If God created you blind

By Sean

Ever seen a blind man begging in the streets? Or a blind man singing by the corner with his guitar and put-up microphone? I wonder if they were born blind… Chances are, they were. It happens right? What if God created you blind? Do you think He’d say Oops?

This entry was inspired by Cat & Dog Theology by Bob Sjorgren & Gerald Robison

Stevie Wonder was born blind

A man born blind

There’s a passage in the Bible that shows how Jesus looked at people born with ailments such as being blind. The disciples thought that people born with ailments had sinful parents or ancestors – thus the punishment or judgment or consequence brought about by God.

The passage is found in John 9: 1-2 which says:

As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

Jesus did not focus on sin

The answer Jesus gave definitely changed the way I look at the judgment, grace and nature of God. He related the blind man’s ailment to the glory of God and not to sin. We usually think that God is a punisher – and it’s true, He is the judge. But He looks at things in a different light and perspective. We have to know that He does not enjoy punishing people but He has to because He is just. In light of this happening with Jesus and His disciples, we realize that God is focused on His glory and not on sin and punishing it.

Here’s what Jesus answered them in the next verse John 9:3:

“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.”

Ray Charles Robinson was born blind

God definitely did not say ‘Oops’

Let’s look at the passage Psalms 139:13-16 shall we?

13 For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

16 your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

We were created and planned out carefully before being born. God made us and He formed us intricately for His own purposes and glory. A man born blind is meant to give God glory through his ailment. God can use disabilities in spite of – because His power is made perfect in weakness.

Don’t ever focus on the sins in a person’s life. A man born blind is created for the glory of God and not because of sin.

Undercover Jesus. Sometimes we are kept from recognizing Him

By Sean

There are times in our lives when Jesus goes undercover. He doesn’t let us recognize Himself. Why? There are tons of reasons – most of it personal. Take for example this story:

 

Sometimes Jesus goes undercover in our lives

Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven milesfrom Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.

He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”

They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”

“What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus acted as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Luke 24:13-32

Jesus sometimes keeps us from recognizing Him

Jesus wanted to know what was in their hearts first. He didn’t reveal Himself outright. He seemed like only a visitor or a foreigner – an outsider who doesn’t know what’s going on in your life. Often times it seems like that doesn’t it? It seems as if our God doesn’t know what’s happening in our lives – as if He’s left us alone in our troubles and problems. What we don’t know is that He is with us. We are just kept from recognizing Him.

Why go undercover?

Jesus didn’t want the two to recognize Him because they wanted their hearts to be open. He wanted the both of them to be themselves when they didn’t know God was with them. He was sort of testing them in what was troubling their hearts. Jesus wanted to know what those two thought of Him.

And sometimes this is true in our lives. Jesus goes undercover in order that He might see what we would do when we suddenly are faced with problems – our faces downcast. He wants to see what’s in our hearts and what we think of Him.

When we think Jesus isn’t there

Sometimes He wants to let us feel like we have to do things on our own. He is there indeed, but sometimes He would let us feel abandoned – to make room for our faith. That is why it is so important to know the truth of God’s word. So that even when sometimes we feel abandoned, we know the truth that God is there with you all along!

It is often in these times when our faith is stretched. It is in these times when God would test us in our faith in Him and our knowledge of Him.

Even if we don’t recognize Him

There will be times when we seem like we’re at the end of our rope and God is still nowhere. It is during those times when Jesus will ask us to invite Him in. He will break us – just as He broke the bread. When we let ourselves be broken by Him – when we render ourselves defenseless against God by letting Him shatter our pride – THAT IS THE TIME WHEN WE GET TO REALIZE – Hey, it was Him all along!

And somewhere along our journey with our Lord, will not our hearts hearts burn within us as He reminds us of His grace and mercy in our lives? And what a joy it is when He is revealed and we recognize that our Lord did not leave us all this time!

