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written at Sunday, July 31, 2011

We say that we believe in this particular doctrine, or that particular doctrine, but we don't believe in it truly unless we live it out. Because essentially, whether we know it or not, we live out whatever we believe in.


Francis Schaeffer - The doctrines of grace generate a culture of grace. 


And so on this note, I want to share this with you guys,

Watched Captain America with some good friends today, was with a few of us from around the suburb, really like it how there are still decent places to eat and hang out even though it's quite a drive from the city. Was just a small handful of us, had the chance to make a new friend as well. (For the sake of privacy I will not disclose any names, I'll just use letters).

So friend -A- invited friend -B- (Whom we had all just met today for the first time!) to join us for Captain America. They had managed to get a ride with another one of our friends in his car and they all came to pick me up from home before heading to the movies. To set some context, friend -B- has a disability which impedes speech, and I had prior knowledge of this as friend -A- had informed me before the outing. So we had all made it a point to take care of friend -B- and make sure that she feels welcomed. And really thankful that we all had a good time and she did feel welcomed, so that was a very encouraging thing for me personally too. We all had a great time at the movies.

We dropped friend -B- home after the movies and had proceeded to have dinner. So while having dinner, we were all discussing about the ways we could stretch out our hands and continue getting to know friend -B- better, so friend -A- was giving some suggestions. Friend -A- shared something with us which had, for me personally, completely shaken me. Before the movies, when friend -B- was told that 3 other friends were coming (the rest of us), she responded this way...

Here's the line that convicted me so deeply upon hearing it.
-B- asked: Will they hate the way I talk?

That question smashed into me. There was a short silence among us on the table. I mean we were indeed encouraged and heartened that, in the end, friend -B- felt welcomed and loved and in fact, asked if we could have more outings like this in the future. The issue was actually this, that statement revealed how much the world can ostracise or exclude people with these sorts of disabilities.

I was immediately reminded of how the world perceives and treats people with disabilities or conditions which they see as not the "ideal" physical form of a human being. If we look all around us, from the billboards to the posters, from television to even the good-looking actors on the movie screen. It is sad isn't it? I was immediately saddened upon knowing that there is still widespread hurt in society due to insensitivity and indifference.

Upon arriving home, sitting in front of my desk and reflecting/internalizing all that has been today/tonight, I am brought to face to face with even more lessons:

People can easily see through masks and façades, they can clearly see it when you're putting on a show. It seems that there is a clear difference between caring and looking like we care. And the most dangerous and hurtful thing is, when we find out that the person who seemed like they care, actually does not care at all, the resulting hurt which comes about upon knowing, the feeling of being betrayed and cheated, is therefore compounded. They will retreat back into their shells, they will "harden up" as the world so encourages them to do and refuse to share, refuse to open up, their hearts growing more calloused each time.

So then again, I am brought back to what it means to be human. The need to be loved, to be accepted, to be hugged, or to be called friend, father, mother, son or daughter. Shame on ourselves that we have not extended this to others. Because it's not merely an acceptable, politically correct social grace/etiquette by doing so, rather, because you truly, truly, love that person, and because there's so much more you can give, because whatever we give or extend to others isn't really our own is it? Rather, it has been freely given to us in the person of Jesus Christ? Why am I holding back on something that has been freely given to me.

A pure, merciful, loving, gracious heart, we must.

written at Friday, July 29, 2011

"If you utter what is precious, not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth." Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)

I can think of so many times of the words uttered from my mouth, being foul and disrespectful towards others. Feeling strangely convicted tonight. A sense of awakening to this realisation that at times my words may not be gracious, encouraging or loving. Well, even the words "may not be" doesn't do it, it should be "have not been". Thinking out loud here...

written at Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Miracles are all around us, we just have to open our eyes to see it.
Maybe, then, we can start to see and taste a more magnificent, glorious picture of what's to come, and respond, with arms raised, full of hope and gratefulness.

written at Friday, July 15, 2011

1. A narrow set of teachings about Jesus, his death and resurrection that “tip people into the kingdom,” after which theology and other things come later.
2. The first and second great commandments (Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; Love your neighbor as yourself.) They are central, but they’re not the Gospel.
3. The ethical teaching of Jesus. But abstracted from his passion and resurrection rests on two mistakes:
   • In the first century there was not the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, etc. It was “The Gospel” according to Matthew, “The Gospel,” according to Mark. One gospel, various perspectives.
   • Studying Jesus’s teaching while making the cross peripheral reduces the gospel to mere obedience and duty. This is catastrophic.

