Christian Living

Job’s Whirlwind

Job’s Whirlwind

This is an incredible whirlwind, it makes me think back to when God answered Job:

Then the Lord answered Job from the whirlwind. He said:

Who is this who obscures My counsel
with ignorant words?
Get ready to answer Me like a man;
when I question you, you will inform Me.
Where were you when I established the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
What supports its foundations?
Or who laid its cornerstone
while the morning stars sang together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

Can you imagine God answering you from a whirlwind like that? You’ll be put to utter shame by His knowledge. By His power, fear should strike your very bones. Like Job, sometimes we have our moments of despair and perhaps even frustration. Where is God when a certain tragedy occurs to us? Why did God ever choose to create me? During our hard times, we feel like it is better that we die. Everything that we do seems to end up destroyed in the end. That’s how it is sometimes in the Christian life, but we need to know our place. God is in control and knows what He is doing better than we do. We deserve nothing. Remember how great God is and how little you are, then you’ll remember how loving He is and how undeserving you are.

Why I Love Philosophy

Why I Love Philosophy

Philosophy is a world full of wonder, of ideas, and of mind puzzling problems. You can spend a lifetime in search of its truths and yet feel as if you are as ignorant as when you first started. It illuminates common sense principles and transforms them into abstract concepts that are beyond what we commonly experience but of which can be justified through our common experience. Systems of thought have been created from these principles (notably Aristotle and Aquinas) by making subtle distinctions and organizing them in such a cohesive way that one principle is shown to follow from the other. It is like a well built city, structured in such a way that every function of the city will work together to fulfill the good of the society. Nothing is more breathtaking than putting together the pieces of this system of thought and applying it in such a way that it becomes a citadel with monumental walls of steel.

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Introducing BibleTalk!

Introducing BibleTalk!

I just opened up a group at Meetup.com to let others know of the Bible Study that I have been hosting with Mike for several weeks now. The image that you see here is just a “placeholder” but it seems to do a good job of getting the idea across. It started as a Bible Study, at least on the first day, but it quickly turned into a discussion group on biblical issues and I think it has turned out great so far. This group started because I think it’s important to make disciples as Jesus commanded us to do and it is an open format of doing so.

I’m hoping it turns into something more than a discussion group, however, as I want it to be a group where we go out and live the Christian life. You know, something that Christ and His disciples would do. That’s not going to be easy though and I am by no means the best person to lead this, but I hope to do my best. For those who don’t live in the area, I’m thinking of allowing you to tune in through Skype. Would any of you be interested in listening in? We’ll be having the study tomorrow night at 8 PM PST, so let please let me know!

Don’t Adorn the Church But Ignore the Poor

Don’t Adorn the Church But Ignore the Poor

(An excerpt by Early Church Father St. John Chrysostom from His writings on the Gospel of Matthew)

Let us learn, therefore, to be men of wisdom and to honor Christ as he desires. For a person being honoured finds greatest pleasure in the honor he desires, not in the honor we think best. Peter thought he was honoring Christ when he refused to let him wash his feet; but what Peter wanted was not truly an honour, quite the opposite! Give him the honour prescribed in his law by giving your riches to the poor. For God does not want golden vessels but golden hearts. Do you want to honor Christ’s body? Then do not scorn him in his nakedness, nor honor him here in the church with silken garments while neglecting him outside where he is cold and naked. For he who said: This is my body, and made it so by his words, also said: “You saw me hungry and did not feed me, and inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these, the least of my brothers, you did not do it for me.” (Mat 25:34) What we do here in the church requires a pure heart, not special garments; what we do outside requires great dedication.

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Belief in Resurrection Drops 13%

From Rasmussen Reports:

A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 64% of American Adults believe Jesus rose from the dead, while 19% reject the central Christian tenet of the Resurrection. Seventeen percent (17%) are not sure.