There are a lot of times in my life when I have been broken by God. Those are the moments when I weep and when I see and feel His glory and power in my life. Those are the times when I see myself too focused on something else other than God and I have to get back on track. Those are the times when God tells me “I’m here. It’s alright”.” Those are the times when I need Him the most.

Have you ever felt abandoned by God? I want to know. Please do leave your comments below.

What’s best for you? No way

By Sean

‘What’s best for me’ – isn’t it such a common saying? Often times I hear it in the context of parent-child relationships. Sons and daughters would often be told that their parents knows what’s best for them. We tend to hear this phrase at church too. They often say that ‘God knows what’s best for you’, but is it really about what’s best for you or me?

Everything in the world today tells us to focus on the self

Let me tell it to you straight, It’s not about ‘what’s best for you’ it’s about ‘what would glorify Him’. Often times when we pray, we ask God for something and we don’t bother to say ‘not my will, but your glory’. And so when it’s denied us, we comfort ourselves (or friends or family comforts us) by saying ‘God knows what’s best for you’. We make it self-centered.

The world and even the church has made Christianity leaning more on the ‘Me’ side. It’s more friendly to the ‘I’ part when it’s not.

Do you realize that what is best for you is what glorifies God the most?

We are made for His purpose – and to fulfill that purpose is to glorify God. It’s about ‘What’s best – for God’ for His glory. We leave God out of the picture and make it a ‘Me’ centered world.

And we wonder why this world is so apathetic, so greedy, so pleasure-seeking, so focused on the self. If we, even on the most vulnerable prayers of our lives, focus it on our selves – what more in the normal happenings throughout our days?

That’s one reason why this world is so ungodly – we leave God out of the picture and forget about Him. You might say I’m a hard hitter – you might say I don’t know how to think outside of what the Bible says. I say ‘I don’t have to’.

If you want to know the truth, you don’t go through all the fakes to know what’s genuine. Study the truth to know what’s true and leave the fakes to themselves because if the truth you know is indeed the truth, then all the fakes will never compare to it and PEOPLE WILL SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

You don't need to study all the fakes...

For you to know what is genuine

What I want you to think about is this: Don’t make it about yourself as we are all guilty of to some degree. Always remember Jesus. This life is about God – His greatness, His glory, His majesty and love. What I’m telling you is the truth. More truth than you’ll ever know.

“Truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.” – Winston Churchill

Isn’t this quote so true nowadays.

Touch of the Master’s Hand by Myra Welch

By Sean

A poem by Myra Welch. Thanks to Melchor Chan for sharing this and tagging me in Facebook.

It’s a great reminder that God can change us in ways we can never imagine. God doesn’t make junk but that’s what the world so often tells us that we look at ourselves too lowly. We have to remember that we are made in His image and likeness and that we are special.

—–
‘Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.

The touch of the Master changes everything

“What am I bidden, good folks,” he cried.
“Who’ll start the bidding for me?
A dollar, a dollar; then two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who’ll make it three?”

“Three dollars, once; three dollars twice;
Going for three”…But no,
From the room far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow.

Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said; “What am I bid for the old violin?”
And he held it up with its bow.

“A thousand dollars, and who’ll make it two?
Two thousand! And who’ll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand twice,
and going and gone,” said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
“We do not quite understand
What changed its worth.” Swift came the reply:
“The touch of a master’s hand.”

And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.

A “mess of pottage”, a glass of wine;
A game and he travels on.
He is “going” once, he is “going” twice,
He is “going” and almost “gone.”

But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that’s wrought
By the touch of the Master’s hand.

© Myra ‘Brooks’ Welch

Why so many rich, fulfilled, successful, famous people are not really happy

By Sean

A mystery of the world is when a man who is at the top, who’s had it all – riches, fame, power, success, fulfilment – say they aren’t really happy. Some of them commit suicide, some of them take drugs to forget their “emptiness”, some of them keep on hopping from relationship to relationship just to fill that “empty” feeling.

Why do rich people still feel empty?

