Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Faith before intellects, scripture before human philosophy and wisdom in evangelism
Recently I've been spending a lot of time studying with a friend. I prayed for opportunities to share the gospel, and it's been a really humbling experience.
It started off badly when somehow we started talking about philosophical concepts on how human interpret truth, our conversation became more and more heated and we talked until 1 or 2 am when the next day he has to work and I have school. Basically it was brutal when I tried to play the intellectual game. I felt really sad and stupid that night, and I realized I did not trust in God during the conversation with my friend.
Thankfully, God listened to my prayers and more opportunities came up the following few days. I was able to tell him Christianity is not about being a good person, how we are all accountable and sinful before God, how there will be judgment after death, and how Jesus is our only hope. I've learned that it is joyful when I faithfully speak truth from the Bible instead of trying to be sneaky and all intellectual, the fight is not with the intellects of the unsaved, but heart and spirit, and Satan's lies and control over this world.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This fight is not ours to win, but God's, he is the author of faith, and he is able to save to the uttermost.
It started off badly when somehow we started talking about philosophical concepts on how human interpret truth, our conversation became more and more heated and we talked until 1 or 2 am when the next day he has to work and I have school. Basically it was brutal when I tried to play the intellectual game. I felt really sad and stupid that night, and I realized I did not trust in God during the conversation with my friend.
Thankfully, God listened to my prayers and more opportunities came up the following few days. I was able to tell him Christianity is not about being a good person, how we are all accountable and sinful before God, how there will be judgment after death, and how Jesus is our only hope. I've learned that it is joyful when I faithfully speak truth from the Bible instead of trying to be sneaky and all intellectual, the fight is not with the intellects of the unsaved, but heart and spirit, and Satan's lies and control over this world.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This fight is not ours to win, but God's, he is the author of faith, and he is able to save to the uttermost.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Power to live
Your word is a lamp to my feet and light to my path. - Psalm 119:105
I am the true vine...Apart from me you can do nothing - Jesus
Understanding the Bible and knowing God's character and his will is a wonderful thing. But when it comes to living our lives, it is not enough.
In the past week there was so much struggle with fear, bitterness, and ugly thoughts in my mind all day. I know and understand sometimes what the correct way a Christian is supposed to think and act, but the power to do so isn't in me.
A good analogy I stole from Paul Washer is iron man. His suit of armour is very powerful, but he can't make it move with his body of flesh and blood. In the same way I can't live according to God's will without Christ.
This is a very hopeful truth. I long to be like saints of old such as Paul, not afraid of men, being able to boldly proclaim the gospel, and live rejoicing in Christ, counting all as loss, this seems very difficult, but not impossible. Paul is a man just like me, but he relied on Christ as the vine and source of power.
This is a great reminder to me that Christianity is not about knowledge, understanding, wisdom, although these things are good. But a person, man and God Jesus Christ.
I am the true vine...Apart from me you can do nothing - Jesus
Understanding the Bible and knowing God's character and his will is a wonderful thing. But when it comes to living our lives, it is not enough.
In the past week there was so much struggle with fear, bitterness, and ugly thoughts in my mind all day. I know and understand sometimes what the correct way a Christian is supposed to think and act, but the power to do so isn't in me.
A good analogy I stole from Paul Washer is iron man. His suit of armour is very powerful, but he can't make it move with his body of flesh and blood. In the same way I can't live according to God's will without Christ.
This is a very hopeful truth. I long to be like saints of old such as Paul, not afraid of men, being able to boldly proclaim the gospel, and live rejoicing in Christ, counting all as loss, this seems very difficult, but not impossible. Paul is a man just like me, but he relied on Christ as the vine and source of power.
This is a great reminder to me that Christianity is not about knowledge, understanding, wisdom, although these things are good. But a person, man and God Jesus Christ.
