St Timothy Presbyterian Church in Toronto: Sermons

Psalm 42

Welcoming

Happy Father's Day. Also on this day, St. Tim had a joint Picnic traditionally. It is time for Korean-speaking congregation and English-speaking congregation to celebrate our oneness by having worship together and sharing a meal together. We thank God for giving us this wonderful church. God gave us a beautiful weather. And we thank you all for coming out early and preparing for worship and lunch.

We could not have had the joint picnic since 2019 because of Covid. Let us have great time and enjoy our outdoor fellowship which we took for granted. We have realized that we can take nothing for granted. When we can, let us enjoy it with thanksgiving.

Longing and Thirst

I am gonna have a very short reflection today

In today's passage we hear this.

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1, 2)

LONGING AND THIRST – that's what our healthy soul has. Like a root of a tree stretching itself towards the water, our healthy soul will move towards its creator. As a deer longs for flowing streams, our soul longs and thirsts for the living God. But that longing and thirst for God do not come automatically. When our soul is not well, it doesn't have this longing and thirst.

We need to take care of our soul. When our soul is well, everything else will go well.

This is what John said,

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul. (3 John 1:2)

But we are busy pleasing only our body, not our soul. We listen to the needs of our body but we don't pay attention to the needs of our soul. When our soul gets neglected, it becomes saddened. It slowly dies away.

The psalmist saw that happening within himself and so he said.

My soul is cast down within me. (Psalm 42:6)

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? (Psalm 42:11)

Good Food For The Soul

We need to take care of our soul as we take care of our body. They both need our attention. They are connected. We are a psycho-somatic being.

Don't just eat good food. Don't just exercise for your body. Feed your mind with good thoughts. Have a quiet time to be reconnected with God who provides you with all your needs. Be in touch with yourself. Be thankful for all the good things that you enjoy in your life.

Know that you are the beloved. When you feel loved, you will be able to connect with others. Know that you are a beloved child of God. Also treat others as beloved children of God. When you love somebody, your soul comes alive. But when you hate somebody, that hatred will poison your soul.

Accept each other. Forgive one another. Appreciate each other.

Have peace in your heart. Do not worry. Turn your worries into prayer. Feel the presence of God in your life.

These are all good foods for your soul. This is how to take care of your soul.

When your soul is well taken care of, you will have longing and thirst for God. With that longing and thirst, we worship God and our worship will come alive. And our life will come alive.

The Psalmist lastly said this.

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (Psalm 42:11)

The post Take Care of Your Soul appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Proverbs 8:22-31

Wisdom in the Darkness

In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1, 2)

This is a familiar image we have about creation. Before God created the heavens and the earth, there was nothing but a formless void and darkness. Empty and dark: That was what was like before creation.

But today's passage tells us something else. There was something else, something more than emptiness and darkness. There was wisdom.

Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth. (Proverbs 8:23)

This I' is the Wisdom. When you read the whole chapter, you will see that.

There was wisdom right from the beginning before the creation of the world. Wisdom has been all along in this world. The world was created by this wisdom and therefore, the world is permeated with wisdom. So wisdom is all around you.

Pursuing Wisdom

You know what!

Happiness is finding this wisdom that is in the world. Our journey is a journey to find this wisdom. Pursue this wisdom and find this wisdom. That will make you happy.

We call human beings Homo sapiens in Latin. It means wise human. Yes, that's who we are. We are creatures that are imbued with wisdom. We are characterized by wisdom. We are creatures that are made to pursue this wisdom.

We need to search for it to live a meaningful life.

Proverbs said,

seek it (wisdom) like silver, and search for it (wisdom) as for hidden treasures. Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. (Proverbs 2:4, 5)

When you pursue wisdom, it will ultimately take you to the knowledge of God.

What You Need to Hear

Life is complex. People are complex. To deal with complexity of life, we need wisdom. To understand the depth of life, we need wisdom. To have deeper joy of life, we need wisdom. To live a meaningful life, we need wisdom.

When you have wisdom, not only it helps you but you can also help so many people with the wisdom you have. The community that is filled with wise people is the blessed community.

One thing great about wisdom is – you cannot abuse it or misuse it or have it too much. Money – if you have too much, it can corrupt you. Intelligence – you can misuse it for bad things or you can use it to make fun of those who are less smart than you and take advantage of them. But wisdom – you can never abuse it or misuse it or have it too much. It is always good for you.

So in that sense, wisdom is not just intelligence or knowledge. Just because you know the Bible a lot, it doesn't mean that you will become wise. There are thousands of good advices in the Bible but what is the advice you need to hear right now at this point of your life? Knowing that is the wisdom.

We all know the famous Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr.

God, grant me the serenity

to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.

The wisdom is to know whether your situation is what you can change or what you cannot change. Without wisdom, a good advice cannot be a good advice. If you have wisdom, so many good teachings in the Bible will benefit you tremendously. Those words will become like treasures. But if you don't have wisdom, the Bible can be a dangerous book.

You cannot just randomly choose a passage in the Bible and follow it.

Long time ago, I heard this story. It's kind of a funny made-up story. It's funny but it gives us an important lesson. There was a person who was struggling to deal with his complex problems. He didn't know what to do with his life. So he wanted to get wisdom from the Bible. But he didn't know how to read the Bible or what to look for. So he just opened the Bible with closed eyes and whatever came to his eyes, he read it.

It was this.

Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he (Judas) went and hanged himself. (Matthew 27:5)

No, this is not it. So, he tried again. And this he got this passage.

Do quickly what you are going to do. (John 13:27)

You cannot just choose advices randomly from the Bible. You have to know exactly what you NEED to hear, not what you WANT to hear. That's wisdom.

Knowing the Difference

The writer of Ecclesiastes said this,

(There is) a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak (Ecclesiastes 3:6, 7)

Knowing whether it is a time to seek or a time to lose, a time to keep or a time to throw away, a time to tear or a time to sew, a time to keep silence or a time to speak – that is the wisdom.

It is really hard to know what time it is. We all know so many good advices but to know what is really needed is hard.

So when it comes to wisdom, we have to be quite humble. Humility is to know that we are not that wise. Many wise people said in the past said that knowing that you are not wise is actually being wise.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing. Socrates

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's own ignorance. Confucius

A fool who recognizes his own ignorance is thereby in fact a wise man. Buddha

The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool. – Shakespeare

We need to be humble and that is the beginning of wisdom.

So the writer of Proverbs tells us,

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2)

Humility

Last week, after the sermon, a KSM elder came to me and thanked me for the message. And he said I am not really sure these days whether I am really aware of the Spirit who is crying out within me. It is hard to feel the presence of the Spirit when things are going well, he said. Recognizing one's own lack of spirituality is the first step of being spiritual, I thought.

But humility is not just recognizing one's own foolishness. That is only the beginning step. Knowing our own lack of wisdom, we should ask God to give us wisdom. That was what James taught us.

