within us and the victim of the evil around us.

As Mena told me about the song last week, I listened to the song, Monster, by Justin Bieber.

I could feel this tremendous pressure.

You put me on a pedestal and tell me I’m the best

Raise me up into the sky until I’m short of breath, yeah

Fill me up with confidence, I say what’s in my chest

Spill my words and tear me down until there’s nothin’ left

Rearrange the pieces just to fit me with the rest, yeah

But what if I, what if I trip?

What if I, what if I fall?

Then am I the monster?

Just let me know

And what if I, what if I sin?

And what if I, what if I break? Yeah

Then am I the monster? Yeah

Just let me know, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

We deal with monster within us. And often we don't win. We just let the monster rule us and dictate us. And we become monster.

Love Your Neighbour as Yourself

Being perfect – it sounds good. But the thing is – It only leaves us with scars. It just makes us more disappointed about ourselves. We either give up or cover up.

A French Enlightenment writer and philosopher, Voltaire said:

Perfect is the enemy of good.

I understand what he is trying to say. Perfectionism only leaves us with disappointment and bitterness. We become very uncomfortable with ourselves.

JESUS SAID, LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR AS YOURSELF. It is quite a profound sentence. He didn't say, just love your neighbour. He said love your neighbour as yourself. He was saying that if you don't love yourself, you cannot love your neighbour. That is not possible.

Love is like a flow of water. When it flows within us, it flows to others. When there is love overflowing within us, then it overflows to others. If you are judgmental to yourself, you will be judgmental to others. If you are abusive to yourself, then you are abusive to others. If you are gentle and kind to yourself, then you can be gentle and kind to others.

Self-love is not selfishness. When you truly love yourself, you can overcome selfishness because you don't need to be so obsessed about yourself. You are so comfortable with yourself that you don't need to think about yourself so much. What you need is not self-esteem. What you need is self-love.

Self-esteem is something you get when you do well and when your life is going all right. But self-love is being kind and gentle to yourself in all circumstances, even when you fail.

Don't make yourself as your enemy.

Beautifully Imperfect

Dr. Kristin Neff, an associate professor in the University of Texas, Austin, said:

A lot of people think self-compassion is weak, but it's just the opposite. When you're in the (emotional) trenches, do you want an enemy or an ally?

LOVING YOURSELF DOES NOT COME FROM YOUR WILL OR YOUR EFFORT. Negative energy is too strong for you to do that. You will be too critical of yourself. You will feel helpless often when you try to love yourself. Because you can't.

The Spirit will help you.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26, 27)

Even when we are helpless and don't even know what to pray for, the Spirit searches our heart and knows our heart and prays for us with sighs too deep for words.

Being able to love yourself is God's gift. When you truly meet God, you can finally accept yourself. You can even love yourself. Because you realize God's love. You realize how precious you are. You are precious enough for Jesus to die for you.

You realize that God is for you, not against you. You realize that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Even you cannot do that. Then you can stop being so harsh and judgmental against you. Now you can see yourself differently. That is the beginning of salvation and the beginning of healing. You appreciate who you are.

The confession of the Psalmist becomes your confession.

For it was you who formed my inward parts;

you knit me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

that I know very well. (Psalm 139:13, 14)

You find your own beauty. Even when you are imperfect, you will find yourself BEAUTIFULLY IMPERFECT. Don't ever look down upon yourself. That is the greatest sin. It is the sin of looking down upon God's beautiful creation. Then you are ready to love others.

There is a song You are so beautiful to me. I was listening to the version Charles Lloyd and Norah Jones sang.

You are so beautiful

To me

You are so beautiful

To me

Can’t you see

You’re everything I hoped for

You’re everything I need

You are so beautiful

To me

While listening, I heard it as though God is telling me that.

You are so beautiful.

The post You Are So Beautiful appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

The Problem Outside

Last week, we reflected on the flesh that is within us. The flesh is not just our body but it is our dark self, shadow self. We cannot get rid of it or remove it from us. It torments us and paralyzes us. Even though we don't like it, the flesh is us. It is like our self is attacking us. So as far as the flesh is concerned, we are powerless.

