Romans 4
A few things stood out to me here.
I was always taught that salvation is by faith and not by works in that God's grace is something that we cannot earn nor is it something that we deserve. In reading Romans 4, the scriptural proof that salvation is by faith alone took another dimension. Paul used Abraham as his first example citing Abraham's faith for his righteousness as opposed to his works even though Abraham was an obedient servant of the Lord and did many things in God's name. Paul's analogy was to that of a worker. When a man works, his pay isn't a gift but is something given to him out of obligation. This implies that if salvation was based upon our works, God technically owes us salvation for what we have done. Paul also cited King David - quoting Psalms on man's depravity and God's redemption.
This next part stood out to me even though I still don't fully understand what Paul wrote here. He talked about God's promise to Abraham - that Abraham's offspring would be the heirs to the world. The promise could not be fulfilled by the law - men fail and deserve God's wrath - but rather it was a thing of faith. God fulfilled His promise and Abraham had faith that God would do so. Paul then discussed the magnitude of Abraham's faith. Despite God's promise, Abraham grew old as did his wife Sarah. Instead of worrying (As Pastor Robin put it - worrying is practically atheism in that it denies the love, power, and wisdom of God), Abraham's faith INCREASED. How crazy is that?! When faced with hardships, Abraham's faith did not decrease like mine does when I face trials (God where are you now? God will you really deliver me from this? God, how can any good come out of this..?) but INCREASES. He did not waver but grew. I am both encouraged and humbled by reading this.
Here's what I'm taking away from this passage
1) God cares more about my faith in Him than what I am doing. My works, even in the context of the church, do not justify me before God. This is a trap that I often fall into having served constantly at church over the past six years. I am justified by faith and faith alone. I think it may be time to take a step back and stop substituting time spent with the King for time spent serving the King. (I need to treasure God's word more and spend more time in prayer.)
2) My faith is weak. I look at a man like Abraham and am at awe in his faith in God. God, help me increase me faith.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Somewhere along the road, my desire to glorify God by being a good steward of my academic opportunities turned sour. The desire shifted from God's glory to obsessing about grades. The scary part is that it all looked the same from the outside - studying my butt off to do well. On the inside, my motives and attitude were all wrong.
Part of me wonders if the quest for that all-elusive 4.0 GPA is even worth it. In the past when I've obtained it, it's come at the expense of my relationships with friends and was achievable by a single mindedness of doing well. If I do well but don't glorify God, have I really done well or have I done well in the things that don't matter and failed in the things that do?
It's time to take a step back and look at holistic picture of it all. This world tells you how to measure yourself. You're successful if you get good grades, get a good job, and make enough money to life a comfortable and affluent life. There is only one thing that matters in this life. Society tells you that its okay to burn your bridges to get ahead. The introvert inside my desires to be liked by all even if that means taking a backseat to what I really believe or think. There is only one opinion that matters. This world tells you that you're weak if you can't control your own fate and that anything is possible if you work hard enough. There is only one entity that controls all things. What God desires and what the world desires are contrary.
A line has been drawn and there is no middle ground.
Part of me wonders if the quest for that all-elusive 4.0 GPA is even worth it. In the past when I've obtained it, it's come at the expense of my relationships with friends and was achievable by a single mindedness of doing well. If I do well but don't glorify God, have I really done well or have I done well in the things that don't matter and failed in the things that do?
It's time to take a step back and look at holistic picture of it all. This world tells you how to measure yourself. You're successful if you get good grades, get a good job, and make enough money to life a comfortable and affluent life. There is only one thing that matters in this life. Society tells you that its okay to burn your bridges to get ahead. The introvert inside my desires to be liked by all even if that means taking a backseat to what I really believe or think. There is only one opinion that matters. This world tells you that you're weak if you can't control your own fate and that anything is possible if you work hard enough. There is only one entity that controls all things. What God desires and what the world desires are contrary.
A line has been drawn and there is no middle ground.
Monday, April 4, 2011
I drove home through a lightning storm last night. Quite a gorgeous sight, I must say. It really made me think about this passage...
Elijah 19:11-12
"... Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."
