Thursday, April 29, 2010
Out with the Old and In With The New
Okay. So here is the scoop. Its time for some changes. I got a new laptop. Freakin better than my old one which was unnecessarily huge. And now I got a new blog that is legible for you guys to read. So I am moving out of this old bloggin place to my new bloggin home. Find me at http://jasonjusticekim.wordpress.com/. Laters.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Psalm 42:11
Psalm 42:11
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (ESV)
Psalm 42:11. That passage is found in the opening chapter of a book by a Welsh Protestant Minister by the name of Martin Lloyd Jones. His book is titled by Spiritual Depression. Spiritual depression seems to occur in the life of every believer from time to time and lately it seems to have caught up to me a few times this year. Before I get to that topic. It just seems nice just to be alone by myself and take care of chores around the apartment like laundry and cleaning up the car and myself especially:P. This day I feel so "holy" not to brag or anything, I just have been investing in a lot of spiritual books or resources today.
Just lately,I realize or I personally feel that sometimes any church that people attend to just because people say its good or the pastor is good in terms of his exposition or his style of preaching that captivates his audience that they just tend to place value on that particular individual. I am not advocating by any way saying that we don't need pastors, of course we do. Throughout the NT, the bible talks about how their are different roles in the church especially those in teaching the church as addressed in the church of Corinth. But the thing to know is that the Corinthian church, seemed to value individuals idolizing them such as the debate among the Corinthians "O who is better Paul,or Apollos, etc."? We can do that in today's context, for those of us who go to good bible based teaching churches with a lot of resources and pastors who faithfully preach the word.
We have preachers as such as Macarthur, Piper, and Mahaney, etc. Especially we hear them on audio or when they preach at the Resolved Conference. These men are the contemporary reformers of our time and they are worthy of respect for preaching the word faithfully and accurately. The thing is though, there is just one thing about me and them. I don't agree with everything that they hold. Some of their theology, from what I see in scripture I don't agree with because I feel some of their opinions are not consistent with what scripture teaches. I feel as if I can agree with a lot of Macarthur's theology. I feel as if its the most consistent with what scripture teaches. However, the same issue is brought up. I don't agree with Macarthur on everything. I feel as if he can be really prideful and biased and sometimes dogmatic with the things he emphasizes whether its cessationism sometimes or especially his philosophy of ministry. I just feel Macarthur is not a culturally sensitive guy and he emphasizes that a lot in his philosophy of ministry. Its as if he is almost a separatist in a sense. There might have been some aspects in church history where the separatist sense had its moments of failures while at the same time being too culturally relevant while sacrificing the main doctrines is especially harmful as well.
The point is that lately, I realize I don't agree with everyone and I mean Everyone, word for word esp when it comes to a theological issue but the thing though is that even though that I might not agree with everyone about everything esp the worlds best bible teaching pastors of the day that I respect them for advocating the truth and trying to do their best in preaching the word. And that applies to me today still, I don't agree with certain a certain theology that people hold to and I feel as if somehow people just mindlessly listen to a pastor whenever he preaches and just soaks it in like a sponge. Not to say I am good at this, but honestly, be discerning, just because "o that pastor speaks well he is eloquent his church has a lot of people" doesn't mean you have to follow him word for word. Who knows, he might be a wolf in sheeps clothing. Look to the Word of God and see with what he is teaching is consistent with what the Bible says. Secondary issues, well its what I am dealing with the most I suppose, to me its a matter of developing your own theology, some people would question me wow your challenging that Pastor? Honestly, you think Pastors are the word of God instead of the actual bible. You have your heads messed up if you think that way either explicitly or subtlely. Thats why prayer is important because they are sinful just like you and I that we need to pray for them that whatever they preach on the pulpit is from the word and not their own wisdom. Don't be suckered in brainlessly.
Sorry, about that rant, just needed to get that off my chest. I just have been going through a lot of changes about how I feel about the bible like developing my own opinion and thought but its not like I am going to challenge people and usurp them. Although there is a time that the major doctrines such as the gospel must be preached faithfully and people need to step in or do something if heretical doctrine is preached of any sort. Besides changes, I just feel glad to have a book by book bible survey by Macarthur in understanding various contexts of various books in the bible it is quite amazing. Especially with a little bit of side reading by Jerry Bridges, Trusting In God Even When Life Hurts, a book the bridges points to various passages of the Sovereignty of God with various examples. Its something that I need in these dark times right now, well I wouldn't say darkness just questioning and some emotional distress. A lot of my distress is the future and dealing with change.
This campus ministry CCM has been a part of my life so much with the people and relationships that I made. Its like family to me and to part with them. I just feel so lonely and isolated. This year, I realized that everyone has faults which goes back to previous rants. I was foretold about this but I just didn't seem to listen but I guess I had to learn it the hard way. I don't know if its me or the circumstances but its nice to have these relationships but somehow I could get hurt and it esp hurts sometimes when its by a close friend sometimes. I guess no one hurted me that bad, its just the issue of leaving these relationships behind. For me personally as I visited Lighthouse Bible Church to see my old hs friends and met up with Pastor John Kim. Pastor John, I could definitely relate to him. Just having a tough childhood growing up in an environment where your culturally different.
