A lot has happened since last I blogged....and a lot has changed. But the most significant thing that has happened recently happened 6 days ago, and was a day I shall never forget. It was a day I had been waiting for for a long time, even though it is a precursor of an even greater day. In this blog,I have written a lot about what all God has been teaching me and how I want to be the best I can be for God and for my future wife. Well, on August 14th, I proposed to her!
To me, marriage is God's invention. He thought of it, and instituted it. It is a precious and special picture of Christ and the Church. It is my prayer that our relationship and marriage will be a reflection of that relationship and will bring Him glory! It is truly wonderful when you let God write your love story.
So now, I am very happily engaged and eagerly awaiting the day for our marriage. There is plenty to do! Purity and holiness in this relationship are just as important if not more important in this exciting step. I deeply desire to continue to honor and love and cherish my future wife in any way I can! It is going to be interesting and exciting as I realize and live out more of how to love as Christ loves us. One thing is for sure! It is His love working in me!
So off I go onto a new adventure of engagement and soon (9 months) to Marriage! For Christ's Glory!
Thoughts and musings on following Christ, becoming a Warrior Poet, and living as a Disciple.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Exercise...(some more thoughts from 1 Timothy)
I think we have all seen those who some might affectionately call "crazy", particularly those who have this thing for physical fitness/sports. You know them: The ones who spend 3 hours in the gym a day, working on building the "perfect" body, or the ones who spend hours a day practicing for their sport, or those who spend an hour or two running. They are devoted to getting their exercise or their sport, to being the best they can be.
I am still reading through 1 Timothy, and just recently got to chapter 4, and thought I'd share some of my observations with you.
"8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" 1 Timothy 4:8-10 (NIV)
Paul in this passage makes a contrast between physical training (which has some value) and training in godliness. While physical training has little real value, training in godliness has value for all things, holding promise for this life, and the life to come. This is a very clear contrast. People can go to great effort and spend much time on physical training which ultimately passes away. This body will eventually decay and die. Yet, this type of attitude should be adopted for spiritual training in godliness... what does this look like?
What would it look like if we approached spiritual training unto godliness, seeking to be godly like many of us approach exercise? What if we spent hours in reading His word, in prayer? What if we put into practice what is said in the Bible, and live it out? What if we train and discpline ourselves unto godliness? I am convinced that we would be a different type of people. We would be a church that is strong, that could stand. I think we can all agree that we need people who are spiritually fit to lead in the church. People who know the Word and can disciple others. People whose lives reflect Christ, who live in such a way that the world can't find fault with them. Instead, as a whole, the church is complacent and lazy; flabby, if you will, and not willing to flex those spiritual muscles. Many feel that since they have been saved, they can just sit back and take a break. They have a "get out of jail free" card. But it is clear in the Bible that we are to be different, that our lives are to change, that we live for Him, that we stand and be counted as men for Him.
We need people devoted to spiritual execise, to training in godliness. If people can spend so much time on physical training that has only a little value, why can't we make time for spiritual training? Now, this is not to say that we are on our own, and have to do all the work and that this is a "work based" salvation. No, not at all! It is only through God that we can effectively train and be equipped for His service. While God is our strength, that doesn't mean we do nothing. He expects us to work towards this. Paul himself say that he labors and strives through this. We are to labor and strive toward godliness, but not in our own strength. We have a great hope in Christ. We must look to Him.
So consider this a challenge to all of us (myself included) to get fit spiritually. In the midst of all this exercise craze, lets get one of our own: A focus on being godly, and being strong in the LORD!
For Christ's Glory!
I am still reading through 1 Timothy, and just recently got to chapter 4, and thought I'd share some of my observations with you.
"8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.
9This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance 10(and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe" 1 Timothy 4:8-10 (NIV)
Paul in this passage makes a contrast between physical training (which has some value) and training in godliness. While physical training has little real value, training in godliness has value for all things, holding promise for this life, and the life to come. This is a very clear contrast. People can go to great effort and spend much time on physical training which ultimately passes away. This body will eventually decay and die. Yet, this type of attitude should be adopted for spiritual training in godliness... what does this look like?
