Update and Video

Update and Video

            I am currently right now in the process of writing a blog series for this upcoming spring. I will be writing on God’s forgiveness, grace, and our foundation that will last forever… the Gospel. Until then, some of the upcoming blog posts may be short and others long. There will still be something posted every Friday. As our Father stirs and works in my heart for the upcoming posts and series I once again hope to encourage and point you to Christ!

            There will be more information soon on the upcoming blog series.

            Wycliffe is a great organization which has furthered the Gospel through translating the Bible. Here is a great video that I found that explains why we need to translate God’s word!  

Why Bible Translation from Wycliffe USA on Vimeo.

Our Everlasting Impulse

Our Everlasting Impulse

            Impulse: a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act. What makes your heart beat? What starts your engine? What makes you get up in the morning? Why are we on earth, what’s the point? Is Christ your all superior joy?

            As I look at some of the greatest missionaries that walked the earth through biographies, autobiographies, and other writings. I find something that is common in all of them: an everlasting joy for Christ. So many times we get lost in college, ministry, school, work, family, you name it. We forget the point. Our point of life is to worship and glorify God in everything.

            These missionaries urged, craved, thirsted, hungered, yearned, and longed for Jesus. They wanted Jesus to be known. That desire started with a love of God. As followers of Jesus we need to be in God’s word. We need to commune, delight, thirst, hunger, and crave Him. Being in the Bible transforms and changes us.

            Friends come and go, possessions get old, and earth will perish. We will fall, sin, and die, but Christ is everlasting! He was here when there was nothing. He is: inexpressible, magnificent, jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, all powerful conqueror. God is our everlasting impulse, never-ending savior.

            It’s God who drives missions, not man. Taste and see He is good!

     

                       

           

Psalm 139

Psalm 139

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

you discern my thoughts from afar.

3 You search out my path and my lying down

and are acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before a word is on my tongue,

behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.

5 You hem me in, behind and before,

and lay your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

it is high; I cannot attain it.

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?

Or where shall I flee from your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!

If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!

9 If I take the wings of the morning

and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 even there your hand shall lead me,

and your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,

and the light about me be night,”

12 even the darkness is not dark to you;

the night is bright as the day,

for darkness is as light with you.

13 For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them.

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand.

I awake, and I am still with you.

19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!

O men of blood, depart from me!

20 They speak against you with malicious intent;

your enemies take your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?

22 I hate them with complete hatred;

I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!

Try me and know my thoughts!

24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,

and lead me in the way everlasting!

 

 

 

 

 

Press on in Learning a New Language: All for the Glory of God

Press on in Learning a New Language: All for the Glory of God

          Are you learning a new language? For school, missions, for knowing the Bible better? Or maybe just for fun? Whatever the reason, press on, it will be worthwhile. I’m writing on this topic from my conviction, experience, and also to encourage you not to quite in your learning.

            In the first place, why are there so many languages? Originally there was just one people group with all the same language. The history of this question actually goes all the way back to Genesis. Catch this:

“Now the whole earth had one language and the same words.

2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there.

3 And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar.

4 Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.’

5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built.

6 And the Lord said, ‘Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them.

7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.’

8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city.

9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:1-9

Now realize in verse four, they said “ourselves” twice. They had there mindset on themselves rather than Christ our superior satisfaction. God justly punished, through confusing their languages.

Now to switch the topic, I’m in the process right now of trying to learn Chinese. It’s about my third year in learning a second language. In the past while, God has made a change in my attitude and desire to learn Chinese. At first I was doing it for school and wanted to be done as quickly as possible, speak it fluent right away and go to China and speak it. It was a great plan. But then I started to realize that for any language, it takes time, endurance, messing up, and repeating regularly. At times I enjoyed it, and other times it was frustrating and hard. I still definitely have more time to spend on it. But whether or not I ever use Chinese in my life, it’s still a huge help. Through learning hard things and new things will stretch your attitude and mindset into whoever Christ wills you to be.

Five reasons to press forward in learning a second language:

1.      You get to personally see your mind work and engage (God working within you)

2.      It may help the gospel be further known (Missions)

3.      It can also grow your learning and studying skills

4.      Grow your patience and endurance

 

5.      Further the understanding of God’s word (Learning Hebrew and Greek)

In this week’s conclusion I found a great video that might be helpful and encouraging to you. Hope you enjoy glory to God!    

Encouragement to Those Learning a Second Language from Desiring God on Vimeo.

When Your Life Derails: Suffering

Hey guys so I wrote this for school and thought it would be relevant for missions . We will all suffer as believers in Jesus. As followers of Christ we can use Job's suffering as an example to still hope in God. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. I hope you will be encouraged by it, Glory to God!