1. Christological.
   • Not a bland theism or general pantheism.
   • Only Jesus is the name by which we can be saved. Jesus alone reconciles us to God.
   • “The gospel is not preached if Christ is not preached,” but not just the person of Christ, but his atoning death and resurrection.
2. Theological.
   • God raised Christ Jesus from the dead.
   • God’s purpose was for Christ to die and rise, not mere death, but that he died for our sins, and rose for our justification
   • God’s wrath against sin. Our sin problem is personal. God pronounces the sentence of death against sin.
   • God is the one whom we have offended, who must be appeased. And what makes God most angry is idolatry, the “de-godding” of God, the putting of something else in God’s place. God is still jealous. Repentance is necessary because the coming of the king brings judgment as well as blessing.
3. Biblical. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was raised according to the Scriptures.
4. Apostolic. Listen to the sequence of pronouns Paul uses in 1Cor 15:11 “Whether it was I (an apostle) or they (the apostles) this is what we (the apostles) preach, and this is what youbelieved. I, we, they, you. This Gospel is apostolic (Carson credits J.R.W. Stott for this sequence of pronouns)
5. Historical.
   • 1 Cor 15 specifies both Jesus’s burial (death) and resurrection. Jesus’s death and resurrection are tied together in history. Any approach that attempts to pit them against one another is silly.
   • The manner in which we access the events of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection is the same as we have with any historical event: the remains and writings of those who were there. This is why the matter of being witnesses was so important.
   • The central Christian claims are irreducibly historical. Unlike all other religions, the historical uniqueness of Christ is non-negotiable, not just the historicity of the man Jesus, but the historical claims of his death for our sins, his burial and resurrection. God does not give a revelation to Jesus which Jesus passes on, rather Jesus is the revelation of God. The revelation cannot be separated from Christ. To attempt to do so is incoherent. This is a historical revelation, and there are historical events that cannot be separated, chiefly his death for our sins, burial and resurrection. These are truths of history.
   • The word “historical” is sometimes slippery. Some think that it means those events which have causes that are located only in natural things. Such a definition excludes the miraculous. We insist that historical means events that took place in history, whether from natural causes or through God’s supernatural intervention in power, operating in history.
6. Personal. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are not merely historical events, or merely theological precepts. They set forth a way of personal salvation. Paul says this is the gospel 
   which you received and on which you take your stand. This is not an abstract. It is personal.
7. Universal. The gospel is a comprehensive vision of a new humanity drawn from every tribe and nation. It is not universal in that it includes everyone without exception; but it is universal in the sense that it is for all ethnic and other groups.
8. Eschatological. Some of the blessings Christians receive are blessings of the last day brought into our time. Among these are justification – we are justified (fait accompli) and we will be justified. We look forward to an eschatological fulfillment of the transformation that has already begun in us. We cannot focus only on the blessings those who are in Christ enjoy in this age, but there are greater fulfillments yet to come.

1. This gospel is normally disseminated in proclamation (preaching, heraldic ministry). The good news must be announced, heralded, explained.
2. This gospel is fruitfully received in authentic, persevering faith, faith that continues and brings forth results.
3. This gospel is properly disclosed in a context of personal self-humiliation. People respond to it by becoming aware of their own insufficiency and helplessness. “I am not what I want to be, nor what I ought to be, nor what I will be, but by the grace of God I am what I am.” John Newton. Humility. Gratitude. Dependence on Christ, contrition – these
   are the attitudes of the truly converted. “Proud Christian” is an unthinkable oxymoron.
4. This gospel is rightly asserted to be the confession of the whole church. Of course what the whole church, or all the churches are doing, is not necessarily right. Otherwise there would be no need for an Athanasius or a Luther. Hidebound tradition is not the gospel. But also be suspicious of churches who proudly flaunt how different they are from what has gone before.
5. This gospel is boldly advancing under the contested reign and inevitable victory of Jesus the king. All of God’s sovereignty is mediated through kind Jesus: All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth… the name that is above every name… he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. There is still resistance, but one day the final enemy, death itself, will die, and God will be all in all. Therefore, stand firm, let nothing move you, always give yourselves fully to the Lord, knowing that your work for him is not in vain.

written at Sunday, July 31, 2011

We say that we believe in this particular doctrine, or that particular doctrine, but we don't believe in it truly unless we live it out. Because essentially, whether we know it or not, we live out whatever we believe in.


