Recently one of my friends on Facebook (his name starts with an O) challenged me to write down all the good things God has done this year before they are forgotten. So here is the public/surface edition. Funny how when you don't have a lot of 'material' things to be thankful for, you truly start to actualize some of Taylor Swift's principles in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmMBe5Jy2P0. I still haven't finished that entry that summarizes what God has been teaching me in my 7 years without full time employment/school but I promise I'll try my best to get around to finishing that one too before the New Year or by the first week of the New Year the latest. "The summary of the summary" as I suppose my friend EA might put is that although maybe the first 6 years of that 7 year period God had a lot of work to do with me, I hope that this 7th year God is finally content and joyfully celebrating what He has done in me and rejoicing like the biblical account of 'the year of Jubilee'. Particularly, I found this quote from one of my older entries that fairly accurately describes how I felt that night I was feeling perhaps a second Pentecost [Acts 2] moment in my life about 2-3 months ago:
"God's going to come find you again and his love with overwhelm you to the point, your tears of joy can even run out!" [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2007/04/lord-give-me-strength.html]
Perhaps not the only prophecy that I wrote which is coming true though. ;) I've also been blessed quite immensely by improvements in my both my physical and mental health. I've also lost a lot of the extra weight I put on since taking medication which partly may have been put on from anxiety related causes not just medication and it seems both that factor and the 'praying factor' have also been working very well towards my inguinal hernia recovery, perhaps my own version of 2 Corinthians 12:7.
Apparently I thought this blog had as my Pastor put it recently on a Sunday '5 years of silence' but apparently I happened to have one blog entry in July 10th of 2015? Not really sure why or if I can remember I decided to post that entry, but it would in fact be posted exactly one month after the birthday of the 'allegorical Rachel' I made reference to in this particular blog entry: http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2008/12/dark-k.html OH....well it's a little too personal and sensitive to mention here in a public space, but speaking of 'Rachels who are married perhaps used by God in a allegorical context....' (ah, so there is kinda a Trinity [besides the bible, also: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/?ref_=nv_sr_1] you know who are both married and unmarried eh [3 of each]...)...well no more on that here, but perhaps I should make a brief statement; especially since there have already unfortunately been some misunderstandings; perhaps even on a personal level of exactly what God was trying to speak to me in those experiences. I believe God was using them to illustrate something in my life like "God sometimes guides in more unusual ways" as per that Questions of Life book by Nicky Grumble.
Recently my cellphone also broke down and after I discovered maybe a metallic washer came lose and it wasn't grounding properly, then it worked for maybe have a day but wasn't able to charge. I also did my own tech support on it and discovered it was potentially having a software issue not allowing it to charge, so apparently the only way to fix it was to wipe the phone entirely, AKA "the clean slate".
Something 'interesting' also happened yesterday when I was having my daily walk with God, I was wondering whether a certain "gifting" I had perhaps was more of a "two-way" gift (as if this person maybe already knew I was about to head out to have some time with God) and then I saw a bunch of (probably geese) flying south for the winter at that exact moment I was wondering about that and it reminded me of that "Ducks fly together" line from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104868/?ref_=nv_sr_1
I recently also became better friends with someone God has put in my life in recent years who is quite supportive and I am quite blessed by our friendship and God does indeed still have our
"best interests" in mind even amidst the present circumstances. And I'm quite thankful to have this friend/person in my life. As some of my friends back in my seminary days sort of put it, maybe it is kind of like that line from Animaniacs :D
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Wednesday, December 27, 2017
iJohn 19:22... OH...there's that number again....
"22"... the other day I was having 'quiet time' with God at square one and I recall I had called my SSID "GodLink" and I saw a pattern in the name of stores, because I ran into a store named "White House" and then later I saw part of a store name and it was "Taylor" right when God had placed "I'm feeling 22" from Taylor Swift's 22 song in my head...
Funny how sometimes I forget my own prophecies, 'till the appointed time...'