When Your Life Derails: Suffering

            Have you suffered, emotionally, even physically? Was it hard? What was it like? Definition of suffer: experience or be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant). I am sure we all suffer at times. We go through ups and downs. Hurts and pains. You lose a friend. You get in a car crash. You get cancer. The list goes on. Thoughts rumble through your head: why, why do bad things happen, how could God do this to me, does He not love me? I am about to tell you a story of a guy that made history because he suffered. This is a true story and comes from God’s word. I’m sure you have heard of him, his name was Job.

            Job’s life started out great. He had a very large family, an incredible house, regular feasts, lots of wealth, gave sacrifices to God and feared Him the most. Everything was going great. Until one day:  

“Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. The Lord said to Satan, ‘From where have you come?’ Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?’ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for no reason? Have You not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse You to Your face.’ And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.’ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.”  Job 1:6-12

            In these verses God allowed Satan to test Job and his trust in God. Realize that God did not sin at allowing Satan to mess with Jobs life (James 1:13-14). Later on in chapter one and two Satan takes Jobs property and children. Let alone in the agony of losing his family he also contracts a disease: boils. Charles Swindoll illustrates some of the intensity that Job went through in his health:

·         Inflamed, ulcerous sores (Job 2:7)

·         Persistent itching (Job 2:8)

·         Degenerative changes in facial skin, disfiguration (Job 2:12)

·         Loss of appetite (Job 3:24)

·         Fears and depression (Job 3:25)

·         Purulent sores that burst open, scab over, crack, and ooze with pus (Job 7:5)

·         Worms that form in the sores themselves (Job 7:5)

·         Difficulty in breathing (Job 9:18)

·         A darkening of the eyelid (Job 16:16)

·         Foul breath (Job 19:17)

·         Loss of weight (Job 19:20; 33:21)

·         Excruciating, continual pain (Job 30:27)

·         High fever with chills and discoloring of skin as well as anxiety and diarrhea (Job 30:30)   

His life was spun upside down. Amongst his suffering and pain he still hoped in God “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15). As I question Job’s suffering I do see that he questioned “where then is my hope” in his response to his friends (Job 17:15-16). The verses here seem a little bit contradictable, that’s alright. I’m sure Job had his up and downs in trusting God. I just wanted to point out here, that not all scripture is clear.

Let’s recap here. So Job has lost his children, his wife has turned away from God, he’s contracted a disease, and with all that happening his friends are being highly unsupportive. This is not a life you want!

Let’s get back to the big question: what did I do against God, why do bad things happen to me, isn’t God being unfair?  Let’s brake down some of these questions! But before I continue, let’s make this clear. It’s not wrong or a sin that some of these questions are going through your head. It’s what you do with those questions. All of these feelings and questions that rumble through your mind will make you or brake you. As John Piper says, “Are you listening to yourself or preaching to yourself?”  Now that we got that out of the way lets break it down.

Why, why do bad things happen in my life? We are always so quick to slam God when things don’t go as planned. On therebelution.com I read an article that talks about this question: Why do Bad Things Happen?  The author that wrote it said, we always think of God as human. And when God does something that hurts us we are quick to get mad. Because when a human hurts us they usually mean it out of hate or revenge. But God means it out of love (1 John 4:8). It’s hard to understand this and we will never understand this concept perfectly. But we know God can be glorified when we rejoice in our pain and suffering.

Another point made is that God understands the future and truly knows what’s best for us. God is perfect, just, and sovereign in all things!     

“The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is He.” Deuteronomy 32:4

Don’t forget, He has such a deep love for you. When you’re in misery and it’s hard. Remind yourself the most beautiful thing that can ever happen in the universe: God’s love for you!

Later, in the book of Job, God reveals his power and sovereignty through a conversation with Job, what I think is one of the most mind numbing conversation’s ever. It’s found in chapters 38-42. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding” (Job 38:4). God goes on and on, about how He is ultimate not man. It’s about God! He is our Creator; He is to be worshiped and glorified! Suffering won’t last forever (1 Peter 5:10).

When the pains tough, when you’re hurt is roaring, press on! For Christ is superior. We won’t find any other true satisfaction besides Christ. It won’t make sense, it’s going to be hard, but realize He is ultimate! In the Gospel Transformation Bible, I find the notes in Job (chapter 36: 1-17) state it well, “in the kingdom of God, what seems a bad circumstance is ultimately good. The supreme instance of this is the death of Christ on Good Friday, through which an apparent catastrophe became the means by which the sin of the world was taken away (John 1:29)”.   

