1) went for dr tan lai yong's talk last night; twas good and i shall put what i have of it up in a bit.
2) What Has Athens to Do With Jerusalem?
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
i'm reading 'the day after tomorrow' now. it was interesting enough in the afternoon, but wears its welcome out as the day wears out into night. i prefer other genres at night. but mm on a short note, i can see why it made bestseller list- it's thick. which means it spans london, france and germany. also uses the old conspiracy theory. and has like a million people that get introduced and killed every so often. you know.
wait till the exams end! then i will prowl around the library and carry off books to my hearts content, like a hunter bringing home his spoil.
wait till the exams end! then i will prowl around the library and carry off books to my hearts content, like a hunter bringing home his spoil.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
hm an interesting take on genesis 22!
The Supreme Climb
Take now your son . . . and offer him . . . as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you —Genesis 22:2
A person’s character determines how he interprets God’s will (see Psalm 18:25-26 ). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this traditional belief behind through the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs which must be removed-for example, that God removes a child because his mother loves him too much. That is the devil’s lie and a travesty on the true nature of God! If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of our wrong traditional beliefs about God, he will do so. But if we will stay true to God, God will take us through an ordeal that will serve to bring us into a better knowledge of Himself.
The great lesson to be learned from Abraham’s faith in God is that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter what contrary belief of his might be violated by his obedience. Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything, even “to go . . . both to prison and to death” ( Luke 22:33 ). Abraham did not make any such statement— he simply remained true to God, and God purified his faith.
______
on another note, rzim writes a little on death:
http://www.rzim.org/usa/usfv/tabid/436/articleid/10564/cbmoduleid/1133/default.aspx
Take now your son . . . and offer him . . . as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you —Genesis 22:2
A person’s character determines how he interprets God’s will (see Psalm 18:25-26 ). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this traditional belief behind through the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditional beliefs that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs which must be removed-for example, that God removes a child because his mother loves him too much. That is the devil’s lie and a travesty on the true nature of God! If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of our wrong traditional beliefs about God, he will do so. But if we will stay true to God, God will take us through an ordeal that will serve to bring us into a better knowledge of Himself.
The great lesson to be learned from Abraham’s faith in God is that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter what contrary belief of his might be violated by his obedience. Abraham was not devoted to his own convictions or else he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was actually the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you directly through every barrier and right into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself. But you must always be willing to come to the point of giving up your own convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did that you are willing to do anything, even “to go . . . both to prison and to death” ( Luke 22:33 ). Abraham did not make any such statement— he simply remained true to God, and God purified his faith.
______
on another note, rzim writes a little on death:
http://www.rzim.org/usa/usfv/tabid/436/articleid/10564/cbmoduleid/1133/default.aspx
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
rzim
-Is there perhaps a distinctively Christian alternative to the atmosphere of fear that is so pervasive and contagious?
i think so. and it looks needful that i find one, or at least work something out. hearing my freshly graduated friends discuss financial management is a hint, i think, of what is to come.
i'm the kind of person who would dump my money in the bank and take it out when needed. but i doubt the world's kind enough to let me off like that, and in any case i'm going to have quite a hefty debt to clear once uni's over.
but that was a digression; uni debts are to be faced and not mused about. so yes. freshly graduated friends who discuss financial management while i sit there and wonder why can't it be simpler.
money makes money, that's one point. the other would be that of insurance. i wonder what would happen if i don't get insurance. cuz i don't intend to.
i suppose there'll be "God" arguments for and against insurance; the human being is somewhat annoyingly desirous to be right, and unfortunately equipped with the intellect for doing so. why do you think arts majors can argue (read: smoke) on both sides of the coin equally convincingly, or gp students encouraged to give a 'balanced' answer. truth is what we make it to be; we'll always have a rationalisation that justifies our actions. insurance is a moot point then.
so yes, while i haven't been exposed to the pressures and demands of the adult society that requires us to be such-and-such (no wonder people instantly age when they enter the workforce), from what i see i don't like it.
i mean, isn't it enough to work out God's kingdom here on earth already, without having to think of oneself? thinking about poverty, selfishness and creation abuse would take up quite a bit of effort already, wouldn't it. but okay, i might be wrong. maybe those adults out there have already worked out and reconciled the fallenness of the world and are seeking to make the kingdom change. phooey to you, i'm not there yet.
