Happy Reformation Day!

502 years ago, Europe was about to be swept over by the historic reformation movement, sparked by a mere German monk, Martin Luther.

What began from a small town near Berlin called Wittenberg, the movement then spread quickly to Switzerland, France, England, and other parts of Europe for the next two centuries.

If there could only be a single takeaway from the truths recovered by the reformers that’s of value, it’s this:

The horror of our sins are far worse than we could ever imagine, but we’re much more deeply loved than we could ever dare to believe.

The reformation rediscovered the joy of communing with Christ!

The idea of enjoying God may sound like a silly theoretical notion, a practice anchored in our frail feelings. Yet it’s actually the opposite!

The gospel reminds us that the reason behind God’s acceptance of us is not our potential to do good, but rather that He is Goodness Himself from which everything good derives (Psalms 16:1-3, Psalms 19). Without Him drawing us to Himself, we won’t even take a single look to Christ (Isaiah 53:1-3, John 6:44). As He invites us to come, He doesn’t just linger and wait, hoping for us to seek Him. He even gives us the power to come (Ephesians 2, Romans 9)!

All of this is grace (Ephesians 2:4-9, Hebrews 10).

As we reflect on the gospel, this should redirect our gaze from our to-do list to the matchless worth of what Christ has done in our behalf.

We base our communion not in our sheer willpower, but in what God Himself has done (Isaiah 25:9, Psalm 126:3). We boast not in our ability to hold unto God, but that we may take delight in the truth that He is the One who has been holding us the whole time (Psalms 91:12, Ephesians 1:3-10, Phillipians 1:6). We boast not in our capability to love God, but that He loves us (1 John 4:10); and that it’s not because we’re lovable, but solely because of His sovereign and perfect will (Romans 9:10-18).

When we think much more of what God has done, we could then think less of ourselves and enjoy Him more.

We can escape from the performance treadmill, thinking that we could be better Christians by doing more. Christ has done it all! And interestingly, through this knowledge, we’re compelled to work even harder for the Lord. Now we don’t work begrudgingly to gain acceptance, but rather do so joyfully (2 Corinthians 9:6-7) because we have been accepted (1 Corinthians 6:20).

“As the Father has loved me [Jesus], so have I loved you.

Abide in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.

These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.”

(John 15:9-11)

Happy Reformation Day!

Waiting

Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence —
as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil —
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.

Isaiah 64:1–4

Patience in the Scripture is synonymous with long-suffering.

To wait means not resting passively but rather actively immersing ourselves in God’s truth — knowing that all things work for good, even the bad (Romans 8:28), our suffering is never without meaning (2 Corinthians 4:17, 1 Peter 3), that He holds all things and nothing comes about that surprises Him (Colossians 1:16, Romans 9), that we are slaves no more walking in the dark but forever enabled to call God our Father (Romans 8:15), and that Christ by His Spirit actively intercedes in things we don’t even see the need to pray for (Romans 8:26, Hebrews 7:25). These truths are from God, worked in our minds and hearts by God, for God’s glory alone. Amen!

God Works for Those Who Wait For Him – John Piper

Look Unto None Other But Christ

Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.

1 Corinthians 10:12

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
    fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
    and refreshment to your bones.

Proverbs 3:5-8

Father, I [Jesus] desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.

John 17:24-26

A man once admires a figure, dazzling, charismatic, father-like, a man worthy of looking up to. The figure’s eloquence of speech and lucid exposition of the deep knowledge of God amazes halls, churches, even football stadiums! An army of listeners vouches for his credentials. Moreover people speak fondly of him, even doing so with pride!

Despite the fact that this is hypothetical, one may wonder, what does such act of admiration show about those who cheer for such figure?

Paul surely calls people to imitate him as he imitates Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1), encouraging people in living out the implications of the Gospel of Christ. Yet, like all exemplary acts and good gifts, wouldn’t it be fair to consider its darker shades?

I figure one should ask, do they aspire to be that person? Do they project a future in which they stand in halls, podiums, being heard by many, cheered by thousands? Do they imagine themselves articulating difficult ideas into understandable bits, blessing many?

If they do, is there something wrong with such desire?