[(there is a post called "NOT Made in China", which echoes the words and theme someone at Tim Horton's said that day, I cannot find it, which is 'weird', but maybe God wants whoever is reading this to find it on their own..)] Say wha....? ------> "ENLIGHTENED" (yes, the person she vacated her seat to used that word) ""4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because[b]to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." [Hebrews 6:4-6]" [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2010/04/crucify-him.html]
"Old School..." (you mean like that label you gave to TM's post?) [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2011/05/old-school.html]
"If God wants something to happen, and you're sure, don't fight it... also don't delay it, commit to it, your mind body and soul [Deuteronomy 6:5/Matthew 22:36-39], even if God's schedule is DIFFERENT than yours."[http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2007/04/lord-give-me-strength.html]
http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/05/korax.html (hmmm...that colour...)
"She is why you must die..." (figuratively of course...) [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/08/inn-y.html]
"The only thing I can think of in the Christian context that sort of compares to this is when the Apostles received the power of the holy spirit at Pentacost:" [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/02/looks-like-world-has-not-ended-just-yet.html]
Did I not also hear this verse recently? "[ The Day of the LORD ] "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." [Joel 2:28, also quoted in Acts 2:17] [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2007/12/love-actually.html]
Don't forget about this one eh...... "Romans 12:1-2
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2008/09/not-empty-seat-anymore.html]
"You don't want to ruin all the surprises...." [RK]
Hehe... let's just say there's another number that is semi-prophetic which I feel God wants me to be patient about as well...
Funny how sometimes I forget my own prophecies, 'till the appointed time...'
[(there is a post called "NOT Made in China", which echoes the words and theme someone at Tim Horton's said that day, I cannot find it, which is 'weird', but maybe God wants whoever is reading this to find it on their own..)] Say wha....? ------> "ENLIGHTENED" (yes, the person she vacated her seat to used that word) ""4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because[b]to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." [Hebrews 6:4-6]" [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2010/04/crucify-him.html]
"Old School..." (you mean like that label you gave to TM's post?) [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2011/05/old-school.html]
"If God wants something to happen, and you're sure, don't fight it... also don't delay it, commit to it, your mind body and soul [Deuteronomy 6:5/Matthew 22:36-39], even if God's schedule is DIFFERENT than yours."[http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2007/04/lord-give-me-strength.html]
http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/05/korax.html (hmmm...that colour...)
"She is why you must die..." (figuratively of course...) [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/08/inn-y.html]
"The only thing I can think of in the Christian context that sort of compares to this is when the Apostles received the power of the holy spirit at Pentacost:" [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2012/02/looks-like-world-has-not-ended-just-yet.html]
Did I not also hear this verse recently? "[ The Day of the LORD ] "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions." [Joel 2:28, also quoted in Acts 2:17] [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2007/12/love-actually.html]
Don't forget about this one eh...... "Romans 12:1-2
Living Sacrifices
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." [http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2008/09/not-empty-seat-anymore.html]
"You don't want to ruin all the surprises...." [RK]
Hehe... let's just say there's another number that is semi-prophetic which I feel God wants me to be patient about as well...
Thursday, December 21, 2017
Quick Update...
I am currently in the progress of writing some other entries, so I do have some new ones in the draft but as one of my profs put it before "you need to work on one paper at a time" [DS] and I may be wise to remember this recommendation as I try to finish up my blog entry that bridges the gap between what I have been doing in not really so much 'seven year sabbath' as 'seven years of recovery' too...
I also wanted to apologize that I realized on certain posts I broke my own privacy rules and used some 'full names' even though I mentioned on one blog I wouldn't, but it is way too late to rectify that now I believe as some posts have been posted for 2 years or a lot longer, but please understand that period of my life I was undergoing a lot of experiences that made me now realize I wanted to deny it but Taylor Swift's "I don't want to live forever" was actually somewhat prophetic over some of those years of my life too, I don't think I will ever see the movie though, Noooooo way....
I also wanted to apologize that I realized on certain posts I broke my own privacy rules and used some 'full names' even though I mentioned on one blog I wouldn't, but it is way too late to rectify that now I believe as some posts have been posted for 2 years or a lot longer, but please understand that period of my life I was undergoing a lot of experiences that made me now realize I wanted to deny it but Taylor Swift's "I don't want to live forever" was actually somewhat prophetic over some of those years of my life too, I don't think I will ever see the movie though, Noooooo way....