I wasn't your typical Korean American kid grown up in a Korean community like Diamond Bar. Both Pastor John and I grew up in culturally different neighborhoods where we were subject of being made fun of. During his hour of expository preaching, he would make funny noises by imitating a child's voice crying Mommy to illustrate a point in his sermon. When I attended his discussion about the book Spiritual Depression he would use the issue of spiritual discontentment and he used examples of how kids would cry when they didn't get what they wanted to a point where parents would have them on leashes. A lil bit crude but it gets his point across. Some might consider him incredibly dogmatic, but to me he just seems to remind me of myself a lot of ways having random asian moments and goofy but at the same time being dogmatic about the essentials of Christianity. He spoke about the topic of why we as Christians go to church and I was surprised that such a man like him would complain about the church so much.
Both of us have had bad church experiences. For me, I lost some of my old church friends to apostacy. Caring about Christ just seems to be the last thing on their mind and its really heartbreaking especially what happened at my old church. I just feel disillusioned in a lot of ways about church commitment especially after what happened. Church biblically speaking is of great importance of course than the campus ministry. It is extremely hard though. The people that I met here in college in CCM have been like family to me. I miss my mentors from CCM who have graduated last year who played such a big role in my walk. I especially miss my sg leader and my sg to death and wish that we would never part ways especially as I make such a big decision for my future as a senior. To be honest, it was CCM that taught me how to study the word of God expositionally and accurately and know all sort of theology and doctrine.
Following Jesus just seemed so easy when your young, but after in college it just seems hard. Macarthur puts it "Salvation is a gift and yet it costs everything". I am just dealing with a lot of spiritual discontentment in terms of church commitment and parting from the relationships I made in college and question God's sovereignty and blame God as to why church the bride of Christ can be harmful and damaging whether its feeling left out, quarreling, tolerance of sin, loss of friends and even splits. Its emotionally damaging. And as I think about post college life, my views are not quite optimistic in fact, I feel as if I am stuck in a spiritual rut. As of right now, I feel as if ccm is quite the family I have had for some time, but once its gone because of reasons why I don't understand I just feel like a kid coming out of a broken home with a lot of heartache and sorrow and can only blame God and think why he is playing such a cruel joke on me with this huge gap in my heart.
Sorry, if I am being emotional but its just these tough decisions as a senior and the emotional pain that comes from parting ways especially coming from pain of loss when it comes to church. Like, I just feel as if no one cares or understands how I feel like its an issue where you can develop distrust for any people and you feel as if people are just manipulative smiling but somehow they backstab you. I guess its easy for me to fall into that temptation and after all these emotional things when might think I am psycho but its a lot of emotional baggage that is built up. Its easy to respond to emotion such as anger or sadness.
I remember a testimony by an individual from the Masters seminary who went through a lot of emotional suffering pleading with God to help him but he felt abandoned by God. Macarthur spoke that God doesn't answer verbally but circumstantially and providentially. God used this individual mightily for God's glory and kingdom. I am not optimistic about my future with a lot of baggage and weight of past emotional scars and now. Man may help but they will eventually fail you. As I am trying to figure out my identity, in a lot of ways I just feel as if sometimes I am not even a Korean or an individual. I am seeking for a destiny beyond that of your average Christian. The only individual I can trust 100% is Christ and his word, no one or nothing else should compete for that trust and that can only come by prayer and reading.
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (ESV)
Psalm 42:11. That passage is found in the opening chapter of a book by a Welsh Protestant Minister by the name of Martin Lloyd Jones. His book is titled by Spiritual Depression. Spiritual depression seems to occur in the life of every believer from time to time and lately it seems to have caught up to me a few times this year. Before I get to that topic. It just seems nice just to be alone by myself and take care of chores around the apartment like laundry and cleaning up the car and myself especially:P. This day I feel so "holy" not to brag or anything, I just have been investing in a lot of spiritual books or resources today.
Just lately,I realize or I personally feel that sometimes any church that people attend to just because people say its good or the pastor is good in terms of his exposition or his style of preaching that captivates his audience that they just tend to place value on that particular individual. I am not advocating by any way saying that we don't need pastors, of course we do. Throughout the NT, the bible talks about how their are different roles in the church especially those in teaching the church as addressed in the church of Corinth. But the thing to know is that the Corinthian church, seemed to value individuals idolizing them such as the debate among the Corinthians "O who is better Paul,or Apollos, etc."? We can do that in today's context, for those of us who go to good bible based teaching churches with a lot of resources and pastors who faithfully preach the word.
