Acceptance

Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

God looks for a man to stand in the gap before Him so that the land through this man might be saved. We know this. We know this is talking about interceeding for people, to pray for their needs to be met. We know that Jesus is the chief intercessor, making prayers on behalf of us everyday.

But today I learn something more.

Philemon 1:8-16
Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, yet for love’s sake I rather appealto you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.
I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.
For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Paul wrote an epistles to Philemon to ask him to accept Onesimus. Onesimus was a slave to Philemon that ran away. Though it is not recorded in the bible of why Onesimus came to Paul in prison, but we do know that he got saved while Paul is "in my chains". And Paul later pleaded with Philemon to accept him as a fellow minister of the gospel, to let him go back to his house.

Paul stood in the gap between him and Phillemon so that Philemon will accept him back into his house. Paul could have let Onesimus just go back to his master's house without the letter, or treat him like how a slave is to be treated. But Paul did not. Paul chose to tell him about Jesus and led him to Christ. Paul did something that most Christians would do, to win the lost.

But there is more to just winning the lost. When we all got saved, when we enter into church and we see people that we offended before serving in the same church as we are now, what would we feel? what would we do? Paul accepted Onesimus just as he is, but would Philemon his master accept him of what he had done? Onesimus had offended Philemon by running away from him. He probably gave him a lot of problems when Onesimus disappeared overnight. There could have been a lot of things to do on the next day, and Onesimus ran away from duty. Or it could be Onesimus committed a serious offense against his master and he got scared and ran away.

Whichever case it is, Philemon had the right to reject him from coming into his house. Philemon had the right to reject Onesimus from coming back into his life. We all have the right to reject people from coming back into our lives. We can choose our friends, choose who we want to hang out with, and of course choose who we don't want to associated with. Philemon had this choice as well for what Onesimus had done. Similarly we too have some issues with people that we can forgive. We say we forgive them. But do we accept them? Can we accept them now that they are saved or do we say "how can God let this kind of person come into church?" Or can we accept them after they apologised for what they have done?

Can Philemon accept Onesimus after what he has done? We don't know what he is feeling as Paul is writting this letter, but we do know how it feels like. We all have seen the one who offended us before. And for some of us there is this anger bubbling up from within. For some of us, immediately the day is ruined just at the sight of that man.

Then Paul wrote:

Philemon 1:17
If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

Paul wrote that if Philemon counts Paul as a fellow laborer to preach the gospel, receive Onesimus, as he would receive him. Paul had accepted Onesimus for who he is, and he is asking Philemon to share the same view of this man as he is.

Matthew 5:23-24
Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

Reconcile means to restore to friendship or harmony, to make agreement, to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant

Reconciling means to restore the friendship, come to an agreement and accept the unpleasant experiences. Jesus accepted Peter after Peter had denied him 3 times, once even cursed at His name. Jesus accepted Thomas even though after so many things he has heard that Jesus is resurrected, even though he has seen Jesus came to them while they were in a locked room, he doubted. Jesus accepted a criminal on as they hang on the cross. This criminal could have did something that clearly violated the laws of God, hence he is punished by death. And Jesus accepted him when he repented.

Jesus stood in the gap on behalf of us while we were still sinners, to die for our sins so that through the works of the cross we may receive salvation. And Jesus stood in the gap for all man, no matter what they have done. And Jesus accepted them all.

Luke 23:43
And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” 

If the Pharisees had repented, would Jesus accept them? "Yes He would", we will say. But would you accept the ones that had wronged you? If today Paul writes this letter to you instead of Philemon for someone that have offended you before, for someone who had done something so wrong to you that it probably ruined your future, what would you do when you see that person again? What would you feel when you see that man/woman again? What will bubble out of you when you see the offender in church serving as an usher today?

Prayer that brings miracles

We frequently read in the bible that miracles happened after someone prayed to God or someone asked God for something then it happened. It seems like everything is possible to those who pray.

James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

If Elijah was a man just like us and he prayed and God did miracles for him, wouldn’t it the same for us? So let’s try to understand how Elijah prays.

1. Elijah prayed earnestly

1 kings 17:20-22
Then he cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, have You also brought tragedy on the widow with whom I lodge, by killing her son?” And he stretched himself out on the child three times, and cried out to the Lord and said, “O Lord my God, I pray, let this child’s soul come back to him.” Then the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived.

