There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
And with those verses echoing in my mind, I humbly ask you, friend, for prayer support for clarity of vision and direction for the coming year.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Who am I?
It amazes me every moment when I think about what God has done in my life. The topic of this post will pertain to friendship. The people I have called "friend" from my childhood to now mid-twenties have varied, but since coming to Christ in '97, my view on what being "friend" has matured -- I want to say "evolved" but the Biblical truths with which God has revealed this idea to me have never changed.
Two things that I reflect on are: (1) what is at the core of a friendship (2) what moves friendships
One imagery of the core of friendship is really this:
"so imagine a cross
The people which I consider friends these days really are primarily from this group where I am always able to relationally meet them at the Cross, and it is there that we are not dwelling on our own lives (although it makes for interesting conversation), but ultimately we are both there because of Calvary and nothing of our own accord. I suppose one can argue that there's an element of choice or control, but the main point is that the focus is on Jesus. So this is what draws us together. The second group of friends flows through this first group because as Jesus calls us to reach unbelievers so God allows me to relate and sympathize with those who do not know Him yet and there is a sense of sorrow because I would love to be with them worshiping in Heaven in the future! Praise God!
When I use the word "move", it's more with the idea of stirring things in our lives. There are no coincidences in our lives, because God is sovereign. Anytime something happens where I somehow get "lucky" or something "unfortunate" happens, I am only seeing a small fraction of what God just did. He "bumps" my life and a million things happen all at once and when one of these million is revealed I should be slow to criticize. The one passage which sticks in my mind regarding God's sovereignty is Job 38-41. Really though, who am I to cry out with such audacity against what God has done. When God decides to do something to my relationships with people, I am at the mercy of one who knows more than me, who knows what's good for me, and sees the aftermath of every single person who is affected and purposefully acts in my life. Praise God because I am too nearsighted to see even my next step in life, but He has planned it all since the beginning of creation and it's all for His glory. Amen!
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
Two things that I reflect on are: (1) what is at the core of a friendship (2) what moves friendships
One imagery of the core of friendship is really this:
"so imagine a cross
where Jesus is right?
and if a lot of people were scattered around the cross
the closer they get to the cross
they ALSO, get closer to each other"
The people which I consider friends these days really are primarily from this group where I am always able to relationally meet them at the Cross, and it is there that we are not dwelling on our own lives (although it makes for interesting conversation), but ultimately we are both there because of Calvary and nothing of our own accord. I suppose one can argue that there's an element of choice or control, but the main point is that the focus is on Jesus. So this is what draws us together. The second group of friends flows through this first group because as Jesus calls us to reach unbelievers so God allows me to relate and sympathize with those who do not know Him yet and there is a sense of sorrow because I would love to be with them worshiping in Heaven in the future! Praise God!
When I use the word "move", it's more with the idea of stirring things in our lives. There are no coincidences in our lives, because God is sovereign. Anytime something happens where I somehow get "lucky" or something "unfortunate" happens, I am only seeing a small fraction of what God just did. He "bumps" my life and a million things happen all at once and when one of these million is revealed I should be slow to criticize. The one passage which sticks in my mind regarding God's sovereignty is Job 38-41. Really though, who am I to cry out with such audacity against what God has done. When God decides to do something to my relationships with people, I am at the mercy of one who knows more than me, who knows what's good for me, and sees the aftermath of every single person who is affected and purposefully acts in my life. Praise God because I am too nearsighted to see even my next step in life, but He has planned it all since the beginning of creation and it's all for His glory. Amen!
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Mercy for the day
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23
Recently I heard a message from John Piper stating (and I am paraphrasing) that the mercies of today are sufficient only for the present day. When you put your hope in carrying these mercies received today over for troubles of tomorrow, then you have already been defeated. Every morning God looks forward to communing with people and preparing the mercies of the day.
I think that this helps me to come before God in the mornings and receive His mercies for that day.
I am also reminded of the words of Christ in Matthew 6:25-34 with the final verse saying: "34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Thursday, May 7, 2009
From Danny's blog:
Rules:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search (http://www.flickr.com/).
b. Using ONLY the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Mosaic Maker. Change rows to 3 and columns to 3 (http://bighugelabs.com/fli
d. Save the image and post it on this note.
1. Shaobo
2. Blue
3. Sushi
4. Soda
5. Italy
6. Basketball
7. Professor (the caption was "Professor Charles Francis Xavier")
8. Worship
9. Knowledgeable
Friday, May 1, 2009
"Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her..."
-2 Samuel 13:15
Intense emotions need to be checked by the Spirit and founded on selfless love for the other person. A "love" (which I don't consider Biblical love) that seeks pleasure for oneself is centered on emotions with no spiritual root to grow and quickly withers into hatred, jealousy, anger, etc. because of a lack of fulfillment.
Help me O Lord to be mindful of this!
-2 Samuel 13:15
Intense emotions need to be checked by the Spirit and founded on selfless love for the other person. A "love" (which I don't consider Biblical love) that seeks pleasure for oneself is centered on emotions with no spiritual root to grow and quickly withers into hatred, jealousy, anger, etc. because of a lack of fulfillment.
Help me O Lord to be mindful of this!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Interesting
Nostalgia - n.
1: the state of being homesick
2: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition
Is this type of thinking healthy? It's definitely funny and most likely dangerous that my mind wanders when given enough free time to think and reminisce. I'm not entirely sure if it's biblically right or wrong to dwell on such thoughts (although my guess is the latter) -- I'd appreciate those who are more biblically knowledgeable to point out some passages w/context please :)
Anyways, this post is already longer than it needs to be. I am firm in the understanding that God is sovereign and even my weirdness will bring glory in some manner that I cannot comprehend or foresee.
Romans 8 is such a glorious and applicable chapter right now...
1: the state of being homesick
2: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition
Is this type of thinking healthy? It's definitely funny and most likely dangerous that my mind wanders when given enough free time to think and reminisce. I'm not entirely sure if it's biblically right or wrong to dwell on such thoughts (although my guess is the latter) -- I'd appreciate those who are more biblically knowledgeable to point out some passages w/context please :)
Anyways, this post is already longer than it needs to be. I am firm in the understanding that God is sovereign and even my weirdness will bring glory in some manner that I cannot comprehend or foresee.
Romans 8 is such a glorious and applicable chapter right now...
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
4 On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned." 5 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.
6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. 7 Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh:
"By the decree of the king and his nobles:
Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. 9 Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
Jonah 4:4-9
Imagine if God says to you, "You have 40 days to live, you know what you need to change." I don't think there's anyone who would wait around asking "what does God want me to change in my life?" Rather, we'd all know exactly what needs to be cut out of our lives in terms of sins so that we may repent and bring our focus back on God and not the distractions in life...
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