We have preachers as such as Macarthur, Piper, and Mahaney, etc. Especially we hear them on audio or when they preach at the Resolved Conference. These men are the contemporary reformers of our time and they are worthy of respect for preaching the word faithfully and accurately. The thing is though, there is just one thing about me and them. I don't agree with everything that they hold. Some of their theology, from what I see in scripture I don't agree with because I feel some of their opinions are not consistent with what scripture teaches. I feel as if I can agree with a lot of Macarthur's theology. I feel as if its the most consistent with what scripture teaches. However, the same issue is brought up. I don't agree with Macarthur on everything. I feel as if he can be really prideful and biased and sometimes dogmatic with the things he emphasizes whether its cessationism sometimes or especially his philosophy of ministry. I just feel Macarthur is not a culturally sensitive guy and he emphasizes that a lot in his philosophy of ministry. Its as if he is almost a separatist in a sense. There might have been some aspects in church history where the separatist sense had its moments of failures while at the same time being too culturally relevant while sacrificing the main doctrines is especially harmful as well.
The point is that lately, I realize I don't agree with everyone and I mean Everyone, word for word esp when it comes to a theological issue but the thing though is that even though that I might not agree with everyone about everything esp the worlds best bible teaching pastors of the day that I respect them for advocating the truth and trying to do their best in preaching the word. And that applies to me today still, I don't agree with certain a certain theology that people hold to and I feel as if somehow people just mindlessly listen to a pastor whenever he preaches and just soaks it in like a sponge. Not to say I am good at this, but honestly, be discerning, just because "o that pastor speaks well he is eloquent his church has a lot of people" doesn't mean you have to follow him word for word. Who knows, he might be a wolf in sheeps clothing. Look to the Word of God and see with what he is teaching is consistent with what the Bible says. Secondary issues, well its what I am dealing with the most I suppose, to me its a matter of developing your own theology, some people would question me wow your challenging that Pastor? Honestly, you think Pastors are the word of God instead of the actual bible. You have your heads messed up if you think that way either explicitly or subtlely. Thats why prayer is important because they are sinful just like you and I that we need to pray for them that whatever they preach on the pulpit is from the word and not their own wisdom. Don't be suckered in brainlessly.
Sorry, about that rant, just needed to get that off my chest. I just have been going through a lot of changes about how I feel about the bible like developing my own opinion and thought but its not like I am going to challenge people and usurp them. Although there is a time that the major doctrines such as the gospel must be preached faithfully and people need to step in or do something if heretical doctrine is preached of any sort. Besides changes, I just feel glad to have a book by book bible survey by Macarthur in understanding various contexts of various books in the bible it is quite amazing. Especially with a little bit of side reading by Jerry Bridges, Trusting In God Even When Life Hurts, a book the bridges points to various passages of the Sovereignty of God with various examples. Its something that I need in these dark times right now, well I wouldn't say darkness just questioning and some emotional distress. A lot of my distress is the future and dealing with change.
This campus ministry CCM has been a part of my life so much with the people and relationships that I made. Its like family to me and to part with them. I just feel so lonely and isolated. This year, I realized that everyone has faults which goes back to previous rants. I was foretold about this but I just didn't seem to listen but I guess I had to learn it the hard way. I don't know if its me or the circumstances but its nice to have these relationships but somehow I could get hurt and it esp hurts sometimes when its by a close friend sometimes. I guess no one hurted me that bad, its just the issue of leaving these relationships behind. For me personally as I visited Lighthouse Bible Church to see my old hs friends and met up with Pastor John Kim. Pastor John, I could definitely relate to him. Just having a tough childhood growing up in an environment where your culturally different.
I wasn't your typical Korean American kid grown up in a Korean community like Diamond Bar. Both Pastor John and I grew up in culturally different neighborhoods where we were subject of being made fun of. During his hour of expository preaching, he would make funny noises by imitating a child's voice crying Mommy to illustrate a point in his sermon. When I attended his discussion about the book Spiritual Depression he would use the issue of spiritual discontentment and he used examples of how kids would cry when they didn't get what they wanted to a point where parents would have them on leashes. A lil bit crude but it gets his point across. Some might consider him incredibly dogmatic, but to me he just seems to remind me of myself a lot of ways having random asian moments and goofy but at the same time being dogmatic about the essentials of Christianity. He spoke about the topic of why we as Christians go to church and I was surprised that such a man like him would complain about the church so much.
Both of us have had bad church experiences. For me, I lost some of my old church friends to apostacy. Caring about Christ just seems to be the last thing on their mind and its really heartbreaking especially what happened at my old church. I just feel disillusioned in a lot of ways about church commitment especially after what happened. Church biblically speaking is of great importance of course than the campus ministry. It is extremely hard though. The people that I met here in college in CCM have been like family to me. I miss my mentors from CCM who have graduated last year who played such a big role in my walk. I especially miss my sg leader and my sg to death and wish that we would never part ways especially as I make such a big decision for my future as a senior. To be honest, it was CCM that taught me how to study the word of God expositionally and accurately and know all sort of theology and doctrine.
