The Great Commission Reminder

John 1:4-5
In him was life, and that life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Two very powerful verses from the Gospel of John. I am extremely fascinated by John 1:4-5. It speaks to me so strongly, it leaves such a heavy impression upon me. And I simply cannot shake it off. To me, this set of 2 short verses is an urgent reminder for Christians to fulfill the Great Commission. Or rather, to start fulfilling the Great Commission.

In him (Jesus Christ) was life, and that life was the light of men (v4)
The life of Jesus Christ is absolutely pure, sinless, clean, unblemished. Words alone are unable to describe the extent of morality in the life of our Saviour and redeemer.
The Son of man has examplified the true Christian life, the life Father God called every man to live. He demonstrated what true character meant, from the inside out. In his fleshly form, he conquered sin and overpowered the clutches of temptation. He redefined the meaning of Love by enduring the most painful and unjust punishment on the Calvary cross. He performed many miracles in faith, from raising the dead… to healing the disabled… to walking on water… to turning water into wine. He humbled himself to wash the feet of his disciples, even when he was fully aware that he was the begotten son of God. He emphasised more on the heart than outward appearances, on motives more than consequences. He set the ultimate moral standard that no other man has ever attained, or perhaps even gone close to attaining.

This is the life of Christ Jesus, the true life which the Bible calls the “light of all men”. This is the life God called us all to live. It is eternal, everlasting, neverending. It is fulfilling, meaningful, purposeful-driven. It is not a seemingly rosy life which seeks gratification or glory for oneself. It is an eventful life of intimacy with God - loving, trusting and obeying Him, giving oneself completely to Him.
As John14:6 puts it, Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life. The way - which leads to the narrow gates which are hard to enter, yet bringing great joy and peace amidst the struggle. The truth - which hurts to the core when it penetrates the heart like a double-edged sword, yet set us free from the chains of the devil. The life - which is challenging to live out, but brings eternal riches and glory.

This is the Christian life. And before we even seek to fulfill the Great Commission, we need to first strive to live the life of Jesus Christ.

The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it (v5)
Lets flow with simple logic. The darkness does not understood the light, therefore we (as ambassadors of the light) need to help the darkness understand the light.
This is why Jesus gave the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. He did not just say go out and spread the gospel. Hey… sharing testimonies, inviting friends to Christmas and Easter church services, telling your loved ones about the person of Jesus Christ or even spreading the good news to strangers is only level one. Already sounds like a challenge, doesn’t it?
Take note that Jesus said, “Go make disciples of all nations.” This means outreaching to people and building them up in the faith, training them up to do likewise, resulting in spread of Christianity. We, as followers of Christ and children of God, are to do just that. (Though many would love to ignore this part. I admit I am guilty of it at times. It can easily be exhausting and draining at times.) Well, Jesus did also mention, ”teach them to obey everything I have commanded you”. And what an irony it would be if we do not seek to do the Great Commission, yet tell ourselves to live a life of obedience.

All Christ followers need to live a Christ-like life, win the hearts of people and pave the way to life for the world to follow. In fact, Christ was a great evangelist himself. As Christians, ain’t we supposed to follow in his footsteps?
There are people out there in the world who are living sinful lives, not knowing that there is a ray of hope out there. We are the hope, the salt and light of the world. We are called the royal priesthood, as the apostle Paul wrote under the inspiration of the Lord. God believes in us, He values us despite our inadequacies. And this is a duty and responsibility He has entrusted us with. It may be a level two, but the fact that God called us to do so goes to show that it is possible if we have faith in Him.

Guarding our hearts against the evil one to live a life of purity is already an uphill task, let alone giving our hearts to fulfill the Great Commission for the Lord. Every single day, we face the Father of lies, the Prince of the world. But we can be assured that we are on the winning side. For we have a King who loves us more than anything, till the point of atoning for our sins. We have a King who is the almighty Lord of all Creation, who created the heavens and the earth, who has the absolute authority to even command the storms. We have a King who reigns forever, whose throne can never be ursurped. We have a King who does not change like shifting shadows, who is the same yesterday and today and forever.

And if He is for us, who can be against us?

Psalm 3 – God’s Deliverance

O Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.” Selah
But you are a shield around me, O Lord;
you bestow glory on me and lift up my head
To the Lord I cry aloud,
and he answers me from his holy hill.
I lie down and sleep;
I wake again, because the Lord sustains me
I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
Arise, O Lord!
Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw;
break the teeth of the wicked.
From the Lord comes deliverance.
May your blessing be on your people.

