Hello dear readers, I have continuously been unsystematic in updating my blogs but here I would like to share something new again. As usual, I was following up with Pastor's sermon in Sunday service and it encircled Judas, The Betrayer. As I was reading the context given, I had a thought of writing it in a different way.
Lets now see the context from John 12:3-5 and this would be the foundation of this post.
We are going to see several aspects of how it unfolds by dividing the passage into 3 parts:
a) Mary took an expensive fragrant oil to anoint Jesus's feet.
b) The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil
c) Judas's response
Mary took an expensive fragrant oil to anoint Jesus's feet
We see that Mary anointed Jesus's feet with an expensive oil. How we know how expensive it was? Ok Bible never leaves us questioning and so it answers our doubts through Judas's response saying that it was worth 300 denarii and it was actually about one year's wages for a worker. If it was taken to match recent days, an average wage for a normal worker is about RM800 per month. For a year, it will total up to RM800 x 12 = RM9600. It is just a calculation for least case and we know that nowadays average wage can go up to RM1000 a month. But it doesn't matter, almost RM10000 worth oil poured on His feet just like that. No wonder Judas fell back with great shock! I would have rolled on the floor asking her whether she was mad.
But lets look at it properly. She did that because that was the highest value of appreciation she could offer for saving her beloved brother's life. She knew Jesus worth more than that but that's the much she had. The money that was saved for sustenance of their lives was spent at His feet. This shows that she wholly believed that He is more than sufficient to sustain her life and not the money. She praised Him with all she had. That's what I call a serious Worship!
But it must have been the Best Perfume at that time because it costed up to RM10,000. Jesus deserves your best and not the alternative. Even The Best, when you humble it down to His feet, it touches His heart more than anything. It is not necessarily a perfume or money. It can be your dedication, worship, praise, thanksgiving and adoration. In all manner give Him your best. He deserves it!
Ladies treasure their hair the most more than anything in the world. Mary wiped the feet of Jesus that was anointed with perfume with her HAIR! I was like what? Didn't she manage to find a towel or something? But it alarmed me something else. Woman who takes best care of her hair wiped One's feet showing great reverence and superiority He has. In front of Him, all the best shall be least and all the least shall be the best. Secondly, Jesus has said before in His messages that when you put your trust in Him, not one strand of your hair shall be moved. He also says that all our hairs are numbered. So it means He has great care for us even in a minute thing. So wiping His feet with hair symbolizes a gratitude for His great Care and Love for us.
Wow! It is just one part and so much to talk about. So in the next posts we shall see further on the next divisions of the context!
Amen.
Hello readers, how are you all? So this is once in a blue moon where I get to post something in the midnight. So what is this post all about? I always wanted to write about it but thanks to a Christian song on highlighting it out to me.
Yes it is all about The Anchor of Hope. We often, knowing and unknowingly, refer to Jesus as The Anchor of Hope. I wondered why and as usual it led me to a beautiful revelation of whom He was. I really feel blessed to share this in my blog. Let's systemically see how to opens up from the very basic understanding of an Anchor.
Wikipedia defines Anchor as a instrument that is used to hold a boat or ship from drifting away. While in normal words we can say that an anchor is used to station a ship or a boat. Based on my knowledge so far, I have listed down the basic facts of an anchor. I believe there are plenty more.
Facts of Anchor:
a) A tool to hold an object from drifting away
b) Though it holds the boat in place, the boat still moves to and fro, propagates.
c) It enables the process of loading and unloading to take place.
d) It has to go down to make sure the boat stays up safe and stable.
Lets see how it applies to the term Anchor of Hope. We need to understand the symbolic meaning of some terms before we can see further. Boat here refers to the hope and Anchor as Jesus.
a) A tool to hold an object drifting away
Jesus is referred as The Anchor of Hope. Like the anchor holds the boat from drifting away, Jesus holds us with His Gracious Love from drifting away to the tragic pathway of the world. His love is more than enough for us to survive in this world. Once we believe in Him, or like the boat trusts the anchor, He shall hold us tight in the stormy, tragic and disastrous world.
b) Though it holds the boat in place, the boat still moves to and fro, propagates.
We often see that boat on shore doesn't really stay stationary. It propagates to and fro due to the wavy sea waves. But no matter what, it has its limits and shall return back to position being pulled by the force of the anchor. Similarly, Jesus being our Anchor of Hope, might seem silent in some issues causing us to doubt our hope in Him and start to drift away little from the true path. We might seem like going very much away from safety and comfortability but when we allow it to happen and keep calm and also trust in Him, we shall definitely come back to safer and stable position because Jesus is a Restoring God. He shall pull us back and keep us stable in our life and problems.
c) It enables the process of loading and unloading to take place.