Following Jesus just seemed so easy when your young, but after in college it just seems hard. Macarthur puts it "Salvation is a gift and yet it costs everything". I am just dealing with a lot of spiritual discontentment in terms of church commitment and parting from the relationships I made in college and question God's sovereignty and blame God as to why church the bride of Christ can be harmful and damaging whether its feeling left out, quarreling, tolerance of sin, loss of friends and even splits. Its emotionally damaging. And as I think about post college life, my views are not quite optimistic in fact, I feel as if I am stuck in a spiritual rut. As of right now, I feel as if ccm is quite the family I have had for some time, but once its gone because of reasons why I don't understand I just feel like a kid coming out of a broken home with a lot of heartache and sorrow and can only blame God and think why he is playing such a cruel joke on me with this huge gap in my heart.
Sorry, if I am being emotional but its just these tough decisions as a senior and the emotional pain that comes from parting ways especially coming from pain of loss when it comes to church. Like, I just feel as if no one cares or understands how I feel like its an issue where you can develop distrust for any people and you feel as if people are just manipulative smiling but somehow they backstab you. I guess its easy for me to fall into that temptation and after all these emotional things when might think I am psycho but its a lot of emotional baggage that is built up. Its easy to respond to emotion such as anger or sadness.
I remember a testimony by an individual from the Masters seminary who went through a lot of emotional suffering pleading with God to help him but he felt abandoned by God. Macarthur spoke that God doesn't answer verbally but circumstantially and providentially. God used this individual mightily for God's glory and kingdom. I am not optimistic about my future with a lot of baggage and weight of past emotional scars and now. Man may help but they will eventually fail you. As I am trying to figure out my identity, in a lot of ways I just feel as if sometimes I am not even a Korean or an individual. I am seeking for a destiny beyond that of your average Christian. The only individual I can trust 100% is Christ and his word, no one or nothing else should compete for that trust and that can only come by prayer and reading.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Persevere and Finish Strong
Its been a while ever since I updated this blog and written my thoughts and ideas. The reason was last fall quarter, I have been going through a lot of hardships, stress, and trials especially wiht things that I wouldn't have expected to happen. Its just a lot of things to say. But I guess the storm is over for the time being, can't say it'll happen again though. Its been awhile ever since I updated this blog. All my class guys are starting their own blogs on wordpress and I thought why not join wordpress but then again. Just writing on this blog it somehow is just comfortable, its like I can call this blog home whenever I write down my thoughts or opinions on stuff.
I guess, in simpler terms, just don't do what my other class guys are doing conforming to the same blogs that they are making just write on my own blog as I please. Life just didn't go out exactly the way I had planned since the fall of 2009and a lot of drama in my family and stress has been put upon my shoulders and with other circumstances that are just too difficult to explain all on this blog. But luckily I was able to find some solutions to the problems that I have and am grateful for some of the things that I have even though I took it for gratned. So as the new year of 2010 starts, I have decided to make some changes and hope to pursue them diligently and wholeheartedly. So far the blogs that I have looked have come up with a New Year's Resolution so feel free to look at them and keep me accountable if you so please.
1. Be Efficient and Not Waste Time.
This is a big issue that I deal with and I am sure for every college student. But of course, I shouldn't justify myself just because everyone else is doing doesn't always mean that its okay for me. Pastor Aaron's email during finals week was awake up call for me. I need to repent of my laziness for sure to the best of my ability and be a better student.
So I need to do less of this:
This:
AND THIS:
AND ESPECIALLY...ESPECIALLY THIS:
I seriously need to be like this both literally and figuratively:
Point is: I need to be a better student for sure. And I mean FOR SURE.
2. Be a better steward of my money
I get spoiled with a lot of dough both from family and financial aid. I need a great deal of discernment in how I spend it whether it be for my own personal use such as food or supplies or just simply for ministries like that of CCM that drain your dough as you take out new under class men. My family is under a lot of financial debt because of the way our business has been going as of late.
So less spending of this:
But actaully doing something like this:
Don't get the wrong idea it means getting a part time job.
So far I'll be interning at UCIPD for winter quarter and I intend to work partime at a another job over spring to learn how to make a living on my own.
3. Exercise
Because I have been lazy on my fat butt back then, its time to step it up a notch in my workout in a variety of ways whether its running, pushups, situps, and mountain climbers if I am going to be in good shape. Some of you may know my hobbies and I desire to get good in each of them.
Yes. As a lot of you know I break. But this year, I want to do something crazy like power moves or something. I have in mind handhops but I'll need the upper body strenght to do that. Its always exciting whether battling or cyphering (which is you dance in a circle), but actually I don't do well in crowds where everyone is telling me to just dance for their own personal enjoyment. I need to find something crazy or something like a new power move.
Yes, I know thats the former red ranger. The point is I am an adrenaline junkie when it comes to martial arts. I am not so much as to wrestling as a lot of other people are especailly amongst my class. I def. want to look into it more.
This isn't so much a workout. But I want to get better at this hobby. There is so much joy as to playing worship songs like these. I just hope I can find someone who can teach me so I can get better at it.
