Category Archives: Meditations

starving hunger

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the youth fasted for a little over a day in order to raise money for the poor. during sunday school, we shared our experiences. who truly is poor? poverty exists everywhere. those who are physically poor will have to deal with physical hunger and if they starve will die a physical death. however those who are spiritually poor will have a harder time. though physically alive, they will have to live their lives in a constant contradiction as one spiritually dead.

when i was reading schaeffer, he said the christian should be the person who lives as if he died and has been resurrected (like Jesus). in the resurrected state, we are no longer our own. every selfish ambition and covetousness are dead with the old self. we live solely for the glory and advancement of the Kingdom.

but as the youth finished up the fast, we were starved for real food. how much more the world starves for real spiritual food. to those who died and resurrected in Christ, we have that real food.

we will prevail

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been holding off on this post mainly because i needed to re-examine my emotions.

after first hearing the vt shootings i didn’t know what to think. sad? angry? ambivalent? shock? embarrassment? my school. someone attacked my school and murdered fellow hokies…

then i started thinking, what would i have done if i was in norris hall? would i run? jump out the window with some of the other students? would i hide behind a desk locked in a classroom? i started thinking and this is when my mind started going off. i started thinking of strategies i could have done.

i could have taken my cell phone and hurled it at his head a la david and goliath, or taken one of those 50lb textbooks and slammed it in his face, or use the leg of a desk or chair and jammed it up is nose, i could have snuck up behind him and knocked him down and then start kicking the f* out of him. after strategizing for a while, i got really angry, even to the point of killing this f*s*b* in my mind. i truly believe i would kill him if i had the chance.

then i asked myself… what would Jesus do in this situation? the bible says that Christ died the death so that we don’t have to. He would not have fled, He would not have left anyone behind, He would not hide, instead He would have gone into the hallway, looked the killer in the eyes with love and compassion. Jesus would have said “Father forgive him for he doesn’t know what he’s doing” and taken the hits himself. Jesus would have sacrificed himself to save those who couldn’t. It would be an act of selfless love that only He can do…

and the action that Christians empowered by the Holy Spirit would do. and i started crying… no i started weeping… because in order to be a Christian, i would have to die… care not for myself, but rather give myself up so that others may live… ME… i would have to die… in order to truly be like Christ.

are we christian? will we die with Christ so that we may be raised with him as well?

to live is Christ and to die is gain…

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i have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer i who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me — galatians 2:20

but may it never be that i would boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and i to the world — galatians 6:14

if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. what good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? — luke 9:23-25

he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his woulds we are healed. — isaiah 53:5

greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends — john 15:13

when Christ calls a man, He bids him come and die. — dietrich bonhoeffer

true fasting

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read this a couple weeks back, but everytime i open my bible, God brings me back to this passage… will wait and see why… isaiah 58:3-12…

‘why have we fasted and You do not see? why have we humbled ourselves and You do not notice?’

behold, on the day of your fast you find your desire, and drive hard all your workers.

“behold, you fast for contention and strife and to strike with a wicked fist you do not fast like you do today to make your voice heard on high.

“is it a fast like this which I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? is it for bowing one’s head like a reed and for spreading out sackcloth and ashes as a bed? will you call this a fast, even an acceptable day to the LORD?

“is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke?

“is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

“then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

“then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, “here I am ‘ if you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday.

“and the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones;
and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

“those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.

amos…

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hear this word which the LORD has spoken against you, sons of Israel, against the entire family which He brought up from the land of egypt: “you only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.” do two men walk together unless they have made an appointment? does a lion roar in the forest when he has no prey? does a young lion growl from his den unless he has captured something? does a bird fall into a trap on the ground when there is no bait in it? does a trap spring up from the earth when it captures nothing at all? if a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble? if a calamity occurs in a city has not the LORD done it? surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets. a lion has roared! Who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken! who can but prophesy? — amos 3:1-8

God speaks through his prophets… been reading and meditating through some major and minor prophets in the old testament. God upholds his name and keeps his covenant with his people. He is a God of justice and righteousness. He is holy and despises sin. He is a God who will uphold the innocent, the helpless, the oppress, the hungry, the sick, the fatherless, the imprisoned… everything that Jesus said that He would do was fulfilled…

our God is a God who enters into time and space and history and fulfills his promises. our God is faithful.

truly amazing…

The LORD saves… and is glorified… and is faithful

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the book of isaiah has been one of those books in the bible that slows me down. there are so many things I just don’t understand/hard to understand.

i read through isaiah 36-37 today about how assyria threatened to destroy judah, but through hezekiah’s prayer and isaiah’s prophecy, God saves the day and His glory is made known.

hezekiah ends his pray by pleading with God… “now, o LORD our God, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, LORD, are God.” isaiah 37:20

isaiah says this is what God says… “For I will defend this city to save it for My own sake and for My servant david’s sake.”

God will act according to His will… for His name sake and to keep His covenant. God is faithful to His word and is faithful to uphold his holiness, glory, and majesty.

a recurring theme throughout isaiah and the histroy of israel is the forming of alliances with unholy allies either for convenience sake, security, wealth, etc, but God wanted His people to rely solely on Him. He wanted a people who would be HIS people and HIS alone.

and that continues to be His desire for us. He wants us to be a people who will look to Him, to cry to Him, to seek Him in all things… for all things… He wants us to be His people and He wants to be our God. All to Him for His name sake and for His glory and for His Kingdom…

fatherhood

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God does not leave us as orphans but adopts us into his family. this is only one aspect of many that God uses to relate with us… how incredible to have God as our father.

goals for 2007

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a new year has gone and passed… time to reflect on old goals and set new ones…

Spiritual:
- grow deeper in my faith, learn doctrines – read Westminster Catechism, Systematic Theology; increase prayer and quiet time.
- quiet my life to truly listen and hear God’s voice, his heart and his leading
- read bible in a year (re-read psalms, isaiah, jeremiah, ezekiel, and revelation… these always tend to slow me down.)
- share christ with at least 12 people
- find two mentors/coaches/barnabus and learn – someone who is spiritually older and more mature
- find two timothies and disciple – two people who are spiritually younger and FAT
- develop a kingdom vision and mature in prayer.
- encourage/build up the body
- be less active with churchy activities and more active in kingdom building activities

Self:
- grow as a leader – start two small groups, be a better sunday school teacher
- learn at least 30*12=360 new chinese words
- be able to translate a chinese sermon
- lose 20 pounds and develop a plan to stay in shape, work out at least 3 times a week,
- be at 110% production at work
- be able to distinguish the best from the good

Family:
- love my wife more – care for her needs, read together, study together, commit to weekly dates
- become a better parent – read at least 5 parenting books, and active in child’s life
- develop a Godly vision for family time and goals for children

Finance:
- buy a house
- make better investments – learn solid investing techniques, read at least 5 investing books
- learn stocks, options, financial reports, savings
- give more in tithes and offerings at least 15% – be able to give as much as 50% in five years
- develop a savings plan to fund seminary in 5 years