Our hearts are inexplicable, it is mysterious to the point we often don’t even know if we’re lying to ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9). Our sinful nature betrays ourselves from comprehending and enjoying Truth, God Himself. As God creates us according to His image, making us long for all good things, to admire is synonymous to being human. Yet like all good gifts, sin has shed a stain we can’t really put our finger on. Our admiration can easily be used to elevate a man-made standards that none could achieve. And such fickle standard may become so deceiving that it looks as if we’re seeking goodness, while it actually brings us further from the Lord. Then it even redirects our gaze from Him, the source of all good things, to us, His rebellious creatures who think that salvation lies within ourselves.

Judged by Whose Standards?

As one admires another, I figure it’d be wise to ask, how do their lives bring into remembrance God’s work in His people? How does it show His grace to those poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who long for God (Matthew 5)? How is it that the Lord extend grace to such person that we may be brought closer to Him, appreciating His gracious gift of salvation, restoring our hearts anew? How is it that the person deflects our gaze from him to the Lord, in whom he abides in and God in him?

If none of these questions come to mind, wouldn’t it be worth meditating how often do we see people with our man-made lens? As we are trained to admire those whose apparels sparkle, whose words taste sweet, whose life reads like a fairytale, shouldn’t we also ask if our so-called lens are trained to look simply for shiny pebbles scattered on a surface, instead of amazing canyons lying beneath?

Through the gospel, the Lord shows how those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, the humble, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, peacemakers, even those who are persecuted — they are blessed by Him (Matthew 5). He promotes a concept that is completely contrary to the worldly standard — how those who realizes their deep need of grace shall have their deepest needs met by Him.

Let us take a moment to meditate on several examples shown throughout the Scripture.

God sees David not from his outward appearances, but his heart (1 Samuel 16:7), one that is said to continually seek His heart (1 Samuel 13:14). We’re told by the Lord not to imitate religious people who pray in public only to be seen (Matthew 6:5-15), but rather to pray in the dark, hidden, focused only to Him, seeking no human praises but yearning to praise and communicate with Him who care for us and provides access to the Throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16).

God chooses Paul not because of his religious zeal, but rather to show how He is able to display His glorious work even in the worst of sinners (Acts 9:16, 1 Timothy 1:15). He chooses the disciples not because of their societal standings or prowess. He does all of these things for His glory, that as we see these people, we see Him (John 17)!

As we meditate on the disciples for instance, these are imperfect people who are used greatly by the Lord. Peter presenting his allegiance towards the Lord verbally could be imagined as a grand statement, yet he stumbles and betrays Him (Luke 22:54-62). Yet the Lord prays for him lest he fell, He guards his faith (Luke 22:32), and brings him out to lead and propagate God’s gospel that people may be convicted of their sin and be reconciled with Him (Acts 2:14-41).

In the end he died in no noble fashion when viewed by the world — being crucified upside-down is no death for a master orator! But a mere speaker he is not, not even a leader, not the spearhead of the apostles. Like each of us, he is a sinner saved by grace, living out a life given by Him, doing good that He has set for each of us to do, for His glory. If an inverted cross brings Christ glory, so be it! His suffering reminds us not to make a deity of these acts of martyrdom, but they should direct our gaze towards Christ who works mightily in His people (1 Peter 4:12-19).

We should then admire people because they encourage us to imitate Christ and seeing them is like viewing through a clear lens that glorifies Him — that pushes us to make much of Him and values Him so greatly, as it is the proper place for the Maker of the Universe!

Brings Us Away from the Lord?

As we judge people with our own lens, the consequence may be that we are upholding standards that aren’t meant for us to achieve. As we see how a person’s life could be so wonderful, admired by many, one may wonder, how is it that a darkness may be visible in him? Yet the truth is that we are all sinful — we’re saints and we’re sinners, we’re united with Christ yet still imperfect, we’re holy yet still being sanctified. Seeking to admire or to be admired I figure produces a grave consequence: to live a life of pretend — seeking to be viewed well outwardly yet actually stinking inwardly — seeking to achieve such kind of life, projecting an impossible life to be lived out by imperfect people.

We may even be unaware that we’re actually trying to achieve something that only the Lord could achieve, and has achieved (Hebrews 10)!