As I drove in awe of the power of God, I couldn't help but remember that no matter how powerful God is, He is gentle, loving, and compassionate. As a God that controls all things and is in all things, God caused all those crazy things to happen as Elijah watched on the mountains and yet God was in none of them. He was in the gentle whisper.
Elijah 19:11-12
"... Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper."
As I drove in awe of the power of God, I couldn't help but remember that no matter how powerful God is, He is gentle, loving, and compassionate. As a God that controls all things and is in all things, God caused all those crazy things to happen as Elijah watched on the mountains and yet God was in none of them. He was in the gentle whisper.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
According to a study done in 2008, Japan is the 5th least religious country worldwide with reports stating that nearly 65% of the country is nonreligious. With the recent natural disasters, I can't help but think God just opened a door that was previously shut. I feel like God is about to do something in Japan. This is a huge opportunity for missionaries to go to Japan and spread the gospel through building relationships by rebuilding the nation.
If you're reading this, please take the time to pray for those in Japan, the missionaries in Japan, and those that God is going to send to Japan.
If you're reading this, please take the time to pray for those in Japan, the missionaries in Japan, and those that God is going to send to Japan.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Acts 21:10-14
Acts 21:10-14
10 After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”
12 When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”
"I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." -Paul
Again we see Paul's faith. Had he followed common sense and earthly logic, chances are Paul would not have gone to Jerusalem. Instead, Paul went with what he felt called to do by the Lord despite knowing what was ahead of him.
As humans, we are beings of worry. We worry about the unknown, about things we cannot control. Worry and the unknown conflict with our faith and ability to trust in God, especially in those tough and trying moments. As Christians, we can look to Paul as an example of one living in faith. Sometimes the unknown is scary but in the case of Paul, the known might be even more frightening. Later in chapter 21, Paul got beaten and arrested. He knew this was coming and He still obeyed the God.
The more I read the Bible, the more I realize how little my faith really is..
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Acts 20:13-38
Acts 20:13-38
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18 When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
22 “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Reflections - Relating to Paul
1) v22 I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
When I read this, I was convicted of my own lack of faith. In the entire book of Acts, Paul followed God's command regardless of where he was called or how little sense the calling made. Paul was a man that was obedient to the Lord - even to the point where his life was at stake. Paul lived for something greater than worldly pleasures or even comfort. He lived for the glory of God. In contrast, I like my comfort and I like my stuff. I don't believe that God has necessarily called me into a life of discomfort but He has definitely called me to be obedient like Paul - unconditionally.
2) v24 I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Again, Paul was a single minded man. His life goal was solely to make the Lord known among the people of that time. I sit and think about my goals for the future - get a job, graduate pharmacy school, get a real job, get married, settle down and have a family. In each of those things as well as every step necessary to get there, I will have the opportunity to testify to the good news of God's grace. Back in high school, I thought I would be bold and pray for the opportunity to witness and spread the gospel that very day. The entire day, I expected someone to come to my door and ask about the gospel. Later that day, I went out for dinner and I felt God tug on my heart.
"Look around. You wanted an opportunity to spread my message? Here you go."
Frozen, I sat in my seat. I won't pretend like I've lived like this since then but one thing is clear to me - my life is my mission field. Every day, I will have opportunities to interact with people and share the good news. The real question is whether I'm willing to act upon my convictions like Paul did.
Reflections - Paul's charge to the leaders of the church of Ephesus
3) v28-30 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God,[a] which he bought with his own blood.[b] 29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
This is Paul's charge to the leaders of the church - watch over the flock that God has given you, be shepherds of GOD's church in which He purchased, and stand guard against "savage wolves". In verse 28, it says that the Holy Spirit has "made you overseers". We didn't anoint ourselves but rather we were anointed to oversee the church. This had nothing to do with us or any qualifications but rather a calling from God to do so.
