Posts Tagged ‘God’

SLEEPING, DREAMING, BELIEVING

October 20th, 2009 Jojo Agot

http://listverse.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/baby-sleeping1.jpgI’m not quite done obsessing over Jacob’s life so bear with me with this yet another post about his misadventures. I was actually planning to write a blog series entitled BEFORE THEY WERE HEROES, making observations about the lives of the big names in the Bible before they became what we remember them to be. But since I’m such a lousy writer, I ended up not doing that project.

It’s interesting really, taking a second look at the ordinary lives of the men who became the prominent figures of the Christian faith, the people whose lives the Bible keeps referring to over and over again. Were they really that great and awesome and popular in their times? The answer is a staggering NO.

Jacob, as I mentioned twice already (why am I repeating myself too often?), was not an all around nice guy. Many could identify with that. What stuck me this morning when I opened the Bible is that it didn’t take one minute of his waking hours to believe in God. Literally. Why? Because he started believing when he was asleep. He dreamed of God and he woke up a believer.

Sure he’s heard about “the God of his fathers” but his personal, one to one relationship with God started in his sleep. How many of us can top that? Some people stumble over the truth and walk away still not believing. Jacob dreamed of the truth and woke up a believer. No wonder he was such a big name in the Bible. His faith was so quick and so raw that it changed his fortunes from a runaway dude to a respectable father of a large clan. What’s more, today we hear of God being referred to as “the God of Abraham, Isaac and JACOB.” Cool, right?

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DELIBERATE NAME DROPPING

September 29th, 2009 jojoagot-RF

generationsYou’ve read it many times already. When God introduces himself to his servants in the Old Testament, he goes into name dropping three ancient people- Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For example, in Exodus 3: 6, God told Moses, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”

The questions that popped in my head are “Why? Why them? What’s with them? And why don’t we read of Him saying He is the God of Moses, Joshua and Samson?”

Well, as usual, a few thoughts come to mind:

1. When God looks at us, He sees our families. God intended for families to be the natural channel of his blessings. It was not by accident that Jesus was born in the lineage of David. God carefully chose that bloodline, that family for the Messiah. God the Father willed it, ordained it, planned it and made it happen.

When the Philippian jailer asked about the way of salvation, Paul and Silas gave the classic answer that we often use to new believers today: “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved– you and your household.” Acts 16:31. Here you see the obvious- the natural flow of the gospel trickles down through the blood ties of the family unit.

2.  An implicit promise is suggested in the way Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are mentioned. Notice that they comprise three generations of the same family, not some random guys from all over the place. It is as if God was saying: “I, the God of your father, is the same God who will take care of you, your children and the succeeding generations.” Now that is one promise every mother and father would want for their children.

I believe that the passing of your faith to your children is the best legacy you could ever make before you die. This is the only way you can be sure that your family line will endure with honor and grace. Imagine it this way: Read Exodus 3:6 again and replace the patriarchs’ names with your father’s name, your name, and your son’s name. See how powerful and real this promise can be!

3. God’s Résumé. Whenever you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lumped together in one sentence, remember that God is, in effect, making a statement. He is pointing you to His résumé, His track record of promises made and promises fulfilled here on earth. Not one of those promises faltered for a thousand generations and that, I believe, is quite a résumé to be reckoned with. It’s like God is saying, “Jojo, I am the God of those three big dudes in the past. I have an unbroken record of faithfulness for thousands of years. Do you trust me?” Just writing this down makes me wanna cry.

4. God honors families. There was a time when God was so angry at the Israelites (the natural descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) that He wanted to wipe them out from the face of the earth. Then Moses reminded God of his promise to the patriarchs and right at that moment, He relented and withheld His wrath. Exodus 32: 9-14.

I have reason to believe that godly people shield their families and loved ones from calamities and destruction without even knowing it. The Lord could allow the enemy to strike our families but when God remembers you and your prayers, He stops and says, “Wait a minute! That is XYZ’s brother!”

What a comfort it is to know that by just being genuine believers, we are keeping some people safe and alive, untouched by the destroying power of the devil.

QUESTION: How do you see your family?

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A HOSPITAL VISIT THAT WENT WRONG

September 28th, 2009 jojoagot-RF

sickI was browsing my blogroll this morning when I came across Paolo Punzalan’s post regarding praying for the sick. I was stuck with the idea about the cliches that people often say to those who are suffering. I’m sure we’ve had our fair share of listening to people “biblicalizing” and “spiritualizing” difficult situations that they end up not helping the ones in pain.

