For your enjoyment, some really cool background music.
Finally, I've gotten around to posting after over month of what feels like inaction. Since dead week, I just haven't felt all that alive. I still feel drained physically and mentally, but I'm thankful that God has still sustained me. A couple thoughts before I go to bed. (No New Year's Eve celebration for me. Holidays are the same as any other day to me anyways. Heck, I didn't even have proper Christmas, what with driving down to Disneyland with family on Christmas Day and me and my parents nearly having an argument over whether I should go to church that Sunday and waste the Disneyland ticket. God is gracious and gave us peace.)
God hunts his children down when we get out of line. I think I was blessed to find a great Phillip Yancey book, The Bible Jesus Read on a library shelf last week. See, the past couple of months I had been on an endeavor to memorize the Gospel of John. Lately, though, it had been a real chore; I got to the point where I seemed to lose the heart to keep doing it. I learned the root of this problem through the book--I had been inadvertently, yet deliberately avoiding the Old Testament in my quiet times by devoting so much time to memorizing. And there I was thinking I was pleasing God with my feeble attempts at interacting with His Word. It's not that memorizing is a bad thing. I just think it's best to hold off on that until I get more acquainted with God through the OT, the part of God's Word that Yancey believes is more essential to our understanding of the New Testament than even the New Testament itself. It's time for me to return to my true love, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Israel, and delve into God's love of His people back in the day. As Yancey points out, the OT is the Bible Jesus read, the prayers He prayed, the songs He sang, and the topics He taught. I hope that going through the OT again will remind and teach me of who God is, and at the same time, teach me who Jesus is.
I couldn't care less about what a calendar tells me tomorrow. I know how a lot of people see New Year's Day as a new beginning, a chance to do something better, a chance to let things go. But really, that's the everyday for me, and I'm looking forward to "New Year's Day" every day, every waking moment. Just my 2 cents.
I am excited as heck to observe my first Lent this year. For those who don't know, Lent is a period of time before Easter that we give something up to God that we could do without in preparation for Easter. It's not something we have to do. Still, I think it would be a great incentive for pruning something that we should anyways. And no one says once Lent is over we stop our sacrifice, right? :) Anyone who wants to join me, Ash Wednesday is February 17, 2010!
I think I'm done for this year. I'm going to bed.
As the animated animals who don't belong to Disney say, "That's all, folk's!"
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
John 1:34
"I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (NIV)
As I type this sentence, the time on the lower-right corner of the computer screen reads 12:34AM. It's a fact, just as the sky is blue, ice is cold, and Jesus is the Son of God. I think that the fact is something most of us take for granted; that is, we know all too well that it's true, so well that we push it out of our minds sometimes. Nonetheless, it's a fact, a truth that we accept in the depths of our hearts. But the fact that Jesus is the Son of God is much more than what we can imagine. It's a fact that saved mankind, a fact that we live by, and a fact that should bring us to our knees day by day, moment by moment. Jesus' status as the Son of God puts Him in His rightful place as the ruler of heaven, of earth, and of our very lives. Just look at what these people did at the sight of Jesus. As Jesus put it so well, He is so worthy of praise that if people don't give it to him, the rocks will. This passage calls to mind lyrics from a popular worship song:
And even the rocks cry out
And even the Heavens shout
At the sound of His holy name
So let every voice sing out
And let every knee bow down
He is worthy of all our praise
You and I were made to worship
You and I are called to love
You and I are forgiven and free, yeah
You and I embrace surrender
You and I choose to believe
You and I will see who we were meant to be
Worship is the simple realization of and response to the majesty of Jesus, of God, of the One who saves. As I go to bed, I want my very last thought to be of Him. As I rise tomorrow, I want my very first thought to be of Him. And every moment in between, may my thoughts be of Him, that I can testify that "this is the Son of God." I yearn for this, I struggle for this, and someday, by His grace, I will attain it.
May you too realize and be blessed by this wonderful truth today, the simple truth that Jesus is the Son of God, and may you live to testify of this simple truth, and realize who you were meant to be.
