Monday, February 28, 2011

update - Family, War, Christian “Pretender” or Christ Follower?

So went back home last reading week…each time I go back from Waterloo during a term in school, I’m always a little wary of the fact that I have an obligation to be loving to my family, like Christ and to find a way to preach the gospel to them.  I’ve learned to be able to trust God more and rely less on myself when it comes to spreading the gospel to them. 

It’s definitely a battleground for me spiritually back home.  My family being non Christian, and living with them for all my life, it’s really hard for me to talk to them and love them in the same way I love my brothers and sisters from fellowship or church.  I can’t relate to them as much and find it uncomfortable to talk to them about spiritual matters.  There is pride in myself when I talk to my parents as well as pride that they have (I don’t even feel comfortable saying that..should I be?  I can’t say I can rebuke them either because they aren’t Christian?  Confused smile). 

My heart is also definitely been hardened towards them over all these years, where I’ve been able to open up with brothers in sisters in Christ, but not to my parents because of that difference in beliefs.  And so it has only gotten harder and harder to find a way to draw close to them relationally….and it’s a loop that I know that I need God’s grace to break…  Only He can soften my hard heart (Ezek 11:19).

But I think when it comes down to it, it (I guess a lot of things too in our spiritual walks) can be attributed to the fact that I just don’t preach the gospel regularly to myself enough and don’t spend enough time with God.  In Waterloo, I can feel more “Christian” because I’m around fellow Christians, I can have “spiritual discussions”, watch sermons, read the Bible, pray, go to CCF events, etc etc etc.  But when I go back, it all falls apart.  I don’t have fellow Christians to have “spiritual discussions”, I have less desire to read God’s Word, to watch sermons; it’s war.  But all these things in reality don’t matter if your heart is not truly in it.  If I just do these things, it might not mean anything to God.  (Isaiah 1:11-17)

Am I truly seeking God all the time?  The “Christian” things I do here in Waterloo might just be an illusion to me, that fools me into thinking that I’m “ok” with God.  But when I go back home into the battlefield, I realize….I don’t even know how to use the Sword, or how to defend myself from arrows…

Thank you Lord, that you give us Grace to do Your will and that your Spirit convicts us of our sin.  Help us to persevere and trust in You, that You are working in Us, and making us more like Christ everyday. 

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Going to try out Tumblr…

So blogging is hard sometimes…You want to share something, but don’t have time (or don’t want to make time) to write up an elaborate, detailed post about your thoughts on it.  Or sometimes you just want to share a quote, picture, or link.  Twitter is too short and random.  So I’m going to give Tumblr a try for when I just want to share some small insight.

http://jamvng.tumblr.com

I’ll keep using this blog for more indepth sharing..

Friday, February 25, 2011

Signs you’re growing in Grace

Some tweets from @ScottyWardSmith :

We enjoy and deepen our relationship with Jesus always by grace and daily by choice

"Legalism is attractive because it is safe." Graeme Goldsworthy

The weight of grace (its glory) makes the wait for grace (its provision) more than bearable. Jesus will be on time.

The grace that justifies us doesn't justify our acting like mannerless morons.Tip well, be on time, wipe your feet, etc.

To cleanse the heart is beyond the power of the creature; it can no more make itself holy, than make itself to be. Manton

The problem with legalism is that it isn't legalistic enough. It's not demanding enough to make Jesus necessary

Following Jesus to earn your righteousness = an impossibility. Claiming Jesus' righteousness w/out following him = a myth

Another sign you're growing in grace. You've actually read Nahum and Obadiah

Another sign you're growing in grace. You catch people "doing it right" in a 3 to 1 ratio to "doing it wrong"

Another sign you're growing in grace. You don't try to take 23 items through the 10 item speed check out line at Publix

Another sign you're growing in grace. You're in your seat in the worship center 7 minutes early to pray for the service

Another sign you're growing in grace. On a 2-lane-becoming-1 road, you don't speed up just to jet around 3 extra cars

Another sign you're growing in grace. Your repentances come quicker with less pouting, excuses and vain promises

Another sign you're growing in grace. You throw less pity-parties, because you go to Jesus quicker than to self-contempt

Another sign you're growing in grace. You talk about your justification 10 times more than your victimization

Another sign you're growing in grace. You quote Jesus more than you quote Tim Keller

A sign you're growing in grace is a commitment to give your spouse focused, unrushed attention at the END of the day

A sign you're growing in grace is just grabbing a browie without looking for the biggest or best crust-edged brownie

A sign you're growing in grace is when you use less labels to dismiss people or marginalize their comments

A sign you're growing in grace is still being gracious to telemarketers when they call your protected phone number

