Comfortable in Your Skin

This talk was just shared on Friday (28 Mar 2008) evening during the Grace Baptist Church Youth Fellowship #02. Thank God I was lucid, clear and loud despite my tonsillitis infection. Really it is by God's grace that we are able to do all things!

Good evening, good evening everybody. Welcome to the second Youth Fellowship! I hope you have had an opportunity to connect with each other in the activities and connect with God through the worship songs. I’ve the privilege now to talk to you for a while. Some parts of what I’m going to share have been developed from an idea by Rob Bell. However, before we engage in this together, shall we pray? “Father God, ….. Bless us richly this evening so that we may in turn bless others. In Jesus’ name I pray.”

Genesis Chapter 32, turn with me in your bible to Genesis 32:22-32. We see Jacob at the river Jabbok. At this point as we read into his story, Jacob had sent his whole family across, and he was left alone. Someone appeared and wrestled with him. The bible is not very clear whether this was an angel or a man, but this representative of God had a real smack-down with Jacob; they wrestled through the night. At day-break, this man asked that Jacob let him go, but Jacob tenaciously held on and said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And the man said to Jacob, “What is your name?” Huh… when I first read this, I went “Huh…what do you mean God?” I mean shouldn’t you already know Jacob’s name? Isn’t this a rhetorical question? And if someone held on to me and asked me to do something, I would have probably asked, “What do you want me to do?” or “Why do you want this so badly?” or “Hey man, let me go first…” But the man asked, “What is your Name?”…

To understand this better we need to understand the significance of a name in the ancient middle-east. To the people in those times, a name was more then a name – it signifies the nature or essence or character of the named. So when the man asked Jacob, “What is your name,” he was actually asking, “Who are you?” or “What is your identity?” So Jacob was being asked who he really is. In the half-light of dawn, Jacob might have thought back to the time when he was desperately seeking a blessing from his father Isaac and he too was asked for his name.

Turn with me to Genesis Chapter 27. Genesis 27:18-25 where we shall see the back-story to this incident at the river Jabbok. Jacob had an elder twin brother named Esau or “Red” or “Hairy” born a few seconds before him; and Jacob was named Jacob as he was born after, clutching his brother’s heel. Jacob – heel grabber or deceiver. And some of you blame your parents for giving you strange names… J At this point in Genesis 27, we enter the story of a much younger Jacob going before his Father Isaac asking for his blessing. You must know that by birth order, Esau being the elder, was in line for the blessing. Instead Jacob put on Esau’s clothes, wrapped his arms up in young goats’ skin and bought food to his father Isaac and deceived him. Isaac asked, “Who are you, my son?” And Jacob replied, “Esau…” Jacob, heel-grabber, deceived his father, and stole his brother’s blessing. Jacob did not accept who he was; rather he put on Esau’s clothes and put on goats’ skin. This gives a whole new meaning of being uncomfortable in your own skin. Jacob deceived his father into giving him his blessing. After this, Jacob had to flee from his home as his brother was furious and wanted to kill him; talk about sibling rivalry. The deceived blessing turns out to be no blessing at all.

And now we come back to Jacob at the river Jabbok in Genesis 32, interestingly, the meaning of Jabbok in the original Hebrew language means “Emptying”. So here was Jacob at the river and again he was asked, “What is your name?” And he replied, “Jacob…” Finally, he accepted himself for who he was… How many of us struggle with accepting ourselves for how God made us? We want to be taller, shorter, slimmer, more shapely. If only I have her eyes, if only I had his natural wit and personality, if only I had his smile, if only I have her long legs, if only, if only… The struggle of Jacob is our struggle. Many of us are not comfortable in our skin and we want to be someone else other than ourselves. It doesn’t help that the media portray the image that you can be successful or happy or blessed only if you had this or looked like that. Do not get me wrong, I’m not advocating that you remain your scruffy self and not seek to improve yourself. There are some things you can change and should try to improve – your habits, your diet – changing to a healthier diet for example - I too could do with losing a few extra kilos, not sure about giving up coffee though. You can even work diligently at improving your intellect. However, there are some things that you cannot change - your parents, your nation of birth, your birth-order, your race, your natural skin colour, your natural personality etc.