4. Get into Basketball: LAKERS
Originally I wasn't a fan of basketball. I just watch my class guys and other people watch the game and play fantasy and people would go ballistic. At first my attitude, its just a game where you just throw a ball into a hoop. I realize that I need to be zealous of the county I live in especially Los Angeles. I started to get into it more and more as I have peers who are interested in it especially since I have close friends who are extreme fans of LA and Sacramento. Honestly, basketball has begun to spark my interest especailly with the way Kobe spanked the Kings within those 4 seconds...one word...Amazing. The Black Mamba has been fed indeed.
5. Last but not least Love God and People, not thyself.
The point of these illustrations above is this fact...I have much growing up to do. These past eight years that I have been a Christian, I have gain much understanding of Christianity from its roots to the reformation, its contemporary reformers and their theology and how they view scripture, the various resources that I have to exposit and understand scripture in its original meaning in the Hebrew and Greek, theology and doctrine that make up various theories of God. But still the fact is this...I fall short. Just in terms of loving people, church, and God.
I seriously am not the strong Christian as I thought especially thinking that I had this faith and walk down especially with the way I have been the past fall quarter. If I have hurt anyone with the things I have said, with the stupid things I have done, I am sorry...I hope that you guys can forgive me. Moreover, I need the grace of God to change me. I may know a lot of things about God but the fact is so simple when a brother, a good mentor of mine, asked me this type of question, "You know a lot about the bible with its theology and doctrine, but do you know God?" It just shook me to my core. Just following and being like a sheep in the typical conservative evangelical circle sometimes when I really need is to see the preciousness of Christ. Its not always there for me at times but hopefully I can make it. Meditate on who the God Man is and what was his purpose in leaving heaven and coming down to the Earth in human form and that is the gospel. Its easier said than done thats certain. But we must all pursue this goal especially myself as well.
Btw...Honestly blogging is hard...gnite yall.
I guess, in simpler terms, just don't do what my other class guys are doing conforming to the same blogs that they are making just write on my own blog as I please. Life just didn't go out exactly the way I had planned since the fall of 2009and a lot of drama in my family and stress has been put upon my shoulders and with other circumstances that are just too difficult to explain all on this blog. But luckily I was able to find some solutions to the problems that I have and am grateful for some of the things that I have even though I took it for gratned. So as the new year of 2010 starts, I have decided to make some changes and hope to pursue them diligently and wholeheartedly. So far the blogs that I have looked have come up with a New Year's Resolution so feel free to look at them and keep me accountable if you so please.
1. Be Efficient and Not Waste Time.
This is a big issue that I deal with and I am sure for every college student. But of course, I shouldn't justify myself just because everyone else is doing doesn't always mean that its okay for me. Pastor Aaron's email during finals week was awake up call for me. I need to repent of my laziness for sure to the best of my ability and be a better student.
So I need to do less of this:
This:
AND THIS:
AND ESPECIALLY...ESPECIALLY THIS:
I seriously need to be like this both literally and figuratively:
Point is: I need to be a better student for sure. And I mean FOR SURE.
2. Be a better steward of my money
I get spoiled with a lot of dough both from family and financial aid. I need a great deal of discernment in how I spend it whether it be for my own personal use such as food or supplies or just simply for ministries like that of CCM that drain your dough as you take out new under class men. My family is under a lot of financial debt because of the way our business has been going as of late.
So less spending of this:
But actaully doing something like this:
Don't get the wrong idea it means getting a part time job.
So far I'll be interning at UCIPD for winter quarter and I intend to work partime at a another job over spring to learn how to make a living on my own.
3. Exercise
Because I have been lazy on my fat butt back then, its time to step it up a notch in my workout in a variety of ways whether its running, pushups, situps, and mountain climbers if I am going to be in good shape. Some of you may know my hobbies and I desire to get good in each of them.
Yes. As a lot of you know I break. But this year, I want to do something crazy like power moves or something. I have in mind handhops but I'll need the upper body strenght to do that. Its always exciting whether battling or cyphering (which is you dance in a circle), but actually I don't do well in crowds where everyone is telling me to just dance for their own personal enjoyment. I need to find something crazy or something like a new power move.
Yes, I know thats the former red ranger. The point is I am an adrenaline junkie when it comes to martial arts. I am not so much as to wrestling as a lot of other people are especailly amongst my class. I def. want to look into it more.
This isn't so much a workout. But I want to get better at this hobby. There is so much joy as to playing worship songs like these. I just hope I can find someone who can teach me so I can get better at it.
4. Get into Basketball: LAKERS
Originally I wasn't a fan of basketball. I just watch my class guys and other people watch the game and play fantasy and people would go ballistic. At first my attitude, its just a game where you just throw a ball into a hoop. I realize that I need to be zealous of the county I live in especially Los Angeles. I started to get into it more and more as I have peers who are interested in it especially since I have close friends who are extreme fans of LA and Sacramento. Honestly, basketball has begun to spark my interest especailly with the way Kobe spanked the Kings within those 4 seconds...one word...Amazing. The Black Mamba has been fed indeed.