it's just. let's not put our cares higher above God's, alright. look, matthew says it fine enough: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these shall be added unto you.
i think so. and it looks needful that i find one, or at least work something out. hearing my freshly graduated friends discuss financial management is a hint, i think, of what is to come.
i'm the kind of person who would dump my money in the bank and take it out when needed. but i doubt the world's kind enough to let me off like that, and in any case i'm going to have quite a hefty debt to clear once uni's over.
but that was a digression; uni debts are to be faced and not mused about. so yes. freshly graduated friends who discuss financial management while i sit there and wonder why can't it be simpler.
money makes money, that's one point. the other would be that of insurance. i wonder what would happen if i don't get insurance. cuz i don't intend to.
i suppose there'll be "God" arguments for and against insurance; the human being is somewhat annoyingly desirous to be right, and unfortunately equipped with the intellect for doing so. why do you think arts majors can argue (read: smoke) on both sides of the coin equally convincingly, or gp students encouraged to give a 'balanced' answer. truth is what we make it to be; we'll always have a rationalisation that justifies our actions. insurance is a moot point then.
so yes, while i haven't been exposed to the pressures and demands of the adult society that requires us to be such-and-such (no wonder people instantly age when they enter the workforce), from what i see i don't like it.
i mean, isn't it enough to work out God's kingdom here on earth already, without having to think of oneself? thinking about poverty, selfishness and creation abuse would take up quite a bit of effort already, wouldn't it. but okay, i might be wrong. maybe those adults out there have already worked out and reconciled the fallenness of the world and are seeking to make the kingdom change. phooey to you, i'm not there yet.
it's just. let's not put our cares higher above God's, alright. look, matthew says it fine enough: Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these shall be added unto you.
The parable of the talent asks us to see the power and control we allow to masquerade as security and so convince ourselves that we are living wisely, even morally upright, when we are really living in fear. These fears move us to withdraw from the very kingdom Jesus calls us to join and join with him in announcing. Instead of moving further up and farther into the kingdom he proclaimed among us, we dig for our souls a place in the outer darkness.
There is indeed an alternative, but it is neither safe nor easy. It involves laying down our fears to follow Christ with faith’s daring; it involves opening our lives to a world that scares us, and rejecting the anxiety of a world convinced the sky is falling. The Christian alternative to a culture of fear is a kingdom of hospitality and abundance, vulnerability and generosity, love and self-sacrifice—the very kingdom Christ shaped with his living and dying, and invites us to do the same.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
indevincible
today chambers made me laugh. i must say it's the first time he's ever done that. but ah, his words speak to my heart-thoughts as well:
Inner Invincibility
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . —Matthew 11:29
Whom the Lord loves He chastens . . .” ( Hebrews 12:6 ). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” ( Matthew 11:30 ). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“. . . to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29 ). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.
“. . . the joy of the Lord is your strength” ( Nehemiah 8:10 ). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.
If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.
Inner Invincibility
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . —Matthew 11:29
Whom the Lord loves He chastens . . .” ( Hebrews 12:6 ). How petty our complaining is! Our Lord begins to bring us to the point where we can have fellowship with Him, only to hear us moan and groan, saying, “Oh Lord, just let me be like other people!” Jesus is asking us to get beside Him and take one end of the yoke, so that we can pull together. That’s why Jesus says to us, “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” ( Matthew 11:30 ). Are you closely identified with the Lord Jesus like that? If so, you will thank God when you feel the pressure of His hand upon you.
“. . . to those who have no might He increases strength” (Isaiah 40:29 ). God comes and takes us out of our emotionalism, and then our complaining turns into a hymn of praise. The only way to know the strength of God is to take the yoke of Jesus upon us and to learn from Him.
“. . . the joy of the Lord is your strength” ( Nehemiah 8:10 ). Where do the saints get their joy? If we did not know some Christians well, we might think from just observing them that they have no burdens at all to bear. But we must lift the veil from our eyes. The fact that the peace, light, and joy of God is in them is proof that a burden is there as well. The burden that God places on us squeezes the grapes in our lives and produces the wine, but most of us see only the wine and not the burden. No power on earth or in hell can conquer the Spirit of God living within the human spirit; it creates an inner invincibility.
