It is not uncommon for Christians who wear their faith on their sleeves to come across friends or acquaintances who are of a rather worldly type and who feel uncomfortable in their presence. You might have even heard them say, "I guess I should not swear now that he (or she) is here." You might take it as a compliment and rightly so, as long as it does not also steer them away from you.

I have an acquaintance who is exactly of this worldly kind — he works in the service industry and is a gambler and a swearer. When he came to know that I was a pastor, he felt somewhat uncomfortable with me. Then because of work, he could not avoid my presence and had to interact with me. Given time, he felt more comfortable with me, and at times, uttered a few words of obscenity which is part of his vocabulary. But one day, he made a comment out of nowhere: "You are really a kind person; you speak to people in such a fatherly gentleness."

As light and salt for the Lord, our very presence and our life may make others uncomfortable, but I do not believe who we are as Christians will necessarily alienate us from non-Christians. Yes, we do not compromise our integrity and godliness (e.g. I do not gamble with this acquaintance of mine) and this will necessarily create a gap between us. But our gap can be bridged by our love, given time.

This reminds me of a Christian who had a very poor relationship with her mother-in-law. As in most cases, both had contributed to the poor relationship. But this Christian earnestly prayed for a chance to reconcile, and it appeared that whatever she did was not good enough in the eyes of her mother-in-law, until one day, her mother-in-law fell ill with a serious sickness. As she sacrificially cared for her, without a word of complaint over a long period of time, she was so happy to tell me one day that her mother-in-law had reconciled with her. Love does bridge the gap of differences.

I really find it comforting that in both the healing of the paralytic and the healing of the bleeding woman in Matthew 9, Jesus preceded his healing with the words, "Take heart".

It is easier to understand what has weighed down the woman who has been bleeding for 12 years — the constant dizziness and weakness, the ceremonial uncleanness — all caused the woman not to have a life at all (not to mention that in Mk. 5, we learn that she has spent all her money on doctors!) She has been weighed down physically, emotionally and spiritually as well (she was considered unclean to men and God).

But we know less about the paralytic, except in Mark 2 where we learn that he had four good friends who helped lower him down from the roof because of the crowd. But in this case, Jesus gave him the reason for him to "take heart". It was because his "sins are forgiven."

Indeed, the only thing that should weigh us down is sin. The woman might have her weight of ill health lifted with her healing, but there are plenty of worries in life awaiting her. The same with the paralytic — his weight of not being mobile and permanent dependency on others might be lifted by his healing, but there will be many challenges in life awaiting him as well.

But if our relationship with God is restored, we shall be able to enjoy peace that transcends all understanding. (Phil. 4:7)

As much as many short-term mission trips have changed their focus these days, short-term missionaries are a mighty army that God has raised in these days to penetrate through many regions not open to conventional missionaries.

When I say that their focus has changed, I am referring to the change from direct sharing of the gospel to merely pre-evangelistic work of cultural exchange, friendship building or service-oriented projects. Some of these changes are justified in that in regions hostile to Christianity, this is not only a prudent way but, in some cases, the only way they could have contact with Christianity.

However, in regions not hostile to the gospel, service-oriented only projects only serve to smooth the egos of believers, making them feel good about themselves. Whether in hostile or non-hostile regions, the eventual goal of any short-term mission should be the saving of souls. As much as pre-evangelistic missions are necessary, if such remain at a purely pre-evangelistic level year after year, a re-thinking or reassessment is in order.

Most Christian para-church ministries will describe themselves as ministries of faith, meaning that they believe that their ministries are in response to the calling of God and as such they are committed to depend on God for their financial resources. Such an understanding is absolutely biblical — biblical in terms of both the teachings and examples taught in the Scripture.

But a more detailed look at the teachings and examples from the Scripture in this respect will point us even more directly to the ministers themselves in the first place. Abraham obeyed the call of God to uproot and he embarked on a journey marked by faith (Gen. 12). Elijah obeyed the call of God to flee to Kerith and he lived by faith (1 Ki. 17). And, Jesus called His disciples and they obeyed and lived by faith (Matt. 10).

