Revelation 7:9-12 “After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’  And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, saying, ‘Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

O for that day when our journey has ended
All of our hope found in Heaven’s reward
When we will have the Messiah forever
And we will dwell in the house of the Lord
Yes, we will dwell in the house of the Lord

hurry up, Lord.

Al Mohler’s response to “The Shack”

If you haven’t heard of “The Shack”, it’s a pretty popular work of Christian fiction that a lot of people have been reading and talking about – I even saw it in Costco!  Anyways, I had heard mixed things about it, and just read a critique of it by Al Mohler that I thought was interesting (and wanted to in effect ‘bookmark it’ here w/o actually having to bookmark it).  You can read it Here.

This was a quote that stuck out to me:

In evaluating the book, it must be kept in mind that The Shack is a work of fiction. But it is also a sustained theological argument, and this simply cannot be denied. Any number of notable novels and works of literature have contained aberrant theology, and even heresy. The crucial question is whether the aberrant doctrines are features of the story or the message of the work. When it comes to The Shack, the really troubling fact is that so many readers are drawn to the theological message of the book, and fail to see how it conflicts with the Bible at so many crucial points.

http://www.albertmohler.com/2010/01/27/the-shack-the-missing-art-of-evangelical-discernment/

grateful thoughts on love

learning more about how God views things makes you more sensitive to sin around you (and in you)

it’s really easy to see the shortcomings of others, and with your informed view of what is right, to look down on, or even resent this person.  i’ve been guilty of romans 2 far too often (“Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”)

but it’s far more difficult to see the shortcomings of others, and love them enough to want them to change and grow – to pray for them and carry their burdens.  To do everything you can, out of a reverence to God, to help this bro. or sis. to find the victory over the sin.  It’s far easier to just “assess and move on”.

But this patience – this is the way God loves us – He sees the sin in us, and loves us enough, first, to not resent us but instead save us from sin’s judgment, and then second, to correct us and push us to grow in fruit opposite to sin.  Marks of a true and good Father.  =)

the world’s obsession with ‘tolerance’ – accepting everyone as they are, sounds appealing at first, but in fact falls short compared love, which cares enough to restore.

happy re-birthday eric!

“today (or around today) is the 1 year anniversary of my conversion!” reports Eric in our small group meeting tonight, as he brims with delight and his face breaks into a large smile.   As he reflects on how much he has learned in one year, my heart rejoices with him.  How can you describe being brought from spiritual deadness into spiritual life?  What sort of words do that justice?  I dunno– but thanks and praise to the God who has done all of it, from the start until the very end.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,  to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.  In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials,  so that the tested genuineness of your faith–more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire–may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. ” – 1 Pet. 1:3-9

Here in Canada for Christmas to visit with relatives.  LOTS of fooding.  And lots of time to read and reflect.  I think I read this either at the start of the week, or last week before I left, but I wanted to share it here.  Man, every hour of the day is a struggle for me with regard to what it describes.  But hopefully, as a Christmas gift, it will stir up in you conviction and affection for Christ.

“What follows from Augustine’s view of grace as the giving of a sovereign joy that triumphs over ‘lawless pleasures’ is that the entire Christian life is seen as a relentless quest for the fullest joy in God.  He said, ‘The whole life of a Christian is a holy desire.’  In other words, the key to Christian living is a thirst and a hunger for God.  And one of the main reasons people do not understand or experience the sovereignty of grace and the way it works through the awakening of sovereign joy is that their hunger and thirst for God is so small.  The desperation to be ravished for the sake of worship and holiness is unintelligible.  Here’s the goal and the problem as Augustine saw it:

The soul of men shall hope under the shadow of Thy wings; they shall be made drunk with the fullness of Thy house; and of the torrents of Thy pleasures Thou wilt give them to drink; for in Thee is the Fountain of Life, and in Thy Light shall we see the light? Give me a man in love: he knows what I mean.  Give me one who yearns; give me one who is hungry; give me one far away in this desert, who is thirsty and sighs for the spring of the Eternal country.  Give me that sort of man: he knows what I mean.  But if I speak to a cold man, he just does not know what I am talking about…

These words from Augustine should make our hearts burn with renewed longing for God. And they should help us to see why it is so difficult to display the glory of the Gospel to so many people. The reason is that so many do not long for anything very much. They are just coasting. They are not passionate about anything. They are ‘cold’ not just toward the glory of Christ in the Gospel, but toward everything. Even their sins are picked at rather than swallowed with passion.”

-John Piper, in a biography of St. Augustine.

There is hope in the Gospel for any man, so long as he lives. There is infinite willingness in Christ to pardon sin. There is infinite power in the Holy Spirit to change hearts. – J.C. Ryle

Thank God.

my windshield is foggy..

.. and i can’t see properly.   blegh, i hate this old car.

.

.