From Genesis all the way to 1 Kings 17, no one had raised the dead the way Elijah did. No one stretches himself on a dead body and prayed for it to come back to life. No one to copy from. Elijah did this out of faith.
What kind emotion state do you think Elijah is in for him to say something like this? Elijah CRIED OUT!
And the Lord heard his voice, and revived the child of the widow. Hallelujah.

2. Elijah prayed expectantly

1 kings 18:42-44 
So Ahab went up to eat and drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” Then it came to pass the seventh time, that he said, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!” So he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you.’”

Elijah kept sending his servant to look towards the sea while he prayed because he expected a miracle from God. Though Elijah and his servant don’t know what will happen, though his servant doesn’t know what to look out for, Elijah and his servant both expected something. And God answered his prayer by sending a cloud from the sea to bring rain.
But it was no big cloud. It is only the size of a man’s hand. If cloud brings rain, a small cloud will bring small rain isn’t it? But Elijah still expects what God will bring what he prayed for and true enough a heavy storm came in a little while.

3. Elijah prayed until he prayed
Elijah prayed like no other has. Going back to 1 kings 17:20-22 we see that he prayed 3 times and the Lord answered him. In 1 kings 18:42-44 he prayed 7 times and God answered him. What if God doesn’t answer him on the 3rd time for the widow’s son or the 7th time for the rain? Then I believe, Elijah will keep on praying. He didn’t give up! The sentence that precedes the story of Elijah in the book of James goes like this:

James 5:16
The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

FERVENT PRAYER! Elijah prayed fervently! He prayed until he prayed!

I made a difference in that one

There was a boy who went to the beach one summer and found it to be littered with starfishes. Having compassion for them, he began to pick them up and throw it back into the sea. His friend found him and asked him what he was doing. He replied “throwing starfish back into the sea”.  His friend asked again “why are you throwing them into the sea?” and his response was “the tide is going out if I don’t throw them back they will shortly die”. His friend was shocked and said “there’re miles and miles of beach and probably millions of starfish! What difference does it make?” the boy picked up another starfish and threw it in the sea and replied “I made a difference in that one”

“I made a difference in that one”

There was once in during the 40 year journey to the Promised Land where we see a man, like the boy in the story, who made a difference in the life of many people.

Numbers 16:41-45

Here in the bible we see the people rebelling against Moses and Aaron. And this time God decides not to take their complaints anymore. He had bear with them and turns His anger away from the people and kills just the representatives or those who are truly involved in the rebellion. This time God is really angry. He wants to kill them all and there’s nothing Moses say will turn this anger away.

There is nothing the leaders of the congregation can do to stop the genocide. Nothing Moses can say can stop it. Nothing at all. This is a critical moment. People are going to die. The people that Moses loves are going to die. God is going to kill everyone and start with anew.

If it’s a man who decided to kill everybody, you can stop him. You can arrest him, lock him up and throw away the keys. But when it comes to God, what can you do? He is all-powerful. He can do anything He wants to! By just His words alone things that we can see, hear and touch comes into existence! The laws of physics obey Him! What can a man do to stop the almighty God? Nothing? Is nothing the right answer? Most certainly it is. A powerless man fighting against an almighty God. What are the odds of winning?

But Moses didn’t give up. He is determined to make a difference in the outcome.

Numbers 16:46

Moses commanded Aaron to do something. And Aaron did what Moses commanded.

He ran to the back, grabs a censer, ran to the altar, scooped the fire with the censer and ran into the crowd of dying people. And where he stood, verse 48 says, the plague stops. Where he stood, were the people who did not die in the wrath of God.

On that day, Aaron made a difference. The faithful has won. God has accepted the atonement made for the people.

There are a few things I want you to see in this short story.

1. Aaron stood in the midst of the assembly. Aaron with the atonement offering in his hand stood amongst an assembly of people who are rebelling against God. Aaron practically stood in the midst of sinners! He didn’t stand in the midst of the Christians and made a difference. He stood in the midst of the sinners.

Aaron went out of the sanctuary, his place of duty, also known today as the church, and stood in the midst of the crowd outside of the church, also known as the world. Aaron made atonement for the people in his land and God forgave them.

Ezekiel 22:30
So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

1. Aaron and the fire was the only thing that stood there. Aaron was the only one from the church who ran into the crowd to make a difference in their lives. But why was Aaron the only one? Look at verse 45. They must not be far off from the crowd. If they are, why would God tell them to get away from the crowd? If they are so near, why was Aaron the only one from the church who responded?

I can use 1 word to tell you why. Positioning. Aaron was among the people who rebelled against God. Aaron was not in the church praying or praising God when this thing happened. Aaron was out there in the world among the sinful, looking at faces, hearing their voices.

