Vladimir Savchuk: Yearns

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. Matthew 6:16

“What is fasting? Why did every noteworthy person mentioned in the Bible practice fasting? Moses, David, Elijah, Esther, Daniel, Anna, and Paul are just a few people in the Bible who fasted. And of course, we know that Jesus, our Lord and Savior, fasted. In fact, He didn’t start His ministry until after a 40-day fast. Moreover, when Jesus taught His disciples about fasting, He said, “When you fast,” not “If you fast” (Matthew 6:16). This implies that Jesus assumed that fasting would be a normal and willingly undertaken practice for all His followers and all of us.

Fasting is voluntarily abstaining from all or some types of food and/or drink for a period of time, often as a religious observance or spiritual practice. Fasting may not be enjoyable to our flesh, but it’s gratifying to know that we can exercise control over our stomach and cravings. Fasting may not be something that our flesh wants to do, but our spirit yearns for it. It can be challenging, but as we draw near to God, it brings us joy.”

Vladimir Savchuk in A Beginner’s Guide to Fasting: Simple, Practical, Biblical (Pasco, WA: 2024) 1-2.

After having difficulty locating writings by Malaysian voices, I decided to a go a different direction in my reading.

As I approach the Global Gathering for GTP, I am mindful that we engage three spiritual priorities when we convene: prayer, fasting, and confession. So I am exploring more deeply the practice of fasting for the benefit of readers.

From the start, we must understand what fasting is and why our spirit yearns for it. In short, we say no to good things our flesh desires so we can connect with what is good for our spirit. If you have never tried it, maybe the time is now.

When we say no to things our flesh desires, we often save money that we can reallocate to things God cares about. In this sense, fasting can help us grow our margin for generosity. And it can do so much more, as we will soon discover.

In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Acts 2:17

“Many visions and dreams are going to draw derision and ridicule from other people, even those close to us. We need something to help us get past these negative comments and that is our strong belief in what God speaks to us through those visions and dreams.

Guneratnam shared that God specializes in the minority. “It is tough bearing with negative remarks about a big dream you have when there is nobody around to support you, but when you realize that God and you make the majority, everything else just seems much easier to bear.”

Every vision has two elements: breaking and making, and it is vital that we are not hindered by the breaking. He shared three ways to keep our focus on God and fulfill the vision He has for us.

Firstly, ensure the source of the vision is from God. Many times, dreams are borne out of jealousy—we want to emulate someone with a successful career or a powerful ministry. Not only are we wasting time, we are also not fulfilling the vision God has for us.

Next, if God is indeed the source, depend on Him and make Him your resource. If God put a vision in you, He will fulfill it through you. The key to unlocking His resources is to use the resources you already have. God will pour out on us what we are not afraid to pour out on others. God’s giving is based on our surrendering. Guneratnam shared about the boy in Mark 6 who willingly gave up his five loaves and two fishes, enabling Jesus to produce a miracle that fed more than 5,000 people.

The third point is that we should not let our dreams intimidate us. The dreams that God gives are always bigger than our current ability. When his church was seeking to build a larger worship location in downtown Kuala Lumpur, Guneratnam was faced with a stream of obstacles. He realized that sometimes Christians have to make a decision—to either believe that visions and dreams can come to pass or stumble in their faith. One can choose to believe in a limitless God or to believe in the limit of one’s ability.

Guneratnam’s message stirred up the faith in the hearts of every believer in the room.”

Prince Guneratnam in his sermon “Focusing On God’s Vision” posted on City News 11 June 2010.

As I prepare to head to Malaysia, I continue to research famous Malaysian Christians. The late Dr. Prince Guneratnam ranks among contemporary saints. I located these notes from a sermon he delivered.

I appreciated his emphasis on how God accomplishes his visions through breaking and making.

On the breaking side he emphasized surrender. He adds that “God’s giving is based on our surrendering.” He rightly links that the Mark 6 and the feeding of the 5,000. The text pivots on a boy giving Jesus what He has.

This matches what we at GTP teach around the world. To all people to use what they have with God.

I also appreciated that in the making of the vision, his notion that “if God is indeed the source, depend on Him and make Him your resource.” We can be tempted to make things happen ourselves.

How does today’s post speak to you regarding the generous impact God wants you to have?

Has God given you a vision that is far beyond your ability to accomplish? Is it time to surrender through the breaking? Or give Jesus what you have in the making?

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

“When I was a teenager, I told my mom that I wanted to be a pastor. And that call is still on my heart. I want to give back to the kingdom of God as a full-time minister,” he explained. “I don’t know though, when that will happen. I foresee myself doing what I’m doing now in the next few years. There is still a lot to be done where I am right now. The work is not finished. But however long this stint lasts, when God finally calls me, I will obey.”