For He has lived the perfect life, let us seek no other person to find such exemplary life, and let us not seek to achieve such a life! Such pursuit shall dry us to the bones, devalues the holiness of His Law, and redirects our gaze from Him.

In Him is life and He is the creator of life, not us, and not the people we look up to. If one speaks of his perfect fairytale-like life and stops there, may we run away and earnestly seek to approach Christ. He is near and His grace shall empower us in our act of repentance and strengthens our assurance.

Look towards Christ and no other!

Finally

May this short meditation stir your heart’s affection towards Christ, convicts you of the underlying secrets of the depths of your heart, and magnifies the grace of God made visible in Christ’s work.

Seek someone who leads you to Christ!

Yet Another Thoughts on Movies

Last year, a really nice man commented on my blogpost about movies. His name’s John, and I must say, it’s such a great privilege to have someone responding to something that I write! Thank you John!

Ever since our exchange last year, I’ve been trying to answer this one question:

Having saved by Christ, how then should I watch movies?

While this might seem trivial to some, this means a lot to me because I really enjoy them! More than most people I might argue. When I watch movies, it feels as if I’ve been exposed to something vulnerable, a cry — a yearning to express something about what makes us human. I recently watched one of my favorite critic, Chris Stuckmann, reviewing the Captain Marvel movie and I think what Chris said in the first few minutes sums up exactly how I feel:

Note: To give some context to it, Chris was just talking about how the movie was polarizing to some audience even prior to its release.

“I just want to see a good film. I don’t care if it fails, I don’t care if it succeeds. I want to see a well-made film, made by people who respect the artform who are trying to tell a good story that communicates a good message to the people who are going to see this movie whether that’s for girls who don’t usually get the chance to see a female hero on screen or your average audience member who just wants to be entertained. “

Yes! I want to be entertained. I just want to see a well-made movie. I want to see how someone who appreciates movies see the world.

Yet, one has to ask, is entertainment all that is? Or does this desire say something about our heart?

Our Hearts

“The heart is deceitful above all things!” the prophet Jeremiah said.

The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
“I the Lord search the heart
and test the mind,
to give every man according to his ways,
according to the fruit of his deeds.”

(Jeremiah 17:9-10)

Ever since our disobedience on Eden, we’ve been enticed to the wrong kind of beauty. One which truly satisfies, God Himself, we abhor, and those that disgust we embrace. As God is the Lord of All, One who created everything and sees everything as good, who made all the trees, even the fruit that the woman sees as delightful to the eyes (Genesis 3:16). One that He commands, which is to trust Him and enjoy Him forever (Genesis 1:28-31, Genesis 2:6). We are to enjoy His good gifts, and even the best gift He could give, Himself. We are to enjoy His presence in all of life.

He created us according to His image (Genesis 1:27-28), that we may exercise authority as He does (Genesis 1:28-31), reflecting the beauty of our Creator among His glorious creations. It was all very good (Genesis 1:31).

Yet, like all good gifts, sin offers a sliver of its evil yet enticing end and tarnishes the whole being. We’re to be made doubtful, thinking “Did God really say ….?” (Genesis 3:1-7). There’s a horror that surrounds this question, screaming, “Did God give you something good only to withhold it? Well then He mustn’t be good!”

We are deceived, thinking that we could have authority over own lives. “We are the law!” we shout. Imagine walking on a desert with a revolver strapped in, our fingers ready to reach for the trigger at a moments notice and shoot down those who dare go against us! This is the wild west, the strongest shall live, and as long as you live, may you seek riches beyond measure, with violence if necessary!

We forget that we are His creation, and we’re created that we may know Him and love Him as we know that we’re known by Him and that He loves us. How much truth is contained in this hymn, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” To put it more bluntly, as R. C. Sproul said, we had committed a cosmic treason.

Yet, thanks be to God, our wandering hearts are not left alone.

Not long after our fall, the first gospel is preached.

It writes,

I will put enmity between you [the serpent) and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”

(Genesis 3:15)

And oh did He bruise Satan’s heel! The impending death did He beat (Matthew 28:5), and we can now say as Paul, “O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-46). The birth, death, and resurrection of Christ prove how men cannot save themselves, and the Lord, the same God who created everything and sees them as very good, in all His mercy, justice, and love, offer Himself for those who long for Home, for the One True Beauty, One That Truly Satisfies (Psalm 16:11).