Friday, October 26, 2012
History of the modern gospel
This is a good 7 part series addressing the root of what has happened and is happening in the North America church
Pt1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzEy4QZJMuA&feature=relmfu
Pt2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yEArSGFyH0&feature=relmfu
Pt3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRzXZ1lU5dQ&feature=relmfu
Pt4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly15dPJPQ5M&feature=relmfu
Pt5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUze_WQngIk&feature=relmfu
Pt6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2x2DQ09-8U&feature=relmfu
Pt7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVbPCqYsUmU&feature=relmfu
Pt1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzEy4QZJMuA&feature=relmfu
Pt2 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yEArSGFyH0&feature=relmfu
Pt3 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRzXZ1lU5dQ&feature=relmfu
Pt4 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly15dPJPQ5M&feature=relmfu
Pt5 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUze_WQngIk&feature=relmfu
Pt6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2x2DQ09-8U&feature=relmfu
Pt7 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVbPCqYsUmU&feature=relmfu
Monday, October 22, 2012
Frustration at secular religious studies: or how Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and became dumb
I've been taking a religious studies course on woman in the biblical tradition. It is nice to hear what others pickup from reading the old testament, they point out a lot of things I have missed reading by myself.
But there are a lot of disturbing undertones and assumptions made in the course, and it frustrates me to read the textbook and a lot of the articles, and realizing the course was not at all what I had in mind at first.
An example of which is an article on the book of Luke from the text book Women's Bible Commentary. Basically the summary of the article is Luke is using beautiful language to paint a picture of pious woman, thus being a manipulative jerk who is an enemy of woman's freedom to choose who they want to be.
Not getting into the foolishness of the author injecting so much speculation and imaginative attacks on Luke's character, she missed the whole point of the Gospel that talks about humanity's fallen nature, need for salvation, and hope and redemption in Christ. One of the irony is the Bible speaks against the author's human centered viewpoint, guess she conveniently chose to ignore those portions of the Bible.
Some scholars from the SBL(Society of Biblical Literature, who published some articles that are used by the course) would make statements like "for the purpose of an objective stance on the academic study of the Bible as literature, we should not adopt a religious viewpoint" why can't they just come out and say "we can't adopt a religious viewpoint on the Bible because we don't believe it's true?" If they want to do an objective, academic study of the Bible then what's the point of not looking at both secular and religious view points? But the irony is that when they do this are they not acting like Adam and Eve after eating the fruit? Not really wanting to admit their own bias and unbelief so they hide behind "the purpose of academics", and walking off into whatever seems right in their own eyes.
Anyway, that's enough rant, don't waste your time reading Women's Bible Commentary or most of the articles published in the Journal of Biblical Literature, their language might sound fancy but there is no flavour or substance.
But there are a lot of disturbing undertones and assumptions made in the course, and it frustrates me to read the textbook and a lot of the articles, and realizing the course was not at all what I had in mind at first.
An example of which is an article on the book of Luke from the text book Women's Bible Commentary. Basically the summary of the article is Luke is using beautiful language to paint a picture of pious woman, thus being a manipulative jerk who is an enemy of woman's freedom to choose who they want to be.
Not getting into the foolishness of the author injecting so much speculation and imaginative attacks on Luke's character, she missed the whole point of the Gospel that talks about humanity's fallen nature, need for salvation, and hope and redemption in Christ. One of the irony is the Bible speaks against the author's human centered viewpoint, guess she conveniently chose to ignore those portions of the Bible.
Some scholars from the SBL(Society of Biblical Literature, who published some articles that are used by the course) would make statements like "for the purpose of an objective stance on the academic study of the Bible as literature, we should not adopt a religious viewpoint" why can't they just come out and say "we can't adopt a religious viewpoint on the Bible because we don't believe it's true?" If they want to do an objective, academic study of the Bible then what's the point of not looking at both secular and religious view points? But the irony is that when they do this are they not acting like Adam and Eve after eating the fruit? Not really wanting to admit their own bias and unbelief so they hide behind "the purpose of academics", and walking off into whatever seems right in their own eyes.
