wheatandkopifinder

[wheatandkopifinder]

Like Sisters

Psalms 119: 71-72 "It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces."

Last night I was catching up with a younger friends who's about to serve in Southeast Asia this year. She is an attorney by profession and I met her in 2019 as she was about to serve in Mongolia. Due to the pandemic, she had to return home like most of her batchmates. Like me, I was frustrated back then because of some power issues affecting my team, I was also serving in Southeast Asia before the pandemic. I was so glad to hear her story last night on how God opened another door for her. Then I realised, it was also God who opened my Central Asia door after praying and preparing since 2013. Looking at these verse on a Saturday morning, as I prepare to make my language assignments, made my heart at peace. God's redirection is never a bad thing, even if at that moment it was heartbreaking. Personally, I had to walk with God and ask Him to heal me from that wound for about half a year. I have learned to depend on God daily for my next steps. I remember this friend of mine, because we also connected to another sister who has been serving in the same country for about 8 years now (or more). It is beautiful and actually reassuring to know how God is also moving in my friends' lives, that He keeps calling men and women to go to tough places for His glory. I was feeling down for the past week because of some reasonable rejection and delays in my travel process. Each moment, I'm relieved to remember a specific verse of encouragement. Even this week, we had the story of the widow and Elisha (I might write something about this too). It was such an encouragement when I received this word too.

So today, getting on that light note (even if there seems to be a burden to bear), we can always, always find something from the Word of God to assure us that He is near and He will satisft. Rest, and then keep going!

[wheatandkopifinder]

brain recharge

My weekend starts today (Sunday). The highlight of my week was my progress with verbs in the new language I need to learn. It excites me to see how different it is from English and Spanish, but the headache is real. Each class, I need to be in the posture of a toddler starting to speak. I was successful enough to write sentences for some basic transitive and intransitive verbs but then the "oblique" form of nouns, adjectives, prepositions and postpositions racked my brain for our last lesson of the week. I won and then the next mile is far ahead, again.

This morning, my devo schedule brought me to 1 Corinthians and Proverbs 3. That Jesus is God's wisdom, and to live we need Him (we need wisdom). "but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." -1 Corinthians 1:23-24

How many of us have to choose something daily? from the brunch we will eat, to take a nap or walk during work break, to start my diet tomorrow or today, to vote for someone, to invest in digital money, to say yes to a high risk business deal, to forgive someone, to stop an unhealthy habit, to leave an unhealthy relationship, to apply for a career that you studied or the career that pays; so many choices!

Going to Proverbs 3, "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold." (v.13-14)

Where do we get opinion and facts before we decide on something? How do we listen when we ask advice from friends or mentors? For me, I learned that in studying a new language, a native speaker may not know the rules as to why she speaks that way but common sense tells me she is correct because that is her mother tongue. I will believe that she is a credible teacher, and I will go ahead and copy how she says things (for starters).

The one who finds wisdom, gains better and profits better. This wisdom who is Jesus, the living bread, living water, the Light, the Truth, the Way, the Ressurection and the King overall. Through Him everything was created, for Him we were created. If we believe and give our life to Jesus, our daily lives will be transformed. In Him, we have a source of truth so that we can do the right thing despite the odds of being laughed at by the world, by those who don't know Him yet. Our gain is not just for this life but for the eternity to come, an eternity with no tears, no pain and no more suffering.

My son, do not lose sight of these— keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. (v. 21-24)

How can we bring this to our week? I'm excited to unfold it as well.

[wheatandkopifinder]

"for they are Yours"

One of my favorite prayers in the Bible is the entire John 17. There were specific moments in my life that I cried as I meditate on it. Those moment felt like Jesus was near and He knew I would need this prayer as His follower after the first disciples.

I am praying for them. I am not praying for the world but for those whom you have given me, for they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them. And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. John 17:9-11

He was praying for us. Isn't it a comfort to know that someone is praying for us even if we don't speak with that person? How much more the fact that Jesus, the King of Kings, was and is praying for us. With this truth, I can stand with confidence daily. That whatever life throws at me today, Jesus got my back.

And I am glorified in them. The purpose of living is to glorify God, for those who accepted and believed in Jesus Christ. After knowing that I can be confident because Jesus is praying (or prayed for me back then), I can endure and persevere to do His will. To give glory and gratitude to the One who gave His life for my restoration, it's a pretty intense but hopeful purpose to walk in daily. This may also look like this, whatever I do today, will it give honor to Jesus?

Keep them in your name. What is this name? The Name. My name is where I belong. My name identifies who I am. I am in Christ therefore "no longer I but He in me". For me, this would look like fighting for my redeemed identity in Christ. That each day, even though the flesh is weak, I will walk in the truth of Jesus--that He is my living bread and water, He is my light and my salvation, and He is the new owner of my body (for I was redeemed with a price). That as the Father is slow to anger giving chance for people to repent and come back to Him, I will be a messenger of this message to that other may enjoy the life of a restored and redeemed child.