Jacob, finally at the river Jabbok, emptied himself of his self-deceit and envy and accepted himself for who he was, for how God made him – all his strengths and weaknesses. He admitted to being Jacob – heel-grabber and deceiver - and in the light of the new dawn, God blessed him and changed his name to Israel or God-Wrestler. Now how’s that for a name? The bible says in Proverbs 14:30, “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” Jacob gave up his envy, and in turn received peace and life and blessings from God. When we accept how God made us, and recognized that we are flawed and incomplete without God, then God would bless us and start a work in us and with us.

But wait, you say, you don’t know us, we are teenagers, we are still having an identity struggle, it is our right. We are not even sure who we really are, how can we accept who we are? Do not worry; there are some adults who still do not know who they really are too! For help in this, we can turn to John Calvin. John Calvin, along with Martin Luther, was one of the fathers of the Reformation movement where many of our protestant Christian churches find their roots in. John wrote a book called “Institutes of the Christian Religion”; it was sort of like a “Dummies Guide to Christianity” in his time. In the first paragraph of the first chapter, he basically said, “True wisdom comes from knowing God and knowing ourselves”. He said that when we contemplate God and know Him better, we know ourselves better; likewise, when we do the hard soul work of really knowing ourselves, we find that we are incomplete and need God and have already received many of His blessings. When Jacob wrestled with God, there was contact with God; you cannot wrestle with someone without contact now can you? And as Jacob got to know God better as God revealed himself, he came to know himself better.

And one of the things we can learn about God from the bible, is from 1 John 4:19, where it says “We love because He (meaning God) first loved us.” God first loved us, and through what Jesus has done on the cross, we have been adopted as His children when we decide to follow Jesus. It does not matter if we think we are too tall or too short, too well-rounded or not rounded enough, too smart or not smart enough; God first loved us. I know who I am because I know who I am loved by. We can know our identity because we can know the God who loves us.

As the dawn broke over the river Jabbok, Jacob now Israel, limped away. He is finally comfortable with his own identity and he accepted himself for who he was. And the thing was God was waiting for just that; for him to admit to his weaknesses and incompleteness, to accept himself for how God made him. God then blessed him and gave him a new name and identity and involved Israel in God’s great redemptive plan. God worked with Israel to do mighty deeds for God’s Kingdom as we see from the story that continues in the bible. May it be that for us, God too is waiting for us to accept ourselves for how He made us, and he is waiting to work out the reign of His Kingdom through us and with us? If we but accept ourselves as who we are and how God has made us and he will invite us to play a part in his ongoing redemptive story.

Before we end this time together, let me just ask you all to think on some questions. What are some things about you that you can change? What are some things about you that you cannot change? Are there some things about yourself that you cannot change that you would have to accept and turn over to God? Do you really know the One who loves you? If you do not, are you prepared to make the effort to know God?

The struggle of Jacob is our struggle; and God’s invitation to Jacob is His invitation to us. May you be comfortable in your own skin, may you accept and enjoy who God made you uniquely to be - knowing that He first loved you. And may you with your “true” name follow Jesus as a part of God’s magnificent story! Thank you.

Can I invite you to pray together with me? “Dear God,….. And may we all accepting and rejoicing in how you have made us, follow Jesus in all areas of our lives. In Jesus name I pray.”

Ollie
Mar 2008

Keep on Doing the Simple Things

This talk was first shared at Grace Baptist Church Youth fellowship on Friday, 25 Jan 2008. It was the first youth fellowship meeting of 2008, and the first we have had in a number of years. In this I shared my conviction that the foundation for the Christian Life is the Word of God and Prayer.