This differs from the poll that was taken last year, which reported that 77% of Americans retained belief in the Resurrection. That is a huge drop in a short amount of time. Christianity is dying folks, that’s a fact. Are you seeing the alarming need to make disciples yet? We can’t sit and twiddle our thumbs, we need to stand up for the truth and defend it as truth, not as the blind faith that most people treat it to be. I’m curious as to what exactly is responsible for this decline in belief, but if I had to guess, it would probably be the fact that they were mostly christian in name only. As our culture declines, so too will belief decline.

So belief is not everything, we can reason with someone that the Resurrection is a real historical event but it can only go so far. We need to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work just as the early disciples did. It’s the only way to make big things happen. This task is given to each one of us and it is up to us to be good stewards with the responsibilities that the Lord has given us. Will you stand up and make a difference or will you reject the command of our Lord and leave people in their sin?

Being Disciples That Make Disciples

Being Disciples That Make Disciples

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20

Every Christian knows about the great commission, but they know little about what it really means. Today the ‘institutionalized’ church has taken this to mean getting baptized, going to church on Sunday, attending a bible study, and sending out ‘specialized‘ units of missionaries to fulfill this command for them. As long as you give some money toward the cause that means you’re okay, right? Wrong. This thinking has led to the destruction of churches, it is nothing but a 21st century way of living comfortably without living Christianly.

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The love of God is like himself – equal, constant, not capable of augmentation or diminution; our love is like ourselves – unequal, increasing, waning, growing, declining. His, like the sun, always the same in its light, though a cloud may sometimes interpose; ours, as the moon, has its enlargements and straightenings.

— John Owen

A Prayer For Ministry

A Prayer For Ministry

This prayer was written during a ‘Missions Intensives’ event and I think it is appropriate for me to put it up on this blog now because I have been struggling with how hopeless it seems for God to use me to pursuade others of the truth for their salvation. It’s just hard to convince those around me and it sometimes causes one to give up evangelizing. There are many others that seem more adequate for this task than me (e.g, Billy Graham), but it’s not an option, we are all commanded to reach out to those around us. Where I am now is exactly where I am supposed to be and those are the ones who I am called to reach out to. 

Dear Father,

I am an unclean, unworthy and wretched vessel in your perfect sight. You see through my heart and my motives are revealed before you. But I ask that you use me in whatever small or great way for your kingdom to be a witness of your love and truth. Forgive me of my selfishness and make me into your servant.

Be with me God and lead me in the direction that you please. Show me what you want me to do and if I must sacrifice everything to do so, even my own calling and name as a [this is a secret] then let it be so Lord. I lay it down on the alter and ask that you cleanse me and anoint me for your divine purpose.

Please push me aside and make your Son shine through me more clearly than the brightest star. Let Him receive all the glory that is due to Him and if you must break me and if I must die for it then do what you know is best for your kingdom. I want to reach out to the lost souls, I want to love them as you do. Please give me your wisdom.

In Jesus’ name, 

Amen

Serving Jesus Full-Time

Serving Jesus Full-Time

After some prolonged reflection, I have decided to dedicate this year to full time ministry at WC. Some difficult choices had to be made as I struggled between the possibility of marriage, college, or work but some circumstances just made it difficult for me to do any of those besides the last. Work and college are still possibilities on the table for next year, don’t get me wrong, but I decided to do this because I want to see where God leads if I give Him my all just like the disciples did. Peter, for example, had a fairly profitable career and it wasn’t until Jesus called him to follow that he forsook his career to become a fisher of men (Matt 4:19–20).

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Yesterday I had the privilege to start a new Bible Study with Mike as a means of reaching out to his friends. Mike and I gave a message on legalism and our identity in Christ. It turned out pretty good, we bounced off of what we were saying and his friends respectfully engaged us. Next time we’ll use more verses because I taught on one passage and hopefully improve as we go on. Please pray for us, Lord willing we’ll be having the bible study again next week!

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