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:5)

So we realize that wisdom is not something you can acquire. It is God's gift. When we ask God for the wisdom we need, God will give us the wisdom. Be humble but actively seek wisdom. God will give us the wisdom we need.

Be in touch with God, God will open the door for you.

Bring Light to the Darkness

Last week was the Pentecost. Pentecost is the celebration of the coming of the Spirit. The Spirit is with you. Not only the Spirit prays for you with sigh too deep for words as we reflected last week. The Spirit will guide you into the right path. That right path is the path of wisdom.

This is what Jesus said.

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

The Spirit teaches us and guides us into the right path.

Jesus also said,

When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say. (Luke 12:11, 12)

Do not worry about what to do and what to say. Be in touch with the Spirit. The Spirit will show you what to do and what to say. Knowing exactly what to do and what to say – That is wisdom.

You are Homo sapiens – wise human. Be a wise human.

Jesus taught us this.

See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

The world we live can be dark and evil. Be innocent like doves. But be wise as serpents. You will be able to overcome evil with good. You will bring light to the darkness.

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Romans 8:14-17

A Strong Anchor

It is important to have an anchor in life. What is the anchor? The anchor is what holds us together no matter how strong the wind may be. A boat with a strong anchor will not be drifted away even though there is a strong wind.

In the same way, when we have a strong anchor in life, we will not be drifted away when life's storms hit us.

Last week, I received very difficult phone calls from all kinds of people. A person who just discovered she had cancer. A person whose marriage almost ended. A person who has a serious issue with her child. It all happened in one week. Life is not easy. Our circumstances are not always good and stable.

I prayed for them. Do you know what I prayed for? Of course, I prayed for their problems to be resolved. But I also I prayed that they may have a strong anchor. I don't know how they are gonna handle all these problems they are facing right now. I felt for them. They need an anchor.

What is the anchor in your life? What is one thing that holds your life together? For me, the anchor that holds my life together is the fact that I am a child of God. Whenever I face problems, I remind myself that I am a child of God. Yes, that is our anchor. You are a precious daughter of God. You are a precious son of God.

Abba

God will never give up his children like no parents will give up their child.

That was what Isaiah saw.

But Zion said, The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.' Can a woman forget her nursing-child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. (Isaiah 49:14, 15)

God will never forget his precious child.

That was what St. Paul realized in his life.

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)

Abba is an Aramaic word and it means father. When you call father in a very intimate way, you use Abba. It's like daddy, , Papa. But it's more than that.

Only three times, you see this expression in the New Testament. Here, and Galatians, and Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane in Mark.

He said, Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.' (Mark 14:36)

So it is an intimate way of calling a father but not a childish way of calling a father. Behind calling God as Abba, there is deep spirituality of total dependence. It is like a helpless child calling out her parents, totally depending on them. That was how Jesus used Abba. He had his own wishes but he left his life totally in God's hands.

The Spirit Cries Out

It is a desperate child calling out the father.

St. Paul used this expression.

When we CRY Abba Father.'(Romans 8:15)

It's like crying out from suffering, crying out for God's helping hands. There is somebody TO WHOM we can cry out. You know what? When we cry out, the SPIRIT also CRIES OUT for us.

You are not alone. The Spirit is with you. Recognizing that the Spirit is with you is the beginning of spiritual life. The Spirit cries out with you when you cry out.

A little later in the same chapter, Paul talks about what the Spirit does more specifically within you

He said this.

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)

The Spirit cries out when you cry out. When we feel helpless, the Spirit helps us. When we don't know how to pray, the Spirit prays for us. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO PRAY - this does not mean that we don't know mechanically how to pray. It means we are so deeply saddened, so overwhelmed by our problems, so helpless that we don't even know how to pray. When we see no way out, when the darkness is too dark, and when we see no future, so we don't even know where to start, that is when we don't know how to pray. That is what St. Paul is talking about.

Life With The Spirit

When we have no strength left in us even to pray, the only thing that comes out of our mouth is sigh. Karl Marx was not very favourable with the religion. He said that religion is the opium of the people. But he also said right after that, religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature. Yes, he saw it right. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature. Sometimes what comes out of our mouth is not prayer but only sigh. You know what? The Spirit feels our sigh and the Spirit prays for us with sighs too deep for words.

The Spirit feels as we feel because we are God's precious child. That's what the parents do. They feel the pain their children feel. The Spirit says, I hear you. I hear your sigh. That's what the Spirit does: the affirmation that we are the child of God.

When the Spirit came down on Jesus, that was what the Spirit did.

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'(Mark 1:10, 11)

This was the anchor of Jesus' life. Whenever he went through difficult times, Jesus held unto that.

That was what Satan tried to take away from Jesus. Satan tried to tempt Jesus to question about his anchor.

Right after the baptism, right after the Spirit declared that he was the Son of God, Jesus went through temptation in the wilderness. What was Satan's temptation all about? It was not about temptations that we think about. The temptation was about Jesus' identity as the Son of God.

This was how Satan began,

If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread. (Matthew 4:3)

If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down (Matthew 4:6)

But Jesus never let his anchor go. Jesus held unto it. Jesus was very clear about who he was.

You have the same Spirit Jesus had. The very same Spirit declares you that you are God's precious child.

There is nothing for you to worry about. You will not be abandoned. You will not be like orphans. You will not be alone.

That was what Jesus promised.

This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned. (John 14:17, 18)

Jesus left the Spirit with you and the Spirit is with you and within you. The Spirit tells us that we are not alone. That is what spiritual life is all about. It is life with the Spirit.

Suffer With Christ

Be aware of the Spirit around you. Be aware of the Spirit within you. Be in touch with the Spirit.

Jesus, even though he was the Son of God, he was not exempted from suffering. He went through suffering. You know what the greatest suffering is? It is the suffering of abandonment. That was what he experienced on the cross.

He cried out,

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?

He felt that abandonment. But God never abandoned him. God raised him from the dead.

When you go through suffering, you feel that you are abandoned. That is what suffering does. Suffering makes us feel very alone. Jesus must have felt that too. But you are not alone. The Spirit is with you.

When you suffer with Christ, you will be glorified with Christ.

in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:17)

When you pray, be in the Spirit. When you cannot even pray, don't worry about it. The Spirit will help you and pray for you and show you things that you cannot even think of.

I would like to read you yesterday's Inner Voice again.

Prayer is not what you say. Prayer is being in the Spirit. Train yourself to be in the Spirit. You will be shaped and formed by the Spirit. The Spirit will give you peace that the world cannot give. Confidence and courage will arise from within. You will have the wisdom to see your situation in a spiritual way. Everything within you will come alive.

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Acts 16:16-34

Culture in Christianity

When you go to Europe, you will see so many beautiful churches and cathedrals. Their culture has been totally rooted and entrenched in Christianity. So many famous artists produced their master pieces with Christian ideas. So many genius musicians composed beautiful music with Christian themes. So many brilliant writers wrote wonderful books about spiritual ideas Jesus taught. Christianity has influenced the whole Europe. Politics, culture, art, architecture, and lifestyle.