A sign you're growing in grace is a commitment to pray for people you'd really rather gossip about

A sign you're growing in grace is not texting or reading emails on your pda while driving, with or without kids

Another sign you're growing in grace. You no longer simply assume if you can pay for something you really can afford it

Another sign you're growing in grace. You recognize the subtle ways you're living justification by sanctification

Another sign you're growing in grace. Your spouse and children are the first to notice the signs

Another sign you're growing in grace. You get sucker-punched by condemnation for sin less often, but convicted much more

A sign you're growing in grace. You don't use your car horn to curse bad drivers, but appropriately caution & warn them

A sign you're growing in grace. The gospel still astonishes & humbles you. It's not just cliche or the name of your tribe

A sign you're growing in grace. The more you learn about Jesus & the gospel the more you realize how little YOU know.

A sign you're growing in grace: You're thinking more about the new heaven & new earth than the intermediate state

A sign you're growing in grace: You desire less stuff rather than simply buying more

A sign you're growing in grace: Places like Haiti, Dafur and Somolia aren't "missions targets", but family

A sign you're growing in grace: When you hear the word "sanctification," you think about Jesus & his work, not yours

A sign you're growing in grace: When speak about "the victorious Christian life" you're referring to Jesus, not you.

A sign you're growing in grace: Nothing makes your blood boil more than false gospels.

A sign you're growing in grace: When you think about "blessings" from God, suffering makes your list

A sign you're growing in grace: The passive righteousness of Jesus lights an active fire in your heart for kingdom work

A sign you're growing in grace: The phrase, "meriting God's favor" has been ripped from your salvific vocabulary

A sign you're growing in grace: You've got a whole lot more confidence in Jesus' prayers than yours

A sign you're growing in grace: You're content, even glad knowing that God sometimes answers your prayers with "No."

A sign you're growing in grace: You're increasingly less quarrelsome, sarcastic and easily offended

A sign you're growing in grace: The work "trafficking" moves you to work for justice, not complain about too many cars

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't care squat about infralapsarianism, but you'll defend the gospel with your life

A sign you're growing in grace: Less cynicism about other people's sins and more tears over your own

A sign you're growing in grace: You feel like you're just beginning to appreciate all the riches and depth of John 3:16

A sign you're growing in grace: You argue less about the timing of the Spirit's baptism & thirst 4 more of his fullness

A sign you're growing in grace: Your thoughts of heaven are more about the transforming of this world than escaping it

A sign you're growing in grace: You can enjoy God's gifts without reservation & share God's gifts without hesitation

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't linger at religious TV programming just to fuel contempt & make snide remarks

A sign you're growing in grace: You remember the names of your checkout attendants where you usually buy your groceries

A sign your'e growing in grace: It takes minutes not weeks to recognize when you've fallen back into works righteousness.

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't objecify your church for criticism. You weep with her as a member of the family.

A sign you're growing in grace. You unplug your affirmation-junkie umbilical cord from people by believing the gospel

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't trust signs, just Jesus

A sign you're growing in grace: You waste less food & time, and your committed giving is becoming cheerful giving

A sign you're growing in grace: You think about fixing people less and loving them more

A sign you're growing in grace: You will do everything you can NOT to do unnecessary damage to a person's reputation

A sign you're growing in grace: Prayer walks are yielding as much satisfaction as shopping sprees, maybe more.

A sign you're growing in grace: You enjoy, but you don't flaunt Christian liberty. Act like you been there before

A sign you're growing in grace: When at the "Y" or gym of choice, you do less mirror gazing and more working out

A sign you're growing in grace: Lent is not a season for navel-gazing introspection but cross-surveying celebration

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't do penance to impress Jesus; you do repentant faith which unites you to Jesus

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't have to form an opinion about everything, nor a need to always share yours

A sign you're growing in grace: The word "godliness" makes you think about what Jesus has done for you, not vice versa

A sign you're growing in grace: You're learning to repay good for evil without being self-righteous or pious about it.

A sign you're growing in grace: You laugh with louder gufaws, & cry with hotter tears, because the gospel is at work.

A sign you're growing in grace: The Bible reads you as much as you read the Bible

A sign you're growing in grace: You notice a person's dignity before you notice their depravity

A sign you're growing in grace: There are fewer pages in the little book in which you keep a record of wrongs done to you

A sign you're growing in grace: Your cry for a changed heart is louder than your cry for relief

A sign you're growing in grace: The word "overcomer" in Revelation makes you think about Jesus, THE Overcomer, not you.