As I type this sentence, the time on the lower-right corner of the computer screen reads 12:34AM. It's a fact, just as the sky is blue, ice is cold, and Jesus is the Son of God. I think that the fact is something most of us take for granted; that is, we know all too well that it's true, so well that we push it out of our minds sometimes. Nonetheless, it's a fact, a truth that we accept in the depths of our hearts. But the fact that Jesus is the Son of God is much more than what we can imagine. It's a fact that saved mankind, a fact that we live by, and a fact that should bring us to our knees day by day, moment by moment. Jesus' status as the Son of God puts Him in His rightful place as the ruler of heaven, of earth, and of our very lives. Just look at what these people did at the sight of Jesus. As Jesus put it so well, He is so worthy of praise that if people don't give it to him, the rocks will. This passage calls to mind lyrics from a popular worship song:
And even the rocks cry out
And even the Heavens shout
At the sound of His holy name
So let every voice sing out
And let every knee bow down
He is worthy of all our praise
You and I were made to worship
You and I are called to love
You and I are forgiven and free, yeah
You and I embrace surrender
You and I choose to believe
You and I will see who we were meant to be
Worship is the simple realization of and response to the majesty of Jesus, of God, of the One who saves. As I go to bed, I want my very last thought to be of Him. As I rise tomorrow, I want my very first thought to be of Him. And every moment in between, may my thoughts be of Him, that I can testify that "this is the Son of God." I yearn for this, I struggle for this, and someday, by His grace, I will attain it.
May you too realize and be blessed by this wonderful truth today, the simple truth that Jesus is the Son of God, and may you live to testify of this simple truth, and realize who you were meant to be.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
John 1:19-20
"Now this was [John the Baptist's] testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, 'I am not the Christ'" (NIV)'
Today, as my dad drove me back to Berkeley, he gave me one of his old lectures on the lucrativeness of being a physician. He reminded me of the average salary of a medical doctor, the money physicians save on health care costs, and the stability of jobs in the health field. He further told me that I've been given the best chance to succeed at one of the world's premier institutions with my entire family supporting me both financially and emotionally, that my only enemy is my sloth, and that at this point in my life, school comes first, or as he puts it so well, 学习为主.
Honestly, I've long been tired of this talk. Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything my dad said. I agree that becoming a physician would not be a blessing for me, but also to the many others that I would work with. I agree that I have been blessed with so many earthly resources at my disposal. I agree that my studies are very important and near the top of my list of priorities. Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with what my dad said. What really bothers me, however, is the attitude with which he said everything. He spoke as if everything—my future, my education, my family, is solely for my good.
Sometimes, I really wish he could understand how I see it. I wish that he would understand that, as John the Baptist put it so beautifully, "I am not the Christ." For that matter, he is not the Christ. No one is the Christ except for our very LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. It's such a simple concept, but it's got so many applications in our lives that we tend to overlook.
What does it mean that we are not the Christ? It means that our lives are not about looking out for only our well-being, our personal pleasure, or our financial assets. It means that we shouldn't try to create these idealized schematics of our distant futures and desperately trying to fit in action steps to fulfill these goals. It means that, simply put, we're not God. It means we can't do it all, because we're not God. And, frankly, I'm thankful for this simple truth, because it means we can lay aside our worries, our burdens, and our fears. Just look at these beautiful words of Jesus, my favorite passage from the Bible, and mull over it. I mean it. Stop now and mull.
Done yet? No, you're not. Really, just read the passage and sit on it.
Ok, I'll move on.
Jesus' words are truly beautiful. Indeed, the birds of the air and the lilies of the field show us just how much God provides for us. We know that when we just trust in God's overflowing grace, we find peace, joy, love, and mercy. The kind of stuff that makes the rest of the world seem so insignificant. I'm thankful for a God that provides so abundantly for us, and it's all possible when we confess freely, "I am not the Christ."
So tonight I choose to lay aside my worries, my pains, my doubt, to do the work God has set in front of me, no more, no less, and above all, to confess with all my heart, "I am not the Christ." After all, He's already done the hard work. And someday, maybe I'll be a physician, maybe I won't be. In the words of the Christ, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
May you see too that you are not the Christ, and may that realization set you free, free of anxiety, of meaningless burdens, of fear, or anguish, and rejoice in the fact that in Christ we are blessed beyond what we could even comprehend. May you realize that God has in store a future that is not just for your own good, but for your best, because in the end, He is God, and He is the Christ.
Today, as my dad drove me back to Berkeley, he gave me one of his old lectures on the lucrativeness of being a physician. He reminded me of the average salary of a medical doctor, the money physicians save on health care costs, and the stability of jobs in the health field. He further told me that I've been given the best chance to succeed at one of the world's premier institutions with my entire family supporting me both financially and emotionally, that my only enemy is my sloth, and that at this point in my life, school comes first, or as he puts it so well, 学习为主.
