days by grace

Good Friday was a bad day (Part 1)

Sat, 30 Mar 2013 00:54:31 -0700

Some days can just be bad:

you can’t think straight cause you’re running on two hours of sleep and fall asleep during your midterm
you scored two standard deviations lower than you expected on your test and feel like your future has no hope
you get rejected by something or someone
you had to break a promise you made and it’s because you overcommitted yourself to too many things
you had the most unproductive day possible even though you have a midterm the next day
you get into a fight with a friend and the issue is not resolved
you feel angry at yourself for struggling with that same sin
you just feel bad, and you don’t even know why
you find out that someone in your family got a stroke and died

The day ends and you go to sleep, knowing that what happened today cannot be changed.

Here’s a snippet of what happened on Peter’s bad day:

he displays himself to be a terrible friend - during Jesus’s greatest time of need, when His soul is troubled to the point of death, Jesus simply requests that Peter pray for Him. What happens? Jesus catches Peter asleep twice
he shows himself to be a coward by leaving and fleeing away from Jesus when the Pharisees come
he proves himself to be a liar when he denies Jesus three times after promising to never deny Jesus Christ (just hours before) – when he realizes what he has done, the guilt from his action becomes so unbearable that he has to leave the crowd and weeps bitterly
he thinks himself to have lost everything – he has just followed a man for the past three years who was supposed to be the Messiah and King that he had been waiting for. But now that Jesus is dead, Peter not only wasted the past three years of his life following a fake, but he also abandoned his family and his job as a fisherman to follow Jesus. He has managed to have the most unproductive three years of his life. He lost everything (or at least his reputation, family, and career).

Friday comes to an end and Peter must sleep knowing that what has happened on that day cannot be changed. I’m pretty sure, that if you told Peter that one day, that day would be called “Good Friday”, he’d think you to be insensitive, crazy, or have some skewed definition of good.

Dear son

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 01:07:36 -0800

Dear son,

I can see that you have already thought of some New Year’s Resolutions, that you pictured what this year will look like. I am glad you did. Goals are good and I want you to have something to aim for, but I cannot guarantee that you will receive all these things or receive them through the means that you desire.

There’s probably going to be times you feel weary, moments when the tears slide down your checks, and nights you are stripped of all the things you ever hoped for. But maybe, those losses will help you see, that the disappearance of all things you wanted will teach you to place your hope in Christ, alone. You see, if God were to grant you all the toys, relationships, and successes on this earth, you might start believing that this is your home, living like this is your home, and waste your life.

So if she says “no” when you ask, you receive that F, you are rejected from that internship, or any other circumstance knocks you down on your feet; my son, be strong, do not back down because these circumstances, no matter how terrifying, are bowing down into submission to His perfect plan, these circumstances, no matter how challenging, are ultimately bending their knee to your good and God’s glory.

My son, I can see that you have already thought of some New Year’s Resolutions, that you pictured what this year will look like. I am glad you did, but I am more glad that His picture captures all the different shades of circumstances that you may have left out, and I hope you will rejoice in this truth too.

#11 reminders while studying: final post

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:11:00 -0700

Study not for yourself, not for your friends, not for your parents, but for something much greater, the greatest being possible, God because He alone is worthy of all praise.

Study not with the attitude that school is pointless, but that secular work can be glorious because Jesus, the Lord of all creation, humbly made tables for most of His life.

Study not with a complaining heart, but with a heart overflowing with thankfulness because school really can be the happiest place on earth.

Study not with anxiety but with a peace that surpasses all understanding because you can touch your hair and rest assured that every one of them is numbered.

Study not with the feeling of being overwhelmed with what you have to do, but be overwhelmed by what He has done for you because His promises are sure.

Study not with a ridiculous attitude believing that we can fully comprehend God but with a humble spirit knowing that our minds are like a soda can compared to the vast ocean of His wisdom.

Study not with an earthly perceptive, but with a kingdom perspective because 100 years from now we will be with Christ no matter what.

Study not for the grade, but for the Master because His grading system is better than ours.

Study not with a small attitude, but dream big because God can use your studies open glorious opportunities for you in the future.

