The late Ruth Graham, wife of Evangelist Billy Graham, was known to be a collector of quotations. One of them that became one of her favorites was one by George MacDonald, the Scottish pastor, writer, and mentor to C. S. Lewis, “It’s only in Him that the soul has room.” It’s only in God that we have room to rest. It’s only in Him can we find peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). In the Message, Eugene Peterson translates that peace as “a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good,” which when it comes will settle us down. Our soul has found room to rest.
As we know, the opposite of rest is not busy, but restless. Jesus was busy, but He was not restless; His soul had room to rest. We can be busy; in fact, there are times we must be busy because of demands and needs around us. But we should not be restless. Restlessness is not a sign of being busy but rather it’s a sign of being untethered, of being anxious about whatever it is we are facing. We fear and think of the worst; we feel helpless because we can’t think of a way out.
It is during this time that we must remember that God has already known all along that this would happen. Knowing this always gives me rest; I can let go of what I am facing and surrender it to the Lord. I know everything will come together, somehow, for good.
At age 13 Ruth Graham had to say good-bye to her parents and her home in China where she grew up as a child of a missionary doctor. She’s to board a ship for high school in Pyeng Yang Foreign School in North Korea. Upon arrival she suffered terrible homesickness; night after night she cried herself to sleep for weeks. She ended up sick and had to be treated in the infirmary for several days. It was there, in that room, she read the Book of Psalms, all 150 chapters, and found strength. The Bible is our room; prayer is our room; songs of praise are our room, where we can rest in the care of Our Father.
Pastor Paul
LA Times columnist, Mark Z. Barabak shares an interesting story of Harry Reid, the former Senate majority leader from Nevada who died four years ago. During his tenure as senator, Reid had a poor relationship with Jon Ralston, Nevada’s most prominent and highly esteemed political journalist. The reason is obvious: he often wrote critical of Reid! To show his displeasure to Ralston, Reid tried to get him fired from his job. Here is the interesting part, though: Before his passing, Reid asked Ralston to write his biography. This is what he said to Ralston, “You’re the only one who can do this book right. I know I’m not going to like everything you write, but I want you to do the book.” Reid died six months after, as a great man, indeed.
There are many ways to measure greatness; this is one of them, as beautifully shown by Harry Reid: comfortable in our own skin. Reid wanted people to know him as he was, an imperfect man who tried to do his best. He could have asked somebody else who’s more in favor of him to write his biography, but he knew, had he done that, he would do himself and the public a disservice. So, he went for this man, Jon Ralston, who he knew, would dissect his life critically and truthfully. He knew that he would not be around to defend himself but it’s a minor price to pay. He let people judge for themselves.
We often define secrets as things that we hide from others. Secrets are not only things that we hide from others, though. They are also things we hide from us. We do not want to see them, so we keep them inside. But here is the problem: The more secrets we keep, the smaller we become. And the more secrets we keep, the less freedom we enjoy. Jesus says, “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). We, who know the truth about Jesus, will be free from the judgment of God. And we, who know the truth about us, will be free from the judgment of others.
Pastor Paul
Being married to a musician exposes me not only to music but also musical artifacts, such as a plaque hanging on our kitchen wall that has this inscription on it, “Life is a song and love is the music.” It is true, isn’t it? As a song without music is incomplete, so is life with no love in it. It will be dry and lifeless. When God commanded us to love, He had us in mind. He needs no reminding to love because He is love; so, it’s for us. We need reminding to love because God knew that without it, we would not live a full life as He intended it.
While he was making “ER” on the Warner Bros. lot in the early days of his career, George Clooney heard that Paul Newman was also there shooting a movie. Being a young artist who had admired Paul Newman for a long time, he went to look for him. He found him outside the soundstage smoking. So, they talked and it was then that Newman gave him a piece of advice, “Don’t let them keep you inside.” At the time he did not fully understand what Newman meant, but later after they became friends, he understood what Newman meant. He was talking about not letting fame keep him from living his life. Good advice not only for Clooney but us, too.
We may not be famous, so fame wouldn’t be a problem, but we may have other things that keep us from living our lives fully, such as fear of death, worry about the future or what others think of us. All these keep us from living life fully, specifically, from loving God and others. Fear of death and worry about the future keep us from loving God fully. Worrying about what others think of us keeps us from loving others. Don’t let this keep us inside! We may feel safe but at a great cost. We can only live fully if we love God and others. In case we are wondering what love is, let me quote C. S. Lewis’ definition, “Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.”
Pastor Paul
As we start the new year we might be asking, “What will I do?” We might think about traveling or visiting friends and relatives or even going on a mission trip. All of them are good; we should do them; but we do them with this in mind: In a bigger scheme, life is about doing the will of God and accomplishing His work, as succinctly said by Our Lord Jesus, that His food was to do the will of Him who sent Him and to finish His work (John 4:34). Wherever we are, whatever we do, we need to ask this simple question, “Am I doing the will of God?” Or “Am I in the will of God?” And from time to time we, too, should ask retrospectively, “Am I accomplishing His work?”