Anyway, that's enough rant, don't waste your time reading Women's Bible Commentary or most of the articles published in the Journal of Biblical Literature, their language might sound fancy but there is no flavour or substance.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Love the bible, because we love Christ
God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son - Hebrews 1:1-2a
One cannot know God except through his son Jesus Christ. It is impossible for sinners to approach God without a mediator. Creation reveals God's glory, but we cannot perceive it. The best man can get is a fuzzy notion of an unknown God, but whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father, whoever believes the Son sees the glory of God (John 11:40, 12:45)
That's why scripture is so important. Without scripture we don't know Christ, without Christ we don't know God, and not knowing God means we are eternally damned, because eternal life is to know God and his Son Jesus Christ.
Where else can we find Christ revealed truly? The world? The best the world can give us is some moral teacher, some prophet, some liar, because the world does not believe. Historians might agree Christ was a real man, but think of his deity as foolishness, or they might have some notion of him as a doer of wonderous works but never be clear that he is God in the flesh, came to save sinners.(look up Josephus) Only scripture bears witness of Christ truly and fully for us. Therefore understanding what the bible says is important, doctrine is important. There is an error of mystifying the bible, and there is also an error in thinking eternal life is in the scripture, thus stopping at doctrine and knowledge.
O God, let us be wise in reading your word, help us to understand and love your Word.
One cannot know God except through his son Jesus Christ. It is impossible for sinners to approach God without a mediator. Creation reveals God's glory, but we cannot perceive it. The best man can get is a fuzzy notion of an unknown God, but whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father, whoever believes the Son sees the glory of God (John 11:40, 12:45)
That's why scripture is so important. Without scripture we don't know Christ, without Christ we don't know God, and not knowing God means we are eternally damned, because eternal life is to know God and his Son Jesus Christ.
Where else can we find Christ revealed truly? The world? The best the world can give us is some moral teacher, some prophet, some liar, because the world does not believe. Historians might agree Christ was a real man, but think of his deity as foolishness, or they might have some notion of him as a doer of wonderous works but never be clear that he is God in the flesh, came to save sinners.(look up Josephus) Only scripture bears witness of Christ truly and fully for us. Therefore understanding what the bible says is important, doctrine is important. There is an error of mystifying the bible, and there is also an error in thinking eternal life is in the scripture, thus stopping at doctrine and knowledge.
O God, let us be wise in reading your word, help us to understand and love your Word.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Certainly this was a righteous man
This morning I read Luke 23 again, with the account of a centurion who came to the conclusion that Jesus was indeed a righteous man.
I thought very hard about how he came to the conclusion. Did he know Jesus before Him dying on the cross? Or was this just a spur of the moment thing?
When I thought about forming logical conclusions as to Jesus being righteous, I realized everything I came up with can be reasoned away, and I was scared.
Then after dinner more thoughts came, and it made me burst with joy.
Jesus never mocked others.
Jesus spoke truth to people, no matter how ugly it might sound.
Jesus talked with authority, instead of the prophets saying thus says the Lord, He said truly truly I say to you.
I might make fun of people, and withhold the truth to save my face, but He never did. He loved us to tell us about His kingdom and how we might posses it, finally laying down His life to make it possible.
Even though reason can explain everything away, but our hearts know what is righteous and what is not, our hearts and conscious tells us what is love. It didn't matter whether the centurion knew Jesus well or He just saw Him. God opened His heart to see the truth and he believed. How blessed it is to have the righteous die for the unrighteous?
I thought very hard about how he came to the conclusion. Did he know Jesus before Him dying on the cross? Or was this just a spur of the moment thing?
When I thought about forming logical conclusions as to Jesus being righteous, I realized everything I came up with can be reasoned away, and I was scared.
Then after dinner more thoughts came, and it made me burst with joy.
Jesus never mocked others.
Jesus spoke truth to people, no matter how ugly it might sound.
Jesus talked with authority, instead of the prophets saying thus says the Lord, He said truly truly I say to you.
I might make fun of people, and withhold the truth to save my face, but He never did. He loved us to tell us about His kingdom and how we might posses it, finally laying down His life to make it possible.
Even though reason can explain everything away, but our hearts know what is righteous and what is not, our hearts and conscious tells us what is love. It didn't matter whether the centurion knew Jesus well or He just saw Him. God opened His heart to see the truth and he believed. How blessed it is to have the righteous die for the unrighteous?
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