Only In Jesus

To what shall I turn to quench my thirst?

To whom shall my soul look to be fed?

Shall I drink from cisterns broken ‘n burst?

Shall I feast on that which is not bread?

Come! Come to the Living Water and Drink!

Come to the One Called Jesus!

Come! Come to the Bread of Life and Feast!

Your soul will be filled only in Jesus!

How shall I come, so sullied in dirt,

to Him who is holy through and through?

How can this beggar without worth

approach He who is pure, good, and true?

Come! Come through the Flowing Blood and Live!

Come through the Blood of Jesus!

Come! Come to the Holy Cross and See!

Your heart will be cleansed only in Jesus!

How shall I live covered in Christ’s blood?

the Son of God having died for me.

I cannot repay the priceless cost

He bore on the tree on Calvary.

Love! Love the Son of God and Be!

Love your Saviour Jesus!

Love! Love Him with all your Heart and Soul!

Your life will be lived only with Jesus!

Your life will be lived only through Jesus!

Your life will be lived only for Jesus!

Your life will be lived only in Jesus!

The Tyranny of the “Cool”

It amazes me how people (myself included) can use practically anything to make themselves seem better than others. We will take our preference in clothing, in music, in movies, in hangout places, in hairstyles, in game consoles, in practically anything under the sun and turn it into a reason to think ourselves superior. In fact, it seems like in the language of young people, we’ve come up with a word to do precisely that: “cool”.

The word “cool” is meant to distinguish between things that are acceptable and things that are not. It distinguishes between the things that are to be enjoyed and the things that are to be shunned. And eventually, the word distinguishes between the people who are in and the people who are out.

But soon enough, “cool” turns on us. All of a sudden, the things that were once considered “cool” are now thrown in the category of lame or old or passe. Furthermore, the “cool” divide keeps us from admitting that we enjoy certain things that fall outside of the permissible zone. Worse still, we are kept from enjoying relationships with people simply because they find themselves outside of the imaginary boundary erected by what’s “cool”.

Personally, I’m tired of it.

I think what’s really needed is for us to learn to “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3) and for us to “look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (Phil 2:4) How freeing would it be to no longer be the music nazis, the clothes nazis, the film nazis, the hangout nazis, etc. that culture tries to make us and instead, be the loving, humble servants that Jesus wants us to be!  I pray that God would free me and this generation from the tyranny of the “cool”, and instead, help us have the attitude of Christ!

The worst blogger ever.

that’s it. i think it’s official. I am the worst blogger ever, hehe.

After an incredibly long hiatus (I’m thankful wordpress didn’t just remove this blog, hehe), I’m going to attempt to blog more regularly once more (thanks in large part to Joe Bonifacio’s manipula…. ermmm… encouragement.

Hehe, pray for me, that my horrible blogging habits my be overcome and that God might use some of my thoughts at least to edify the Church and draw people to Christ.

Stuff Happens and It Happens Fast

So much stuff has happened the past couple of weeks, it’s been a bit dizzying. Things that we’ve been planning for months are suddenly done (Shift, the overnight retreat for the youth), things that I’ve been looking forward to for just as long are through (Weekend vacation at my favorite spot for inactivity, Pulo), and things that I never actually thought would happen have now happened (My sister’s now engaged – Well, i thought it would happen, but you get my point). It’s amazing how fast these things fly by. Before you know it, days, weeks, months, and years have gone by. Thinking about these things really brings two truths to my mind.

1. Life is short. One of man’s greatest stupidities is found in the fact that we constantly live as though life just went on and on. It really doesn’t. I pray that God would help me realize that I have a limited time here on earth, and that I really should maximize that time honoring Him and striving to be more like Him.

Psalm 90:12

“So teach us to number our days,
That we may present to You a heart of wisdom.”