5. Last but not least Love God and People, not thyself.
The point of these illustrations above is this fact...I have much growing up to do. These past eight years that I have been a Christian, I have gain much understanding of Christianity from its roots to the reformation, its contemporary reformers and their theology and how they view scripture, the various resources that I have to exposit and understand scripture in its original meaning in the Hebrew and Greek, theology and doctrine that make up various theories of God. But still the fact is this...I fall short. Just in terms of loving people, church, and God.
I seriously am not the strong Christian as I thought especially thinking that I had this faith and walk down especially with the way I have been the past fall quarter. If I have hurt anyone with the things I have said, with the stupid things I have done, I am sorry...I hope that you guys can forgive me. Moreover, I need the grace of God to change me. I may know a lot of things about God but the fact is so simple when a brother, a good mentor of mine, asked me this type of question, "You know a lot about the bible with its theology and doctrine, but do you know God?" It just shook me to my core. Just following and being like a sheep in the typical conservative evangelical circle sometimes when I really need is to see the preciousness of Christ. Its not always there for me at times but hopefully I can make it. Meditate on who the God Man is and what was his purpose in leaving heaven and coming down to the Earth in human form and that is the gospel. Its easier said than done thats certain. But we must all pursue this goal especially myself as well.
Btw...Honestly blogging is hard...gnite yall.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Making Memories
I remember a good friend who has a blog with the words of the title of this post as his title of his homepage. As I looked back on my facebook photos, I came across some memorable photos enjoy.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Take A Deep Moment To Consider
First week of school has had its ups and downs, its benefits and its challenges. So far, going through a survey of OT has been nice especially with Exodus, and I got three albums of the hip hop lyrical theologian, Shai Linne. His beats are awesome FO SHO YEYEYE. But I want to take a step back for a deep moment to consider and for your consideration if you are reading this blog on a topic that I need to remind myself and hopefully for you as well what may be on your mind and heart.
Last night CCM was great, I missed these general meetings of CCM so much. Despite it being a parachurch ministry, it felt like home in a way. This ministry has taught me a lot of things with regards to the scriptures, theology, and the gospel and it still does to this very day. Last night one of our advisors spoke upon the holiness of God, a simple yet very applicable topic that he made in his sermon. As college students, we are given a great deal of choices, responsiblity and independence in what we choose to do especially with our faith.
Even though I am a senior, you'd expect for me to have everything naturally down, but in reality I have a lot of things on my mind big decisions that I want to make and see things happen now but I just have been losing patience. The message made me think just in terms of like what am I doing so far and where I have gone wrong. In my last post, I kind of touched on the aspects when Tim Keller discusses the difference between religion and Christianity, how religiousness is comprised of doing things to feel accepted while Christianity we obey as a response. The thing is I kind of lost track with my mind and heart being elsewhere but tonight did touch upon the subject of what I need to focus on. For me just look at the note when I crack open my bible I need to think and meditate on that and also Ephesisans 2:1-10, God is sovereign one who indeed provides salvation not by what I do. Dang, just writing that and me looking over it just speaks truth.
So far in my recollection, from Desiring God by John Piper and a mini version of Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney, both authors talk about the subject: "Stop listening to yourself and start preaching to yourself". I listen to myself a lot at times, and in a way it can lead to self conciousness to some degree and this way of thinking can sometimes be integrated in today's circle of evangelicalism. We ask ourseleves, is my theology and doctrine in reflected in what I do, is what I'm doing sinful or stumbling that person. Although in one of the letters that Paul writes to Corinthians stresses that we must examine ourselves and I am not trying to advocate by sayng we shouldn't, but the scriptures also talks about being reminded of our calling. Our call to live lives worthy of the gospel, not by our own righteousness but because of Christ. I should know this by now to make it a habit but it just shows how careless or how forgetful I can be at times. Nonetheless, with this reminder let us fight the good fight of faith and run this race with perseverance. YEYEYE.
Last night CCM was great, I missed these general meetings of CCM so much. Despite it being a parachurch ministry, it felt like home in a way. This ministry has taught me a lot of things with regards to the scriptures, theology, and the gospel and it still does to this very day. Last night one of our advisors spoke upon the holiness of God, a simple yet very applicable topic that he made in his sermon. As college students, we are given a great deal of choices, responsiblity and independence in what we choose to do especially with our faith.
Even though I am a senior, you'd expect for me to have everything naturally down, but in reality I have a lot of things on my mind big decisions that I want to make and see things happen now but I just have been losing patience. The message made me think just in terms of like what am I doing so far and where I have gone wrong. In my last post, I kind of touched on the aspects when Tim Keller discusses the difference between religion and Christianity, how religiousness is comprised of doing things to feel accepted while Christianity we obey as a response. The thing is I kind of lost track with my mind and heart being elsewhere but tonight did touch upon the subject of what I need to focus on. For me just look at the note when I crack open my bible I need to think and meditate on that and also Ephesisans 2:1-10, God is sovereign one who indeed provides salvation not by what I do. Dang, just writing that and me looking over it just speaks truth.