If your life is producing only a whine, instead of the wine, then ruthlessly kick it out. It is definitely a crime for a Christian to be weak in God’s strength.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
The Living Word
7 The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
I've been looking at Psalm 19 for some months now, and while I easily affirm the beginning and its end, to be honest each time i hit the middlish bit about the law and statutes- at least 6 descriptions of them- i'd skim, wondering many times how someone could praise rules so effusively.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
It struck me as strange, because I tend to think of regulations as limiting, definitely a dragging down of a free spirit. whoah/we're halfway there/whoahhh/livin' on a prayer, etc and that sounds more exciting than
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
Just being honest here. But yeah, this morning I sit here and type because I'm finally closer to the side of the psalmist- this morning I agree with him.
'It's in the relief of darkness that light is loved'. (relief in the sense of contrast.) something i realised this morning and suddenly i have gained that more understanding. it's only when face to face with darkness and the consequent fear that God's precepts and commandments get their true valuation- kind of like an inherited knight's armour: it's ungainly and awkward but when the time comes and the fight must be fought that the one inside finally understands the value of its weight.
so yes, now i can echo with the psalmist,
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
I've been looking at Psalm 19 for some months now, and while I easily affirm the beginning and its end, to be honest each time i hit the middlish bit about the law and statutes- at least 6 descriptions of them- i'd skim, wondering many times how someone could praise rules so effusively.
8 The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
It struck me as strange, because I tend to think of regulations as limiting, definitely a dragging down of a free spirit. whoah/we're halfway there/whoahhh/livin' on a prayer, etc and that sounds more exciting than
9 The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The ordinances of the LORD are sure
and altogether righteous.
Just being honest here. But yeah, this morning I sit here and type because I'm finally closer to the side of the psalmist- this morning I agree with him.
'It's in the relief of darkness that light is loved'. (relief in the sense of contrast.) something i realised this morning and suddenly i have gained that more understanding. it's only when face to face with darkness and the consequent fear that God's precepts and commandments get their true valuation- kind of like an inherited knight's armour: it's ungainly and awkward but when the time comes and the fight must be fought that the one inside finally understands the value of its weight.
so yes, now i can echo with the psalmist,
10 They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the comb.
Amen.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
one for Christ
http://www.rzim.org/resources/read/asliceofinfinity/todaysslice.aspx
In a single weekend, Christians have just remembered the crucifixion of Jesus, his burial on Good Friday, the silence of Holy Saturday, and the terror and amazement of Easter Sunday. In a weekend, we were reminded how the disciples failed him miserably, falling asleep when he needed them most in prayer, denying ever knowing him as he was convicted for being himself, watching him die alone from a distance. In a weekend, Christians moved from recognizing ourselves in this list of failures to sensing the hopeful confusion of the disciples, the overwhelm of Thomas, and the timid longing of the women at the tomb. In a single weekend, we moved from complete despair to shocking hope, total darkness to surprising light, the finality of death to the last word of resurrection, from broken and sinful to restored and forgiven.
In a single weekend, Christians have just remembered the crucifixion of Jesus, his burial on Good Friday, the silence of Holy Saturday, and the terror and amazement of Easter Sunday. In a weekend, we were reminded how the disciples failed him miserably, falling asleep when he needed them most in prayer, denying ever knowing him as he was convicted for being himself, watching him die alone from a distance. In a weekend, Christians moved from recognizing ourselves in this list of failures to sensing the hopeful confusion of the disciples, the overwhelm of Thomas, and the timid longing of the women at the tomb. In a single weekend, we moved from complete despair to shocking hope, total darkness to surprising light, the finality of death to the last word of resurrection, from broken and sinful to restored and forgiven.
Dead People Walking,
Jill Carattini
Monday, April 05, 2010
so the easter weekend is over.
easter's just about the most exhausting christian rememberance in our calender list, i would think. it continues to be the most intense, weightiest and most sombring event in my life. cosmically epic/epically cosmic doesn't come close to capturing the sense of the vastness of the message. death defeated and life without end.
i slept in today, and woke up late, recovering from the weekend.
thoughts about sanctuary and what it can mean, more time spent with the th&Oers, i have neither the exact name for nor decided about them, but it's always enjoyable (read: entertaining). and often i am left contemplative. mmm.
anyway yes, the church as more than just fellowship, as representative of the scene that will one day be in heaven, sanctuaries need to be sacred, and holy, and set apart. i do think there's a need for the sense of the sacred in our lives. and i'm not saying a community hall is unacceptable to God; i'm saying we need to work for the reverence and awe when we come into His sanctuary.
