Saturday, December 26, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Dream
had a dream last night.
In my dream this loving couple got divorced. They looked like my aunt and uncle. It was so sad, my heart was broken and I could see the pain the split caused the couple. I remembered the dream when I woke up and prayed against it and asked Jesus to cover them and give them love and compassion for one another and for their eyes to see each other as Jesus sees them.
And now when I thought about it, I think God is showing me how much He hates divorce and the pain it causes Him. I also think that He is telling me that my father and mother are still suffering from the pain of divorce and they need inner healing.
When I read Ezekiel 3:20 today, I had no idea what God wanted me to say but I will try to talk to my dad tonight about this. I have no power for inner healing but Jesus does. Lord Jesus may Your Holy Spirit come!!
In my dream this loving couple got divorced. They looked like my aunt and uncle. It was so sad, my heart was broken and I could see the pain the split caused the couple. I remembered the dream when I woke up and prayed against it and asked Jesus to cover them and give them love and compassion for one another and for their eyes to see each other as Jesus sees them.
And now when I thought about it, I think God is showing me how much He hates divorce and the pain it causes Him. I also think that He is telling me that my father and mother are still suffering from the pain of divorce and they need inner healing.
When I read Ezekiel 3:20 today, I had no idea what God wanted me to say but I will try to talk to my dad tonight about this. I have no power for inner healing but Jesus does. Lord Jesus may Your Holy Spirit come!!
Friday, December 11, 2009
Porndemic
A sobering stat from a university study:
Here are some free resources to consider using as we battle together for purity:
Reading this really breaks my heart, they couldn't even find one male over 20 who has not consumed pornography. It's true that internet must have made things 1000x easier but still, pretty discouraging.
Although honestly, this is an issue not only with guys but also with girls. During one of the retreats, someone shared that actually 60%+ of girls also indulge in pornography.
It's interesting b/c when I told my housemate last year that 99% of guys look at porn she raised her eyebrows then said, "I'm not surprised."
But when I told her how many girls also do the same her respond was, "Ew!!!"
The lies of the world are everywhere. For guys there's a tendency to think that it's ok because all guys do it. Then for girls there's a tendency, especially for males, to think that girls do not struggle with lust or they do not struggle just as much. Can you imagine how much harder this type of thinking makes for girls who do struggle with this sin to share and be open with their sins with another sister who can help them? They feel ashamed, guilty, and less human because apparently "girls do not struggle with lust or pornography".
I'm getting more angry as I type this because both guys and girls need the love of Jesus to heal them and break away this bondage of sin!! I sincerely pray and hope that they would find the courage to come to a more mature person of the same gender and ask them to pray for them and to keep them accountable! It is ridiculous to think that just because they're girls they are not influenced by the heavily sex appeal laced culture today!
This is one of the most common and most addictive habitual sin that can really callous people's hearts. It's just too easy to turn your mind off and ignore God when you're sinning. Is God on your mind while you're sinning? Probably not. If you're struggling with this you really need to fervently ask God to cut this off from your life! Even if you're numb and don't want to, be honest! Tell Him, He already knows and ask Him for a heart that desires to be free and be pure! Persevere! Keep asking!! He is faithful and He WILL sanctify you!!!
No matter how heart broken you or I are that so many people today struggle with pornography, Jesus loves them more and Jesus is more heart broken and He wants more than anyone else for them to be free. It hurts Him so much more because He loves us so immeasurably more. What a great Father we have!
Trust in Him! He has made you into a new creation in Christ, the old has gone and new has come! These things do not belong to us anymore, we are of God and of heaven:) God is good!
A sobering stat from a university study:
Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.HT: Mike Anderson
But their project stumbled at the first hurdle when they failed to find a single man who had not been seen it.
“We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography,” said Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse. “We couldn’t find any.”
Here are some free resources to consider using as we battle together for purity:
- R. Albert Mohler Jr., “The Seduction of Pornography and the Integrity of Christian Marriage” (talk to college students: PDF, MP3)
- David Powlison, “Breaking Pornography Addiction” (article: part 1, part 2)
- David Powlison, Making All Things New: Restoring Pure Joy to the Sexually Broken (conference talk: audio, video, and chapter)
- John Piper, Battling the Unbelief of Lust (sermon in manuscript, audio)
- John Piper, A.N.T.H.E.M: Strategies for Fighting Sexual Lust (article)
- Mark Driscoll, Porn-Again Christian (free eBook)
- Tim Challies, Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Single Guy (free eBook)
- Tim Challies, Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Married Guy (free eBook)
- Joshua Harris, Sex Is Not the Problem (Lust Is): Sexual Purity in a Lust-Saturated World (book)
- Ed Welch, Crossroads: A Step-By-Step Guide Away from Addiction (study guide)
- Kris Lundgaard, The Enemy Within: Straight Talk About the Power and Defeat of Sin (book on sin and temptation in general, built on John Owen’s work)
Reading this really breaks my heart, they couldn't even find one male over 20 who has not consumed pornography. It's true that internet must have made things 1000x easier but still, pretty discouraging.