Do you know where it all started? It was at Philippi. It all began from Philippi. We read the story today. This story was the beginning of European mission. Philippi was the first city in Europe to receive Jesus' teaching through Paul. The entrance gate for the Europe mission.

It was Paul, Silas, Luke, and Timothy who started the mission to Europe. The very first European Christian was a woman and her name was Lydia. She was a business woman.

Paul did not plan to go to Philippi originally. He had somewhere else in mind. But the Spirit prohibited him from going to a place he wanted to go. And instead, the Spirit sent him to Philippi.

In fact, Paul was sick and he couldn't go where he wanted to go. He had to go to Troas because there were hospitals. And there he met Luke. He was a doctor and also he was the author of this book, Acts. From there, Luke joined Paul to go to Philippi. That's why Luke is using the word we . Because he was there too.

We set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. (Acts 16:11, 12)

Luke stayed on in Philippi and Paul went to Thessalonica. Luke used they instead of we .

After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. (Acts 17:1)

Luke saw all this as the work of the Holy Spirit. That was how Luke saw his life. There may be visible reasons why we did this or did not do that in our lives. Why you chose to go to that school. Why you chose that job. You may have human reasons to do that. Obvious, Visible Reasons!

But behind it all, there is the work of the Holy Spirit. Paul was sick and that's why he couldn't go where he wanted to go but instead, he went to Troas. But Luke saw it as the Spirit blocking him from going to where he wanted to go and sent him instead to Troas. That's why Paul went to Philippi and Luke joined him. I agree with the way Luke saw what was going on in his life.

The Work of The Spirit

Behind what we do, there is the Holy Spirit who is working. We don't understand everything but in retrospect, we will be able to see some of it, not all of it. St. Paul had the same attitude. St. Paul believed that the Holy Spirit was working behind what he was doing. That is the power. That gave Paul joy. Knowing that the Holy Spirit was working behind him gave him joy.

He had this joy when he was at Philippi. Whenever he was thinking about people at Philippi, he was filled with this joy. Later when he wrote a letter, thinking about people at Philippi, this was what he said.

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. 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 1:3-6)

Paul never imagined what he was doing at Philippi would be the beginning of occupying the whole Europe. A small thing he started became so big. Paul didn't know that what he was doing was that important. But he had confidence that the one who began a good work among them would bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. That is the power of the work of the Spirit

That was exactly what Jesus said.

He said therefore, What is the kingdom of God like? And to what should I compare it? It is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in the garden; it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.'(Luke 13:18-19)

He believed that behind everything he did, there was God and he would make everything beautiful. This belief gave Paul joy.

Singing in the Darkness

Mission at Philippi wasn't easy in the beginning. The first thing that happened to Paul was injustice, flogging, and imprisonment. He experienced racism there. Anti-semitism.

When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews (Acts 16:20)

He was arrested unjustly and flogged unlawfully.

He was probably whipped 39 lashes. In other letters, Paul said he was whipped 5 times of 39 lashes. A typical whip had several strands of leather and at the end, there was either a bone or metal attatched. So you don't get just bruises but your skin becomes ripped apart. They were half-dead after the flogging.

Then Paul and Silas were thrown into the innermost cell. The darkest part of the prison. In the basement. No light and it was pitch dark.

Paul could have wondered or questioned. The Spirit blocked me from going where I wanted to go. And he sent me here to die?

When life is hard, we ask this question. When life seems unfair, we ask this question.

He could have wondered and questioned but he didn't. What did Paul and Silas do? They prayed and sang hymns to God.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. (Acts 16:25)

What gave them this joy? They were singing in the darkness. Negative spirit didn't control them.

A song in the darkness is the perfect song. Joy in the midst of suffering is the perfect joy.

We may live with human joy. It is great to have it. But when the storm comes, it will drive away the human joy we have. Like last Saturday, storm blew away many trees and branches all over the place. I got flat tires too because of debris.

When the storms of life hit us, human joy will be blown away. But joy the Spirit gives us will withstand the storms of life. Not only will it withstand, but it will become perfect.

With that joy, Paul and Silas prayed and sang hymns to God. Their singing must have been beautiful. It was midnight. At night, sound travels further. Everything was so quiet. Other prisoners were all sleeping. They could have said, Shut up. But what did they do?

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:25)

They were listening. It must have been beautiful and comforting. It must have been music to their ears, not noise.

Sing when you are sad. Sing when you are down. Sing when you are hurting.

Do you have that joy? To Paul, joy was not just a good feeling. It was the power, the power to move forward. It is the power to defeat the evil. The imprisonment could not take this power away from him.

Joy is a big thing for Paul. He wrote this to the Christians at Philippi.

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:4, 6-7)

God will lift you up. God will give you the strength to move on.

We are very saddened by what happened in Texas. I was angry. I pray that God may give the grieving families the peace, which surpasses all understanding.

Can we sing in the darkness? Yes, we can. When there is, within us, joy God gives us, we can.

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John 5:1-9

Beth-zatha

Beth-zatha! Its meaning is house of mercy. But it wasn't really a merciful place. The pool had the reputation of healing people. That's why there were a lot of sick people.

In these lay many invalids blind, lame, and paralysed. (John 5:3)

Once in a while, an angel would come to the pool and stir up the water and if you went into the pool when the water was stirred up, you would be healed. But there was a condition. Only the first person who entered into the pool when the water was stirred up, would be healed.

Imagine what would happen when the water was stirred up. Imagine how they lived their lives there. How they had treated each other every day. They could not be friends. They were competitors.

It was not a merciful place. Only the best of the best could benefit the healing. Only one person who was the fastest could get the reward of healing. Is that mercy?

Mercy – It is hard to understand the concept because we don't see it often around us. You deserve what you get – that is much more around us and more understandable. If you work hard, you will get a reward. If you are the best, you deserve the honour. If you are bad, you should get punished.

We all live in Beth-zatha. To be healed, you have to be the best. To be happy, you have to be the best. To be loved, you have to be the best.

The Best

This creates tremendous pressure, stress, disappointment, anger, and hopelessness. We can see this hopelessness in the man who had been sick for 38 years. 38 years is a long time. It is how long Israelites wandered in the wilderness.

And the length of time we had travelled from Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation of warriors had perished from the camp, as the Lord had sworn concerning them. (Deuteronomy 2:14)

For 38 years, this man lived with the mentality of Beth-zatha. He continuously repeated to himself that he could never be the best. That meant he could never be healed. And he could never be happy. He was obsessed with being the best or the fastest.

So, when Jesus asked this very simple question, he couldn't answer him. Jesus asked him, Do you want to be made well? It is a strange question to the man who had been sick for 38 years. Of course, he wanted to be made well.