Himself did He give!

The sin’s sting isn’t so enticing anymore. In His coming He brought a taste of Heaven, a joy inexplicable, having sought by Him that we may love the things He love, hate the things He hate, and enjoy Himself.

No, friends, we are not left alone as we meditate how Christ living in us affect all that we do. Our hearts may be deceitful, but we don’t have to follow them anymore. As He works within us, a work that He shall finish (Philipians 1:16, Romans 8:28-30), and as we bask in His glorious grace (Matthew 11:28-30, Ephesians 2), we are to realize who we are in Christ (Colossians 3), having the Word of Christ dwelling within us richly through the power of His Spirit (Colossians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 2:6-14, Romans 12:2).

The first lie on Eden proves to be untrue, and now we know that He is Our Father, He is good for He is Goodness Himself, He cares for us, and in His wisdom, all things, good and bad, works for our good (Romans 8:12-17, 28, Psalm 19).

As we venture on such an important journey of deciding what’s worthy to be seen and not, may this truth stirs our hearts. “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36).

Good Gifts

As His imprint is seen in all of us, that we may enjoy a good meal, being in awe of a mesmerizing music performance, as His creations, we are by His grace wired to enjoy beautiful things. As we, believers, are given the opportunity to enjoy His Word daily, we are also given the gift of enjoying Him in His creations. As the great passage found in Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (v. 1). This is a gift not only given to Christians to enjoy, but also for unbelievers (Matthew 5:45). As Christians seek joy, so does the others. Here I’m making a case that watching secular movies (that is, not created with religious purposes in mind), doesn’t necessarily dishonor God.

Tony Reinke in his great book on reading books, comments about reading secular works:

Therefore, in reading profane authors, the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator. If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth, we will be careful, as we would avoid offering insult to him, not to reject or condemn truth wherever it appears. In despising the gifts, we insult the Giver.

Similar to his approach on deciding which is permissible to be read, I think we can apply the same logic: as we see the works of filmmakers, regardless of their religious convictions, “the admirable light of truth displayed in them should remind us that the human mind, however much fallen and perverted from its original integrity, is still adorned and invested with admirable gifts from its Creator.” And that we should be careful not to insult the Giver.

Yet Tony gives an important note,

“If we reflect that the Spirit of God is the only fountain of truth, we will be careful, as we would void offering insult to him, not to reject or condemn truth whenever it appears.”

As secular as the works may be, it may contain truth that is consistent with the Creator, which makes sense for He creates all of us without exception.

Tony also writes,

“The bigger point is that by clutching tightly to a worldview that is informed by Scripture, we set the agenda. The author will not be allowed to lead us along blindly. We read more safely when our understanding of Scripture is sharp. As we mature here, the mist in the canyon will lift and we will better understand the gap that separates us from a majority of contemporary authors. Once we can clearly see the ravine, a large library of literature is unlocked for our benefit, and we can read from a safe distance.”

Here he is talking about discerning what is good, what pleases the Lord, and what benefits the heart and the mind. As we place our eyes facing the feature-length movie, we are not to be controlled by it, but we as Christians could see it from a safe distance, never allowing it to define or drive our ever-wandering hearts.

He comments again on discernment when reading books:

“Christians can read a broad array of books for our personal benefit, but only if we read with discernment. And we will only read with discernment if the biblical convictions are firmly settled in our minds and hearts. Once they are, we have a touchstone to determine what is pure gold and what is worthless.”

Matt Chandler once says that this is the simplest definition of the Christian life he knows, to find the things that brings us closer to Christ and cling tightly unto it, and to run from the things that steal us away from it.

By the same principle, we are looking unto Him as we define what to watch and not to. We do so cautiously, knowing that He is good and that He grants gifts for those who trusts in Him and even for those who don’t. We are all His creation, and in His wisdom and love, He gives us these things. While our hearts often wander, we are not to condemn everything secular as evil, but sees discerningly by His Word illuminated through His Spirit.

