I need fellowship!!! I need more than just a bunch of friends to hang out with eating and drinking and watching TV! I need people who love God to encourage each other unto faith and good works!
If a log burns alone, it is but extinguished in a moment. But if many logs burn together in a fire, it burns ever so brighter and brighter.
This has been so long the deepest desire of my soul.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
People, God, wrestling in the mud, taking off burdens.
The more time we spend with each other,
The more we wrestle in the mud.
Our heart and soul burdened down with quagmire.
The more we spend time with God,
The more we see his smile. Calling out to our dear dad.
Where heavy burdens are lifted up, and the dirt of this world cleansed by the blood of the lamb.
The more we wrestle in the mud.
Our heart and soul burdened down with quagmire.
The more we spend time with God,
The more we see his smile. Calling out to our dear dad.
Where heavy burdens are lifted up, and the dirt of this world cleansed by the blood of the lamb.
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Tim's testimony
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g4LYlTuIso
This is so encouraging.
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
This is so encouraging.
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
Nothing is in my control, and it's magnificent!
I was such a little coward.
When I grew up, I was never the bravest kid. I was basically a goody two shoes who always listened to my teacher and parents, or so it seemed. I was living a life looking at the eyes and emotions of other people, because from all the years of yelling from my parents, I got really scared of being punished. So I tried my best to appear good. But it was all in vain. As Jesus says I was just a beautiful tomb. Dead on the inside.
As I became older, my relationships with people got really messed up. Trying to be good in front of others caused me to become really anxious about what others thought of me, I was never able to speak the truth to people or admit my mistakes. My relationship with my parents, especially my dad was estranged. I screamed at him. It was a mess, I was so prideful and hurt and hiding it. Yet sometimes it would explode in fits of rage.
But Jesus saved me! Although I still struggle with seeking men's approval, and building a relationship with others, I no longer have to be afraid of my sins and mistakes, because Jesus died for me and he is my advocate with God. He freed me from sin's power and a guilty conscious.
Even though my circumstances are not in my control, it is a magnificent truth to behold. Because God is in control, and he works all things out for the good of those who love him. Day by day, he is my strength to overcome my fears and anxiety. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
When I grew up, I was never the bravest kid. I was basically a goody two shoes who always listened to my teacher and parents, or so it seemed. I was living a life looking at the eyes and emotions of other people, because from all the years of yelling from my parents, I got really scared of being punished. So I tried my best to appear good. But it was all in vain. As Jesus says I was just a beautiful tomb. Dead on the inside.
As I became older, my relationships with people got really messed up. Trying to be good in front of others caused me to become really anxious about what others thought of me, I was never able to speak the truth to people or admit my mistakes. My relationship with my parents, especially my dad was estranged. I screamed at him. It was a mess, I was so prideful and hurt and hiding it. Yet sometimes it would explode in fits of rage.
But Jesus saved me! Although I still struggle with seeking men's approval, and building a relationship with others, I no longer have to be afraid of my sins and mistakes, because Jesus died for me and he is my advocate with God. He freed me from sin's power and a guilty conscious.
Even though my circumstances are not in my control, it is a magnificent truth to behold. Because God is in control, and he works all things out for the good of those who love him. Day by day, he is my strength to overcome my fears and anxiety. Hallelujah, praise the Lord!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Leaving behind to press on
There's so much pain and sorrow from my past, I have trouble struggling with it.
I cannot over come it, I cannot let go of the hurt from my dad. I cannot overcome my selfishness, my social immaturity, fear of confrontation, my foolishness.
The more I look at these flaws, the more I sink. Like Peter who took his eyes off of Christ, I sink into an ocean of depression and pain.
The thing I need to do is to leave my past hurts, mistakes and failures behind, look forward to Christ and press on. That is life.
I cannot over come it, I cannot let go of the hurt from my dad. I cannot overcome my selfishness, my social immaturity, fear of confrontation, my foolishness.
The more I look at these flaws, the more I sink. Like Peter who took his eyes off of Christ, I sink into an ocean of depression and pain.