Study not with uncertainty, but with peace from God because He is in control, He is never anxious, and He makes no mistakes.

Study not with an unfocused mind, but a focused mind because life is short, eternity is long, and our lives shall not be wasted.

Study not in a self-centered attitude, but in a prayerful attitude because we need God more than air.

Study not for the grade, but for sanctification because our character is much more important than any letter on any piece of paper.

Study for God because, by His grace, He gave you a brain and what an honor and privilege it is to be able to think, to process information, and to study at a school where the education system is better than most kids can ever dream of. Study, because when you study, you can become fascinated with what you learn because it all points back to a Creator. The complexity of the subjects you can’t understand, the math, the sciences, the languages, the history, the arts, all of it points to a being that is so much grander and greater, a creator that is way above us, because it takes us years to grasp the simplest of concepts. Study with joy, because learning trains your mind to think, so later when you try studying the Bible, you will have a mind that can think and analyze and deduct the correct interpretation of the Bible and allow it to transform your life.

Reminders we need, gracious is Thee. Goodbye tumblr.

#10 reminders while studying: Daniel's resume

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:05:00 -0700

Daniel’s resume at the age of 14:

Skillful in wisdom
Endowed with knowledge
Understanding in learning
Competent to stand in the king’s palace

Daniel’s resume by the end of his life:

Distinguished as only person who could interpret the the dreams of the King
Ruled as 2nd in command over 200,000 citizens
Understood encrypted hand-writings to predict the downfall of a nation
Spent the night with ferocious lions without being harmed

In 605 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar was looking for intelligent youth to be part of his court (Daniel 1:4). Because Daniel faithfully studied in his youth, he met these requirements and was given the unique opportunity to serve in his court. This position led to some amazing things to glorify God…interpretations of dreams, 2nd in command over a nation, the lion’s den. Therefore, if Daniel had not faithfully studied in his youth, then he would not have been selected to serve on King Nebuchadnezzar’s court and the book of Daniel would have only been 1 sad chapter. The resume of his “secular” accomplishments greatly affected his future resume of “spiritual” accomplishments in which God used to display His great power. God uses our studying now to open unique opportunities for us later to glorify Him.

#9 reminders while studying: 1.6 GPA = 4.0 GPA

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 23:13:24 -0700

Theorem 25.23

Servant #1 brings 5 talents —> Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Servant #2 brings 2 talents —> Master says, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Servant #3 brings 0 talents —> Master says, “You wicked and slothful servant!”
Man’s grading system: 5 talents > 2 talents > 0 talents; => system is dependent on number of talents
Master’s grading system: faithful servant (5 talents) = faithful servant (2 talents) > slothful servant (0 talents); => system is dependent on faithfulness
Conversation factor: 1.25 talents = 1 grade point; => 5 talents = 4.0 GPA, 2 talents = 1.6 GPA
Man’s grading system: 4.0 GPA > 1.6 GPA
Master’s grading system: faithful student (4.0 GPA) = faithful student (1.6 GPA)
Master = perfect judge; => Master’s grading system > man’s grading system

faithful student (4.0 GPA) > slothful student (1.6 GPA)
faithful student (1.6 GPA) > slothful student (4.0 GPA)
1.6 GPA = 4.0 GPA (assumption: both students are faithful)

Whose grading system will you be using this quarter?

#8 reminders while studying: 100 years from now

Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:08:28 -0700

This is one another of those deja vu’s. Cause Spring quarter last year my Sunday before entering finals week was very similar. I was struck down by anxiety, broken, and then God reminded me of the assurance of heaven and graciously helped me become amazed at the reality that I had once forgotten. Here’s what I had so easily forgotten that I hope, my friend, you do not forget today…

