I keep forgetting that Christian life is not always pleasant. Surely, I have been blessed. I can't imagine any other kind of life. God, my Father and Savior, has been more than enough for me. Thank you Jesus!
However when I hear "The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men" (Matt. 17:22), I unconsciously block this thought out of my head. I don't want this; I don't want to think about this. I see servants of the Lord. Their lives are full of meaning. They are my heroes. I desire to be like them. However, when I examine their lives closely, I see them suffer greatly. Do I want this?
"Blessed are you when they reproach and persecute you, while speaking lies say every evil thing against you because of Me. Rejoice and exult, for your reward is great in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:11-12).
"Yes, Lord." Perhaps I don't know what I am asking but I would like to follow your path. I know that I am weak and afraid. But Jesus, please help me to stay on your path.
I was prompted to write this because I see my friend who is suffering yet standing for Christ. I admire and love him for it. May he endure by the grace and enjoy "on the third day He will be raised up."
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Double grace
With brother Daniel, I enjoyed 2 corinth 1:15 "And in this confidence I intended to come to you before, so that you might have a second benefit".
From this verse, we can see there is a second benefit for us to enjoy.
When we add one to one, it becomes double.
Likewise here we see the double grace.
Before we enjoy something coming down from the heavenly realm,
we often become so much complicated because we want to calculate and just understand the grace.
Here apostle Paul recommends one simle verse we can adopt into our life.
We need to have confidence and go to saints.
It will bring us to have double grace, to the saints and to us.
I pray God brings all of you this double grace today in our Lord Jesus Christ.
From this verse, we can see there is a second benefit for us to enjoy.
When we add one to one, it becomes double.
Likewise here we see the double grace.
Before we enjoy something coming down from the heavenly realm,
we often become so much complicated because we want to calculate and just understand the grace.
Here apostle Paul recommends one simle verse we can adopt into our life.
We need to have confidence and go to saints.
It will bring us to have double grace, to the saints and to us.
I pray God brings all of you this double grace today in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Confidence, Intention and Going
This morning, a brother and I enjoyed that we can have a confidence, an intention, and a going. This is based on 2 Corinthians 1:15 "And in this confidence I intended to come to you previously that you might have double grace."
Often I struggle with lack of self-confidence. Also often I find Christian meetings overwhelming. I know that we should have much grace in meetings but for some reason, I feel as though being alone with the Lord is more pleasant.
But apostle Paul had this confidence that when he would visit Corinth twice, he would give them double grace. Hence, if we had the same confidence, shouldn't all believers contribute grace to one another? If 5 believers are meeting together, shouldn't we have 5 fold grace?
Furthermore, Paul had an intention. Paul realized that he could give grace every time he visited Corinth. Likewise, shouldn't I have this kind of confidence and intention? Shouldn't I go to meetings and visit other cities with this kind of intention? I am capable of finding grace. Then, shouldn't I have this kind of intention?
Finally, Paul was going to Corinth to give them grace.
We should not be defeated by our meetings or any environment. We have the Lord. We have His grace. Let's have the confidence, intention and the going so that we can add grace to our situations and to anyone we meet.
Often I struggle with lack of self-confidence. Also often I find Christian meetings overwhelming. I know that we should have much grace in meetings but for some reason, I feel as though being alone with the Lord is more pleasant.
But apostle Paul had this confidence that when he would visit Corinth twice, he would give them double grace. Hence, if we had the same confidence, shouldn't all believers contribute grace to one another? If 5 believers are meeting together, shouldn't we have 5 fold grace?
Furthermore, Paul had an intention. Paul realized that he could give grace every time he visited Corinth. Likewise, shouldn't I have this kind of confidence and intention? Shouldn't I go to meetings and visit other cities with this kind of intention? I am capable of finding grace. Then, shouldn't I have this kind of intention?
Finally, Paul was going to Corinth to give them grace.
We should not be defeated by our meetings or any environment. We have the Lord. We have His grace. Let's have the confidence, intention and the going so that we can add grace to our situations and to anyone we meet.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
My Spiritual Goals as of Feb. 2009
Currently, I have two spiritual goals:
1. To reach all of Ann Arbor (every neighborhood) with the gospel
2. To see prayers answered for difficult cases.
1. To reach all of Ann Arbor (every neighborhood) with the gospel
2. To see prayers answered for difficult cases.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Jesus' going abouts
Matthew 4:23 tells us that "Jesus went about in all of Galilee..." This is right after He called Peter and Andrew and James and John. Shouldn't He setup a training school for them? Instead, He took them "in all of Galilee."