So this is mere common sense. The boat needed to be anchored in the shore to enable it to be loaded and unloaded or else it might be almost impossible to do it. Similarly, when we stay calm relying on Him as our Anchor of Hope, though it might seem a little unstable, but it the most ideal position to load and unload data. Data is refers to a massive amount of matters. Namely blessings and curses, good names and bad names, love and hatred, etc. A boat has to be unloaded first to be loaded with newer goods. So negative gets unloaded and positive gets loaded when we have complete hope and trust in Him.
d) It has to go down to make sure the boat stays up safe and stable.
Finally, the anchor has to be thrown down to enable the safe and stable position of the boat. Without it being thrown down, it is impossible to station a boat. So, Jesus was thrown, rejected and crucified for our sins and trespassing when then He rose to defeat Death and have complete control over the universe. So now being the Cornerstone and Foundation as well as Anchor of Hope, Jesus is able to hold onto us from drifting, toppling and sinking. He went Down and Rose Up to make sure we always stay Up.
These are some of the reasons we call Him The Anchor of Hope. He is the Only One who is completely reliable and trustworthy. With Him beside, our boat shall not be moved.
MY REDEEMER LIVES.
Take Care.
So yeah today is 6th May 2013 and I am certainly writing this after Malaysia's Historical Election Day. Many speculations, events and activities took place on this day that stirred up most Malaysians even to this morning. I am supportive towards better Malaysia and so I practically got angry as well as upset with so much of unjust around me.
Since this is not a political blog, I am not going to comment on any parties or candidates, though I wish to. But reviewing what happened yesterday, I can't stand it, I need to write it out. So it happened in front of my eyes. Biased, unjust, one-sided, democratic failure etc all took place at once. I felt so cheated and heartbroken of the incident yesterday. We all know who supposed to win and we all know who won.
I couldn't take it and at one point I started questioning God on why such things happen? So practically let's see what Bible has to add to this situation. It is very important for us to reflect back everything to The Bible because Nothing happens without His knowledge. If He knew it and it happened, there must be a reason or similar events in The Bible as well.
Looking back in the Old Testament, I realised that so many injustice and cruelty have taken place and God might seem silent about that matter but finally we can see what was His reaction. Firstly, in the case of Jacob. Jacob was a prophetic child who was well pleased by his parents. But he had an elder brother and we know that olden tradition suggests that oldest son gets twice the property and they have certain specialities. Esau, the elder brother being exposed to this was willing to sell his birthright to Jacob for a small issue. Rather than looking that way, Jacob cleverly pushed Esau to such situation to buy his birthright. Jacob indirectly cheated his brother. He went on to act as Esau to his old and eye-blurred father to obtain the fullest blessing and older son's specialities. So, Jacob cheated his father as well.
But God rather seemed silent in this two occasions permitting it to take place. I wondered why? But reading on further gave me a clearer picture of what God intended to do. He needed Jacob to accomplish His plans and He didn't want Jacob's shortcoming to delay His plans. But once His plans are done, Jacob's attitude and his mastermind in cheating gets its reward. Jacob was cheated by his father-in-law on giving his daughter for marriage, Jacob was cheated by his wife and worst still his son defiled Jacob's bed.
God never lets anyone or any sin unpunished. They have got to meet their reactions of what they did so that they can learn how others felt when it initially took place. In our country, we might feel that people have got cheated, they have been snatched off of their democracy or even our country is doomed. We might also feel that God is rather silent on this issue.
But Bible teaches us that all this are allowed to happen for a moment and for a purpose. Job says God's plan can never be stopped or delayed by anyone, absolutely anyone. So as true Malaysians, we should not loose hope. What happened yesterday might be temporary necessary to bring His plan to come to pass and then we shall see His true reward for those who have 'sincerely' participated in the General Election.
Bible says what we declare by our mouth, He shall make it come to pass. Don't loose hope and say negative words. Say positive words and encourage others to keep fighting to transform this country to a better Malaysia. Besides, there are many events in The Bible that might give us some inspiration in this time of let down. More to come and stay tuned.
God says My plans are to prosper you and not harm you. So why worry?
Keep calm and Pray Hard!
God Bless.
