You might think, "...Justin are you serious?"
However just look at the site below, and you'll see what I'm talking about
We all have a god that we built for ourselves.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Build Your Own God
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Boasting in Christ
I've been thinking about that line for quite a
while. I think mainly because when I hear the
word "boasting" it brings about certain words
like arrogance or pride. With these popping out
in my noggin, I was curious as to thinking why
does Paul use this word to describe what he has.
When you boast about something, you flaunt it
around, showing everyone what special thing you
had. Is this what Paul was trying to do? Show off
Christ?
I don't think show-off describes anything about what
Paul was trying to say. I wish I knew the Greek word
that he uses, but I'll try to interpret what I believed it
to be.
Boasting in Christ was a way to tell people, "Hey, I have
this wonderful gift, and I want to share it with you." It
wasn't "Hey, I'm better than you because I have this gift,"
but it was more of compassion and loving way. If you had
the best candy in the world and you have a bag full, you
boast it by saying "This is some really good candy I have,
and you should have some!" (Maybe this analogy doesn't
do justice to what I'm trying to say).
That's what boasting is for Paul. He wants people to know
how precious of a gift he has to the point where he wants
to share it. I want that same boasting in my life to tell
people of who Christ is. That same passion that Paul has
so that I will not be ashamed of what I believe in.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Retreat Reflection
These past days, I was at Palm Desert for Berean Retreat.
It was the most challenging retreat I have gone to, one filled
with convictions and guilt of how selfish I am.
Few points from the retreat were these:
1. We tend to emphasize the good results that come from the
Gospel rather than the main character of the Gospel.
2. The Gospel is to know and savor in the glory of Jesus Christ.
3. We evangelize as tools for God, one used for the glory of
God because He is the one that changes people, not us.
4. We love to do things that love God rather than loving God
Himself.
5. We evangelize so that we may be able to have a
multi-national, multi-lingual bride for God.
6. We must realize the idols around us and be passionate about
telling people the Gospel.
Point 5 and 6 really got me to think about what I am doing in
this world. A few post back, I posted a quote from John Piper's
book Don't Waste Your Life. It was long, but the point of it
was that an old man was in tears, crying out "I've wasted it."
I feel that I am wasting away in keeping the Gospel to myself.
Point 5 was the emphasis on the fact that God wants EVERY
nation, language, tribes, and the world to praise Him through
the Gospel. Why? Imagine being in heaven where everyone
speaks the same language, praising God. That's pretty cool.
But, imagine being in heaven where there are many people,
speaking different tongues and praising the same God. Isn't
THAT glorious? Isn't that simply awesome and amazing?
Yet, I still stay in the same Christian bubble of comfort and
never want to go out to preach. I stay with the same people,
of the same race praising God when God wants ALL nations
and ALL tribes to praise Him. What am I doing? Why do I
keep for myself a gift that is so life-changing, so mind-blowing
to myself? It's because I'm selfish. It's because I like the
comfort. It's because I like to be in the back corner, quietly
praising God by myself.
I want to preach the Gospel for God's glory. I want those, who
hear and believe, spread that same glory to people they know.
I want the Koreans, the Chinese, the Caucasians, the Spanish,
the Russian, the Germans, the Nigerians, the French, the
Greeks, the Thailand, and the rest of the countries to know
God's glory. It can only start by me relinquishing my comfort
and fear and have the Spirit of boldness to testify.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
God Being Glorified
Recently, there has been news about Haiti and how a huge
earthquake created so much chaos and death in the country.
Things like this bring about people to help those in need.
However, this things are what brings about people to ask us,
"Why? Why did God have to let this happen?" And what is
our response? "We really don't know why this happens, but
everything, for good or bad, is used to glorify God." I've been
thinking about this and trying to give some reasons as to how
He is glorified.
Disclaimer: I am not an expert of this topic; in fact, I'm far
from being the person to tell any of you reading of how God
is being glorified. It's just my own opinion, my own two cents
as to how God is glorified.
As we know, God deserves all the glory, all the praise. Why? He
is God, the Almighty and powerful Being. The One who saves us
from death. The One who is highest authority. How is He glorified?
Through our ability to spread the Gospel, to preach the Gospel to
those who do not know. We tell people about God and His saving grace.
Isn't that selfish? God uses something tragic just so that people can
know the Gospel, the saving story of our lives. That is hardly the case.
In fact, aren't we selfish? Selfish that we start the movement to
spread the Gospel after a tragedy rather than doing it before it?
Selfish that we are so immersed in what we want to do and not
wanting to know what happens out there? Selfish that we would
prefer our own comfort rather than being zealous to spread the
Gospel? Selfish that we keep this gift to ourselves rather than
spreading it?
Maybe this is a way to show us that we're not doing what we're
suppose to. Maybe to tell us not to be so inconsiderate about those
who are in need of life. Maybe to tell us that time is running out.
Again, I don't know what God is thinking. This is my own opinion
of why this may happen.
Sorry if it's long, but as I write this, I'm thinking for myself and
convicted of how selfish I am. I start to donate when something
tragic happens rather than just doing it out of generosity and
kindness. I start to pray for this after the tragedy despite the need
to pray for the unsavedbefore. I pray for my own heart that as I
write this, I consistently realize this in my own life and to DO
something about it rather than just write and forget about it.
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