What is the will of God? Since the will of God is interwoven with the command of God in that the command of God reflects the will of God, we can then say that in a nutshell, the will of God is to love Him and to love others (Matthew 22:37-39). So, to know whether we are in the will of God or doing the will of God, we just need to ask, “Am I loving God and others?” If we are filled with bitterness and anger, we, can, then say that we are not in the will of God and not doing the will of God. In the same token, if whatever it is we do is only advancing our goal and interest, not God’s goal and interest, we can conclude that we are not finishing the work of God, which is: People believe in the One He has sent, Jesus Our Lord (John 6:29).
In his book, An Introduction to Prayer, Bishop Robert Barron writes, “Christians realize that they don’t tell their own story . . . but rather that they already belong to a Story . . .” God has a story and we are in it; He already casts us with a role. But to remain in His story, we must do His will and finish His work. Knowing this gives us not only peace of mind but also purpose and meaning in life. So, don’t write our own story; stay in His story. If we do His will and finish His work, we will always be in His story—the story of love and redemption.
Pastor Paul
On October 15, 2025, Jim Morrison became the first person to have skied down the north face of Mt. Everest. The nine thousand feet slope is supposed to be the steepest, hence, the most dangerous part of Everest’s thirty-thousand feet high. Jim Morrison did it in four hours! When asked by a reporter what the biggest challenge he had to face doing what he did, he replied that it was not physical, but rather mental. He said he kept asking himself, “Can I really do it?” Despite years of training and preparation, he doubted himself.
As we begin the new year, we, too, might ask the same question, “Can I really do it?” Perhaps we have been dealing with difficult situations or personal weaknesses, and we are not certain that we will have the stamina or the ability to cope with these issues. We have serious doubts about our future because it looks bleak. In the end we cannot help but ask, “Can I really do it?” Deep down inside we know the answer that we can’t do it. We’re not even sure that we will be able to get through it. We’re just too tired to try again.
In the documentary of his descension from Everest, we can see how Jim Morrison managed to ski down this steep slope: one distance at a time! Instead of skiing straight down, he skied sideways. Instead of skiing continuously, he made numerous stops. So, he’d ski to the left, then briefly stopped before skiing to the right. That’s what he did repeatedly, for nine thousand feet and four long hours. And that’s what we must do as well. Like Morrison who had to chop off his downward slide of nine thousand feet into several feet at a time, we, too, must only focus on getting through the week or even the day. And like Morrison who, to avoid falling, had to ski sideways, thus, taking longer time, we, too, must be patient and take longer time. And like Morrison who never let go of his ski poles, we, too, if we don’t want to lose our balance, must never let go of God.
Pastor Paul
Only a handful of people knew who Lettie Burd was; even to this day only a few know who she is. But many know or at least have heard of the name Mrs. Charles E. Cowman through the devotional book she compiled, Streams in the Desert. Lettie was married to Charles E. Cowman; felt called by God to be missionaries, they went to Bible School, then left for Japan in 1901. There they worked with a Japanese evangelist they met in Chicago, Juji Nakada. The three with Ernest Killbourne founded the Oriental Missionary Society.
Lettie and Charles did not stay long in Japan; in 1917 they returned to the US due to Charles’ failing health. For six years Lettie cared for him till he died. Out of these heart-breaking experiences came this devotional book that has been the best-selling devotional book for decades. But here’s something noteworthy: She published under her married name, Mrs. Charles E. Cowman; she didn’t even use her first name! Granted that it was common practice, then, but still, it shows her devotion to him. By using her married name, it’s as if she wanted us to know not only that he and she were one, but also that this book was written by the two of them. It’s their labor of love.
To me, her life, specifically her love and devotion, was a testament to the marriage vow we all utter: To have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
Let me end with what she writes in the opening of the book, “In the pathway of faith we come to learn that the Lord’s thoughts are not our thoughts, nor His ways our ways. Both in the physical and spiritual realm, great pressure means great power. Although circumstances may bring us into the place of death, that need not spell disaster—for if we trust in the Lord and wait patiently, that simply provides the occasion for the display of His almighty power.”
Pastor Paul
Next Sunday will be the last Sunday of the year! Yes, not month but year. I feel like I haven’t written enough of 2025, but now I’ll have to write a new year, 2026. I am sure we will look back on 2025 with mixed emotions; some will look back favorably, but some not so favorably. Some will look back and take a deep breath of relief, but some, sorrow. We wish we could skip 2025, too much pain! Some of us might wish that we could skip 2026, too much uncertainty! But some might wish that we could stay in 2025 forever, too much fun!
Times goes on, so does life. We can’t stop it, slow it down, or speed it up. I used to tell our children when they were around 5, 7, and 9, that if I could, I’d stop time; I wanted them to be 5, 7, and 9 forever. I knew that it’s a wistful thinking; it wasn’t going to happen. Now I am 66, I am back having the same wistful thinking toward the little men in our family: our grandchildren. I wish I could stop time and make them stay somewhere between the ages of four to ten. 😊
I wonder if that wistful thinking ever crossed the minds of Mary and Joseph, especially after they heard the prophecy made by Simeon that this Child would be, “a sign from God, but many will oppose Him.” And that, a sword would pierce her soul. Even though Mary didn’t have a clear understanding of what would happen to her Son but she got the picture. Her Son would suffer and she, too, would suffer. I wonder if after hearing the prophecy Mary would often break down in tears whenever she put Jesus to sleep or saw him sleep so peacefully. The sword had come and began piercing her.
