Matthew 13:1-23
I slept so much last night it's ridiculous. I think I slept a total of 11 hours. Is that even possible? I don't know what it was but I couldn't even wake up. Good thing I didn't have a whole lot to do. I ended up having to do a lot of work in between classes, but they weren't that big of a deal. But 11 hours!!! I'm like tired from sleeping, if any of you guys know what that feels like.
Today was cold and as I was bundling up, I decided, man I need to start working out. I haven't done so in a while and my excuse was the cold. It's too much of a hassle going out to go work out. But I will do it starting tomorrow. This is all for the better. So if you see me this week, ask me if I worked out today so I can feel guilty if I didn't. Another thing I have to work on is managing money. I have been eating out way too much since the semester started. I need to do less of that.
Parable of the Sower
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2013:1-23;&version=31;
The reading today is a popular one. That does not mean it should not be studied. In fact, we probably have to look into it deeper. And so I wanted to cover only this parable for today.
The first thing to cover is the question the crowd had. When Jesus spoke, He spoke in parables. And this was rather confusing to them. By the way, before I continue, I do want to raise a question about Jesus speaking from the boat. I heard from someone that this was rather strategic because the wind blows towards the shore and so if Jesus stood on the boat and the crowd on shore, that would have carried His voice to more people. That's what I thought it was, I just needed some verification on that. This isn't anything important though.
Jesus gives us an answer as to why He speaks in such a fashion. Those who have the ears, the eyes, and the heart will understand His message, regardless of how He delivers it. He can be speaking in some funky language and those who receive Him will still understand it. It is a secret of heaven, as He states. Thus, if we truly understand His word and live to it, then we'll know why. He then praises those who are able to do this because there are even teachers of the law that want this gift. Do we understand and hear to this extent? That gives me all the more reason to look deeper into these parables and not just take them for stories that give us a life lesson. Jesus has a valuable secret embedded in them. I hope I can understand them the way He wanted us to.
The parable then. This parable about the seeds is rather simple, but in no way does that take anything away from His point of it. Basically He lists four types of listeners to His word. I make a list here with description:
1.) Seed On Path - These are listeners who listen to the word, but do not understand it. Thus, when some evil comes along, they lose it.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word and accept it with joy. However, their roots are shallow and their foundation is weak. Thus, any troubles they face make them lose it.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. Yet, they are choked with worries and other values in life. Thus, they produce bad fruit.
4.) Seed On Good Soil - These are listeners who listen to the word, accept it, and understand it. They live by it and produce good fruit.
Now it is a no-brainer on what we should strive to be, and that's the 4th one. The question though is where are we at, and how do we get to 4? I went through each scenario and thought about what I could do. I also thought of some people I love and cherish in my life that may fall into some of these categories and prayed that they can make the necessary changes so they can make it to 4. Here's what I thought:
1.) Seed On Path - Again these are people who hear the word and lose it to evil because they don't fully understand it. I think for the most part these include people who have not yet accepted Christ. They can be atheists, agnostics, or even people who kind of believe in God, but more on the "not" side. I think the important thing to do here is to find out more and more about it. I think the first thing I would do is read. There is no risk in it other than time, really. If it mattered to you this much, though, then I don't see an excuse in it. Reading the Bible is one of the biggest things you can possibly do. After I've read and seen why Christians make a big deal out of it, then I study it. You cannot argue against it if you don't know anything about it. That goes both ways by the way. You cannot defend it if you don't know anything about it either. So please, just read it. It won't hurt, I promise. Hopefully it will help in getting to the right direction.
2.) Seed On Rocky Soil - People who accept it gladly at first, but lose it because of the lack of foundation. This one is a struggle and it may even be the most popular one. But the solution is rather simple I think. Study. Really. Study. The only reason I can see for the lack of foundation is because we don't know anything to build that foundation. It is tough to build a foundation when all you do is go to church on Sunday, receive the word, be happy you received it, then the next day you're back to being lost. Make an effort. Build a foundation on rocks so it may endure the troubles and the word you so gladly accepted will remain with you.
3.) Seed Amongst Thorns - These are people who accept the word and understand it. Yet, struggles, worries, and other values conflict with it. And thus, we cannot produce the good fruit that we need to produce. As a seed amongst thorns, you probably love God and praise God, but so many other things in life hinder us. I can't find an easy solution to this really other than to put all our faith in God. All our worries will be taken care of. We really need a strong foundation and a strong faith. We really need to be able to trust that God will take care of things and all we need to do is what we're told.
Which seed am I? I would have to say a mix of 2 and 3. I've been the second one for quite some time (especially all throughout jr. high and high school) but have found a joy in reading the word. I still struggle though and am in the middle of building that strong foundation needed to fight the good fight. Worries are quite common amongst people at my age. With the economy being crappy and my future unclear, it is so easy to be in those thorns. It's tough. I admit it. But that's why I need to keep learning and praying. I hope to make more progress.
Summary:
Parable Of The Sower
1-2 Jesus sat on a boat to speak to the crowd because the crowd so large. He spoke in parables.
3-9 He said a farmer sowed his seed and some went fell on the path, where birds ate them, some fell on rocky soil, where it sprang up quickly because of the lack of soil and then withered because they had no roots, some fell among thorns, where the plants choked, and some fell on good soil, where it produced good crop. He told everyone to listen.
10-14 The crowd asked why He spoke in parables. Jesus replied that the secrets have been given and whoever has them will keep them while those who don't will lose what they have. They do not truly see or hear. This is part of the prophecy of Isaiah.
15-17 Jesus said that because the people have shut their ears and eyes, their hearts have been calloused. If they did opened their ears and eyes they would have understood with their hearts and been healed by Him.
18-23 Jesus describes His parable. The seeds on the path are those who listen to the word and don't understand it. Thus, the evil takes it away. The seeds on the rocky soil receive the word gratefully, but don't have a root deep enough to keep it. The seeds amongst thorns receive the word but worries of life make it unfruitful. The ones on good soil take the word, understand it, and produce good.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
Driving Out Satan
Matthew 12: 22-50
Happy Year of the Ox! I don't really celebrate Chinese New Years, but being in Chinese 202, I pretty much have been hearing about this day since the beginning of the semester. In any case, I wish your year of the ox will be full of goodness. Oh and if you do celebrate it and received a red envelope full of money, keep in mind that I am a pretty poor hungry college student (keyword: hungry). :)
Anyways it's Monday and you all know what that means. AUGGGHHH. Yea, well my Monday has been nothing special other than the fact that I've been on campus since 8:30. Exhilarating, I know. Has anyone read the Exponent today (it's the Purdue newspaper, for those in Cali) ? I found that article about the RIAA pretty interesting.
Jesus And Beelzebub
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:22-37;&version=31;
Jesus attacks the Pharisees indirectly for the first time here. Throughout Jesus's journey, the Pharisees has kept close watch and nit-picked on every little detail. Finally the Pharisees referred Jesus as Beelzebub, and Jesus spoke out to prove them wrong. And He makes a strong point with a rather simple logic.
A kingdom will be destroyed if it is divided against itself. In other words, if the people in the kingdom is fighting against others in the same kingdom, then the kingdom will struggle and eventually struggle; it will be an internal breakdown. So, if what the Pharisees says is right and Jesus is Beelzebub, or Satan, then why would He drive out demons. Demons are Satan's tools. Driving them out will be countering what Satan stands for. Thus, it will cause a division and an eventual fall to Satan's kingdom. Thus, it can't be true. Thus, Jesus driving demons out is actually bring the Kingdom of God to the people. If He didn't, then who would take care of the demons? They would prevail and take
over. Sounds pretty simple. No? Maybe His second example will help.
You cannot rob a house of a strong man's without tying up the strong man. Makes sense right? Like if you one day thought about robbing Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'd have to do something to him first. Otherwise, you'd die. So if God was to take over Satan, then He'd have to do something with the demons. Hence, Jesus is driving them out.
Jesus then makes a strong statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He says that we will be judged by what we say. A man who is evil produces evil and says evil. This person cannot enter the kingdom. Thus, we need to be a good tree that produces good fruit. We need to really watch what we're saying. Sometimes that means saying very little. And that's advocated in the Bible. We must be people of very few words. That's my challenge to you today.
The Sign Of Jonah
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:38-45;&version=31;
When the Pharisees ask for a miracle, Jesus replies with statement about how wicked their generation was. This statement is rather difficult to follow, but the gist of it is in the fact that the people are so wicked that no matter what miracles may come, it will not help them.
Jesus gives them the sign of Jonah, as the name suggests. He says that the people that listened to Jonah and Solomon will condemn them for they are evil. The second part of His answer is even scarier. He says that even if a miracle is performed an the evil is driven out of the man, the evil will return to the man because the man will not have prepared his body to prevent it. Thus, the evil will return to the body, only stronger than before. Thus, the men will be worse. That's the condition they will be in.
What can we get from this answer? The message was rather difficult to follow for me and even harder for me to relate to my life. But I think the important thing is to not be like the Pharisees. They are there nitpicking and testing Jesus. They want a full 100% proof before accepting Him. And the answer He gives them is that no matter what He does, it will not help them because they are already so shut-in. We have to make sure that this doesn't happen to us. I find myself doubting Him a lot too and almost testing Him. But if He did send a sign or miracle, will I be able to then prepare my body to prevent all evil? Or am I just as bad as these Pharisees, where nothing will help our cause...
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:46-50;&version=31;
It is great to hear, then, that if we're not like the Pharisees, we can be Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters. He says that whoever does the will of the Father in heaven will be one. The choice really is ours.
Summary:
Jesus And Beelzebub
22-24 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute and people wondered if He was the Son of Davis. The Pharisees said He was Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
25-29 Jesus says that a kingdom, city, or household divided against itself will be ruined. In the same sense, if Satan drove out Satan, he would be divided. Jesus driving out demons by the Spirit of God means the kingdom of God has come upon them. He gives one more explanation. How can someone rob a strong man's house without tying up the strong man.
30-32 Jesus declares that anyone who is not with Him is against Him. He says the sins will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirt will not.
33- 37 Jesus says to make a tree good and the fruits will be good. So anyone who is evil cannot produce good. He also makes a statement about the words that we speak for it is by a man's words the man will be condemned.
The Sign Of Jonah
38-39 The Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign, but Jesus did not give it to them. Instead He gave them the sing of Jonah.
40-42 He says just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish, He will be in the heard of the earth. The men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah's preaching, and Queen of the South, who listened to Solomon, will condemn the generation. Jesus is here and He is greater than both Jonah and Solomon.
43-45 Jesus says that once evil leaves a man it will not find a home and return back more evil than before. Thus, the man will be in worse condition. That is the state of the generation.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46-47 In the crowd, someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were present and wanted to speak to Him.
48-50 Jesus then said that His mother and brothers were them, the disciples because whoever did the will of God was His brother, sister, and mother.