Psalm 3 contains 8 verses which speaks of the Lord’s deliverance.
King David wrote this psalm after he fled from his own son Absalom, who conspired to overthrow his father by garnering a vast numbers of supporters for himself and then declaring himself king.
Absalom had so much power that David was forced to flee.
And all these happened on top of the heart-wrenching family tragedies David experienced – Amnon (his eldest son) raped his half-sister Tamar, Absalom murdered Amnon out of revenge. At that point of time, David had already forgiven Absalom but the son caused grief to the father yet again with an act of rebellion.
To say that David was heart broken would be a severe understatement. In spite of the circumstances weighing down harshly upon him, King David remembered to seek the Lord. Like he always did.

O Lord, how many are my foes! How many rise up against me!
Verse 1. David was overwhelmed by the enemies, people who pledged their loyalty to Absalom. These people were originally allies of David, but Absalom manipulated them and won their hearts. Absalom had been plotting this rebellion for four years. A civil war was breaking out between father and son. The father had to run away from the son, who was determined to overthrow the father as king. A man who was so filled with hate and had hardened his heart so much to murder his own brother, how much more does it take to do the same to his father? David was running for his life, from nobody other than his own son whom he had forgiven.

Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.”
Verse 2. It seemed like the end for David. The people of Israel, very likely including those from David’s household, did not even have an ounce of hope for their king. A statement like “God will not deliver him” means utter hopelessness. David was an immensely powerful warrior who tasted many victories with the Lord, even when the odds were against him. The people knew that, surely. He was their king, one of the most powerful kings in the history of Israel.
And bear in mind that Israel is God’s chosen nation, a holy nation which believed that the Lord is a sovereign God. For people to make such a remark, it revealed that they thought David had 0% chance of survival. They thought that it was in God’s will that David would not pull through. If I were to rephrase Psalm 3:2, it would be - Many are saying of me, “Even God says that I will surely die.” When all hope is lost, it is absolutely devastating.

But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
Verse 3a. David had nowhere else to find the hope he needed, except in the Lord. Remember, his own people lost hope in him. Here, David described the Lord as a head-to-toe surround protection. Sounds like the Green Lantern from Justice League, doesn’t it? David took refuge in the Lord.

you bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
Verse 3b. And after having found divine-given security, David grew confident with God backing him up. He could lift up his head, not in egoistic pride but in assurance drawn from his faith in God. His shattered heart was repaired with a reminder that the same God who authored beautiful chapters in his amazingly victorious life was once again being his comfort. He recalled the glory God had granted him.

 I lie down and sleep; I wake up again because the Lord sustains me.
Verse 5.  When David made this assertion, one can only come to the conclusion that he acknowledged that God is the source of life. David knew that the only reason why he was still alive till then, was because God meant it to be so. Every moment any man is alive is by the grace of God. David recognised that, and in the process displayed his humility before God.

I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.
Verse 6. David’s mentality had changed 180 degrees. From verse 1 to 6, he had gradually built up courage. By the time he came to verse 6, David had gained the confidence he required. What a bold statement to make – “I will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against me on every side.”
Archaeologists have recently uncovered a 10th century BC public building in East Jerusalem just outside the ancient city, which is believed to be King David’s palace. The Phoenician-built palace was architecturally reconstructed, and the bird’s eye view revealed a structure with many sharp right-angled edges. If one side were to be defined taking ”a square has 4 sides” as a reference, tens of thousands at each side would amount to a phenomenal number. Even if one side refers to a general direction (eg. north, south), it is still a vast army Absalom led. And yet David said with unimaginable conviction, “I will not fear, for the Lord is with me.”

Arise, O Lord! Deliver me, O my God!
Strike all my enemies on the jaw; break the teeth of the wicked.
Verse 7. At this point of time, David was expecting the Holy One to move. He certainly sounded like he was demanding intervention from God. It was not that he was commanding God, and God was obeyed him. He simply had the faith that he would be fighting the war alongside the Lord. Picture God as a man on the battlefield (God is not a man, by the way), shoulder to shoulder beside King David. In the heat of a battle, one would not expect David to turn his head with a Michael Jackson groove and flash a ”sunkist” smile to God and then whisper gently ”Hey, how about we get these munchkins and kick some ass?” You would expect a competant veteran warrior to give a defeaning warcry before charging ahead. David’s warcry was for the Lord, and he was as acting as if God was a fellow soldier on the battlefield right beside him. David was fighting alongside God. What a beautiful image!