But this man could not even answer this simple question of Jesus.

He couldn't say, Yes, I want to be made well.

Instead he said,

Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me. (John 5:7)

In his mind, he was thinking, What is the use of wanting to be made well? I cannot beat others. I can't be the best. I cannot go into the pool before other people.

He didn't understand the concept of mercy. To him, being made well meant being the best. That's all. There was nothing else. And he could not be the best.

Ask yourself. Do you have to be the best to be happy? Do you have to be the best to be healed?

Mercy From God

Sometimes, we think of our faith in that way too. We think faith is the condition for God's love. Didn't God love us even before we believed in him? Faith is not our condition for God's love but our response to God's UNCONDITIONAL love. Why does God love me when I haven't done anything that deserves that love? That is the beginning of having faith.

That was what Paul discovered. Pure mercy of God.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6)

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Unless we understand God's mercy, we won't understand the joy of life. Joy of life does not come from being the best. THAT'S AN ILLUSION. Joy of life comes from experiencing this mercy. This mercy comes from God. When we live day by day, experiencing the mercies of people, and mercies of life, you become very happy. Our life is full of mercy. Salvation comes from experiencing the mercy of God and mercy of life.

This is what Jesus said.

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. (Luke 6:32-35)

Then at the end, he said this.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. (Luke 6:36)

He said that life is full of mercy. Good life is life of being merciful. Jesus wants us to live a merciful life. As you have received the mercy from God, be merciful to each other.

Remember God’s Mercy

This man who had been sick for 38 years experienced Jesus' mercy. He didn't have to be the best. He didn't have to go into the pool first. Jesus didn't help him to go into the pool first. Jesus did not help him to be the best.

Jesus simply told him,

Stand up, take your mat and walk. (John 5:8)

This man was not a perfect ideal person who deserved healing. He didn't have faith in Jesus. He lived with disappointment and hopelessness. He lived in his own world of illusion, wanting to be the best. When he was in trouble, he turned blame on Jesus. After he was healed, the Jews challenged him. It is the sabbath. Why do you carry the mat? Then he said this.

The man who made me well said to me, Take up your mat and walk. (John 5:11)

So, they asked him, Who is the man who said to you, Take it up and walk ?' Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was (John 5:12, 13)

He didn't even know who healed him.

When Jesus came back to him and finally he knew who healed him, then he reported to the authority that it was Jesus, knowing that Jesus would be in trouble.

He was self-centred and he was ungrateful. And yet Jesus healed him. That's mercy. Not because the man deserved the healing but because Jesus wanted to help.

We are who we are by God's mercy. Let us never forget that. Live your life always remembering God's mercy. That is what faith is. That is what Christian life is all about.

This man didn't seem to understand Jesus' mercy. So Jesus came to him again and said,

See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you. (John 5:14)

Forgetting God's mercy is sin. Remember God's mercy and be merciful to each other. I pray that our life is full of mercy.

The post Life Is Full of Mercy appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Acts 11:1-18

What Peter Saw

It is a very interesting story and a weird story. Many of you may not even understand what the issue is here. What's with these animals and eating them? Why was Peter so reluctant to eat them? There are a lot of questions to be answered. It is hard to make sense of this story unless you understand the culture of that time, 2000 years ago. But I won't go there.

Peter was praying and he had this weird experience.

I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. (Acts 11:5-6)

I don't know exactly how Peter saw this. Was it a dream? Did he fall asleep while praying? Or did he have some kind of supernatural vision? We don't know. But that was what he saw. Not only he saw this wonderful vision but he also heard a voice and the voice said to Peter,

Get up, Peter; kill and eat. (Acts 11:7)

Peter protested,

By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth. (Acts 11:8)

Peter was very reluctant. Because all his life he believed that these foods were unclean and so he didn't eat them.

But the voice told him to eat. This voice was supposed to be the voice of God. That was hard to take for Peter.

The voice not only told Peter to eat it but it also said,

What God has made clean, you must not call profane. (Acts 11:9)

This happened three times. So it was quite clear to Peter. It wasn't what Peter misheard. It was a clear message.

Peter’s Prayer

One thing I learn about what prayer does from this story. Prayer does not affirm what you are thinking. Prayer changes what you are thinking.

Many people use prayer to give themselves absolute affirmation for what they already want and what they already know. To them, prayer is affirmation of who they are, what they believe, and what they firmly hold unto. Through prayer, they don't change. They become more of their old self.

But Peter's prayer was not like that. In prayer, Peter's old belief was challenged. What he believed about what was clean and what was not clean was challenged. His attitude, his perspective, and his belief were all changed because of his prayer. Because he met God who was greater than himself. That is what true prayer is like.

If prayer is simply to affirm what you already know and what you already believe, then it can be dangerous. What was just your personal opinions before prayer becomes divinely ordained absolute truth after prayer. Your personal opinions become God's will through prayer. That's dangerous.

Peter's prayer was very different from that kind of prayer. Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane was the same. What Jesus wanted was not affirmed. What he wanted was not granted. Jesus knew clearly the difference between his personal desire and God's desire for him. That's spiritual maturity.

St. Paul's prayer was like that too. Once St. Paul prayed because he had thorn in his flesh. We don't know exactly what that thorn was. But it tormented him. It hindered not only his ministry but also his life. He prayed to God three times. Again three times. He prayed that God might remove these thorns. But God didn't. What he wanted, he didn't get through prayer. He knew clearly what he wanted and what God wanted. That is spiritual maturity.

Affirmation and Spirituality

God did not remove the thorns but instead, God gave him this great insight.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

I know we have this tremendous desire to be affirmed. That desire is our idol. We have to be right. We have to be correct. We have to be righteous. We have to be considered as good and perfect.

People will do anything to prove this. Of course, people's context will be very different and so in a different context, people will use different ways to affirm that they are great. In the job, going up the ladder will affirm who you are. In a religious circle, being kind and being good will affirm who you are. In an academic field, being smart will affirm who you are.

Being spiritual does not necessarily affirm who you are in that way. When you are spiritual, instead of being affirmed, often you will encounter your own prejudice and narrow mindedness. You encounter your own limitedness.

You are exposed to your raw self when you are spiritual. God exposes you in this way not to let you down, not to criticize you and make you feel worthless. God does that to expand your life. To expand your vision. To let you see greater truth. God does that to make you grow. God does that because he has a vision bigger than you.

In this sense, being spiritual is difficult. It makes you go where you never went before. It challenges you to change who you have been. It forces you to see who you really are but also challenges you to go beyond yourself. Not only you become real to yourself but you can also take the challenge to become somebody you had never been. You always had that self within you but you were too scared to become that person. The Spirit gives you the courage to be that person.

God’s Grace

You become naked but you are not alone. God's grace envelops you.

Like Paul, even though he didn't get what he asked for, God's grace was all around him. That was enough for him. God's grace was enough for him. He could embrace his weaknesses because God's power was made perfect in his weakness.