What would it look like if we approached spiritual training unto godliness, seeking to be godly like many of us approach exercise? What if we spent hours in reading His word, in prayer? What if we put into practice what is said in the Bible, and live it out? What if we train and discpline ourselves unto godliness? I am convinced that we would be a different type of people. We would be a church that is strong, that could stand. I think we can all agree that we need people who are spiritually fit to lead in the church. People who know the Word and can disciple others. People whose lives reflect Christ, who live in such a way that the world can't find fault with them. Instead, as a whole, the church is complacent and lazy; flabby, if you will, and not willing to flex those spiritual muscles. Many feel that since they have been saved, they can just sit back and take a break. They have a "get out of jail free" card. But it is clear in the Bible that we are to be different, that our lives are to change, that we live for Him, that we stand and be counted as men for Him.
We need people devoted to spiritual execise, to training in godliness. If people can spend so much time on physical training that has only a little value, why can't we make time for spiritual training? Now, this is not to say that we are on our own, and have to do all the work and that this is a "work based" salvation. No, not at all! It is only through God that we can effectively train and be equipped for His service. While God is our strength, that doesn't mean we do nothing. He expects us to work towards this. Paul himself say that he labors and strives through this. We are to labor and strive toward godliness, but not in our own strength. We have a great hope in Christ. We must look to Him.
So consider this a challenge to all of us (myself included) to get fit spiritually. In the midst of all this exercise craze, lets get one of our own: A focus on being godly, and being strong in the LORD!
For Christ's Glory!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Book Review: "Where is God" by Dr. John Townsend
Well, every so often, I will review a book and share my thoughts on it (I am a part of the Thomas Nelson book reviewing, AKA BookSneeze....(Don't ask! I don't know! =D) Without further ado, here is my thoughts on "Where is God?" by Dr. John Towsend:
In the face of the many troubles people face, many people are asking, "Where is God in this?" It seems to be our typical human reaction. Dr. John Townsend, in his book, "Where is God?", addresses this question, and assures his readers that God doesn't leave us.
Overall, the premise of the book is good. His last chapter has some very practical suggestions that are helpful in dealing with problems in life. God is faithful, and is in control during our hard times. Dr. Townsend doesn't deny that even when we follow God, there will be troubles, sometimes to show His glory (Like Job).
However, I had several concerns. In the beginning of the book, as he set up his thoughts and points, one of his points which had an emphasis all throughout the book is that God is for you. The way he treats this all throughout the book seems to slightly diminish God. Yes, God is in control all the time, but He isn't about our good. He is about His glory. That is why we were made, why we exist, why we were saved, and why we go through hard times: Because it is all for His glory. Saying that God is for me ultimately makes for a very humanistic theology, in which the end of all is our happiness. Instead, the end of all is God and His glory. So this was a concern. I was also sort of put off by his whole approach in writing the book. It seemed to be more of a psychological discourse than a study into God and His purposes in troubles. Much of modern psychology is rooted in humanist thinking and I suspect that this had an influence in this book.
I received this book to review from Thomas Nelson (http://www.thomasnelson.com)
For Christ's Glory!
In the face of the many troubles people face, many people are asking, "Where is God in this?" It seems to be our typical human reaction. Dr. John Townsend, in his book, "Where is God?", addresses this question, and assures his readers that God doesn't leave us.
Overall, the premise of the book is good. His last chapter has some very practical suggestions that are helpful in dealing with problems in life. God is faithful, and is in control during our hard times. Dr. Townsend doesn't deny that even when we follow God, there will be troubles, sometimes to show His glory (Like Job).
However, I had several concerns. In the beginning of the book, as he set up his thoughts and points, one of his points which had an emphasis all throughout the book is that God is for you. The way he treats this all throughout the book seems to slightly diminish God. Yes, God is in control all the time, but He isn't about our good. He is about His glory. That is why we were made, why we exist, why we were saved, and why we go through hard times: Because it is all for His glory. Saying that God is for me ultimately makes for a very humanistic theology, in which the end of all is our happiness. Instead, the end of all is God and His glory. So this was a concern. I was also sort of put off by his whole approach in writing the book. It seemed to be more of a psychological discourse than a study into God and His purposes in troubles. Much of modern psychology is rooted in humanist thinking and I suspect that this had an influence in this book.