Knowing that we are powerless about the flesh, Jesus gave us the Spirit and now through the power of the Spirit, the power of the flesh cannot control us any more. It is there within us but it cannot dominate our lives. Now we are in the Spirit, not in the flesh.

Today, I want to talk about another big dilemma that we are dealing with in our lives. It is not a problem of the flesh. Now the problem is not just in us but outside of us. It is within our society. It is the problem of the evil.

Jesus’ Parable

To help us deal with the problem of the evil, Jesus gave us this parable.

Let us look at the parable again.

Someone sowed the good seed in his field. But when the plants came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared as well. So the servants asked this question.

Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27)

The world God created was good.

God created EARTH AND SEA and he said it was good. God created PLANT AND FRUIT and he said it was good. God created THE SUN AND THE MOON and he said it was good. God created FISH AND BIRDS and he said it was good.

God created ANIMALS and he said it was good. God completed his creation by creating HUMAN BEINGS and he said it was good.

And yet, the world we live in is not always good. There is evil. There are suffering, hardships, agony, and sadness.

We ask the same question.

Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where, then, did these weeds come from? (Matthew 13:27)

Jesus did not look at the world with utopian eyes. Jesus did not see you and your life with utopian eyes. He was not fooled by what looked good on the surface. He saw everything as it was.

The Nature of Evil

Jesus saw the evil working in this world. Jesus saw the evil working in what looked like a holy place and holy people. He saw the power of evil.

He saw the intrinsic nature of evil. He saw that the evil is intricately connected with the good. The evil is entangled and intertwined with the good.

Money is good when it is used for a good purpose, helping out those who are in need. But at the same time, the evil is right there and it uses money to destroy relationships and even humanity. Religion is good when it helps people to live with goodness and generosity. But at the same time, the evil is right there and uses the religion to create discrimination, wars, and bigotry.

In everything, the good and the evil are intertwined.

That's why Jesus said this.

The servant came to the owner with a solution.

Then do you want us to go and gather them? (Matthew 13:28)

In other words, do you want us to go and pluck them out?

The owner said, Oh no. Don't do that.

No; for in gathering the weeds you would uproot the wheat along with them. (Matthew 13:29)

In other words, the weeds and the wheat are so intertwined and entangled that you may even hurt the wheat by trying to take out the weeds. From the roots, they are entangled.

The Ultimate Victory

Evil in our lives or in the world is not something you can easily or naively take out.

That was what Pharisees did. They defined narrowly what was good life and what was bad. They used the law to define it. Then they separated the righteous people from the sinful people. Unfortunately, they categorized Jesus as a sinner and his work as evil. Their way of dealing with it was to get rid of him. So they crucified him. Plucking out the bad apple.

Then what do we do? Do we do nothing? Just helplessly let the evil play its game?

Jesus tells us one thing very clear. Ultimately, the evil will not prevail. The evil will not overcome the good. There will be a consequence of the evil.

This is what Jesus said.

at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Collect the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn. (Matthew 13:30)

He gives the interpretation later.

the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are collected and burned up with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will collect out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and they will throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let anyone with ears listen! (Matthew 13:39-43)

In the end, the evil will be punished. The good will win.

Keep that in mind. We have confidence in this ultimate victory. We persevere our hardships and difficulties because in the end, God will restore the good.

In the Midst of Evil

St. Paul said this.

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:6)

We still sow the good seed even though the evil is out there. Because God will bring it to completion.

That was what Job did. Even though he was a righteous man, many evil things happened to him. His prosperous and abundant life was taken away. His seven sons and three daughters were taken away. His flocks destroyed. His servants were slaughtered. He was all alone and now he was smitten with a skin disease. The evil things happened to him. But Job never lost his hope in God.

THE EVIL NOT ONLY BRINGS SUFFERING BUT IT CUTS YOU OFF FROM THE SOURCE OF HOPE.