on another note: the musical was enjoyed, by me. as was trooping down to the flyer with gayle and listening to marcus + dinner/supper at popeyes after.
today i also remember the events of a year ago. reread the posts, relieved the nights, briefly, i couldn't do it again. God be with us all.
easter's just about the most exhausting christian rememberance in our calender list, i would think. it continues to be the most intense, weightiest and most sombring event in my life. cosmically epic/epically cosmic doesn't come close to capturing the sense of the vastness of the message. death defeated and life without end.
i slept in today, and woke up late, recovering from the weekend.
thoughts about sanctuary and what it can mean, more time spent with the th&Oers, i have neither the exact name for nor decided about them, but it's always enjoyable (read: entertaining). and often i am left contemplative. mmm.
anyway yes, the church as more than just fellowship, as representative of the scene that will one day be in heaven, sanctuaries need to be sacred, and holy, and set apart. i do think there's a need for the sense of the sacred in our lives. and i'm not saying a community hall is unacceptable to God; i'm saying we need to work for the reverence and awe when we come into His sanctuary.
on another note: the musical was enjoyed, by me. as was trooping down to the flyer with gayle and listening to marcus + dinner/supper at popeyes after.
today i also remember the events of a year ago. reread the posts, relieved the nights, briefly, i couldn't do it again. God be with us all.
Friday, April 02, 2010
an unusually disjointed post
okay within the past hour i've been looking at fashion runaway shows, amazing clothes and people photography so i'm in a bit of a mess now. plus i also have thoughts from conversation on way home with g that i want to put down, the two are going to be hard to weave together but we'll see what happens; i want to take a bath first.
__
back. hmm like all i can think of now is that i ought to own a red bikini, if i were in town now/near any <3surfshop, my bank account would be feeling a pinch greater than what i transferred over to g today, vietnam trip yay and yay.
and yes i know this is extremely different from the tone and subject content of the rest of the posts here, doesn't even go with the steady, dependable green gleam of the theme, meeps. sober up rach sober up. -pats face.
but i suppose it's all good still. p said during our last meeting that one's site shows one's true self; i thought about it then disagreed. it might show me more contemplative, more forthcoming, but it's not necessarily the most cohesive picture. i mean, i can imagine it being true for some people, that on their word sites they reveal themselves as they are but if this was the case for me then according to this year's posts i am as green and gloomy as my background. or as staid and certain as the content. hah. so not. nor, has this place always been for qt thoughts.
which brings me back to my red bikini. i shall file it away in a mental cabinate, to spring out the next time i go shopping in a mall. which has been since... year one/two of uni, i think. i don't shop much in organised buildings anymore. it takes too much energy to fight the boredom from predicability.
hmm i wonder what vietnam will be like, we're all such characters i wonder what will happen when we travel together. will the boys' plan of lazing and intoxicated stoning prove too heavy to budge, or will excitement prevail and win the day? i foresee myself character-interaction watching.
anyway i'm still full from the happenings of the day: feel like i gobbled up everything, the sights the sounds; i'm bloated now. i'm also very contented, sitting isolated in my room typing out head words.
speaking of which, recalling one of the sites i was at earlier this evening; quote from devil wears prada mm a show i partially watched at a gathering at his face's place i can't remember his name now, one of those gatherings i used to get invited unreasonably to, in the meaning of them social butterfly days, it gave me pause. i have a feeling devil wears prada is a pretty good show, i'd be happy if occasion gave rise to a watching of it one day. because i'm unfortunately not proactive like that. and i'm not saying like i'm proud of it.
maybe i should find myself a hobby. haha! okay after i put the full stop i thought the sentence sounded quite uncool. hobby is not an attractive word.
-
fortunately i have put my disclaimer, and need not make further excuse for jumping thoughts. come let's talk about a boy, in a detachedly rational way. so g was saying that there's suiting. and that there's holding back that she can see. she also said spunkiness, and spontaneity.
i thought a bit, and concede she might have a point. i would have done what was suggested in giordarno whilst the two of them were gone, if the dare had been pushed. why did we walk out in the end?
in any case, i don't know why i do. it's almost instinctive. let me indulge in a tv soap operaic moment here and say significantly that maybe he's one of those with whom it must be fully... or strangely.