Although honestly, this is an issue not only with guys but also with girls. During one of the retreats, someone shared that actually 60%+ of girls also indulge in pornography.
It's interesting b/c when I told my housemate last year that 99% of guys look at porn she raised her eyebrows then said, "I'm not surprised."
But when I told her how many girls also do the same her respond was, "Ew!!!"
The lies of the world are everywhere. For guys there's a tendency to think that it's ok because all guys do it. Then for girls there's a tendency, especially for males, to think that girls do not struggle with lust or they do not struggle just as much. Can you imagine how much harder this type of thinking makes for girls who do struggle with this sin to share and be open with their sins with another sister who can help them? They feel ashamed, guilty, and less human because apparently "girls do not struggle with lust or pornography".
I'm getting more angry as I type this because both guys and girls need the love of Jesus to heal them and break away this bondage of sin!! I sincerely pray and hope that they would find the courage to come to a more mature person of the same gender and ask them to pray for them and to keep them accountable! It is ridiculous to think that just because they're girls they are not influenced by the heavily sex appeal laced culture today!
This is one of the most common and most addictive habitual sin that can really callous people's hearts. It's just too easy to turn your mind off and ignore God when you're sinning. Is God on your mind while you're sinning? Probably not. If you're struggling with this you really need to fervently ask God to cut this off from your life! Even if you're numb and don't want to, be honest! Tell Him, He already knows and ask Him for a heart that desires to be free and be pure! Persevere! Keep asking!! He is faithful and He WILL sanctify you!!!
No matter how heart broken you or I are that so many people today struggle with pornography, Jesus loves them more and Jesus is more heart broken and He wants more than anyone else for them to be free. It hurts Him so much more because He loves us so immeasurably more. What a great Father we have!
Trust in Him! He has made you into a new creation in Christ, the old has gone and new has come! These things do not belong to us anymore, we are of God and of heaven:) God is good!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Offering of the Natural
The Offering of the Natural
It is written that Abraham had two sons: the one by a bondwoman, the other by a freewoman —Galatians 4:22
Paul was not dealing with sin in this chapter of Galatians, but with the relation of the natural to the spiritual. The natural can be turned into the spiritual only through sacrifice. Without this a person will lead a divided life. Why did God demand that the natural must be sacrificed? God did not demand it. It is not God’s perfect will, but His permissive will. God’s perfect will was for the natural to be changed into the spiritual through obedience. Sin is what made it necessary for the natural to be sacrificed.
Abraham had to offer up Ishmael before he offered up Isaac (see Genesis 21:8-14 ). Some of us are trying to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God before we have sacrificed the natural. The only way we can offer a spiritual sacrifice to God is to "present [our] bodies a living sacrifice . . ." ( Romans 12:1 ). Sanctification means more than being freed from sin. It means the deliberate commitment of myself to the God of my salvation, and being willing to pay whatever it may cost.
If we do not sacrifice the natural to the spiritual, the natural life will resist and defy the life of the Son of God in us and will produce continual turmoil. This is always the result of an undisciplined spiritual nature. We go wrong because we stubbornly refuse to discipline ourselves physically, morally, or mentally. We excuse ourselves by saying, "Well, I wasn’t taught to be disciplined when I was a child." Then discipline yourself now! If you don’t, you will ruin your entire personal life for God.
God is not actively involved with our natural life as long as we continue to pamper and gratify it. But once we are willing to put it out in the desert and are determined to keep it under control, God will be with it. He will then provide wells and oases and fulfill all His promises for the natural (see Genesis 21:15-19 ).