Michael Jordan. He is in my opinion the best NBA basket-ball star there is. Star guard and captain of the Chicago Bulls in the 80s; he led the team to 3 consequent championship wins. Then he took a break and played some baseball, after which he came back to the game and led the Chicago Bulls to another 3 consequent championship wins in the early 90s. I remember watching one of his games, he was fouled by the opposing team at the side-lines, and as he was falling backwards out of the court, he shot a basket. That was a moment where time seemed to slow… it was a shot of great difficulty… surely it would miss… the basketball floated in the air towards the hoop… it seemed to hang in the air for an impossibly long time… the ball closed on the hoop… and it entered straight in… he scored and he went on to take a penalty for an additional point. Michael Jordan is acknowledged by many basketball fans as one of the game’s best ever; he seems able to make a shot from almost anywhere on the court. Just what is his secret to his achievements?

Before anyone from Chicago Bulls was on the court for training, Michael Jordan was already there. In fact, he arrived 2 hours earlier before training and stayed on 2 hours after. And what does he do in this extra 2 hours? He worked on his basics – shooting hoops. He kept doing the simple thing of shooting hoops till he could almost make a shot from anywhere in the court. He kept doing the simple things.

Let us look back two thousand years in history. The Apostle Paul. He is considered by many Christians as one of the best missionary and church planter. He started churches all over the Mediterranean Sea, over most of the known world of the Roman Empire; he mentored a number of prominent young church leaders e.g. Timothy and Titus; he wrote many of the letters in the New Testament; he was an eminent scholar and communicator, respected by many Christians even today. Just what was his secret to his achievements?

For the answer let us look to the letter of 2 Timothy. This was the final letter written by Paul as he awaited his execution in a Roman jail. He wrote this letter to his Son in Christ – Timothy, to encourage him and to point him to the hope in Christ. In this letter, you would expect Paul to advise Timothy on the secret of his achievements - perhaps a seven point strategy to evangelize Europe or a guide to effective mentoring. However, let us see what Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:14:

“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed…” - 2 Timothy 3:14a (English Standard Version; emphasis mine). You continue in what you have learned… it seems that Paul said to Timothy, “that’s right, you have already learnt it from me; keep doing these things; keep on doing these simple things!”

And just what are these things? Let’s look down to the subsequent verses from 2 Timothy 3:14-17: “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (English Standard Version, emphasis mine.)

Paul is telling Timothy to continue in the things he had learnt and had been convinced of. These things had come from two sources, which Paul set side by side as of equal importance: Paul’s own testimony, and the sacred writings or Holy Scriptures, the Word of God, which at that time of course consisted of the Old Testament. Paul is telling Timothy continue to do the simple things – immerse yourself in God’s Word, seek to understand God’s Word, and live by the God’s Word, following the example Paul set. I am reminded and convicted that the basis of (or authority for) what we do in life, the key to spiritual growth, and the foundation for ministry and service remains the Word of God. It is through the Word of God that presents the Living Word that we may grow in our walk with Jesus.

I remember Kim Meng's 50th Birthday at the Mori's home. He shared his journey as a Christ-Follower. He said that in his years, he has to continue to re-learn and re-do the simple things - to forgive often, to love often, and not to get bitter.

In my 10 years since baptism in 1997, I continue to struggle to learn and apply this simple truth. Sure, the big things and events are useful standing stones - markers of God's grace, but it is in the doing the simple things again and again in all of life that defines your character and walk. It is tempting to focus on the big events like conferences and camps, but to be honest, I think many of us struggle in the in-between. To love and forgive those who has hurt and offended you, to continue to read and study the bible and do devotions, to pray continuously, and to continue to love God with our heart, our mind, our soul and our strength. It is difficult, but we need to keep on doing the simple things again and again in the mostly mundane-ness of life.

So how do we continue to do the simple things – to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, to seek to understand God’s Word, and to live by the God’s Word as Paul advised Timothy?

I suggest that we can do the following:

Read God’s word – read the bible, set aside time and space to read large chunks of the bible, not just 1 verse or 2 but whole chapters or even chapters or books. It is possible to read the entire bible in year or so; I know of at least 2 young persons in this room who have done so. Or if reading the whole bible seems daunting, then at least in the next 2 – 3 months, read the 4 Gospels. I know of another young person, who after my challenge to do so at Youth Camp, read the 4 Gospels in a month. I myself am rereading the 4 Gospels and am halfway through; I should be done by Chinese New Year.

