What makes you happy in this life?
My grandfather said something noble; "my goal in life is to outlive her," pointing to my grandma. I sensed the sincerity in his voice. I deeply respect him. My grandmother and him have shared a lot of happiness. They have been sources of joy for each other for over 50 years now. I can see the joy in my grandfather's eyes when he cooks for her. They are beautiful people.
I have been thinking a lot about happiness and joy lately. Differences, similarities, sources. I find happiness in a lot of things. Cooking, friends, family, thunder storms, walking on a warm day that works up a mild sweat, learning languages, learning in general, scoring well on my exams, hearing from old friends, a smooth cup of coffee, and while I was thinking I realized that all of these things are temporary. One day, my friends will betray me or die. My family will die. My grandmother will die. Where will my grandpa find his happiness? One day I might not be able to walk. I'll no longer take exams once I graduate. What if I can't taste anymore? All of these things are fleeting like leaves in the wind. They are carried to and fro with no aim. One enjoys them and then they are gone. There may be happiness, but it is difficult to find comfort or joy in these things.
My conclusion: to be complete, we must find our joy in something that will never fade. Something solid. Something eternal. Temporary things will always fail us. Therefore, I need to find true happiness in God. I thought a lot about this. I wanted to make sure I wasn't tricking myself. One can't find comfort in false comfort, at least not forever. God has to be real if I am going to derive joy from Him. So I spend every day trying to follow Him. I look for Him in the wind and the rain. I'm constantly watching Him. Seeing if He will mess up. Was that earthquake in Japan God's mistake? Or was it with purpose?
I attempt to read my Bible daily. The more I read about God, the more I realize He is unchangeable. He always keeps His promises. He is consistent when I am like a pebble floating down a river. I trust Him more every day. I find what the Bible writes about Him to be true. I see His hand moving in my friends and in my college town and see how He did the same in stories from the Old Testament written thousands of years ago. I thank Him for all that I have, my friends, my house, a daily portion of food, and most importantly for Jesus Christ. And all of my thanksgivings are given to someone eternal, someone who never changes. This brings me joy. This brings me daily happiness. I can truly be thankful and enjoy my friends who will someday die because my thanksgiving and memories are preserved forever with God.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Loving Christ Practically
J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) wrote the following in Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, “Do You Love Me?”, [Moscow, ID: Charles Nolan Publishing, 2001], pp. 294-297.
Loving Christ…Practically
1. If we love a person, we like to think about him.
We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation. He comes up before our mind’s eye many a time in the day. Though perhaps far distant, he is often present in our thoughts. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! Christ “dwells in his heart,” and is thought of more or less every day (Eph. 3:17). The true Christian does not need to be reminded that he has a crucified Master. He often thinks of Him. He never forgets that He has a day, a cause and a people, and that of His people he is one. Affection is the real secret of a good memory in religion. No worldly man can think much about Christ, unless Christ is pressed upon his notice, because he has no affection for Him. The true Christian has thoughts about Christ every day that he lives, for this one simple reason that he loves Him.
2. If we love a person, we like to hear about him.
We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him. We are all attention when others talk about him, and describe his ways, his sayings, his doings and his plans. Some may hear him mentioned with utter indifference, but our own hearts bound within us at the very sound of his name. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ. The true Christian delights to hear something about his Master. He likes those sermons best which are full of Christ. He enjoys that society most in which people talk of the things which are Christ’s. I have read of an old Welsh believer, who used to walk several miles every Sunday to hear an English clergyman preach, though she did not understand a word of English. She was asked why she did so. She replied, that this clergyman named the name of Christ so often in his sermons, that it did her good. She loved even the name of her Savior.