That 100 years from now, no matter what happens, you will be with Christ, forever. That no midterm, no final, no paper, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation can separate us from the love of Christ, the love that held Jesus on the cross, the love that made Him choose suffering, that love, nothing can separate us from that love, even right now. Even right now, I am experiencing the deepest love possible from Christ, because this light and momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison. This suffering is preparing us for glory, this suffering is going to make the glory all the more glorious. The way to glory is suffering. Jesus choose suffering. And this glory will last forever! It’s eternal. 100 years now, then eternity. Eternity! Like even if I could eat dinner with John Piper once ever trillion years, I would still eat with him a trillion times! Because heaven is forever. It won’t end. The suffering won’t even come back. Sin will be defeated once and for all. It’s guaranteed. I cannot fathom or imagine the joys and the pleasures we will experience, because they won’t compare to anything on this earth. And now, all I’m doing on this earth, is proclaiming the greatness of the love of Christ that saved a sinner like me, the love that saved me so I could rejoice and praise Him forever in heaven, that nothing in this earth will last, it’s all going to fade, 100 years from now, and then we’ll enter eternity. Thank you Jesus.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:35-39

So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:16-18

#7 reminders while studying: a soda can

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 23:15:00 -0700

What if I told you, “Let’s go to the beach and put all the water in the Pacific ocean into one soda can.” You’d probably ask me, “Jonathan, are you ridiculous?”

Well, my reader, I’m gonna ask you, “Are you ridiculous?” Now before you go on defending yourself (because most people don’t think they are ridiculous), let me strike down your pride with a quote:

“Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep–dependent lives.”

– Francis Chan

You see, if you’re like me, then you’re often ridiculous. Because often, I try to limit God to something that I am capable of comprehending. When I don’t get the grade I want on that midterm that I spent countless hours studying for, I become frustrated because I can’t understand why God would withhold something so good from me. Many times, I won’t be able to understand God’s reasons, but my lack of understanding does not change the fact that they are always made with perfecting reasoning. So the next time you are tempted to be frustrated because something doesn’t go your way, don’t be ridiculous and just think, “I’m a soda can, He’s the ocean.”

#6 reminders while studying: overwhelmed

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:28:00 -0700

During a time that I felt overwhelmed, a good friend shared the following quote with me. I hope it convicts and uplifts you like how it did for me:

As you start to feel overwhelmed, will you honor Me? Will you do it with a grateful heart? Will you see the blessing hidden in the long to-do lists? Will you surrender your plans of convenience and ease and accept My plans for your growth and maturity? -Your Heavenly Father

Do you really believe that…

that God works all things together for good?
that God prunes those who bear fruit so that they may bear more fruit?
that God allows you to have trials that are necessary?
that God knows that it is good for you to bear the yoke in your youth?
that God gives and takes away?
that God uses this momentary affliction to prepare for us an eternal weight of glory that is beyond all comparison?

Because it’s true…

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,for those who are called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. -John 15:2
In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials. -1 Peter 1:6
It is good for a man that he bear the joke in his youth. -Lamentations 3:27
The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. -Job 1:21
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. -2 Corinthians 4:17

Will you be overwhelmed by what you have to do or by what He does for you?

#5 reminders while studying: anxious? touch your hair.

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:05:45 -0700

Anxious?

Touch your hair. Touch your hair. Really, try it right now. Lift up your hand of preference and use your fingers to stroke your hair. Let your fingers enjoy your hairy head. And even if you are totally ignoring me right now and refuse to touch your hair, at least tonight when you shower (you better) then you’ll touch your hair, multiple times, and I’ll be happy. Why do I want you to touch your hair? Stop reading if you don’t want to know. Continue if you want to find out.

Jesus says…

“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” -Matthew 10:30

For 18 years of my life, I got this verse wrong. I thought “numbered” only meant that God knew the number of hairs on my head. But this interpretation is not complete, “numbered” does not only include knowing, but also assigning and planning. Now think, how insignificant is the number of hairs on your head in the scheme of your life? Does it really matter if you have 100,000 hairs in comparison to 100,001 hairs? Yet, God still numbered your hairs, He is still in control. He may have given Chris Gee 100,329 hairs while given Austin Duncan a little less, but God gave us the best number of hairs we could possibly have. Looking at the entire passage in Matthew 10, God is not only control of our hair and the sparrows, but also our eternal destiny, showing how God, being in control of the smallest of smalls and the biggest of bigs, is in control of everything else in between.