I received this book to review from Thomas Nelson (http://www.thomasnelson.com)
For Christ's Glory!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Living as a Man of God
"18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, 19holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith." 1 Timothy 1:18-19 (NIV)
As I had mentioned in my previous post, I am reading through 1 Timothy, and right after the passage I just blogged on was another passage that really stood out to me as I studied it. In these few verses, Paul shares a bit of his heart, and a glimpse of what it means to be a man of God as he instructs Timothy. Timothy was called to be a man of God, and Paul gives hims instruction on how to live. Let's look to see what God has to say...
First of all, Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight. It is important to remember that we are in a war. We need to stand and fight for our King! As Paul instructed the Ephesians, we need to put on the full armor of God so we can stand. We need to be devoted to prayer, the great weapon with which we can fight and bring down strongholds. James tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We need to stand and fight the good fight, so we, like Paul, when we come to the end, we can say that we fought the good fight, that we finished the race.
Next, Paul tells Timothy to hold on to faith. We need to be faithful, have faith in God and His promises. The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see. It is not doubt, in any form. Faith believes God, believes His promises, and holds to it without wavering. Faith overcomes. Faith empowers us to stand. Those described in Hebrews 11 are great examples We ought to hold to Faith, for we have a great and glorious hope. Faith trusts God and doesn't back down.
Thirdly, Paul instructs Timothy to hold to a good conscience. What we do and say affects us. The more we wallow in sin, the more it deadens us and renders us ineffective. God's forgiveness is freely available to those who repent, but there are always consequences for sin. By having a good conscience, not being stained by sin, we can be effective for Christ.
Some, however, Paul says, have rejected these and in so doing have shipwrecked their faith. They have lost the faith, have fallen away. Simply put, they fell, with great damage to themselves. These things that Paul gives are in essence, the living out of our faith. Without them our faith is dead and useless- not saying that works save, but rather that they are evidence of Faith. It is important that we live out our faith, that we stand up and be counted as men (and women) for God.
I think we can agree that in this day, we need men who will stand, men of God who live out their faith. I hope that we all take a few lessons from these instructions from Paul, as the Spirit gave him. May we live as men of God!
For Christ's Glory!
As I had mentioned in my previous post, I am reading through 1 Timothy, and right after the passage I just blogged on was another passage that really stood out to me as I studied it. In these few verses, Paul shares a bit of his heart, and a glimpse of what it means to be a man of God as he instructs Timothy. Timothy was called to be a man of God, and Paul gives hims instruction on how to live. Let's look to see what God has to say...
First of all, Paul tells Timothy to fight the good fight. It is important to remember that we are in a war. We need to stand and fight for our King! As Paul instructed the Ephesians, we need to put on the full armor of God so we can stand. We need to be devoted to prayer, the great weapon with which we can fight and bring down strongholds. James tells us that the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. We need to stand and fight the good fight, so we, like Paul, when we come to the end, we can say that we fought the good fight, that we finished the race.
Next, Paul tells Timothy to hold on to faith. We need to be faithful, have faith in God and His promises. The writer of Hebrews tells us that faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see. It is not doubt, in any form. Faith believes God, believes His promises, and holds to it without wavering. Faith overcomes. Faith empowers us to stand. Those described in Hebrews 11 are great examples We ought to hold to Faith, for we have a great and glorious hope. Faith trusts God and doesn't back down.
Thirdly, Paul instructs Timothy to hold to a good conscience. What we do and say affects us. The more we wallow in sin, the more it deadens us and renders us ineffective. God's forgiveness is freely available to those who repent, but there are always consequences for sin. By having a good conscience, not being stained by sin, we can be effective for Christ.
Some, however, Paul says, have rejected these and in so doing have shipwrecked their faith. They have lost the faith, have fallen away. Simply put, they fell, with great damage to themselves. These things that Paul gives are in essence, the living out of our faith. Without them our faith is dead and useless- not saying that works save, but rather that they are evidence of Faith. It is important that we live out our faith, that we stand up and be counted as men (and women) for God.
I think we can agree that in this day, we need men who will stand, men of God who live out their faith. I hope that we all take a few lessons from these instructions from Paul, as the Spirit gave him. May we live as men of God!
For Christ's Glory!
Friday, May 21, 2010
A Trustworthy Saying...