 

What Will You do for a Bible?

Persecution: All for the Sake of the Call

Persecution: All for the Sake of the Call

            Brothers and sisters in Christ are being persecuted all over the world for Christ. Just the other day on December 2^nd there was a man named Rasoul Abdollahi sentenced for 3 years in
Evin Prison (which is one of the world’s darkest and severe prisons) for “collusion against the government and evangelism.” Two days later in Iran there were two men Jamshid Jabbarri and Kiavosh Soutoudeh arrested and taken to an unknown location. As I look on Persecution.com, I see stories and stories of Christians being persecuted. It’s all over the world China, Iran, Nepal, India, Nigeria, Egypt, Russia, etc. Persecution is: hostility and ill-treatment, esp. because of race or political or religious beliefs.  

            All the 11 disciples went through persecution. Ten were all murdered for their faith while John was almost boiled to death. Paul went through depression, prison, ship wrecks, and short story later he was beheaded in Rome. They all did it for “a call”. I have talked about this “call” before. What is it? Mark 16:15 says:

“And he said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.’”

            This is our call, this is what will make us or brake us. Whether we believe and do this “call” will determine your whole life as followers of Jesus Christ. It has for Rasoul Abdollahi, Jamshid Jabbarri, Kiavosh Soutoudeh, Saeed Abedini, and every other Christian that has followed this calling.

            Persecution is emotionally and physically hard. There is suffering and pain. I don’t want to make you scared or afraid. I did not write this to make you disappointed. 

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12

            Persecution will come in some sort of way. Oh but how we can rejoice! Amongst the toughness, pain, loneliness, and suffering there is still an overwhelming joy found in Christ- our superior joy! It is worth the cost. This is only our temporally home. Look at all the Christians that impacted the world through there persecution… Jim Elliot, Paul, Nate Saint, Saeed Abedini,   Youcef Nadarkhani, the list goes on. God uses our persecution. God wins! It’s your choice to rejoice in it.

            What can we be doing for our brothers and sisters being persecuted? As I have talked about in the past weeks, I will say again, be praying. It does not only change others, it changes you. And I love you guys! I want you guys to experience His grace and love! See what God does. I encourage you to check out persecution.com. There you can see the latest things happening in persecution and all sorts of stories, things to be praying for, and can also can donate financially.

Don’t forget our brothers and sisters who are suffering and dying for the “call”.  Most of all don’t ever forget to rejoice in God always! It is your choice to walk the “greatest walk”. Will you take the risk? Will you follow the calling? Will you walk the footsteps? Will you give it your everything, even if it brings trials? Suffering?

“More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5

 

Effective Prayer for the Nations

Effective Prayer for the Nations

            Prayer is personal communication with God. Prayer forms and molds our hearts into a wonderful and beautiful thing through trust and faith. It changes our motive and intent in every area of our lives. We can express our love for God. Here are some reasons why God wants us to pray from Wayne Grudem’s book Systematic Theology:

1.     God wants us to pray because prayer expresses our trust in God and is a means whereby our trust in Him can increase.

2.     Prayer brings us into deeper fellowship with God, and He loves us and delights in our fellowship with Him.

3.     In prayer God allows us as creatures to be involved in activities that are eternally important.

When we pray, the work of the kingdom is advanced. In this way, prayer gives us opportunity to be involved in a significant way in the work of the kingdom and thus gives expression to our greatness as creatures made in God’s image. 

God hears, considers, and listens to our prayer, He even delights in it! We all can become very effective in our prayer, but how do we be effective? Here are some ways we can do that, also from Systematic Theology:

§  Praying according to God’s will

§  Praying with faith

§  Obedience

§  Confession of sins

§  Forgiving others

§  Humility

§  Continuing in prayer over time

§  Praying earnestly

§  Waiting on the Lord

§  Praying in private

§  Praying with others

§  Fasting

§  Praise and thanksgiving

Prayer take’s patience. What I have learned and gathered from God’s word is that it is so important to be gracious and patient with yourself as God stretches you and molds you. A beauty of prayer is that you get to talk and communicate with God at any time! Enjoy it and don’t become overwhelmed with trying not to mess up.

“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”-James 5:16

I encourage you this New Year, 2014 to be praying with others. Invite people to your house and pray continually. Imagine what God can do if everyone is praying? In our prayer we can worship God. Where ever you are at He will hear you! Tune your heart to the Spirit, He is listening. Don’t forget the greatest gift- Jesus Christ! It’s a new year, rejoice, He is working!        

“One of the first, and most important of those duties which are incumbent upon us, is fervent and united prayer”-William Carey, 1792