In verse 29, Paul charges the leaders to be "shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood." This reminds me of Colosians 1:16 (...all things have been created though Him and for Him). We are called to watch over the church but while we do so, we should not forget that it is not our church. The church belongs to God. This has very large implications for us as attenders and/or leaders of the church. The best analogy I can think of is renting an apartment. A good tenant consults with the apartment owner before doing any changes. If you want to change the locks, drill holes to hang a poster, duplicate the keys, etc you consult with the owner because the place isn't yours. In the same way, we should consult with God when making decisions regarding His church. I know during my times as a leader both in high school and college, I usually made decisions that made logical sense. It wasn't until later that I began to consult God in my decisions. It's something I still struggle with but no matter how much sense something makes, God's opinion matters more.
v29-30 Paul talks about "savage wolves" in the church. Even in the gospels, Jesus talks about wolves in sheep's clothing. To see this many warnings in the bible must mean that it is a both a serious but yet common issue. We are to stand guard against false doctrine and actions that do not glorify God. The scariest part is that such things can come from people within the church. In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul talks about following God above following a specific leader and I think this is partly why. We should test what we hear and see against the Bible, the ultimate authority, before we just go and live by what we hear.
4) v32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified."
Paul was a pretty famous guy. He went around and spread the gospel to many nations. God used Him to bring many people to faith. Paul kept it real though. He realized that he was not the source of this. Here in v32, he commits the leaders to God. He cites God and the word of his grace as the sources of growth and inheritance into the kingdom of heaven. If we are to grow as Christians, if our fellowship is to grow into one that seeks and glorifies God, if our church is to grow into a place that is the bride of Christ, it will be because of God and the power of His word. We are nothing. God is everything.
5) v35 "‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ "
Paul quotes Jesus here. How convicting a passage like this is. So often, we desire to receive. What does going to church on Fridays do for me? How does serving as a leader benefit me? How does implementing my ideas over someone else's ideas gratify my desires? Wake up call - it isn't about us. Jesus gave...and gave...and gave...and continues to give and yet we have nothing to offer Him. What does He do in response to how little we have to offer? He keeps giving. In the same way, we are called to give all that we are to Christ. In our fellowships, we are called to serve and love.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thoughts on Cutler from April 2009
Back in 2009, I wrote an e-mail to my dad about the trade that sent Jay Cutler to the Bears. Too many interceptions and sacks to count later, my thoughts haven't changed.
Since I've sent you an e-mail about every major move in Chicago sports since I got to Purdue, I thought that I would continue that tradition with the recent transaction that sent Kyle Orton, the former Boilermaker, the 2009 and 2010 first round draft picks, and a 2009 third round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for Pro-Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler. Since reports of Cutler's discontent in Denver came up when the team fired head coach Mike Shanahan and the offensive coordinator, Jay Cutler has been linked to the Bears. Many Bears fans are currently rejoicing because they fail to see the impact of such a trade. Let me start off by saying that Jay Cutler is a good quarterback. He's relatively mobile and can make any throw that the team needs him too. He's got a cannon of an arm but also has that soft touch to place the ball where it needs to be. It's been awhile since the Chicago Bears had a quarterback that could do that. Even though we upgraded the quarterback position, that does not necessarily mean that we upgraded the team. Logic says, if you have a guy that can throw the football, you also need a man that can catch the football. With our current core of receivers, we have one guy that can out maneuver any player on the field but cannot catch a ball (Hester), a guy with good hands that I could outrun (Davis), a rookie from last year, and an under-utilized Greg Olsen. Long story short, Cutler put up great numbers in Denver but he also had consistent and reliable weapons down the field. Intuition also says that regardless of the skill of the quarterback, the quarterback needs time to throw the football. Our offensive line has been consistently weak and only growing older since the last glory days of the Bears back in the Superbowl. Grossman didn't have much time to throw. Orton didn't have much time to throw. Since last year's team, two core players left the offensive line. This leaves us with not a lot of talent. Cutler is going to need time to throw the ball, especially with our receivers who have a knack for not getting open. We lost a quarterback that could manage the game and gained a quarterback that has the potential for the big home run plays if put into the right situation. Unfortunately, the Bears are along way away from being in the 'right situation'. Their opportunity to better the team was through the draft. Now they lost three draft picks of which they could have given Orton weapons and time to throw the ball.