God had to change Peter. God wanted to begin a new movement. God wanted to reach out to Gentiles. With Peter's prejudice, God could not use him to carry on his vision. As long as he considered that Gentiles were unclean, he could not reach out to them. So before Peter reached out to Cornelius, a Gentile, God had to change Peter first. He had to challenge his prejudice first.

What God has made clean, you must not call profane. (Acts 11:9)

This was a huge change. Two weeks ago, we reflected how Jesus restored Peter's calling by asking him three times, Do you love me? This time, God had to change Peter's thinking.

Today's story was not just about food. This was about his attitude towards other people, especially people who were different from him.

At that time, Jewish people did not associate with Gentiles, non-Jews. They considered going into Gentile's house as becoming unclean.

During Jesus' time, a Roman solider came to Jesus and asked him to heal his servant but knowing that Jews would not come into Gentile's house, he said,

Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; but only speak the word, and my servant will be healed. (Matthew 8:8)

God had to help Peter and the early Christians to overcome this prejudice.

The Power of Prayer

That's why God appeared to Peter in his prayer. Peter courageously accepted what was very uncomfortable for him. He was able to distinguish what he was familiar with from what God wanted. He was able to open the door to the mission to Gentiles. Once this prejudice was lifted, the Spirit was able to use freely these early Christians to reach out to Gentiles without any restriction.

St. Paul also understood God's desire to want to include Gentiles. So he had to confront a lot of problems. His own people hated Paul because of this kind of attitude of Paul toward Gentiles. He went much further than Peter. No circumcision, no dietary rule, and no distinction between Jews and Gentiles.

No circumcision? That's huge.

St. Paul said,

There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28)

These visionaries did not become visionaries on their own. They became these visionaries because they met God. They received the message that was beyond their own prejudice and narrow-mindedness.

That is the power of prayer. Prayer does not just affirm your small world. Prayer opens up a new world that you could never imagine. Be people of prayer. You will see what others don't see.

The post Prayer, Not Affirmation but Transformation appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

Revelation 7:9-17

John’s Vision

The passage we read is a beautiful vision of the future. Multitudes from all the nations worshiping God together. No more hunger or thirst. Every tear wiped away. What a vision!

But this vision was far from the reality of the community that this letter was addressed to. John, the writer of Revelation, was writing to people going through great difficulties. They were under great pressure. They faced persecution because of their faith. They were weak and powerless politically, socially and economically. The world they lived in, the world as it was, was not a world that was favourable for them.

In these undesirable circumstances, John had this vision of a very different future. It was so different from their present reality. It was a vision of faith. This is where I realized: faith is a vision for a different future. Faith is having a vision and belief that this future can come into being. The Hebrews writer said this:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1)

Many people in John's communities were starting to give up on this dream. They were starting to lose faith. Life as it was seemed too entrenched, too powerful. They started to orient their lives toward life as it was, not on the future that God would bring. They began adjusting and adapting to life as it was, even if it wasn't really what they wanted. John shared his revelation so that they would continue on in faith.  To not give up.  To hold firm.

Faith In a New Future

On this Mother's Day, I think of many of our parents, the 1st generation of immigrants to Canada. After experiencing war and poverty, the future they wanted was different from the present they knew. Coming to Canada was an act of faith: faith in a new future. This faith gave them tremendous energy. Starting with nothing, they worked day and night to get established and settled in this new land. Their energy and desire for a different future left them very open to faith in God. They welcomed God to usher in this new future they desired. Their faith led them to sacrifice tremendously for the church. I mean, think about it: they're working at their store from 7am to 11pm, 7 days a week. But still, they managed to go to church every Sunday. I look back now with amazement how I went to church pretty every Sunday without fail. Not only that, they gave so much and so generously.  They were not rich or wealthy. But they gave so much (time, money, energy) to build the churches we enjoy today. As I think about them I realize this: when you have faith in a new future, it gives you great energy, and you make great sacrifices to bring that future about. They had faith, and from that faith came sacrifice.

John saw a clear picture of this new future. At the end of Revelation, he describes what this looks like:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:1-2)

He was imploring his communities to hold fast in faith for this future that God would bring. It was a cry for them to keep the faith.

The Faith of The Next Generation

A common question in our churches today is: where is the faith of the next generation? We see young people leave our churches and leave the faith. This has been the concern of many 1st generations. If you probe deeply enough, I think the question that comes is: why do I need faith? That is really the reason so many have left our churches and the faith. I mean, the 1st generation needed faith.  They yearned for this new future, but knew that on their own they were weak and powerless. They had experienced their powerlessness as a nation in the face of the great global powers. They welcomed God's help. But times have changed, and we don't have the same yearnings that they had. Their wishes came true, and we live quite abundantly now.

Here's the simple truth: if you are content with your present life, your present situation, and life as it is, then you don't need faith. If your goal is to simply adapt to life as it is, to plug into the world as it is, then you don't need faith. All you need is effort, smarts and good luck.

The thing is, I think most people know that all is not right. Even in the midst of our abundance, we feel that things are not all right. We know the problems. We know that things need to change. I don't think people want to simply plug into the world as it is. The problem is, they don't have faith. They don't have faith in institutions and leaders. They don't have faith that anything will change. And also, in this complex and confusing world we live in, people don't have a clear picture of the future they desire. And so people fall into despair or resign themselves to the world as it is.

I believe that each generation must have a new vision for the future. We cannot have the same vision for the future that the 1st generation had. Our times and circumstances are so different, and so must our vision. But still, we must imagine and dream of the kind of future that is different from what we see today. What we need is faith in this new future.

Where Faith Comes From

Jesus came to bring a different future. His life on earth was like today's passage: people came together to worship God, he fed people who were hungry and thirsty, and he wiped away tears by making them whole. This vision did not end with Jesus' death.

In fact, the whole revelation that John received was the revelation of the risen Jesus.

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place; he made it known by sending his angel to his servant John. (Revelation 1:1)

When you read the whole book, the revelation of Jesus is that things will get worse, but ultimately they will get better. God will be victorious in the end. That beautiful vision of the new heaven and new earth will be the final victory of God.

I struggled long and hard with this, because in today's age, people are just too skeptical and jaded to believe that God will bring about such a new future. We've seen too much. We've witnessed too much. And because we don't believe in a future that God will bring, our whole lives are focused on the present world as it is. I asked myself: where will faith come from?

I said that from faith comes sacrifice. John was saying that faith in God's future would entail sacrifice in the present. In the opposite way, where there is no faith, there is no sacrifice. And that is what's happened to people today. There is no faith, so there is no sacrifice. People are jaded, people are disillusioned. They have lost their faith. And they are unwilling to sacrifice for things they don't believe in. The more I reflected, I realized that faith and sacrifice are two sides of the same coin. From faith comes sacrifice, but also: perhaps from sacrifice comes faith.