“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word." John 17:20 For us, who are those who believed through the word of the apostles, knowing how Jesus foresee our need (the ones He specified in this prayer) must encourage us to not give up in sharing the same message that reached us. Our world is hurting right now as it was hurting back then. People need hope and reason to live. We were sent to the world to shine and share this Light as much as we can.

[wheatandkopifinder]

Ha! Ez (eazy)

"Yet now be strong, O Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. Be strong, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. My Spirit remains in your midst. Fear not." Haggai 2:4-5

"Be strong" repeated three times is a real emphasis here. I have been trying to get back to running or walking (with more distance) these days. I felt the toll of not exercising that much to my health and my mood. I got the "Ha" in the title from the book of Haggai then Ez from Ezra (because it gave more detail on what happened with the rebuilding of the temple, including a very dramatic opposition from "haters".) Reflecting about this, I saw myself on the work force, as I chose to obey the call to be in tough places to share the Light. The "haters" exist, people who will discourage the call because they think only the rich should work in tough places, or people who think that only an elite few is called to work in the frontlines and backend of the harvest. I don't mean that they hate what I'm doing, although in the context of this story, those people tried to halt the rebuilding of the temple, even wrote a letter to the king to defame the builders.

I can also think about some friends who are trying to work with integrity in their own field but are being defamed because of envy or the threat that comes from people who work excellently. It happens and is happening. But you know what's the edge that we have? breathe this in, "Work, for I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts..." We can keep working and we should keep working. The Lord has been teaching me personally to keep working, keeping in mind that His Spirit remains in our midst, and I can fear not.

What a relief to know that we can keep going because God is with us, despite the opposition, unfamiliarity and even worry of walking alone. Before this chapter, God's people were "comfortable" enough to the point of not being conscious that God's house (temple back then) was not pretty and majestic as it used to be (which is due to the God who delivered them and brought them back home). The Lord made me realize that for the past few weeks, I have been worrying about things that were already distracting my worship (His temple, whether the living temple which is our bodies or the worship with believers).

""And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’” Haggai 2:7-9

Power and peace, to rest in God is to accept the absolute truth of His power and holiness, that true power brings peace, real peace. We are called to bring our worries to Him as we work for Him and with Him. It's a package, one cannot just work for Him but not work with Him, if we want to endure the race set before us. Like the temple rebuilders, we might need a wake up call sometimes, out of our comfort and bring ourselves to the God who has been comforting and sustaining us all along.

[wheatandkopifinder]

Woke up like this

I thought it was an ordinary Sunday morning where I can start my weekend. I woke up, early as usual and tried to remember my dream last night. There it was, my people. It's been almost a year now of preparing to go to a tough place to be with my people. The people I've been praying for since 2013. There were certain ups and downs each day. But there are moments of joy and celebration, like my first phrase of their heart language. This morning, what made my eyes "sweaty" were 2 stories of women from the days of Jesus in the New Testament. First, the persistent widow in Luke 18:

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged. “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. And there was a widow in that same town who kept coming to him and pleading for her rights, saying, ‘Help me against my opponent!’ For a long time the judge refused to act, but at last he said to himself, ‘Even though I don't fear God or respect people, yet because of all the trouble this widow is giving me, I will see to it that she gets her rights. If I don't, she will keep on coming and finally wear me out!’” I tell you, he will judge in their favor and do it quickly. But will the Son of Man find faith on earth when he comes?”

Going back to my journey, I have met people who surprised me with their extraordinary faith (or should I say consistent and passionate faith). They were my friends and new friends who I prayed with almost everyday and every week when the T a l iban took over the government of A f g h a n istan, August last year. Like this persistent widow, I was encouraged this morning to even flood prayers so that I can submit to His time and will about my travel. I instantly sent a message to my friends to pray specific prayers with me this week.

The other story that woke me up this morning is in Matthew 15, I call her Mrs. Syro (short for Syrophoenician woman, some version used Caananite): And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Here's the honest deal. When I received my calling to serve with A f g h a ns in 2013 before I graduate in the uni, I immediately looked for doors to be sent there, right there and then. But here I was after eight years, almost a step away but then the T a l i ban took over again. What's the deal with Mrs. Syro then? Like her, I am called to live in faith beyond my comfort and myself. That's what a mother will do for her child, she will not stop until she sees her healed and far from evil. A huge population of A f g h a n s are born, growing, and dying without hope. If you're reading this and you come from a place where church is everywhere and you just choose not be affiliated for some reason, hear me out because you have a choice, they don't. These people, my people need to hear the choice, but whether they believe and accept is between them and God. Would you be willing to walk with me towards them? To you who are enjoying the comfort of being saved and certain of eternity; to you who might be living without religion or faith but is mad about the injustices you see in the world, let's talk more about this...maybe over a cup of kopi?