"15Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 17Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Timothy 1:15-17 (NIV)
Lately, I have been reading through 1 Timothy. I just finished Chapter 1 yesterday. (I have been working through it since last Saturday. The more time I have been spending with God, the richer His Word becomes and the more I find in each verse...so much so that I can only get through a few verses a day! His Word is so rich!) This particular passage has stuck out to me, particularly as I have been praying and meditating over it, letting it invade my being. Let's look into this passage, and see what God has to say.
So what is this trustworthy saying? Why does it deserve full acceptance? This great and trustworthy saying deserves full acceptance because it is good news to all who are perishing: Christ Jesus came into the world (Which would be Earth-shattering news enough. The fact that God, the creator of all, Who is above all, Who is perfect, would come into a world that is chained in sin, to a people who are not perfect, who are rebellious and sinful, to a place of suffering and death and pain ~ That is unthinkable in itself! That God would even stoop to Earth to be with us, and to put on human flesh, to "empty" Himself and live among us, is unbelievable news as it is. But it gets better) He came into the world to save sinners. All of us, no matter what we have done, He has come so we might have life. This "saying" deserves full acceptance! This is the greatest news to ever come our way. We should shout it from the rooftops, tell everyone we meet that Christ Jesus came to the Earth as one if us to save sinners! What a blessed hope!
However, this news seems to barely move us. Why are we so apathetic to this? Why does this news seem old and obvious? Why doesn't it grip us? As I was praying and meditating over this, I realized that we can get so excited on good news like our favorite team winning the Superbowl, or we got that raise that we always wanted, or that new sports car, or we just saw the greatest movie ever. And yet, when we get to the greatest news of all, we sort of shrug and and acknowledge that He saved us. Why aren't we overwhelmed by the implications of this truth? When you compare the great Good News of Christ with the things we get excited with, it is like comparing a nuclear explosion, and a tiny firecracker.
I imagine that most of us have been told that Christ died to save us, and we said "the sinner's prayer" but how many of us realize what He did for us? We approach the greatest day in the history of the universe with such flippancy. The fact that He made Himself nothing, taking on the nature of a servant, and came to Earth, and then died, taking our sin on Him to save us so we could be with Him forever~ this ought to transform our lives! He did and gave so much! And we give Him so little. We treat the greatest day in history as just another day. The way we live shows that we really don't care. We haven't let this glorious Gospel impact our hearts and our minds. We sure can talk a good talk, but our lives don't show the glorious Gospel we halfheartedly proclaim. We honor Him with our words but our hearts are far from Him. We need to realize how great this Good News is and let it Transform us!
In View of such a great and trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, we ought to join Paul by saying: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, NIV)
For Christ's Glory!
Lately, I have been reading through 1 Timothy. I just finished Chapter 1 yesterday. (I have been working through it since last Saturday. The more time I have been spending with God, the richer His Word becomes and the more I find in each verse...so much so that I can only get through a few verses a day! His Word is so rich!) This particular passage has stuck out to me, particularly as I have been praying and meditating over it, letting it invade my being. Let's look into this passage, and see what God has to say.
So what is this trustworthy saying? Why does it deserve full acceptance? This great and trustworthy saying deserves full acceptance because it is good news to all who are perishing: Christ Jesus came into the world (Which would be Earth-shattering news enough. The fact that God, the creator of all, Who is above all, Who is perfect, would come into a world that is chained in sin, to a people who are not perfect, who are rebellious and sinful, to a place of suffering and death and pain ~ That is unthinkable in itself! That God would even stoop to Earth to be with us, and to put on human flesh, to "empty" Himself and live among us, is unbelievable news as it is. But it gets better) He came into the world to save sinners. All of us, no matter what we have done, He has come so we might have life. This "saying" deserves full acceptance! This is the greatest news to ever come our way. We should shout it from the rooftops, tell everyone we meet that Christ Jesus came to the Earth as one if us to save sinners! What a blessed hope!
However, this news seems to barely move us. Why are we so apathetic to this? Why does this news seem old and obvious? Why doesn't it grip us? As I was praying and meditating over this, I realized that we can get so excited on good news like our favorite team winning the Superbowl, or we got that raise that we always wanted, or that new sports car, or we just saw the greatest movie ever. And yet, when we get to the greatest news of all, we sort of shrug and and acknowledge that He saved us. Why aren't we overwhelmed by the implications of this truth? When you compare the great Good News of Christ with the things we get excited with, it is like comparing a nuclear explosion, and a tiny firecracker.