One more quote from his (brilliant!) book and I’m done:

Literature is life. If you want to know what, deep down, people feel and experience, you can do no better than read the stories and poems of the human race. Writers of literature have the gift of observing and then expressing in words the essential experiences of people.

The rewards of reading literature are significant. Literature helps to humanize us. It expands our range of experiences. It fosters awareness of ourselves and the world. It enlarges our compassion for people. It awakens our imaginations. It expresses our feelings and insights about God, nature, and life. It enlivens our sense of beauty. And it is a constructive form of entertainment.

Christians should neither undervalue nor overvalue literature. It is not the ultimate source of truth. But it clarifies the human situation to which the Christian faith speaks. It does not replace the need for the facts that science and economics and history give us. But it gives us an experiential knowledge of life that we need just as much as those facts.

Literature does not always lead us to the City of God. But it makes our sojourn on earth much more a thing of beauty and joy and insight and humanity.

The truth contained within the many arraying works are still truth, and therefore are God’s truth. We are to benefit from them with a discerning mind, looking and clinging unto Christ at all times.

In the end I’d like to close out with a quote from the great expositor John Calvin,

“For in the cross of Christ, as in a magnificent theatre, the inestimable goodness of God is displayed before the whole world,”

Wow.

Once again, may we wholeheartedly believe, “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36)

Amen!

Why, Lord?

There are certain moments in which we may feel that life doesn’t make sense. Expectations shattered, hopes dimmed. The light that once was didn’t end up getting closer as we advance forth, but rather showed its true colors.

Way to somber up the mood, right?

Yet some of us may relate to such feeling. Others may be constantly facing it. In such minds, often there’s no other question but a single word, “Why?”

Why does _______ happen to me? Why not ______ instead?

If only I can _________, then everything’d have been much better!

Do any of these judgment contain truth? Will having a certain thing, or having a certain thing happening instead of the other restore everything?

I think it is worth meditating to see if these questions are one of those things that Paul says to be honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Phil 4:8).

Does it draw us closer to the Lord, or away?

Does it bring to mind the perfect life of Christ, emptying Himself to live in a world full of brokenness that He may restore it?

Does it remind us of the suffering of Christ, that though His life is perfect, in obedience He walked towards the path of death, for the sins of those who believe in Him?

Does it remind us of His grace — unmerited, perfect, ever-flowing — upholding every atom that is in the universe, dealing in mercy instead of judgment?

As we think of suffering and what ifs, may we also think of Christ.

Look at Him, the Author and the Finisher of our faith. The Lord whom we could call Our Brother, Our Friend, whose Spirit dwells within us, enabling us to call, “Abba, Father!” The One who promises that His yoke is easy as we come unto Him, who promises such great joy as we bask in His glory, one that we taste in miniature each day as we marvel upon His Word and works all around us. Remember Him to whom nothing comes as a surprise, who doesn’t smile in our hurt, but work them for our good, as a Father disciplines His children. The One who is and ever shall be, the Beginning and the End, the I AM, who shall restore all things, a renewed world without tears and where we could enjoy the perfect communion with Him.

No matter what we’re going through, may we remember that our suffering is not without meaning. And may we face uncertainties by reminding ourselves of the only truth that upholds, the only constant there is and ever will be, from the age of Adam to the end of times, God Himself.

“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)

“The secret is Christ in me, not me in a different set of circumstances.” ― Elisabeth Elliot

Amen!

Talking About Christ

One night, a conversation was struck between a man and a woman. It was ignited by a curious point made by a teacher who mentioned an interesting fact about John Calvin, the Swiss theologian. Interestingly enough, prior to that they were just talking about what they were seeing on Netflix.

So that escalated quickly.

Then a conversation about Church History led to a discussion about theologian’s controversial doctrines. They were talking about the doctrine of election, and how people may see it as unjust.

The man had several arguments up his sleeve, yet in his patience, he waited and listened instead. He then smiled and nodded, “I know right, that’s such a mystery.”

The woman replied, “Yet, although I don’t embrace it in full, I know He loves me, by everything that He had done and the blessings He poured over me in abundance.”

Thank God he didn’t shoot her with his many ammunition of rhetoric, for then his heart wouldn’t be overwhelmed with praise, knowing that although they disagree, the redeeming work of Christ remains a beautiful treasure cherished by His people!