John Swinton said this in his book, Raging with Compassion: Pastoral Responses to the Problem of evil.

The primary message of the book of Job is

Not: How can a loving God allow this to happen to an innocent sufferer?

But: How can human beings continue to love God in the midst of evil?

The evil not only makes you suffer but its ultimate purpose is to cut you off from the source of hope and love. Resisting the evil is to continuously hope and continuously love. When we are able to do that, the evil loses its power to control us.

That is what Jesus did on the cross. That is what the message of the cross is all about.

Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.

Into your hands, I commit myself.

It is done.

Jesus kept faith, hope, and love. He even prayed for forgiveness of those who were killing him. That's love. Even when the evil reached its climax, Jesus was able to love. The evil lost its power at the cross. Resisting the evil is not just fighting it but keeping faith, hope, and love in the midst of evil.

In the end, we know that the good will win. But meanwhile, we should resist the evil by keeping faith, hope, and love.

The post Resist the Evil appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Romans 8:1-11

Spiritual and Worldly Life

In today's passage, we see a clear contrast between the life according to the Spirit and the life according to the flesh. The spiritual life and the worldly life.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. (Romans 8:5)

What does it mean to set the mind on the flesh? Does this mean to live morally sinful life? Does this mean breaking the law? Does this mean violating cultural norms?

The most common understanding of the difference between the spiritual life and worldly life is. Spiritual life is living a moral and religious life and the worldly life is living a secular life. We think of it as something that you do or not do. Just a lifestyle on the surface.

In today's passage, I think Paul is talking about something deeper than that.

What is this flesh? The flesh is yourself. But a particular aspect of yourself. Your dark self. You can call it your shadow self.

Do spiritual people not have it? No we all have it. We are all influenced by this flesh. It is not something that you can deal with by doing anything. It is not about doing anything. It is the condition of your heart.

It is our dark side. It is a place we don't want to go, we don't want to be. Behind the social mask we wear every day, we all have this hidden side that we don't want to expose. It makes us feel embarrassed and shameful. That is what the flesh is.

It is the self that torments us. It is not only unacceptable to others but also unacceptable to ourselves. It creates tremendous inner struggle within us. The flesh is the reason we hate ourselves. It takes away our joy and our confidence. It takes away light from us. We feel dark when we face this shadow. Unbearable guilt torments us.

The Shadow

We don't feel it most of the time because we hide it very well deep in our secret place. We put it in there and shackle it with a lock, thinking that it is dealt with. But just because we hide it away and lock it away, it doesn't disappear. We may repress it but it's there. It only goes deeper within us. You can never shackle it with a lock. There is no lock in the world that can lock up our flesh.

This is what Swiss Psychologist Carl Jung said.

Everyone carries a shadow and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. (Carl Jung)

Repressing it, denying it, and hiding it – that is what we do. We think that we can handle it by doing this. But what we are doing is just getting rid of it from our awareness. We are just turning a blind eye.

Its effect is still there. The more you hide it, the more powerfully it will affect us. It creates anger, shame, guilt, fear, and a sense of worthlessness. We become cold, detached, indifferent, and self-centered. We become damaged. We cannot feel for others. We cannot feel life.

This shadow can manifest itself collectively, then it becomes collective shadow. One good example is the Holocaust. It can affect the whole nation. They don't feel it and so they can do unimaginable things. It is a malady of modern society. They set fire on a person just sitting in the subway. They just shoot a person without reason. No feeling left any more.

Jesus saw that very clearly. We reflected on this last week.

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn. (Matthew 11:17)

You become emotionally dry. You become incapable of emotionally engaging with others.

This dark self does not allow us to live an integrated and authentic life. We sense hypocrisy within us. Our smile is a fake smile. Our kindness is merely a social gesture. We are not real. Nothing matters except me.

That is what the flesh looks like. That is what it means to live according to the flesh.