Listen To Our Hearts
Thanks for sharing Lisa:) What a wonderful collaboration
Listen To Our Hearts
How do you explain, how do you describe
A love that goes from east to west
And runs as deep as it is wide
You know all our hopes, You know all our fears
Words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for you to hear
Chorus
So listen to our hearts, and hear our spirits sing
A song of praise that flows
From those you have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell you what an awesome God You are
Words are not enough to tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts
If words could fall like rain
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I would still run out of time
So if you listen to my heart
Every beat would say
Thank you for the life, thank you for the truth
Thank you for the way
Listen To Our Hearts
How do you explain, how do you describe
A love that goes from east to west
And runs as deep as it is wide
You know all our hopes, You know all our fears
Words cannot express the love we feel
But we long for you to hear
Chorus
So listen to our hearts, and hear our spirits sing
A song of praise that flows
From those you have redeemed
We will use the words we know
To tell you what an awesome God You are
Words are not enough to tell You of our love
So listen to our hearts
If words could fall like rain
From these lips of mine
And if I had a thousand years
I would still run out of time
So if you listen to my heart
Every beat would say
Thank you for the life, thank you for the truth
Thank you for the way
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Opposition of the Natural
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. "Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . ." The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . ." ( Matthew 16:24 ). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jesus, please break down the walls.
I am a child of God!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Forgiven
This morning, one of my first thoughts when I woke up,
"I'm cured!"
haha I'm not sure if I'm home free yet, but thank you for the prayers and please continue to pray for me esp. as I go to Taiwan (which reminds me I REALLY need to pack-__-)
Last night I read a note Christiana shared on Faceboook on "Jesus' Love Letter to his Daughters in the Midst of Struggles..." (awesome stuff, gotta share it sometime) and realized how I've been misjudging the Lord my God.
My Father loves me so much that He'd even die for me and did, but all I saw Him during the past couple of days was how He must have looked at me with a critical, judgmental eyes because I'm just failing miserably to meet His standards. But that is a lie of satan because He is much greater than that. We sing, "He is stronger, He is stronger" but sometimes we don't really believe it. And that's insulting to an almighty God who is nothing but good and loving towards His children.
Reading the note really just reassured me of His love and wow it is wonderful to read this truth. We have this gentle and loving Father who sees everything we do from the moment we're born His eyes are fixed on us.
So after posting on here last night I went upstairs to brush my teeth. I was still struggling to be assured of my salvation in Christ and that I was truly a daughter of God even in the midst of my sins. So I thought, "I wish one of the prayer ladies would have told me, 'You're forgiven and a child of God' or something like that at the retreats". Almost as soon as I thought that, I remembered something from Servants retreat '05 (the only other Servants I've been to besides this year's).
After praise, Pastor IJ said that if anyone wants to get prayed for to come up. One of my older sisters put her arm in mine and said, "Let's go get prayed for:)" So we went up together.
We were all standing in a circle with Pastor IJ in the middle as he prayed for each one of us. When he came to me he said, "You're forgiven." If my memory is correct, he didn't say anything specific to anyone else besides that. When we finished, the older sister I went up with asked me, "What did he mean?" and I really didn't know what he was referring to. I took some guesses but in general I thought it was kind of strange and just let it go.
But as I stood there brushing my teeth this memory came back to me and I was just crying as I was brushing my teeth haha. I think the Holy Spirit brought this memory up so that I could stand firm on the fact that I AM a loved daughter in Christ and that I CAN be sure of my identity in Him:)
So with that solid foundation I went to my room and prayed and commanded by the authority Jesus has given to us for satan to get out of here!!!
I also wrote a little note in my journal to my Father telling Him that I loved Him and that He's the best daddy in the whole wide world:)
When I woke up this morning, it felt like everything will be all right. God has given me the ability to overcome all things and He will always love and forgive me because I am in Christ.
I am forgiven.
"I'm cured!"
haha I'm not sure if I'm home free yet, but thank you for the prayers and please continue to pray for me esp. as I go to Taiwan (which reminds me I REALLY need to pack-__-)
Last night I read a note Christiana shared on Faceboook on "Jesus' Love Letter to his Daughters in the Midst of Struggles..." (awesome stuff, gotta share it sometime) and realized how I've been misjudging the Lord my God.
My Father loves me so much that He'd even die for me and did, but all I saw Him during the past couple of days was how He must have looked at me with a critical, judgmental eyes because I'm just failing miserably to meet His standards. But that is a lie of satan because He is much greater than that. We sing, "He is stronger, He is stronger" but sometimes we don't really believe it. And that's insulting to an almighty God who is nothing but good and loving towards His children.
Reading the note really just reassured me of His love and wow it is wonderful to read this truth. We have this gentle and loving Father who sees everything we do from the moment we're born His eyes are fixed on us.
