Posting on my mobile!?

I honestly don't know what I could post. Using blogger on my phone is extremely different from using it on the computer.

Let me know some techniques in blogging on the phone.

Hosea

The prophetic books in the Bible are usually difficult to apprehend. When reading it, there may be a lot of images that speak to certain nations about their future. I personally find prophetic books to be difficult to understand, especially Ezekiel. I haven't done any study on those books, but I do hope to study those books in the future. I am currently reading through the whole Bible in prior to the Biblical Theology class that I will be taking in the 1st and 2nd week of July.

I just finished reading the book of Hosea, and I sense the Spirit is urging me to share it. Before reading it, I do remember that the book is about Hosea marrying a prostitute called Gomer. Gomer cheated and committed adultery and whoredom on Hosea. This marriage pictures or symbolizes God's relationship with Israel. 

Israel (the Northern Kingdom) was at the brim of destruction by the Assyrians. Israel was in a chaotic period filled with disorder, bloodshed and strife (2 Kings 14-17). Israel has broken covenant with God and showed unfaithfulness to Him. Despite of that, God is still a covenant-keeper and still loved them. 

Three themes to take note of when you read Hosea:

1.) Unfaithfulness

2.) Repentance

3.) The loving-kindness of God

Hope you will find time to read this book! I absolutely love the very last verse of Hosea because the principle is timeless. 

Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them (Hosea 14:9)

Salvation: Six Basic Truths

We all need gentle reminders. The Gospel is what saved and continues to save us. What happens when we receive and believe in the message of the gospel? What happens when we place our faith in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? I'll be listing six basic truths (and benefits) to our salvation although there are more than five.

1.) God forgave your sin

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, (Ephesians 1:7)

2.) God made you His child

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

3.) Christ lives in you

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

4.) Christ made you new

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

5.) Christ gave you eternal life

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:11-13)

6.) We are transformed to make every effort to live a Godly Life

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. (2 Peter 1:3-9)

The First Importance

"For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared......" . (1 Corinthians 15:3-5)

The Gospel is the "first importance". Nowhere else in Scripture does it use that phrase. Although Scripture is important in its entirety because it is God-breathed, Paul would emphasize the Gospel to be the most important. I wrestled asked myself, "Why is it the first importance?" Although the answer to that question is found in the same chapter of 1 Corinthians, I want to try and take another angle in answering that question.

I am reminded of 1 Corinthians 3 where Paul talks about laying a foundation of one's faith.

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 3:10-11)

Paul laid down the foundation by preaching Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the foundation of our faith. The Gospel is what saved and continues to save us. Without the Gospel being the foundation and center of our faith, other things in which we try to build the foundation of our faith (e.g. memorizing the Bible, God is love, leading worship, teaching Sunday school, mission trip), although important, will fall.

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

Therefore, I think that`s one of the reasons why the gospel is the "first importance". Whether Christian or non-Christian, the Gospel continues to transform and hold people. The gospel should and ought to affect every area of our lives. Whether if you`re struggling in different areas of your personal life or even your faith, may you find the answer in the Gospel.

 

 

You Are My Vision

You are my vision O King of my heart
Nothing else satisfies only You Lord
You are my best thought by day or by night
Waking or sleeping Your presence my light

You are my wisdom You are my true word
I ever with You and You with me Lord
You're my great Father and I'm Your true son
You dwell inside me together we're one

You are my battle-shield sword for the fight
You are my dignity You're my delight
You're my soul's shelter and You're my high tower
Come raise me heavenward O power of my power

I don't want riches or man's empty praise
You're my inheritance now and always
You and You only the first in my heart
High king of Heaven my treasure You are

High king of Heaven when victory's won
May I reach Heaven's joy O bright Heaven's Son
Heart of my own heart whatever befall
Still be my vision O ruler of all