Thing is you can never get away from the flesh. It is who you are. Your shadow self is also yourself. Your dark side is also you. Whether you like it or not, it is you. The more you try to hide it, the more it will control you. The more you try to get rid of it, the more it will make you feel helpless.

The Flesh

The solution is not to hide it. The solution is not to get rid of it.

The solution is for the flesh to serve you, not to make it become your master. Don't give power to your flesh but let it serve you.

There is a famous Argentinian writer. His name is Jorges Luis Borges.

He said,

All that happens to us, including our humiliations, our misfortunes, our embarrassment, all is given to us as raw material, as clay, so that we may shape our art. (Jorges Luis Borges)

I think it is a good advice.

Creativity does not come from only what is good. Creativity comes from both good and bad. Even our flesh, our dark side, when it is in God's hands, it changes its effects. Instead of destroying us, it will help us to be creative.

It is possible because God gave us the Spirit. The Spirit is the greatest gift Jesus gave us when he left the earth.

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you for ever. (John 14:16)

You have the Spirit within you. And the Spirit is more powerful than the flesh. The Spirit is the only way that can bind the power of the flesh. You don't have to worry about yourself so much.

The Spirit

Do you know why people don't have peace? Because they worry about themselves. I am the greatest source of my worries, my anxiety, and my fear. I am the greatest source of my misery. I am the greatest enemy of myself. Because we are still governed by the flesh.

Self-obsession is not loving yourself. It is fear of yourself. Even though it is you, you are not comfortable with yourself. Living like that is living according to the flesh.

Jesus rescued you from your dark self. You are a precious child of God.

The Spirit declares that you are God's precious child. The Spirit cries out that you are God's child.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, Abba! Father!' it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:15, 16)

You have the Spirit. Now you can deal with your flesh.

When the dark thoughts come upon you, don't be scared. When condemnation oppresses you, don't let it take you into darkness. You have the Spirit. St. Paul said, there is no more condemnation.

That is how he started the chapter 8.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

That Spirit will give you strength. That Spirit will lift you up. That Spirit will take you into the light.

You will be filled with hope, confidence, and creativity. No more shame, no more fear, no more guilt.

Instead of shame, you will have confidence. Instead of fear, you will have courage. Instead of guilt, you will have forgiveness and righteousness.

Now you can live a life of integrity. You can have an authentic life that does not need to hide away or repress your shadow. That is the power of the Spirit. You are not in the flesh. You are in the Spirit.

The post Not In the Flesh, But In the Spirit appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

Unresponsive Numbness

In just a few days, the City of Toronto will install a new mayor. This election was a milestone. The three leading candidates were immigrants or children of immigrants. Two of them were people of colour. For the first time in Toronto's history, we will have a mayor who is a racialized person of colour and an immigrant. It's a historic moment. It signifies the kind of place Toronto has become – as a city that draws people from all over the world

It was also an important election because there are so many issues in the city: Acts of random violence have increased. The problem of homelessness and lack of shelters has grown. Our transportation system is facing issues. Cost of housing is through the roof.

But when I think about it, I don't think any of this really mattered much to a lot of people. For most people, this news, if it even registered, was met with a collective shrug. Voter turnout wasn't terrible, but the level of emotional engagement was very low.

I wonder if this is how Jesus felt during his lifetime. Jesus was Emmanuel – God with us. The living presence of God in the flesh. He came to usher in a new reign of God. He performed great deeds to signify the beginning of this kingdom. People should have marveled at these great deeds, see them for what they were – the beginning of a new era of God's good works – and changed their lives in response to it. I mean, if you see powerful deeds that mark the beginning of a new thing that God is doing, there is nothing else to do but change!

But that's not what happened. Instead of wonder and change, Jesus encountered unresponsive numbness. This is what he says in today's passage:

But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;

Unresponsive numbness: Is this what life is like today? When things happen around us, do we just greet it with blank stares?