However, modern-day theology in the West downplays the essence of faith in being a minister of the gospel in the guise of financial prudence. I am not advocating that the church should not look after their pastors responsibly, nor that the pastor can ruthlessly and irresponsibly plunge the church into a financial crisis in the guise of faith. But the fact remains, if a ministry is of God, He will hold Himself responsible, and if a minister is called by God, one of the tests of his or her calling is whether God will provide for their financial needs. God does not change and neither will His Word.

This is why when a student intern who had a clear sense of calling into full-time ministry chose to live on student-loans as he quit his job and entered into seminary, I strongly advised him against it. If God had called him into full-time ministry, He would have provided all that he needed (not all that he wanted though). If he could not trust God to provide for his needs while he was still single, how could he trust God to provide when he has a family? How can he teach the people to trust in God when he pastors a church?

I know that by ourselves we will not have faith — enough to embark on a journey like Abraham or Elijah, but I do trust that if God is the one who calls, He will also grant us faith — enough to finish the mission He entrusts to us.

It is all too easy to consign the age of the martyrs, the church of the martyrs, to the past, to that period of time with its gladiatorial contests and amphitheatre sports, which came to a conclusion around the beginning of the fourth century. The term 'martyr' has come to refer to only this period. But as we all must know and recognize, martyrdom did not suddenly cease in the fourth century. In our own times the mention of but two names must serve to remind us that the twentieth century is a century of martyrdom, an age of martyrs just as that past age was. For many Anglicans the vicious death of Archbishop Janani Luwum, during the ghastly period when Amin was president of Uganda, brought home the fact that Christian believing and commitment can still lead to murder and death. Likewise, in Central America, the sudden shooting down of Archbishop Oscar Romero in his own church as he celebrated Eucharist brought shock and sadness to many Roman Catholics and other Christians.

These two deaths focus only on what is presently happening in this century of the church's existence. It is no more nor less than what happened in the first four centuries or indeed in any age — The fact is, there are many people in our world who have given their lives unto death for the sake of Jesus Christ and his gospel. We live in an age of martyrdom; for those of us who live in areas where our profession of faith is not a direct threat to our lives, we should do well to reflect that within the same family and fellowship — that body of believers throughout the world — there are those who face such a possibility daily.

(Source: David Hope, Friendship with God)

In Matthew 11:16-19, Jesus ends His comments about John the Baptist with words of rebuke to the generation then, for they had rejected both the ascetic and forceful ministry of John and the celebrative and gentle ministry of Jesus. In so doing, Jesus is not only chastising the people, but also affirming both John's ministry and His, even though John's ministry differed from His by filling a preparatory role for Jesus.

However, it remains a rather shocking thing that John would doubt that Jesus was the Messiah, at a time like this. His own miraculous birth and commissioning, the testimony of his own mother, Elizabeth, the testimony he himself witnessed of the Father and of the Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism, all led him to affirm and publicly declare Jesus as the Lamb of God.

How then would he end up doubting Jesus when he was in prison? Some scholars opine that it was Jesus' celebratory lifestyle that caused him to doubt. John was too austere a person to comprehend a Messiah who would not fast. In fact, Jesus did fast, but not as frequently as John did, and certainly not as openly as he and his disciples would have liked. Worse yet, Jesus appeared not to impose fasting as a must on His own disciples. This was perhaps too much for John.

Here is a lesson for us today. There is not one set way of spirituality for all God-loving Christians. Throughout the centuries, there are saints who are called to a life of asceticism and contemplation. There are saints who devote themselves to a life of action, reaching the pagans in the most remote regions of the earth. There are saints who devote themselves to changing political and social systems that are evil. There are saints who devote their lives serving the poor. There are saints who give themselves to witness for Christ in their workplace and career. There are saints', while living an ordinary life in the world, devote their lives in intercession for the Kingdom of God, and in waiting for the Lord's return. As long as they are true to their calling and the role given to them by God, they should not envy or criticize those who serve a different role in the Kingdom.

But what are your delights to be?
And they shall delight in abundance of peace:

Peace, your gold;

Peace, your silver;

Peace, your property;

Peace, your life;

Peace, your God.