Happy Year of the Ox! I don't really celebrate Chinese New Years, but being in Chinese 202, I pretty much have been hearing about this day since the beginning of the semester. In any case, I wish your year of the ox will be full of goodness. Oh and if you do celebrate it and received a red envelope full of money, keep in mind that I am a pretty poor hungry college student (keyword: hungry). :)
Anyways it's Monday and you all know what that means. AUGGGHHH. Yea, well my Monday has been nothing special other than the fact that I've been on campus since 8:30. Exhilarating, I know. Has anyone read the Exponent today (it's the Purdue newspaper, for those in Cali) ? I found that article about the RIAA pretty interesting.
Jesus And Beelzebub
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:22-37;&version=31;
Jesus attacks the Pharisees indirectly for the first time here. Throughout Jesus's journey, the Pharisees has kept close watch and nit-picked on every little detail. Finally the Pharisees referred Jesus as Beelzebub, and Jesus spoke out to prove them wrong. And He makes a strong point with a rather simple logic.
A kingdom will be destroyed if it is divided against itself. In other words, if the people in the kingdom is fighting against others in the same kingdom, then the kingdom will struggle and eventually struggle; it will be an internal breakdown. So, if what the Pharisees says is right and Jesus is Beelzebub, or Satan, then why would He drive out demons. Demons are Satan's tools. Driving them out will be countering what Satan stands for. Thus, it will cause a division and an eventual fall to Satan's kingdom. Thus, it can't be true. Thus, Jesus driving demons out is actually bring the Kingdom of God to the people. If He didn't, then who would take care of the demons? They would prevail and take
over. Sounds pretty simple. No? Maybe His second example will help.
You cannot rob a house of a strong man's without tying up the strong man. Makes sense right? Like if you one day thought about robbing Arnold Schwarzenegger, you'd have to do something to him first. Otherwise, you'd die. So if God was to take over Satan, then He'd have to do something with the demons. Hence, Jesus is driving them out.
Jesus then makes a strong statement about blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He says that we will be judged by what we say. A man who is evil produces evil and says evil. This person cannot enter the kingdom. Thus, we need to be a good tree that produces good fruit. We need to really watch what we're saying. Sometimes that means saying very little. And that's advocated in the Bible. We must be people of very few words. That's my challenge to you today.
The Sign Of Jonah
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:38-45;&version=31;
When the Pharisees ask for a miracle, Jesus replies with statement about how wicked their generation was. This statement is rather difficult to follow, but the gist of it is in the fact that the people are so wicked that no matter what miracles may come, it will not help them.
Jesus gives them the sign of Jonah, as the name suggests. He says that the people that listened to Jonah and Solomon will condemn them for they are evil. The second part of His answer is even scarier. He says that even if a miracle is performed an the evil is driven out of the man, the evil will return to the man because the man will not have prepared his body to prevent it. Thus, the evil will return to the body, only stronger than before. Thus, the men will be worse. That's the condition they will be in.
What can we get from this answer? The message was rather difficult to follow for me and even harder for me to relate to my life. But I think the important thing is to not be like the Pharisees. They are there nitpicking and testing Jesus. They want a full 100% proof before accepting Him. And the answer He gives them is that no matter what He does, it will not help them because they are already so shut-in. We have to make sure that this doesn't happen to us. I find myself doubting Him a lot too and almost testing Him. But if He did send a sign or miracle, will I be able to then prepare my body to prevent all evil? Or am I just as bad as these Pharisees, where nothing will help our cause...
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:46-50;&version=31;
It is great to hear, then, that if we're not like the Pharisees, we can be Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters. He says that whoever does the will of the Father in heaven will be one. The choice really is ours.
Summary:
Jesus And Beelzebub
22-24 Jesus healed a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute and people wondered if He was the Son of Davis. The Pharisees said He was Beelzebub, the prince of demons.
25-29 Jesus says that a kingdom, city, or household divided against itself will be ruined. In the same sense, if Satan drove out Satan, he would be divided. Jesus driving out demons by the Spirit of God means the kingdom of God has come upon them. He gives one more explanation. How can someone rob a strong man's house without tying up the strong man.
30-32 Jesus declares that anyone who is not with Him is against Him. He says the sins will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirt will not.
33- 37 Jesus says to make a tree good and the fruits will be good. So anyone who is evil cannot produce good. He also makes a statement about the words that we speak for it is by a man's words the man will be condemned.
The Sign Of Jonah
38-39 The Pharisees asked for a miraculous sign, but Jesus did not give it to them. Instead He gave them the sing of Jonah.
40-42 He says just as Jonah was in the belly of a fish, He will be in the heard of the earth. The men of Nineveh, who repented at Jonah's preaching, and Queen of the South, who listened to Solomon, will condemn the generation. Jesus is here and He is greater than both Jonah and Solomon.
43-45 Jesus says that once evil leaves a man it will not find a home and return back more evil than before. Thus, the man will be in worse condition. That is the state of the generation.
Jesus' Mother and Brothers
46-47 In the crowd, someone told Jesus that His mother and brothers were present and wanted to speak to Him.
48-50 Jesus then said that His mother and brothers were them, the disciples because whoever did the will of God was His brother, sister, and mother.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Knowing What's Important
Matthew 12:1-21
Snow! Just when everyone thought it was getting warmer again, it started to snow. It snowed quite a bit. For some reason I was happy that it snowed. I guess it's kind of grown on me now. Church went great even if it was really cold in our sanctuary. After service I took a huge nap (more like sleep lol) and attempted to study. Keyword: attempt.
Well school is about to start again. This week is going to be significantly tougher than the weeks before in terms of workload. And what's up with these people starting school tomorrow for the first time this semester? Geez. I know it's Cal State Fullerton and you guys think you guys are special, but it's like the end of January. Anyways have a good first day.
Lord Of The Sabbath
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:1-14;&version=31;
At this time of the Bible, Jesus has probably acquired a lot of fame. People all over the world are probably talking about Jesus and the miracles that He has performed. While He probably had a lot of followers, He probably produced just as many enemies. These enemies are probably out there nitpicking on every little detail trying to find a fault with Jesus. And this passage is one example of that.
The Day of Sabbath, or the holy day (aka Sunday), was observed by these Pharisees. They probably had a tradition of some sort that depicted what was in the law and made sure that everyone followed it. So when Jesus's disciples did something contrary to what they believed, they made a big deal out of it. Jesus's answer to this is one that basically states that such things are trivial in the grand scheme of things. Jesus is greater than the temples and whatever traditions and laws the Pharisees may follow. Jesus claims that He is the Son of God and the Lord of Sabbath.
When thinking about how this may relate to us, I think we can relate to it very well. What do we think of church? We make sure everything is under control, everyone is dressed, and things just look perfect. Now I'm not saying that any of this is bad. I think it's great. But when it becomes so important that we disregard the whole purpose of our being there, then it becomes a problem and we become no better than the Pharisees. The Pharisees did everything they were instructed to. But they were missing the point. Jesus is much greater than any of that. We need to keep that in mind.
When the man with the shriveled hand (don't know what exactly this is) asks if it is alright to heal on the day of Sabbath, Jesus answers that it is. We need to stop making such a big deal about what's right and what's wrong. They're important, yes, but not to the extent where we forget our purposes. In the end the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:15-21;&version=31;
This passage is rather simple and shows who Jesus is. God sent Jesus as His servant to bring justice to the nations. He was sent to heal the sick and give hope to the nations. He will lead justice to victory.
Summary:
Lord Of The Sabbath
1-2 Jesus and His disciples were in the grainfields on Sabbath and because they were hungry the disciples ate the grains. Pharisees called that it was unlawful.
3-8 Jesus replied that David and his men ate the consecrated bread, which is unlawful, and priests desecrate the day and yet are innocent. Jesus is greater than the temples and He told them they would not have condemned if they knew what mercy was.
9-14 In the synagogue a man with shriveled hands asked if it was lawful to heal on the day of Sabbath. Jesus replies that it is lawful to do good on the day of Sabbath. Jesus healed the man's hand. The Pharisees tried to plot on how to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15-16 Jesus went away knowing about the plot and healed the sick. He told them not to say who He was. This was to fulfill a prophesy.
17 Jesus was a servant to bring justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out, but will lead justice to victory. The nations will have hope through Him.
Snow! Just when everyone thought it was getting warmer again, it started to snow. It snowed quite a bit. For some reason I was happy that it snowed. I guess it's kind of grown on me now. Church went great even if it was really cold in our sanctuary. After service I took a huge nap (more like sleep lol) and attempted to study. Keyword: attempt.
Well school is about to start again. This week is going to be significantly tougher than the weeks before in terms of workload. And what's up with these people starting school tomorrow for the first time this semester? Geez. I know it's Cal State Fullerton and you guys think you guys are special, but it's like the end of January. Anyways have a good first day.
Lord Of The Sabbath
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:1-14;&version=31;
At this time of the Bible, Jesus has probably acquired a lot of fame. People all over the world are probably talking about Jesus and the miracles that He has performed. While He probably had a lot of followers, He probably produced just as many enemies. These enemies are probably out there nitpicking on every little detail trying to find a fault with Jesus. And this passage is one example of that.
The Day of Sabbath, or the holy day (aka Sunday), was observed by these Pharisees. They probably had a tradition of some sort that depicted what was in the law and made sure that everyone followed it. So when Jesus's disciples did something contrary to what they believed, they made a big deal out of it. Jesus's answer to this is one that basically states that such things are trivial in the grand scheme of things. Jesus is greater than the temples and whatever traditions and laws the Pharisees may follow. Jesus claims that He is the Son of God and the Lord of Sabbath.
When thinking about how this may relate to us, I think we can relate to it very well. What do we think of church? We make sure everything is under control, everyone is dressed, and things just look perfect. Now I'm not saying that any of this is bad. I think it's great. But when it becomes so important that we disregard the whole purpose of our being there, then it becomes a problem and we become no better than the Pharisees. The Pharisees did everything they were instructed to. But they were missing the point. Jesus is much greater than any of that. We need to keep that in mind.
When the man with the shriveled hand (don't know what exactly this is) asks if it is alright to heal on the day of Sabbath, Jesus answers that it is. We need to stop making such a big deal about what's right and what's wrong. They're important, yes, but not to the extent where we forget our purposes. In the end the Pharisees plotted to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2012:15-21;&version=31;
This passage is rather simple and shows who Jesus is. God sent Jesus as His servant to bring justice to the nations. He was sent to heal the sick and give hope to the nations. He will lead justice to victory.
Summary:
Lord Of The Sabbath
1-2 Jesus and His disciples were in the grainfields on Sabbath and because they were hungry the disciples ate the grains. Pharisees called that it was unlawful.
3-8 Jesus replied that David and his men ate the consecrated bread, which is unlawful, and priests desecrate the day and yet are innocent. Jesus is greater than the temples and He told them they would not have condemned if they knew what mercy was.
