2. On Tue, 01-Apr-2014 you wrote:
Wan, I’m very tired after all this years.
And yet, God wrote:
Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
I would like to share with you about “SABBATH”
3. Nowadays, when people talk about “sabbath,” they are talking
about:
• whether it is on Saturday
or Sunday.
• whether the mainstream
Christians are correct, or
the 7th Day Adventists are
correct about keeping it.
• what you should or should not do on Sabbath.
What do you think, bro Jeff ... do think that out of any of those
arguments we can find the true meaning of Sabbath?
For you personally, I think it’s just something in passing. You
may have talked about it, but you don’t really care. Forgive me
if I’m wrong.
4. Matthew 11 : 30 – For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
How often have you read this verse?
Someone with your intelligence, seeing
this picture, would readily say, “Yes, the
yoke is light, because Jesus helps us carry the weight so it is
true that the yoke is light.
But how exactly does Jesus help us carry the yoke? And how
much of the yoke that He help carry? Half? A quarter?
Some Christians even said, “God has eased my burden,” but he
will nonetheless suffered consequences from the burden.
5. Isaiah 40 : 31 – ... shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings as eagles ...
I’m sure you’ve heard about this too, but allow me to repeat it
anyway. Here’s a quote from a scientific web page:
Eagles have very long, large wings, a short neck, and legs short enough to tuck into
their belly feathers while aloft, except when they're fishing. Their wings are long and
wide enough to carry their own body weight plus the weight of most of the fish that
they carry.
It takes a lot of energy to flap such large wings, just like it's a lot of work running
with a large kite until it takes off! Two scientists who studied eagles, Jon. M. Gerrard
and Gary R. Bortolotti, write that "Eagles are capable of sustained flapping flight but
they usually spend little time doing it. During the month when Cindy (one of the
female eagles they studied) was observed intensively, she averaged less than 2
minutes per hour in flapping flight. That is not surprising when one considers the
large expenditure of energy required by the pectoral and supracoracoid muscles to
power the huge wings. The energy needed to maintain a bird in flat soaring or
gliding flight is much less, perhaps a 20th or less the power needed for flapping.
Therefore, eagles will always choose to soar or glide when possible."
6. In other words, eagle will not be able to fly only with the their
own strength - by flapping their wings.
Back to what you would have heard many times from many
sources: just like eagles, Christians uses problems and
challenges to rise up.
But I would like to draw your attention to one point:
The eagles do not flap their wings.
They just spread it out, and the wind, the draft, the storm ...
will push them higher. And after that, they glides.
7. Romans 4 : 2 - 5 – 2For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath
whereof to glory; but not before God. 3For what saith the scripture?
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the
ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
This is where logic stops.
Just like the eagle do not flap its wings, we are not suppose to
do anything with our own strength – and ... not even to worry
about the outcome.
Maybe the closest parable would be playing lego.
We want to build something, we pictured in our mind what it
would be like, and we just do it. We do not worry about
whether or not we do it correctly, and certainly we are having
fun doing it.
8. So here’s the “logic”:
We are God’s sons – God says He’ll take care of us – we just
have to follow God’s plan – then we have to listen to God – if
we feel we cannot hear God’s voice – we can practice listening
– but even if we have not been able to listen – God knows that
too – and he will still take care of us – then we do what we feel
God want us to do – without having to worry about the result –
because anyway God will take care of us – so we can do it with
joy, happily – trusting that He is more than able to correct
whatever we do wrong.
9. This is the sabbath (rest) that God promise us.
It is not about resting either on Saturday or Sunday. It is not
about what we cannot do.
The true Sabbath is an eternal rest, we are abiding in Christ,
and trusting Him on every aspects of our life.
We are doing everything restfully – without agony or anxiety,
because Jesus is directing every bit of burden coming our way,
to be a blessing for us.
10. With that mental attitude, we face our challenges and
problems head on, happily.
Even when we are not successful, we know that God takes care
of us, so we will never fall flat on our face – and we will always
be able to get up again.
And in doing all that, we are preserving our “sanity” because it
is a labour of love, and not back-breaking work.
May Holy Spirit take all this writing, and turn it into a mind-blowing
experience for you. God bless you.