Personally, I experience such pleasure when talking about religion.

There are many occasions in which people’d start opening up and sincerely express their feelings not only about theological statements or the newest findings of scholars nor archeologists, but about how they make sense of life. Despite of all our stance in what we believe in, each of us has a certain worldview, a certain lens by which we look at the things around us.

The sun rises and sets each day, and it’s witnessed massively by the inhabitants of the world. Some overlook it as something ordinary, yet others would tremble with joy as the warmth touches the skin, as they see the beauty exerted as the light is refracted through drops of water, knowing that they are signs pointing to a Creator.

Our beliefs tell us of how we see suffering as it happens to everyone around us and ourselves. One may condemn suffering as a proof that there is no one who cares for us, yet for some, it encourages them to lay their all unto Him who works all things to good, even the bad ones (Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 3:13-17).

Our view on life says a lot about us for they are the fuel by which we say what we say, and do what we do.

So although it’s not without its negative consequences (this might be one of the fastest way to make debate nemeses!), I think religion (how people see God) is one of the best topics to talk about.

Perhaps one of the best parts of these kinds of conversation is that we’d get to talk about Christ. Unfortunately, there are occasions in which it could be a haunting name to even mention. Some people may laugh, see you with disgust, or start attacking you with the worst weapon there is — words. Yet some listen, and are curious about This Man from Nazareth who lived a perfect life, died on the cross, resurrected, and promises that He shall come again to judge everyone. I mean, if I were in their place, I’d be interested!

The story between the man and the woman continues. Now they’re starting to share their own experiences and their friends’ — how they have questions and doubts about God. The man’s smile’s starting to fade, and his posture changes as he’s starting to listen to the woman even more intently. Instead of answers, unfortunately, the man says nothing. He could only nod as the woman makes her points, expressing his sympathy and his sincere intent to be a respectful listener.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there.

The same woman then shared the other side of the coin, the experiences in which she couldn’t explain, yet strengthens her faith. The story doesn’t necessarily sound supernatural — there’s no instantaneous healing or anything — yet it’s a miracle that deserves a similar praise, it’s a miracle of forgiveness and her unrelenting passion to serve the Lord.

The once fading smile’s starting to make its return.

Then it’s the man’s turn to share his stories. Yet not his own experiences that was told, but his friend’s. It was a tale of a prodigal son and his unexpected return, showing how the Lord sovereignly orchestrates all seemingly ordinary circumstances as the instruments of His glory.

As the story ends, both shared how the exchange of stories had blessed them, and they ended the conversation saying, “The Lord works in amazing ways indeed. Just look at how we finally get here and got to have such a conversation!”

A quote that still remains with me about such conversation is one from D. T. Niles, “Evangelism is telling one beggar telling another beggar where to get bread.”

Oh such beautiful truth! We are beggars, indeed. As beggars saved by grace (Ephesians 2, Romans 8), it is only fitting that we tell other fellow beggars of the Bread of Life, Christ Himself. He shall fulfill our deepest needs — better than money or power — He shall give you life and you shall have it in abundance, in moments of joy or sorrows.

He shall be your greatest joy, for who could satisfy your longings but the One who creates you?

Friends, I invite all of you to give much thought into this — sharing the faith, and thinking about Christ and its implication to how we see the world. The gospel of Christ is the power of God to save (Romans 1:16), and we’ve been given the grace to proclaim it in even what seems to be ordinary circumstances.

May we pray all the more for courage, wisdom, humility, and gentleness as we join our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ proclaiming the greatest news there is that is Christ!

Grace Alone

It was November 2017 when I first heard a hymn written by Scott Wesley Brown, Grace Alone. It was sang by a huge choir group — there must have been at least 50 people on the stage — and done so excellently. I’m not ashamed to say I teared up a little (haha!), not merely because of the performance though, but rather also being captivated by the beauty of the lyrics. It’s not that long of a song and the lyrics aren’t necessarily hard to grasp, yet it’s full of God’s glorious truth. It’s missional and unashamedly God-centered.