Francis Schaeffer - The doctrines of grace generate a culture of grace. 


And so on this note, I want to share this with you guys,

Watched Captain America with some good friends today, was with a few of us from around the suburb, really like it how there are still decent places to eat and hang out even though it's quite a drive from the city. Was just a small handful of us, had the chance to make a new friend as well. (For the sake of privacy I will not disclose any names, I'll just use letters).

So friend -A- invited friend -B- (Whom we had all just met today for the first time!) to join us for Captain America. They had managed to get a ride with another one of our friends in his car and they all came to pick me up from home before heading to the movies. To set some context, friend -B- has a disability which impedes speech, and I had prior knowledge of this as friend -A- had informed me before the outing. So we had all made it a point to take care of friend -B- and make sure that she feels welcomed. And really thankful that we all had a good time and she did feel welcomed, so that was a very encouraging thing for me personally too. We all had a great time at the movies.

We dropped friend -B- home after the movies and had proceeded to have dinner. So while having dinner, we were all discussing about the ways we could stretch out our hands and continue getting to know friend -B- better, so friend -A- was giving some suggestions. Friend -A- shared something with us which had, for me personally, completely shaken me. Before the movies, when friend -B- was told that 3 other friends were coming (the rest of us), she responded this way...

Here's the line that convicted me so deeply upon hearing it.
-B- asked: Will they hate the way I talk?

That question smashed into me. There was a short silence among us on the table. I mean we were indeed encouraged and heartened that, in the end, friend -B- felt welcomed and loved and in fact, asked if we could have more outings like this in the future. The issue was actually this, that statement revealed how much the world can ostracise or exclude people with these sorts of disabilities.

I was immediately reminded of how the world perceives and treats people with disabilities or conditions which they see as not the "ideal" physical form of a human being. If we look all around us, from the billboards to the posters, from television to even the good-looking actors on the movie screen. It is sad isn't it? I was immediately saddened upon knowing that there is still widespread hurt in society due to insensitivity and indifference.

Upon arriving home, sitting in front of my desk and reflecting/internalizing all that has been today/tonight, I am brought to face to face with even more lessons:

People can easily see through masks and façades, they can clearly see it when you're putting on a show. It seems that there is a clear difference between caring and looking like we care. And the most dangerous and hurtful thing is, when we find out that the person who seemed like they care, actually does not care at all, the resulting hurt which comes about upon knowing, the feeling of being betrayed and cheated, is therefore compounded. They will retreat back into their shells, they will "harden up" as the world so encourages them to do and refuse to share, refuse to open up, their hearts growing more calloused each time.

So then again, I am brought back to what it means to be human. The need to be loved, to be accepted, to be hugged, or to be called friend, father, mother, son or daughter. Shame on ourselves that we have not extended this to others. Because it's not merely an acceptable, politically correct social grace/etiquette by doing so, rather, because you truly, truly, love that person, and because there's so much more you can give, because whatever we give or extend to others isn't really our own is it? Rather, it has been freely given to us in the person of Jesus Christ? Why am I holding back on something that has been freely given to me.

A pure, merciful, loving, gracious heart, we must.

written at Friday, July 29, 2011

"If you utter what is precious, not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth." Jeremiah 15:19 (ESV)

I can think of so many times of the words uttered from my mouth, being foul and disrespectful towards others. Feeling strangely convicted tonight. A sense of awakening to this realisation that at times my words may not be gracious, encouraging or loving. Well, even the words "may not be" doesn't do it, it should be "have not been". Thinking out loud here...

written at Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Miracles are all around us, we just have to open our eyes to see it.
Maybe, then, we can start to see and taste a more magnificent, glorious picture of what's to come, and respond, with arms raised, full of hope and gratefulness.

written at Friday, July 15, 2011

1. A narrow set of teachings about Jesus, his death and resurrection that “tip people into the kingdom,” after which theology and other things come later.
2. The first and second great commandments (Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; Love your neighbor as yourself.) They are central, but they’re not the Gospel.
3. The ethical teaching of Jesus. But abstracted from his passion and resurrection rests on two mistakes:
   • In the first century there was not the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Mark, etc. It was “The Gospel” according to Matthew, “The Gospel,” according to Mark. One gospel, various perspectives.
   • Studying Jesus’s teaching while making the cross peripheral reduces the gospel to mere obedience and duty. This is catastrophic.