A sign you're growing in grace: Repentance is becoming less something YOU do and more Someone you trust, namely, Jesus

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't pontificate judgment on a country if it experiences an earthquake or tsunami

A sign you're growing in grace: The more you understand your union with Christ the more you crave communion with Him

A sign you're growing in grace: You practice the anatomical ratio of ears to mouth: Listening twice as much as talking

A sign you're growing in grace: People you're talking with don't just hear your words but experience your presence

A sign you're growing in grace: You grieve how touchy, pouty and defensive you can be

A sign you're growing in grace: The gap between your sound doctrine and your actual discipleship is narrowing

A sign you're growing in grace: Because of God's grace at work in your heart, it's getting harder to gossip, nag & snarl

A sign you're growing in grace: You spend way less time stuck in the paralysis of analysis

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't appeal to the sovereignty of God as an excuse for your being lazy or foolish

A sign your'e growing in grace: If you don't know, you don't pretend you do.

A sign you're growing in grace: You stop trying to be an chameleon on scotch plaid... trying to keep everybody happy

A sign you're growing in grace: You ask, "What on earth is Jesus doing?", not, "What would Jesus do if he was here?"

A sign you're growing in grace: You know the difference between dialogue & diatribe when discussing theological matters

A sign you're growing in grace: You know when you're giving God a bit part in your story versus finding your place in His

A sign you're growing in grace: You boast IN your weaknesses but you don't boast about them. They don't define you.

A sign you're growing in grace: You're intentional about not spending all your time with Christians

A sign you're growing in grace: You know you're not anywhere close to being as free as Jesus intends

A sign you're growing in grace: The people who know you best would say you live more of a called life than a driven life

A sign you're growing in grace: You know if Jesus is calling you to do 3 things you can't afford to dabble with 17

A sign you're growing in grace: You know the difference between being obsessively busy and providentially busy

A sign you're growing in grace: Your inwards groans are getting louder and your eager waiting more intense. Rom.8:23

A sign you're growing in grace: You give God all the credit and praise for chocolate

A sign you're growing in grace: You want to trust again more than you want to stay stuck in your hurt

A sign you're growing in grace: The older you get the more you remember stuff your parents actually did right

A sign you're growing in grace: You are quicker at seeing and grieving YOUR bad attitude, than noticing anyone else's.

A sign you're growing in grace: You're doing a better job at stewarding the emotion of anger... less stewing & spewing

A sign you're growing in grace: You're neither a pessimist nor an optimist, but a gospel realist.

A sign you're growing in grace: You park your conscience under God's grace & when it drifts towards law, you yank it back

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't guilt very easily, either as victim or agent.

A sign you're growing in grace: No matter what anyone says about you, you realize the cross is your greatest critic & cure

A sign you're growing in grace: Your recovery time from irritability, resentment and smugness is getting shorter

A sign you're growing in grace: You don't privatize your relationship with Jesus. You're using more plural pronouns.

A sign you're growing in grace: You're thankful Jesus hasn't just forgiven all your sins, but also all your good works

A sign you're growing in grace: You go to bed each night not riddled with regrets but resting in Jesus' righteousness

A sign you're growing in grace: For every one look at yourself you take ten looks at Jesus- your righteousness & peace

A sign you're growing in grace: You long for your heart to come more fully alive to the love of Jesus

 

I’ll update as he tweets more related tweets Smile

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

the Wrath of God

Jesus saved us because He was a propitiation for our sin, He died for our sin and took the Wrath of God for us.  God saw our sin on Jesus and turned away. 

Sometimes I can be more moved looking at the physical suffering of Jesus when in fact, it was in fact Jesus suffering the wrath of God that is what saves us.  We can be moved and be emotional from looking at physical suffering, but why not from looking at how God’s wrath was directed towards Jesus instead of us.

If we don’t know the seriousness of sin and how hateful and evil it is, then we won’t understand fully what Jesus did for us.  Without knowing the depths of our sin, we won’t understand how great the wrath and fury of God was towards us and how much it means that Jesus, who is in eternal fellowship with God, took it upon Himself.

Lord, help us to see the depths of our sin and to battle it with all our being.  Help us to see what Grace you bestowed on us when you showed your love by sending your Son to the cross to be a propitiation.

“For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.”
-Romans 3:25

I need the Sword

“How anybody walks through this devil ruled world without a sword in their hand, is beyond me.”