And so it got me thinking: if people are too disillusioned to start with faith, then maybe we need to begin with sacrifice. If people learn to sacrifice, they will learn faith.

Sacrifice and Convenience

Sacrifice is giving of yourself for the well-being of others. It is putting the well-being of others ahead of yourself. The act of sacrifice is itself an act of faith. You have no idea of whether it will make any difference.  In many cases, it probably will not make any difference. There is often no fruit from it. But you do it simply because it is the loving and right thing to do. True sacrifice is pure and fuelled by nothing other than love.

At the same time, there is nothing like the potential power of sacrifice. Loving sacrifice has the power to create faith. Sacrifice changes and moves hearts. Sacrifice is the seed for a new vision. When Russia first invaded Ukraine, the world was electrified by Zelensky's decision to stay in Ukraine.  By now, his famous words to the Americans who offered to help him escape are etched in our minds: I need ammunition, not a ride. The sacrifice of his own safety stirred people's hearts and created faith in Ukrainians that they could resist and fight for their freedom. It jolted world leaders to unify and rally around Ukraine.

We need to teach our children and young people, we need to teach ourselves, how to sacrifice. This is challenging, because we live in a world and time that is so opposite of sacrifice. Our whole society and economy are built on convenience. Everything we need is at our fingertips. Our wealth and affluence have made us slaves to comfort. Everything I do is my choice. Comfort and convenience are great. They make life easier. But when our lives revolve around our comfort and convenience, it destroys our ability to sacrifice. Convenience kills sacrifice. Convenience kills faith.

I believe that the fight of faith for our generation is to reclaim our ability to sacrifice. A fight to free ourselves from the bondage that comfort and convenience has over us. The very definition of sacrifice is doing what's uncomfortable and inconvenient for the sake of others. We need to build up our muscles to sacrifice for others.

The ability to sacrifice is a practice and spiritual discipline. We need to practice it. Sacrificing for others is a lifestyle and habit that is cultivated. It is difficult, because we are very self-centered. But true spirituality takes us beyond ourselves, and beyond our own comfort and convenience. It is difficult but so worth it. You wil...

John 21:1-19

Peter’s Pain

Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? Why did he ask this question? He could have said many other things but he asked only this one question three times. We automatically assume that he asked this question because Peter denied Jesus. Definitely, this must have been in Peter's mind. He connected Jesus' question with his denial. So when Jesus asked him the same question three times, Peter was hurt.

He said to him the third time, Simon son of John, do you love me?' Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, Do you love me?' (John 21:17)

This question was a very difficult question to answer for Peter. A very uncomfortable question. He must have asked himself this question numerous times. Do I really love Jesus? If I do, how could I deny him, not just once but three times? What a coward that I am!

Peter was going through a painful time. Deep sorrow and deep regret! When Jesus said, everyone will become a deserter, Peter said I will never.

Even though all become deserters, I will not. (Mark 14:29)

But Peter realized that these were just empty words that carried no weight. He realized he was too weak. He was filled with fear. That's why he deserted Jesus.

So when Peter heard this question, Do you love me? , he automatically connected that with his denial.

BUT JESUS WAS DIFFERENT. Peter might have thought of it that way but Jesus' thinking was different from Peter's. His mind was not on Peter's denial. Jesus didn't even mention about Peter's denial. Jesus was not concerned about what Peter did to him in the past but he cared about how Peter would take his future. Jesus' mind was not focused on Peter' past but on his future.

Every time Jesus asked Peter, Do you love me? , at the end, what did Jesus say? “Feed my lamb , Tend my sheep , and Feed my sheep. Jesus was very focused not on what Peter did but on what Peter would do.

Jesus came to Peter not only to forgive what he did but also to restore his calling and prepare him for the future.

What Peter needed was not just to feel better. What Peter needed was not just comfort. What Peter needed was to pull himself out of a rut he was in. Peter was too sad to think about his future. He was too heart-broken to move on. He became stuck in his past.

Look at what he did! He went fishing. When he first met Jesus and followed Jesus, he left the net and followed Jesus. But now, he picked up the net that he left and went back to fishing.

This whole scene was like the first time, when they met Jesus the first time. They fished all night but they caught nothing. And Jesus told them to cast the net to the right side of the boat and they caught so many fish.

Jesus knew that Peter was stuck in his past because of his guilt. Peter was disillusioned about himself. Jesus wanted to take Peter out of a snare of his past.

Move Forward

You know what happened in the past does not stay in the past. Just because time went by, what happened in the past does not pass by. It still affects us. Especially, our painful past does not just stay in the past. It pulls us back into the rut. It is like a black hole. It pulls us back into the dark hole.

People who suffer from PTSD still live in the fear of their past. They can never let go of their past and move on. There are people who still live with guilt, anger, and disappointment because of what happened in the past. Their past holds them back. They can't go forward.

We have to go forward. Not because we did everything well in the past. We have a lot of regrets. We have a lot of mistakes that we made. But we cannot get stuck in the rut.

This is what St. Paul said

Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

St. Paul also committed terrible sins against Jesus. He persecuted those who followed Jesus. Jesus appeared to Saul and said,

Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?' (Acts 9:4)

He wanted to destroy Jesus' movement. He persecuted the church. But after meeting Christ, he realized how sinful he was. He regretted what he did.

For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. (1 Corinthians 15:9)

But he didn't get stuck in the past. Forgetting what lied behind, he pressed on. He moved on forward.

That was what Jesus wanted Peter to do. Jesus wanted Peter to move on forward.

The Future

Many of us think that Jesus asked him the same question three times because Peter denied Jesus three times. Maybe. Definitely, Peter might have heard it that way.

But I see another reason. Jesus had hard time to say what he had to say to Peter about his future. It's all about Peter's future, not his past. Jesus had to tell him how he would die. It was not easy for Jesus to tell him what the future held for him. So Jesus hesitated and made sure that Peter loved him enough to follow him. Then, finally after asking three times the same question, he said this.

Very truly, I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.' (He said this to indicate the kind of death by which he would glorify God.) (John 21:18-19)

After that, Jesus said, Follow me.

After this he said to him, Follow me.'(John 21:19)

My friends, God is not interested in your past. God is interested in your future. God knows how you have lived so far. But his interest is in how you will live with the life that is ahead of you.

St. Paul understood this truth so well when he said,

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

With God, every day is a new creation. Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is what we have to prepare for.

Sacrifice in Love

We have to learn to let go of our past. I see so many people live with their baggage. What they experienced in the past left such a deep scar that they have hard time to move on. They are stuck in the past.

I know it is hard to let go of our past. But I also know that we can. We can live a new life, not just as a victim of our past. We can always start a new life. Don't look back. Look ahead.

With Jesus, our past will not have power over us.

What Peter needed was love. The reason Peter denied Jesus was because of his fear. It is love that drives out fear.

