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.
Monday, September 5, 2011
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.
Monday, November 1, 2010
King Nebuchadnezzar
"Have you ever had a broken heart?" was your question. And boy is that a tough/great one.
My heart is broken daily. I used to be very callous and self-centered. I didn't care much about the welfare of others. The best way I can put it - I was addicted to myself. I was so focused on myself, it was impossible to look at anything else. You know when you wake up and your face is up against the wall and you think to yourself, "There is little grooves. It's all one color. What the heck is that?" And then you realize you were just looking at a wall. But it was really difficult to identify that the wall was a wall because you were too close.
Well, the day I became a Christian was the day I felt like I was staring at a giant statue of myself but I didn't realize it was a statue of me because I was so close to my cheek - so self-absorbed. Then God swooped me away from it in His mighty hand and I realized it was a dumb idol I had erected of myself. And then I was able to see around the statue. Next, I realized how small the statue was. Then, I realized how giant the universe was. At that moment, I realized that the world didn't revolve around me. I was simply a human, and I was so small. Life was NOT about me. Life was about the One who created me. Life was about Jesus Christ. I was liberated from my self-addiction and given eyes to see the glory and wonder of God all around me. This visual gift has been applied to my life everyday since and there is no way to describe it. The glory of God must be experienced firsthand. It is indescribable. I have been saved from myself through the grace of a God who loves me so vigorously the only response is awe and thankfulness.
So how does this tie in to your question? Everyday, I see dozens of people on campus. Close friends. Strangers. People I see daily. People I see weekly. People I will never see again. People from Saudi Arabia. People from Louisiana. Sad people. People caked with a pound of makeup to try and make up for what they believe they are not. People who stare at the floor when they walk. People who listen to their iPods and miss everything going on around them. People who have already retreated into their minds before they step out their apartment.
People who are blind because they are too close to the cheek of the statue they have erected of themselves. I can see who those people are because I can see me in them. And this breaks my heart daily. I can't stand to see them in the darkness that once captivated me. It viscerally pains me to know they don't know their Creator that so deeply loves them - the Creator who humbled Himself into human form, was scorn, and died to secure a place with Him for eternity.
My heart is broken daily. I used to be very callous and self-centered. I didn't care much about the welfare of others. The best way I can put it - I was addicted to myself. I was so focused on myself, it was impossible to look at anything else. You know when you wake up and your face is up against the wall and you think to yourself, "There is little grooves. It's all one color. What the heck is that?" And then you realize you were just looking at a wall. But it was really difficult to identify that the wall was a wall because you were too close.
Well, the day I became a Christian was the day I felt like I was staring at a giant statue of myself but I didn't realize it was a statue of me because I was so close to my cheek - so self-absorbed. Then God swooped me away from it in His mighty hand and I realized it was a dumb idol I had erected of myself. And then I was able to see around the statue. Next, I realized how small the statue was. Then, I realized how giant the universe was. At that moment, I realized that the world didn't revolve around me. I was simply a human, and I was so small. Life was NOT about me. Life was about the One who created me. Life was about Jesus Christ. I was liberated from my self-addiction and given eyes to see the glory and wonder of God all around me. This visual gift has been applied to my life everyday since and there is no way to describe it. The glory of God must be experienced firsthand. It is indescribable. I have been saved from myself through the grace of a God who loves me so vigorously the only response is awe and thankfulness.
So how does this tie in to your question? Everyday, I see dozens of people on campus. Close friends. Strangers. People I see daily. People I see weekly. People I will never see again. People from Saudi Arabia. People from Louisiana. Sad people. People caked with a pound of makeup to try and make up for what they believe they are not. People who stare at the floor when they walk. People who listen to their iPods and miss everything going on around them. People who have already retreated into their minds before they step out their apartment.
People who are blind because they are too close to the cheek of the statue they have erected of themselves. I can see who those people are because I can see me in them. And this breaks my heart daily. I can't stand to see them in the darkness that once captivated me. It viscerally pains me to know they don't know their Creator that so deeply loves them - the Creator who humbled Himself into human form, was scorn, and died to secure a place with Him for eternity.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
A Curious Heart
The following is a list of questions my friend asked me. I thought they were really good questions:
1. - What did you do when you meet God?
2. - How is your life now that you’re a Christian?
3. - How God provide you success?
4. – How can you help people although God?
5. – How God speak with you?
6. – did you change or your feeling change?