You got a final tomorrow, then go walk into that room confidently and touch your hair. You got a lot to study, then pick up those books joyfully and touch your hair. You feeling anxious right now, then take a deep breath peacefully and touch your hair. There’s a good God out there so there’s no need to fear, just touch your hair.

Have you been touching your hair?

#4 reminders while studying: the happiest place on earth

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:46:17 -0700

When was the last time you lined up for class at 6:00am?

If your answer to that question was yesterday, then you either really love school, you hate sleeping, or you misread the question. But if you’re like me, then you probably can’t think of anytime that you waited hours in line in order to get into a lecture hall room. Maybe, just maybe, you might have lined up for Disneyland at 6:00am (even though it doesn’t open until 8:00am). But if any, at any school, on any planet, ever said, “Yeah, I have a 8:00am Physics lecture, but I’m gonna get there at 6:00am because I’m so excited for class tomorrow that I can’t sleep! It’s been my lifelong dream to have the opportunity to learn Physics!” If anyone said that, we’d think that person = crazy.

But let me introduce you to the Folopa people. You see, the Folopa never had the privilege of learning. If you gave them a book to read, not only would they not know how to read it, but they would also not know how to hold it. Many years ago, missionary Neil Anderson began the first school for the Folopa people. These people literally begged to get into his school, many showed up at 6:00am (even though Neil never told them what time class started). And the tiny classroom for 26 could not fit the 113 who showed up. Most of those who could not get into the class would wait outside for hours, peeping through the window and hoping that they could learn at least something (talk about a wait list).

Their level of excitement to go to class would be equivalent, or even surpass, our excitement to go to the happiest on earth. For the Folopa, that classroom was their happiest place on earth. Imagine how exciting life would be if we only had that attitude! That tomorrow, at 8:00am, I get to go to the happiest =) place on earth, Boelter Hall.

#3 reminders while studying: relatively better

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:59:33 -0700

“God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector” -Luke 18:11

I typed this up in a previous email and thought it would be good for my soul to review its content today:

“Something that struck me today was the danger in using the word “relatively”. Because often I would say to myself, relatively, I’m not selfish. Relatively, I’m a good roommate. Relatively, I’m a good son. But I realized when I did that, when I used the word relatively, I was comparing myself to others, thinking myself as good because I’m relatively good, and that’s exactly the condemning sin that the Pharisees committed. It’s so clear with the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector because the Pharisee thought he was relatively better than the tax collector, and though he actually, externally, objectively, may have been relatively better in some aspects of his life, his relatively better was trash. And this idea made me really think because I can and have been prideful in so many ways that I am unaware of.”

It’s very easy for me to think that because I am relatively better than other people in terms of worrying about schoolwork that God is impressed, that because I don’t verbally complain and say “this sucks” or “I’m tired” that I’m somehow better than my friends. But my relatively better is trash, it’s foolishness, it’s pride, and when I am prideful, I am most like Satan, because the most Satanic sin is pride, as pride is the very sin that caused the angel of heaven to fall. Even one anxious thought about my Applied Linguistics paper would be enough to send Jesus Christ to the cross to die for my sins, it’s that serious. Oh, how often I forget how sinful I am and how foolish it is of me to be pleased with myself thinking I am relatively better than others.

Instead, I pray that God would give me, and all those out there who think they are relatively better than others, the grace to not ever take the sin of anxiousness lightly, that when we wake up in the morning and are tempted to think “I’m tired”, we would fight to find the strength of Christ in that very moment, that when we look down at our final and see that “37/100”, we would fight to find Christ as our greatest treasure, that when we wonder if our grades will be good enough to help us get a job one day, we would fight to trust in the all-good, all-wise, and all-sovereign God, that we would give sin no room whatsoever, that we would fight any anxious thought, during any time of the day. Because whenever I am anxious, if it’s a little bit or a whole lot, I am telling God, “I don’t trust that your plans for me are good. I want to be my own god because I don’t like you as God! I could probably do a better job than You.” Wow.