With Her Blessed Son, Mary moved along. She did not even try to stop Her Beloved Son from carrying out His Heavenly Father’s will. She knew it was Heavenly Father’s will that she must obey, not her emotions. So, she let the sword pierce her soul over and over.
Pastor Paul
Patricius was just a 16-year-old boy when raiding Irish warriors took him from his native England. He was sold to an Irish chieftain who, then, sent him to shepherd his flocks. There in the hills, alone, he thought of the Christian God his parents believed in, and there he began to pray for strength to endure isolation, hunger, cold for six long years. One night he was awakened by a voice which told him that he was going home and that his ship was ready. He took it as God’s direction and set out for the sea and after walking for 200 miles, he found a ship bound for England. He settled down till one night he heard the voice of Jesus, telling him to return to Ireland. He entered seminary and returned to Ireland as a missionary. He was called Patrick. Because of his ministry, the Irish put away their pagan worship and by the early 600 AD, 700 monastic communities had been established in Scotland alone. Thanks to the work of these Irish missionaries, out of these monasteries, universities sprang up across Europe. All began with one man, one former slave.
One man made a difference in the lives of many, and it began with pain and isolation he suffered as a slave. It began with a prayer for help and strength; more importantly, it began with an obedience to follow the Lord’s direction. Going back to Ireland was unthinkable, it would bring back all the pain, but he obeyed. Did Patrick know how God would use him to bring about changes that would not only sweep through Ireland but also Europe and the world? No, he did not. But that’s the way God works, isn’t it? One person at a time.
Through one person, Jesus, the world has become a different place. From Him we learn to love and forgive; we learn to think of others and give to others. We learn to let go and trust God, to wait and not push our will. Because He came, the world has become a better place. May the world become a better place because we came.
Pastor Paul
Starting from today till the last Sunday of the month, we will shift our attention to Christmas-themed messages. I give the title of our new series, “His Name is Jesus.” I hope these messages will speak to us as we celebrate the first coming of Our Lord Jesus to the world. As I write this, my heart is heavy thinking about a colleague in the Bible school that I teach who is now in the hospital for Stage 4 lung cancer. He was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer over five years ago but by the grace of God he’s remained relatively healthy. The last time Santy and I were in Malang in October, we still could have lunch together. In fact, it’s he who took us to the restaurant in his car. But now his condition is worsening and he’s in a lot of pain.
As I think about him and the Christmas message for today, I find a parallel theme. In His birth, Jesus the Son of God was reduced to a stable; in his sickness my colleague is reduced to a hospital room. God the Son who was free to roam the heavens was confined to a manger, fully dependent on His earthly mother, Mary, to care for Him. My colleague who’s free to travel to give lectures is tied to a hospital bed, completely reliant on medical staff to care for him. As Jesus was in the arms of Mary, His Blessed Mother, my colleague is in the arms of Jesus, His Blessed Lord, both helpless but secure.
We do not know how long Jesus stayed in the stable but each night He was there, He was with no one else but His mother and father. Each night became a silent night, but also a holy night, as the song says. It’s holy because the Son of God was there, lying in a manger. Each night when we are alone, when life becomes silent, remember the Son of God. Call on Him and ask Him to be in that stable with us, and to make that night a holy night. Life is not always swirling in a house; sometimes it puts us in a stable. When that happens, don’t push Him away; invite Him. He wouldn’t mind sharing a stable.
Pastor Paul
Dieter Zander was once arguably one of the best worship leaders in the country. He used to serve at Willow Creek Community Church in a suburb of Chicago, along with John Ortberg. In his book, Soul Keeping, Ortberg shares that the church had to literally stop singing certain songs when Zander led worship because some people on the balconies would jump up and down so vigorously that the engineers were afraid that the whole balcony would collapse.
One night while still in his forties, Zander suffered a massive stroke that six days later when he awoke, he could no longer talk or use his right hand. No more words, no more music. He left his ministerial post, he left the stage where thousands used to sing under his direction, for a room, in the back of a Trader Joe’s store. There, day after day, he’d break down boxes, collecting bruised fruit or any imperfect product to be delivered to the hungry.
However, instead of feeling bitter he remained grateful. In a letter to John Ortberg, he wrote “It is good that I work there. I am like that fruit. I am imperfect . . . . What should take three minutes to say is an hour of frustration. People lose patience with me. Aphasia means aloneness. But God hears me. My world is small and quiet, and slow and simple. No stage. No performance. More real. Good.”
A year after the stroke, Zander and his wife Val visited Ortberg and his wife Nancy. Before they left, he wrote on a small whiteboard John 21:18, “When you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Below that verse, he added, “Good.” How could that be good? I asked. I don’t know the answer but this I do know: Only those who know that God is good can say that.
Pastor Paul