Explore God’s Word – Study the bible. Equip yourself in simple personal bible study skills and study what the bible means. Understand it. Attend Youth Care Groups where currently we are doing the study in James. This is where the Youth Ministry can continue to help you. We are planning a half day Bible Conference in June to equip and train you with skills to get into the word of God.

Do Devotions from God’s Word. Besides reading, exploring and mastering God’s word, we should also let God’s word master us. This is where devotional sessions spent in God’s Word helps. Many of you from Youth Camp would remember the Appointment with God (or AWGs) sessions. We followed a simple outline of read, record, reflect and respond. We read a portion of God’s word a few times, letting it sink into us. Then we record the verse, phase or word that seems to speak to us. Next we reflect on that verse, phase or word and see what God is speaking to us. Lastly, we write a short prayer in response to what God is speaking to us.

Do what God’s Word tells us. We put in action what we already know. The sermons by our pastors in James has taught us we need to be doers of the Word; not just mere hearers.

REDD. We read God’s Word, explore God’s Word, do devotions from God’s Word and do what God’s Word tells us. We need to keep on doing the simple things again and again. The Word of God is the basis of (or authority for) what we do in life; the key to spiritual growth; and the foundation for ministry and service. May you continue to follow Paul’s advice, may you continue to do these simple things again and again.

Ollie
March 2008

Immeasurably...

Read:

"Our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17 (NLT) (emphasis mine)

"Take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." Ephesians 4:22 (MSG) (emphasis mine)

"Remember what Christ taught and let His words enrich your lives and make you wise." Colossians 3:16 (LB) (emphasis mine)


Record:

"Immeasurably... " 2 Corinthians 4:17 (part) (NLT)

"Take on an entirely new way of life... renewed from the inside..." Ephesians 4:22 (part) (MSG)

"Let His words enrich your lives..." Colossians 3:16 (part) (LB)


Reflect:

"Immeasurably." We have immeasurable riches in Christ (see Ephesians 1-3). Considering this, what is the present sacrifices, trials and hardship to us? We have an immeasurable treasure in heaven waiting for us if we but pursue Christ with one passion. Our desire in life at the end of th day should be to hear our Lord, our Master, our King and our Friend say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

That one single passion being the end desire of my service, my ministry and my walk, how then am I to walk in grace in this new year? How am I to take on an entirely new way of life, renewed from the inside out? I am to let Jesus' words dwell in me richly; to be renewed in the spirit of my mind.

To this goal, I am to spend time in 1 & 2 Thessalonian - to read, to memorise, to study, to pray and reflect. In 2008, I shall "camp" and "chew" over these two books of the bible. I am certain as I am connected to Christ through His word, I shall be transformed and be effective in my walk, my service and my ministry.


Respond:

Father, I thank you for your love and your immeasurable riches in store for me. Let my response to in gratitude be a tight gripping of scriptures and a worthy service and ministry!

Ollie
Mar 2008

Where is the Love?

Growing Older yet Remaining Youthful

Youth is not a period of time. It is a state of mind, a result of the will, a quality of the imagination, a victory of courage over timidity, of the taste for adventure over the love of comfort. A man doesn't grow old because he has lived a certain number of years. A man grows old when he deserts his ideal. The years may wrinkle his skin, but deserting his ideal wrinkles his soul. Preoccupations, fears, doubts , and despair are the enemies which slowly bow us toward earth and turn us into dust before death. You will remain young as long as you are open to what is beautiful, good and great; receptive to the messages of other men and women, of nature and of God. If one day you should become bitter, pessimistic and gnawed by despair, may God have mercy on your old man's soul.

General Douglas McArthur

I got this quotation by General Douglas McArthur from Deb's weblog. She was reflective as she approached her twentieth year. As I reached my thirty-sixth, I am thankful for this reminder that a man doesn't grow old when he has lived a certain number of years; but rather deserting his ideals wrinkles his soul and makes him grow old. May my soul remain youthful and refreshed as I seek to live a life of radical grace, wide awake to God, and in a passionate pursuit of Christ. I shall keep on keeping on!

Thank you Debs for this reminder!

Keep on Keeping On!

Ollie
4 Mar 2008