But, realize that when we fail, we can be like that tax collector and beat our breasts and cry out, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” And in this we rejoice =), knowing that we are justified, knowing that we are not relatively, but absolutely and perfectly, better because he have Christ.

#2 reminders while studying: the carpenter

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 21:44:00 -0700

“Is not this the carpenter?” -Mark 6:3a

“Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age” -Luke 3:23

30 hours…that’s about the amount I study in a week.

30 weeks…that’s the amount of time I’m enrolled in school for about a year.

30 years…that’s a lot of time to make a lot of tables.

I wonder why? Why did Jesus wait 30 years to begin his ministry? Imagine how many more people he could have healed, how many more sermons he could have preached. Wouldn’t that have been a greater ministry? Come on, God Himself preaching versus making tables! 33 years instead of 3…if you can subtract, that’s 30 more years. Wouldn’t that have honored God more and brought more glory to His name? Did Jesus waste 30 years of his life doing secular work? Was Jesus being less “productive” with his time? Did Jesus make a mistake? If I answer yes to those questions, I could be accused of blasphemy. In fact, if I ever wrote something on this blog like “Jesus made a mistake, Jesus wasted his time,” I give any open permission to openly rebuke me.

But God makes no mistakes. Jesus certainly did not waste 30 years of His life. Then why did He have a secular occupation before going into ministry? I shall not attempt to answer such a question because I don’t want to be rebuked, but I shall quote William Barclay:

“This passage begins with the most suggestive statement. It tells us that when Jesus began his ministry he was not less than about thirty years of age. Why did he spend thirty years in Nazareth when he had come to be the savior of the world? It is commonly said that Joseph died fairly young and that Jesus had to take upon himself the support of Mary and of his younger brothers and sisters, and that not until they were old enough to take the business on their own shoulders, did he feel free to leave Nazareth and go into the wider world. Whether that be so or not, three things are true.

(1) It was essential that Jesus should carry out with the utmost fidelity the more limited tasks of family duty before he could take up the universal task of saving the world. It was by his conscientiousness in the performance of the narrow duties of home that Jesus fitted himself for the great task he had to do. …It was because Jesus faithfully performed the smallest duties that the greatest task in all the world was given him.

(2) It gave him the opportunity to live out his own teaching. Had he always been a homeless, wandering teacher with no human ties or obligations, men might have said to him, “What right have you to talk about human duties and human relationships, you, who never fulfilled them?” But Jesus was able to say, not, “Do as I say,” but, “Do as I have done.”

Tolstoi was a man who always talked about living the way of love; but his wife wrote poignantly of him, “There is so little genuine warmth about him; his kindness does not come from the heart, but merely from his principles. His biographies will tell of how he helped the laborers to carry buckets of water, but no one will ever know that he never gave his wife a rest and never—in all these thirty-two years—gave his child a drink of water or spent five minutes by his bedside to give me a chance to rest a little from all my labors.” No one could ever speak like that of Jesus. He lived at home what he preached abroad.

(3) If Jesus was to help men he had to know how men lived. And because he spent these thirty years in Nazareth, he knew the problems of making a living, the haunting insecurity of the life of the working man, the ill-natured customer, the man who would not pay his debts. It is the glory of the incarnation that we face no problem of life and living which Jesus did not also face.”

Just because your studies are secular does not make them pointless; with the right attitude, they can be glorious.

#1 reminders while studying: prayer

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:15:00 -0700

Dear Holy and Awesome God,

Would you be so kind to remind us of what great truths we so often forget? In these upcoming days, I can sense the weight of the anxiety, the stress, the fears, the complaints, and the tears that will crush myself and your saints from the little institution known as school. Lord, we are forgetful creatures. It’s easy for me to forget why I should study, sometimes I don’t even know why, but I ask that in these upcoming days you give your students, whether they are at UCLA or UCSD or Cal State Fullerton or Walnut High or anywhere else on your planet, the proper motivation to study. Because Lord, we study a lot, and it would be tragedy if we waste our years of studying, but please, please give us the grace to turn what might sometimes frustrate us, what might sometimes seem like a hindrance, into a joyous, powerful weapon, a weapon to pave a pathway to make your glory shine before all the peoples, in brighter and in more glorious ways than we ever thought possible. We need to be reminded. Help us.

sincerely,

the sinner who you gracious chose to adopt by the blood of Christ.