3. If we love a person, we like to read about him.
What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother. Others may see little worth notice in the letter. They can scarcely take the trouble to read it through. But those who love the writer see something in the letter which no one else can. They carry it about with them as a treasure. They read it over and over again. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian delights to read the Scriptures, because they tell him about his beloved Savior. It is no wearisome task with him to read them. He rarely needs reminding to take his Bible with him when he goes a journey. He cannot be happy without it. And why is all this? It is because the Scriptures testify of Him whom his soul loves, even Christ.
4. If we love a person, we like to please him.
We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves. We even deny ourselves to meet his wishes, abstain from things which we know he dislikes and learn things to which we are not naturally inclined, because we think it will give him pleasure. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian studies to please Him, by being holy both in body and spirit. Show him anything in his daily practice that Christ hates, and he will give it up. Show him anything that Christ delights in, and he will follow after it. He does not murmur at Christ’s requirements as being too strict and severe, as the children of the world do. To him Christ’s commandments are not grievous, and Christ’s burden is light. And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
5. If we love a person, we like his friends.
We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person. When we meet them we do not feel that we are altogether strangers. There is a bond of union between us. They love the person that we love, and that alone is an introduction. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian regards all Christ’s friends as his friends, members of the same body, children of the same family, soldiers in the same army, travelers to the same home. When he meets them, he feels as if he had long known them. He is more at home with them in a few minutes, than he is with many worldly people after an acquaintance of several years. And what is the secret of all this? It is simply affection to the same Savior and love to the same Lord.
6. If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor.
We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him. We feel bound to maintain his interests and his reputation. We regard the person who treats him ill with almost as much disfavor as if he had ill–treated us. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian regards with a godly jealousy all efforts to disparage his Master’s word, or name, or church, or day. He will confess Him before princes, if need be, and be sensitive of the least dishonor put upon Him. He will not hold his peace, and suffer his Master’s cause to be put to shame, without testifying against it. And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
7. If we love a person, we like to talk to him.
We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation. However silent and reserved we may be to others, we find it easy to talk to a much–loved friend. However often we may meet, we are never at a loss for matter to talk about. We have always much to say, much to ask about, much to describe, much to communicate. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian finds no difficulty in speaking to his Savior. Every day he has something to tell Him, and he is not happy unless he tells it. He speaks to Him in prayer every morning and night. He tells Him his wants and desires, his feelings and his fears. He asks counsel of Him in difficulty. He asks comfort of Him in trouble. He cannot help it. He must converse with his Savior continually, or he would faint by the way. And why is this? Simply because he loves Him.
8. If we love a person, we like to be always with him.
Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more. We long to be always in their company. We wish to be continually in their society, and to hold communion with them without interruption or farewell. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The heart of a true Christian longs for that blessed day when he will see his Master face to face, and go out no more. He longs to have done with sinning and repenting and believing and to begin that endless life when he shall see as he has been seen, and sin no more. He has found it sweet to live by faith, and he feels it will be sweeter still to live by sight. He has found it pleasant to hear of Christ and talk of Christ and read of Christ. How much more pleasant will it be to see Christ with his own eyes, and never to leave him anymore! “Better,” he feels, “is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire” (Eccl. 6:9). And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
Loving Christ…Practically
1. If we love a person, we like to think about him.
We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation. He comes up before our mind’s eye many a time in the day. Though perhaps far distant, he is often present in our thoughts. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! Christ “dwells in his heart,” and is thought of more or less every day (Eph. 3:17). The true Christian does not need to be reminded that he has a crucified Master. He often thinks of Him. He never forgets that He has a day, a cause and a people, and that of His people he is one. Affection is the real secret of a good memory in religion. No worldly man can think much about Christ, unless Christ is pressed upon his notice, because he has no affection for Him. The true Christian has thoughts about Christ every day that he lives, for this one simple reason that he loves Him.
