Archive for the ‘Quiet Time’ Category
On Spreading the Gospel
I was planning on posting anything, but for some reason I felt strongly to write my opinion about religious groups, especially Christians, that try to spread their beliefs to others. The reason being is that I read a post that Regina wrote about inappropriate conversion, and though I agree with them on some parts, I find myself standing up for these accused Christians.
Now the girl who wrote the post on inappropriate conversion was a Muslim, and when the Christian group tried to convert her at an Arabic festival, I can see why she was annoyed (and amused) at the same time. However, it’s when self-claimed Christians mock what the group was doing that I got really upset and disappointed. I don’t expect non-believers to understand what those people are doing or even why they’re doing it, but as Christians, we should know why they do it. But when you start saying things like”The bible did not say that everyone has to believe in god. there are other religions too, like Buddhism“, it’s apparent that
- people either don’t know the bible at all
- people have been taught to the twisted truth
I’m no expert in the bible myself and I’m still learning, but the first commandment of the 10 made it very obvious
You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand {generations} of those who love me and keep my commandments.
If you are a Christian and believe that God is the creator and ruler of the universe and that the bible is His Word, then you should know that even though the bible doesn’t explicity say “EVERYONE SHALT BELIEVE IN GOD”, it implies it very clearly. Yes there are other religions, but to God and Christians alike, those gods are nothig more than idols that humans have made and decided to worship. And God is so adamant about everyone eventually coming to know Him and believe in Him that in the new testament Jesus says again in Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
So pretty much the bible is saying, those of you who already believe, good, because now you got to make sure that everyone else knows about God too! This is why those Christian groups go out there and talk to people. They have nothing personal to gain from doing it, absolutely nothing. There are no financial rewards, not even an award on paper or a chocolate medal for doing what they do. But they do it because they know that 1) God commanded them to 2) they just want to share the joy and peace they feel with others. The second part is something that words can’t describe, but any one who has an initimate relationship with God can understand, and it’s just something you can’t keep inside of you. It’s like you want the whole world, or at least your close friends and family who are non-believers to know about it and experience the same kind of joy and peace that you have. I’m speaking from personal experience here.
What I’m trying to say is that people need to understand that these Christians are getting scorned and mocked, and sometimes even physically hurt, for what they do. Haven’t you ever wondered what’s the driving force behind them, why they’re willing to do something like this? It’s not a cult, and it’s sad to hear that even amongst Christians, some would say something like that or have such deep misunderstandings. But all I can say is that it’s not easy, and that it takes a lot of guts. But the bible never said it’d be easy, and in fact Jesus said in Jon 15:18-19
If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
Of course, it was foolish of the Christian group to chose to spread the gospel at an Arabic festival. I also don’t like it when they try to force things on to people. Things like this should never be forced, and in fact, it can’t be forced. Sometimes I think they get too desperate and too passionate that they forgot what it was like to be a non-believer.
1 Comment » | Tuesday, July 1st, 2008
What’s Been Going On Lately
My last couple posts since I talked about the importance of consistent blogging haven’t really been of quality or of interest. Even as I write this now, I can’t guarantee that it’ll be of interest to you, but:
- It’s not just pictures or some twitter-like post
- It’s not a sponsored post
I haven’t really gotten back to replying to all your comments still and I haven’t been commenting on your sites either (though I do still browse through every now and then) even though I’ve been back for almost 2 weeks now. A lot has happened, and I’m going to try and condense everything and save you all from boredom.
Basically, I found out my boyfriend of a year cheated on me all the way back when we just started going out. The hurt and emotional distress I went through isn’t something I can describe, and it really isn’t something I’d like to disclose any further either. All I can say is that I thank God for the amazing friends that have been on my side and supporting me throughout this whole ordeal, despite my cutting off connections with them this past year. I also realized the importance of God in my life and just how much I need Him, so I’m probably going to be spending a lot less time on my blog now, just because I would much rather be spending time catching up with Him. I know I haven’t posted anything lately in the Quiet Time category, but expect them more often from now on 
On the other hand, I’ve made well over hundreds of dollars through sponsored posts now, and I’m definitely going to continue, as it’s a really convenient and good way for me to make some extra cash on the side. Trust me, I’d love to get a normal job with a set salary, but the US government is an idiot and they are taking their precious time approving my renewal for my work authorization card. Morons.
When I get the chance, I will definitely put up some proofs and individual reviews of each service. Meanwhile, please check out the Get Paid To section.
No Comments » | Monday, June 30th, 2008
The Glowing Pickle
Have you ever done an experiment in science class where you hooked a potato to some wires and the electrical current flowed through the vegetable as if it was a wire?
Ok, now if you did the same experiment with a pickle, it’d glow. Yes, the pickle would shine.
My point is that if God can make a pickle shine and light up a dark room, how much more can He do through His children? We just need to learn from the pickle. Yes, even an insignificant vegetable can teach us a valuable lesson.