Honestly, I've long been tired of this talk. Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything my dad said. I agree that becoming a physician would not be a blessing for me, but also to the many others that I would work with. I agree that I have been blessed with so many earthly resources at my disposal. I agree that my studies are very important and near the top of my list of priorities. Ultimately, there's nothing wrong with what my dad said. What really bothers me, however, is the attitude with which he said everything. He spoke as if everything—my future, my education, my family, is solely for my good.
Sometimes, I really wish he could understand how I see it. I wish that he would understand that, as John the Baptist put it so beautifully, "I am not the Christ." For that matter, he is not the Christ. No one is the Christ except for our very LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. It's such a simple concept, but it's got so many applications in our lives that we tend to overlook.
What does it mean that we are not the Christ? It means that our lives are not about looking out for only our well-being, our personal pleasure, or our financial assets. It means that we shouldn't try to create these idealized schematics of our distant futures and desperately trying to fit in action steps to fulfill these goals. It means that, simply put, we're not God. It means we can't do it all, because we're not God. And, frankly, I'm thankful for this simple truth, because it means we can lay aside our worries, our burdens, and our fears. Just look at these beautiful words of Jesus, my favorite passage from the Bible, and mull over it. I mean it. Stop now and mull.
Done yet? No, you're not. Really, just read the passage and sit on it.
Ok, I'll move on.
Jesus' words are truly beautiful. Indeed, the birds of the air and the lilies of the field show us just how much God provides for us. We know that when we just trust in God's overflowing grace, we find peace, joy, love, and mercy. The kind of stuff that makes the rest of the world seem so insignificant. I'm thankful for a God that provides so abundantly for us, and it's all possible when we confess freely, "I am not the Christ."
So tonight I choose to lay aside my worries, my pains, my doubt, to do the work God has set in front of me, no more, no less, and above all, to confess with all my heart, "I am not the Christ." After all, He's already done the hard work. And someday, maybe I'll be a physician, maybe I won't be. In the words of the Christ, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
May you see too that you are not the Christ, and may that realization set you free, free of anxiety, of meaningless burdens, of fear, or anguish, and rejoice in the fact that in Christ we are blessed beyond what we could even comprehend. May you realize that God has in store a future that is not just for your own good, but for your best, because in the end, He is God, and He is the Christ.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Introduction
The past two weeks have been a real blessing to me. With the encouragement of a dear upperclassman, I have decided to start memorizing the Gospel of John. (If anyone considers that an accomplishment, don't. This guy already did it.)
Anyway, the amazing thing about memorizing large passages of the Bible (as opposed to a few individual verses) is that the words grow on you. They start to penetrate your heart, mind, soul, and strength and give you a spirit of peace. What exactly do I mean? Take a few mornings ago, for example. I was grabbing a sausage muffin from the Golden Bear Cafe on my way to my 9:00 AM math discussion when all of a sudden, I began to recite the first chapter of John. It wasn't necessarily one particular verse that hit me, but the overall feel of the passage, how God became flesh, how God used John the Baptist to prepare the world for Jesus, was more than enough to quiet my soul as I ate my muffin.
The point of all this, however, isn't just Bible memorization. (If you ever need to remember the point of this blog, just look at the top of this page. In subsequent posts, I will be posting about devotionals from the Gospel of John as a means of spreading to my beloved brothers, sisters, and friends the blessing God has given me. Now I return to studying for my chem midterm, but come back often :)
Anyway, the amazing thing about memorizing large passages of the Bible (as opposed to a few individual verses) is that the words grow on you. They start to penetrate your heart, mind, soul, and strength and give you a spirit of peace. What exactly do I mean? Take a few mornings ago, for example. I was grabbing a sausage muffin from the Golden Bear Cafe on my way to my 9:00 AM math discussion when all of a sudden, I began to recite the first chapter of John. It wasn't necessarily one particular verse that hit me, but the overall feel of the passage, how God became flesh, how God used John the Baptist to prepare the world for Jesus, was more than enough to quiet my soul as I ate my muffin.
The point of all this, however, isn't just Bible memorization. (If you ever need to remember the point of this blog, just look at the top of this page. In subsequent posts, I will be posting about devotionals from the Gospel of John as a means of spreading to my beloved brothers, sisters, and friends the blessing God has given me. Now I return to studying for my chem midterm, but come back often :)
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