Currently, Brandon is active in pastoral work. He serves in his church, preaches occasionally in his church and at conferences, and actively counsels and disciples others. But he still senses that calling to go into ministry full-time someday.

Though he’s not sure when that would happen, the one thing he’s sure about is that whatever he does, it would be to glorify God. His life verse is Matthew 6:33, which says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” The second principle he lives by is this: Honour God and He will honour you.

“God never shortchanges us. That has been true 1,001 times in my life, it continues to be true today, and I have no doubt that it will continue to be true for the rest of my life,” he said.

Ultimately, it’s about going “back to the basics”, Brandon shared. “A lot of times, we’re caught up in many things—with fancy worship, the lights and sounds, serving in many ministries. But never forget the basics. Those hours you spend behind closed doors, between you and your Maker, reading the Bible and praying, will go a very long way. You don’t have to change the world or hold evangelistic crusades like Billy Graham—and I speak to myself as well when I say this. Set aside that time with the Lord every single day. It’s as basic as that, and it would make Him very happy. That’s one thing I know.”

Brandon Ho in “Let’s Get Real with Brandon Ho” article from 16 April 2021 by Charmain Sim.

As I hear the testimony of this emerging Christian worker in Malaysia, this idea stood out to me.

I really like the idea that “God never shortchanges us.” When we go “back to the basics and seek Him and His righteousness or right ways, first, we always benefit. We always win. He’s always generous toward us.

It’s not for our good but for His glory. His blessings empower us to fulfill our calling. Trust Him to do it for you.

Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God. Proverbs 30:7-9

“The burden was heavy, and Brandon witnessed his parents occasionally break down under it. The second-generation Christian spent many nights crying out to God, asking why his family had to suffer so much. “I told God that I didn’t want to be super rich, or else I would forget Him. But I didn’t want to be so poor too. I didn’t even have money for food.” Brandon recounts how he used to drink only the soup from the pan mee (a Chinese noodle dish) stall at his university’s campus because it was free.”

Brandon Ho in “Let’s Get Real with Brandon Ho” article from 16 April 2021 by Charmain Sim.

I am doing research before heading to Kuala Lumpur in a week.

Brandon Ho represents a leading voice for Jesus of the next generation. As I read his story, he reminds me of a Malaysian version of Charlie Kirk, sharing about Jesus with the next generation.

I appreciated this excerpt from his story.

Our posture toward Jesus should match the wisdom of Proverbs. We do well to ask for neither poverty nor riches, but only our daily bread. Notice how this matches the Lord prayer.

This marks the wise path because we maintain dependence on God.

If you want to grow in generosity, choose this path. But do so by reading this warning label first: you will often have more than enough and get to give generously.

But you might also suffer. And it’s only in the suffering you learn a vital lesson.

Brandon learned it. Until Christ is all you have, you don’t really realize that He’s all you have ever needed all along. Christ plus riches is not even close. It’s like living with training wheels on.

Take off the training wheels. It just might unleash your greatest impact.

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Hebrews 5:12

“José Miranda says of this remarkable prophetic claim: “Yahweh is known only in the human act of achieving justice and compassion for the neighbor.” Such justice and compassion will well up in and through mature materiality. This is now an urgent gospel mandate in a culture that is at work dismissing the claim of the neighbor. It is crucial that the church not collude with that predatory dismissal of the neighbor. Mature materiality is a venture and a passion that refuses the predation of a commoditized society. Mature materiality requires solid food beyond milk on offer for babies.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 79.

Today marks the last post from this great book. Download it freely here.

Miranda offers a beautiful statement about our God: “Yahweh is known only in the human act of achieving justice and compassion for the neighbor.” Then Brueggemann reminds us that the future of the gospel is at stake.

We have an urgent gospel mandate to live with mature materiality “in a culture that is at work dismissing the claim of the neighbor.” Notice how he continues.

“It is crucial that the church not collude with that predatory dismissal of the neighbor.” What this booked aimed to do was raise our awareness to ways we collude with the culture. We must not do it.

We must refuse “the predation of a commoditized society” And instead demonstrate mature materiality showing we have fed aon the solid food in the Word of God, which nourishes us to teach others how to live, give, serve, and love.

This relates to generosity because it speaks to our role on this round ball called earth. We are not here for ourselves and what we can consume but for God and for showing care to our neighbor.

I have had a nice visit in Florida with my parents. We went on a relaxing boat ride. We got to see a couple alligators and many birds. There’s a gator about three feet long in the middle of the photo in  Why do this?

It gave us time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, and it provided a nice distraction from his recent cancer diagnosis. Then near the end of the day, God moved up his next appointment from 13 October 2025 to 2 October 2025.