From the Lord comes deliverance. May your blessing be on your people.
Verse 8. When David said this, he was already assured that victory was on his side. Remember that he was deeply hurt and demoralised by his own people who had no hope for him? This very same David asked God to bestow divine favour on the very same people who gave up on him. When God delivered David, the great king of Israel wanted the same for his people. Not only that, he humbled himself before God, acknowledging that the people belonged to God and not to himself. He wroted down in this psalm “your people” and not “my people”. In the Gospel, Jesus declared that mankind should forgive one another as Holy Father has forgiven. Spot the biblical similarity. Perhaps it runs in the family (Jesus Christ is a descendant of King David) Looks like David understood this before the messiah enlightened the world a thousand years later!

From the start till the end of Psalm 3, David gradually built up hopelessness to fearlessness to boldness while he seeked the Lord. At the end, he was not only secure in God’s protection. He also let God be his strength. His heart became expectanct, his faith allowed God to move even more greatly. Then, he concluded by proclaiming, “From the Lord comes deliverance.”

“Deliver”, the root word of “deliverance”.
The word “deliver” is widely used in modern English language.
A mother delivers a baby into the world.
A president delivers a speech to the nation.
A judge delivers a judgement to the defendant.
A boxer delivers a blow to his opponent.
A guard delivers a criminal to the police.
Pizza hut delivers a Canadian pizza to my doorstep. (Did I just spark off a war like the one between David and Absalom?)

The word “deliver” has multiple means of usage. It is used in many contexts. In English language, a word which supposedly has many definitions often share a common definition.  The different “deliver”s all have one thing in common.
Deliver essentially means - liberate, give over, or to set free from restraint. It is applied in cases in which a thing is made to pass from a confined state to one of greater freedom or openness.
When a mother delivers a baby, she liberates the baby from the restraints of the womb into the world where the infant can enjoy freedom. She has given over the baby to God for His will to be done, though it may be unintentional.
When a judge passes a difficult judgement, he has to overcome the restaints of a flawed law system. He is relieved from the endless mind-tormenting debates when the case is concluded. He gives over the convict to the police.
When Pizza Hut sends an employee to deliver some Canadian pizza, the guy is freed from his duties after the order is received and signed. He is no longer restrained by a time limit. He gives himself over to Canadian pizza. Just kidding…

Well, the above mentioned is the world’s definition of ”deliver”. In fact, the biblical meaning is opposite in terms of the subject in question. A mother who delivers a baby liberates herself from physical pain and burden. The pizza guy frees himself from the stress of meeting the time limit. The world’s definition of “deliver” is self-liberating. The subject in question frees oneself. “Delivery” is selfish when the world defines it.

But when God delivers you, He liberates you. Not for himself, but for you. Just like when He sent His one and only son to die. It is all for you.
God, unlike the world, is a provider of selfless deliverance. Whatever He does, He has you in mind. The Lord is a deliverer. He has provided the greatest deliverance by breaking your chains to the devil. So that you can find life by walking in His ways, with the free will He generously gave. He has already delivered you thus far, how would He not deliver you from every other hopeless situation you face in your life?

This is God’s deliverance. A selfless one, one which David experienced much when fled from Absalom. It is available to all who place their faith and hope in Him. Take heart!

