In the past few weeks during our Epic meeting we've been going through a video series called Basic by Francis Chan. It is broken into three video topics: Fear of God, Following Jesus, and Holy Spirit. While the topic of all three of them are important to Christian living, the first topic really stood out for me. In Proverbs 111:10 it says "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom". The reality is that we really should fear God if we with our limited minds try to grasp who God is in all his glory and power. There is no way to measure how great he is, except by stating that he is infinitely greater. Because of his divine nature it only makes sense that we should be fear him, be afraid and tremble in his presence.
Imagine sitting in a room by yourself and all suddenly a pride of untamed lions walked into the same room. How would you react? You may be like me who probably would freeze up in terror in the split second that it would take for the pride to consume me. Now try to imagine an infinite God, who's wrath we deserve and it's only a matter of time before it comes on us for our transgressions, our sins.
But here is the amazing thing. Even though we should be afraid of who God is by his divine nature, but through his characteristics he tells us to "Fear not" (Rev.1:17 ESV). We have this awesome God who cares and loves for us. Not only did he come and took the suffering for us, but he also called us to follow Him. But until we can arrive at the point where we do fear God, we limit who he is in our minds and hearts, and also limiting the power that is given to us through the Holy Spirit.
5.25.2011
4.16.2011
Too excited to sleep!
It's 3:50am right now, so I apologies if my grammar is off or somethings aren't completely thought out. I couldn't sleep so I decided to get online to blog why I can't sleep.
Earlier in the evening today (friday 4/15), I met up with one of my students' roommate (his English name is Bob) who just came over from China as an international student. Sometime during the conversation over dinner I asked Bob if he had any religious beliefs or spiritual backgrounds. He responded by sharing that he doesn't believe in God, viewing it as something that mankind has internalized and made up. Rather, he believed in science. Later on during the conversation I popped a question towards him; I asked him "if you had the opportunity to know that God existed and that you could know God would you want to?"
I can't quite remember the exact words that he used, but his response can be summed up in the word yes with much eagerness to take this opportunity. We ended up setting a time to meet at 11am today (4/16), to talk about who this God of the Bible is.
I'm praying that God will use this relationship that is being established to speak truth into Bob's life and make Himself known to Bob through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are reading this before 11am, please join me in prayer that when I meet with Bob God will speak through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit into his life. Also if you are reading this afterwards, continue to pray that Bob will continue to have a hunger to want to seek and experience the joy of knowing our Lord and Savior.
**UPDATED 5/2/2012
That Saturday morning I met with Bob at a restaurant on the Ave to continue where we left off night before. I broke down the gospel with him; sharing with him about God's plan, the fall and the consequence of sin, the sacrifice of Christ for us, and restoration by faith through grace. Throughout our conversation he was in awe and amazement. Until this experience, it has always been slightly difficult for me to try to visualize the reaction of people astonished when Jesus or the disciples spoke or did miracles. After sharing I asked him, "what do you think of all of this?" Bob responded, "If this is all true, everyone has to believe." Before we departed ways, I gave him a simple paperback New Testament Bible and asked him to read the book of John and Romans.
When I met with him the following week, he told me that he has spent hours each night reading, though the majority of the time he was constantly flipping back and forth between his translator for definitions of words he did not understand. I then got a Chinese/English Bible and gave it to him. He was so thrilled about it! I remember also that day he shared with me that he also had been praying, and that lately he was having much peace. When hearing that, it was undeniable that God was working in his life.
I continued meeting up with him several times over the next couple of weeks breaking down the gospel even further. I went deeper into explaining the trinity, understanding the grace of God, living sacrificially, and other stuff. During this second week Bob spoke to me in a very subtle voice, "I believe". Even though this was something that I was hoping and been praying for, I was still very shocked. My natural response was to ask, "are you sure?" I wanted to dig deeper to see if he really understood the gospel. He shared with me the gospel as he understood it and it left me dumbfounded. In two weeks he was able to grasp the core message of the gospel and was capable of articulating it back to me; something that I've seen many Christians spend years in trying to understanding, myself included.