-John Piper

Why Memorize Scripture?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

neeed to refoocuss on Christ and eternity

Been feeling to worldly last few days.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Godly Discipline vs Legalism

Comment to Jon Acuff’s post:

http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2011/02/using-fear-of-legalism-as-an-excuse-to-be-lazy/

“I think we need to understand that there is a difference between legalism and Godly discipline. Legalism is doing something because “thats what youre supposed to do”. Godly discipline on the other hand is doing it, not because you are supposed to, but doing it because you genuinely want to and you are looking to grow your relationship with God. I am guilty of doing things out of legalism all the time. Sometimes I sit back and think to myself about why I am reading my bible and praying and going to church? Is it because I want to get to know God or is it because, as a christian, that is what I am supposed to do? Some days I think its one reason, and some days I think its the other reason. Its something I struggle with and I ask God to help me with everyday.”

http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2011/02/using-fear-of-legalism-as-an-excuse-to-be-lazy/comment-page-2/#comment-169829

the Gospel

Salvation is by Grace, Sanctification is by Grace….

“Salvation comes from the LORD.”

Jonah 2:9b

Sometimes, it feels scary, or uncomfortable, that we aren’t in control.  That we are justified by what Christ has done, by grace and not by our own works.  That we can’t do anything to “get closer” to God, to have desire for Him.  Desire, Passion for God is a gift.  All we do is have faith in Christ, that He is working in us and that we are being made into the image of Christ, holy. 

To understand the gospel is to know that we don’t actually know it.  Even the act of understanding of truly understanding the gospel is an act of grace, a gift from God.

Grace can be scary to us…

But Grace is beautiful…

It’s from a heart of gratitude that we worship and serve our God. 

_____________________________________________________________

play audio file with 42:30 mins left (“-42:30”)

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/conference-messages/the-supremacy-of-christ-and-the-gospel-in-a-postmodern-world

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Grace Grace Grace

From DesiringGod.org…

Is Sanctification God's Effort or our effort?

Philippians 2:12-13—

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Jonathan Edwards writes,

In efficacious grace we are not merely passive, nor yet does God do some and we do the rest. But God does all, and we do all. God produces all, we act all. For that is what produces, viz. [namely] our own acts. God is the only proper author and fountain; we only are the proper actors. We are in different respects, wholly passive and wholly active.
(The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. 2, p. 557)

John Piper writes,

…it is a good fight because we are not left to our own strength in the fight. If we were, as Martin Luther says, "Our striving would be losing." In other words, when a child of God fights for joy in God, God himself is the one behind that struggle, giving the will and the power to defeat the enemy of joy (Philippians 2:12-13). We are not left to ourselves to sustain the joy of faith. God fights for us and in us. Therefore the fight of faith is a good fight.

God's work in us does not eliminate our work; it enables it. We work because he is the one at work in us. Therefore, the fight for joy is possible because God is fighting for us and through us. All our efforts are owing to his deeper work in and through our willing and working.
(When I Don't Desire God, pp. 38, 41)

C.S. Lewis,

On the whole, God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him. Nobody can always have devout feelings: and even if we could, feelings are not what God principally cares about. Christian Love, either towards God or towards man, is an affair of the will. If we are trying to do His will we are obeying the commandment, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God.' He will give us feelings of love if He pleases. We cannot create them for ourselves, and we must not demand them as a right. But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.
(Mere Christianity)

This is one of the topics that I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. 

Real faith produces fruits.  It’s obvious that this is true if you read the Bible.  You have passages like James 2:22-25, or John 15.  And it makes sense!  If you believe and know who God is and who you are, I believe God’s love and grace would be irresistible; so much so that you would long to worship and serve Him.  Out of worship for God, fruits will come.

I think it’s good for Christians to stop and reflect on their lives.  Are you bearing fruit?  Is your life transformed by the gospel?  And for the past year, I’ve been thinking a lot about that in my own life.  But it’s only the last month or two, that I realized that I had a complete wrong response to all of it.  When I saw my lack of fruit, it wasn’t to Christ that I turned to, but to myself.  I questioned my faith, my passion….  I looked to my own self and forgot to look at Christ.

It is in Christ that we have FREEDOM.  Do we know what that means?  to have freedom of sin?

I remember 1-2 weeks ago, I had a week full of assignments and a midterm to top it all.  I was up late for a few days, and had to wake up early to finish an assignment.  When my midterm was over on Friday night, I literally felt a burden lift off my shoulders.  I was like “YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY, I’m done, I’m done, I’m done, I can relax and not worry!”

Do we say that of our sin?  Is sin so sinful to us that we feel the weight of it?  Such that when we realize that Jesus bore the sin of the world..OUR sin, and that He did it to free us because He loves us?  Do we see how much GRACE there is?

I look to Christ and trust that He is at work in me.  That in and of myself, I can’t do anything.

 

Grace Grace Grace

Yes, faith produces good deeds.  But you can’t have faith, or love without first looking at Christ.  Worship Him!