9-14 In the synagogue a man with shriveled hands asked if it was lawful to heal on the day of Sabbath. Jesus replies that it is lawful to do good on the day of Sabbath. Jesus healed the man's hand. The Pharisees tried to plot on how to kill Jesus.
God's Chosen Servant
15-16 Jesus went away knowing about the plot and healed the sick. He told them not to say who He was. This was to fulfill a prophesy.
17 Jesus was a servant to bring justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out, but will lead justice to victory. The nations will have hope through Him.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Find Rest
Matthew 11:20-30
Saturday is already over. Weekends are just way too short. It's not fair. We had leader's meeting for church this morning and discussed what's to come. I'm excited for our retreat that will happen next weekend. I think it'll be a great start into the semester just before everyone starts to get busy. Hopefully it'll get everyone started in the right direction with the right intent. I do kind of want to talk about our Bible Study on Friday because I didn't really blog on Friday. It was the first Bible Study of this semester and I just wanted to put down my thoughts here. Mainly, things I need to work on. One thing I definitely want to get better at is challenging people more. Some questions are just way to easy and I struggle milking out more questions from them. I need to improve on generating more thought-provoking questions. Some people are just gifted with this; I'm not. If anyone has tips, that'd be awesome. I'll try to let you guys know how it's going along the way.
I tried to get some work done today, but I couldn't. I wasn't motivated enough. I opened the book, stared at it. Read the intro, and then stopped at the first equation. It wasn't going to happen. Went back home, and watched "The Godfather." The movie is just epic. And yes, I have never watched the movie till today. I actually watched both Parts I and II and ran out of energy to watch III. I have newfound respect for Al Pacino. Seriously I can't believe I haven't watched this movie before. But yea, that took up all of today. I don't regret it though. It might have even
been productive.
Woe To Unrepentant Cities
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:20-24;&version=31;
This passage is really straightforward. You do not repent, then you will not be recognized. After all of the miracles Jesus has performed for these cities, they did not repent. For those that did, they will enter the kingdom of Heaven. He will pass judgment. So it is crucial for us to repent.
Rest For The Weary
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:25-30;&version=31;
The first part of this reading is confusing. He thanks the Father for hiding "these things." It is unclear what these are. It might be the truth. What comes to mind is the apple in the Garden of Eden. All those things are hidden from us. And maybe Jesus is thanking for that? The other thing it could possibly be is what I read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31,
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
What I get from this passage is that the very thing he may have hidden is Jesus Christ. He gave us these lowly things. Many are happy with these things. Things like money, wealth, fame, etc. But something greater than that was hidden. And that's the wisdom of God. That's Jesus Christ. And He gave that to us little children. I don't know, that's what I thought.
The other part ot this reading is taking up His yoke. Now for those who don't know what a yoke is, here's a picture:
So we are to take up his yoke because it is easy and the burden is very light. We will find rest in Him. This is especially comforting. I know a lot of you have been stressing out. I know because of the IM's you have been giving me. Find rest in Jesus. It's the only way we can keep sane. It's a tough world out there. Especially now. Find rest in Him. His yoke is easy. :)
Summary:
Woe To The Unrepentant Cities
20-24 Jesus warns the cities Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. They will have a tough day of judgment for not repenting. The cities that did repent will have a more bearable judgment.
Rest For The Weary
25-27 Jesus praises the Father for hiding things and revealed them to little children. He says no one knows the Son but the Father and nobody knows the Father but the Son and the people the Son chooses.
28-30 Jesus tells the weary and burdened to find rest in Him. He tells them to take his yoke and learn from Him. His yoke is easy and the burden is light.
Saturday is already over. Weekends are just way too short. It's not fair. We had leader's meeting for church this morning and discussed what's to come. I'm excited for our retreat that will happen next weekend. I think it'll be a great start into the semester just before everyone starts to get busy. Hopefully it'll get everyone started in the right direction with the right intent. I do kind of want to talk about our Bible Study on Friday because I didn't really blog on Friday. It was the first Bible Study of this semester and I just wanted to put down my thoughts here. Mainly, things I need to work on. One thing I definitely want to get better at is challenging people more. Some questions are just way to easy and I struggle milking out more questions from them. I need to improve on generating more thought-provoking questions. Some people are just gifted with this; I'm not. If anyone has tips, that'd be awesome. I'll try to let you guys know how it's going along the way.
been productive.
Woe To Unrepentant Cities
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:20-24;&version=31;
This passage is really straightforward. You do not repent, then you will not be recognized. After all of the miracles Jesus has performed for these cities, they did not repent. For those that did, they will enter the kingdom of Heaven. He will pass judgment. So it is crucial for us to repent.
Rest For The Weary
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2011:25-30;&version=31;
The first part of this reading is confusing. He thanks the Father for hiding "these things." It is unclear what these are. It might be the truth. What comes to mind is the apple in the Garden of Eden. All those things are hidden from us. And maybe Jesus is thanking for that? The other thing it could possibly be is what I read in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31,
"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many of were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'"
What I get from this passage is that the very thing he may have hidden is Jesus Christ. He gave us these lowly things. Many are happy with these things. Things like money, wealth, fame, etc. But something greater than that was hidden. And that's the wisdom of God. That's Jesus Christ. And He gave that to us little children. I don't know, that's what I thought.
The other part ot this reading is taking up His yoke. Now for those who don't know what a yoke is, here's a picture:
So we are to take up his yoke because it is easy and the burden is very light. We will find rest in Him. This is especially comforting. I know a lot of you have been stressing out. I know because of the IM's you have been giving me. Find rest in Jesus. It's the only way we can keep sane. It's a tough world out there. Especially now. Find rest in Him. His yoke is easy. :)Summary:
Woe To The Unrepentant Cities
20-24 Jesus warns the cities Korazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. They will have a tough day of judgment for not repenting. The cities that did repent will have a more bearable judgment.
Rest For The Weary
25-27 Jesus praises the Father for hiding things and revealed them to little children. He says no one knows the Son but the Father and nobody knows the Father but the Son and the people the Son chooses.
28-30 Jesus tells the weary and burdened to find rest in Him. He tells them to take his yoke and learn from Him. His yoke is easy and the burden is light.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Jesus Defends Us
Matthew 11:1-19
I changed the post time for this one so that it matches for Friday.
Jesus And John The Baptist
This passage is pretty awesome. Not only because John the Baptist did awesome work for the kingdom and glory of God, but because of what Jesus said about him. Isn't it awesome that Jesus spoke so highly of a servant? Would he do the same with us? Absolutely. I believe it. I think that if we do the works of God, He will cherish us in the same way. Just look how protective He is of John. Jesus asks the crowd what they were expecting from John. He wasn't this crazy fashioned priest. He wasn't some guy claiming he could work wonders. He seemed like an ordinary human being. If anything he probably was worse. A couple entries back I said he probably looked like a beggar. Yet, he was the messenger that the scripture has foretold.
Jesus tries to reason out a little here. He says that John the Baptist came "neither eating nor drinking" yet people said he was possessed. Jesus comes "eating and drinking" and they accuse him of being a glutton or a drunkard. Isn't this precisely what we do? We make assumptions and judgements. We're overly observant, to the point where we create misconceptions. I think that we need to understand that God has given us so many signs, prophesies, and proofs. It's not the lack of them. It's us. We're the ones making faith so hard.
Summary:
Jesus And John The Baptist
1-6 Jesus went to Galilee to continue teaching. John the Baptist, while in prison, wanted to know if Jesus was truly the one. Jesus told the disciples to let him know of the miracles that occurred.
7-15 Jesus asked the crowd what they expected from John, for he was not one with great appearance. Yet Jesus said that he was more than a prophet, but a messenger. Through him the kingdom of God has been able to advance.
16-19 Jesus continues asking what the crowd was expecting. Regardless, wisdom prevailed.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
The Tough Road Ahead Part 2
Matthew 10:24-42
I realized after today that Thursdays are going to be the toughest days of this semester. Today was just really really really bad. By the end of today I was drained. I couldn't do anything but stare blankly at my computer. I was so tired I couldn't sleep. Here's what my schedule looks like for Thursday:
10:30am-11:20am Chinese 202
11:30am-2:20pm ECE 440 Lab
2:30pm-5:20pm ECE Senior Design Lab
Yes, 10:30 to 5:20 straight. No breaks. No lunch. Just classes. And I wish they were just lectures. No, they're labs. They require effort. I'm just glad it's over. Before I came home, I went to Chipotle to grab a burrito because I thought it would fill me up and give me some energy. It just made me more tired lol. And then I spent the next 3 hours reading stuff on the Internet, watching Youtube videos, and being a complete waste of space. I need to find a better way to make my Thursdays efficient.
Anyways enough complaining and looking back at what a terrible Thursday it was and will be. I think my blogs have been a place to come complain about everything. I'm sorry if it's depressing you guys. :( I'll try to brighten up a little more on my blogs. I swear I'm not a depressing person. Well I think so anyway. To brighten up my day, I had a discussion with my buddy about the greatness that is Vince Carter. How I wish I could dunk...
The Meaning Of Discipleship
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2010:24-39;&version=31;
This is a continuation from yesterday's reading about the disciples. Jesus continues to advise them and tell them what they're going to face. He tells them that it is good enough to be like the teacher. He tells the disciples not to be afraid for they will not be able to break the soul. They can do anything to the body, but nothing to the soul. Only God holds that power. He is the only one we should truly fear. This is a rather important concept and gives us a reason to stay strong and bold. We should not be afraid of what others may think of us. God is on our side. Nobody is stronger than God. Be strong.
Jesus talks about acknowledgement. If we acknowledge Him, He will in turn acknowledge us. Similarly, if we disown Him, He will do the same. That's a pretty clear cut deal. It also really tests our faith a little. We can't do this 50/50 business with Jesus. It's 100% or 0%. You believe Him or you don't.
How serious does Jesus take this? Pretty darn seriously. Look what He has to say about it. He claims He did not come to create peace but rather the opposite. He brought a SWORD. He says anyone who puts someone else before Him, He will disown. Ouch. Even parents, children, and anyone you may love. Nobody should come before Jesus. Now when you first read this, it sounds rather harsh. It sounds selfish. But this is how much trust and faith we need to have in Jesus. At the end of the day, He is all that matters. This is still a hard concept for me to swallow, but that's just the way it is. He said it, and what He says is truth.
One interesting part about this reading is where Jesus says to take up the cross. This clearly happened way before His death, yet he mentions cross. I don't know if that was just the thing to say back in the day (kind of like how we say "I'd die for you") or if He meant to say that on purpose. I just thought it was interesting.