Now the pickle didn’t glow by itself. No. It was hooked up to a wire, which was then hooked up to the source of the electricity (a batter perhaps). Apply it to humans. Us by ourselves can’t shine. What’s there to shine about us? We’re poor, we’re weak, and we’re full of sin. Honestly, how can we say to others “Hey! look at me! I’ll be you’re light!” when we’re in the dark ourselves.
But add battery and wires, the pickle glowed. With God in our lives, we too can shine for Him. All we need to do is allow His Spirit to flow through us unto other. Be a conductor, not a resistor. God wants to use every single one of His children to be the light that shines for Him in this dark world.
From “God Is Closer Than You Think” by John Ortberg
No Comments » | Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
God’s Translator
There were a few occasions in Brazil when I served as a translator for an English speaker. He stood before the audience, complete with the message. I stood at his side, equipped with the language. My job was to convey his story to the listeners. I did my best to allow his words to come through me. I was not at liberty to embellish or subtract. When the speaker gestured, I gestured. As his volume increased, so did mine. When he got quiet, I did, too.
When he walked this earth, Jesus was “translating” God all the time. When God got louder, Jesus got louder. When God gestured, Jesus gestured. He was so in sync with the Father that he could declare, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” (John 14:11 NRSV). It was as if he heard a voice others were missing.
I witnessed something similar to this on an airplane once. I kept hearing outbursts of laughter. The flight was turbulent and bumpy, hardly a reason for humor. But some fellow behind me was cracking up. No one else, just him. Finally I turned to see what was so funny. He was wearing headphones and apparently listening to a comedian. Because he could hear what I couldn’t, he acted differently than I did.
The same was true with Jesus. Because he could hear what others couldn’t, he acted differently than they did. Remember when everyone was troubled about the man born blind? Jesus wasn’t. Somehow he knew that the blindness would reveal God’s power (John 9:3). Remember when everyone was distraught about Lazarus’s illness? Jesus wasn’t. Rather than hurry to his friend’s bedside, he said, “This sickness will not end in death. It is for the glory of God, to bring glory to the son of God” (John 11:4). It was as if Jesus could hear what no one else could. How could a relationship be more intimate? Jesus had unbroken communion with his father.
Do you suppose the Father desires the same for us? Absolutely. Paul says we have been “predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom. 8:29 NRSV). Let me remind you: God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. God desires the same abiding intimacy with you that he had with his son.
I’ve always wondered what people meant when they said God told them so-and-so, or they heard God say this-and-that, yet I could never hear anything. I remember at the first retreat I went to, I heard the speaker say how he would just sit in his room for hours, and he’d encounter God. Excited by his experience, I went home and tried. I was expecting some extraordinary, what I didn’t know, but just something.
To my disappointment, nothing. I didn’t see a thing, or hear a thing. A year (more I think) has past since then, and I’ve come to realize that God’s voice and presence is not physical like that of a human beings (there could be exceptions though). It’s like a gentle breeze: you don’t see it, you don’t hear it, but you know it’s there. It’s always been, you just never knew it.
You know those voices in your head that argue back and forth when you’re in a dilemma? The good and bad voice? I once asked my mentor if the good voice was the Holy Spirit speaking to me, and she told me yet. The bad one is then obviously Satan. Those voices have always been speaking to me as long as I remember, but I always thought those were mine. So though I heard God’s voice, I didn’t know and thus continued to act the same way.
But now that I know I’ve been hearing God’s voice all along, and the more I study His words and spend time in his presence, the clearer the voice grows. And it talks to me at school, at home, when I’m sad (though I tend to ignore it then), when I’m happy. It’s always there.
*** It can be tricky figuring out the source of the voice at times. Remember, the devil is the master of lies and often disguises himself as “an angel of light”, so any voice you hear that conflicts with the bible is NOT of the Holy Spirit!
No Comments » | Wednesday, February 28th, 2007
my Life, my Strength, my Hope…
..lies not in popularity, cute guys, money, fame, power, or even my family and friend. My life, strength, and hope lies in Christ, and Christ alone. I was just talking to a childhood friend, and she told me how she’s been feeling extremely sick lately. I’m worried to death, because I knew she’s been under a lot of stress since going into college. Moreover, I sensed that she wasn’t as close to God as she was before (well, she did tell me she hadn’t been doing her quiet time). So when she told me about her health and how there might be a greater meaning behind it, I couldn’t help but put 2 and 2 together. Then the song “My Life is in You Lord” just grasped my attention, and I was reminded of just how often we mix up our priorities and seek after the things of this world instead of Him. How then, can we expect things to be good when we fall out of the alignment of His good, pleasing, and perfect will?
But God doesn’t give up on us. Granted, He will never force us to do anything, but He won’t ignore the situation either. The loving Father He is, He will use every mean possible to draw us back to Him. For the soft-hearted, a small pebble will be enough to draw their attention back to Him. But for the more stubborn, it might have to come down a large boulder. Granted, it will hurt. But what is a little pain compared to the blessings that He has promised us?
On a side note, MatsuJun is total eye candy <33 Currently downloading Gokusen and Kimi wa Petto to catch more of his goodness <33