Wednesday, December 20, 2017
iLuke 15:24&[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/?ref_=nm_knf_t2]: "Please Lord...One more..."
Recently, I have had the privilege to reconnect with someone that had quite a big of negative stigma built up against Christianity and the church due to his previous experiences. Thankfully, it seems he's finally able to come to the place to finally open his heart fully to Jesus because he can see that God offers unconditional love. I'm also grateful that recently the holy Spirit has also given me a lot of discernment in terms of how other people are living there lives as well as how I am living mine to be able to be sort of a 'spiritual doctor' or 'medic' and be used by God to provide 'spiritual intravenous' and other things useful to others for their spiritual development. Granted, sometimes I'm only human and I can apply either the wrong dosage and not the most effective 'spiritual medicine' given my human limitations. Not that it ought to serve as an excuse, but more as my Pastor put it in his message on Sunday, a learning experience on how to allow God to continue transforming me in this area so I can be more like Christ in living out this aspect of my life :)
Tuesday, December 05, 2017
The return of the K....
iHearHim: You never let _____ and _____ and ______ and whatever happened stop you before, Prince K "of yester-years (<- -="" a="" bad="" from="" it="" movie="" s="" subtitle="" this="" translation="" very=""> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094357/?ref_=nv_sr_4) could face anything, now you literally can't even walk out the front door (on Sundays)"
[post in progress]
Recently God has been using various circumstances intertwined with my revival devotional life to indicate to me, it is time to return and be faithful to the original callings God has called me to in the past, such as my calling to Ministry. I'm reading Paul's letter to Timothy and while he does point out that it is important to manage one's biological household, reading the letter in the proper context, he does also stress the importance of treating the other members of the body of Christ as one's family.
Well Jesus, looks like you don't play around huh...:
I liked what Chief of York Regional Police said about leadership, "People follow people, not position."
[FM]
What God has been planting on my heart, is that essentially, other than my teaching Pastor, I am one of the few members of my current local church with (some) seminary education who has been there the longest and still can be present on a weekly basis.
Incidentally, when I tried to look up Russell Peters arranged marriage joke for a friend, this also came up on my YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUObGCCXAfs maybe cause I looked up the one with lyrics the other day, but I guess it's i-TD's son: "In Living Colour" now eh?
iTheInternship [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234155/?ref_=nv_sr_1]: "Good God...just let it play...let it play..."
Reflecting upon the above, as to why maybe God is trying to use a quote and scene from that movie to inspire me, it seems that I too have had struggles in my time at my current local church, albeit the majority of the struggling happens outside of my current local church, be it among my biological family or things that upset me the most from my past and also financial struggles that happened mostly either prior to or originated before my time at my current local church
I think mainly due to the similar struggles I have with the two main characters in the movie, just like one of the lines toward the end, something
I've also been "sensitive to the fact" [KD] that I was first replanted to my current local church prior to my temporary relocation to seminary. Interestingly enough, this reflects also how earlier on in my life in my grade school years I've also was temporarily relocated to the North Toronto area for one year cause my biological family wanted to be closer to relatives, suffice to say it didn't work out and we have been living in financially subsidized housing in Mississauga since then onward. The element in common also is in both cases, now and before, our primary source of income currently also comes from social services.
But this also helps me to re frame some of my pessimism about not having a "job" recently into a more holistic one. Similar to how James Reimer's testimony is placed right besides Matthew 28 in the edition of the Hockey Player's New Testament I have, I was reminded that I always have 'work' to do, even if it isn't something that earns me a traditional paycheck.
"Jesus challenged the strong kinship-based identity of first-century Israel by offering a radical reorientation of family value:
He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:33-35 NET)
[The End of Religion, Bruxy Cavey, pg. 58-59]
Just like Batman having to take a long break from his service to others, I have returned with the full spiritual strengthening of before and I now am not only blessed personally by my faith, but can in turn bless others...