The Reward Of Service
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2010:40-42;&version=31;
Thankfully He doesn't end it on that note because so far all He told the disciples was a list of instructions and things they should not do. He ends with what will result. He promises them the rightful reward. He will make sure it is a just reward. He doesn't necessarily specify what that may be, but He gives them His word. That may make it a little harder to follow, but that's where faith comes into play again. Faith is so crucial. It's tough, and I still struggle with it. I need to grow stronger...
Summary:
The Meaning Of Discipleship
24-31 Jesus says that no student is above his teacher and no servant is above his master. The best they can do is be like them. Thus, He tells the disciples to not be afraid. They can take their bodies, but not their souls. They are very valuable to the Lord.
32-33 Jesus states taht whoever acknowledges Him, will be acknowledged in Heaven.
34-39 Jesus did not come for peace but rather with a sword. He will disown anyone who puts another person before Him. This includes family and any other loved ones. He states that whoever does not take up the cross with Him is not worthy. Whoever dies in His sake will find life.
The Reward Of Service
40-42 Jesus says that whoever receives Him will receive God. Whoever receives the prophet will receive the prophet's reward and the righteous will receive the reward of a righteous. He promises nobody will lose his reward.
I realized after today that Thursdays are going to be the toughest days of this semester. Today was just really really really bad. By the end of today I was drained. I couldn't do anything but stare blankly at my computer. I was so tired I couldn't sleep. Here's what my schedule looks like for Thursday:
10:30am-11:20am Chinese 202
11:30am-2:20pm ECE 440 Lab
2:30pm-5:20pm ECE Senior Design Lab
Yes, 10:30 to 5:20 straight. No breaks. No lunch. Just classes. And I wish they were just lectures. No, they're labs. They require effort. I'm just glad it's over. Before I came home, I went to Chipotle to grab a burrito because I thought it would fill me up and give me some energy. It just made me more tired lol. And then I spent the next 3 hours reading stuff on the Internet, watching Youtube videos, and being a complete waste of space. I need to find a better way to make my Thursdays efficient.
Anyways enough complaining and looking back at what a terrible Thursday it was and will be. I think my blogs have been a place to come complain about everything. I'm sorry if it's depressing you guys. :( I'll try to brighten up a little more on my blogs. I swear I'm not a depressing person. Well I think so anyway. To brighten up my day, I had a discussion with my buddy about the greatness that is Vince Carter. How I wish I could dunk...
The Meaning Of Discipleship
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2010:24-39;&version=31;
This is a continuation from yesterday's reading about the disciples. Jesus continues to advise them and tell them what they're going to face. He tells them that it is good enough to be like the teacher. He tells the disciples not to be afraid for they will not be able to break the soul. They can do anything to the body, but nothing to the soul. Only God holds that power. He is the only one we should truly fear. This is a rather important concept and gives us a reason to stay strong and bold. We should not be afraid of what others may think of us. God is on our side. Nobody is stronger than God. Be strong.
Jesus talks about acknowledgement. If we acknowledge Him, He will in turn acknowledge us. Similarly, if we disown Him, He will do the same. That's a pretty clear cut deal. It also really tests our faith a little. We can't do this 50/50 business with Jesus. It's 100% or 0%. You believe Him or you don't.
How serious does Jesus take this? Pretty darn seriously. Look what He has to say about it. He claims He did not come to create peace but rather the opposite. He brought a SWORD. He says anyone who puts someone else before Him, He will disown. Ouch. Even parents, children, and anyone you may love. Nobody should come before Jesus. Now when you first read this, it sounds rather harsh. It sounds selfish. But this is how much trust and faith we need to have in Jesus. At the end of the day, He is all that matters. This is still a hard concept for me to swallow, but that's just the way it is. He said it, and what He says is truth.
One interesting part about this reading is where Jesus says to take up the cross. This clearly happened way before His death, yet he mentions cross. I don't know if that was just the thing to say back in the day (kind of like how we say "I'd die for you") or if He meant to say that on purpose. I just thought it was interesting.
The Reward Of Service
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%2010:40-42;&version=31;
Thankfully He doesn't end it on that note because so far all He told the disciples was a list of instructions and things they should not do. He ends with what will result. He promises them the rightful reward. He will make sure it is a just reward. He doesn't necessarily specify what that may be, but He gives them His word. That may make it a little harder to follow, but that's where faith comes into play again. Faith is so crucial. It's tough, and I still struggle with it. I need to grow stronger...
Summary:
The Meaning Of Discipleship
24-31 Jesus says that no student is above his teacher and no servant is above his master. The best they can do is be like them. Thus, He tells the disciples to not be afraid. They can take their bodies, but not their souls. They are very valuable to the Lord.
32-33 Jesus states taht whoever acknowledges Him, will be acknowledged in Heaven.
34-39 Jesus did not come for peace but rather with a sword. He will disown anyone who puts another person before Him. This includes family and any other loved ones. He states that whoever does not take up the cross with Him is not worthy. Whoever dies in His sake will find life.
The Reward Of Service
40-42 Jesus says that whoever receives Him will receive God. Whoever receives the prophet will receive the prophet's reward and the righteous will receive the reward of a righteous. He promises nobody will lose his reward.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Tough Road Ahead
Matthew 10:1-23
It's finally Wednesday! It took forever to get here. Oh wait, we had Monday off... Was Tuesday really that long? *sigh*
Work is starting to pile up fast, like exponentially. I was going to write this blog earlier today, but work got in the way. Yes yes, whining after whining. Such is my life these days. :(
Classes were pretty good today, however. I didn't have any problems paying attention. I did run into trouble calling our car company today though. My mom needed some help with a bill that was never sent and now it's late. The crazy thing is we don't even have the car anymore. So really we shouldn't even have to pay the bill. But of course talking with them was more than impossible. Oh and I hate that machine that makes you go through a series of options. I completely skip them now (learned that trick kinda late) and just wait till it connects me to a human being. Stupid machines.
Jesus Sends Out The Twelve
We get the names of the 12 disciples for the first time in the Bible here. Just in case you don't know them, here's the list (in no particular order):
1. Peter (aka Simon)
2. Andrew
3. James (son of Zebedee)
4. John
5. Philip
6. Bartholomew
7. Thomas
8. Matthew
9. James (son of Alphaeus)
10. Thaddeus
11. Simon
12. Judas
Jesus instructs them of what they can/should do. He also advises them of what not to do. He warns them about the hard trip ahead of them. People will persecute and hate them because they are associated with Jesus. They must persist. It is important to note that when they do get persecuted, they will know what to do because of God. God will tell them what needs to be done.
What can we learn from this? Well while we're not one of the twelve disciples, we are a follower and so these advices and warnings can be applied to us as well. The road is tough as a Christians. There are so many people out there that love to hate us. We need to be ready and be able to fight through these tough times.
Summary:
Jesus Sends Out The Twelve
1-4 Jesus assigned the twelve disciples tasks. They were authorized to drive out spirits and to heal.
5-15 Jesus tells the disciples to seek after the lost sheep. They are to heal these people and not take anything for personal gain. They are to stay with those that are worthy.
16-20 Jesus tells the disciples that the road will be tough. People will turn them in to the courts. When this happens, Jesus tells them that the Spirit will speak for them.
21-23 Jesus also tells the disciples that many will hate them because they are associated with Jesus. He tells them that they will not finish going through all the cities until the Son of God arrives.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Jesus Continues To Amaze
Matthew 9:18-38
Well it's January 20th, 2009 and that means a lot to this nation. We now officially have a new president. Now whether you like the president or not, this is an important day for all Americans, and as citizens I think it's important to at least witness this event. Whether you agree with him or not is another story. I, for one, was anticipating this event because it may mean a lot to me and my future.
Now if you've watched the event, I was kind of mesmerized by how they made this event. I don't remember the inauguration speech being such a theaterical event. But I guess that's what happens when you put in a lot of money for it. As far as President Obama, he has shown that he can speak; his speech was very good. Now it's time to put those words into action. As an American, I wish him, our leader, the best.
On a side note, anyone chuckle when Obama screwed up the oath? Good thing he backed it up with a powerful speech...
School started again and it went pretty well. We finally made teams for our senior design, and I like it thus far. I think everyone knows a little something to get us started. It's just the beginning though, so wish us the best!
A Dead Girl And A Sick Woman
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:18-26;&version=31;
Jesus continues on his trek to heal and save many people. This encounter is with someone who also has faith in Jesus that He can save his daughter. The ruler saw that his daughter was dead, but he knew that Jesus was able to heal her, even when she was dead. Knowning this and having faith in Jesus, he came all the way to Jesus and asked for help.
Meanwhile Jesus encounters a woman who has been suffering from bleeding. She also seeks help and had faith that just by touching His cloak, she would be healed. Jesus, seeing this faith, said she was healed. Jesus finally sees the daughter and heals her as well.
What we can get from these messages of how Jesus healed people is our need to have faith in Him. If a ruler can have the faith that Jesus can save his dead daughter and the bleeding woman can have faith that just by TOUCHING His cloak, she can be healed, what's there to stop us from having that kind of faith? If we truly believe in Him, we need to have this kind of faith, a faith that Jesus will alleviate any pain, physical and non.
Jesus Heals The Blind And Mute
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:27-34;&version=31;
This reading is a continuation of all the great miracles Jesus performs.. The first is on 2 blind men who asks for help. Jesus again sees their faith and heals them. He then warns them not to spread the news of what has happened, yet they do. I don't know what the purpose of Jesus's wish for the news to not spread. The only thing I can think of is to help the men be humble. Yes being able to see is probably a huge deal to someone who was blind. However, maybe Jesus didn't want this excitement to make the men forget why they were able to get healed. They were healed because of their faith.
The second was a mute, demon-possessed man. Jesus drove the demons out and the people were astonished at the miracle. Yet, the Pharisees were skeptical. They tried to find every way to make the miracles less credible. Is this what we do when we see miracles? Perhaps. Everyday seems like a miracle in a way, yet we just accept it like we deserve it. Maybe it's time to be thankful and not be so cynical.
The Workers Are Few
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:35-38;&version=31;
Jesus continues on and teaches in many places. He sees the crowds and has compassion on them. He compared them to sheep with a shepherd. In many cases, that's exactly what we are. We are people that live our lives without a purpose. We're misguided and don't know what we're doing. So a shepherd like Jesus comes along and guides us. The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few. It is time for us to ask if this is what we want, and it's time to get on it. It's a message for us to serve when we're ready.
Summary:
A Dead Girl And A Sick Woman
18-19 A ruler came to Jesus and asked to save his daughter by putting a hand on her. Jesus went with him.
20-22 A woman who has been bleeding for 12 years came and touched Jesus's cloak, wishing to be healed. Jesus replied that she was healed because of her faith.
23-26 Jesus arrived at the ruler's house and told the noisy crowd to go outside. He saved the girl. This story was then spread.
Jesus Heals The Blind And The Mute
27-31 Two blind men encountered Jesus and asked to be healed. Jesus saw if they had faith and healed them once they replied that they did. He warned them not to tell anyone about this, but the news spread.