So after posting on here last night I went upstairs to brush my teeth. I was still struggling to be assured of my salvation in Christ and that I was truly a daughter of God even in the midst of my sins. So I thought, "I wish one of the prayer ladies would have told me, 'You're forgiven and a child of God' or something like that at the retreats". Almost as soon as I thought that, I remembered something from Servants retreat '05 (the only other Servants I've been to besides this year's).
After praise, Pastor IJ said that if anyone wants to get prayed for to come up. One of my older sisters put her arm in mine and said, "Let's go get prayed for:)" So we went up together.
We were all standing in a circle with Pastor IJ in the middle as he prayed for each one of us. When he came to me he said, "You're forgiven." If my memory is correct, he didn't say anything specific to anyone else besides that. When we finished, the older sister I went up with asked me, "What did he mean?" and I really didn't know what he was referring to. I took some guesses but in general I thought it was kind of strange and just let it go.
But as I stood there brushing my teeth this memory came back to me and I was just crying as I was brushing my teeth haha. I think the Holy Spirit brought this memory up so that I could stand firm on the fact that I AM a loved daughter in Christ and that I CAN be sure of my identity in Him:)
So with that solid foundation I went to my room and prayed and commanded by the authority Jesus has given to us for satan to get out of here!!!
I also wrote a little note in my journal to my Father telling Him that I loved Him and that He's the best daddy in the whole wide world:)
When I woke up this morning, it felt like everything will be all right. God has given me the ability to overcome all things and He will always love and forgive me because I am in Christ.
I am forgiven.
The Impartial Power of God
The Impartial Power of God
By one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified —Hebrews 10:14
We trample the blood of the Son of God underfoot if we think we are forgiven because we are sorry for our sins. The only reason for the forgiveness of our sins by God, and the infinite depth of His promise to forget them, is the death of Jesus Christ. Our repentance is merely the result of our personal realization of the atonement by the Cross of Christ, which He has provided for us. ". . . Christ Jesus . . . became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . ." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ). Once we realize that Christ has become all this for us, the limitless joy of God begins in us. And wherever the joy of God is not present, the death sentence is still in effect.
No matter who or what we are, God restores us to right standing with Himself only by means of the death of Jesus Christ. God does this, not because Jesus pleads with Him to do so but because He died. It cannot be earned, just accepted. All the pleading for salvation which deliberately ignores the Cross of Christ is useless. It is knocking at a door other than the one which Jesus has already opened. We protest by saying, "But I don’t want to come that way. It is too humiliating to be received as a sinner." God’s response, through Peter, is, ". . . there is no other name . . . by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12 ). What at first appears to be heartlessness on God’s part is actually the true expression of His heart. There is unlimited entrance His way. "In Him we have redemption through His blood . . ." ( Ephesians 1:7 ). To identify with the death of Jesus Christ means that we must die to everything that was never a part of Him.
God is just in saving bad people only as He makes them good. Our Lord does not pretend we are all right when we are all wrong. The atonement by the Cross of Christ is the propitiation God uses to make unholy people holy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------AMEN!! This one was just awesome, I was so joyful reading this I was laughing almost the entire time reading this entry:D!
God You are just and You know everything and yet still are so loving towards us. You are GOOD!
really, really struggling with sins dealing with the mind. it's shaken me deeply as and made me question whether i'm saved or not if these are the kinds of thought i have though i am thoroughly convinced that Christ is God. i know that this is the ploy of the enemy to get me away from the joy of being with Christ but the worse part is i don't know how to get rid of it. i've been unable to pray properly since about 3 days ago, worse three days of my life it seems.
if you read this, please pray that He who is good will rescue me from this.
I will trust in the Lord because there is nothing else to trust.
if you read this, please pray that He who is good will rescue me from this.
I will trust in the Lord because there is nothing else to trust.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Repentance
Repentance
Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation . . . —2 Corinthians 7:10
My sins, my sins, my Savior,
How sad on Thee they fall.
Conviction of sin is one of the most uncommon things that ever happens to a person. It is the beginning of an understanding of God. Jesus Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came He would convict people of sin (see John 16:8 ). And when the Holy Spirit stirs a person’s conscience and brings him into the presence of God, it is not that person’s relationship with others that bothers him but his relationship with God— "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in your sight . . ." ( Psalm 51:4 ). The wonders of conviction of sin, forgiveness, and holiness are so interwoven that it is only the forgiven person who is truly holy. He proves he is forgiven by being the opposite of what he was previously, by the grace of God. Repentance always brings a person to the point of saying, "I have sinned." The surest sign that God is at work in his life is when he says that and means it. Anything less is simply sorrow for having made foolish mistakes— a reflex action caused by self-disgust.