2. I owe God everything for the gift of eternity. A life that simply passes by is a life devoid of any real meaning. Yet because of God’s unfathomable grace, He’s destined those who put their faith in Christ to live forever in a world free from sin and all its effects. He’s called us to spend eternity with Him, enjoying all the goodness and wonder that is our God. What an amazing gift God has purchased for believers through the blood of Christ. Each and every day I spend on this earth ought to be spent thanking and praising this great, wonderful God who has given me the gift of eternal life.

1 John 5:11-12

“And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

Books I’ve been Reading

Just decided to run down a couple books I’ve read recently or am still reading.

1. God’s Greater Glory by Bruce Ware

- Picked up this book about two months ago, and it is phenomenal. Focusing on God’s providence, the book explains what it means for God to have exhaustive and meticulous sovereignty over the universe and for moral creatures to still exercise freedom. I love this book because it takes seriously what the bible has to say. This is not a philosophical book that just sprinkles in a couple of verses here and there. This is a book that firmly holds to the absolute authority of scripture and goes about explaining what the bible has to say about this topic. And he does it with a worshipers heart. Anyone who says theology is cold and dead has obviously not read Bruce Ware.

2. Evangelical Feminism by Wayne Grudem

- One of the most important books I’ve read this year. The book talks about the current trends in the Church towards egalitarianism, or the belief in the equality of men and women without distinction, and how egalitarians constantly undermine the authority of scripture. Wayne Grudem then goes on to list practically every argument made by evangelical feminists and he shows how they undermine scripture by those very arguments. A very powerful book that ought to be read by anyone who believes in the authority of the bible.

3. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit by Bruce Ware

- Fantastic book on the trinity! This is a book written by a world-class theologian for the everyday Christian. I was absolutely refreshed by this book, and you leave it with a greater reverence and love for who God really is. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has always believed that the Trinity was a topic that was too complicated to even think about.

4. Sex and the Supremacy of Christ – Edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor

- Any book that John Piper touches, I’m pretty much all over, and for good reason. This book is a compilation of essays written by various authors on the theology of sex and marriage. Because it was written by various authors, some chapters are better than others, but as a whole, this is one of the richest biblical teachings on sex that I’ve come across (Not that I’ve come across many). This is a great book that will change the way that you understand the gift of sex. I highly recommend it to married couples and to singles as well.

5. Reasonable Faith by William Lane Craig

- One of the best apologetics resources out there. I’m really so thankful for the work of William Lane Craig. This definitely isn’t for casual readers though, coz the stuff in here is enough to make your head spin. But to those who want to understand what reasons there are to believe the Christian faith and are willing to go through scholarly material, you need to have this book in your library.

6. Growing Deep in the Christian Life by Charles Swindoll

- Hmm… this book was just alright for me. It was written primarily to make theology accessible to people, and while I believe it did accomplish that, it felt like it did so at a cost. Some of the depth and richness of the topics were diminished. Still, considering how much a bought it for, it’s still well worth the price.

Thank God for Star Trek!

Last Saturday, after the 6pm service, Dar and I rushed off to see what would turn out to be my favorite movie of the year so far: Star Trek! It was amazing! An absolutely epic action film with breathtaking effects, interesting characters, and with a great sense of humor. It was such a wonderful break for me, that I remember going home, almost at midnight, about to fall asleep, and literally praying to God saying, “Father, thank you so much for Star Trek!” before I finally went to bed to dream of Vulcans and Romulans.

When I woke up, I remembered my prayer from the night before. I felt a bit silly about it. Maybe my sleepiness and my excitement had combined to produce some religious weirdness. But then, two verses in particular came to mind:

“Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” – James 1:17

If everything I do ought to result in the glorification of God, and if every good thing given comes from my heavenly Father, then perhaps it isn’t all that inaccurate to thank God for a movie that I truly enjoyed. Maybe what’s really odd is that fact that I’m not thankful for every good thing that I experience. After all, every good thing I receive comes from God. It’s all a gift and I don’t deserve any of it. God deserves the glory for every good thing that I experience in this life, for it all comes from Him.