1. Christological.
   • Not a bland theism or general pantheism.
   • Only Jesus is the name by which we can be saved. Jesus alone reconciles us to God.
   • “The gospel is not preached if Christ is not preached,” but not just the person of Christ, but his atoning death and resurrection.
2. Theological.
   • God raised Christ Jesus from the dead.
   • God’s purpose was for Christ to die and rise, not mere death, but that he died for our sins, and rose for our justification
   • God’s wrath against sin. Our sin problem is personal. God pronounces the sentence of death against sin.
   • God is the one whom we have offended, who must be appeased. And what makes God most angry is idolatry, the “de-godding” of God, the putting of something else in God’s place. God is still jealous. Repentance is necessary because the coming of the king brings judgment as well as blessing.
3. Biblical. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and was raised according to the Scriptures.
4. Apostolic. Listen to the sequence of pronouns Paul uses in 1Cor 15:11 “Whether it was I (an apostle) or they (the apostles) this is what we (the apostles) preach, and this is what youbelieved. I, we, they, you. This Gospel is apostolic (Carson credits J.R.W. Stott for this sequence of pronouns)
5. Historical.
   • 1 Cor 15 specifies both Jesus’s burial (death) and resurrection. Jesus’s death and resurrection are tied together in history. Any approach that attempts to pit them against one another is silly.
   • The manner in which we access the events of Jesus’s death, burial and resurrection is the same as we have with any historical event: the remains and writings of those who were there. This is why the matter of being witnesses was so important.
   • The central Christian claims are irreducibly historical. Unlike all other religions, the historical uniqueness of Christ is non-negotiable, not just the historicity of the man Jesus, but the historical claims of his death for our sins, his burial and resurrection. God does not give a revelation to Jesus which Jesus passes on, rather Jesus is the revelation of God. The revelation cannot be separated from Christ. To attempt to do so is incoherent. This is a historical revelation, and there are historical events that cannot be separated, chiefly his death for our sins, burial and resurrection. These are truths of history.
   • The word “historical” is sometimes slippery. Some think that it means those events which have causes that are located only in natural things. Such a definition excludes the miraculous. We insist that historical means events that took place in history, whether from natural causes or through God’s supernatural intervention in power, operating in history.
6. Personal. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are not merely historical events, or merely theological precepts. They set forth a way of personal salvation. Paul says this is the gospel 
   which you received and on which you take your stand. This is not an abstract. It is personal.
7. Universal. The gospel is a comprehensive vision of a new humanity drawn from every tribe and nation. It is not universal in that it includes everyone without exception; but it is universal in the sense that it is for all ethnic and other groups.
8. Eschatological. Some of the blessings Christians receive are blessings of the last day brought into our time. Among these are justification – we are justified (fait accompli) and we will be justified. We look forward to an eschatological fulfillment of the transformation that has already begun in us. We cannot focus only on the blessings those who are in Christ enjoy in this age, but there are greater fulfillments yet to come.

1. This gospel is normally disseminated in proclamation (preaching, heraldic ministry). The good news must be announced, heralded, explained.
2. This gospel is fruitfully received in authentic, persevering faith, faith that continues and brings forth results.
3. This gospel is properly disclosed in a context of personal self-humiliation. People respond to it by becoming aware of their own insufficiency and helplessness. “I am not what I want to be, nor what I ought to be, nor what I will be, but by the grace of God I am what I am.” John Newton. Humility. Gratitude. Dependence on Christ, contrition – these
   are the attitudes of the truly converted. “Proud Christian” is an unthinkable oxymoron.
4. This gospel is rightly asserted to be the confession of the whole church. Of course what the whole church, or all the churches are doing, is not necessarily right. Otherwise there would be no need for an Athanasius or a Luther. Hidebound tradition is not the gospel. But also be suspicious of churches who proudly flaunt how different they are from what has gone before.
5. This gospel is boldly advancing under the contested reign and inevitable victory of Jesus the king. All of God’s sovereignty is mediated through kind Jesus: All authority is given to me in heaven and on earth… the name that is above every name… he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. There is still resistance, but one day the final enemy, death itself, will die, and God will be all in all. Therefore, stand firm, let nothing move you, always give yourselves fully to the Lord, knowing that your work for him is not in vain.

Knowing

What matters supremely, therefore, is not
in the last analysis, the fact that I know God,
but the larger fact which underlies it --
the fact that He knows me.

J. I. Packer

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