32-34 A demon-possessed mute man then came and Jesus drove the demon out and the man spoke. People were astonished, but the Pharisees were skeptical.
The Workers Are Few
35-38 Jesus went around different towns and had compassion on the people because they were like sheep without shepherd. He stated that the harvest is plentiful but workers are few. He told the crowd to ask the Lord for the harvest.
Well it's January 20th, 2009 and that means a lot to this nation. We now officially have a new president. Now whether you like the president or not, this is an important day for all Americans, and as citizens I think it's important to at least witness this event. Whether you agree with him or not is another story. I, for one, was anticipating this event because it may mean a lot to me and my future.
Now if you've watched the event, I was kind of mesmerized by how they made this event. I don't remember the inauguration speech being such a theaterical event. But I guess that's what happens when you put in a lot of money for it. As far as President Obama, he has shown that he can speak; his speech was very good. Now it's time to put those words into action. As an American, I wish him, our leader, the best.
On a side note, anyone chuckle when Obama screwed up the oath? Good thing he backed it up with a powerful speech...
School started again and it went pretty well. We finally made teams for our senior design, and I like it thus far. I think everyone knows a little something to get us started. It's just the beginning though, so wish us the best!
A Dead Girl And A Sick Woman
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:18-26;&version=31;
Jesus continues on his trek to heal and save many people. This encounter is with someone who also has faith in Jesus that He can save his daughter. The ruler saw that his daughter was dead, but he knew that Jesus was able to heal her, even when she was dead. Knowning this and having faith in Jesus, he came all the way to Jesus and asked for help.
Meanwhile Jesus encounters a woman who has been suffering from bleeding. She also seeks help and had faith that just by touching His cloak, she would be healed. Jesus, seeing this faith, said she was healed. Jesus finally sees the daughter and heals her as well.
What we can get from these messages of how Jesus healed people is our need to have faith in Him. If a ruler can have the faith that Jesus can save his dead daughter and the bleeding woman can have faith that just by TOUCHING His cloak, she can be healed, what's there to stop us from having that kind of faith? If we truly believe in Him, we need to have this kind of faith, a faith that Jesus will alleviate any pain, physical and non.
Jesus Heals The Blind And Mute
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:27-34;&version=31;
This reading is a continuation of all the great miracles Jesus performs.. The first is on 2 blind men who asks for help. Jesus again sees their faith and heals them. He then warns them not to spread the news of what has happened, yet they do. I don't know what the purpose of Jesus's wish for the news to not spread. The only thing I can think of is to help the men be humble. Yes being able to see is probably a huge deal to someone who was blind. However, maybe Jesus didn't want this excitement to make the men forget why they were able to get healed. They were healed because of their faith.
The second was a mute, demon-possessed man. Jesus drove the demons out and the people were astonished at the miracle. Yet, the Pharisees were skeptical. They tried to find every way to make the miracles less credible. Is this what we do when we see miracles? Perhaps. Everyday seems like a miracle in a way, yet we just accept it like we deserve it. Maybe it's time to be thankful and not be so cynical.
The Workers Are Few
Reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:35-38;&version=31;
Jesus continues on and teaches in many places. He sees the crowds and has compassion on them. He compared them to sheep with a shepherd. In many cases, that's exactly what we are. We are people that live our lives without a purpose. We're misguided and don't know what we're doing. So a shepherd like Jesus comes along and guides us. The harvest is plenty, but the workers are few. It is time for us to ask if this is what we want, and it's time to get on it. It's a message for us to serve when we're ready.
Summary:
A Dead Girl And A Sick Woman
18-19 A ruler came to Jesus and asked to save his daughter by putting a hand on her. Jesus went with him.
20-22 A woman who has been bleeding for 12 years came and touched Jesus's cloak, wishing to be healed. Jesus replied that she was healed because of her faith.
23-26 Jesus arrived at the ruler's house and told the noisy crowd to go outside. He saved the girl. This story was then spread.
Jesus Heals The Blind And The Mute
27-31 Two blind men encountered Jesus and asked to be healed. Jesus saw if they had faith and healed them once they replied that they did. He warned them not to tell anyone about this, but the news spread.
32-34 A demon-possessed mute man then came and Jesus drove the demon out and the man spoke. People were astonished, but the Pharisees were skeptical.
The Workers Are Few
35-38 Jesus went around different towns and had compassion on the people because they were like sheep without shepherd. He stated that the harvest is plentiful but workers are few. He told the crowd to ask the Lord for the harvest.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Fasting 101
Matthew 9:14-17
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so we didn't really go to school. Sometimes we forget how important he really was. What he did for this country is pretty important. Here's a video I found just to remember what he did for us:
Thank you Martin Luther King Jr.
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
The reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:14-17;&version=31;
This passage was rather interesting and important. The topic is on fasting. At first reading the passage was a bit confusing so I had to kind of research on it to comprehend it. Here's what I've deciphered.
The first part is the question that the disciples asked. Why did the people that followed Jesus not fast? Looking into Jesus's response:
"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast."
If the bridegroom is present, why would his attendants mourn? The first thing to get from this is why people fast in the first place. According to this response, people fast to mourn. So in the past, when people were mourning for God and needed Him, they were fasting for Him. That's the first important part: why we fast.
What exactly does the answer mean? Well, if I'm comprehending this correctly, he's actually symbolizing Himself and making a huge claim. If we replace "bridegroom" with Jesus, it might make more sense to us. Here:
How can the guests of Jesus mourn while he is with them? The time will come when Jesus will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Make sense? Now if this statement is true, there are two things to consider. First, Jesus as a bridegroom. In the Old Testament, God has referred to Himself as the husband of Israel many times. Looking at Isaiah 54:5, "For your Maker is your husband. The Lord Almighty is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." There are many other passages like this. Thus, if this is true, then Jesus is proclaiming that He is indeed the son of God, or God.
The second part to this is the answer to the question. The followers are not fasting because God is here! Why would they be sad if the very being that they praise and worship is present before their eyes?!! Jesus is here! There's no time for sorrow. It's time to rejoice! Thus, that's why they were not fasting! Now if you read what comes next, He's also foreshadowing His death. He says that when the bridegroom is taken away (as in Jesus will die on the cross), then the people will mourn, and fast. Thus, while He's here, there's no reason to fast. Interesting huh?
The latter part to this passage is also important. Jesus refers to old garments and why we would not patch it up because it would ruin it. He also says you would not put wine in an old wineskin because it would rip. Rather you would want to put it in the new one. This was rather confusing at first but I think what He's trying to say is that after He is gone, we need a new setting to fast in. Before Jesus came, people fasted because they needed Him. They were full of sin and needed to be cleansed. Then Jesus came, so people did not need to fast. Finally once He leaves, people will be renewed. Thus, we would no longer fast to yearn for Him to come. Rather, we're fasting for something new, that He would come again. Or we're fasting as new, cleansed individuals. We're no longer old wineskins. We need new ones. We're saved. Now we're fasting for His second coming. And that's the real reason we're fasting now.
I don't know this was quite revealing and interesting to me. Now when I fast, I know why and what for. Let's try to keep this in mind the next time we fast.
Summary:
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
14-15 John's disciples asked why Jesus' disciples did not fast. Jesus replied that while the bridesgroom is there, there is no reason for the attendants to weep.
16-17 Jesus also said that there is no reason to patch an old garment or poor wine in an old wineskin because it will result in a worse condition.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so we didn't really go to school. Sometimes we forget how important he really was. What he did for this country is pretty important. Here's a video I found just to remember what he did for us:
Thank you Martin Luther King Jr.
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
The reading: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matthew%209:14-17;&version=31;
This passage was rather interesting and important. The topic is on fasting. At first reading the passage was a bit confusing so I had to kind of research on it to comprehend it. Here's what I've deciphered.
The first part is the question that the disciples asked. Why did the people that followed Jesus not fast? Looking into Jesus's response:
"How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast."
If the bridegroom is present, why would his attendants mourn? The first thing to get from this is why people fast in the first place. According to this response, people fast to mourn. So in the past, when people were mourning for God and needed Him, they were fasting for Him. That's the first important part: why we fast.
What exactly does the answer mean? Well, if I'm comprehending this correctly, he's actually symbolizing Himself and making a huge claim. If we replace "bridegroom" with Jesus, it might make more sense to us. Here:
How can the guests of Jesus mourn while he is with them? The time will come when Jesus will be taken from them; then they will fast.
Make sense? Now if this statement is true, there are two things to consider. First, Jesus as a bridegroom. In the Old Testament, God has referred to Himself as the husband of Israel many times. Looking at Isaiah 54:5, "For your Maker is your husband. The Lord Almighty is his name. The Holy One of Israel is your redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth." There are many other passages like this. Thus, if this is true, then Jesus is proclaiming that He is indeed the son of God, or God.
The second part to this is the answer to the question. The followers are not fasting because God is here! Why would they be sad if the very being that they praise and worship is present before their eyes?!! Jesus is here! There's no time for sorrow. It's time to rejoice! Thus, that's why they were not fasting! Now if you read what comes next, He's also foreshadowing His death. He says that when the bridegroom is taken away (as in Jesus will die on the cross), then the people will mourn, and fast. Thus, while He's here, there's no reason to fast. Interesting huh?
The latter part to this passage is also important. Jesus refers to old garments and why we would not patch it up because it would ruin it. He also says you would not put wine in an old wineskin because it would rip. Rather you would want to put it in the new one. This was rather confusing at first but I think what He's trying to say is that after He is gone, we need a new setting to fast in. Before Jesus came, people fasted because they needed Him. They were full of sin and needed to be cleansed. Then Jesus came, so people did not need to fast. Finally once He leaves, people will be renewed. Thus, we would no longer fast to yearn for Him to come. Rather, we're fasting for something new, that He would come again. Or we're fasting as new, cleansed individuals. We're no longer old wineskins. We need new ones. We're saved. Now we're fasting for His second coming. And that's the real reason we're fasting now.
I don't know this was quite revealing and interesting to me. Now when I fast, I know why and what for. Let's try to keep this in mind the next time we fast.
Summary:
Jesus Questioned About Fasting
14-15 John's disciples asked why Jesus' disciples did not fast. Jesus replied that while the bridesgroom is there, there is no reason for the attendants to weep.
16-17 Jesus also said that there is no reason to patch an old garment or poor wine in an old wineskin because it will result in a worse condition.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Understanding Jesus
Matthew 9:1-13
Well it's the first Sunday of the semester and it felt great to be back. It was nice to see everyone again and I wish the best of luck to everyone for this semester. The sermon that Joe gave was very good in that it challenged us. No matter where we are in our beliefs, we always doubt and question the existence of God. As we learned, the evidence is more than enough and is available to us in the Bible. What WE have to do is read it and understand it. So it's really up to us.