“Thank you Father, for every good thing that you’ve given me in this life. To you be the glory in everything I do. And yes… Thank You for Star Trek. Amen.”

Something’s Gotta Give

Every generation has ideas and beliefs that shape that culture. New philosophies, new inventions, new events change the way people think, resulting in a cultural milieu that molds the minds of the generation that grows up in it. Certain things that were acceptable back in the day are absolutely unthinkable now. Certain practices that were unimaginable before are now pretty much common practice. And every culture believes that they’ve finally got it right.

Yet there’s been a standard laid down that hasn’t changed. Over the course of centuries, it’s been attacked, it’s been condemned, it’s been ridiculed, yet it remains the same. That is the standard of Scripture.

Problem is, many times, ideas popular in culture contradict the standard of Scripture. For instance, did we all come into existence from a totally naturalistic, unguided process of natural selection over thousands of years, or were we created by the loving God of the universe? Are men and women equal without distinction or are they equal in dignity yet different in role? Is sex no big deal or is it only reserved for the marriage bed? Culture and Scripture stand on different sides on these questions. But the bigger question for us is who are we going to trust when the two collide. Will we let culture trump Scripture, or will we let Scripture shape culture? Because between culture and Scripture, the truth is that something’s gotta give. The question for us all is, which one will it be?

Isaiah 40:8

“The grass withers, the flower fades,But the word of our God stands forever.“

2 Timothy 3:16

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;”

Theology-Schmeology!

“Theology is never any help. It is searching in a dark cellar at midnight for a black cat that isn’t there.”

– Robert A. Heinlein

At the risk of sounding trite, the average Christian really isn’t too fond of theology. In fact, there are few better conversation killers than the word theology. It’s pretty fun to see the responses you get when you say the “t-word”, you’ll get everything from polite yawns, rolls of the eyess, sideways glances, nervous giggles, etc. And I suppose it’s understandable why.  Most of the theology we’ve been exposed to has been wrapped in such unintelligible language, it might as well have been in french (actually, some of it may really have been in french). Furthermore, a lot of it has come from professors who seemed utterly unmoved by the things that they taught. So theology has come across as boring and dead, something that should be left to the few weird Christians who have nothing better to do.

This however is an unfortunate state of affairs, because the truth is good theology is invaluable to a strong Christian life. Charles Swindoll, in his book Growing Deep in the Christian Life, shares six reasons good theology is essential, allow me to share three.

1. Knowledge gives substance to faith

• So many people rest their faith solely on their emotions, which are here today and gone tomorrow. The only way to build a solid faith is to rest it on the foundation of good theology.

2. Knowledge stabilizes us during times of testing

• Knowing the truth about who God is and what the Christian life is going to be like enables us to withstand the troubles that will come.

3. Knowledge enables us the handle the bible accurately

• It’s easy to misinterpret Scripture when you’re not familiar with good theology. It’s impossible to see what the whole Scripture teaches simply by going through it little by little. Getting a good bird’s eye view allows us to keep within the realm of biblical doctrine when we’re interpreting our bibles.

Lastly, I think good theology is essential because ultimately, we’re called to know God. That’s what our life is all about. This is the ultimate purpose for which we were created. And getting to know God is what good theology is all about. This doesn’t mean that everyone needs to enroll in seminary next term, but perhaps there are small steps we can all take. In fact, I’d like to ask, what small step do you think can be taken to move towards better theology?

“This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

- John 17:3

A Most Wonderful, Beautiful Word.

Ever noticed how over-exposure often leads to under-appreciation? Many times, your first encounter with something proves powerful, yet exposure over time tends to diminish its value in our eyes.  For instance, I remember how awesome it was the first time I got behind the wheel. Yet now, it’s an everyday thing that I rarely enjoy. However, there are those instances where it hits me once again just how wonderful it feels like to drive, windows down, wind in my face, with a good song playing on an empty road. There are times I look back at what life was like before a license and the memory helps me rekindle an appreciation and an enjoyment of driving. Because the truth is, regardless of how much I drive, driving is always a really cool thing. I just need to put myself in a position to appreciate it.