How much of Ann Arbor do I know? We perhaps distributed our church invitation card to 2/3 of Ann Arbor during Gospel Odyssey. And I go out in the Diag to preach the gospel. However, so much of Ann Arbor I haven't visited with the gospel. Jesus, I would like to visit all of Ann Arbor with your gospel. Help me to accomplish this this year.
When Jesus was going about, He
1) taught in their synagogues (what are my synagogues?)
2) proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom
3) healed every disease & every sickness among the people
May Your will be done.
How much of Ann Arbor do I know? We perhaps distributed our church invitation card to 2/3 of Ann Arbor during Gospel Odyssey. And I go out in the Diag to preach the gospel. However, so much of Ann Arbor I haven't visited with the gospel. Jesus, I would like to visit all of Ann Arbor with your gospel. Help me to accomplish this this year.
When Jesus was going about, He
1) taught in their synagogues (what are my synagogues?)
2) proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom
3) healed every disease & every sickness among the people
May Your will be done.
Friday, June 06, 2008
When You Did Awesome Things that We did not Expect
We are having Gospel Odyssey in Ann Arbor. We just met yesterday to plan the event. However, there is one thing that we cannot plan--God factor. Dear Lord, come and be with us and do awesome things that we did not expect (Isa. 64:3). What will that be? I am looking forward to them!
"Make Your name known to your adversaries" (Isa. 64:2). Who are His adversaries? His children's adversaries. Some of my adversaries are "fear" and "self-confidence". Some of my brothers' adversaries are "loneliness", "pain", "addiction", "exhaustion", "the world"... Lord, this summer, make Your adversaries scatter; let them flee. As we are facing our troubles, let our adversaries encounter Your name. Let fear know Your name! Lord, that would be cool. Let self-confidence see Your biceps and Your neck.
"For from of old, men have not heard,
Nor perceived with the ear,
Neither has eye seen a God besides You" (Isa.64:4).
This verse reminds me of 1 Cor. 2:9 "But as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not come up in man's heart; things which Go d has prepared for those who love Him.'"
For some reason, I have a feeling that this fight is not mine. I cannot change Zach's schedule. I cannot help JH overcome. I cannot heal KK. I cannot repair my relationships. That is not my job. This is God's job. Somehow, I feel so much better. Oh God, you brought Zach into my life. I want to show You to Him. But somehow, I can try to lead him to You. But at the end, the realization, the face to face meeting with You, the big gulp of the living water, etc. are all up to You. That's Your job. Hallellujah! I know that another thing that is nice is You are good. Good does not even capture how awesome You are. You are not against us, especially those who seek You. You do not disappoint Your children. You have Your timing and Your ways, which are wonderful. I just trust in You. I believe that You would grant this young man a great reality of Yourself, which is worth everything.
Lord Jesus, it is nice to consider who You are. Thank you.
"Make Your name known to your adversaries" (Isa. 64:2). Who are His adversaries? His children's adversaries. Some of my adversaries are "fear" and "self-confidence". Some of my brothers' adversaries are "loneliness", "pain", "addiction", "exhaustion", "the world"... Lord, this summer, make Your adversaries scatter; let them flee. As we are facing our troubles, let our adversaries encounter Your name. Let fear know Your name! Lord, that would be cool. Let self-confidence see Your biceps and Your neck.
"For from of old, men have not heard,
Nor perceived with the ear,
Neither has eye seen a God besides You" (Isa.64:4).
This verse reminds me of 1 Cor. 2:9 "But as it is written, 'Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard and which have not come up in man's heart; things which Go d has prepared for those who love Him.'"
For some reason, I have a feeling that this fight is not mine. I cannot change Zach's schedule. I cannot help JH overcome. I cannot heal KK. I cannot repair my relationships. That is not my job. This is God's job. Somehow, I feel so much better. Oh God, you brought Zach into my life. I want to show You to Him. But somehow, I can try to lead him to You. But at the end, the realization, the face to face meeting with You, the big gulp of the living water, etc. are all up to You. That's Your job. Hallellujah! I know that another thing that is nice is You are good. Good does not even capture how awesome You are. You are not against us, especially those who seek You. You do not disappoint Your children. You have Your timing and Your ways, which are wonderful. I just trust in You. I believe that You would grant this young man a great reality of Yourself, which is worth everything.
Lord Jesus, it is nice to consider who You are. Thank you.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Who is true Israel?
Recently, my friends and I were considering who is true Isreal according to the New Testament? There are many more questions that needs to be addressed that are related to this. For example, will a temple be built? And will the Jews serve it according to the Old Testament/Covenant? I will not be able to answer these questions right now. However, in this article, I would like to write down my findings in Romans 9-11.
Paul, in Romans 9, speaks of a great grief and unceasing pain in his heart (v. 2) because "not all who are out of Israel are out of Isreal" (v. 6); "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted as the seed" (v. 8); "And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved'" (v. 27).