The Book of Job is a classic example of well meaning friends trying to console a man in suffering. I actually like the way the three guys started it. When they saw Job’s condition, they were dumbfounded that they tore their robes and simply sat with him for seven days without saying anything. I wished they stayed that way and went home afterwards.

Unfortunately, they didn’t. They spoke, and whereas I don’t understand much of the poetic philosophy (or philosophical poetry) that they discussed, it was pretty clear that they accused Job of some hidden sins.  What started out as a friendly visit turned into a long theological debate that never helped Job in any way.

Job’s response was biting, and I can’t help but think how many people we’ve comforted thought this out but are just too polite to actually say it. “I have heard many things like this before. You are all pathetic at comforting me. Will your long-winded speeches never end?” Job 16:2-3. Some translations are more emphatic: “You are all sorry comforters, why don’t you keep quiet?”

I guess we can learn something from this story in dealing with people who are suffering..

1. Don’t generalize everything. God was angy at Job’s three friends because their understanding about suffering was very simplistic: “Good people are blessed, bad people suffer.” They did more harm than good. These people should see Moses and rework their theology.

2. You actually don’t have to come up with some wise words to say or offer some sort of explanation as to why the person is suffering. Your presence and prayer could be enough. Even silence will do sometimes. You don’t need to burden the sick with many words.

3. Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You might have been sent there to pray for instantaneous healing. Miracles do happen even today and who knows God sent you there to be an instrument of healing?

4. Be genuine with your sympathies. Genuine compassion communicates Christ’s love to the people. The physical condition of the sick person may not change but his psychological and spiritual condition could improve. In the end, you still helped the person one way or another.

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THE JOB INTERVIEW

September 20th, 2009 jojoagot-RF

listeningBack when the telegraph was the fastest method of long-distance communication, a young man applied for a job as a Morse Code operator. When he came for interview, he noticed that the office was filled with noise and clatter, including the sound of the telegraph in the background. The receptionist instructed him and all the other applicants to wait until they were called to enter the inner office.

After a few minutes, the young man stood up and walked right into the office. The other applicants were confused as they didn’t hear anybody being called. They assumed the young man went in by mistake and that he would be disqualified.

Within a few minutes, however, the employer escorted the young man out of the office and said to the other applicants, “Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming, but the job has just been filled.”

The other applicants grumbled, and one spoke up saying, “Wait a minute, I don’t understand. He was the last to come in, and we never even got a chance to be interviewed. Yet he got the job. That’s not fair!”

The employer said, “I’m sorry, but the last several minutes while you’ve been sitting here, the telegraph has been ticking out the following message in Morse Code: ‘If you understand this message, then come right in. The job is yours.’ None of you heard it or understood it. This young man did. The job is his.”

When I read this story, the one thing that really struck me was how the other applicants missed their one chance to get the job just because they weren’t paying careful attention. They could have been sitting there thinking about the interview questions, wondering how they’re gonna impress the interviewer and how to position themselves above the other applicants. Some of them may have been mustering all the wits they could summon, concerned about how to make an excellent first impression. They were too ready, they were too focused. Unfortunately, they forgot to listen.

This story also led me to think about the many graces God has in store for us. Many people open up communication lines with God when they pray but they shut off the same line after saying Amen. They don’t stay tuned in to get the answers. I suspect that when we get to heaven, the greatest shock we will ever have is finding out that most of our prayers have actually been answered, only that we missed them because we were too busy to listen. We blabber away our hurts, fears, and frustrations, asking God to do something. God sends down his answer, but were you there to sign the delivery package? Many people are very good at shooting prayers up to the high heavens, but few have ever mastered the art of waiting for answers.

Listening means tuning in to the soundwaves of the Holy Spirit, setting our hearts on the things of God and getting into His frequency. It means drowning out all the other voices and focusing on the one that has the power to help and save us. Thirteen times the Bible told us that “he who has ears to hear, let him hear.” It’s by hearing that we are saved, by hearing that we are strengthened, by hearing that we carry on with our lives. Jesus once said: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Matt. 10:27.

What have you been listening to this week? Whose frequency is your heart turning to right now?  Please feel free to comment below.

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