There is more to Jay Cutler than the football side, however. Cutler is nothing more than an oversized and overpaid infant. The way he handled the fall-out in Denver perhaps the most unprofessional act in sports in recent memory. At the end of the day, football is a business. The team that pays you has the right to seek to better the team by moving you. The job of the athlete is to shut up and perform to the best of their abilities regardless of the situation placed upon him. Cutler whined, moaned, and demonstrated selfish behavior that every kindergarten teacher scolds her students about.
All in all, we'll have to wait and see how this trade works out by the progress and development of this chicago bears team over the course of the season. At the moment, I'm not sold in it.
Grade: D
Since I've sent you an e-mail about every major move in Chicago sports since I got to Purdue, I thought that I would continue that tradition with the recent transaction that sent Kyle Orton, the former Boilermaker, the 2009 and 2010 first round draft picks, and a 2009 third round draft pick to the Denver Broncos for Pro-Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler. Since reports of Cutler's discontent in Denver came up when the team fired head coach Mike Shanahan and the offensive coordinator, Jay Cutler has been linked to the Bears. Many Bears fans are currently rejoicing because they fail to see the impact of such a trade. Let me start off by saying that Jay Cutler is a good quarterback. He's relatively mobile and can make any throw that the team needs him too. He's got a cannon of an arm but also has that soft touch to place the ball where it needs to be. It's been awhile since the Chicago Bears had a quarterback that could do that. Even though we upgraded the quarterback position, that does not necessarily mean that we upgraded the team. Logic says, if you have a guy that can throw the football, you also need a man that can catch the football. With our current core of receivers, we have one guy that can out maneuver any player on the field but cannot catch a ball (Hester), a guy with good hands that I could outrun (Davis), a rookie from last year, and an under-utilized Greg Olsen. Long story short, Cutler put up great numbers in Denver but he also had consistent and reliable weapons down the field. Intuition also says that regardless of the skill of the quarterback, the quarterback needs time to throw the football. Our offensive line has been consistently weak and only growing older since the last glory days of the Bears back in the Superbowl. Grossman didn't have much time to throw. Orton didn't have much time to throw. Since last year's team, two core players left the offensive line. This leaves us with not a lot of talent. Cutler is going to need time to throw the ball, especially with our receivers who have a knack for not getting open. We lost a quarterback that could manage the game and gained a quarterback that has the potential for the big home run plays if put into the right situation. Unfortunately, the Bears are along way away from being in the 'right situation'. Their opportunity to better the team was through the draft. Now they lost three draft picks of which they could have given Orton weapons and time to throw the ball.
There is more to Jay Cutler than the football side, however. Cutler is nothing more than an oversized and overpaid infant. The way he handled the fall-out in Denver perhaps the most unprofessional act in sports in recent memory. At the end of the day, football is a business. The team that pays you has the right to seek to better the team by moving you. The job of the athlete is to shut up and perform to the best of their abilities regardless of the situation placed upon him. Cutler whined, moaned, and demonstrated selfish behavior that every kindergarten teacher scolds her students about.
All in all, we'll have to wait and see how this trade works out by the progress and development of this chicago bears team over the course of the season. At the moment, I'm not sold in it.
Grade: D
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Two Things
There are two things that God constantly uses to slap me in the face.
1) Read about the Israelites and their disobedience to God only to realize that I am just like they were.
2) Read about Jesus rebuking the pharisees only to realize that I am just like the pharisees.
owned but caught in God's grace.
1) Read about the Israelites and their disobedience to God only to realize that I am just like they were.
2) Read about Jesus rebuking the pharisees only to realize that I am just like the pharisees.
owned but caught in God's grace.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thoughts of the Past Week
+ "I'm not sure why I started to think about this but I think that I've fallen in love with the wrong things." Usually when you hear something like this, you immediately think of things of this word: cars, houses, designer brand goods, etc. I would say that for me, it's something quite different. I've fallen in love with mercy and grace. Each morning, I wake up thinking "Man, I'm glad I'm caught in God's grace and mercy today" rather than thinking "Man, God is awesome. I want to live for Him today." Somewhere over the course of the last few weeks, I've become a lover of God's gifts that He so generously pours out on my rather than God himself.