I imagine that most of us have been told that Christ died to save us, and we said "the sinner's prayer" but how many of us realize what He did for us? We approach the greatest day in the history of the universe with such flippancy. The fact that He made Himself nothing, taking on the nature of a servant, and came to Earth, and then died, taking our sin on Him to save us so we could be with Him forever~ this ought to transform our lives! He did and gave so much! And we give Him so little. We treat the greatest day in history as just another day. The way we live shows that we really don't care. We haven't let this glorious Gospel impact our hearts and our minds. We sure can talk a good talk, but our lives don't show the glorious Gospel we halfheartedly proclaim. We honor Him with our words but our hearts are far from Him. We need to realize how great this Good News is and let it Transform us!
In View of such a great and trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance, we ought to join Paul by saying: "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17, NIV)
For Christ's Glory!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Back from School
Well, I am back again. It has been a long semester, and I am glad to be back home. God has shown me a lot through my quiet times, and through talking with others this past semester, so expect quite a few posts in the next couple days!
In less than two weeks from today, I will be heading of to Summer camp at Camp Joy-El. I am very excited. I know God will do great things during this summer. Would you consider joining me in prayer for this summer? Without prayer, our efforts will be meaningless. (More on that later!)
I hope to share with you during theses next few weeks some of what God has been showing me and challenge you to grow closer to God. Until then!
For Christ's Glory!
In less than two weeks from today, I will be heading of to Summer camp at Camp Joy-El. I am very excited. I know God will do great things during this summer. Would you consider joining me in prayer for this summer? Without prayer, our efforts will be meaningless. (More on that later!)
I hope to share with you during theses next few weeks some of what God has been showing me and challenge you to grow closer to God. Until then!
For Christ's Glory!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dead to the World, Alive to Christ....
Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending my best friend's baptism. It was a special time, as I watched my friend declare her unwavering allegiance to Christ, making a public declaration of her faith in Christ; that she is set-apart unto Him.
I've been thinking a bit about the symbolism of baptism and what it means, and the statement it makes. When you are being put under the water, it symbolizes your dying to self and to the world, and being brought back up symbolizes your being made alive in Christ. It is, as my friend did last night, a public declaration of your faith.
As I think about it baptism is a symbol of our lives and what they should look like: Dead to the world and the flesh and its desires, and alive to Christ, living for Him, being set apart for Him. We should live our lives as a declaration of what baptism symbolizes: That we are set-apart to Him. The world no longer has a grip on us. Unfortunately, in our modern church, we are very much in the grip of the world. This should not be. We need to be dead to the world.
John says this in 1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (NIV)
We are called to a life of being dead to the world and alive to Christ. I know I've used this verse a lot, but I really like the depth of what it says: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, NIV)
My friend's baptism is a great picture and symbol of this verse, and it is a great example of how we should all live. We need to be dead to the world and alive to Christ. When people see us, they should see that the world does not have a hold on us, but instead, that Christ lives in us. That is what baptism symbolizes, and that is what we should live. I challenge you (and myself as well!) to live a life that is a declaration that you are dead to the world and alive to Christ!
For Christ's Glory!
I've been thinking a bit about the symbolism of baptism and what it means, and the statement it makes. When you are being put under the water, it symbolizes your dying to self and to the world, and being brought back up symbolizes your being made alive in Christ. It is, as my friend did last night, a public declaration of your faith.
As I think about it baptism is a symbol of our lives and what they should look like: Dead to the world and the flesh and its desires, and alive to Christ, living for Him, being set apart for Him. We should live our lives as a declaration of what baptism symbolizes: That we are set-apart to Him. The world no longer has a grip on us. Unfortunately, in our modern church, we are very much in the grip of the world. This should not be. We need to be dead to the world.
John says this in 1 John 2:15-17: "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (NIV)
We are called to a life of being dead to the world and alive to Christ. I know I've used this verse a lot, but I really like the depth of what it says: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20, NIV)
My friend's baptism is a great picture and symbol of this verse, and it is a great example of how we should all live. We need to be dead to the world and alive to Christ. When people see us, they should see that the world does not have a hold on us, but instead, that Christ lives in us. That is what baptism symbolizes, and that is what we should live. I challenge you (and myself as well!) to live a life that is a declaration that you are dead to the world and alive to Christ!
For Christ's Glory!
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