Propaganda and the Gospel

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 08:35:32 -0700

Propaganda and the Gospel

2nd quarter reflections

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:12:10 -0700

God is good and faithful. He has blessed me in many ways this quarter. Here are 7:

Working Out

This past quarter I was able to lift weights for the first time at UCLA with my small group leader and Josh Chen. Pretty much, the entire experience was humbling for me because if you don’t know, I’m kinda skinny so I’m not all that strong. Nevertheless, the whole experience was fun and a blessing. God reminded me that He uses weak, not the strong, to do his work.

Fishing

No, not fishing as in going to the ocean with fishing rods, but fishing as in fishing for the lost with the gospel. It’s a term that many people at UCLA use for cold-contact evangelism. During the first quarter I went fishing a few times but every time I went my partner did most of the talking; however, this quarter, my small group leader gave me the chance to initiate and lead the conversation. But before I lead the conversation with real people, he had me practice with him and it was humbling. I didn’t realize how hard it was to articulate the gospel clearly in conversation form. God humbled me again and I was reminded that God does use the inadequate to do his work.

The guy

I’m one of those people who will introduce themselves to other people randomly. One day while in the Computer Lab I saw someone with a textbook that said ‘Hebrew Bible.’ I asked him what his major was and he shared he was a study of religion major. We began talking for 45 minutes on the spot and then I ate dinner with him. He shared with me he use to be very passionate about God, to the point where he would be sharing the gospel with people about 50 times a week, but then for the past 10 years he’s lost that passion and has merely been attending church on and off. (Side note: he’s around 30 years old). While talking, he told me that he started to feel that same passion he had 10 years ago. I met with him the next week and he shared with me how he’s been sharing the gospel again. The other day he told me, “Jonathan, you know, in heaven you’re gonna get a ton of rewards because I’m going to share the gospel with all these people.” I thought his statement was pretty funny. God works in amazing ways and any conversation can greatly impact someone’s life.

Hebrews 12:1-2

At Grace Community Church, I was able to take a class called Cutting It Straight where they taught me how to prepare a message with the explanation, illustration, and application outline. We were able to choose from 5 different passages and I chose Hebrews 12:1-2. The entire experience helped me improve the content of my messages, especially in terms of organization. From the studying the passage, God reminded me that as Christians we are to run the race of the Christian life wholeheartedly by laying aside every weight, but also with endurance, looking to Jesus.

Christian books

This past quarter I read The Discipline of Grace (Jerry Bridges), an autobiography on Hudson Taylor, The Search for the Source (Neil Anderson), and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Donald S. Whitney). From The Discipline of Grace, God showed me more clearly the need to have a balance between work and trust. As Christians we must both disciplines ourselves for godliness while still trusting in God and remembering His grace sustains us. From Hudson Taylor, God used the faith and sacrifice of Hudson Taylor to challenge me in my own evangelism. From The Search for the Source, an autobiography of the Anderson family who translated the Bible in an unwritten language, God reminded me how being able to read is a privilege as I was amazed me with the willingness that the village people possessed to learn more. From Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Live, God showed me practical ways to help me with many spiritual disciplines (i.e. for Bible memorization we can meditate on Scripture while lying in bed when trying to sleep). Normally I read a chapter before I slept and it was a nice way to end the day.

DBS

This quarter, I had the opportunity to be part of an outreach Bible study held in the dorms called DBS (Dorm Bible Study). It allowed me to step out of my comfort zone when I asked many floormates and classmates to come out. On one of the days, I went door-to-door on my floor and asked my floormates if they were interested in coming to DBS. I remember asking about 20 people for the first DBS and only 1 came. A few weeks later, I only asked 7 people and 4 came. I was greatly encouraged because normally not that many people come to events that I ask them to but God does bring people out in His perfect timing. I contemplated how God is the one who saves and it’s nothing that we can do. I thought about Jonah, disobedient and rebel to God, preached and the entire wicked city of Nineveh to repent, while Jesus Christ, the master evangelist, preached and the Pharisees still hardened their hearts. God reminded me that He’s the one that’s ultimately in control and we are only called to be faithful.

