The Ease Of Mistrust

I sympathize with those who find it difficult to trust God in adversity. I've been there often enough myself to know something of the distress, despair, and darkness that fills our souls when we wonder if God truly cares about our plight. I have spent a good portion of my adult life encouraging people to pursue holiness, to obey God. Yet, I acknowledge it often seems more difficult to trust God than to obey Him.

God's moral will given to us in the Bible is rational and reasonable; the circumstances in which we must trust God often irrational and inexplicable. God's law is readily recognized to be good for us, even when we don't want to obey it; the circumstances of our lives frequently appear dreadful and grim, perhaps even calamitous and tragic. Obeying God is worked out within well-defined boundaries of God's revealed will' trusting God is worked out in an arena that has no boundaries, where we're always coping with the unknown. 

Yet it is just as important to trust God as it is to obey Him. When we disobey God we defy His authority and despise His holiness. But when we fail to trust God we doubt His sovereignty and question His goodness. In both cases we cast aspersions upon His majesty and His character. God views our distrust of Him as seriously as He views our disobedience. 

When the people of Israel were hungry, "they spoke against God, saying, 'Can God spread a table in the wilderness?...Can he also give bread of provide meat for his people?'" The next two verses tell us, "When the LORD heard, he was full of wrath...because they did not believe in God and did not trust his saving power" (Psalm 78:19-22, ESV). 

In order to trust God, we must always view our adverse circumstances through the eyes of faith, not of sense.

The (almost) Transition Period

Spring semester of 2013 was over a week ago. My semester was tough. It brought me a lot of stress and tears. All the work that I had to go through in the end paid off. The trials I had to go through led me to persevere in my faith. Looking back, my faith in God strengthened.

As I wait for my final semester, with only one course to finish, my break has been very refreshing as I enjoy being close with God in reading His word and talking to Him. Additionally, I'm still taking Willingdon School of Bible. The course I'm taking currently is on the General Epistles. Because of my busy semester, I skipped two classes. At the same time, I'm very grateful to be catching up with the course as I listen to the lectures online. Also, I have to catch up on my textbook reading.

After today's Wednesday dinner at my church, I sensed the urgency to study Christian Apologetics again. After dinner, some of us crowd together and had a lot of discussions about science and cults and etc. With rather interesting discussions happening, they made me realize that my thinking and knowledge of science have gotten weaker. Just like an olympian that needs to cultivate in his/her training, so does the defense of one's faith need to be cultivated.

As a Christian living in a world where people are getting secular, it is very important for me to give reasons for my faith - why I believe in the existence of God. I hope for this break or transition period from the school world to the working world I would grab my resources and start studying again.

To Christians, please realize that you're aliens and strangers (exiles) in this world. Your citizenship is in heaven. At the same time, you have been appointed by Jesus Christ to spread the Gospel. At the same time, people will go against you. The world will hate you because it hated Jesus first. BUT...

Remember what Peter says, "Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame." (1 Peter 3:13-16)

Remember what Paul says, "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26)

Journey With Me (Day 1)

May 6th, 2011. 

The Time Has Come! Sitting on the airplane for almost 6 hours is another new experience. During the past 4 days, I have been preparing for this exciting trip that God had planned for me. In the beginning, I was so pumped up and feel ready for the trip. Little did I know, there were a lot of information that I had to take in. With all the details and information I need to store while I am on the trip, I feel overwhelmed and fearful because I totally don't know what to expect. It was very humbling. Although I do hope that my heart and mind are ready, I am not 100% confident and ready. But I know that God is with me and my family while I am away. Hope that this will be an awesome step of faith that I'm taking.

Four more hours until I land. My nerves are getting nervous and I just don't know what to say or think about but TRUST! Recently, I have been reading 1 Samuel and understanding and applying how the story relates to the New covenant. It has been a long time, but I am glad that I can refresh my memory.

Hope to update this everyday during my trip.

PS: I watched three movies and I really liked them.
PPS: I am sitting near Myra, Jen, Emily, Zach, Stefan and Megan.
PPPS: I miss DearBubbleSon.

Day 25 – Someone who fascinates you and why?

There are a lot of people in my circle of friends who fascinates me. However, I am asked to only choose one. I didn't have much thought and I immediately thought of Someone. His name is Jesus.

His life is very peculiar. Most of us know the story of Jesus, right? Speaking of Jesus, I had a spiritual conversation at SFU yesterday with someone who's not a student. I was talking to him about what he thinks about God and Jesus. He told me he  had some idea of who Jesus is. He shared with me that Jesus is like a "moral teacher". I agree. He was a teacher, but He was more than a teacher.

Jesus came down to earth, and born of a virgin woman named Mary. He was very bright and had great wisdom when He's young. He was a carpenter. He was in the wilderness for 40 days being tempted by Satan. He had great teachings. He was quite controversial and lived a counter-cultural life, but He didn't sin. Crowds wanted to find opportunity to arrest Him and kill Him.

Jesus IS God, who came down into human history. He walked on earth and lived a life like us. He still sympathizes with us. He healed the sick. He healed the blind and deaf. He went to the cross and atone for our sins so that we would find forgiveness of sin in Him and be reconciled to the Father. He was buried and was raised to life. Now, He ascended into heaven. All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.

Jesus is my Savior and Lord. It is by GRACE that I have been saved through faith. This is grace: Jesus did everything for me in which I cannot do and do not deserve. This is CRAZY! This why Jesus fascinates me! God would still love me even though I am a worthless sinner and ill-deserving of His grace and love.

His love is unconditional and powerful that it compels me to LOVE. This is love: He laid down His life for His friends...and died and shed His blood on the cross for my sins.  He suffered the wrath of God on my place. He is the whole reason why I am here today. Everything spoken in the Bible points to Jesus.

We are all sinners. We all deserve to go to hell. We all don't deserve grace and love. However, God still offers eternal life in Jesus. God still offers grace and love to us. God the Father still offered His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus substituted Himself on our place. Wow...I don't know what to say anymore.

Does Jesus resonate truth to you? Does Jesus fascinate you? Do you see that you are in desperate need of a Savior? You can also know Jesus as your Savior and Lord. You can also have this relationship with Him and get to know the living God. Without Him, then you have nothing worth living for because everything will fade and everything will become vain. You and I will die, and eternity is LONG time - depends on which two directions you are going: Road to Destruction or Road to Life.

John 1:1-5 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

I remember posting this video in this entry, but my prayer is that the character of Jesus will continue to shine and illuminate the darkness of this world because He is God and He is the purpose of why I live:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yzqTFNfeDnE]