Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) is studying the Gospel of John this year. After 4 months of study, I really wonder which way I would have gone if I were a Pharisee. Would I be Nicodemus? Or be part of the rest of the Pharisees so bent on getting rid of the one Man who dared to rebut their teachings?
I would wonder from time to time if I would be a believer if my parents weren't. Would I have believed in what the Bible says? Sometimes I find it hard to process the idea that all the Bible stories actually did happen many many years ago. Like there really was a flood that nearly wiped out all mankind; the Red Sea really did part; Mary really got pregnant without doing it; and Jesus really did die and resurrected.
But then, I guess it really just comes down to one thing, faith.
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Offering
1 Chronicles 21:24 But King David replied to Araunah, "No, I insist on paying full price. I will not take for the Lord what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing."
I came across this verse while doing my BSF homework. We are now on the chapters after the Ten Commandmants were given. One of the verses in Exodus mentioned that each man in Israel was to offer what his heart prompts him to give. The verse from 1 Chronicles above was given as a reference.
David had insisted on paying for the threshing floor, the animals and so on for the offering to God because he didn't want to sacrifice something that did not cost him anything to God. How can it be called a sacrifice if there is no cost?
What are we offering to God? Are we giving Him our residual time left over from school or work and other commitments? What are we sacrificing for Him? What are we giving Him in return for all the things that He has done for us?
He is often a 2nd thought. Or a 2nd priority. He comes after school, after work, after rest, after leisure. Because He is not visible, we often forget Him as we scamper around filling our lives with things that we think would fill us.
We do devotion only when we remember or if we're not tired. We only join in church activities if our schedule permits. We only serve in church if it doesn't require us too much time.
Why are they all conditional? Why can't we put Him above everything? And I do mean everything. School, work, family commitments, social life.. EVERYTHING.
If the gift you're offering up to Him today does not cost you anything, is it still an offering?
I came across this verse while doing my BSF homework. We are now on the chapters after the Ten Commandmants were given. One of the verses in Exodus mentioned that each man in Israel was to offer what his heart prompts him to give. The verse from 1 Chronicles above was given as a reference.
David had insisted on paying for the threshing floor, the animals and so on for the offering to God because he didn't want to sacrifice something that did not cost him anything to God. How can it be called a sacrifice if there is no cost?
What are we offering to God? Are we giving Him our residual time left over from school or work and other commitments? What are we sacrificing for Him? What are we giving Him in return for all the things that He has done for us?
He is often a 2nd thought. Or a 2nd priority. He comes after school, after work, after rest, after leisure. Because He is not visible, we often forget Him as we scamper around filling our lives with things that we think would fill us.
We do devotion only when we remember or if we're not tired. We only join in church activities if our schedule permits. We only serve in church if it doesn't require us too much time.
Why are they all conditional? Why can't we put Him above everything? And I do mean everything. School, work, family commitments, social life.. EVERYTHING.
If the gift you're offering up to Him today does not cost you anything, is it still an offering?
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Belated Spring Cleaning II
And yes, I have finished cleaning up/out my room. My bookshelves now look more like bookshelves, my study table is no longer covered w my bags and I now have a makeshift dressing table. Now if only I can get myself to re-paint my room and put up the curtains.
I came across a box of letters that got me really nostalgic. I used to exchange letters with a few of my friends from primary and secondary school. We would write like 5-7 pages long letters to each other filled with crap and I don't know what else. I really miss it.
Anyways, I have finally started the internship in church. It's kinda lonely 'cos I'm the only one.
But I really hope that I will make FULL use of this time.
I came across a box of letters that got me really nostalgic. I used to exchange letters with a few of my friends from primary and secondary school. We would write like 5-7 pages long letters to each other filled with crap and I don't know what else. I really miss it.
Anyways, I have finally started the internship in church. It's kinda lonely 'cos I'm the only one.
But I really hope that I will make FULL use of this time.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life and pastor of Saddleback Church in California , gave the invocation at the Presidential inauguration last night. His insights about life are remarkable, especially now that his wife has cancer and he has garnered tremendous wealth from sales of his book.
When interviewed by Paul Bradshaw, these are the things Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is ※my problem, my issues, my pain.§ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings , not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD .
Painful moments, TRUST GOD .
Every moment, THANK GOD.
When interviewed by Paul Bradshaw, these are the things Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems.
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is ※my problem, my issues, my pain.§ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her.
It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings , not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD .
Painful moments, TRUST GOD .
Every moment, THANK GOD.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Monday, November 24, 2008
Before I Leave
Yes Corrin, before I leave.
I tendered my resignation the Friday before last. I can't wait for my last day to come.
There are many things happening in the office that I have not told anybody. Nor will I ever. You just don't talk about things you do wrong.
But I guess this way, it is so much easier for everybody.
And, through this incident, I experienced the amazing grace of the ever-faithful God once again. I had absolutely no right to turn to Him after what I did, but He still helped me through :)
I guess... it's His way of telling me that He is always faithful even when we are unfaithful.
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