That was what John said.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

Jesus wanted to make sure that Peter loved Jesus because only love would be able to help him when he would face his own horrible destiny. Jesus knew that only love would give him the strength to endure the difficulties.

Following Jesus is hard. Because it involves sacrifice. That's why Jesus said, if you want to follow me, take up your own cross. Sacrifice is painful but love would make your sacrifice beautiful. Sacrifice becomes beautiful only in love. In love, sacrifice has a transforming power.

Peter would sacrifice his life for Jesus but this sacrifice had to be done in love. That's why Jesus kept asking Peter whether he loved him. When sacrifice is coerced, it is abuse. But when sacrifice is done in love, it is the most beautiful thing. That is the cross of Jesus Christ.

My friends, we are called to follow Jesus. In following Jesus, we may encounter a very difficult road. You may fail. You may fall. But leave all your failures, frustrations, and disappointments in God's hand. And look forward. Have love for Jesus. That's all you need. If you love Jesus, you will be able to handle any situation that comes to you.

Move on with love!

The post Move on With Love appeared first on St Timothy Presbyterian Church.

John 20:19-31

Honesty

Thomas said,

Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe. (John 20:25)

He was very specific. He knew exactly the condition for his belief. He demanded this condition to be met before he said he would believe.

Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was resurrected. Unfortunately, Thomas wasn't there. The other disciples told him that they saw the Lord.

But that wasn't enough for Thomas. He needed to see Jesus with his own eyes. He needed to feel him with his own hands.

I can understand how he felt. He could not pretend that he believed when he did not have this conviction. He was honest.

I think there is a lesson for us to learn. Honesty is the first step of faith. Honesty is where our spiritual journey begins.

Fake Faith

Faith is not something you can fake. Faith is not something you can pretend to have. What is the use of it even if you fake it? For whom? Fake faith will not give you peace and confidence. Counterfeit bills may have the same benefits and power as the real bills but not counterfeit faith.

Last week, one of ESM members told me that what I said about hope rang true to him.

Hope in a good situation is not really hope.

And he asked me about hope without action. Is it real hope if it doesn't lead to action? I told him, if it is real hope, it would lead to action. Hope and action are not two separate things. They are connected. One and the same.

Faith is the same thing. If it is a real faith, it will give you peace and confidence. Fake faith will not be able to give you that. Thomas could not fake it. He was honest. He showed us a good example of finding faith. Because of Thomas' honesty, he was able to meet Jesus again and see him. His honesty brought back the resurrected Jesus again. Just for Thomas, Jesus came again.

Struggle

We realize that Jesus will never leave us alone in our struggles. That's what I believe. God never leaves us alone in our struggles. That was what Jesus promised.

I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. (John 14:18)

God wants you to honestly struggle with your questions and even doubts. He would not rebuke you for that. He would not leave you alone as you struggle with your doubts. He would be there and reveal himself to you. That was what Jesus did to Thomas.

Jesus knew Thomas' struggle. He knew Thomas' doubt. He did not abandon him. He rather revealed himself to Thomas.

When you honestly seek God, God will show himself to you. Yes, that's all you need. HONEST STRUGGLE AND HONEST DESIRE TO MEET GOD.

When Thomas met Jesus, what did he do? Did he look for the mark of the nails in Jesus' hands? Did he put his finger in the mark of the nails? That was his condition for his belief, wasn't it? Unless that condition was met, he said he would not believe. But when he met Jesus, this condition was not necessary. Even when Jesus invited him to see the nail marks and touch them, he didn't do that.

He simply said,

My Lord and my God!

That was the highest confession anyone could make about Jesus. Until then, nobody really called Jesus God. At most the Son of God.

But Thomas looked at Jesus and said, My Lord and my God! (John 20:28)

There was change in Thomas. He thought his faith was BASED ON WHAT HE COULD SEE AND WHAT HE COULD FEEL. He thought it was very much to do with how he perceived. He thought faith was to do with him, his conviction and his assurance. We are like him too. If we feel good about God, then we can say we believe. If we see some assuring signs, then we say we believe. How we feel and how we perceive are very important to us. It's all about me and how I feel about God.

Absence

When I was in university, I used to study at Robarts library. It is U of T library. 13th floor, Red section. That place was like my second home. When you get to the corner, it faces East and you can see the whole campus. That corner was my sanctuary. It was my sacred place. Jesus often went to the mountain to pray. That was my mountain. I often went there to pray.

One day, I wanted to feel God more. So, I asked him. Lord, can you show me a sign? You are almighty. You can use the cloud. Maybe something similar like heart shape? Or do anything to assure me that you are there. God didn't give me any sign. Even if he gave me the sign, soon, I would have wondered whether it was just a coincidence. That is not how faith comes about.

In Jesus' time, people were looking for signs too. So when they saw the miracles, they believed Jesus. But that kind of faith did not last too long. As soon as they saw Jesus' suffering, they all deserted him.

So Jesus said,

An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it ' (Matthew 16:4)

When they saw the sign, they felt good and they felt that God was right there and so they believed. BUT WHEN THEY SAW NOTHING, THEY FELT EMPTY, DOUBTFUL AND FELT THE ABSENCE OF GOD AND SO THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE.

IF FAITH IS BASED ON US, how we perceive and how we feel, then that faith will be very shaky. Faith is more than me. Faith is more than how we perceive, how we feel, and how firm we are.

LOOK AT JESUS ON THE CROSS. Jesus felt the total absence of God on the cross. He said, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? He felt forsaken. He felt abandoned by God. He felt total silence of God.

And yet, in the end, this is what Jesus cried out.

Father, into your hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46)

That was Jesus' very last word on the cross. Even when he felt the absence of God, in the end, regardless of how he felt, he  handed over his life in God's hands. The Greek word for commend my spirit is hand over my spirit.

Handing Over

Last Thursday, one of KSM elders treated pastors for lunch. He said, when he was young, he had faith. And with the faith, he did this and that. “He had faith was important to him. But as he got older, he said, is very important. – leave his life, or hand over his life. He said he to God, to his children, and to pastors. This handing over is very important, he said. It is not about how much faith he has, it is about leaving everything in God's hands.

Yes, that is faith. It is not about how much I know about God, how strong I feel about God, how convicted I am. It is simply leaving our life in God's hands.

Once a father came to Jesus because his son had a serious problem. No one could cure him. Even the disciples could not heal him. So finally he came to Jesus and said, If you can, can you please heal my son? Jesus said, What do you mean if I can? Nothing is impossible for those who believe. And the father said, I believe. But immediately after that, he said, help my unbelief. Help my unbelief! That is faith. All I have is this unbelief, but I leave my son in your hand. Help my unbelief. RECOGNIZING YOUR OWN UNBELIEF AND YET LEAVING YOURSELF IN GOD'S HANDS, – THAT IS FAITH.

Thomas was very honest with his doubts. That was the first step. But he didn't realize that faith was not about him, seeing or feeling. When he met Jesus, he realized that. His faith moved from the honest stage to the stage of leaving himself in God's hands stage.