The thing I need to do is to leave my past hurts, mistakes and failures behind, look forward to Christ and press on. That is life.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Love like a hurricane
God is love. Not like the emotion we think love to be. But a hurricane.
Wrecking the wicked and unrighteous for the sake of protecting the weak and oppressed.
But in the eye of the storm, there is peace and quietness.
In Christ we rest, while the whirlwind rages on.
Wrecking the wicked and unrighteous for the sake of protecting the weak and oppressed.
But in the eye of the storm, there is peace and quietness.
In Christ we rest, while the whirlwind rages on.
Bandwagon Christianity
When we stop focusing on Christ our Lord, all sorts of confusion and chaos will happen among his people.
In recent years, people have created many bandwagons in Evangelical Christianity.
Not that these things are bad, but too easily the pendulum can swing too far in an effort to be seeker friendly, that we lose wisdom and discernment in seeking God's will.
Just ask people who are involved, how many people involved in the above bandwagons have done it out of a conviction from communion with the Holy Spirit and Scripture? How many people have done it just because it is the latest trend?
I believe we need to ask ourselves these questions as well and work on our relationship with God through prayer and reading the scripture before hopping onto one of these wagons.
The ironic thing is some people who are involved in advertising one of these strategies say there is no silver bullet. But at the same time will criticize others for not leading/administrating a church in the same way. This is shameful and sad when human methods and strategies become huge idols.
What we need is not to come up with ways to contextualize anything. especially not the Gospel and our faith. We need godly character, to grow in wisdom and our relationship with our Lord, or else contextualization, being seeker friendly and all that stuff will be used to excuse our weakness and inability to stand firm in the torrents of the present age. We need to be first and foremost Biblical and letting faith be our assurance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen.
Whatever happened to our Lord who did not submit to culture and told us that the world will hate us? What happened to pursuing Biblical wisdom in presenting the truth, pursuing holiness, and loving each other in deeds and good works in ways the world has never seen before? What happened to church discipline and a conviction of sin, repentance, and teaching of the truth by the Holy Spirit? What happened to the old faithful men and women like Tozer, Ravenhill, Newton, Elliot, Wilkerson, who by the power of God did not submit to the trends of this world but reflected God's Kingdom to the world by their very lives?
We need to reflect on our motivation and examine the lives we live. We need to seek our Lord.
In recent years, people have created many bandwagons in Evangelical Christianity.
- Contextualization of the Gospel with culture
- Breaking down of Biblical truths into dialogues and reason
- Emerging Church
- Missional Church
Not that these things are bad, but too easily the pendulum can swing too far in an effort to be seeker friendly, that we lose wisdom and discernment in seeking God's will.
Just ask people who are involved, how many people involved in the above bandwagons have done it out of a conviction from communion with the Holy Spirit and Scripture? How many people have done it just because it is the latest trend?
I believe we need to ask ourselves these questions as well and work on our relationship with God through prayer and reading the scripture before hopping onto one of these wagons.
The ironic thing is some people who are involved in advertising one of these strategies say there is no silver bullet. But at the same time will criticize others for not leading/administrating a church in the same way. This is shameful and sad when human methods and strategies become huge idols.
What we need is not to come up with ways to contextualize anything. especially not the Gospel and our faith. We need godly character, to grow in wisdom and our relationship with our Lord, or else contextualization, being seeker friendly and all that stuff will be used to excuse our weakness and inability to stand firm in the torrents of the present age. We need to be first and foremost Biblical and letting faith be our assurance of things hoped for and evidence of things unseen.
Whatever happened to our Lord who did not submit to culture and told us that the world will hate us? What happened to pursuing Biblical wisdom in presenting the truth, pursuing holiness, and loving each other in deeds and good works in ways the world has never seen before? What happened to church discipline and a conviction of sin, repentance, and teaching of the truth by the Holy Spirit? What happened to the old faithful men and women like Tozer, Ravenhill, Newton, Elliot, Wilkerson, who by the power of God did not submit to the trends of this world but reflected God's Kingdom to the world by their very lives?
We need to reflect on our motivation and examine the lives we live. We need to seek our Lord.
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