The entrance into the kingdom of God is through the sharp, sudden pains of repentance colliding with man’s respectable "goodness." Then the Holy Spirit, who produces these struggles, begins the formation of the Son of God in the person’s life (see Galatians 4:19 ). This new life will reveal itself in conscious repentance followed by unconscious holiness, never the other way around. The foundation of Christianity is repentance. Strictly speaking, a person cannot repent when he chooses— repentance is a gift of God. The old Puritans used to pray for "the gift of tears." If you ever cease to understand the value of repentance, you allow yourself to remain in sin. Examine yourself to see if you have forgotten how to be truly repentant.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
"My Rainbow in the Cloud"
"My Rainbow in the Cloud"
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God--a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, "Now I believe." There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, "Look to Me, and be saved . . ." ( Isaiah 45:22 ).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Journaling
Organizing a Silence and Solitude Day (Part 5 of 5)
This the last post in a series by Pastor Mark where he helpfully lays out the importance of silence and solitude, as well as how he approaches and utilizes the time. We hope it has been helpful for you as you grow in your faith in Jesus.
Journaling
The following is a copy of the template I created for myself to organize my days of silence and solitude for the purpose of journaling. I offer it knowing that you can and should change it to fit your life. This is not Scripture, it’s not perfect, and I don’t claim it is. Rather, it is a simple tool for you to adapt as you need. For me, I keep notes in my Moleskine throughout the week, and sit down to answer these questions on my laptop in a Word document. This keeps it simple for me and allows me to see God’s work in my life over time.Ideally, every Christian would do a modified version of this plan every week as an act of worship, taking around an hour to answer a few of the questions that are most pressing for them. In addition, it is wise to take at least one full day a month in silence and solitude to answer all the questions without being rushed, leaving time to open your Bible, pray, repent, worship, and ponder.
Silence and Solitude Journaling Template
“. . . the report about him [Jesus] went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” — Luke 5:15–16Date:
Modified or Full Plan:
Note: Here I am making note if it’s one hour or one day for silence and solitude.
Place and Conditions:
Note: I am someone for whom space deeply matters. On a nice day I sit outside by a river or at the beach in a beautiful spot. I don’t like coffee shops (too noisy and crowded) or the office (too much distraction). I like to be up high with a view, crave fresh air, love the sun, and cannot relax where it’s loud, busy, ugly, stinky, disorganized, poorly designed, uncomfortable, or too hot or cold, and yes, I am picky. So, I note where I was and that helps me keep a record of nice spots for silence and solitude days. I borrow friends’ vacation homes, have spots I like outside of town in the mountains, and so forth.
Part 1 – Recent Evidences of God’s Grace
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” — 2 Thess. 2:16–17Note: To have good words and works, we need hope and comfort by seeing and savoring evidences of God’s grace. I start with this topic to get me into a mode of worship. I can be quite a gloomy and moody person, so this gets me going in the right direction for my time with God. I often take an hour on this topic alone and make a long list, thanking God and praying as I go.
Part 2 – Deep Questions
“The purpose in a man’s mind is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.” — Prov. 20:5 (RSV)Note: These are my questions and you can make your own or change mine. I don’t include Bible reading and study because they are like breathing to me, but you may want to add them. In question four I’m talking about my wife, Grace. I list each of my kids in question five because with a big family it’s too easy to treat the kids as a herd rather than knowing and pastoring each one. I put my work last, figuring that if the rest of my life is in order, work will go well. I rate every question on a scale so that I can be honest about how I’m doing and track progress over time. The prayer points are things I pray about as I’m journaling and things to put on my prayer list that week. The action items go on my calendar. Lastly, I share a lot of this with my wife, kids, friends, and others, and a lot of my blogs and ministry training are simply sharing what comes out of my journaling on days of silence and solitude.