Psalm 2 – The Lord’s authority is above all

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together
against the Lord and against his Annointed One.
“Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.”
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath,
saying,
“I have installed my King
on Zion, my holy hill.”
I will proclaim the degree of the Lord:
He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your Father.
Ask of me and I will make the nations your inheritance,
the ends of the earth your possession.
You will rule them with an iron scepter;
you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”
Therefore, you kings, be wise;
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way,
for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Psalm 2 speaks of the authority the Lord gives to His anointed, starting with a question in verse 1.
“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The ways of the world differ greatly from the ways of Christianity. It comes as no surprise that Christians are being persecuted all over the world, ranging from rejection from friends to being ostracised by society to even fatal violence against believers and followers of Christ Jesus. Verse 2-3 says:
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.
Chrisitianity goes head up against the ways of the world. In fact, the Christian message is offensive to many. It asserts ”All people are sinners and need to repent” Well, that sounds like an indirect accusation to anyone listening. And sin is a strong word. Add another line “You will inherit eternal life for your faith in Jesus Christ” (hidden message is ”You go to hell if you don’t”) and it easily invokes anger as well as unwillingness to believe. And it goes on. “You mean I need to believe in a God I have not seen before?” a common person thinks to himself. “And not only that, I am supposed to give my life to Him.” Indeed, the world finds it foolish to accept the Christian faith. And because the world finds Christianity offensive and foolish, Christians around the globe are being subject to humiliation. Following the ways of Jesus Christ comes with His anointing. And for being his Anointed One, you are an easy target for persecution.
“Lets break their chains and throw off their fetters.” (verse 3)
Followers of Christ obey the word of God, and that means that there are certain things they are instructed not to do. The “chains” and “fetters” are God’s “No-No”s. Being influenced by the worldly ways (which most of the time is against the ways of God) causes one to compromise on God’s standards of living. When disobedient sets in, the “chains” and “fetters” are broken and thrown off and the one who disobeys has sinned. Persecution puts Christians in a position which tempts them from abandoning the ”chains” and “fetters”. It is the easy way out to say “God is no big deal” to cool non-Christian friends who tease you for your faith, so as to feel accepted. It is the easy way out to deny Jesus Christ when you are threatened at gunpoint by anti-Christian extremists.
The ‘kings‘ and the ‘rulers‘ in verse 2 refer to the authorities on earth. It could be authority at home – parents. It could be authority in school – the headmaster. It could be authority in a nation – the government. It could be authority in a military – the General. It could be authority in a commercial organisation – the CEO. It could even be an unofficial authority such as the most outspoken or influencial person in a group of friends. And every individual, however insignificant, has authority over his own life. The root word of “authority” lies in ”author”. An author dictates the story line, and the readers follow the story line. Authorities are leaders of the pack, forerunners, people who pave the way. And when authorities ”gather together against the Lord (verse 2)” and His people, it is only natural that Christians will not live a life lying on a bed of roses. For instance, parental objections are a common obstacle for the younger believers. In the prime of the communism era, the communist government in China came down hard on the Christian movement. There are many more examples, and they all have one thing in common - the presence of an authority. Every form of persecution of Christians involves a form of authority, which oppresses the advancement of Christianity.
To put verses 2 and 3 simply and directly, the authorities in power join forces and lead others against Christians, to cause them to forfeit their Godly values. Verse 2 to 3 sums up the severity of persecution against Christians.

But the authority of God is the highest. In verse 4-6, the bible says:
The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.”
All other authorities pale so much in comparison to that of God’s, so much that they become a laughing stock in His presence. And God, being a Holy and righteous judge, reminds the authorities that He is the authority above all. As mentioned in verse 6, God has placed His authority in an individual on Zion, the hill on which the temple was built. This king is none other than son of God Jesus Christ, and the temple later came to be known as the church. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, and the church is where God has given His authority. God shows in these verses that the greatest authority of all is given to His church, and no other authority can overpower it.

The second Psalm then goes on in verses 7-9, saying:
I will proclaim the decree of the Lord: He said to me, “You are my Son today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.
Apparently, the Lord is not yet done with describing how mega scale His authority is. He promises that because you are a precious member of His family, He can put whatever worldly authority under your command if you ask of Him. Not only that, your God-given authority will be so great that you may overpower all other authorities – like how an iron scepter can so easily destroy fragile pottery.

And after the Lord is finished with the greatness of His authority, He drops a warning in verse 10.
Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

Then God follows up with His instruction (verses 11-12)
Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment.
No, it does not literally mean kiss Jesus Christ. God is implying that you need to have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ and follow His ways. Or you will be “destroyed in your way”, because your way is a sinful way which leads to separation from God. His wrath is the wrath of holy judgement. The sinful ways of man invokes the wrath of God, and sin leads to death. This is the reason why every man needs to have a relationship with Jesus, so he will be reconciled with God through His son Jesus Christ who paid the penalty of sin – death.
Because your life belongs to God who redeemed it through Jesus, you need to serve the Lord with fear – not meaning to be scared of Him, but to have a healthy regard of His presence in everything you do. God asks you not to be afraid, but to rejoice in Him. Trembling, in this case, suggests a natural reaction of awe and excitement rather than that of fear.

Finally, the Lord ends off with a short phrase of comfort.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
God is asking His chosen people to find security, shelter and protection in Him. And He promises blessings to those who do so. As God’s royal priesthood commissioned to win over a world tainted with sin, you need to take refuge in God.

All in all, the theme of Psalm 2 is authority. And reading Psalm 2 in depth will tell us that the Lord’s authority is highest and He gives it to His people who regard Him as God. Not to recognise or respect it might well be the last thing any man would want to do.

And coming back to the question in Verse 1, Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The answer lies in the rest of Psalm 2 - the title of this blog post - 

God’s authority is above all. And nothing can rise above it.

Psalm 1 – A Word Centred Man

“Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.

Not so the wicked!
They are like the chaff
that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.”