+"The idea that we have time is merely an illusion." Quite frankly, we don't have time. We don't know what's ahead of us - or anyone else for that matter. I find myself sitting here, almost complacent, when it comes to doing kingdom work and spreading the Good News. I go to school thinking I can be a good witness - tomorrow. But in reality, life is quick and short. I don't have much time. There's a message that I know, one that is radically life changing, that people need to hear not tomorrow or the day after but now.
+"The idea that we have time is merely an illusion." Quite frankly, we don't have time. We don't know what's ahead of us - or anyone else for that matter. I find myself sitting here, almost complacent, when it comes to doing kingdom work and spreading the Good News. I go to school thinking I can be a good witness - tomorrow. But in reality, life is quick and short. I don't have much time. There's a message that I know, one that is radically life changing, that people need to hear not tomorrow or the day after but now.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Luke 7:11-17
Luke 7:11-17
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea[a] and the surrounding country.
When I first read this passage along time ago, I thought almost nothing of it. Okay, so Jesus performs another miracle and raises a guy from the dead. Cool. But upon further examination during small group this week, this passage came out of the text, grasped and enveloped me inside of it.
Where the heck is Nain? It's a serious question. What was so significant about this little town of Nain that made Jesus decide to go there? If anything, this shows that Jesus is intentional in His actions. Jesus intentionally goes to this little town because of the events that He knew were to happen.
Jesus met the woman where she was.This happens in two accounts. One account is that he goes to Nain and meets with her physically. The second encounter occurs when His "heart went out to her" and connects with her emotionally. At times, we think that God is this impersonal deity, ruling over everything from afar but this passage indicates otherwise. Jesus is very personal. Jesus is able to relate to our pain and our feelings and desires to meet us.
Jesus is higher than culture. Back in those times, touching a dead man would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean and would have been considered taboo. Instead, Jesus intentionally defies culture. Like we saw earlier in Luke 7, Jesus was able to heal the servant of the centurion with a few words from afar and yet here, we see Jesus physically touching the corpse of the young man. His ways are higher than our own. At the same time, Jesus is effectively demonstrating that it is He that cleanses us and gives us life, not the following of ritualistic patterns governed by the customs of society. We also see that Jesus met the young man where he was - dead and gone when he could have easily spoken a few words and gone on with his day.
I am the young man. As I read this passage, I thought a lot about my twenty years of life. I was the young man. I was dead. I had no hope. I was destined for an eternal condemnation, packaged in that coffin ready to be carried to my burial. I had no other way. It was a dead end. And then Jesus came down and met me despite of my sin. He breathed life into this dead corpse and told me to get up. At a point where it seemed like there was no hope, I was given hope in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that so exciting? When I think about the height from which I have fallen being overcome by the love of my savior, I can't help but respond in the same way that the town's people did when they witnessed this miracle - I am humbled and in awe of Jesus and will praise Him for eternity.
Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out—the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea[a] and the surrounding country.
When I first read this passage along time ago, I thought almost nothing of it. Okay, so Jesus performs another miracle and raises a guy from the dead. Cool. But upon further examination during small group this week, this passage came out of the text, grasped and enveloped me inside of it.
Where the heck is Nain? It's a serious question. What was so significant about this little town of Nain that made Jesus decide to go there? If anything, this shows that Jesus is intentional in His actions. Jesus intentionally goes to this little town because of the events that He knew were to happen.
Jesus met the woman where she was.This happens in two accounts. One account is that he goes to Nain and meets with her physically. The second encounter occurs when His "heart went out to her" and connects with her emotionally. At times, we think that God is this impersonal deity, ruling over everything from afar but this passage indicates otherwise. Jesus is very personal. Jesus is able to relate to our pain and our feelings and desires to meet us.