Yes, my friends, at times, we feel the total absence of God. When we see the world and when we go through hardships, we are not sure whether God is there. We are not very sure about ourselves and even about our faith.

What Job confessed is often our confession.

If I go forward, he is not there;

or backward, I cannot perceive him;

on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him;

I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. (Job 23:8, 9)

He couldn't see God anywhere but what did he say

But he knows the way that I take (Job 23:10)

His faith was not about how assured he was about God. HIS FAITH WAS BASED ON GOD AND GOD ALONE. HE KNOWS THE WAY THAT I TAKE

As we live our lives, leaving ourselves totally in God's hands, God will show himself to us. And real faith will be slowly formed within us. And we can say at the end, my Lord and my God! Faith – it is more than me.

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Isaiah 65:17-25

The Importance of Easter

HAPPY EASTER!

May God fill you with hope on this Easter Sunday.

Easter Sunday is the most important day of the year for many Christians. It may not be the most fun day. It is not like Christmas. During Christmas, we see bright lights, sing carols, and exchange gifts. Easter is not like that but it is the most meaningful and important day. Easter is the season of welcoming new life. Long winter is now almost over and spring is on the way. Flowers are budding. New life is beginning.

We are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Not only the resurrection of Jesus Christ we celebrate, we also celebrate the resurrection of ourselves.

This is what St. Paul said.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you. (Romans 8:11)

There is the Spirit within us. That is the same Spirit who raised Jesus. That Spirit will raise us too. So we celebrate our own resurrection too. Death will not be the end. Knowing that is wonderful. This gives us hope. We have hope for the new world and new life.

This is what John saw in his vision.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.' (Revelation 21:1, 4)

Today, Isaiah also shared with us what he saw.

For I am about to create new heavens

and a new earth;

the former things shall not be remembered

or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice for ever

in what I am creating; (Isaiah 65:17, 18)

They both saw this wonderful vision, the vision of new world and new life. But they saw this wonderful vision, not necessarily because their life was easy and promising. They didn't write this in a beautiful luxurious South American resort where you can see mountain, forest, and the ocean. John wrote his vision in the midst of persecution. Their friends were killed because of their beliefs. There were a lot of temptations of losing their faith because of persecution and false teachings.

Isaiah wrote this piece for the Israelites who came back from the Babylonian captivity. They came back home but the home wasn't really heaven. It was home that was ruined. The temple was destroyed. They lost their passion for God.

Their reality was harsh. What they saw was not pretty. They were devastated.

The Power of Faith and Hope

People had a lot of questions about God. If God were real, why didn't God protect us from being captivated? If God really loved us, why did we go through this kind of hardship? What happened to God's promise? Is God real?

It is in this context that both John and Isaiah wrote these beautiful words. In the gloomy reality, they saw the possibility of their future. Surrounded by negative things in life, they saw something positive, something hopeful, and something beautiful. That is wonderful. THAT IS THE POWER OF FAITH AND THE POWER OF HOPE. The power of faith and hope allows you to be able to see something beautiful no matter how difficult life may be. They didn't allow their circumstances to blind them, dictate them, and victimize them.

Through the eyes of faith and hope, they saw light in the midst of darkness. They didn't define their reality only as being miserable and unbearable.

I think that is the wisdom, the wisdom of life. The wisdom is to see both sides of our reality. Our reality is both good and bad. Our reality is both beautiful and can be ugly. Our reality is both bright and dark. The wisdom is to see beautiful things in life instead of seeing only ugly things.

You can choose to see only dark side of life. A lot of people do that. It's your choice. But be prepared. If you choose to see only dark and negative things in life, you will get swept away by the darkness of life. They will damage your soul. You will become cynical and critical. Many people have this distorted understanding of life. What is good is not real. What is bad is real and what is good is just fantasy. Because we see so many bad things.

Life Amidst Death

Yes, our reality can be cruel and scary. We see that in what's happening in Ukraine. We see that very clearly during this global pandemic. We also see it right where we live. House price is going up so much that many people cannot even think of buying a house. The interest rate is going up. Reality can be cruel and scary.

Just the other day, I was walking and I experienced gun shot right beside me. It wasn't a targeted shot. It wasn't gang related. This guy just shot a stranger, no motive. The person who was shot died. Then in 48 hours later, he shot another stranger. This guy shot two completely innocent men just going about their lives. It could be very much me. My heart was pounding and my ears were ringing because of the sound of the shot. My legs were shaky.

Yes, our reality can be scary and harsh. But my friends, there is a beautiful side of our life. You need more effort to discover that. You need faith and hope to see that. That's what Easter is all about. That's what resurrection is all about. We see life in the midst of death.

Hope in a good situation is not really hope. Hope is the power you have when you see nothing going for you.

I see some people living with hope in a very difficult situation. This hope keeps them strong and keeps them going. To them this hope is real. Don't tell me that what they have is just fantasy. Don't tell me that they are just fooling themselves. Don't tell me that they are just living with a wishful thinking. Hope is for them the greatest power they have. Hope that they have is as real as anything. That's what keeps them going. That hope will save them.

Hope is God’s Gift

Hope is not what you decide to have. Hope is God's gift for you. John and Isaiah did not write what they wished to have. THEY WERE GIVEN THIS VISION. What they saw was not just psychological manipulation. It was a spiritual experience they had.

Through their spiritual eyes, they were able to see HOPEFUL REALITY in all the negative things they saw. It was like finding a flower in the ashes. It is like finding treasure hidden in the mud. They experienced long nights of struggle but they saw that the morning would come. That is the beauty of life. That was what our choir sang beautifully today.

Hear the music of the morning, rising with the sun. Light has come to fill the darkness, now the night is done. So let us take time to pause, take time to pray, And pray to God, who made us, God, who made the day.

Spiritual people do not see only ashes or mud in life. They see treasure in life. They not only see fights and wars. They see harmony where nobody hurts each other.

The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,

the lion shall eat straw like the ox;

but the serpent its food shall be dust!

They shall not hurt or destroy

on all my holy mountain, (Isaiah 65:25)

They not only see futility of life. They see abundance and blessings.

They shall not labour in vain,

or bear children for calamity;

for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord

and their descendants as well. (Isaiah 65:23)

My friends, I know life is hard. I know you are all struggling. Many of you feel that you are stuck in a rut. You do the same old things. You are not getting anywhere. Instead of doing something meaningful and moving towards your goal, your life seems to go nowhere.

But your life can change. Let your faith and hope work in your life. Ask God to help you. God is right there ready to help you.

That was what Isaiah said.

Before they call I will answer, while they are yet speaking I will hear. (Isaiah 65:24)

God will help you. With God's help, you will see the hopeful reality. You will discover life filled with laughter, confidence, courage, passion for life, and deep satisfaction.

That's what Easter is all about.

Happy Easter!

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