2. If we love a person, we like to hear about him.
We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him. We are all attention when others talk about him, and describe his ways, his sayings, his doings and his plans. Some may hear him mentioned with utter indifference, but our own hearts bound within us at the very sound of his name. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ. The true Christian delights to hear something about his Master. He likes those sermons best which are full of Christ. He enjoys that society most in which people talk of the things which are Christ’s. I have read of an old Welsh believer, who used to walk several miles every Sunday to hear an English clergyman preach, though she did not understand a word of English. She was asked why she did so. She replied, that this clergyman named the name of Christ so often in his sermons, that it did her good. She loved even the name of her Savior.
3. If we love a person, we like to read about him.
What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother. Others may see little worth notice in the letter. They can scarcely take the trouble to read it through. But those who love the writer see something in the letter which no one else can. They carry it about with them as a treasure. They read it over and over again. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian delights to read the Scriptures, because they tell him about his beloved Savior. It is no wearisome task with him to read them. He rarely needs reminding to take his Bible with him when he goes a journey. He cannot be happy without it. And why is all this? It is because the Scriptures testify of Him whom his soul loves, even Christ.
4. If we love a person, we like to please him.
We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves. We even deny ourselves to meet his wishes, abstain from things which we know he dislikes and learn things to which we are not naturally inclined, because we think it will give him pleasure. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian studies to please Him, by being holy both in body and spirit. Show him anything in his daily practice that Christ hates, and he will give it up. Show him anything that Christ delights in, and he will follow after it. He does not murmur at Christ’s requirements as being too strict and severe, as the children of the world do. To him Christ’s commandments are not grievous, and Christ’s burden is light. And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
5. If we love a person, we like his friends.
We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person. When we meet them we do not feel that we are altogether strangers. There is a bond of union between us. They love the person that we love, and that alone is an introduction. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian regards all Christ’s friends as his friends, members of the same body, children of the same family, soldiers in the same army, travelers to the same home. When he meets them, he feels as if he had long known them. He is more at home with them in a few minutes, than he is with many worldly people after an acquaintance of several years. And what is the secret of all this? It is simply affection to the same Savior and love to the same Lord.
6. If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor.
We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him. We feel bound to maintain his interests and his reputation. We regard the person who treats him ill with almost as much disfavor as if he had ill–treated us. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian regards with a godly jealousy all efforts to disparage his Master’s word, or name, or church, or day. He will confess Him before princes, if need be, and be sensitive of the least dishonor put upon Him. He will not hold his peace, and suffer his Master’s cause to be put to shame, without testifying against it. And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
7. If we love a person, we like to talk to him.
We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation. However silent and reserved we may be to others, we find it easy to talk to a much–loved friend. However often we may meet, we are never at a loss for matter to talk about. We have always much to say, much to ask about, much to describe, much to communicate. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The true Christian finds no difficulty in speaking to his Savior. Every day he has something to tell Him, and he is not happy unless he tells it. He speaks to Him in prayer every morning and night. He tells Him his wants and desires, his feelings and his fears. He asks counsel of Him in difficulty. He asks comfort of Him in trouble. He cannot help it. He must converse with his Savior continually, or he would faint by the way. And why is this? Simply because he loves Him.
8. If we love a person, we like to be always with him.
Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more. We long to be always in their company. We wish to be continually in their society, and to hold communion with them without interruption or farewell. Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ! The heart of a true Christian longs for that blessed day when he will see his Master face to face, and go out no more. He longs to have done with sinning and repenting and believing and to begin that endless life when he shall see as he has been seen, and sin no more. He has found it sweet to live by faith, and he feels it will be sweeter still to live by sight. He has found it pleasant to hear of Christ and talk of Christ and read of Christ. How much more pleasant will it be to see Christ with his own eyes, and never to leave him anymore! “Better,” he feels, “is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the desire” (Eccl. 6:9). And why is all this? Simply because he loves Him.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
El Espejo
En el siglo X, una Guerra civil eructó entre los que seguían a Quetzalcóatl y los que seguían a Tezcatlipoca. Naturalmente, los que seguían a Tezcatlipoca ganaron porque eran guerreros. Los que seguían Quetzalcóatl salen de la ciudad de Tula. Ellos eran pintores, bailadores, y artistas. En la manera de una artista, crearon un mito para explicar su derrota y más probable su vergüenza.
CeÁcatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, el líder de los que seguían a Quetzalcóatl y creado a ser la manifestación de Quetzalcóatl, es dado un espejo de Tezcatlipoca. Cuándo Topiltzin ve su reflexión él se da cuenta él es humano. Este mito me interesa muchísimo.
Hace un año, conocí una mujer en La India y ella creyó ella era una diosa. Caminó con orgullo y todas las personas en el pueblo la trataron con respeto. El pueblo esa pobre. Sin embargo, ella le adornó con mucha joyería. Antes de mi grupo y yo salimos del pueblo, rezamos con algunas personas que deseaban rezar. De repente, le mujer empezó a chillar de rabia. A veces me pregunto qué pasaría si esta mujer se diera cuenta que ella era humana.
Es extraño y devastador para darse cuenta de que significa ser humano. Para Topiltzin, significó la derrota de un grupo todo de personas. Somos vulnerables a naturaleza, otras personas, y aun nosotros mismos. A pesar de que podemos influir un resultado, nosotros, de hecho, no tenemos control. Somos débiles. Somos polvo.
Recuerdo claramente el 11 de Septiembre de 2001 en mi país. Sentado en clase con mis compañeros, había silencio. Mi maestro encendió la televisión. Vimos con horror a Los Twin Towers se derrumbaron. ¿Cómo pudo ocurrir algo así? Somos un gran nación pensé. Algunas de mis compañeros estaban llorando. Conocieran familia ó amigos quien vivía en Nueva York. Por eso, tuvieron miedo aplastante. Parecía un espejo colgó en el cielo por encima mi país. Justo mirar al cielo vasto y desconocido nos recordamos de nuestra humanidad ese día.
Al mismo tiempo, me recuerdo que somos milagros. Cotidiana, estamos atribulados en toda, pero no abatidos; perplejos, pero no desesperados; presionadas por todos lados, pero no aplastantes. No obstante nuestra necedad y orgullo, tengo que creer que hay alguien que sostiene todo mundo. Hay alguien que se preocupa que está afuera del caos. Hay alguien que le dio a Topiltzin le voluntad para continuar a vivir y experimentar alegría otro día.
CeÁcatl Topiltzin Quetzalcóatl, el líder de los que seguían a Quetzalcóatl y creado a ser la manifestación de Quetzalcóatl, es dado un espejo de Tezcatlipoca. Cuándo Topiltzin ve su reflexión él se da cuenta él es humano. Este mito me interesa muchísimo.
Hace un año, conocí una mujer en La India y ella creyó ella era una diosa. Caminó con orgullo y todas las personas en el pueblo la trataron con respeto. El pueblo esa pobre. Sin embargo, ella le adornó con mucha joyería. Antes de mi grupo y yo salimos del pueblo, rezamos con algunas personas que deseaban rezar. De repente, le mujer empezó a chillar de rabia. A veces me pregunto qué pasaría si esta mujer se diera cuenta que ella era humana.
Es extraño y devastador para darse cuenta de que significa ser humano. Para Topiltzin, significó la derrota de un grupo todo de personas. Somos vulnerables a naturaleza, otras personas, y aun nosotros mismos. A pesar de que podemos influir un resultado, nosotros, de hecho, no tenemos control. Somos débiles. Somos polvo.
Recuerdo claramente el 11 de Septiembre de 2001 en mi país. Sentado en clase con mis compañeros, había silencio. Mi maestro encendió la televisión. Vimos con horror a Los Twin Towers se derrumbaron. ¿Cómo pudo ocurrir algo así? Somos un gran nación pensé. Algunas de mis compañeros estaban llorando. Conocieran familia ó amigos quien vivía en Nueva York. Por eso, tuvieron miedo aplastante. Parecía un espejo colgó en el cielo por encima mi país. Justo mirar al cielo vasto y desconocido nos recordamos de nuestra humanidad ese día.