Recently, God’s really been putting me in a position to appreciate one of the things that I sometimes tend to neglect. It’s a seemingly simple word that many of us hear all the time. In fact, the word is repeated to us so often that we fail to understand what the word really means. Yet, when I quiet my soul and allow myself to remember all that this word captures, I’m transported from the chaos of a highway at rush hour to the tranquility of an open country road, windows down, breeze in my face…

The word is Grace.

There are few words as beautiful to me as the word grace. That God would choose to love me despite myself. That God would choose to forgive all my sins at the cost of His own Son’s blood. That God would enable me to become the person that He made me to be. All that meaning captured in the simple word: Grace. This is a word that ought to be treasured. Doesn’t matter how many times we hear it. There’s nothing quite as wonderful or as beautiful as the grace of God.

Father, I thank you for the grace you extended to me. I did nothing to deserve your love, and yet how you’ve lavished your love upon me. I pray that I would never forget the beauty and the wonder of your grace in my life. To you be the glory, forever and ever.

“He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise and glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.” – Ephesians 1:5-8

Why Apologetics?

Ever since I became a Christian, I’ve always found myself moving towards apologetics. And whenever a Christian finds out that my interest lies in that area of theology, I’m always greeted with a warning. “That’s great, but remember, no one comes to Jesus because of arguments,” or “Oh, that’s nice, but don’t focus on that.”

I understand the warning, and in part, I agree with it. People deeply interested in apologetics need to be careful not to neglect other areas of their walk including worship, prayer, quiet time, and fellowship. It’s also important to take seriously the warning the bible gives when it says that “knowledge puffs up.” And lastly, we should not neglect our own personal testimony in evangelism.

However, the negativity that many Christians have towards apologetics I believe is largely unwarranted. From my experience, many Christians feel like apologetics is a dangerous distraction that is at best, simply unimportant. This attitude I believe is not accurate, not helpful, and not biblical.

In the book “Reasonable Faith”, Dr. William Lane Craig tackles this attitude by expressing three major functions of apologetics. Those are shaping culture, strengthening believers, and evangelizing unbelievers.

Apologetics should be an essential part of the Church because it can help to shape the intellectual climate of society. This is important because in many parts of the world, the gospel is not even seen as an intellectually viable option. To many people, talking to people about Jesus is the equivalent of talking to people about unicorns and elves. And when that’s the case, evangelism becomes exponentially more difficult. In Europe for instance, the soil is so hard that sowing the Word is getting more and more laborious. Today, over 22% of Europe is reported to have no religious affiliation, and the number is growing. The Church needs apologetics to keep the soil soft where it still is, and to move towards softening the ground where it has become hard.

Apologetics is also important because it strengthens believers. When a believer finds out that there is actually strong evidence to believe in a Creator, in the resurrection, and in the historicity of the bible, it just makes their faith more substantive. Many people rely on emotional intimacy to fuel their faith, and while that’s good and necessary, they cannot stand alone. Feelings wane. Reasons remain. And believers need to be strengthened in both the areas of the emotional and the intellectual to be healthy.

Lastly, apologetics is important because of the role it plays in evangelism. It’s funny that many people believe that apologetics doesn’t have a role to play in personal evangelism, when in the book of Acts, the apostles used apologetics over and over again. When talking to Jews, the apostles referred to the fulfillment of prophecy and to the objective miracles of Christ to talk to them about the gospel. When talking to the Greeks, the apostles used natural theology and the proof of the resurrection. These are all examples of apologetic evangelism. While our personal testimony is extremely important and useful, that does not mean that apologetics is unneccessary. The most effective evangelists will always be those who can combine their personal testimonies with a reasonable justification for their beliefs.