This hymn has also been part of my mornings these past couple of days. Having joined the bands of people who had finished their studies and now en route to “building a life”, I found myself often forgetting why do I get up every morning, go to work, and wandering around the office for the next 8 hours, and then go home to just resume the same routine the next day.

It’s like that hymn, isn’t it, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love?” Sure, I didn’t renounce the Christian faith or anything, but the fact that I’m not doing this routine joyfully indicates there’s something wrong. And for more times that I could count, the answer’s this: my heart.

Every promise we can make

Every prayer and step of faith

Every difference we can make

Is only by His grace.

This hymn then encourages me every morning to take that step of faith — to rely not on my wisdom and strength — but rather on Him who grants wisdom and strength to those who ask (James 1:5, Daniel 2:20). And that God in His infinite love, doesn’t deal with me according to my sin, but rather holds my life for my ultimate good and His glory (Romans 8:28, Psalm 103:10, 12). That Christ has lived a life I could never live, one that is unblemished and is pleasing to the Father, and yet also took my place to completely receive the punishment I deserve. That each day is blood-bought and it’s not for us to own or control. And all these things should compel our hearts to worship Him, even in our daily labors.

Today, Sunday September 19th 2018, I encountered an unexpected surprise about 30 minutes out after the service started. The church’s choir started singing this hymn — the song without which I honestly think I could never last a week. Having written a series of blogpost about God’s grace 2 years ago, I can now testify that His grace is truly inexhaustible and oh how this knowledge brings warmth to this frail heart of mine!

Friends, join me in meditating the glorious truth of God’s grace each morning.

May doing so remind you to present yourself as a living sacrifice, seeing Christ as your all, and approach each day confidently with God-given humility, wisdom, strength, and love, all for His glory.

Amen!

Friends, You Don’t Have to Get It All Together

Sometimes it’s comforting to have people telling us, “It’s okay that you’re not feeling alright.”

As someone who constantly suffers from perfectionism, I often need to be told, “Hey, it’s okay. Now, just rest.” I feel that I’m supposed to be working 24/7, which is how my mind interprets Paul’s commendation to making the best of time (Ephesians 5:16). Yet, in the same chapter we also see Paul telling us to walk wisely and being fruitful by doing things that are pleasing to Him.

A question then arises, “Am I doing these things to do the will of God, or is it just my ego? Am I pleasing Him?”

To be honest, there are moments when I don’t want to have God telling me, “That steering wheel you’re holding is nothing but a shadow. It is really here, in my driver’s seat.” This feeling of control can be so deceiving that we forget we’re merely pretending to be sovereign; we’re playing god and we may even not know it.

The Bible on Not Being Okay

If the consolation offered by our peers is of much importance to us, then having the Bible – God’s Word – telling us that it’s okay to not have everything figured out should be of even much worth. In fact, throughout the Bible we see men who are “not okay.”

We see Moses and his insecurity of speech. We read narratives of Israelites turning away from God even though they just witnessed His mighty works moments prior. And there is also Solomon, a man who though was with manifold of wisdom committed adultery and killed a man. In the New Testament, we see Peter, the toughest of all 12 disciples, denying Christ just moments after he said that he’d die for Him. We also have Paul suffering from “a thorn in his flesh.”

These guys were far from okay. These people didn’t have it all together, yet we see how God’s faithfulness pays off – having their Spirit-inspired writings changing people’s hearts – even ours. Throughout the lives of these men, we see God’s will continuously prevailing despite their constant shortcoming.

In the Gethsemane, He faced an unimaginable sorrow to a point of death. His sweat even became like “great drops of blood” (Luke 21:44). An even more agonizing moment – even topping the moment where blood coming off His pores – came as God’s wrath was poured on Him in our place.

If Christ’s suffering was without purpose, then our faith would be futile. It would mean that we always need to be okay, or else. It would mean Moses’ insecurity among his other countless sin would still haunt him eternally. Israelites would keep running astray as they fall into an infinite abyss of regret. Solomon would forever be a murderer who didn’t even know that he made a grave offense toward God. Without Christ, our horrid fear of imperfection will forever define our identity.