7. – Tell me about your storms
8. – How God protect you?
9. – What does the Bible say about the storms?
10. – What does the Bible about the questions?
11. – What is the best way to meet God?
12. – How do you know that God has a better life for you?
My answers:
1. My first encounter with God came with the realization of the fundamental truth that Christ loves me. As humans, we are sinners. Our sin separates us from our Creator and Lover: God. There is nothing we can do to fix this situation. We have offended a holy God. The penalty must be of equal magnitude. (For example: the penalty for offending the president is much more severe than if you offended your younger sister.) In order to fix the situation, we must have a holy act of retribution. This holy act of retribution was fulfilled when Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross and took our sins upon Himself. It was considered holy because Jesus is God. And Jesus did this because He loves us. In order to benefit from this act, we only have to believe in its truth. When one first believes in this truth, it is absolutely mind-blowing. The only sufficient response is gratitude and a laying down of your life for Jesus. I cried harder than I ever have in my life. The only words I could utter: "Thank you Jesus. Thank you God."
2. My life has drastically changed now that I'm a Christian. I never imagined a life lived for someone else. I only understood what it meant to live for myself. Before Christ entered my life, my decisions were based on my current emotional status and desires. Decisions based on a whim can often result in embarrassment, regret, and shame. And as you can imagine, decisions based on one's personal feelings are not stable. I lived in chaos. I lived in confusion. I lived on shifting sand.
Jesus Christ is God. He created love, faithfulness, justice, joy, peace, patience, etc. He is the Rock. He is not a God of confusion or chaos. He is a God of clarity. He is forever consistent. He is forever the same. He knows everything. He is my shepherd. Therefore, since he is all-knowing, I have the best mentor in all existence. He will never stray me wrong. I have someone I can go to who will never wrong me. This provides a peace that transcends all understanding. When I don't understand something, I can rest in the fact that God understands and I am safe and secure in His hands.
My life is no longer full of fear and anxiety. Instead, I can lovingly look my Savior Jesus Christ in the eyes, and all my fear and anxiety melt away. I am free, truly free to live a life in wild abandonment fully knowing that everything will be alright because I am vigorously loved by the God of the Universe. I can do all things through Christ who compels me!
3. Biblical success can be achieved by doing the will of the Father. Hebrews 12:1 says "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Read this verse in Spanish if the English was confusing.)
Success for Jesus Christ was doing the work God had given Him to do on earth. The work was living a perfect life culminating in his crucifixion. He was successful because he reached his goal. He lived a perfect life and at the end of his earthly ministry, he was crucified as a sacrifice for all men. This is radically different from today's idea of success. Not many believe being crucified is a success.
However, success is the same for me. God has something for me to do here on earth. Doing that will mean I will become successful. All the while, I will be "looking to Jesus" to guide me. I may even be crucified? But if it is in the name of Jesus Christ, then I will be successfully crucified!
4. I don't understand question 4. Can you rephrase it?
5. Very practically, God speaks to me through the Bible. He speaks to me, as He did to the nation of Israel throughout time, through the multiple Prophets such as Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. He speaks to me through David's Psalms. He speaks to me through the Proverbs of Solomon. He speaks to me through the life of Jesus as recorded through the Gospels. He speaks to me through the disciples such as Peter, John, Matthew, and Paul the apostle.
More abstractly, He speaks to me through prayer. Sometimes I pray so hard I start to cry even if I am very happy. Sometimes I burst into laughter and I can't stop myself. Sometimes I quiver with my head on the floor. I have thoughts that I know are not of myself. It's my voice in my own head but I know they are not my thoughts. If these thoughts are consistent with Scripture (the Bible) then I am certain God has spoken to me. If Scripture doesn't speak of a specific thought I have, then I am more cautious about where the thought came from and pray more about it. I am human. I can still deceive myself sometimes. But I am getting better at distinguishing God's voice from other things. It is a still, small voice so I have to concentrate very hard. We live in a noisy world.
God also communicates with me through the Holy Spirit. In this way, I often experience very intense emotions. For example, this past summer, I wanted to go to Thailand with my friend Addison. But after I resolved to go, I had a deep unsettling feeling. I stopped eating. I couldn't see straight. I became dizzy often. I decided to go to India instead of Thailand. At the moment I decided that, my unsettling feelings ceased and I was overcome with peace. Through these emotions, God was telling me to go to India and not Thailand.