So far in my recollection, from Desiring God by John Piper and a mini version of Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney, both authors talk about the subject: "Stop listening to yourself and start preaching to yourself". I listen to myself a lot at times, and in a way it can lead to self conciousness to some degree and this way of thinking can sometimes be integrated in today's circle of evangelicalism. We ask ourseleves, is my theology and doctrine in reflected in what I do, is what I'm doing sinful or stumbling that person. Although in one of the letters that Paul writes to Corinthians stresses that we must examine ourselves and I am not trying to advocate by sayng we shouldn't, but the scriptures also talks about being reminded of our calling. Our call to live lives worthy of the gospel, not by our own righteousness but because of Christ. I should know this by now to make it a habit but it just shows how careless or how forgetful I can be at times. Nonetheless, with this reminder let us fight the good fight of faith and run this race with perseverance. YEYEYE.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
As The Curtain Rises....
My three week break at home has been great. Despite being bored by not getting in touch with people as compared to the regular school year, just being back at home could never been so sweet. Things have changed a lil bit up in La Verne, I tried a new burger place called the Habit and had their western bacon burger and it was nice. Meeting up with my old high school friends were nice too. I didn't have the best high school experience compared to college. But just meeting up with them was great.
I had some discussions with some people about Tim Keller's Reason for God which challenges some of the popular notions that various people bring up to challenge the Christian faith. We talked about how even though people try to bring up the faults with the faith, their arguments is comprised of faults as well which their claims can prove doubtful. Apologetics is not my strong point as it is mind boggling, but the fact is that some people try to bring up relativism and think that Christianity is a religion just like any other religion and that its all about being a good person and you'll get reward in some afterlife that some other religions claim and they think that its absolute.
While we Christians, do what we do by living righteous lives not to gain anything but as a response to Christ's sacrifice on the cross to pay for the penalty of our sins and that must be absolute to us. A good brother of mine from CCM or I would like to call him my mentor, had this little slip of paper which was a note underneath the cover of his Bible. It was from Tim Keller's sermon as he was comparing religion versus Christianity. The note from Keller's sermon says that religion is "I Obey, therefore I'm accepted" while Christianity says "I'm accepted through what Jesus Christ did for me, therefore I obey". To the eyes of the world it may seem like were relative as any other religion, but what the scriptures say is that we obey as a response to the work of Christ and not to gain anything because of the grace of God we are saved through Christ.
The note goes more in depth comparing be saying "Not justified by how many peopel come out to church or how well I do" and also a bible verse Jonah 2:9 that says "Salvation is of the Lord". I copied that note from my mentor's bible to remind myself of the message that the note portrays and I added my own verse Ephesisans 2:1-10. As I was going through a rough time last summer, my mentor showed me this passage and it shattered my heart. I won't go into too much detail about the historical context but its a letter from Paul to the Church of the Ephesus. Verses 1-3 speaks of our human depravity before we came to Christ with the fact that we were dead spiritually just like the world under a system of depravity known as sin. Verses 4-10 speaks of a God who despite his holiness and his righteousness and can't stand the sight of sin was filled with love for us even though we were sinful made us alive spiritually.
A new birth spiritually only by the blood of Christ, and it was the grace of God that caused this to happen which seated us with him in the heavnly places of Christ Jesus. And it is by the grace of God that we are saved and not by human works, so that no one can take credit that we are saved not by an action that we do on our part at all. Verse 10 speaks of us to live lives of righteousness as response for we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus.
I know I might have gone off topic with my summer break to this part, but its extremely comforting going over for this and I need it more than over. Even though summer break has been great at home. I felt the weight of the world of life after graduation and it was painful and lonely. But what gave me peace though was going through the word of God. I am doing my devotions on Exodus and I just finished Genesis a few weeks ago. Its so nice to go through the bible at one's own pace. From what I know, the whole central message of the bible is the gospel both explicitly and implicitly. The OT speaks of a Holy God and his character from the creation of the world and making a covenant with Abraham that promises of a great nation to come which is Israel.
Despite, Israel's many failures because of their sin in various ways in particular idolatry, this God remains faithful to them and prophesies the coming of a messiah which is Jesus which is how the gospel slowly came to pass. The NT speaks of Jesus and his teaching to his disciples about the hope of the gospel which is Christ's sacrifice on the cross. A sacrifice for sin to end all sins and the OT sacrificial system was no longer needed because of that great sacrifice on the cross. The gospel came to the apostles and Paul to preach it to various nations and places. With Paul and his instructions and guidelines in his letters to the various churches to live lives worthy of Christ. So worthy that gives us believers joy and being expectant till Christ returns. As a passage in revelation says "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This is a great truth and as I write this blog about this and it is comforting. Its definitely worth reminding ourselves constantly. Even though theology and doctrine which is based upon scripture is important to the life of a believer. Those things alone cannot bring life spiritually but looking at the scriptures that speak of the gospel in various ways brings such a great deal of spiritual satisfaction. My time over break, despite the comfort and discomfort over various things, has made me led to big decisions in my life right now. I am going through a hiring process right now applying for a job and my plans after my graduation have been made up. I look back at my life in various ways especially in how I came to college and have been led up to this point. As the Curtain called "My Senior Year: Last Year in UCI" begins to rise and my I have made some important decisions which are set, the only thing to do is wait and carry them out step by step.