Our Hearts Are Tired

I don't think that people have no feeling. All of us have feeling. We all care about things. I am thankful for the people of our church: warm, kind, accepting. I think the problem is that people are just overwhelmed with all the things they need to care about

It is not that people lack feeling, it's that people's hearts are tired. So many things weigh on their hearts. Many worries. Many anxieties

Living day to day takes its toll on us. Bumping up against others in our daily encounters. Being in toxic environments. Feeling lack of purpose in what you do. Going through that daily grind without end. These things leave nicks and bruises on our hearts. They take a toll. They weigh on us. Even when we want to care, when we encounter indifferent numbness in others, it makes our hearts more tired.

Sometimes we confuse the brain and the heart. Our work and daily requirements consume us. Our brains get tired. We want to shut down our minds. Shut them down and enjoy some pleasures to rest our minds. But our minds are different from the heart. Shutting off our minds does not give rest for our hearts.

The heart is our spiritual center. It is what makes us human. It is the seat of empathy. It is the seat of care. It is the place where hope is born and our imagination comes alive. It is also the gateway to God. It is the place we encounter God. Our brains articulate our experience of God and process our understanding of God, but the heart is where we experience God

When our hearts are tired, all of these capacities are diminished. When you don't get enough sleep, your physical and cognitive functions diminish. When your heart is tired, your human and spiritual capacities diminish. You lose capacity for empathy. To care. When your heart is tired, you are unable to concern yourself with anything beyond your own surroundings. There is no room in your heart for more. Everything feels burdensome. When your heart is tired, you become numb to things around you. Instead of being inspired, you become jaded, cynical and judgemental. This is how people responded to people like Jesus and John.

For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' (Matthew 11:17)

Jesus and John were sent by God. They were God's messengers and agents. But they could not recognize that. When your heart is tired, you cannot recognize God. You cannot feel life. Life becomes merely a string of activity with no meaning. No joy.

Rest

Sleep restores, regenerates and heals the body. In the same way, our hearts need rest. Rest that restores, regenerates and heals the heart. Rest that allows our hearts to feel again. Rest that makes room for others in our hearts. Rest that lets us see God at work. Rest that heals our hearts of stone into hearts of flesh

What do our hearts need? How does the heart get rest? The heart needs to be heard. What is therapy? It is an intentional space to be heard. Good therapists and counselors are trained to listen. The therapeutic process happens as you feel heard. It is when we feel heard and understood that our hearts find rest and healing

Jesus said:

Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Come to me, and I will give you rest. Come to me, and lay down your burdens. Come to me, and be heard. Come to me, and be understood. Come to me, and be comforted. Come to me, and find rest for your weary heart.

There is a famous hymn. I'm sure many of you know it.

What a friend we have in Jesus

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh what peace we often forfeit

Oh what needless pain we bear

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer

Prayer is nothing other than laying out our hearts to God. It is being heard by God. It is being understood by God. It is finding rest in God's gracious and loving presence.

Jesus says this:

I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (Matthew 11:25-26)

I still remember when Joonie was born. Deb had a very long and arduous labour – over 24 hours. After giving birth, she was totally wiped out. First night: no sleep because of other baby. Second night: Deb exhausted, slept. I had Joonie all night: he would cry out if I put him down – had to be held all night. When he was in my arms as I walked up and down the hospital hallway, he would be calm and sleep.

Infants cry out when they have needs. They cry and cry until their need is met. Infants don't have words to articulate their needs. They simply know they have needs and cry out for them to be met. When the parent responds and holds them, they are soothed. They feel secure and confident. They find peace and can rest.

Many times we don't even know what our heart needs. We don't have words to express what's in them. But to find rest for our hearts, we need to be like infants and cry out to God. The psalmist says this:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24)

Even when you don't have the words to express what's in your heart, come to God and say this simple prayer.

Rest is the culmination of creation. On the seventh day, God rested and blessed all of creation. In rest, we find the blessings of life. In rest, we find strength for another day. God made the Sabbath so that our hearts may rest in him. Coming to worship God is to find rest in his presence.