Praying

During 10^th week, I went around my floor, knocking door-to-door, asking everyone I saw how I could pray for them. Their responses were positive and grateful. The following week, I wrote out 25 hand-written prayers and gave them back to my floormates who were even more grateful. From the experience, God taught me that praying for people is a simple, yet often neglected, way to serve others. Also, God reminded me that people are people, meaning that people do have problems even though they may put on a happy face every day. I should definitely prayer more often.

God has blessed me greatly these past 2 quarters, I am eager to see what shall happen my last quarter of freshmen year.

my 30 minute post

Thu, 06 Jan 2011 21:29:16 -0800

I’m planning to study with a friend at 9:30pm and it’s 9:00pm right now so I have 30 minutes to cram as much information into this post the things that have happened to me since my last post a few weeks ago. As for as events go, after my last final, I went to a survivor’s party, a party with Grace on Campus people with food, singing, and fellowship, kinda like a Halftime at FCBC. At home, it was refreshing to see family. During the first few days I was able to sleep over at a friend’s house where we watched stars in the sky and talked, eat lunch with some FCBC guys, and watch a movie with Jeff Shen and we were the only ones in the movie theater (kinda weird, but it was cool cause we could talk as much as we wanted). Then I left for Winter Retreat and learned about Christians and the world. It was a blessing to catch up with old friends and hear God’s word. Also, a lot of people started playing Monopoly Deal and in that game to win you have to steal from the poor so as I was stealing Liz’s property, I told her, “In order for me to love you the most right now, I have to try my best at winning this game because if I didn’t that would be poor sportsmanship.” After retreat, I ate boiling crab with some old varsity tennis guys and then we got shaved ice at sushi’s. Then, I had a 5 day family Christmas celebration marathon, meaning for 5 days straight, there were family events with some family extended members. The time was sweet. Some memories include ridiculous questions with loaded questions, intense ping-pong, pushing my grandparents in a wheelchair at Disneyland, delicious food, undeserved presents (mostly clothes, and I’ve actually gotten a few comments, maybe 3, about how people like how I’m dressing), laughter, my crazy cousins, and Uncle David. At the end of that frenzy, I spent some time at home playing piano and studying ahead for math. I also met up with some Christian brothers one-on-one and that was encouraging (thank you brothers). Coming back to school, I’ve been able to spend some more time with my floormates and enjoy their company. Yesterday, there was a surprise visit from Cheryl and Grace and we played Monopoly and the game was ridiculous for reasons I will not reveal at the moment. Those were the events.

Since the start of the quarter, my mind has been constantly thinking. There’s been so many new ideas, advices, and experiences. It’s crazy to think and try to imagine all the information out there, but right now, I can’t consolidate and clearly express some of the things I have been learning.

Okay, one quick thing. In a study Bible, there’s a introduction before every book. Recently, I’ve been reading through the introductions, starting with Genesis and have gotten to around Psalms, but in reading the intros I can see the recurring themes. For example, Israel sins, Israel becomes conquered by another nation, Israel cries out to God, God saves them, and then the cycle continues, showing God’s faithfulness in all this. Despite Israel’s faithlessness, God remains faithful to them always. What a wonderful reminder! Okay, my time’s up, time to study Chemistry. May I study for His glory.

a sermon worth listening to

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 23:33:14 -0800

“The theory of the doctrine of justification has been ingrained in my brain, but that does not stop me from being sinful. My sin, which has access to the same brain, and the Devil, who, I would assume, is far more intelligent and knowledgeable than me, no longer come to me with a blatant argument to earn my salvation. They are more cunning than that. Now, they use really good words for an argument that is something like, “Oh! You say you are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ? That’s great! And indeed his sacrifice is the greatest. But now, let’s consider you, what are you doing in response? He deserves so much obedience and are you really living so that he can look at you with a smile?”