Al mismo tiempo, me recuerdo que somos milagros. Cotidiana, estamos atribulados en toda, pero no abatidos; perplejos, pero no desesperados; presionadas por todos lados, pero no aplastantes. No obstante nuestra necedad y orgullo, tengo que creer que hay alguien que sostiene todo mundo. Hay alguien que se preocupa que está afuera del caos. Hay alguien que le dio a Topiltzin le voluntad para continuar a vivir y experimentar alegría otro día.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Rain
Genesis 7:4
For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.
When the wickedness of mankind became exceedingly great and God was grieved by the corruption of His creation, He sent rain upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights to purify the world of evil and violence.
Deuteronomy 32:2
May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and like showers upon the herb.
Rain is powerful and far-reaching. Here, it is seen delivering growth and God’s Word. Note how rain smashes grass, but grass slowly restraightens itself toward the sun (Son?) stronger than before. Fed. Happy.
1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
King Ahab of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. He walked in his sin, took for himself many exotic wives from pagan nations, and worshiped idols such as Baal and the Asherah. God, through the prophet Elijah, expressed his disdain of idolatry by preventing rain from falling on the nation of Israel. God controls nature. When it rains, God shows that He still loves us. He has not forsaken us as we have Him. He loves His children. He is calling a people to Himself and has not turned His face away despite our stubbornness, pride, and rebellion.
Isaiah 45:8
Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout,
I the Lord have created it.
Again, God shows His continued favor for us by calling rain upon the earth. God’s desire for His creation to receive both salvation and righteousness can be found in every rain drop. His healing hand purifies us and causes us to grow.
Matthew 5:44-45
But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Rain can remind us of our Lord’s great, unbiased love for His creation. He does not see by simple worldly terms of good and evil, or just an unjust; but rather, He sees us with Holy eyes, with eyes filled with wisdom this world cannot comprehend. He sees the saint in the sinner.
James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for 3 years and 6 months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
God is sovereign. When we have eyes to see Him, we can easily see His daily work in and around our lives!
For in seven days I will send rain on the earth for 40 days and 40 nights, and every living thing that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground.
When the wickedness of mankind became exceedingly great and God was grieved by the corruption of His creation, He sent rain upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights to purify the world of evil and violence.
Deuteronomy 32:2
May my teaching drop as the rain,
my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
and like showers upon the herb.
Rain is powerful and far-reaching. Here, it is seen delivering growth and God’s Word. Note how rain smashes grass, but grass slowly restraightens itself toward the sun (Son?) stronger than before. Fed. Happy.
1 Kings 17:1
Now Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
King Ahab of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord. He walked in his sin, took for himself many exotic wives from pagan nations, and worshiped idols such as Baal and the Asherah. God, through the prophet Elijah, expressed his disdain of idolatry by preventing rain from falling on the nation of Israel. God controls nature. When it rains, God shows that He still loves us. He has not forsaken us as we have Him. He loves His children. He is calling a people to Himself and has not turned His face away despite our stubbornness, pride, and rebellion.
Isaiah 45:8
Shower, O heavens, from above,
and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout,
I the Lord have created it.
Again, God shows His continued favor for us by calling rain upon the earth. God’s desire for His creation to receive both salvation and righteousness can be found in every rain drop. His healing hand purifies us and causes us to grow.
Matthew 5:44-45
But I say to you, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
Rain can remind us of our Lord’s great, unbiased love for His creation. He does not see by simple worldly terms of good and evil, or just an unjust; but rather, He sees us with Holy eyes, with eyes filled with wisdom this world cannot comprehend. He sees the saint in the sinner.
James 5:17-18
Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for 3 years and 6 months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.