1. How accurate is my view of God lately?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
2. How are my joy in the Holy Spirit and corresponding hope?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
3. What temptations and sins are most ensnaring?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
4. How is my connection with my wife?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
5. How is my connection with each of my children?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
6. How is my health (e.g., weight, diet, exercise)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
7. How is my sleep (e.g., bed time, quality of sleep, length of sleep)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
8. How is my energy level?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
9. How is my dominion over my technology (e.g., cell phone, laptop, email, text)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
10. How is the stewardship of my wealth (e.g., finances, possessions, property, investments)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
11. How is my social life with friends and extended family?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
12. Who or what is filling my tank lately?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
13. Who or what is draining my tank lately?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
14. Who has sinned against me and how am I responding?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
15. Who do I need to confide in and where should I seek wisdom?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
16. Are there any warning signs that I am burning out?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
17. Am I successfully getting out of the river onto the bank enough through silence, solitude, study, and Sabbath?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
18. What do I need to stop doing, do less of, or hand off to someone else?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
19. How are my self-deception and truth suppression?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
20. How is my writing (e.g., books, blogs, papers)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
21. How is my preaching (preparation and results, in and out of Mars Hill)?
• Scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high)
• Prayer Points
• Action Items
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Law of Opposition
The Law of Opposition
To him who overcomes . . . —Revelation 2:7
Life without war is impossible in the natural or the supernatural realm. It is a fact that there is a continuing struggle in the physical, mental, moral, and spiritual areas of life.
Health is the balance between the physical parts of my body and all the things and forces surrounding me. To maintain good health I must have sufficient internal strength to fight off the things that are external. Everything outside my physical life is designed to cause my death. The very elements that sustain me while I am alive work to decay and disintegrate my body once it is dead. If I have enough inner strength to fight, I help to produce the balance needed for health. The same is true of the mental life. If I want to maintain a strong and active mental life, I have to fight. This struggle produces the mental balance called thought.
Morally it is the same. Anything that does not strengthen me morally is the enemy of virtue within me. Whether I overcome, thereby producing virtue, depends on the level of moral excellence in my life. But we must fight to be moral. Morality does not happen by accident; moral virtue is acquired.
And spiritually it is also the same. Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation . . ." ( John 16:33 ). This means that anything which is not spiritual leads to my downfall. Jesus went on to say, ". . . but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." I must learn to fight against and overcome the things that come against me, and in that way produce the balance of holiness. Then it becomes a delight to meet opposition.
Holiness is the balance between my nature and the law of God as expressed in Jesus Christ.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
"Not by Might nor by Power"
"Not by Might nor by Power"
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19 ). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19 ). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
I want to stand firm in faith on Your everlasting promises Lord. I repent of my faithlessness, but You are faithful Father.
I love You Lord. You alone are God.
One thing I know that I believe
through every blessing I receive
You are the only One that stays, You always stay
You never change, You're still the same
You are the Everlasting God
You will remain after the day is gone and the things of earth have passed
everlasting God
I love You Lord. You alone are God.
One thing I know that I believe
through every blessing I receive
You are the only One that stays, You always stay
You never change, You're still the same
You are the Everlasting God
You will remain after the day is gone and the things of earth have passed
everlasting God
I want to be baptized by the Holy Spirit!!
Got an email from my dad today wishing me happy bday:) Really excited to go back to Taiwan since I haven't gone since like 8+yrs ago. Please pray for me that by God's grace I may be able to evangelize to my family that they may be able to know Christ. I know 1.5 weeks is short but I believe in a God who holds the earth together, everything belongs to Him alone and nothing is impossible for Him. Jesus is an awesome God!! Lord may hearts be opened and Your truth spoken through Your Holy Spirit!
Please also pray for Pastor Cliff, Ken, and I in leading Bible study on Friday. Like the prayer of Pastor John Piper in "When I Don't Desire God":
Got an email from my dad today wishing me happy bday:) Really excited to go back to Taiwan since I haven't gone since like 8+yrs ago. Please pray for me that by God's grace I may be able to evangelize to my family that they may be able to know Christ. I know 1.5 weeks is short but I believe in a God who holds the earth together, everything belongs to Him alone and nothing is impossible for Him. Jesus is an awesome God!! Lord may hearts be opened and Your truth spoken through Your Holy Spirit!
Please also pray for Pastor Cliff, Ken, and I in leading Bible study on Friday. Like the prayer of Pastor John Piper in "When I Don't Desire God":
"And may they be discerning so that, if I have blundered, they would be
sure to see the error and not follow me. Protect them from the evil
one who would distort and then deceive. Give great assistance from
your Spirit, and may they see more truth than I have seen. Oh, that
the eyes of their hearts might be bright with the glory of Christ
through these pages! Remove every blinding obstacle, and show
them your glory! And thus give them more joy than all the gladness
that the world can give. And by this joy in Jesus Christ, fit them to
love and serve and sacrifice. And by this joy, with which they bear
their cross, Lord, cause the earth to know what you are truly worth.