Find rest in Christ. And with a rested heart, be the presence of Christ for others in whom they too can find rest.

The post Find Rest for Your Weary Heart appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Romans 6:12-13

Sin

Sin – it is not a popular topic. We don't want to think about it or talk about it. We want to just sweep it under the rug.

What is sin? Sin is breaking rules. But it is more than that.

SIN IS A DARK FORCE THAT ENSLAVES US TO ITS POWER.

That's why St. Paul often uses the language of SLAVERY AND FREEDOM when he talks about sin.

Sin makes us feel powerless.

This powerlessness is well expressed in Paul's letter to Romans.

I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:14-20)

The last sentence shows the nature of sin very well.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:20)

Sin is not just breaking the rules. It is not just what we do wrong. It is not just our shortcomings.

Sin is the dark power that dwells within you. Sin is the power that brings the worst of yourself. It destroys your self-esteem. It robs you of your confidence. It condemns you.

It is not you who is doing this to yourself. It is sin within you that does it. It sounds like blaming sin, not yourself. That is not what Paul is trying to say. Paul is trying to show the powerful reality that exists very within us. You are deeply affected by this dark power. This dark power is so powerful that you feel enslaved. It is almost like cancer within you.

It takes away the joy of life. It drives you to fear and darkness. It creates guilt within you and this guilt torments you. There is always a dark cloud hovering over you.

We have noble visions, beautiful dreams, ideals and yet this dark power destroys them all. When sin convicts you, you become paralyzed and feel hopeless.

The Laws

By doing something good here and something good there will not be the way to deal with our sin. Trying to be a nice person will not be able to pluck out the sin that is within you.

We all have laws within us. If you have grown up in Christian environment, you have God's commandment and Jesus' teaching. Even if you have not grown up in Christian environment, you have learned a moral code. You have these laws and try to follow them. These laws are good. They tell you what is good and what is bad.

But having the law – does it help? Knowing what to do – does it help?

When you don't have power to carry out, what good is it to KNOW what to do? It's like saying to a depressed person, Don't be depressed. It's like saying to a very angry person, Don't be angry.

These laws are useless. Our conscience is not very helpful either.

Do we have no choice then? Do we have to live, dictated by this dark and negative power? Can we ever experience true freedom?

Freedom

Freedom is not to do whatever you want. Freedom is to be free from this dark and negative power.

Having enough money and not having to work – that is not what freedom is. You have time and money so that you can travel wherever you want to go – that is not what freedom is. That is Lotto 649 Freedom, not real freedom.

Freedom is freedom from sin. It is freedom from fear. Freedom from worries and anxieties. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from greed. Freedom from hatred. Freedom from anger. Freedom from low self-esteem.

Having enough money and not having to work cannot give you that kind of freedom. Travelling wherever you want to go will not give you that kind of freedom.

St. Paul said this in today's passage.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

Only the power that can destroy the power of sin is grace. When Jesus died on the cross, the power of grace was released. It is like a floodgate being opened.

GRACE IS GOD'S DECISION NOT TO CONDEMN YOU BUT TO ACCEPT YOU.

St. Paul realized this wonderful truth about God when he met Christ and reflected on him. He discovered the mysterious truth of God's grace.

This was what he said.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31)

When God decided to love us in spite of our shortcomings, who will accuse us? When God decided to accept us, who will charge us? Who will convict us?

Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? ( Romans 8:33, 34)

After saying this, St. Paul said this wonderful truth.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, 39)

God has decided to accept you no matter how weak you are. That is God's grace. It is a simple fact. But when you believe that, the power of grace will be released into you. That is good news. That is the Gospel. That power of grace destroys the power of sin. That power of grace chases out the power of sin that enslaves you. Then you will find freedom at last.

You are free from fear. You are free from condemnation. You are free from always having to prove yourself. You are free to be who you are.

When other people accept me as I am and love me, I experience freedom. How much more freedom you will experience when your Almighty God accepts you as you are and loves you?

Yes, that is the power of grace.