God is sovereign. When we have eyes to see Him, we can easily see His daily work in and around our lives!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Edgar Pizarro
In September 2010, I met Edgar Pizarro, a 25-year old Chilean exchange student. WVU was not a college of his choice when he applied to study abroad a year prior. But God’s plans are perfect. Edgar arrived in the fall and was instantly captivated by WVU college life. The loose culture indulged his senses and amplified his temptations. A slave to sin, God gave Edgar up to the lust of his heart, to impurity, and to the dishonoring of his body. Every day professors, text books, college clubs, other students and even trusted friends bombard college students with promises of joy and hope grounded in philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the eternal spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. After exploring many so-called promises, Edgar questioned, “Why am I so miserable?”
Week after week, a few friends and I would visit the WVU international dormitory to attend cultural presentations, befriend the 30+ diverse students, and visit before BCM on Tuesday nights. “You all were different,” Edgar would later recall.
On one of our many commutes to the tennis courts, Edgar expressed his curiosity – “You are always happy. Why?”
“It’s not that we are always happy. On the contrary, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted; but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. Indeed, our lives are one with Christ; that immovable truth empowers us to live every day with joy.”
In October, Edgar attended BCM once and promised to return. By chance encounter, we also studied the Bible together one night. Despite incessant, tear-filled prayers, I rarely saw him for the remainder of the semester. He disappeared into Morgantown night life.
“God only ordains our deep disappointment and profound suffering for the sake of far greater joy in the glory he will reveal to us.” – Jon Bloom
To my surprise, Edgar contacted me shortly after Christmas. “I’m returning for spring semester!” he exclaimed over the long-distance call from South America.
“Can you pick me up at Pittsburgh airport?”
A week later, we sat together in a Ma & Pa Burger Restaurant. Me – intrigued by what God had up His sleeve. Edgar – exhausted from travelling and covered with a film of recirculated airplane air. “Nick, I have something I have to tell you,” Edgar stared at me through droopy, but alert eyes; this was a phrase I would become very familiar with. “On the airplane, I was reading Apocalipsis [Revelation] from the Bible you gave me and I know Jesus is coming back. He is going to judge everyone.”
“God Himself has revealed this to you,” I responded.
“Don’t forget about me. And search for me when I don’t call you,” Edgar said with fear cracking his voice.
For the next 3 months, our paths didn’t intersect. Occasional text messages and Facebook posts read, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” I had my doubts. My suspicion was confirmed when Edgar called me one day late in March. “Can I sleep at your house?” he barely muttered through choked breaths. The lies that had promised Edgar joy and hope had been exposed, and God revealed to him the weight of their emptiness and malice. And the Most High, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made Edgar alive together with Christ. Indeed, by grace, Edgar was saved.
In the following months, Edgar discovered his newfound faith in Christ through study of Scripture, prayer, daily intercession, fasting, dreams, countless tears, trial after trial, falling back into sin, surrender, his BCM family, sermons, words of encouragement from brothers and sisters in the faith, song, rebuke, baptism, and trust in the One True God.
Today, Edgar is back in Antofagasta, Chile. He has a deep passion for reading God’s Word, his close friend has placed her faith in Christ, some of his family has started attending church with him, and he plans to help plant a church with the American missionary he has been meeting with weekly to study the Bible.
Edgar and I now sing together:
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life when I made my bed in Hell.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night
but joy comes with the morning.
Bible verse references:
Romans 1:24-25
Colossians 2:8
2 Corinthians 4:8
Ephesians 2:4-5
Psalms 30:2-5
Week after week, a few friends and I would visit the WVU international dormitory to attend cultural presentations, befriend the 30+ diverse students, and visit before BCM on Tuesday nights. “You all were different,” Edgar would later recall.
On one of our many commutes to the tennis courts, Edgar expressed his curiosity – “You are always happy. Why?”