.
ah i wanted to end there, nice and dramatic but i'm not feeling stupid enough for that tonight. and yeah, to have done so would have sounded like i meant it. i don't, and i don't want to give that impression. like, shooting off my mouth doesn't mean i shoot myself in the foot too. hmm i wanted to try one more, but forget it. i never want karma to bite me in the butt.
__
back. hmm like all i can think of now is that i ought to own a red bikini, if i were in town now/near any <3surfshop, my bank account would be feeling a pinch greater than what i transferred over to g today, vietnam trip yay and yay.
and yes i know this is extremely different from the tone and subject content of the rest of the posts here, doesn't even go with the steady, dependable green gleam of the theme, meeps. sober up rach sober up. -pats face.
but i suppose it's all good still. p said during our last meeting that one's site shows one's true self; i thought about it then disagreed. it might show me more contemplative, more forthcoming, but it's not necessarily the most cohesive picture. i mean, i can imagine it being true for some people, that on their word sites they reveal themselves as they are but if this was the case for me then according to this year's posts i am as green and gloomy as my background. or as staid and certain as the content. hah. so not. nor, has this place always been for qt thoughts.
which brings me back to my red bikini. i shall file it away in a mental cabinate, to spring out the next time i go shopping in a mall. which has been since... year one/two of uni, i think. i don't shop much in organised buildings anymore. it takes too much energy to fight the boredom from predicability.
hmm i wonder what vietnam will be like, we're all such characters i wonder what will happen when we travel together. will the boys' plan of lazing and intoxicated stoning prove too heavy to budge, or will excitement prevail and win the day? i foresee myself character-interaction watching.
anyway i'm still full from the happenings of the day: feel like i gobbled up everything, the sights the sounds; i'm bloated now. i'm also very contented, sitting isolated in my room typing out head words.
speaking of which, recalling one of the sites i was at earlier this evening; quote from devil wears prada mm a show i partially watched at a gathering at his face's place i can't remember his name now, one of those gatherings i used to get invited unreasonably to, in the meaning of them social butterfly days, it gave me pause. i have a feeling devil wears prada is a pretty good show, i'd be happy if occasion gave rise to a watching of it one day. because i'm unfortunately not proactive like that. and i'm not saying like i'm proud of it.
maybe i should find myself a hobby. haha! okay after i put the full stop i thought the sentence sounded quite uncool. hobby is not an attractive word.
-
fortunately i have put my disclaimer, and need not make further excuse for jumping thoughts. come let's talk about a boy, in a detachedly rational way. so g was saying that there's suiting. and that there's holding back that she can see. she also said spunkiness, and spontaneity.
i thought a bit, and concede she might have a point. i would have done what was suggested in giordarno whilst the two of them were gone, if the dare had been pushed. why did we walk out in the end?
in any case, i don't know why i do. it's almost instinctive. let me indulge in a tv soap operaic moment here and say significantly that maybe he's one of those with whom it must be fully... or strangely.
.
ah i wanted to end there, nice and dramatic but i'm not feeling stupid enough for that tonight. and yeah, to have done so would have sounded like i meant it. i don't, and i don't want to give that impression. like, shooting off my mouth doesn't mean i shoot myself in the foot too. hmm i wanted to try one more, but forget it. i never want karma to bite me in the butt.
Monday, March 15, 2010
the core of what when stripped away
"For the early persecuted church, the Rule of Faith, or regula fidei, was the essential message, the fixed gospel through which they saw the world. It was the foundation that set the Christian apart and often put them in danger: profession of one God, salvation in Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit. It was also the foundation on which they stood when all else was stripped away. In the life of a confessing Christian, the Rule of Faith was seen as the normative compendium, the communal account of the story that held the individual through daily trials and united them with the believing community. The Rule was not a rival of the Scriptures; on the contrary, it was the worldview that emerged from Scripture, but also the worldview with which they approached the Scriptures, their lives, communities, and afflictions.
In a world averse to rules and intent on independence, it may be all the more tempting to deem the regula fidei a relic—and hence an irrelevancy—of the early church. But to men and women persecuted in North Korea, the regula fidei, the very heart of the Story for which they suffer is the rule by which they live. To them we owe the startling reminder: we are not islands of spiritual autonomy, but pilgrims who think, live, and serve with the truth and power of a thoughtful chorus.