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. "
sure to see the error and not follow me. Protect them from the evil
one who would distort and then deceive. Give great assistance from
your Spirit, and may they see more truth than I have seen. Oh, that
the eyes of their hearts might be bright with the glory of Christ
through these pages! Remove every blinding obstacle, and show
them your glory! And thus give them more joy than all the gladness
that the world can give. And by this joy in Jesus Christ, fit them to
love and serve and sacrifice. And by this joy, with which they bear
their cross, Lord, cause the earth to know what you are truly worth.
In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. "
i was going to fast today so didn't eat anything since 6:30pm but i think i'm coming down with a fever:(
probably won't be able to do the whole day this week, maybe will try again on saturday:) it was probably too soon for me to fast since i just got sick like 2 days ago...thought i'd try anyways lol
Thank You Lord for food:) And thank You Lord for letting me go to GW to hear Pastor Robin speak on confessions:)
God is good!!
probably won't be able to do the whole day this week, maybe will try again on saturday:) it was probably too soon for me to fast since i just got sick like 2 days ago...thought i'd try anyways lol
Thank You Lord for food:) And thank You Lord for letting me go to GW to hear Pastor Robin speak on confessions:)
God is good!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Advice for Young Pastors
from Justin Taylor by Justin Taylor
Tim Keller: “Young pastors or seminarians often ask me for advice on what kind of early ministry experience to seek in order to best grow in skill and wisdom as a pastor.” His answer may surprise you.
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I thought this quote was pretty awesome:
"Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills as they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career. Why not? Your early ministry experience will only prepare you for 'bigger things,' if you don't aspire for anything bigger than investment in the lives of the people around you. Wherever you serve, put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might. If God opens the door to go somewhere else, fine and good. But don't go to such places looking at them only as training grounds for 'real ministry.'"
but not only for pastors but for those who desire to serve as well i think. There's always a reason God calls us to certain places and we must always do "ministry with all [our] heart and might" ♥
from Justin Taylor by Justin Taylor
Tim Keller: “Young pastors or seminarians often ask me for advice on what kind of early ministry experience to seek in order to best grow in skill and wisdom as a pastor.” His answer may surprise you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I thought this quote was pretty awesome:
"Young pastors should not turn up their noses at such places, where they may learn the full spectrum of ministry tasks and skills as they will not in a large church. Nor should they go to small communities looking at them merely as stepping stones in a career. Why not? Your early ministry experience will only prepare you for 'bigger things,' if you don't aspire for anything bigger than investment in the lives of the people around you. Wherever you serve, put your roots down, become a member of the community and do your ministry with all your heart and might. If God opens the door to go somewhere else, fine and good. But don't go to such places looking at them only as training grounds for 'real ministry.'"
but not only for pastors but for those who desire to serve as well i think. There's always a reason God calls us to certain places and we must always do "ministry with all [our] heart and might" ♥
Christian Perfection
Christian Perfection
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect . . . —Philippians 3:12
It is a trap to presume that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do— God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself. The emphasis of holiness movements tends to be that God is producing specimens of holiness to put in His museum. If you accept this concept of personal holiness, your life’s determined purpose will not be for God, but for what you call the evidence of God in your life. How can we say, "It could never be God’s will for me to be sick"? If it was God’s will to bruise His own Son ( Isaiah 53:10 ), why shouldn’t He bruise you? What shines forth and reveals God in your life is not your relative consistency to an idea of what a saint should be, but your genuine, living relationship with Jesus Christ, and your unrestrained devotion to Him whether you are well or sick.
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.
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I want to be used by You:) Lord have Your way in me!
Christian perfection is not, and never can be, human perfection. Christian perfection is the perfection of a relationship with God that shows itself to be true even amid the seemingly unimportant aspects of human life. When you obey the call of Jesus Christ, the first thing that hits you is the pointlessness of the things you have to do. The next thought that strikes you is that other people seem to be living perfectly consistent lives. Such lives may leave you with the idea that God is unnecessary— that through your own human effort and devotion you can attain God’s standard for your life. In a fallen world this can never be done. I am called to live in such a perfect relationship with God that my life produces a yearning for God in the lives of others, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God’s purpose is not to perfect me to make me a trophy in His showcase; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He wants.