Jesus is higher than culture. Back in those times, touching a dead man would have made Jesus ceremonially unclean and would have been considered taboo. Instead, Jesus intentionally defies culture. Like we saw earlier in Luke 7, Jesus was able to heal the servant of the centurion with a few words from afar and yet here, we see Jesus physically touching the corpse of the young man. His ways are higher than our own. At the same time, Jesus is effectively demonstrating that it is He that cleanses us and gives us life, not the following of ritualistic patterns governed by the customs of society. We also see that Jesus met the young man where he was - dead and gone when he could have easily spoken a few words and gone on with his day.
I am the young man. As I read this passage, I thought a lot about my twenty years of life. I was the young man. I was dead. I had no hope. I was destined for an eternal condemnation, packaged in that coffin ready to be carried to my burial. I had no other way. It was a dead end. And then Jesus came down and met me despite of my sin. He breathed life into this dead corpse and told me to get up. At a point where it seemed like there was no hope, I was given hope in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that so exciting? When I think about the height from which I have fallen being overcome by the love of my savior, I can't help but respond in the same way that the town's people did when they witnessed this miracle - I am humbled and in awe of Jesus and will praise Him for eternity.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Something Greater
Colossians 3:23-24 - Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
I'm definitely feeling the effects of the quarter system. I'm 2.5 weeks into school and my first exam is tomorrow at 7:30 AM! I remember hearing this verse during Vacation Bible Club this past summer and I feel like its no coincidence that God reminded me of it just now. Even though we're students, we're working for the Lord. We're here to do His work and to make Him glorified. An A is always nice but an A isn't eternal. Bringing glory to my maker is so much greater. Now...to learn how to do that. Pray that I can find what it means to serve God through my studies.
I'm definitely feeling the effects of the quarter system. I'm 2.5 weeks into school and my first exam is tomorrow at 7:30 AM! I remember hearing this verse during Vacation Bible Club this past summer and I feel like its no coincidence that God reminded me of it just now. Even though we're students, we're working for the Lord. We're here to do His work and to make Him glorified. An A is always nice but an A isn't eternal. Bringing glory to my maker is so much greater. Now...to learn how to do that. Pray that I can find what it means to serve God through my studies.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Christ is My Cofactor
It's 12:35 AM and I'm sitting here studying my physiology lecture. Keep in mind I'm really tired but I thought I would get a quick blog in. I'm absolutely fascinated by it all. PTL for creating such intricate systems!
While I was sitting here learning about neurotransmitters, I came across an interesting component - the cofactor. I wasn't quite sure what it is so I looked it up:
Cofactor - A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity.
So in the case of NMDA, a ligand gated ion channel, a neurotransmitter can bind to a receptor on an ion channel but without subsequent binding of glycine, a cofactor, nothing can occur. The protein can't function as it should.
My life is largely the same way. I can crazy, trying to produce fruit with my deeds but without the presence and hand of God, all of it is worthless. Each and every day, I need God.
Strange comparison? Yeah, definitely. Regardless of that, God met me where I was and spoke to me.
While I was sitting here learning about neurotransmitters, I came across an interesting component - the cofactor. I wasn't quite sure what it is so I looked it up:
Cofactor - A cofactor is a non-protein chemical compound that is bound to a protein and is required for the protein's biological activity.
So in the case of NMDA, a ligand gated ion channel, a neurotransmitter can bind to a receptor on an ion channel but without subsequent binding of glycine, a cofactor, nothing can occur. The protein can't function as it should.
My life is largely the same way. I can crazy, trying to produce fruit with my deeds but without the presence and hand of God, all of it is worthless. Each and every day, I need God.
Strange comparison? Yeah, definitely. Regardless of that, God met me where I was and spoke to me.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Rejoice!
Matthew 5:3 - Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
This verse has been on my mind for awhile. While sitting in class the other day, I began to think about my future and inevitably, my future income. As much as a pharmacist's salary is, such a thing is not what will make me rich. I am convinced that I am already rich, not because of anything that I own or have gone but rich in the grace of God.
I am poor in spirit, although that is not to say that I have mastered this. I acknowledge that I have a long way to go. However, I know that my heart is poor in that I am depraved. Each and every day, I need God's grace, mercy, and love to cover me. In times of darkness and times of light, I am nothing without God. As a result of my faith, I am an heir of God. This is something that we should all rejoice in daily.