Gratefully, Christ’s many sufferings mean that we have a high priest who sympathizes with us – who knows what it means to be “not okay” and escapes it snare – through whom we can “receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

Friends, this is why we don’t need to have it all together. Christ is God telling us to stop stressing over our lives and instead ponder over the fact that He died for us. Christ is the hope of those who are not feeling okay – which are all of us – because in Him we see that God remains sovereign despite evil, and His grand design is without flaw. He came forward to be handed into the filthy and barbaric hands of men by His own accord – God Himself wills it to be so. Christ kept walking on the path of obedience, knowing very well that in every step He took He was getting closer to facing the most “not-okay” moment ever.

Yet, in all these hurt, all these sorrows — in all of them, Jesus sees joy (Hebrews 12:2). In spite of all those things, Jesus promises joy. He says, “.. your sorrow will turn into joy.” Surprisingly enough, Jesus said all these things just moments before His disciples turned away from Him – one even denied Him publicly, and another betrayed Him – and He was about to be judged by the sinful beings who wouldn’t even come into existence if it weren’t for Him.

The gospel shouts, “It’s okay. Stop now, friend. Look at the cross, and pray for mercy. Then get up, and keep looking to Christ.”

It’s okay to not have everything altogether now; you’re not supposed to.

Tell

Friends, let’s tell other people that it’s okay that they don’t have everything figured out. Let’s keep reminding ourselves the same thing as well. Let’s tell them about Christ. Without Him, we would only be capable of offering the people we love a false sense of comfort for we’re just as vulnerable as them. But with Christ, we’re delivering God’s powerful message that saves.

Friends, let’s do this. Embrace this truth. Though this might be the toughest and most intimidating undertaking imagined, may we do it nevertheless. Let’s do it together. Do it by the power that is from Him.

Do all these things, to His glory.

My Rock and My Fortress

Psalm 18, being titled under ‘The LORD Is My Rock and My Fortress’, opens beautifully with a line from the psalmist,

I love you, O Lord, my strength.

Personally I’d often hear God as the source of strength, but reading that sentence right there, I think it’d be wise to also ask ourselves, ‘Is God the object of our strength?’, that is, when He is all we have, shall we be satisfied in Him?

Not simply asking for gifts and being grateful for them, but rather see Him as of supreme value, more than the gifts themselves. Can we do that — should we do that? To be grateful towards the Supplier of the Strength even more than the strength itself, is that even possible?

The psalmist continues,

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

God is his all, he wouldn’t be alive without Him — he wouldn’t really be living without Him. He is our rock, our fortress, our deliverer, our shield, the horn of our salvation, our stronghold.

Of having steadfast hope the psalmist also writes,

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers. (Psalm 1:3)

What makes him stand like a tree, with such strong leaves, flourishing? The chapter writes, the delight of the law of the LORD, to which he meditates day and night (v. 2). The way of the Lord excites him, to which he says,

‘This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.’ (v. 30).

The thing that brings him most pleasure is nothing short of perfection — the truth, one that shields those who finds rest in Him. He then continues,

‘For who is God, but the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?‘ (v. 31).

Answer: no one! May as we think we have much, we see Him as our only strength; and may when we have little, in Him, we have all we shall ever need.

The psalmist then closes with a testimony, that He lives,

‘The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation‘ (v. 46).

And again, blessing Him, for His gracious act of salvation,

‘For this I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations,
and sing to your name.
Great salvation he brings to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his offspring forever.‘ (v. 49-50)

In Jesus Christ we see such beauty unfiltered, blasting like a ray of sunlight — He is the ‘wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption‘ (1 Corinthians 1:30),  ‘the image of the invisible God‘ (Colossians 1:15), ‘the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature‘ (Hebrews 1:3).

It is amazing to see how His word — His perfect word — testifies of Christ consistently with such grand and radiant attributes. Who is like Him? No one! Who deserves all praise as He does? No one!

He is the Only One who says, ‘.. call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.’ (Psalm 50:15).

To Him be all glory, who gives us life and breath and everything, who shows us what love is, who delivers us from death and brings us to Him that we may have life everlasting — full of abundance beyond all measure — giving us the best gift He could ever give, Himself.

May we praise you forevermore, O LORD, our Rock and Fortress.

That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.

(A Mighty Fortress Is Our God)

Amen.