We don’t know what the future holds, but we have peace and gratitude in our hearts. And enjoyed the gift of special time together and dinner with three of their neighbors.

Those who say, “I love God,” and hate a brother or sister are liars, for those who do not love a brother or sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 1 John 4:20

“This present study in no way denigrates or undercuts an ancient accent on spirituality. I have no doubt, moreover, that from an honest gospel-focused attentiveness to mature materiality, a fresh and vibrant spirituality will emerge. We are led to see that a mature, obedient materiality is indeed a glad response to the creator God who has come bodied in Jesus of Nazareth. Thus we may address the dualism that has for much too long vexed the modern church.

We know of the affirmation of 1 John 4:20: “Those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.” We are commended to love both God and neighbor. We dare to judge that these two loves are in truth one love. The way we love God is to love neighbors in their full materiality.

In commenting on the good king Josiah, Jeremiah can aver: Did not your father [King Josiah] eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Is not this to know me? says the LORD. Jeremiah 22:15–16

The prophet does not say that if we know God, then we will do justice for the needy. Nor does the prophet say that if we do justice for the needy, then we will know God. Rather than either of these, he asserts that love of neighbor (brother, sister) is itself the way we know God.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 78-79.

In the conclusion to this book (I am sad it is drawing to a close), Brueggemann keenly teaches us by echoing Jeremiah that “love of neighbor is itself the way we know God.” Soak in that truth.

To ignore matters of materiality is to abandon the path of desiring to know God. If we follow the ways of the world and the patterns of our culture, they do not lead us to righteousness and justice, but wickedness and oppression.

I am taking today off to be with my father and mother in Florida today. Thanks for your prayers for a special time with my parents and with my father as he embarks on a journey to treat prostate cancer.

He Himself granted that some are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. Ephesians 4:11-14

“If we are to embrace such disciplines and practices, then almost all of us require guidance and support. As a result I propose that church leaders, specifically pastors, might think of themselves as “directors of materiality.” I have a hope that we may consider this role as a parallel to the long-standing practice of “spiritual direction” that helps so many of us to embrace the skills, disciplines, and sensibility for our spiritual life. We also require such direction for our faithful materiality.

If we heed the summons of the Epistle to the Ephesians to “equip the saints” for “maturity to the measure of the full stature of Christ,” it follows that it is the work of ministry to evoke the skills and faculties for discernment and action in the arena of materiality. If and when pastors willingly take on the role of directors of materiality, in turn curricular studies may emerge that focus on materiality. In the long run I anticipate that theological faculties that educate clergy will offer programmatic study for directors of materiality.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 78.

We as Christian workers cannot direct people in the good and right way with regard to materiality unless we ourselves have walked the path. That’s sums up aptly the aim of my exploration: to call God’s servants to grow in the aspect of materiality to help others.

And I have come to learn that this direction sometimes takes shape as asking questions and suggesting practices to raise awareness or invite people tossed to and fro to experience a new way of being and functioning.

It seems that the answer is not to separate from society or follow the flow from society but live differently in the midst of the mess attended to God and care for neighbor. From there our job links to directing others to this path in a spiritual and curricular way.

Speaking of curriculum, this represents just what we did in Colombia. We developed a contextualized curriculum to help workers in the coffee world of Colombia, both indigenous and non-indigenous live with accountability and generosity.

If you want a copy of my trip report, click for English or Spanish. And pray for me as I make a quick trip to Florida. Pray for my father. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer and I am taking a quick trip to go see him and pray for him.

And I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. Hosea 2:19–20

“A study of Christian materiality exhibits a convergence of two realities. On the one hand, the Bible itself is preoccupied, as I have shown, with matters material. It is a misreading of the Bible to imagine otherwise. On the other hand, our lives are preoccupied with matters material that claim most of our energy and imagination and that evoke for us, variously, hope and anxiety. To imagine otherwise about our lives is an illusion. The convergence of the materiality of our lives and the materiality of the Bible commends us to think honestly, critically, and faithfully about the material dimensions of our lives according to the purposes and promises of the God of the gospel.

We can readily identify five key terms of covenantal fidelity that fully characterize the way in which we may love God and love neighbor. God’s self-giving vow to God’s covenantal partner, Israel, goes like this: I will take you for my wife forever; I will take you for my wife in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love, and in mercy. I will take you for my wife in faithfulness; and you shall know the LORD. (Hosea 2:19–20; italics added)

This vow voiced by God, albeit in deeply patriarchal terms, pivots on five words. In this text these five terms—righteousness, justice, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness — indicate God’s way with us. But the same terms pertain when we respond to God. We are to practice justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness as an act of fidelity toward God.