6. Like I wrote in question 2., my life has drastically changed. I'm going to focus on the way I used to think about people and how I think about them now.
Before Christ, my relationship with others was based on myself. I never truly loved anyone. I liked spending time with others because they made ME feel good. They kept me from being bored. I had no interest in their feelings. If they felt bad, I would try helping them feel better because deep down, I felt like a better person. Helping them had little to do with actually caring about them. I liked playing tennis with others because I was getting better. I liked getting good grades because others would think highly of ME. I liked talking to people, because it expanded MY MIND.
I didn't understand that life was about Jesus Christ, not me. When I realized this truth, my life was radically changed. We live for Christ, not ourselves. He gives us meaning. He gives us life. He gives us peace. He gives us EVERYTHING! He loves not because He needs us to feel good about Himself. He loves simply because He loves. He is Love. He loves people for who they are even if they are stained with sin. He loves the lowliest, dirtiest people simply because of who they are: a beautiful creation of God. God is teaching more and more every day to love like Him. Now, I can truly love people simply because of who they are instead of loving them for how they make me feel. This is true love.
7. A common misconception about Christians exists. Some believe that when one becomes a Christian, the storms in their lives cease to exist. This is false.
In reality, storms increase when one becomes a Christian. At least, they have for me. The difference between a non-Christian and a Christian, is that Jesus Christ promises to enter the storms with us. He guides us through it. He is a faithful shepherd.
A Christian can look at storms in the healthy manner of James 1:2-4, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
When storms come, no matter how scary, Christians can be excited because it means we are being refined in the same way gold is purified. To purify gold, it is heated to a very high temperature. The impurities rise to the top and form a layer called dross. The dross is removed and when the gold solidifies, it is pure. Storms are the heat. Impurities are sins a Christian deals with. The finished product, gold, is a purer Christian more closely mirroring Jesus Christ Himself.
So if I were to answer your question, "tell me about your storms" a sufficient response would be that my storms are more than welcome. I know that the storms in my life bring me one step closer to being like Jesus and bring me closer to actually being in the presence of Jesus Himself. Being in His presence is the longing of my heart. I can't wait to see Him!
8. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (Again, you can read this verse in Spanish if the English is too difficult.)
God protects me by always promising to provide a way of escape for me from my temptations. He doesn't altogether remove my temptations for the very reason I wrote about in question 7. God allows us to go through storms/fire so we can come out on the other end as gold! And of course, He promises to go through them with us. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." It is more than reassuring to know, that the Holy Spirit is working on my behalf to help me overcome my temptations and is therefore protecting me. This idea is reinforced by Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
In addition, John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus also protects me from Hell, eternal torment. He has replaced it with a life eternally enjoying Him.
9. 1 Peter 1:6-9 reads "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Tough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
As you can in see in combination with my answer for question 7., everything, even storms, is for the glory of God. And referring back to question 3. a Christian is successful every time he/she gives glory to God.
10. All of my answers thus far have been based off of the Bible. :)
11. Meeting God is simple because He is everywhere at once. Speak and He hears you. Move and He sees you. Pray and He listens. Submit to His will and He will adopt you into His family. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only requirement to become an adopted child of God.
After meeting God, the best way to get to know Him is to do His will. We discover what His will is by reading the Bible and living for Him. Very simply put, His will is to display His glory and for all people from everywhere to know His glory and enjoy it. We get to know God by being obedient to Him and enjoying the benefits of a life spent obeying Him in love, truth, and Spirit.
12. I know God has provided not only a better life for me, but the best life. John 10:10 says, "The thief (the Devil) comes to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Living in God's truth means living in love, faith, joy, and peace. Christians walk in the light and they love it. There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ. We are free to be exactly who we are because we've been washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
Believing in anything else but the truth of God would be believing in the lies of Satan. John 8:44 speaks of Satan in this way: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." When we don't listen to God's voice, we are prone to listening to the lies of Satan. The lies of Satan exist to wound, injure, destroy, take life, and murder.
Simply put, living more and more in God's truths = living better. Living more and more believing the lies of Satan = a life littered with more senseless pain and suffering ultimately ending in an eternity in Hell where there is constant weeping and gnashing of teeth.
1. - What did you do when you meet God?
2. - How is your life now that you’re a Christian?
3. - How God provide you success?
4. – How can you help people although God?
5. – How God speak with you?
6. – did you change or your feeling change?