This verse has been on my mind for awhile. While sitting in class the other day, I began to think about my future and inevitably, my future income. As much as a pharmacist's salary is, such a thing is not what will make me rich. I am convinced that I am already rich, not because of anything that I own or have gone but rich in the grace of God.
I am poor in spirit, although that is not to say that I have mastered this. I acknowledge that I have a long way to go. However, I know that my heart is poor in that I am depraved. Each and every day, I need God's grace, mercy, and love to cover me. In times of darkness and times of light, I am nothing without God. As a result of my faith, I am an heir of God. This is something that we should all rejoice in daily.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
James 4:13-17
James 4:13-17
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, do you not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? you area mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
At the start of this passage, James is fairly straight forward and blunt. It's not that James advises us not to plan. It would be foolish not to. In v13-14, James is talking about an attitude of ownership and arrogance, one that as college students, we are all too familiar with. Time is a precious thing so we see it as our own, to use it as we please for our own personal benefit. We make plans and try to control them as tightly as possible, not erring for anything. To think that our time is our own is the first crucial mistake - time doesn't belong to us. We're living on borrowed time as recipients of the Lord's mercy. The next mistake is to believe that we have control over our lives. Our lives are also gifts from the Lord. To believe that we are in control - as opposed to God - is to live a life of arrogance. In v16, James captures this idea by stating that such boasting or bragging is evil.
James quickly contrasted such an attitude with one of humility in v15, stating that we ought to live the Lord's will for us. This is an act of submission, lifting our lives up to the Lord and living according to His plans, His timing, and His will rather than our own. This is consistent with what James wrote earlier in the chapter, calling Christians to "submit themselves before God" and to "humble [ourselves] before the Lord". Our lives our not our own. We should continually strive to submit to the Lord's will and to become more like Him in our nature.
With this act of humility in mind, James concludes this portion of his writing by proclaiming in v17 that "anyone...who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins". This idea is not new in the book of James as it is seen in earlier chapters. To know is one thing. To know and follow is another. A humble heart that is submitted to God should be one that is walking with the Lord and growing in the knowledge of His ways. As James stated in chapter 2, works will be a natural outcome of such a growing faith in the Lord. Knowing what God wills and continually resisting is an act of arrogance - by doing so, we are essentially saying that while we acknowledge God and His will for us, we know better than God and will do as we please instead of as He pleases.
Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, do you not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? you area mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
At the start of this passage, James is fairly straight forward and blunt. It's not that James advises us not to plan. It would be foolish not to. In v13-14, James is talking about an attitude of ownership and arrogance, one that as college students, we are all too familiar with. Time is a precious thing so we see it as our own, to use it as we please for our own personal benefit. We make plans and try to control them as tightly as possible, not erring for anything. To think that our time is our own is the first crucial mistake - time doesn't belong to us. We're living on borrowed time as recipients of the Lord's mercy. The next mistake is to believe that we have control over our lives. Our lives are also gifts from the Lord. To believe that we are in control - as opposed to God - is to live a life of arrogance. In v16, James captures this idea by stating that such boasting or bragging is evil.
James quickly contrasted such an attitude with one of humility in v15, stating that we ought to live the Lord's will for us. This is an act of submission, lifting our lives up to the Lord and living according to His plans, His timing, and His will rather than our own. This is consistent with what James wrote earlier in the chapter, calling Christians to "submit themselves before God" and to "humble [ourselves] before the Lord". Our lives our not our own. We should continually strive to submit to the Lord's will and to become more like Him in our nature.
With this act of humility in mind, James concludes this portion of his writing by proclaiming in v17 that "anyone...who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins". This idea is not new in the book of James as it is seen in earlier chapters. To know is one thing. To know and follow is another. A humble heart that is submitted to God should be one that is walking with the Lord and growing in the knowledge of His ways. As James stated in chapter 2, works will be a natural outcome of such a growing faith in the Lord. Knowing what God wills and continually resisting is an act of arrogance - by doing so, we are essentially saying that while we acknowledge God and His will for us, we know better than God and will do as we please instead of as He pleases.
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