When we consider this as a way of loving neighbor, however, it is clear that we show this way of fidelity through the material dimensions of our life together. Thus mature materiality is the practice of justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness with the neighbor with reference to such matters as money, food, bodily health, time, and place. In order for this practice to be durable intentionally, honestly, and knowingly, it is essential that we develop disciplines and practices that will sustain this way of being in a culture that is elementally adverse to such a practice.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 77-78.

A study of Hosea reveals a picture of God’s relationship with humanity. He married Gomer, the harlot, and demonstrated all manner of goodness toward her, despite her brokenness. That’s you and me.

Brueggemann, a prolific Old Testament scholar who went home to be with the Lord earlier this year, shows us clearly that with regard to materiality. We are Gomer, the unfaithful harlot, for following the world’s ways.

Yet, God loves us. He wants more for us. He wants our lives to demonstrated justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, and faithfulness toward our neighbor as He has shown those amazing traits toward us.

Ponder as you start a new week, the disciplines and practices God wants you to cultivate to live in a culture that is “elementally adverse” to such practices. Perhaps pick one of the five words?

Ask God what it would look like for your materiality to demonstrate maturity in justice, righteousness, steadfast love, mercy, or faithfulness. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live out this change for the glory of Jesus.

And I am safely home from Colombia. Wait a day for the trip report as my coworkers stayed slightly longer to wrap things up.

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite from Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Acts 4:32-37

“Mature materiality requires that one be alert to one’s role as citizen, that is, having active responsibility for the public good… I should add a note about the right place being variously rural or urban. It is an easier case to make one’s practice of habitation as heir, neighbor, partner, and citizen in a rural community where institutions are more accessible, where the population is more likely to be homogeneous, and where face-to-face interactions are more readily available. Such a portrayal of rural habitation may be tempted to romanticism. But to refuse romanticism about rural life (as Wendell Berry refuses) one must recognize that rural life is not on offer for everyone. Many persons will, for a variety of reasons, be urban dwellers. In densely occupied urban habitats, the same call to be heir, neighbor, partner, and citizen is sounded. Only there it is more complex and in some ways more demanding. But these same markers for the right place pertain, even if on a different scale. In urban settings one can more feel detached from such a summons. For that reason the insistence of the urban church on right habitation is all the more important. The church community can vouch for a narrative of responsible habitation and be a body of companions engaged in good work for the “right place.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 73-74.

We read this Scripture together when building the Palmful of Coffee contextualize curriculum. I never get tired of reading it. Notice the priority of the common good. See no needy person among them. Celebrate the sharing of stewards.

In modern times, this way of living comes into view as caring citizens who live as heirs, neighbors, partners, and companions with others in both urban and rural settings. Each one has its own challenges.

I have been in rural Colombia. Find Armenia on the map. The cool part is, whether in tiny Armenia or big Bogotá, when we live as a community of companions, we help the homeless find a home and we demonstrate responsible habitation.

The launch event far exceeded our dreams and expectations. Stay tuned for access to a trip report. We will wrap it up today before we travel home. Thanks for your prayers for safe travel for our team of 13 from 6 countries.

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit. Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Mature materiality requires that we inhabit our right place as partners with the place. Thus rather than the place belonging to the “owner,” in partnership the place and the owner belong to each other and are cast together in a long-range destiny. It follows that the owner is assigned to a purpose not of maximizing production, but rather of enhancing the well-being of the home place. Wendell Berry writes of “kindly use” of the land that depends upon intimate knowledge of the terrain of the property. The purpose of such “kindly use” is the prospect of durability in the right place, an assumption that coming generations may inhabit this right place. Thus the owner of the right place is not the final occupant but in fact belongs to a long chain of those who have inhabited and who will inhabit in time to come.”

Walter Brueggemann in Materiality As Resistance: Five Elements for Moral Action in the Real World (Louisville: WJKP, 2020), 73.

Imagine if every follower of Christ aimed to enhance the well-being of the place God planted them instead of focusing on maximizing production. We would appear as “partners with the place.”

I was walking through the market in Centro Bogotá before dinner two nights ago. Many t-shirts said, “parce,” and I asked, “What does that mean?” My Colombian friends said, “Partners.”

They echoed Brueggemann. They said, “We are partners in this place.” It means that we serve each other to help each other stay green, bear fruit, and flourish. But they admitted, there is not much flourishing in Colombia.

They said with the rollout of Palmful of Coffee, we will not just be “partners with the place” in word, but we will do it in deed. What would it mean for you to serve as a partner with the place where God has you in deed?

To live this way, to abandon the focus on maximizing production, to act as stewards and not owners, and to demonstrate the kindly use of the land calls for us not to assimilate to culture but to live radically differently.