Peace will fulfill your every desire. For what is here gold cannot become your silver; what is wine cannot become your bread; your light cannot become your drink also. Your God shall be all to you. He will be your meat that you hunger not; your drink that you do not thirst; your enlightening, that you be not blind; your stay and support, that you do not falter. Himself whole and entire, he will possess you whole and entire. You will not feel cramped for space in possessing him with whom you possess all else besides. You shall have all and he shall have all, because you and he shall be one. This complete whole will be his who possess you.
(St. Augustine, First Discourse on Psalm 36)

Leading up to the heated debates in 2012 among the Republican nominees who were to compete with President Obama, social issues received a lesser focus than the economy. Still the two are so intertwined that one politician was caught misquoting the Bible by saying that "God helps those who help themselves."

To the surprise of many, including Christians, this is not only not in the Bible, but this is actually contrary to the teaching of the Bible. I still remember that the Home for the Blind near my home town in Tokwawan, Kowloon, bore exactly this slogan in its building.

This saying is usually attributed to Ben Franklin, and is quoted in Poor Richard's Almanac in 1757. In actuality, it originated from Algernon Sydney in 1698 in an article titled Discourses Concerning Government. Whatever the original source of this saying is, the Bible teaches the opposite. God helps the helpless!

Isaiah 25:4 declares, "For You have been a defense for the helpless, a defense for the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat.."

Romans 5:6 tells us, "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

In terms of salvation, we are all utterly helpless. We are all infected by sin (Romans 3:23), and condemned as a result of that sin (Rom. 6:23). Nothing we can do on our own can remedy this situation (Isa. 64:6). Thankfully, God is the helper of the helpless. While we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Rom. 5:8). Jesus paid the penalty that we were incapable of paying (2 Co. 5:21). God provided the "help" that we need precisely because we could not help ourselves.

This is not an excuse for us not helping ourselves, but if we are true to emulating Christ, our help towards others should not be based on whether those who receive our mercy help themselves or not. That is the difference between God's mercy and human mercy.

(Source: Some of the information came from www.gotquestions.org)

The famous quote from Isaiah 42 about the bruised reed and the smoldering wick is indeed a powerful one that depicts the astounding mercy of God. But we often overlook that these words were being said within the context of God's justice (42:1 — He will bring justice to the nations; 42:2 — In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 42:4 — till He establishes justice on earth.)

What is justice? When we think of fairness, impartiality, being right or correct, we also think of giving reward or penalty as deserved. If this is what we have in mind, we are in tune with the Webster Dictionary which goes on to say that it is by "the use of authority and power to uphold what is right, just and lawful." As a result, the symbol of administering justice is often depicted by a goddess, often blind-folded, holding a set of scales and a sword.

But Webster understands justice beyond this; it refers to justice also as, "the quality of being righteous." That is closer to the biblical understanding of justice.

God is not simply concerned about righting the wrong and administering punishment in proportion to the wrong committed. Ultimately, God is concerned about establishing a people that will be righteous. This is the mission of Jesus, the Messiah.

But He has come not to establish justice by giving us the punishment we deserve, because if we get what we deserve, we would all go to hell. Therefore, Isaiah declares,

"A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out."

But we often overlook the fact that the bruised reed or the smoldering wick is not so much a victim of injustice, but the very doer of injustice. When Jesus extends His invitation to us to find rest in Him (Matt. 11:28), He is calling sinners to repentance. Thus, in using the analogies of a bruised reed and a smoldering wick, Isaiah is pointing to the mission of the Messiah establishing justice as one of restoration.

Why would one care about a bruised reed? It will die of itself, just like the world; it will bring complete destruction on itself one day. Why would you not snuff out a smoldering wick? It has come to the end of its useful life, and the smoke it exudes is so irritating!

But God sees us not as a reed, of no value, or a wick, simply a tool! No, we are souls as Jesus makes clear in Matthew 11:29, precious souls in His sight. As a result, as He sees that we are sure to die as bruised reed, and we are sure to end as smoldering wick, He has come to take on our bruises, so that we may be healed, and to be snuffed out Himself on the cross that we may be brought back to life, to light!

This is how He has established justice on earth, by making us right before God by taking on the punishment we deserve. Now true justice, the quality of being righteous (as Webster defines it), has been made possible.