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I want to be used by You:) Lord have Your way in me!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Law and the Gospel
The Law and the Gospel
Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all —James 2:10
The moral law does not consider our weaknesses as human beings; in fact, it does not take into account our heredity or infirmities. It simply demands that we be absolutely moral. The moral law never changes, either for the highest of society or for the weakest in the world. It is enduring and eternally the same. The moral law, ordained by God, does not make itself weak to the weak by excusing our shortcomings. It remains absolute for all time and eternity. If we are not aware of this, it is because we are less than alive. Once we do realize it, our life immediately becomes a fatal tragedy. "I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died" ( Romans 7:9 ). The moment we realize this, the Spirit of God convicts us of sin. Until a person gets there and sees that there is no hope, the Cross of Christ remains absurd to him. Conviction of sin always brings a fearful, confining sense of the law. It makes a person hopeless— ". . . sold under sin" ( Romans 7:14 ). I, a guilty sinner, can never work to get right with God— it is impossible. There is only one way by which I can get right with God, and that is through the death of Jesus Christ. I must get rid of the underlying idea that I can ever be right with God because of my obedience. Who of us could ever obey God to absolute perfection!
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.
We only begin to realize the power of the moral law once we see that it comes with a condition and a promise. But God never coerces us. Sometimes we wish He would make us be obedient, and at other times we wish He would leave us alone. Whenever God’s will is in complete control, He removes all pressure. And when we deliberately choose to obey Him, He will reach to the remotest star and to the ends of the earth to assist us with all of His almighty power.
It's funny but I think God is speaking to me through the titles in the Lookbook posts (people upload their fashion and post it on the site)
Like I just read this one:
I'm a new soul in this very strange world
very interesting:]
in other news, the cold and flu that everyone's been having finally hit me! hurray!
woke up this morning with a sore throat and runny nose...nooooooo being sick feels terrible;__;
hopefully i can still go to GW tomorrow tho!
gotta pray for pastors!!
Like I just read this one:
I'm a new soul in this very strange world
very interesting:]
in other news, the cold and flu that everyone's been having finally hit me! hurray!
woke up this morning with a sore throat and runny nose...nooooooo being sick feels terrible;__;
hopefully i can still go to GW tomorrow tho!
gotta pray for pastors!!
"I was astonished that although I now loved you ... I did not persist
in enjoyment of my God. Your beauty drew me to you, but soon I
was dragged away from you by my own weight and in dismay I
plunged again into the things of this world ... as though I had sensed
the fragrance of the fare but was not yet able to eat it. "
-Augustine
in enjoyment of my God. Your beauty drew me to you, but soon I
was dragged away from you by my own weight and in dismay I
plunged again into the things of this world ... as though I had sensed
the fragrance of the fare but was not yet able to eat it. "
-Augustine
Started reading "When I Don't Desire God" (only got through the forward haha:p)
Just reading the forward is enough to make me want to finish the book. I hope that the rest of the book would be just as good if not better:D!!
Usually I don't like reading books online, but the Desiring God ministry offers it for free in PDF format so I downloaded it HERE:)<--it's towards the bottom
It's actually pretty awesome how they offer pretty much all the things from Pastor Piper for free! I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while:)
"To be satisfied by the beauty of God does not come naturally to sinful people. By nature we get more pleasure from God’s gifts than from himself. Therefore this book calls for deep and radical change—which only God can give."
-John Piper
When I read this in the first paragraph I was like, wow that is me. Been feeling very dry lately and not running on God's grace, lacking patience and love for those around me, especially when my mom yells at me for little things at least five times a day. I wish she can just say it without yelling at me:( I can hear, you don't need to yell.
I really need to pray more!!
Just reading the forward is enough to make me want to finish the book. I hope that the rest of the book would be just as good if not better:D!!
Usually I don't like reading books online, but the Desiring God ministry offers it for free in PDF format so I downloaded it HERE:)<--it's towards the bottom
It's actually pretty awesome how they offer pretty much all the things from Pastor Piper for free! I've been wanting to read this book for quite a while:)
"To be satisfied by the beauty of God does not come naturally to sinful people. By nature we get more pleasure from God’s gifts than from himself. Therefore this book calls for deep and radical change—which only God can give."
-John Piper
When I read this in the first paragraph I was like, wow that is me. Been feeling very dry lately and not running on God's grace, lacking patience and love for those around me, especially when my mom yells at me for little things at least five times a day. I wish she can just say it without yelling at me:( I can hear, you don't need to yell.
I really need to pray more!!
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