7. – Tell me about your storms
8. – How God protect you?
9. – What does the Bible say about the storms?
10. – What does the Bible about the questions?
11. – What is the best way to meet God?
12. – How do you know that God has a better life for you?
My answers:
1. My first encounter with God came with the realization of the fundamental truth that Christ loves me. As humans, we are sinners. Our sin separates us from our Creator and Lover: God. There is nothing we can do to fix this situation. We have offended a holy God. The penalty must be of equal magnitude. (For example: the penalty for offending the president is much more severe than if you offended your younger sister.) In order to fix the situation, we must have a holy act of retribution. This holy act of retribution was fulfilled when Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross and took our sins upon Himself. It was considered holy because Jesus is God. And Jesus did this because He loves us. In order to benefit from this act, we only have to believe in its truth. When one first believes in this truth, it is absolutely mind-blowing. The only sufficient response is gratitude and a laying down of your life for Jesus. I cried harder than I ever have in my life. The only words I could utter: "Thank you Jesus. Thank you God."
2. My life has drastically changed now that I'm a Christian. I never imagined a life lived for someone else. I only understood what it meant to live for myself. Before Christ entered my life, my decisions were based on my current emotional status and desires. Decisions based on a whim can often result in embarrassment, regret, and shame. And as you can imagine, decisions based on one's personal feelings are not stable. I lived in chaos. I lived in confusion. I lived on shifting sand.
Jesus Christ is God. He created love, faithfulness, justice, joy, peace, patience, etc. He is the Rock. He is not a God of confusion or chaos. He is a God of clarity. He is forever consistent. He is forever the same. He knows everything. He is my shepherd. Therefore, since he is all-knowing, I have the best mentor in all existence. He will never stray me wrong. I have someone I can go to who will never wrong me. This provides a peace that transcends all understanding. When I don't understand something, I can rest in the fact that God understands and I am safe and secure in His hands.
My life is no longer full of fear and anxiety. Instead, I can lovingly look my Savior Jesus Christ in the eyes, and all my fear and anxiety melt away. I am free, truly free to live a life in wild abandonment fully knowing that everything will be alright because I am vigorously loved by the God of the Universe. I can do all things through Christ who compels me!
3. Biblical success can be achieved by doing the will of the Father. Hebrews 12:1 says "...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God." (Read this verse in Spanish if the English was confusing.)
Success for Jesus Christ was doing the work God had given Him to do on earth. The work was living a perfect life culminating in his crucifixion. He was successful because he reached his goal. He lived a perfect life and at the end of his earthly ministry, he was crucified as a sacrifice for all men. This is radically different from today's idea of success. Not many believe being crucified is a success.
However, success is the same for me. God has something for me to do here on earth. Doing that will mean I will become successful. All the while, I will be "looking to Jesus" to guide me. I may even be crucified? But if it is in the name of Jesus Christ, then I will be successfully crucified!
4. I don't understand question 4. Can you rephrase it?
5. Very practically, God speaks to me through the Bible. He speaks to me, as He did to the nation of Israel throughout time, through the multiple Prophets such as Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, etc. He speaks to me through David's Psalms. He speaks to me through the Proverbs of Solomon. He speaks to me through the life of Jesus as recorded through the Gospels. He speaks to me through the disciples such as Peter, John, Matthew, and Paul the apostle.
More abstractly, He speaks to me through prayer. Sometimes I pray so hard I start to cry even if I am very happy. Sometimes I burst into laughter and I can't stop myself. Sometimes I quiver with my head on the floor. I have thoughts that I know are not of myself. It's my voice in my own head but I know they are not my thoughts. If these thoughts are consistent with Scripture (the Bible) then I am certain God has spoken to me. If Scripture doesn't speak of a specific thought I have, then I am more cautious about where the thought came from and pray more about it. I am human. I can still deceive myself sometimes. But I am getting better at distinguishing God's voice from other things. It is a still, small voice so I have to concentrate very hard. We live in a noisy world.
God also communicates with me through the Holy Spirit. In this way, I often experience very intense emotions. For example, this past summer, I wanted to go to Thailand with my friend Addison. But after I resolved to go, I had a deep unsettling feeling. I stopped eating. I couldn't see straight. I became dizzy often. I decided to go to India instead of Thailand. At the moment I decided that, my unsettling feelings ceased and I was overcome with peace. Through these emotions, God was telling me to go to India and not Thailand.
