Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Happy Wednesday (Suffering) (04/28/2010)

Sup everyone!

What better way to start a post on suffering than mentioning the MCATs? It's finally over and i should have the scores by the end of the month, thx so much to everyone who prayed for me!

A while back i heard an awesome observation made in a matt chandler sermon and have wanted to write about it for the longest time. Hebrews 11 paints this tapestry of faith in israel's history with stories about moses, gideon, and david, etc etc. But then we drop down to v35 where we go from stories of triumph to stories of saints being tortured, imprisoned, and brutally killed. Triumph to suffering in a single verse without even the decency of a transition word. The observation made was that the suffering saints post-v35 were no worse than the triumphant saints pre-v35. In other words whether they triumphed or suffered was entirely in the will of God and not their actions.

I think it's so easy for us to look at sufferings of good people (esp ourselves) and the successes of people who (in our opinion) does not deserve it and question the justice of God. Without intending to, it's so easy to see blessings in our lives as rewards for our services and obedience and our sufferings as acts of punishment from God when NEITHER is the case. Jesus himself said of those who would leave their families and treasures that they would receive back a hundred fold what they've lost in His name in the age to come - our reward for obedience is eternal life, God himself; not the beautiful wife, or obedient children, or prosperous careers. By the same token the punishment for our sins, including the ones we're about to commit later on today, was completely paid for at the cross. For us to say "God is making me go through this suffering to punish me for that sin" is tantamount to us saying the cross was not enough.

I guess the encouragement for the week, for those of us who're struggling, to not look upon sufferings of this life as injustice. Christ having to die for our sins is injustice: gracious and merciful injustice. Suffering in this age is not punitive, rather it is purifying. Also, God would never give us more than we're able, by His grace and power, to handle. Keeping both these truths firmly in mind, I want to be able to see suffering as acts of mercy and love from God and to be able to rejoice and praise Him both in it and for it.

Have a happy wednesday and may we suffer well this week,

Edward

"...who conquered kingdoms...shut the mouths of lions...routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured...while others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawn in two...." - Hebrews 11:33-36

"Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" - Job 41:11

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18

Kinda wrong, slightly freudian...but very very funny.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDDMznsa4A&feature=related

Happy Wednesday (Question) (04/21/2010)

Alrite, i wanted to take a break from writing for a week and instead pose a semi-serious question.

Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons? =D

Have a fantastic wednesday and awesome rest of the week!

Edward

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-GEBXx6NH0

Happy Wednesday (Value) (04/14/2010)

Yo,

some observations i made recently on a person's worth and identity. I think we have a tendency to identify ourselves by the relationships and things in our lives that we value most. There are two ways in which a person or a thing can have value/importance: rarity and intrinsically.

A thing can be valuable by being rare - this is the case with gold, diamonds, or olympic level talent. In human terms this is usually achieved through diligent effort. A student achieves an A in the class - which, as shown by the infamous bell curve, is pretty rare - by studying. Athletes becomes the best at what they do by excelling beyond their peers. In this value system the more rare, the more capable, the more skilled the performance, the greater the value. In this way most people can gain recognition, value, and meaning through working hard - this is probably one of the most intoxicating and addicting part of our labours.

The second way is to have value intrinsically. This is value that isn't based on rarity or effort, it is value that can only be given by others. In other words the thing or person is valuable because someone else thinks of them as valuable. You can find better cars than my '95 green mitsubishi (named Eden) in almost any parking lot, yet I could never think to replace her until the day she dies on me because i have so many memories with that car, and have decided that she is important to me.

In our most treasured and valued relationships, I think our worth should be based on the intrinsic. We're valued because people who care about us believe us to be valuable. We're important to them because, in the same way, they're valuable to us. That value shapes our identity. It makes us proud/honoured to call ourselves this girl's father, or that person's friend. Love gives value to people and things.

We've all heard about how we should identify ourselves as sons and daughters of God. How does that work? When the worst of life hits you, what does being that "child of God" even mean? How do u make that matter or even to believe it? I think the way to feel valued in God's eyes is the same way you would feel valued in your family or friends eyes - by valuing Him. Value gives rise to value. God has decided since before time began that we were worth dying for, we already have intrinsic value (because He said so), each of us are worth one Son to God. But just like how so many young people would miss/ignore their parents' love by failing to value them in return - you will never believe yourself to be of value in God's eyes until you value Him.

Encouragement for the week, seek intrinsic instead of performance value with God and people. Whether life is awesome or the pits for you right now, value God in everything you do. Make much of Him, think of Him, praise and glorify Him - and feel the love of the Father as you delight in your identity as a child of God.

Have a Happy Wednesday!

Edward

"For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also" Luke 12:34

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son" John 3:16

Dolphins blowing bubble rings and playing w/ them
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DqgmYi_Dro&feature=related

Happy Wednesday (Truth) (04/07/2010)

Sup guys,

I think most of us have had the term "Postmodernism" preached to us enough times to have a general grasp of wat it means, the denial of objective and knowable truths. While i wouldn't go so far as to say we're completely ruled by postmodern thought, I think this trend tends to make us makes us ask two questions:

- "who are u to tell me what truth is?" (resist hearing truth)

and

- "who am i to tell them what truth is?" (resist giving truth)

its not simply a rejection of authority, postmodernism makes us afraid of truth. It makes us afraid to trust in people who claim to know it, and it makes us afraid to think we might have it. we're culturally disinclined towards giving or receiving even needed criticism and rebuke of any kind, even the term "preachy" evokes a negative imagery in our minds. The simple, counter-cultural act of declaring to the world "I know the Truth" paints bright red targets on our chests.

To paraphrase john piper paraphrasing someone else (-.-v), in the 60s nonchristians would indignantly demand of christians, "how could you believe THAT to be the truth?" nowadays, nonchristians would indignantly demand of christians, "how could you CLAIM to know the truth at all?"

We need Truths in our lives, Truths like God's atoning sacrifice for us and how precious we are in His sight; that God exists, heaven exists, hell exists. Facts such as God being in control over all things, that He is Good and Love, that we can't earn our own salvation. Be able to say, think, and express solid Truths like these because so often, when troubles come into our lives or we're faced with nonchristian friends, it's so unbelievably (ahahah get it? get it?) easy for these truths to slip from us as we fall into the gravity of postmodernism.

Encouragement for the week, believe and trust in Truths. Postmodernism dilutes Truth by treating all truths as soft and malleable, it delights in fusing ideas together and labeling it all as true. It tells that lie to a world in desperate need of rock solid Truths. Dont buy into it.

Have a happy wednesday!

Edward

"Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding..." - Proverbs 3:13

"Then we will no longer be infants...blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ." - Ephesians 4:14-15

"Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." - John 18:37 (that's jesus talking)
____

so wrong and kinda freudian but...kinda, sorta, almost cute....right?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-yDDMznsa4A&feature=related