“It’s not that we are always happy. On the contrary, we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted; but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in our bodies the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. Indeed, our lives are one with Christ; that immovable truth empowers us to live every day with joy.”
In October, Edgar attended BCM once and promised to return. By chance encounter, we also studied the Bible together one night. Despite incessant, tear-filled prayers, I rarely saw him for the remainder of the semester. He disappeared into Morgantown night life.
“God only ordains our deep disappointment and profound suffering for the sake of far greater joy in the glory he will reveal to us.” – Jon Bloom
To my surprise, Edgar contacted me shortly after Christmas. “I’m returning for spring semester!” he exclaimed over the long-distance call from South America.
“Can you pick me up at Pittsburgh airport?”
A week later, we sat together in a Ma & Pa Burger Restaurant. Me – intrigued by what God had up His sleeve. Edgar – exhausted from travelling and covered with a film of recirculated airplane air. “Nick, I have something I have to tell you,” Edgar stared at me through droopy, but alert eyes; this was a phrase I would become very familiar with. “On the airplane, I was reading Apocalipsis [Revelation] from the Bible you gave me and I know Jesus is coming back. He is going to judge everyone.”
“God Himself has revealed this to you,” I responded.
“Don’t forget about me. And search for me when I don’t call you,” Edgar said with fear cracking his voice.
For the next 3 months, our paths didn’t intersect. Occasional text messages and Facebook posts read, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.” I had my doubts. My suspicion was confirmed when Edgar called me one day late in March. “Can I sleep at your house?” he barely muttered through choked breaths. The lies that had promised Edgar joy and hope had been exposed, and God revealed to him the weight of their emptiness and malice. And the Most High, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loves us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made Edgar alive together with Christ. Indeed, by grace, Edgar was saved.
In the following months, Edgar discovered his newfound faith in Christ through study of Scripture, prayer, daily intercession, fasting, dreams, countless tears, trial after trial, falling back into sin, surrender, his BCM family, sermons, words of encouragement from brothers and sisters in the faith, song, rebuke, baptism, and trust in the One True God.
Today, Edgar is back in Antofagasta, Chile. He has a deep passion for reading God’s Word, his close friend has placed her faith in Christ, some of his family has started attending church with him, and he plans to help plant a church with the American missionary he has been meeting with weekly to study the Bible.
Edgar and I now sing together:
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life when I made my bed in Hell.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night
but joy comes with the morning.
Bible verse references:
Romans 1:24-25
Colossians 2:8
2 Corinthians 4:8
Ephesians 2:4-5
Psalms 30:2-5
Aztecas
Como humanos, todos tenemos necesidades básicas. En la ausencia de estas necesidades, empezamos a sufrir, y eventualmente morimos. Este hecho sobre la vida nunca ha cambiado ni cambiará. Las personas que vivían en el tiempo de los mitos de la Épica Nahuátl no eran ignorantes de este hecho, al contrario, lo celebraron. Mitos describiendo el origen de la tierra, la comida, la ropa, los árboles, las flores, y aun la medicina y la alegría, se propagaron de generación a generación. Algunas personas pueden percibir estos mitos como tontos; pero cuando los leo, puedo sentir una cantidad tremenda de significado y verdad.
Según a La Biblia, cuando en el mundo el primer hombre fue creado, fue bueno. No había violencia, no había ira y aun no había muerte. Dios creó el mundo y a Adan simplemente porque quiso. Quería compartir su amor, su creatividad, su alegría. A veces, yo creo que esto es difícil de creer porque en la vida no siempre se refleja esta explicación de la creación. Hay desastres naturales un día sí, un día no, pero hay desastres humanos todos los días.
La historia de la creación Nahuátl me interesa mucho. Subconscientemente, la manera en que percibimos el mundo a menudo forma la manera en la cual vemos a Dios. Un niño con un padre abusivo puede creer que Dios es un Dios enojado y abusivo. Cuando un esposo no es fiel con su esposa, la esposa puede creer Dios es un Dios infiel. Igualmente, yo creo que las personas indígenas encontraron este mundo violento y roto y pensaron, “Somos producto de un Dios o Dioses violentos y llenos de rabia.”