Why not all physical Israel not true Israel? Because Israel, pursuing a law of righteous stumbled at the stone of stumbling because they did not pursue it out of faith but out of works and everyone who believes on Him shall not be put to shame (vv. 9:30-33). Hence, in Romans 10, Paul continues by stating that he prays for their salvation (v. 1) because "they have a zeal for God, but not according to full knowledge" (v. 2), "For because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God" (v. 3), "For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes" (v. 4) and because they are cursed because "the righteousness which is out of the law" is "The man who does them shall live by them'' (v. 5).
Furthermore, in Romans 10:8-13, it seems that the word of faith (the message/the gospel) and the Lord is same--"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'" (vv. 12-13). In other words, for Jews to be saved, they need to believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, which is not different from anyone else (Gentiles). Hence the physical Jews are not blessed with Abraham's blessing in Gen. 12 but it is the Christians who have inherited the promise of Abraham (Galatians).
In verse 18, Paul asks didn't Israel not hear the gospel? "Yes surely: Their voice has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth" (v. 18), "I will provoke you [Israel] to jealousy" (v. 19), "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a people who disobey and contradict'' (v. 21).
In chapter 11, Paul asks "Did God cast away His people" (v. 1)? "Absolutely not! For I also am an Israelite" (v. 1); just as in times of Elijah "at the present time also there has come into being a remnant according to the selection of grace. But if by grace, it is no longer out of works" (vv. 5-6); "That which Israel is seeking after, this it has not obtained, but the chosen have obtained it, and the rest have been hardened" (v. 7). So who are the remnant and the chosen among the Jews? They are the believing Jews, like Paul.
Israel as an olive branches were broken off but "if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in" (v. 23); "For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all" (v. 32); "The Deliverer will come out of Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (v. 26)
Hence, it seems that the spiritual state of physical Israel is not different from the Gentiles--they are unbelievers. They have to hear the gospel and believe in the gospel. Otherwise, they will perish. By believing the Jews and Gentiles become the true Isreal of God.
Paul, in Romans 9, speaks of a great grief and unceasing pain in his heart (v. 2) because "not all who are out of Israel are out of Isreal" (v. 6); "it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are accounted as the seed" (v. 8); "And Isaiah cries concerning Israel, 'Though the number of the sons of Israel be like the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved'" (v. 27).
Why not all physical Israel not true Israel? Because Israel, pursuing a law of righteous stumbled at the stone of stumbling because they did not pursue it out of faith but out of works and everyone who believes on Him shall not be put to shame (vv. 9:30-33). Hence, in Romans 10, Paul continues by stating that he prays for their salvation (v. 1) because "they have a zeal for God, but not according to full knowledge" (v. 2), "For because they were ignorant of God's righteousness and sought to establish their own righteousness, they were not subject to the righteousness of God" (v. 3), "For Christ is the end of the law unto righteousness to everyone who believes" (v. 4) and because they are cursed because "the righteousness which is out of the law" is "The man who does them shall live by them'' (v. 5).
Furthermore, in Romans 10:8-13, it seems that the word of faith (the message/the gospel) and the Lord is same--"For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord is Lord of all and rich to all who call upon Him; For 'whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved'" (vv. 12-13). In other words, for Jews to be saved, they need to believe that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, which is not different from anyone else (Gentiles). Hence the physical Jews are not blessed with Abraham's blessing in Gen. 12 but it is the Christians who have inherited the promise of Abraham (Galatians).
In verse 18, Paul asks didn't Israel not hear the gospel? "Yes surely: Their voice has gone out into all the earth and their words to the ends of the inhabited earth" (v. 18), "I will provoke you [Israel] to jealousy" (v. 19), "All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a people who disobey and contradict'' (v. 21).
In chapter 11, Paul asks "Did God cast away His people" (v. 1)? "Absolutely not! For I also am an Israelite" (v. 1); just as in times of Elijah "at the present time also there has come into being a remnant according to the selection of grace. But if by grace, it is no longer out of works" (vv. 5-6); "That which Israel is seeking after, this it has not obtained, but the chosen have obtained it, and the rest have been hardened" (v. 7). So who are the remnant and the chosen among the Jews? They are the believing Jews, like Paul.
Israel as an olive branches were broken off but "if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in" (v. 23); "For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all" (v. 32); "The Deliverer will come out of Zion; He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob." (v. 26)
Hence, it seems that the spiritual state of physical Israel is not different from the Gentiles--they are unbelievers. They have to hear the gospel and believe in the gospel. Otherwise, they will perish. By believing the Jews and Gentiles become the true Isreal of God.
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