I wrote an article about “Getting there” looking at the example of king Solomon. He had it all but still he says that it’s all a chasing after the wind. He says that it is all “senseless” and “worthless” and “unfair”. Imagine that – what a paradox coming from the most powerful man during his time.

Why? What is the source of this “emptiness” what is the origin of this “empty” feeling?

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

We have “fallen short” of His glory because of our sins. Because of this, our fulfilment will always “fall short” of what we want it to be. The little empty feeling that we “feel” but we don’t understand so therefore we cannot fulfil, is an emptiness created by our “falling short” of His glory.

We somehow missed the mark and strayed away from what is right and that created a void in ourselves that we try to fill with so many things the world promises can fill it. Don’t you ever wonder why advertising is so powerful? Because it caters to THAT EXACT VOID THAT YOU FEEL IN YOURSELF!

It tells you that you will find fulfilment, complete happiness, that’s why you have to buy their product. To some extent, it can provide that sense of fulfilment and happiness, but it will soon run because these things are temporary and will pass away. The void in us is something that only God, our maker, designer and purpose-giver, who is eternal can fulfill.

How can God fulfil that void?

Imagine a watch, having its own feeling and its own sense of reason and logic and free will. How will it give full glory to its maker? By letting the maker use it completely to its purpose through its own will. The watch can only find complete and true happiness when it is functioning exactly as it was designed to be otherwise, if it chooses to be a hammer then it will break itself, if it chooses to be a Frisbee then it will shatter at some point, if it chooses to be a paper-weight then it will render itself useless – MAKING ITSELF UNHAPPY, UNFULFILLED and making it’s maker DISAPPOINTED. FALLING SHORT OF THE MAKER’S GLORY.

Think about it.

Fulfilment can only come from being the best you can be, right? And what does the Bible say about our purpose? To give God glory. I pray that giving Him glory in everything you do will be your goal in each and every thing you do – big or small even if you think it doesn’t matter, it does. Believe me, “Getting there” Is all about giving God glory because He in return will be the one to glorify you as He pleases – and that is eternal.

Why are men so competitive? God and His glory

By Sean

Was about to sleep last night and I was brushing my teeth when a thought came to mind. Why am I so competitive? Why do men have a competitive nature? Like it or not, admit it or not, everyone is competitive in one way or another – that’s why we tend to compare. Oftentimes, we compare ourselves to someone whom we would like to compete our standards with.

So to answer the question why, I think it’s because if you get through the competition and win, you ought to be glorified. Glorified by men. Glorified mostly by the people you’ve competed with. But what is glory?

Ever in this Earth will men seek for glory for it is instilled in his heart with an ever crafty design – God’s design. So that when we pant for glory, when we seek and thirst for it, we would look for God. For in the end, He alone can forever quench our seemingly endless thirst for glory. The world is temporary and it will all fade away.

Your glory here will never last. You need an eternal realm for your glory to be remembered forever. But what is glory indeed? Let me try to describe its being: Its nature is to be remembered. Its object is to be praised. Its unfolding must be a legend. But what use is it if the realm wherein it stands is a forgetful one? One that doesn’t last?

The only TRUE glory comes from God and He has set the standards and the road we must walk to attain it. True glory has eternal praise and it will be remembered forever – without limits nor end. The competition, the REAL competition, is a competition to serve God. To be a man after His own heart. And many men of God has already gone through the tough, life-changing competition. I can only imagine the glory they would call their own for all eternity. That is the one and only REAL competition. Everything else is an illusion because it will not last forever.

Men are made in the image and LIKENESS of God. God has a competitive nature as well. He will never want to be compared to idols of wood nor stone nor clay nor anything else His majesty has conjured. God will always want a number 1 place in your heart. He doesn’t want to be second best, to be second priority, He wants to be top!

Think about it. Your competitive nature can only be, in the end, quenched by God through everything you’ve ever done for Him. Start now. Build up your everlasting glory. And learn to make God number 1 in your heart so that in the end, your praise will come from an ETERNAL God, making your glory ETERNAL and known by the most powerful and most competitive being.