Most of today I kind of thought about that and kind of googled around for what people thought. There's a lot of stuff on the Internet and so for those who are interested and have some time, try reading some of it. Now keep in mind that every website is not 100% trustable, and that goes both ways. Meaning, some sites that claim Jesus to have existed may use some questionable evidences and others claiming otherwise also have questionable content. You really have to keep an open mind and research "smart." My first advice would be to look towards sources you know. Then start digging in from there. It's quite interesting what you can find. Maybe if I find something interesting, I'll post it on here.
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
This is another story of how Jesus healed someone that needed help, but it was different in that He showed that He was indeed the Son of Man. Jesus, before He told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, saw where the people's faiths were at and therefore wanted to clarify things for them.
Many people are probably very skeptical at this point about Jesus. They heard of the things He has done and of the things that He can do. Yet, they're still skeptical about it. It's just like any great performance we see today. You see someone do something that's just extraordinary and you want to see it again just to make sure. Take magic for instance. Someone performs a magic trick and you can't believe your eyes. The first thing any person does is deny that it has ever happened and that it's just some trick. And we keep questioning it. It's the same concept here, but the difference is that Jesus isn't just pulling up a trick.
So in order to clarify and comfort the audience, Jesus showed what He was really capable of doing, which was to forgive sins. That was His purpose of His arrival. And that's why we believe in Him.
The Calling Of Matthew
Jesus meets Matthew, who is a tax collector and eats with him and other tax collectors and sinners. Now this is a rather strange concept to the Pharisees because here is Jesus who stands for all that is holy, and yet he's hanging out with the sinners. But that's the beauty of it. Jesus replies that He did not come for the righteous, but the sinners, the same way the doctors are there for the sick and not the poor.
This is something that we as Christians forget a lot and something that we get criticized a lot for. I think I mentioned something about it, as I mentioned judging others. We come to church and a lot of people feel as if they are being judged. We have to understand that the church is there for the sinners like us, not for perfect people. Just because we are Christians, does not make us less of a sinner. A sinner is a sinner. In those terms then, nobody is better than anyone. Jesus is here for all of us, and in this case Matthew was an example.
Summary:
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
1-3 Jesus returned to His town and some men brought to Him a paralytic. Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven and the teachers of the law cried out that it was blasphemy.
4-8 Jesus explains that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins and showed that He has healed the paralytic. Everyone was in awe of what has occurred.
The Calling Of Matthew
9-10 Jesus saw Matthew, who was a tax collector, and asked him to join Him. Matthew did. Jesus ate with the sinners and tax collectors.
11-13 Pharisees questioned why Jesus did this, Jesus replied that just as the sick need the doctor and not the healthy, He is here not to call the righteous, but the sinners.
Well it's the first Sunday of the semester and it felt great to be back. It was nice to see everyone again and I wish the best of luck to everyone for this semester. The sermon that Joe gave was very good in that it challenged us. No matter where we are in our beliefs, we always doubt and question the existence of God. As we learned, the evidence is more than enough and is available to us in the Bible. What WE have to do is read it and understand it. So it's really up to us.
Most of today I kind of thought about that and kind of googled around for what people thought. There's a lot of stuff on the Internet and so for those who are interested and have some time, try reading some of it. Now keep in mind that every website is not 100% trustable, and that goes both ways. Meaning, some sites that claim Jesus to have existed may use some questionable evidences and others claiming otherwise also have questionable content. You really have to keep an open mind and research "smart." My first advice would be to look towards sources you know. Then start digging in from there. It's quite interesting what you can find. Maybe if I find something interesting, I'll post it on here.
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
This is another story of how Jesus healed someone that needed help, but it was different in that He showed that He was indeed the Son of Man. Jesus, before He told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven, saw where the people's faiths were at and therefore wanted to clarify things for them.
Many people are probably very skeptical at this point about Jesus. They heard of the things He has done and of the things that He can do. Yet, they're still skeptical about it. It's just like any great performance we see today. You see someone do something that's just extraordinary and you want to see it again just to make sure. Take magic for instance. Someone performs a magic trick and you can't believe your eyes. The first thing any person does is deny that it has ever happened and that it's just some trick. And we keep questioning it. It's the same concept here, but the difference is that Jesus isn't just pulling up a trick.
So in order to clarify and comfort the audience, Jesus showed what He was really capable of doing, which was to forgive sins. That was His purpose of His arrival. And that's why we believe in Him.
The Calling Of Matthew
Jesus meets Matthew, who is a tax collector and eats with him and other tax collectors and sinners. Now this is a rather strange concept to the Pharisees because here is Jesus who stands for all that is holy, and yet he's hanging out with the sinners. But that's the beauty of it. Jesus replies that He did not come for the righteous, but the sinners, the same way the doctors are there for the sick and not the poor.
This is something that we as Christians forget a lot and something that we get criticized a lot for. I think I mentioned something about it, as I mentioned judging others. We come to church and a lot of people feel as if they are being judged. We have to understand that the church is there for the sinners like us, not for perfect people. Just because we are Christians, does not make us less of a sinner. A sinner is a sinner. In those terms then, nobody is better than anyone. Jesus is here for all of us, and in this case Matthew was an example.
Summary:
Jesus Heals A Paralytic
1-3 Jesus returned to His town and some men brought to Him a paralytic. Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven and the teachers of the law cried out that it was blasphemy.
4-8 Jesus explains that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins and showed that He has healed the paralytic. Everyone was in awe of what has occurred.
The Calling Of Matthew
9-10 Jesus saw Matthew, who was a tax collector, and asked him to join Him. Matthew did. Jesus ate with the sinners and tax collectors.
11-13 Pharisees questioned why Jesus did this, Jesus replied that just as the sick need the doctor and not the healthy, He is here not to call the righteous, but the sinners.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
The Storm
Matthew 8:23-34
Saturday is almost over already. Weekends go by way too quickly. I haven't done much of anything today. We had leader's meeting in the morning and kind of went over the semester. Overall the semester looks very hectic; we need to pray a lot this semester. We'll have to take it step at a time and make sacrifices. Sometimes things are not going to work in our favor, but we just have to do the best with what we have. That's just life.
After the meeting I took a nap that lasted 3 hours. I felt bad at first, but seeing how much energy it gave me, I felt pretty good. Sometimes we need rest like that.
I've been reading a couple things today and just been lingering around. I figure after today I won't have times like these especially with the way my classes are shaping up. It's going to be a tough semester.
This reading could not come at a better time for me. It's about how Jesus calmed the storm when His followers were scared of it. They had little faith in Jesus and were crying for help. This is the kind of situation I'm in right now. I have so many things I'm worried about. In general, my future is very unclear. When I think about it, I am on a boat with a storm fast approaching. Not knowing how it will shape up, I'm very anxious. I'm worried that my life will go down the drain. Where's my faith in Jesus? Is this what He taught me? I need more faith than this. He is capable of calming down anything. Have faith in Him.
The Healing Of Two Demon-Possessed Men
This story is still a bit confusing to me. I understand the events that occured. Two demon-possessed men approached Jesus and the demons asked to be sent to a herd of pigs if Jesus was to drive them out. The part I'm confused about is why the town would ask Jesus to go away.
Saturday is almost over already. Weekends go by way too quickly. I haven't done much of anything today. We had leader's meeting in the morning and kind of went over the semester. Overall the semester looks very hectic; we need to pray a lot this semester. We'll have to take it step at a time and make sacrifices. Sometimes things are not going to work in our favor, but we just have to do the best with what we have. That's just life.
After the meeting I took a nap that lasted 3 hours. I felt bad at first, but seeing how much energy it gave me, I felt pretty good. Sometimes we need rest like that.
I've been reading a couple things today and just been lingering around. I figure after today I won't have times like these especially with the way my classes are shaping up. It's going to be a tough semester.
I want to make my blogs a little more less-plain by adding pictures when I can. Fortunately for today's reading I remembered a painting from Rembrandt van Rijn, a Dutch painter. It's one of his rather famous works:
This reading could not come at a better time for me. It's about how Jesus calmed the storm when His followers were scared of it. They had little faith in Jesus and were crying for help. This is the kind of situation I'm in right now. I have so many things I'm worried about. In general, my future is very unclear. When I think about it, I am on a boat with a storm fast approaching. Not knowing how it will shape up, I'm very anxious. I'm worried that my life will go down the drain. Where's my faith in Jesus? Is this what He taught me? I need more faith than this. He is capable of calming down anything. Have faith in Him.
The Healing Of Two Demon-Possessed Men
This story is still a bit confusing to me. I understand the events that occured. Two demon-possessed men approached Jesus and the demons asked to be sent to a herd of pigs if Jesus was to drive them out. The part I'm confused about is why the town would ask Jesus to go away.
I could only think up of one reason: because they're not ready for it. They're living sinful lives and they were afraid that if they accepted Jesus, they would have to give that up. The town could be so sinful that the demons actually had control over these people. When they saw that Jesus was able to drive them away and ultimately to their death, they were afraid of what they would have to give up.
One possible lesson, or challenge I can get from this is where do I stand at? Am I ready for Jesus to take over my life? That could mean getting rid of the very things that bring me joy. I would have to ask myself what's more important to me. Am I willing to put 100% of my faith into something that may ultimately result in having to sacrifice a lot of things. It's a pretty big question I think. Hopefully I am ready for it.
Summary:
Jesus Calms The Storm
23-25 Jesus and his disciples were on a boat as a storm hit. Jesus was asleep, and so the disciples were scared and woke Him up.
26-27 Jesus replied asking why they had such little faith and calmed the winds and waves. The men were amazed.
The Healing Of Two Demon-Possessed Men
28-29 Upon arrival in the region of Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men approached Jesus and asked what He wanted of them.
30-34 Jesus drove the demons out into a herd of pigs. The herd rushed into the lake and drowned. The whole town was afraid and went to Jesus and asked Him to leave.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Cost Of Following Jesus
Matthew 8:14-22
TGIF!!! This week couldn't go by any slower. I'm so happy it's Friday. It's been a very difficult and tiresome week. I hope it's just because it's the first week back and I'm just not used to going to school because it's been 3 weeks since I've done that.
Our Friday night went well even though not a lot of people showed up. It's tough to have a big crowd when the weather is so bad. Everyday it's been getting worse and when I woke up today to go to classes it was -34 with windchill. My face hurt going to class. Well now I'm in my room with the heater on full blast. I love Friday nights.
On to my readings!
Jesus Heals Many
Jesus continued to go around and heal the sick. This was a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. This is just going back to yesterday's reading about how Jesus came to help us and heal us. He does what He promised to do. There is nothing that is impossible with Jesus. So if we have any sicknesses (whether it be an actual physical illness, mental, or spiritual) trust God is able to heal it.