“Yes, I believe this is the great secret why many laugh at the idea of the existence of the Holy Spirit – because they cannot see him. You tell the one who is absorbed by worldly pursuits and pleasures, “I have the Holy Spirit living within me.” He says, “I can’t see it.” He wants it to be something tangible – something he can recognize with his senses.
Have you ever heard the argument used by the good old Christian against an unsaved doctor? The doctor said there was no soul, and asked,“Did you ever see a soul?”

“No,” said the Christian.

“Did you ever hear a soul?”

“No.”

“Did you ever smell a soul?”

“No.”

“Did you ever taste a soul?”

“No.”

“Did you ever feel a soul?”

“Yes,” said the man – “I feel I have one within me.”

“Well,” said the doctor, “there are four senses against one; you only have one on your side.”

“Very well,” said the Christian, “Did you ever see a pain?”

“No, said the doctor.”

“Did you ever hear a pain?”

“No.”

“Did you ever smell a pain?”

“No.”

“Did you ever taste a pain?”

“No.”

“Did you ever feel a pain?”

“Yes.”

“And that is quite enough, I suppose, to prove there is a pain?”

“Yes.”

So the people of this world say, “There is no Holy Spirit,” because they cannot see it. But we feel it. You say that is fanaticism, and that we never have felt it. Suppose you tell me that honey is bitter, I reply, “No, I am sure you can’t have tasted it; taste it and try.” So it is with the Holy Spirit; if you ever felt his influence, you would no longer say there is no Holy Spirit, because you cannot see it.” – c.h.spurgeon

december

finals studying brings back the vain longings to make my living as a slam poet.

Thanksgiving Reverie

small common graces:
- accelerating in a motor vehicle (car) while the turning autumn leaves sweep across the streets, being blown by gentle gusts of wind.
- freshly baked shortbread cookie, courtesy of mother.
- freshly baked choco chip cookie, courtesy of mother.

big time graces:
- the blood of Christ washing over my sinfulness, undeservedly.
- the steadfast love of a Heavenly Father, despite my instability in my relationship with Him.

Little by little, I am learning more that what God thinks is great, is so so different than what myself or the world thinks is great.  I look at myself from the world’s eyes, and see that in many ways I have so much going for me.  I tell an elderly couple from Modesto that I’m from [wealthy] Palo Alto, and see them respond with impressed smiles.   I tell a girl from community college that I’m an engineer at UCLA, and watch her eyes widen with envy.  I stare at friends blankly and for some reason they think I’m thinking something deep and profound (when really my thoughts are as empty as my expression).   There are so many stepping stones laid out before me that I can stand on to assert my importance or authority:  Why you should listen to me.  Why you should respect me. Even when I want to share with people about Christ, it’s so easy to think this:  Listen to me, because I am someone you should respect – either by my upbringing, my vocabulary, even my skill in relating well with you to ease into conversation.

But all of that stuff is worthless.

Psalm 51:16-17 says,
“For you [God] will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

What impresses God is not my UCLA education.  It’s not my nice clothes.  It’s not my so-called profound thoughts.  It’s not externally religious deeds devoid of purpose.  It’s a broken and contrite heart.  It’s fearing and obeying Him.  It’s how highly I regard and boast of Jesus Christ.  That is so hard to take in.

The reason it’s hard to take in is because you don’t need to be spectacular to brag about Jesus.  You don’t need a Ph.D.  You don’t have to be good looking.  Other people who are not these things can reflect Jesus too.  Other people who are not these things, can be better at proclaiming Jesus than you who might have many of these things.  And so how do I measure in the eyes of God?  Do I count everything else as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus?

But that’s the whole point – “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. ” – 1 corinthians 1:28-29

So there it is.  In embracing the Gospel, I’m grouped with “the things that are not”, along with the rest of the other “things that are not” people, who in the world’s eyes aren’t that special.  We wish were were great.. but we’re not.  So recognizing that Jesus as God is great, we look stupid in the world’s eyes.  It’s a temptation to revert back and see validating qualities in myself: look at my hometown.  look at my degree.  look at how hardworking i am (haha uh..). And it’s not that these things are bad.  They’re all gifts from God.  But where do I find my confidence?  When I come talk to you, why am I confident in my words?  Where do I find my grounding?  My authority?

At church I met this girl who is working 2 jobs at the UPS store and the Ross across the street. (our church is big enough so you don’t know everyone)  She didn’t go to college.  She’s not from a wealthy family or anything.  In some ways you could say her life is not glamorous by any means.  Yet she brims with delight and pride in Jesus.  And so I know that in those moments she is millions of times more pleasing to God than in the moments when I come talking to you with anything other than Jesus as my confidence.   Jesus, the brightest shining star that goes most undervalued in my heart every day.  But still the brightest light regardless.

A NorCal Thanksgiving

Sighh..  THIS is why Norcal rocks!  soo pretty..