I had some discussions with some people about Tim Keller's Reason for God which challenges some of the popular notions that various people bring up to challenge the Christian faith. We talked about how even though people try to bring up the faults with the faith, their arguments is comprised of faults as well which their claims can prove doubtful. Apologetics is not my strong point as it is mind boggling, but the fact is that some people try to bring up relativism and think that Christianity is a religion just like any other religion and that its all about being a good person and you'll get reward in some afterlife that some other religions claim and they think that its absolute.
While we Christians, do what we do by living righteous lives not to gain anything but as a response to Christ's sacrifice on the cross to pay for the penalty of our sins and that must be absolute to us. A good brother of mine from CCM or I would like to call him my mentor, had this little slip of paper which was a note underneath the cover of his Bible. It was from Tim Keller's sermon as he was comparing religion versus Christianity. The note from Keller's sermon says that religion is "I Obey, therefore I'm accepted" while Christianity says "I'm accepted through what Jesus Christ did for me, therefore I obey". To the eyes of the world it may seem like were relative as any other religion, but what the scriptures say is that we obey as a response to the work of Christ and not to gain anything because of the grace of God we are saved through Christ.
The note goes more in depth comparing be saying "Not justified by how many peopel come out to church or how well I do" and also a bible verse Jonah 2:9 that says "Salvation is of the Lord". I copied that note from my mentor's bible to remind myself of the message that the note portrays and I added my own verse Ephesisans 2:1-10. As I was going through a rough time last summer, my mentor showed me this passage and it shattered my heart. I won't go into too much detail about the historical context but its a letter from Paul to the Church of the Ephesus. Verses 1-3 speaks of our human depravity before we came to Christ with the fact that we were dead spiritually just like the world under a system of depravity known as sin. Verses 4-10 speaks of a God who despite his holiness and his righteousness and can't stand the sight of sin was filled with love for us even though we were sinful made us alive spiritually.
A new birth spiritually only by the blood of Christ, and it was the grace of God that caused this to happen which seated us with him in the heavnly places of Christ Jesus. And it is by the grace of God that we are saved and not by human works, so that no one can take credit that we are saved not by an action that we do on our part at all. Verse 10 speaks of us to live lives of righteousness as response for we are the workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus.
I know I might have gone off topic with my summer break to this part, but its extremely comforting going over for this and I need it more than over. Even though summer break has been great at home. I felt the weight of the world of life after graduation and it was painful and lonely. But what gave me peace though was going through the word of God. I am doing my devotions on Exodus and I just finished Genesis a few weeks ago. Its so nice to go through the bible at one's own pace. From what I know, the whole central message of the bible is the gospel both explicitly and implicitly. The OT speaks of a Holy God and his character from the creation of the world and making a covenant with Abraham that promises of a great nation to come which is Israel.
Despite, Israel's many failures because of their sin in various ways in particular idolatry, this God remains faithful to them and prophesies the coming of a messiah which is Jesus which is how the gospel slowly came to pass. The NT speaks of Jesus and his teaching to his disciples about the hope of the gospel which is Christ's sacrifice on the cross. A sacrifice for sin to end all sins and the OT sacrificial system was no longer needed because of that great sacrifice on the cross. The gospel came to the apostles and Paul to preach it to various nations and places. With Paul and his instructions and guidelines in his letters to the various churches to live lives worthy of Christ. So worthy that gives us believers joy and being expectant till Christ returns. As a passage in revelation says "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This is a great truth and as I write this blog about this and it is comforting. Its definitely worth reminding ourselves constantly. Even though theology and doctrine which is based upon scripture is important to the life of a believer. Those things alone cannot bring life spiritually but looking at the scriptures that speak of the gospel in various ways brings such a great deal of spiritual satisfaction. My time over break, despite the comfort and discomfort over various things, has made me led to big decisions in my life right now. I am going through a hiring process right now applying for a job and my plans after my graduation have been made up. I look back at my life in various ways especially in how I came to college and have been led up to this point. As the Curtain called "My Senior Year: Last Year in UCI" begins to rise and my I have made some important decisions which are set, the only thing to do is wait and carry them out step by step.
Monday, September 21, 2009
One of my favorite TV shows hands down
I have a variety of TV shows that I like. But so far, the one thats been catching my attention is the office. BEST SHOW...HANDS DOWN!!!
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