God didn’t position His church away from society. Whenever He builds a church, He builds it in the midst of people. In those times the people make camp around the tabernacle. In our time the church is built in the city. Many will see that the church is in the midst of the city because of accessibility for the members. I see it as the member’s accessibility to the unchurched. Things happen every now and then. It may not be as dramatic as what happened during Aaron’s time, but bad things still happen. Has anyone not fell down before? Has anyone not been sick before? Those are bad things that happened am I right? And God position the church in the midst of bad things happening. God wants Aarons to rise up to the occasion to run and help the people going through difficult times. God wants His people to run.

James 1:27
Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

1. Aaron was the unlikeliest person to do this Aaron had struggles. First of all, he’s 100 years old. Have you ever seen a 100 years old man running? That’s what Aaron did! Aaron ran like he had never run before! But how did he do it? He was no different from any other 100 years old man. What was the difference he had than other 100 year old man who cannot do it? He believed.

There was a study done on a large species of bee called the bumble bee. Now the special trait of this bee is that it has a large body and a pair of tiny wings. Their wings are so small compared to its body that it arouses the curiosity of some scientist. They did a research and found out that it is impossible for them to do it! They discovered that the bumble bee is not supposed to leave their hive by flying! So how did the bee do it? They believed! They didn’t listen to all the scientists telling them that they cannot fly but they believed!

And so did Aaron. Aaron believed and Aaron ran like a young man. And because of his belief, he made it to the crowd of dying people and atoned for their sins.

1. Aaron did what is needed to be done in verse 47 we see Aaron went to do all those things that Moses told him to do immediately after the verse that says “The plague has begun.” Aaron didn’t pray. Aaron didn’t fast for a day. He didn’t start a debate with Moses saying that “oh this thing here is from God we shouldn’t interfere with it lest we die.” NO! Aaron RAN! Aaron saw the need and that was his calling to do this thing.

The need is the call. The need is the call. Aaron saw a need among the people. They are dying! What does a dying man need? A dying man wants not to die! And so Aaron did! Aaron responded to the need of the dying congregation and a miracle happened!

Miracles happen when there is a need.

Acts 3:2-8 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.

The lame man had a need. He expresses his need by asking for alms. He wanted to receive something from Peter and John. He was expecting something from them and a miracle happened!

No one will need a miracle if they do not have any need. Jesus would not have to feed the 5000 if they are not hungry. Water would not have turned into wine if there is no need for celebration. There is no need to raise the dead if there is no one dead.

But in all the midst of the needs of the people, there is one very important thing that we need to know. Nobody that day would receive anything from anyone if the miracles cannot get out of the church. If Aaron doesn’t do anything then the congregation will just die at the door. If the people of God do not do anything then nothing would have happened to change the society.

Today the people outside the church have a need. Today there is a call from outside of the church. Today will you answer the call?

Rohi

out of the 8 names of Jehovah God, I realised today that half of them refer to a place or object.

Abraham called the mountain where he found a ram provided by God as "The Lord Will Provide"

Moses called the altar he built after Israel won against the Amalek as "The Lord Is My Banner"

Gideon called the altar he built after he met an Angel of the Lord as "The Lord Is Peace"

God told Ezekel that the name of the city is "The Lord Is There"

but the other 4 names, "The Lord who heals", "The Lord who sanctifies", "The Lord our Sheperd", "The Lord our Righteousness" refers to God Himself. They refer to a being that can move around.

Psalms 23:1-2 says "The Lord is my shepherd;I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters."

to lead someone is to be with, or be close/near to the leader/follower. The Lord our Sheperd will then mean that He is close. Healing is close. Sanctification and Righteousness is near. And wherever you go, these things are always close.

we need healing for all the hurts we have and we received. we need sanctification to go on to maturity. we need righteousness to be free.

but sometimes we go under, we felt under, we think that we cannot go on anymore and we fall down to the ground and weep at our own weakness and our failures. But God the Sheperd, the Healer, the Sanctifier, the Righteousness comes quickly and remind us that it is He who heals. It is He who sanctifies. It is He who grants us righteousness. It was never the work of our hands that grant us these things.

How comforting is it to know that it is not by power nor by might that we can have these things. How comforting is it to know that when storms arise and we are overwhelmed, God came and pulled us out with healing, sanctification and righteousness. How comforting is it to know that as we rest, God is there, God provides, God protects, God is peace.