If you are wondering what is wrong with that, Piper does an excellent job at dissecting sinful desires that could possibly be hiding behind that seemingly harmless argument. Through Piper’s teaching, God helped me see that at the cross he not only paid for my salvation, but also for my sanctification. He does his work all by himself – he does not need me, there is no trade, no give and take. He only gives. I find it freeing. I find it the best news in the whole world.”

I just listened to this sermon on. It focuses on grace and was definitely encouraging. If you have the time, take a listen to it.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/how-not-to-serve-god-in-going-and-sending

I. The Debtors ethic is impossible because every act of obedience you do to try to make up the debt you only become deeper into debt.

II. If it were possible, grace would no longer be grace, it would be a business transaction.

III. It minimizes future grace while focusing on past grace.

Psalm 50:12-15
if you don’t realize you are in trouble, you are blind.
call upon God for help; we get the help, God gets the glory.
John 16:24; prayer is not a chain, it’s a joy.
Is that your view of God? So self-sufficient that His occupation is to find weak people and work through them.
Christianity is the only religion where God works for us, in all others, we work for God.
God says, ‘I do all the carrying, I do all the bearing, I do all the work.”
Key Verses: 1 Peter 4:11, 1 Cor. 15:10, Phil. 2:12-13
APTAT: Admit that without God you can do nothing (John 15:5). Pray and call upon God for help (Psalm 50:15). Trust a particular promise, to do this you need to store up promises in your heart (the only place we are safe from the wrath of God is in God). Act, you gotta do it (work out your salvation with fear and trembling). Thank Jesus for helping me, thank you for the insight, thank you for the grace, thank you for the promises.

[ cloud overview | get your own cloud ]This is a Tumblr Cloud I...

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 23:03:12 -0800

[ cloud overview | get your own cloud ]

This is a Tumblr Cloud I generated from my blog posts between Sep 2010 and Dec 2010 containing my top 20 used words.

Top 1 blogs I reblogged the most:

excited for that day

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 00:45:13 -0800

Today I’ve decided not to blog everyday because of the time commitment but I will still continue to blog when I see fit.

Today I woke up in the morning excited. I thought to myself, in a couple hours I will be free. The race for this quarter will be finally over. No more studying, no more cramming, no more tests, at least for the next 3 weeks. After praying to God, thankful, I finished up my chem cheet sheet that we’re allowed to use, ate breakfast, talked with some floormates, and headed off to take my last final. I was able to sit next to an old high school friend and kept sharing with him how excited I was right now to take the test because after, paradise. He didn’t share the same enthusiasm as me and probably thought I was being silly. But I told him, ‘imagine, in a matter of 3 hours, you will put your pencil down, pick up your test, stand up from your sit, walk down that aisle of victory, hand your paper in, and be free.’

(3 hours later)

I put down my mechanical pencil, I stood up, grabbed my test, straightened my cheet sheet, walked down the aisle of victory with my left foot first, handed in my test to my teacher aid who said to me, ‘have a great break,’ I walked back up victory aisle, grabbed my belongings, exited the doors, and entered the realm of freedom; the race was completed.

This whole anticipation experience was overly dramatized by me, but nevertheless, it reminds me of heaven and the eager longing we should have to one day be with Christ. Like how I was excited to be done with finals, no more studying, no more tests, no more “pain”, in heaven, there will really be no more tears, no more suffering, no more pain. And there’s so much more of a reason to be excited about heaven because, believe it or not, being free from finals is not as great as being free from sin; Christmas break is not as great as Jesus Christ. I imagine the day when we will arrive in heaven, God tells us the words “good and faithful servant”, and we enter the gates of paradise and can truly say the race has been completed. We really will be with Christ forever. I’m excited for that day.

think about eternity

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 01:01:00 -0800

9am. Short prayer. Study chem.

The other day, a friend asked me a question which meant something like, how the motivation to always study? By motivation to study, he meant having the desire to study either the Bible or schoolwork, to either glorify God by getting to know Him more or being diligent with my school work.

My response: think about eternity.