The Cost Of Following Jesus
This passage was a little more difficult to comprehend. What I got out of it was that in order to follow Jesus, you have to be ready for anything. You have to be situated in a way that you're not so attached to your surroundings. Jesus talks about how foxes and birds have their places of rest, but Jesus doesn't. Jesus goes around and heals while not resting in one spot. If we want to follow Him, we have to be willing to do the same.
I think for me this means that I cannot get too comfortable with one thing. Say I do get settled and my life turns out to be great. That's not really following Jesus. I don't think it's necessarily saying that you shouldn't be comfortable at any time. Instead I think it's saying we shouldn't be too attached to being comfortable because it can be taken away at any time. In order to serve God, we need to be ready for anything.
Summary:
Jesus Heals Many
14-15 Jesus went to Peter's house and healed Peter's mother-in-law of her fever.
16-17 Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of taking up infirmities and carrying our diseases by driving evil spirits away from demon-possessed people.
The Cost Of Following Jesus
18-19 As Jesus went around, the crowd followed him and a teacher of the law asked to follow Him.
20-22 Jesus told them that while animals may have their homes, He does not have a place to rest. And when the people asked to bury their fathers before they follow, Jesus said let the dead worry about that themselves.
TGIF!!! This week couldn't go by any slower. I'm so happy it's Friday. It's been a very difficult and tiresome week. I hope it's just because it's the first week back and I'm just not used to going to school because it's been 3 weeks since I've done that.
Our Friday night went well even though not a lot of people showed up. It's tough to have a big crowd when the weather is so bad. Everyday it's been getting worse and when I woke up today to go to classes it was -34 with windchill. My face hurt going to class. Well now I'm in my room with the heater on full blast. I love Friday nights.
On to my readings!
Jesus Heals Many
Jesus continued to go around and heal the sick. This was a prophecy that Jesus fulfilled. This is just going back to yesterday's reading about how Jesus came to help us and heal us. He does what He promised to do. There is nothing that is impossible with Jesus. So if we have any sicknesses (whether it be an actual physical illness, mental, or spiritual) trust God is able to heal it.
The Cost Of Following Jesus
This passage was a little more difficult to comprehend. What I got out of it was that in order to follow Jesus, you have to be ready for anything. You have to be situated in a way that you're not so attached to your surroundings. Jesus talks about how foxes and birds have their places of rest, but Jesus doesn't. Jesus goes around and heals while not resting in one spot. If we want to follow Him, we have to be willing to do the same.
I think for me this means that I cannot get too comfortable with one thing. Say I do get settled and my life turns out to be great. That's not really following Jesus. I don't think it's necessarily saying that you shouldn't be comfortable at any time. Instead I think it's saying we shouldn't be too attached to being comfortable because it can be taken away at any time. In order to serve God, we need to be ready for anything.
Summary:
Jesus Heals Many
14-15 Jesus went to Peter's house and healed Peter's mother-in-law of her fever.
16-17 Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of taking up infirmities and carrying our diseases by driving evil spirits away from demon-possessed people.
The Cost Of Following Jesus
18-19 As Jesus went around, the crowd followed him and a teacher of the law asked to follow Him.
20-22 Jesus told them that while animals may have their homes, He does not have a place to rest. And when the people asked to bury their fathers before they follow, Jesus said let the dead worry about that themselves.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Jesus In Action!
Matthew 8:1-13
So there seems to be a recurring theme these days: cold. Today was no exception. In fact I think today was the worst thus far:
For those who can't really fathom how cold this is, it's so cold it hurts. Like when you start walking in this weather, your skin feels like it's actually going to rip apart. Not protecting any part of your body is suicide.
So there seems to be a recurring theme these days: cold. Today was no exception. In fact I think today was the worst thus far:
For those who can't really fathom how cold this is, it's so cold it hurts. Like when you start walking in this weather, your skin feels like it's actually going to rip apart. Not protecting any part of your body is suicide.
Classes started off well today as I did pretty well on my quiz in Chinese. I was hoping it would continue to go this way, but my Senior Design class ended up crushing my day. Oh and I did not forget to post my actual project up. I will do that as soon as I have time and understanding.
The readings for today were both about healing. They were also very insightful about faith.
The Man With Leprosy
This is one of the many times Jesus comes around and heals people. Leprosy was a huge thing back in the day from what I've learned. I don't know how serious of a disease this is nowadays but back in the day it was one of those things that put you in the lower society. As a kid, learning about leprosy in Sunday school always scared the heck out of me because I had no idea what it was and the symptoms sounded horryfying. I got a better picture of it in Braveheart because one of the characters in the movie was a leper. 
The Faith Of The Centurion
The other encounter is a little different. This time a centurion (who would be a rather powerful individual at this time) comes to Jesus to ask for help on one of his servants. What's interesting about this is that the centurion believes that Jesus does not have to go through the trouble of coming to his house. He believes firmly that if Jesus wants it, it will be done. Jesus honors this and gives the centurion His word.
This is what we need to be like. We're so dependent on seeing things to believe it. I know I am for sure. The faith of this centurion is admirable. If a man of this much power can do it, what makes me so special to not have that kind of faith? Be strong!
Summary:
The Man With Leprosy
1-4 Jesus came around to a man with leprosy, who asked for help. Jesus heals him and tells him to show himself before the priest.
The Faith Of The Centurion
5-7 Jesus encounters a centurion in Capernaum. The centurion tells Him that one of his servants is suffering.
8-13 The centurion shows much faith and says that Jesus has no need to come to his house as he does not even deserve Jesus to come into his home. He says that he will trust Jesus' words and that if Jesus says it will be done, then it will be done.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Like A Rock
Matthew 7:13-29
So this morning was a little chilly. OK, it was (as weather.com likes to put it) BITTERLY COLD. This morning was a little like yesterday and because I know some of you don't know what cold means (all you Californians take notes), I took a picture of what I saw this morning:
That's right. Cold here at Purdue isn't 60 degrees "omg i need a sweater" kind of cold. It's more of a -4 degree "omg my ears are about to fall off" kind of cold. The best part of it is that it's going to only get worse. Right now it's -6 degrees, and it may get down as low as -25 by this Friday. I'm secretly hoping it'll get worse so we'll have a blizzard and classes will get cancelled. But then again, that means professors will cram things and give us a headache.
So this morning was a little chilly. OK, it was (as weather.com likes to put it) BITTERLY COLD. This morning was a little like yesterday and because I know some of you don't know what cold means (all you Californians take notes), I took a picture of what I saw this morning:
That's right. Cold here at Purdue isn't 60 degrees "omg i need a sweater" kind of cold. It's more of a -4 degree "omg my ears are about to fall off" kind of cold. The best part of it is that it's going to only get worse. Right now it's -6 degrees, and it may get down as low as -25 by this Friday. I'm secretly hoping it'll get worse so we'll have a blizzard and classes will get cancelled. But then again, that means professors will cram things and give us a headache. Today was a little better than yesterday in terms of classes though, but I was still fretting over my classes. For one, my easiest class (Chinese) may be the hardest to pull off a good grade in. I never realized so many other students knew how to speak Chinese as well as, if not better than, me. Like I said, it's going to be a long semester. I'm just learning to take it day by day and make sure I'm not missing anything. Hopefully it'll be enough to survive the semester.
The Narrow And Wide Gates
The first topic I read about was about Narrow and Wide Gates. Now when I first read this I didn't know what to think (and I still don't). I did some reading outside on the Internet and everything seemed very simple. Maybe that's what it is, just a simple concept. It's one or the other. Narrow or wide. So there's no other alternatives. You're stuck with one or the other. No detours, no shortcuts. Now then, why is it narrow? Other than the fact that the Bible states that only a few will enter, I had no clue. Maybe it's indicating that it's narrow because there's only one way to go through it, and that is by accepting Jesus Christ as our savior. In other words, there is only one way to enter through that gate and because it's only one way, it's very narrow. The wide gate is wide because there are many ways to enter THAT gate. I'm still uncertain, but that's the most I got out of it. If anyone else has any other ideas, please feel free to comment on it.
A Tree And Its Fruit
The next topic is about false prophets. This is a really self-explanatory passage that explains to us that there will always be people out there to get us. We have to look at their "fruits" to see their real intentions. As Jesus explains about the tree and the fruit that it bears, a person with good intentions will have good things to show for it. We have to be on our guard for this. The latter part of this reading explains how not everyone claiming they know God will enter His kingdom.
While this reading is very simple and clear, I decided to think about how it would deal with me. I'm not talking about my encounters with false prophets, but really a check with myself. Am I a good tree? Do I bear good fruit? This is something that's really difficult to answer. As I lead Bible studies, I need to make sure that I have a strong foundation. So while this passage talked about our need to protect ourselves from false prophets, I also got that we, as Christians, also need to sure we don't become those false prophets. As the Bible states, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)
The Wise And Foolish Builders
That brings us to this last topic, which is what's really important. It discusses about our foundations. If we put into practice all of Jesus' teachings, we will be able to have a solid foundation. The key is putting them into practice. Because as it states, not practicing will be like building your foundation out of sand. That's the real challenge. Because I've heard all these messages and teachings. I've read a good amount and also prayed a lot. But all this is for nothing if I don't put it into practice.
Summary:
The Narrow And Wide Gates
13-14 Jesus tells us to enter through a narrow gate because the wide gate leads to destruction. A lot will enter through the wide one and only a few will enter the narrow one.
A Tree And Its Fruit
15-20 Jesus explains to watch out for false prophets. We will be able to recognize them by their fruit. If the fruit is good, the tree is good, and vice-versa.
21-23 Jesus explains how not everyone claiming "Lord, Lord" will enter heaven. Your true intentions are always known.
The Wise And Foolish Builders
24-29 Jesus explained to the crowd that if they practiced His teachings, they will be able to build their house on a rock. If they didn't practice them, they will build their houses on sand.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Asking, Seeking, Knocking...
Matthew 7:1-12
It's really cold. Really. Cold. I walked out all happy and confident, ready to conquer the world. Then, I felt a snow flake land on my head. Oh, heck no. Ran straight back into my apartment and grabbed a beanie to at least cover my ears. That's one thing I've learned while here in the Midwest. Protect your ears and you'll be fine. I still had 3 layers of clothing and some long underwear. I know you Midwesterners are laughing. I saw a couple crazy kids walking in shorts. Like really? Are you serious? Whatever, it'll take me a while to get used to being cold again. But if some of you see me on campus and I have this big frown on my face, I just came back from 70 degree sunshine, so you know why.
I only really had two classes today but they were both really tough to get through. Not because I was tired or cause I had a tough time paying attention, but because I was honestly worried. The first was Chinese 202, in which by this time, most of the students who have struggled with the language have dropped. We had I think about 4 classes of 40+ students in Chinese 101. It's now shrunk down to about 40 students total. Thus, we now have the best of best students combined in one class with a teacher that's speaking in a foreign language (literally). Fun times ahead...
