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.”

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;”

Pre-Sunday Mindsplat

Out of the 17 hours I’ve been awake, I’ve probably spent a good 13 hours just thinking about my message this Sunday. And truth be told, I’m pretty far from done.

In a way, it’s pretty odd that I’d spend this much time on a 30 minute preaching. I always felt like I was a decent communicator, and in fact, never really spent too much time preparing for things like oral exams or interviews. Speaking comes pretty natural to me, and as a result, I’ve always been comfortable just winging oral defenses and the like.

Preaching however is a totally different ballgame. And it’s not the crowd or the setting that makes the major difference. Upon reflection, there are basically three things that compel me to spend literally dozens of hours preparing for the preaching. The first is the opportunity. The fact is that I have the chance to impact lives with the message of the gospel. I know firsthand the power that the gospel has to change lives, and the fact that I have the opportunity to take part in that just motivates me to study.

“I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” – Romans 1:16

The second motivating factor is the responsibility. Preaching the Word of God is no joke. And while I know that God’s grace is always available for me, I also know that it is my duty to handle the Word of Truth accurately.

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” – 2 Timothy 2:15

Lastly, it is the privilege. It baffles my mind that God would choose to use a guy like me to reach out to a fallen world. I know deep down in my heart that I’m no better than anyone else. In fact, I really believe left to my own devices, I’m probably much worse than most. On my own, I’m proud, self-righteous, condescending, lustful, easily angered, violent, and greedy. Yet, God so graciously chose me to come into His family and be a conduit of His grace.

“For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.  But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain” – 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

Come to think about it, none of these three things are reserved to preachers. Every Christian has the opportunity to make an impact in the lives of people with the gospel. Every Christian has the responsibility to accurately handle the Word of truth. Every Christian has been given the incomparable privilege of being a minister of reconciliation. And whether we’re preaching in front of a crowd, or to a single person, the opportunity, the responsibility, and the privilege remain the same. My hope for myself and for all Christians is that we’d never lose sight of this fact, and we’d always be motivated to share the gospel and make disciples.

On Experience and Scripture

Just got home from a long, interesting day. Can’t stop thinking about the events of this afternoon. In fact, I’m probably gonna have to write another blog about in a couple days coz there’s so much to talk about.

This afternoon, Victory ran Hu u? for a second time this year, which is a half-day seminar on the differences between men and women. Despite my appeals and my supplications, I was made to take part in a panel discussion in front of a crowd of probably 800+ people. Thanks to my “friend” David (take note of the quotations, hehe…), whose insistence resulted in my participation, I had to answer questions on marriage (I’m not married), Christian dating (I’ve never dated as a Christian), commitment in relationships (haven’t been in a relationship since i came to Christ), and other thorny topics, many of which were beyond my current experiences.

Yet, as I listened to each question asked, I was surprised to find myself formulating a response and actually wanting to share my thoughts. I found myself wanting to answer, even though the questions were typically about things I’d never gone through myself. In the process, I came to a realization. Experience isn’t the best teacher. Scripture is.

The fact is that hardly anything I shared really came from my experiences. I didn’t really give advice based on my personal history. I didn’t tell people about some epiphanies I had while I was busy reflecting on what I’d been through. All I did was tell people what the bible said, and truth be told, that’s the only reason people should choose to listen to anything I said.

See, experience can only teach us so much. It can teach us how to avoid an ugly situation, but it can’t teach us how to achieve the ideal situation. It can warn us about dangers similar to those we’ve encountered before, but it can’t tell us anything about new enemies lying ahead. It can tell us about where we’ve been, but it can’t show us with certainty where we ought to go.This is why I believe experience is always a teaching aid at best, and it is at its best when it is examined under the light of Scripture. At the end of the day, Scripture is the ultimate authority on living. It doesn’t matter what you have or haven’t been through, the bible will always be our essential guide. It is God’s Word forever penned and it will always ring true, it will always bring light, and it will always lead us in the path of life.

“Every Word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.” – Proverbs 30:5

Yes. I am officially blogging.

I never really thought this day would come. I’ve resisted this for a long while now. Yet here I am, actually writing this at a blog that bears my name. Yes, I know. I actually have a blog.

To be totally honest, I never really thought I’d get in on the blogging phenomenon. Not because I think blogging sucks or anything, I think it’s great. I just didn’t think I’d be a blogger. Why? Well, I just never really thought I was all that interesting a guy (Not in a low self-esteem kinda way, trust me).  I mean, seriously, why would people wanna read what I had to say? Plus, I’ve always been a pretty private guy. I don’t really tell all that many people about what’s going on in my life, and now I’m gonna jump from that to telling the whole world? Pretty massive leap if you ask me.

Yet here I am. Typing away at mt desk during lunch (fine, two minutes before lunch). What changed?

What changed was I realized that this blog would actually be less about me and more about God. This isn’t gonna be a place where I tell you what I did today, or how cute my pet zebra is, or whatever (If you blog about those things, that’s great, and where’d you get a zebra?). I plan on using this really as a space to pen my thoughts as a means to worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In the process, I will probably write on apologetics, theology, pop culture, and whatever else I just so happen to be thinking of. Please feel free to comment and leave your thoughts as well.