Freedom At Last!

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Sin

Sin - it is not a popular topic. We don’t want to think about it or talk about it. We want to just sweep it under the rug.

What is sin? Sin is breaking rules. But it is more than that.

SIN IS A DARK FORCE THAT ENSLAVES US TO ITS POWER.

That’s why St. Paul often uses the language of SLAVERY AND FREEDOM when he talks about sin.

Sin makes us feel powerless.

This powerlessness is well expressed in Paul’s letter to Romans.

I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:14-20)

The last sentence shows the nature of sin very well.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. (Romans 7:20)

Sin is not just breaking the rules. It is not just what we do wrong. It is not just our shortcomings.

Sin is the dark power that dwells within you. Sin is the power that brings the worst of yourself. It destroys your self-esteem. It robs you of your confidence. It condemns you.

It is not you who is doing this to yourself. It is sin within you that does it. It sounds like blaming sin, not yourself. That is not what Paul is trying to say. Paul is trying to show the powerful reality that exists very within us. You are deeply affected by this dark power. This dark power is so powerful that you feel enslaved. It is almost like cancer within you.

It takes away the joy of life. It drives you to fear and darkness. It creates guilt within you and this guilt torments you. There is always a dark cloud hovering over you.

We have noble visions, beautiful dreams, ideals and yet this dark power destroys them all. When sin convicts you, you become paralyzed and feel hopeless.

The Laws

By doing something good here and something good there will not be the way to deal with our sin. Trying to be a nice person will not be able to pluck out the sin that is within you.

We all have laws within us. If you have grown up in Christian environment, you have God’s commandment and Jesus’ teaching. Even if you have not grown up in Christian environment, you have learned a moral code. You have these laws and try to follow them. These laws are good. They tell you what is good and what is bad.

But having the law - does it help? Knowing what to do - does it help?

When you don’t have power to carry out, what good is it to KNOW what to do? It’s like saying to a depressed person, “Don’t be depressed.” It’s like saying to a very angry person, “Don’t be angry.”

These laws are useless. Our conscience is not very helpful either.

Do we have no choice then? Do we have to live, dictated by this dark and negative power? Can we ever experience true freedom?

Freedom

Freedom is not to do whatever you want. Freedom is to be free from this dark and negative power.

Having enough money and not having to work - that is not what freedom is. You have time and money so that you can travel wherever you want to go - that is not what freedom is. That is Lotto 649 Freedom, not real freedom.

Freedom is freedom from sin. It is freedom from fear. Freedom from worries and anxieties. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from greed. Freedom from hatred. Freedom from anger. Freedom from low self-esteem.

Having enough money and not having to work cannot give you that kind of freedom. Travelling wherever you want to go will not give you that kind of freedom.

St. Paul said this in today’s passage.

For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:14)

Only the power that can destroy the power of sin is grace. When Jesus died on the cross, the power of grace was released. It is like a floodgate being opened.

GRACE IS GOD’S DECISION NOT TO CONDEMN YOU BUT TO ACCEPT YOU.

St. Paul realized this wonderful truth about God when he met Christ and reflected on him. He discovered the mysterious truth of God’s grace.

This was what he said.

What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? (Romans 8:31)

When God decided to love us in spite of our shortcomings, who will accuse us? When God decided to accept us, who will charge us? Who will convict us?

Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? ( Romans 8:33, 34)

After saying this, St. Paul said this wonderful truth.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38, 39)

God has decided to accept you no matter how weak you are. That is God’s grace. It is a simple fact. But when you believe that, the power of grace will be released into you. That is good news. That is the Gospel. That power of grace destroys the power of sin. That power of grace chases out the power of sin that enslaves you. Then you will find freedom at last.

You are free from fear. You are free from condemnation. You are free from always having to prove yourself. You are free to be who you are.

When other people accept me as I am and love me, I experience freedom. How much more freedom you will experience when your Almighty God accepts you as you are and loves you?

Yes, that is the power of grace.

Freedom At Last!