To add to that I have Senior Design class. Now at first I was excited about this class because it's what every engineering student looks forward to. However, after class today I felt......dumb. The professor was explaining concepts I had no idea about. I felt like just walking out of class. Yea, that bad. Anyways I asked around to see what the others thought about it. Fortunately, most of them were on the same boat, but still a good handful of them knew what was going on (that or they just wanted me to feel stupid; which is very possible by the way because engineers are just like that). That got me worried. Really worried. Pray for me... I'm going to post what my actual project is tomorrow after I clarify a couple things with the professor because I don't think I'm understanding it clearly.
I really need to suck it up though. Here I am claiming I believe in God, and I'm worried. I have to keep telling myself this and just do it (yea Hsieh, I heard ya).
To Judge Or Not To Judge...
The passages covered today were about two different concepts, but both equally important. The first was about criticizing others. This I think is the biggest problem people at church like to point out. People in most churches I believe hate the fact that they come in feeling like they are being judged. It's even worse in Asian churches because Asian communities just love comparing people. It's like we thrive on other people's shortcomings. But I think we're missing the point. We're all at church because we're weak. We're sinners and we have problems.
What's so true about this passage is the latter part of it. The part where it talks about how we should not use a measurement to judge people because that's the measurement that will be used on us. And that we should not point out mistakes when we make mistakes ourselves. This is one of the biggest problems that churches face. So many of the nonbelievers use this as a reason for why Christianity is a turn-off for them. Christians like to differentiate themselves almost to a point where they're hanging out by themselves because the others are just not "holy" enough. Now I'm not saying that that's the intent with every fellowship and that all the churches follow this, but many times that's what it may seem to people outside. I'm guilty of it myself.
This is always a tough one, and I'm going to have to make sure I get better at it myself.
Asking, Seeking, Knocking...
The second topic is just as my title suggest. Jesus teaches us, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." While this is very simple and clear, I don't know why I struggle with it. I find myself not being able to do this on a daily basis. Why is this? It may be that I'm still struggling with my faith and I'm just weak. God clearly states that He will provide if we ask for it. Yet, I find myself struggling to be comfortable with only that. This is another thing that I need to work on.
Summary:
Jesus Teaches About Criticizing Others
1-2 Jesus describes how we should not judge others because then we too will be judged. We should also not judge by a measurement because that same measurement will be used on us.
3-6 Do not look to point to someone's mistakes when you make mistakes yourself. Do not give these sinners anything pure that they will simply trample on.
Jesus Teaches About Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7-8 Jesus explains how God will always provide for us. He says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you."
9-12 As even the evil would give their children the good gifts. God will provide even greater for all of us as we are His children.
It's really cold. Really. Cold. I walked out all happy and confident, ready to conquer the world. Then, I felt a snow flake land on my head. Oh, heck no. Ran straight back into my apartment and grabbed a beanie to at least cover my ears. That's one thing I've learned while here in the Midwest. Protect your ears and you'll be fine. I still had 3 layers of clothing and some long underwear. I know you Midwesterners are laughing. I saw a couple crazy kids walking in shorts. Like really? Are you serious? Whatever, it'll take me a while to get used to being cold again. But if some of you see me on campus and I have this big frown on my face, I just came back from 70 degree sunshine, so you know why.
I only really had two classes today but they were both really tough to get through. Not because I was tired or cause I had a tough time paying attention, but because I was honestly worried. The first was Chinese 202, in which by this time, most of the students who have struggled with the language have dropped. We had I think about 4 classes of 40+ students in Chinese 101. It's now shrunk down to about 40 students total. Thus, we now have the best of best students combined in one class with a teacher that's speaking in a foreign language (literally). Fun times ahead...
To add to that I have Senior Design class. Now at first I was excited about this class because it's what every engineering student looks forward to. However, after class today I felt......dumb. The professor was explaining concepts I had no idea about. I felt like just walking out of class. Yea, that bad. Anyways I asked around to see what the others thought about it. Fortunately, most of them were on the same boat, but still a good handful of them knew what was going on (that or they just wanted me to feel stupid; which is very possible by the way because engineers are just like that). That got me worried. Really worried. Pray for me... I'm going to post what my actual project is tomorrow after I clarify a couple things with the professor because I don't think I'm understanding it clearly.
I really need to suck it up though. Here I am claiming I believe in God, and I'm worried. I have to keep telling myself this and just do it (yea Hsieh, I heard ya).
To Judge Or Not To Judge...
The passages covered today were about two different concepts, but both equally important. The first was about criticizing others. This I think is the biggest problem people at church like to point out. People in most churches I believe hate the fact that they come in feeling like they are being judged. It's even worse in Asian churches because Asian communities just love comparing people. It's like we thrive on other people's shortcomings. But I think we're missing the point. We're all at church because we're weak. We're sinners and we have problems.
What's so true about this passage is the latter part of it. The part where it talks about how we should not use a measurement to judge people because that's the measurement that will be used on us. And that we should not point out mistakes when we make mistakes ourselves. This is one of the biggest problems that churches face. So many of the nonbelievers use this as a reason for why Christianity is a turn-off for them. Christians like to differentiate themselves almost to a point where they're hanging out by themselves because the others are just not "holy" enough. Now I'm not saying that that's the intent with every fellowship and that all the churches follow this, but many times that's what it may seem to people outside. I'm guilty of it myself.
This is always a tough one, and I'm going to have to make sure I get better at it myself.
Asking, Seeking, Knocking...
The second topic is just as my title suggest. Jesus teaches us, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you." While this is very simple and clear, I don't know why I struggle with it. I find myself not being able to do this on a daily basis. Why is this? It may be that I'm still struggling with my faith and I'm just weak. God clearly states that He will provide if we ask for it. Yet, I find myself struggling to be comfortable with only that. This is another thing that I need to work on.
Summary:
Jesus Teaches About Criticizing Others
1-2 Jesus describes how we should not judge others because then we too will be judged. We should also not judge by a measurement because that same measurement will be used on us.
3-6 Do not look to point to someone's mistakes when you make mistakes yourself. Do not give these sinners anything pure that they will simply trample on.
Jesus Teaches About Asking, Seeking, Knocking
7-8 Jesus explains how God will always provide for us. He says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you."
9-12 As even the evil would give their children the good gifts. God will provide even greater for all of us as we are His children.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Chains For Christ
Philippians 1:12-30
It's been a while since I've written in here and I apologize for those who's been reading (I've had a couple people tell me what happened). I have a whole bunch I want to enter as an entry because I did do a couple interesting studies and heard some great sermons over my Winter Break. I will make sure to do that as I get better at doing this.
Hope your breaks have gone well. Mine has been relaxing and I've actually been to a lot of places meeting people I haven't seen in a long time. This includes many family members as one of my cousins just got married.
The passage I want to talk about is actually not one from my continued reading. I actually came across an interesting read over ESPN about Tony Dungy.
For those of you who do not know Tony Dungy, he's the coach of the Indianapolis Colts and he has declared today that he will be retiring. Coach Dungy is known for his strong faith and for being a class-act. And his retirement speech was nothing short of that. He even quoted the Bible and tried to explain how what he wants to do reflects that. I was sad as a Colts fan, but happy as a fellow believer.
Dungy said something in his speech that really made me reflect on how I want to live my life. Hopefully it will for you as well. He quoted the Bible in saying something along the lines of, "'If I live, it's good. If I die and go home with the Lord, it's better.'"
This one little quote got me thinking a lot about how I was living my life thus far. What exactly was I doing? And what was I doing that for? And a lot of this got me to realize that it was for selfish reasons. I am a student now trying to do well in school for what? To live the life that I tried to create based on what everyone has told me was good. I avoided things because people advised me it's bad, and done things because people supported those things. Now, I'm not saying that this is in anyway a bad thing, but when it's the sole foundation for the life I set out to live, it makes me ponder about a lot of things.
The way the society is set today, it's really hard to break out of it. When we're raised as kids, there are certain things that every kid must do to succeed. Once you pass that, you must do the next set of tasks to compete with the rest of the world. That's just the way it seems to work. I'm not saying that a kid should break out of it and not take his SATs. Rather I'm promoting that we start living our lives with a purpose. And as Apostle Paul stated, and Dungy agreed, it's better to live and die with the Lord.
When diving into the text, Dungy was talking about Apostle Paul's message about how he was in chains for Christ and will rejoice living for Him. I know this is a really tough task especially with the motives we have in our lives. However, we have to realize what is truly greater. And that is knowing Christ. That's a challenge I'm going to have to live up to.
Oh and thanks Coach Dungy for the last 7 years of great football. You will be missed.
It's been a while since I've written in here and I apologize for those who's been reading (I've had a couple people tell me what happened). I have a whole bunch I want to enter as an entry because I did do a couple interesting studies and heard some great sermons over my Winter Break. I will make sure to do that as I get better at doing this.
Hope your breaks have gone well. Mine has been relaxing and I've actually been to a lot of places meeting people I haven't seen in a long time. This includes many family members as one of my cousins just got married.
The passage I want to talk about is actually not one from my continued reading. I actually came across an interesting read over ESPN about Tony Dungy.
For those of you who do not know Tony Dungy, he's the coach of the Indianapolis Colts and he has declared today that he will be retiring. Coach Dungy is known for his strong faith and for being a class-act. And his retirement speech was nothing short of that. He even quoted the Bible and tried to explain how what he wants to do reflects that. I was sad as a Colts fan, but happy as a fellow believer.
Dungy said something in his speech that really made me reflect on how I want to live my life. Hopefully it will for you as well. He quoted the Bible in saying something along the lines of, "'If I live, it's good. If I die and go home with the Lord, it's better.'"
This one little quote got me thinking a lot about how I was living my life thus far. What exactly was I doing? And what was I doing that for? And a lot of this got me to realize that it was for selfish reasons. I am a student now trying to do well in school for what? To live the life that I tried to create based on what everyone has told me was good. I avoided things because people advised me it's bad, and done things because people supported those things. Now, I'm not saying that this is in anyway a bad thing, but when it's the sole foundation for the life I set out to live, it makes me ponder about a lot of things.
The way the society is set today, it's really hard to break out of it. When we're raised as kids, there are certain things that every kid must do to succeed. Once you pass that, you must do the next set of tasks to compete with the rest of the world. That's just the way it seems to work. I'm not saying that a kid should break out of it and not take his SATs. Rather I'm promoting that we start living our lives with a purpose. And as Apostle Paul stated, and Dungy agreed, it's better to live and die with the Lord.
When diving into the text, Dungy was talking about Apostle Paul's message about how he was in chains for Christ and will rejoice living for Him. I know this is a really tough task especially with the motives we have in our lives. However, we have to realize what is truly greater. And that is knowing Christ. That's a challenge I'm going to have to live up to.
Oh and thanks Coach Dungy for the last 7 years of great football. You will be missed.
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