To be Christian is to follow God's Way in the world, a Way that compels us to move along with it. For some this will mean persecution, even martyrdom; for others it will mean laboring to avoid becoming at ease in Zion, moving to the beat of a drum that may take us where we don't want to go. But movement it will require: “As they led [Jesus] away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull)” (Luke 23:26, Mark 15:22). The regula fidei is the heart of a startling story, a story that turns the world on its head and empowers a different kingdom. And thus, it is something quite like the heart of God, which brings rhythm to a chaotic world and sweeps many up into its mission."
(Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. )
In a world averse to rules and intent on independence, it may be all the more tempting to deem the regula fidei a relic—and hence an irrelevancy—of the early church. But to men and women persecuted in North Korea, the regula fidei, the very heart of the Story for which they suffer is the rule by which they live. To them we owe the startling reminder: we are not islands of spiritual autonomy, but pilgrims who think, live, and serve with the truth and power of a thoughtful chorus.
To be Christian is to follow God's Way in the world, a Way that compels us to move along with it. For some this will mean persecution, even martyrdom; for others it will mean laboring to avoid becoming at ease in Zion, moving to the beat of a drum that may take us where we don't want to go. But movement it will require: “As they led [Jesus] away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. Then they brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the place of a skull)” (Luke 23:26, Mark 15:22). The regula fidei is the heart of a startling story, a story that turns the world on its head and empowers a different kingdom. And thus, it is something quite like the heart of God, which brings rhythm to a chaotic world and sweeps many up into its mission."
(Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. )
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
on hot air balloons
.
God's caribeeners, not mine.
His hooks, not mine.
His sturdyness, His strength, His robustness.
His tolerance.
That will carry me through
storms, waves, winds
that attaches the envelope to the basket
That will not fail.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
the GOD of transcendence
The true problem is this: Is God an autonomous presence before you, like you before your friend, the bridegroom before the bride, the Son before the Father?… Can you meet God as a person on your road and prostrate yourself before Him as did Moses before the burning bush?… Can you experience his presence in the dark intimacy of the temple as did the prophets? In short, is God the God of transcendence, and thus the God of prayer, the God of what lies beyond things, or is He only the God of immanence, revealing Himself in the fruition of matter, in the dynamics of history, in the promise to free mankind?"
Carlo Carretto, The God Who Comes
Monday, March 08, 2010
the source of abundant joy
as written by our familar friend-
"The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that "in all these things we are more than conquerors." We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. "We are more than conquerors through Him" "in all these things"; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4 ).
The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:39 ). "
"The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that "in all these things we are more than conquerors." We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. "We are more than conquerors through Him" "in all these things"; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, "I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4 ).
The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to "separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:39 ). "
Thursday, March 04, 2010
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
comfort taken.
"Yet despite my generally optimistic attitude and outlook, there are times when I am overwhelmed by sadness. It may be a growing storm of weary longing or a tide of bitterness that sweeps over me, drowning me with a dolor that submerges my hope. Sometimes it occurs when I think about the aging process and our hopeless fight against it. Sometimes it occurs when I am in the grocery line, looking at the baggers and clerks who wonder if this is all they will ever do for work. Oftentimes, it occurs when I cannot see the good through all the violence and evil that oppresses our world and its people. I grieve for those who are forgotten by our society—the last, the least, and the lost among us—and wonder who is there to help and to save them from drowning.
It is in these times that I befriend lament. And I take great comfort in the loud cries and mourning that have echoed throughout time and history as captured in the poems, songs, and statements of lament. Indeed, a great portion of the Hebrew Scriptures comes in the form of lament, both individual and communal lament. The Psalms, as the hymnal of Israel, record the deepest cries of agony, anger, confusion, disorientation, sorrow, grief, and protest. In so doing, they express faith in the God who would listen and respond to these emotional outpourings.(1) The prophets of Israel, as well, present some of the most heart-wrenching cries to God in times of deep sorrow and distress. One can hear the anguish in Jeremiah’s cry, “Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will God indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jeremiah 15:18) In addition, Jeremiah cries out on behalf of the people of Judah: “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? (Jeremiah 8:20-22).