The first psalm in the bible, one of the shortest. Yet with countless learning points. 

Verses 1 to 3 proclaims the prosperity the Word of God gives to those who live by it.

In verse 3, The Lord portrays this prosperity in imagery. “a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.”

“tree planed by streams of water…”
The Word of God is like a stream of water. Water that cleanses a sinful man, water that purifies a heart. A tree requires an abundant water source to grow healthily. In the same way, a Christ follower needs to be soaked with the Lord’s God-breathed Word to ensure healthy spiritually growth.
“which yields its fruit in season…”
A Word-centred man is a fruitful man. He is a tree which produces good fruit. And he will be successful in everything he does, for he is under the authority of the Word of God.
“whose leaf does not wither…”
A Word-centred man does not die away. He is sustained by the Lord. Just like how an evergreen tree does not shed leaves in any season or time, a God-fearing man remains Word-centred all the time. Circumstances do not determine how much he follows the Lord. His love for God, faithfulness and obedience to God is independent of the circumstance, no matter how harsh it may be.

And how do we achieve this word centredness? Look at verse 2!
“But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
A word-centred man finds joy in obedience. In fact, verse 2 clearly indicates that he loves the Word of God so much that he thinks about it pretty much. Looking closely at verse 2, one may draw this inference. It is not so much about being diligent in studying the Bible. Rather, it is about spending time with God. This man is willing to set aside time communicating with the Lord. A word-centred man is a God lover.  
He spends much time letting God’s Word sink into his heart and mind. Take note, he does not read the Bible once through and then shuts the book with a sigh of relief. This is not a man who says “At last, I have consumed my daily bread today. It’s time to get on with the day.” This is a man who probably reads every single verse over and over again, prays through it and asks God for divine wisdom. He says to himself, “I shall have it etched in my mind. It will stay with me not just for today, but for every moment of my life.”

On top of letting the Word of God root itself firmly in your soul, you need to also put yourself in the best position for the Word to influence you. In the first verse of the first psalm, it says “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.” The Word centred man does not ask the wicked for advice. He does not acknowledge himself as being in the same gang as the mockers. Interestingly, it seems like he does not pit himself against the sinners. That is if ”stand in the way” means using forceful or persuasive methods which prevent them from sinning any further. To stand in the way of sinners could also mean to let oneself be easily influenced by sinful ways. Whatever the underlying meaning, the message is crystal clear.
Do not be influenced by unGodly company. To do even better, do not even put yourself in a position which makes you vulnerable to being influnced by unGodly company.

The rest of the psalm (verses 4-6) is self explanatory. A person without regard for God lives a life that is unworthy in the sight of the Lord. The verse ”They are like the chaff that the wind blows away” strongly suggest how much the Lord despises a life of unrepentant sin. God compares living a life without Him to chaff - refuse, worthless matter that should be good riddance. What strong language that is!

“Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, not sinners in the assembly of the righteous”
The general idea of verse 5 is that the wicked will not pass His judgement, and will not be associated with the righteous. Here, the Lord makes a distinction between those who follow Him and those who do not. This verse directly, perhaps quite harshly, puts across the point that the unrepentant sinner is shamed. But this verse is more than just a statement. I see it as one short yet descriptive scripture.
Picture the scene of a judge concluding a case in a criminal court. An innocent man is able to stand upright with his head lifted up in the face of the judge. With the knowledge that he is cleared of all charges, he knows he can walk out of the court with his head held high. He will live on a free man. The guilty party, on the other hand, will have charges pressed on him. As the penalty is being declared, he just cannot bring himself to meet the eyes of the judge. You can imagine his head bowed low in shame, his expression filled with dread. For he knows he is guilty and deserving of punishment. Stand in the judgement? How could he? When his unlawful deeds are exposed, he will look every bit like a defeated man. In fact, it is no surprise if he kneels down and begs for pardon. There is no pride, only disgrace, in guilt. And in the end, the innocent and guilty always goes separate ways. The innocent will not be in the company of the guilty, ”nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous” (verse 5b).
Contrary to popular belief, Verse 5 does not cry out ”condemn the sinner!” It is simply pictorial description of judgement.
And the good news is, God is a good and perfect judge. He is slow to anger, quick to forgive. His love covers a multitude of sins.
But the crunch line lies in verse 6. “but the way of the wicked will perish.”
It contains a hidden message of God’s love.
Notice that no matter how sinful an individual is, the Lord does not hate the sinner. He hates the sinful ways. How comforting is it to know that though you have fallen short of the glory of God, He still loves you unconditionally. God is indeed a forgiving and merciful God.