Algo dentro de nosotros anhela saber que somos más que un producto de la casualidad o la violencia, y yo creo que la gente antigua sintió esto también. Ellos se dieron cuenta que esta vida bizarra esta llena de sorpresa, alegría, y amor. Creer que algo más grande que nosotros mismos no está ocurriendo, es tonto. En el antecedente de los mitos, veo gente llena de esperanza y vida. Imagino gente luchando por paz y comodidad en su vida, una gente tan querida que el dios de Maíz fue sacrificado para proporcionarla.
Yo creo que Dios, como se describe en la Biblia, también sufrió cuando creó el mundo. Él sabía que su creación se rebelaría, pero estaba dispuesto a abrir un camino de la corrupción del mundo por medio Jesús Cristo. Creo que las personas indígenas eran conscientes de esta idea de sacrificio en orden para creer. Cuando pienso sobre esto, yo tengo que creer que Dios estaba hablando a los corazones de las personas indígenas. Espero que Dios sea quién dice ser. Espero que Él este fuera de la corrupción de este mundo. Espero que no se defina por nuestras percepciones, experiencias y acciones. Tengo que creer que Dios no es una reflexión de las conquistas malvadas que destruyeron la cultura y la identidad de las personas indígenas; sino que ama su creación, la provee, y la conoce íntimamente. Dios es más grande de lo que podemos imaginar.
Según a La Biblia, cuando en el mundo el primer hombre fue creado, fue bueno. No había violencia, no había ira y aun no había muerte. Dios creó el mundo y a Adan simplemente porque quiso. Quería compartir su amor, su creatividad, su alegría. A veces, yo creo que esto es difícil de creer porque en la vida no siempre se refleja esta explicación de la creación. Hay desastres naturales un día sí, un día no, pero hay desastres humanos todos los días.
La historia de la creación Nahuátl me interesa mucho. Subconscientemente, la manera en que percibimos el mundo a menudo forma la manera en la cual vemos a Dios. Un niño con un padre abusivo puede creer que Dios es un Dios enojado y abusivo. Cuando un esposo no es fiel con su esposa, la esposa puede creer Dios es un Dios infiel. Igualmente, yo creo que las personas indígenas encontraron este mundo violento y roto y pensaron, “Somos producto de un Dios o Dioses violentos y llenos de rabia.”
Algo dentro de nosotros anhela saber que somos más que un producto de la casualidad o la violencia, y yo creo que la gente antigua sintió esto también. Ellos se dieron cuenta que esta vida bizarra esta llena de sorpresa, alegría, y amor. Creer que algo más grande que nosotros mismos no está ocurriendo, es tonto. En el antecedente de los mitos, veo gente llena de esperanza y vida. Imagino gente luchando por paz y comodidad en su vida, una gente tan querida que el dios de Maíz fue sacrificado para proporcionarla.
Yo creo que Dios, como se describe en la Biblia, también sufrió cuando creó el mundo. Él sabía que su creación se rebelaría, pero estaba dispuesto a abrir un camino de la corrupción del mundo por medio Jesús Cristo. Creo que las personas indígenas eran conscientes de esta idea de sacrificio en orden para creer. Cuando pienso sobre esto, yo tengo que creer que Dios estaba hablando a los corazones de las personas indígenas. Espero que Dios sea quién dice ser. Espero que Él este fuera de la corrupción de este mundo. Espero que no se defina por nuestras percepciones, experiencias y acciones. Tengo que creer que Dios no es una reflexión de las conquistas malvadas que destruyeron la cultura y la identidad de las personas indígenas; sino que ama su creación, la provee, y la conoce íntimamente. Dios es más grande de lo que podemos imaginar.
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