As I listen to Jeremiah’s cries, I recognize that they arise out of a deep love for the very people he often had to speak against. As Abraham Joshua Heschel notes, “[Jeremiah] was a person overwhelmed by sympathy for God and sympathy for man. Standing before the people he pleaded for God. Standing before God he pleaded for his people.”(2) Oftentimes, my own overwhelming sadness arises when I look out upon a world that seems to love evil more than good, darkness more than light. I grieve over self-imposed predicaments, bad choices, and selfish indulgences. And I recognize my place in this world of predicament, darkness, and selfishness. Longingly, Jesus said amidst tears about the people in his own day, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace” (Luke 19:42). It is more than appropriate for us to weep and lament over the sins of the world—the sin that we, too, participate in and condone.
But beyond this, there are simply some realities in life that at times are overwhelming: the inevitability of ageing, death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, relational disruption, and many others. I grieve over those who find themselves on the losing end of things, who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from the despair of looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else. It is the despair that arises from not knowing what can be done or how to overcome.
Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then sometimes my overwhelming sorrow, my feelings of bitterness over some of the harsh or inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. So indeed, let the tears flow, “for if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) As one who desires to walk with the "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief," may lament have its way of bittersweet transformation. "
Margaret Manning, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
"Yet despite my generally optimistic attitude and outlook, there are times when I am overwhelmed by sadness. It may be a growing storm of weary longing or a tide of bitterness that sweeps over me, drowning me with a dolor that submerges my hope. Sometimes it occurs when I think about the aging process and our hopeless fight against it. Sometimes it occurs when I am in the grocery line, looking at the baggers and clerks who wonder if this is all they will ever do for work. Oftentimes, it occurs when I cannot see the good through all the violence and evil that oppresses our world and its people. I grieve for those who are forgotten by our society—the last, the least, and the lost among us—and wonder who is there to help and to save them from drowning.
It is in these times that I befriend lament. And I take great comfort in the loud cries and mourning that have echoed throughout time and history as captured in the poems, songs, and statements of lament. Indeed, a great portion of the Hebrew Scriptures comes in the form of lament, both individual and communal lament. The Psalms, as the hymnal of Israel, record the deepest cries of agony, anger, confusion, disorientation, sorrow, grief, and protest. In so doing, they express faith in the God who would listen and respond to these emotional outpourings.(1) The prophets of Israel, as well, present some of the most heart-wrenching cries to God in times of deep sorrow and distress. One can hear the anguish in Jeremiah’s cry, “Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will God indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?” (Jeremiah 15:18) In addition, Jeremiah cries out on behalf of the people of Judah: “Harvest is past, summer is ended, and we are not saved. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? (Jeremiah 8:20-22).
As I listen to Jeremiah’s cries, I recognize that they arise out of a deep love for the very people he often had to speak against. As Abraham Joshua Heschel notes, “[Jeremiah] was a person overwhelmed by sympathy for God and sympathy for man. Standing before the people he pleaded for God. Standing before God he pleaded for his people.”(2) Oftentimes, my own overwhelming sadness arises when I look out upon a world that seems to love evil more than good, darkness more than light. I grieve over self-imposed predicaments, bad choices, and selfish indulgences. And I recognize my place in this world of predicament, darkness, and selfishness. Longingly, Jesus said amidst tears about the people in his own day, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace” (Luke 19:42). It is more than appropriate for us to weep and lament over the sins of the world—the sin that we, too, participate in and condone.
But beyond this, there are simply some realities in life that at times are overwhelming: the inevitability of ageing, death, and loss, poverty, hunger, homelessness, relational disruption, and many others. I grieve over those who find themselves on the losing end of things, who through no fault of their own always find themselves in last place or left behind. Lament arises from the despair of looking honestly at these realities for what they are, and wishing for something else. It is the despair that arises from not knowing what can be done or how to overcome.
Yet it has been said that “the cry of pain is our deepest acknowledgment that we are not home.” The author continues, “We are divided from our own body; our own deepest desires; our dearest relationships. We are separated and long for utter restoration. It is the cry of pain that initiates the search to ask God, ‘What are you doing?’ It is this element of a lament that has the potential to change the heart.”(3) If this is true, then sometimes my overwhelming sorrow, my feelings of bitterness over some of the harsh or inevitable realities of life are, in fact, the crucible for real change. The same waters of despair that seek to drown and overwhelm are the waters of cleansing. So indeed, let the tears flow, “for if [the LORD] causes grief, then He will have compassion according to his abundant lovingkindness.”(4) As one who desires to walk with the "man of sorrows" who was "acquainted with grief," may lament have its way of bittersweet transformation. "
Margaret Manning, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries
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