This sin mentioned in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28-29 and Luke 12:10, has caused much unnecessary fear for over-sensitive Christians whose supposed "unforgivable sin" bears no resemblance to the deliberate accusation used by the Pharisees. I have a Christian friend who has suffered from an obsessive compulsive disorder and for decades, he suffered from such fear because he could not control his mind in thinking of "pig" as he thought of God. He was certain that he had committed this unforgivable sin, until his sickness was eventually cured after many, many years.

He was not alone, unfortunately because traditional interpretations have created much confusion. The early Christians distinguished blasphemy as of three kinds: The blasphemy of those who under persecution denied and cursed Christ, the blasphemy of heretics and other profane Christians, and the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Some early Christian interpretation distinguished it into two kinds: The blasphemy against the Son of Man as that of the unbeliever, but blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as that of Christians, "hence the idea that sin after baptism is unforgivable". (R.T. France)

In order to quell such fear, some Bible teachers simply interpret the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the unceasing and continual rejection of the Spirit's conviction to repent. While their intention was admirable, it goes against both the meaning of the word and the context.

By definition, blasphemy is a speech and the context in all three gospel narratives is clearly about what is being said against the Holy Spirit, a direct insult in words.

And Jesus clearly made a distinction between blasphemy against Him as the Son of Man, and the Holy Spirit. This, though, does not mean that He was making Himself any less or inferior to the Holy Spirit. Rather, He was referring to the failure to recognize Him as who He is, which has led to slandering words spoken against Him; such sin, if repented, can be forgiven. But deliberate slander against the Holy Spirit, fully recognizing who He is, then such a sin is not forgivable.

So, even the Pharisees who spoke against Jesus, if they eventually repented and believed in Jesus, they would have been forgiven, because their blasphemy against Jesus was based on the "incognito" character of Jesus; and we know that there were Pharisees who did turn to Christ eventually. (Acts 15:5)

Even Peter who denied Jesus verbally (Matt. 26:69-75) was forgiven.

Personally, I doubt if any true believer will deliberately and willingly blaspheme the Holy Spirit and I agree with R.T. France that, "Ultimately only God can know when an individual's (verbal) opposition to his work has reached this stage of irreversible rejection".

However, it also reminds me that as much as I am very leery about the charismatic movement, I should caution myself not to judge some of the supernatural manifestations as to their origin, lest I make the same mistake of the Pharisees.

William Barclay calls the parable of the seven demons, in Matthew 12:43-45, the parable of the "haunted house," but his interpretation, I am afraid, fails to capture the severity of the warning by Jesus. Barclay concludes that it speaks of the evil of idleness and thus, "the Church will most easily keep her converts when she gives them Christian work to do. Our aim is not the mere negative absence of evil action; it is the positive presence of work for Christ."

But Jesus was not speaking about the Church, but the wicked generation of His time where the devil fled in His presence (Lk. 10:18). By rejecting Him, and upon His departure, the prince of this world would take over (Jn. 14:30) and the world's condition would be even worse than before.

Jesus' message is one of "no fence sitting" which is being repeated through His ministry. Even in this same chapter, His message in v. 30 was, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."

As a result, anyone who does not receive Christ as their Lord and Savior rejects Him. One who does not make Christ their Lord and King, makes Satan their lord and king.

We like to think that we can be master of our own life. But the cold hard fact is we are either "slaves to sin which leads to death or to obedience (to Christ) which leads to righteousness." (Rom. 6:16)

You do not have to be a haunted house.

Whether I was in a remote city of British Columbia or Great Britain, in the airport of San Francisco or Hong Kong, or on a tour, once I made known my faith in Christ to fellow believers, there was an instant narrowing of our distance. This is something the world cannot understand.

I still remember the joy of that Christian family from Florida who met my wife and me for the first time on our tour in Italy, how in a few short days we became like old friends, and how they would ask all kinds of biblical questions on a daily basis.

But I remember most those young university graduates who had dedicated themselves in reaching the Muslims in Banda Ache, Indonesia. They confided in me their passion, the danger they faced, and their struggles with their families, completely trusting me, someone whom they met for the first time, but who was a brother in Christ.

Indeed, they are my brothers and sisters, because they are Jesus' brothers and sisters. We belong to the same family through the purchase of the blood of Jesus Christ. Blood is thicker than water.