Dear…
"I rejoice at Your Word as one who finds great treasure.'
Psalm 119:162
The word "surprise" mean something unexpected, and it could be pleasant or nasty but never indifferent. I had a dream last night and saw myself in a concert. What the eye could visualize was clearly an event organized by people whose belief systems are different from mine, yet, the whole proceeding seemed no different from that of a worship session that believers engaged in and to cap it all, God and Amen were the distinct last words that spewed forth from one garbed in clothings you will least expect.
"Sequel" is not an unpopular word, if Hollywood has its ways, given their attempts to squeeze more monies out of a one hit movie into a series of clones that by now has dulled most senses. The same nite, my dream moved on to a guy who I know and probably unfairly, in my sinful eyes, one whom I would least expect to be a believer and here he was, a devout one mouthing with all sincerity, praise to our Lord.
'But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'
Acts 11;9
Being imperfect, each and everyone of us will carry our baisedness and maybe in the medium of dreams, where all are revealed, for none can in their sleep, consciously suppressed their inner thoughts, God reveals our true feelings, much as we might not even be aware of in our waking hours. Maybe on a more positive note, one would not expect the obviously oblivous to God's presence to suddenly do the unthinkable, to be a faithful Christian, but who are we to know the heart of a person, and with God, all things are possible.
'Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as He did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I that I could withstand God?'
Acts 11:17
Verbatim is the repetiton of the exact words used by a speaker or writer. The dictionary defines it as marked by strict and particular and complete accordance with fact; "an exact mind"; "an exact copy"; "hit the exact center of the target"
To be a Christian is to believe in God and the salvation given to all by the sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is to be willing to let God mold us in the likeness of Jesus Christ. To be a Christian is not to just mouth verbatim the Words of the Bible, but rather, to live out the will of God, to let the world see Christ through us.
'For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings…'
Hosea 6:6
All of us will struggle to be like Christ, but it matters not, for God looks not for perfection, but for a desirous and obedient heart. Christians will come in all shapes and sizes, with different background and past experiences, but the commonality is a heart that is opened to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
What about ad verbatim? I scoured the internet to look for traces or explanation for the existence of these two words working together. There was none. Individually yes, but not together.
I had thought "ad verbatim" had mean't to speak off the cuff, yet being able to repeat to the last letter, words spoken by someone else.
Maybe I am wrong. But like many, I am probably more wrong in having preconceived notions of who should be a Christian and what ideal attributes they should possess to qualify and stay as one.
God loves all. And God will use the weak. Quite a different approach from us humans who judge a person by what we perceived from our sinful and finite understanding.
In the pre-Jesus Christ days, to some extent, humans had a direct line with God, in the sense that the Ten Commandments formed the basis of their acceptable behaviour.
Reality is that man is incapable of not sinning and all will have fallen short of the law. Does it mean that God has failed to forsee our inability to live verbatim the rules He has set?
A study course I recently undertook gives an interesting perspective. It is not that God has failed to see our weakness. But rather, God is aware of our failings and the law is placed to enable us humans to see our weaknesses to live verbatim God's commands.
We need a conduit, our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom, by our belief will we be able to overcome our inherent sinfulness. The law shows our shortfall. And by faithfully following our Lord Jesus Christ, will we truly be able to live in the Spirit, the will of God.
It is not Ad Verbatim, but rather, A.D. Verbatim. That is, after Christ's entry into our world, has men been able to be cleansed of their sins and been able to live a life that God has set for us all. Our predestination that God has set for all who believe, but which none could enter and none could stay on, without our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are all work in progress, till the day the Lord takes us home.
“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.’
Philippians 1:6
God Blesses
Eng Hieang
(18th June 09)
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