6. Like I wrote in question 2., my life has drastically changed. I'm going to focus on the way I used to think about people and how I think about them now.
Before Christ, my relationship with others was based on myself. I never truly loved anyone. I liked spending time with others because they made ME feel good. They kept me from being bored. I had no interest in their feelings. If they felt bad, I would try helping them feel better because deep down, I felt like a better person. Helping them had little to do with actually caring about them. I liked playing tennis with others because I was getting better. I liked getting good grades because others would think highly of ME. I liked talking to people, because it expanded MY MIND.
I didn't understand that life was about Jesus Christ, not me. When I realized this truth, my life was radically changed. We live for Christ, not ourselves. He gives us meaning. He gives us life. He gives us peace. He gives us EVERYTHING! He loves not because He needs us to feel good about Himself. He loves simply because He loves. He is Love. He loves people for who they are even if they are stained with sin. He loves the lowliest, dirtiest people simply because of who they are: a beautiful creation of God. God is teaching more and more every day to love like Him. Now, I can truly love people simply because of who they are instead of loving them for how they make me feel. This is true love.
7. A common misconception about Christians exists. Some believe that when one becomes a Christian, the storms in their lives cease to exist. This is false.
In reality, storms increase when one becomes a Christian. At least, they have for me. The difference between a non-Christian and a Christian, is that Jesus Christ promises to enter the storms with us. He guides us through it. He is a faithful shepherd.
A Christian can look at storms in the healthy manner of James 1:2-4, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
When storms come, no matter how scary, Christians can be excited because it means we are being refined in the same way gold is purified. To purify gold, it is heated to a very high temperature. The impurities rise to the top and form a layer called dross. The dross is removed and when the gold solidifies, it is pure. Storms are the heat. Impurities are sins a Christian deals with. The finished product, gold, is a purer Christian more closely mirroring Jesus Christ Himself.
So if I were to answer your question, "tell me about your storms" a sufficient response would be that my storms are more than welcome. I know that the storms in my life bring me one step closer to being like Jesus and bring me closer to actually being in the presence of Jesus Himself. Being in His presence is the longing of my heart. I can't wait to see Him!
8. 1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." (Again, you can read this verse in Spanish if the English is too difficult.)
God protects me by always promising to provide a way of escape for me from my temptations. He doesn't altogether remove my temptations for the very reason I wrote about in question 7. God allows us to go through storms/fire so we can come out on the other end as gold! And of course, He promises to go through them with us. Romans 8:26 says, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words." It is more than reassuring to know, that the Holy Spirit is working on my behalf to help me overcome my temptations and is therefore protecting me. This idea is reinforced by Hebrews 4:15-16, "For we do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
In addition, John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." Jesus also protects me from Hell, eternal torment. He has replaced it with a life eternally enjoying Him.
9. 1 Peter 1:6-9 reads "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Tough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
As you can in see in combination with my answer for question 7., everything, even storms, is for the glory of God. And referring back to question 3. a Christian is successful every time he/she gives glory to God.
10. All of my answers thus far have been based off of the Bible. :)
11. Meeting God is simple because He is everywhere at once. Speak and He hears you. Move and He sees you. Pray and He listens. Submit to His will and He will adopt you into His family. Faith in Jesus Christ is the only requirement to become an adopted child of God.
After meeting God, the best way to get to know Him is to do His will. We discover what His will is by reading the Bible and living for Him. Very simply put, His will is to display His glory and for all people from everywhere to know His glory and enjoy it. We get to know God by being obedient to Him and enjoying the benefits of a life spent obeying Him in love, truth, and Spirit.
12. I know God has provided not only a better life for me, but the best life. John 10:10 says, "The thief (the Devil) comes to steal and kill and destroy. I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly." Living in God's truth means living in love, faith, joy, and peace. Christians walk in the light and they love it. There is no condemnation in Jesus Christ. We are free to be exactly who we are because we've been washed in the Blood of the Lamb!
Believing in anything else but the truth of God would be believing in the lies of Satan. John 8:44 speaks of Satan in this way: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies." When we don't listen to God's voice, we are prone to listening to the lies of Satan. The lies of Satan exist to wound, injure, destroy, take life, and murder.
Simply put, living more and more in God's truths = living better. Living more and more believing the lies of Satan = a life littered with more senseless pain and suffering ultimately ending in an eternity in Hell where there is constant weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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