In the fall before I moved back to Portland I met up with Bob for one last time. We went to dinner at the same place as that one Saturday morning. We caught up and he shared with me all that he had been learning. He moved into a new place and got new roommates, and he told me how great it has been with some of them being believers and having the opportunity to go in the Word with them. As we walked back to his place I said to me, "before knowing God all I had was school and did not have time for anything else. Now that I know him, I feel at peace and I have so much more time to get to know God and people."
This experience has hit me in many folds. Not only do I have an amazing new friendship and another brother in Christ, but this has propelled me like I have never before in trusting in God to deliver. Although it was not the first time that I've seen God work nor the last, I was left astonished as if I had experienced God for the first time.
Earlier in the evening today (friday 4/15), I met up with one of my students' roommate (his English name is Bob) who just came over from China as an international student. Sometime during the conversation over dinner I asked Bob if he had any religious beliefs or spiritual backgrounds. He responded by sharing that he doesn't believe in God, viewing it as something that mankind has internalized and made up. Rather, he believed in science. Later on during the conversation I popped a question towards him; I asked him "if you had the opportunity to know that God existed and that you could know God would you want to?"
I can't quite remember the exact words that he used, but his response can be summed up in the word yes with much eagerness to take this opportunity. We ended up setting a time to meet at 11am today (4/16), to talk about who this God of the Bible is.
I'm praying that God will use this relationship that is being established to speak truth into Bob's life and make Himself known to Bob through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are reading this before 11am, please join me in prayer that when I meet with Bob God will speak through the wisdom of the Holy Spirit into his life. Also if you are reading this afterwards, continue to pray that Bob will continue to have a hunger to want to seek and experience the joy of knowing our Lord and Savior.
**UPDATED 5/2/2012
That Saturday morning I met with Bob at a restaurant on the Ave to continue where we left off night before. I broke down the gospel with him; sharing with him about God's plan, the fall and the consequence of sin, the sacrifice of Christ for us, and restoration by faith through grace. Throughout our conversation he was in awe and amazement. Until this experience, it has always been slightly difficult for me to try to visualize the reaction of people astonished when Jesus or the disciples spoke or did miracles. After sharing I asked him, "what do you think of all of this?" Bob responded, "If this is all true, everyone has to believe." Before we departed ways, I gave him a simple paperback New Testament Bible and asked him to read the book of John and Romans.
When I met with him the following week, he told me that he has spent hours each night reading, though the majority of the time he was constantly flipping back and forth between his translator for definitions of words he did not understand. I then got a Chinese/English Bible and gave it to him. He was so thrilled about it! I remember also that day he shared with me that he also had been praying, and that lately he was having much peace. When hearing that, it was undeniable that God was working in his life.
I continued meeting up with him several times over the next couple of weeks breaking down the gospel even further. I went deeper into explaining the trinity, understanding the grace of God, living sacrificially, and other stuff. During this second week Bob spoke to me in a very subtle voice, "I believe". Even though this was something that I was hoping and been praying for, I was still very shocked. My natural response was to ask, "are you sure?" I wanted to dig deeper to see if he really understood the gospel. He shared with me the gospel as he understood it and it left me dumbfounded. In two weeks he was able to grasp the core message of the gospel and was capable of articulating it back to me; something that I've seen many Christians spend years in trying to understanding, myself included.
In the fall before I moved back to Portland I met up with Bob for one last time. We went to dinner at the same place as that one Saturday morning. We caught up and he shared with me all that he had been learning. He moved into a new place and got new roommates, and he told me how great it has been with some of them being believers and having the opportunity to go in the Word with them. As we walked back to his place I said to me, "before knowing God all I had was school and did not have time for anything else. Now that I know him, I feel at peace and I have so much more time to get to know God and people."
This experience has hit me in many folds. Not only do I have an amazing new friendship and another brother in Christ, but this has propelled me like I have never before in trusting in God to deliver. Although it was not the first time that I've seen God work nor the last, I was left astonished as if I had experienced God for the first time.
1.05.2011
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