I conclude by re quoting one of my favorite movies:
"Whether this Faith is magic or not, it brought us together... and together, we have a chance to take back what is ours!" [wink]
I've also been meaning to look up the website below as well, but given all the interesting personal contexts relating to (8) the first time that I saw this film.... (8) and the first name of the male lead character, it looks like it 'seals the deal'...
->
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/?ref_=nv_sr_1
[post in progress]
Recently God has been using various circumstances intertwined with my revival devotional life to indicate to me, it is time to return and be faithful to the original callings God has called me to in the past, such as my calling to Ministry. I'm reading Paul's letter to Timothy and while he does point out that it is important to manage one's biological household, reading the letter in the proper context, he does also stress the importance of treating the other members of the body of Christ as one's family.
Well Jesus, looks like you don't play around huh...:
I liked what Chief of York Regional Police said about leadership, "People follow people, not position."
[FM]
What God has been planting on my heart, is that essentially, other than my teaching Pastor, I am one of the few members of my current local church with (some) seminary education who has been there the longest and still can be present on a weekly basis.
Incidentally, when I tried to look up Russell Peters arranged marriage joke for a friend, this also came up on my YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUObGCCXAfs maybe cause I looked up the one with lyrics the other day, but I guess it's i-TD's son: "In Living Colour" now eh?
iTheInternship [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2234155/?ref_=nv_sr_1]: "Good God...just let it play...let it play..."
Reflecting upon the above, as to why maybe God is trying to use a quote and scene from that movie to inspire me, it seems that I too have had struggles in my time at my current local church, albeit the majority of the struggling happens outside of my current local church, be it among my biological family or things that upset me the most from my past and also financial struggles that happened mostly either prior to or originated before my time at my current local church
I think mainly due to the similar struggles I have with the two main characters in the movie, just like one of the lines toward the end, something
I've also been "sensitive to the fact" [KD] that I was first replanted to my current local church prior to my temporary relocation to seminary. Interestingly enough, this reflects also how earlier on in my life in my grade school years I've also was temporarily relocated to the North Toronto area for one year cause my biological family wanted to be closer to relatives, suffice to say it didn't work out and we have been living in financially subsidized housing in Mississauga since then onward. The element in common also is in both cases, now and before, our primary source of income currently also comes from social services.
But this also helps me to re frame some of my pessimism about not having a "job" recently into a more holistic one. Similar to how James Reimer's testimony is placed right besides Matthew 28 in the edition of the Hockey Player's New Testament I have, I was reminded that I always have 'work' to do, even if it isn't something that earns me a traditional paycheck.
"Jesus challenged the strong kinship-based identity of first-century Israel by offering a radical reorientation of family value:
He answered them and said, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who were sitting around him in a circle, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:33-35 NET)
[The End of Religion, Bruxy Cavey, pg. 58-59]
Just like Batman having to take a long break from his service to others, I have returned with the full spiritual strengthening of before and I now am not only blessed personally by my faith, but can in turn bless others...
I conclude by re quoting one of my favorite movies:
"Whether this Faith is magic or not, it brought us together... and together, we have a chance to take back what is ours!" [wink]
I've also been meaning to look up the website below as well, but given all the interesting personal contexts relating to (8) the first time that I saw this film.... (8) and the first name of the male lead character, it looks like it 'seals the deal'...
->
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2194499/?ref_=nv_sr_1
Saturday, December 02, 2017
I'm home...(this is an OLD entry, for some reason Blogger's interface got updated and every draft entry you post becomes the newest entry)
(this is an OLD entry, for some reason Blogger's interface got updated and every draft entry you post becomes the newest entry)
Recently, as some of you realize, I moved out of my "spiritual home" of 10 years... And some of you are wondering why... Perhaps others don't wonder because they've already figured it out... Or they have theories they don't want to own up to whether they are accurate or not... But let's look first at some of God's reasons for one to "move OUT" or from one place to another (I'll let you go through the JOY of looking up the references/location of the verses yourself :D) :
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [b] '
for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
TRANSITIONAL VERSE...
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. -Thanks PW! :)
MOVIE LINE:
"The older you get, the harder it is to admit (that you're not perfect) and the harder it is to apologize..."
Call me an "old fool", but like the song from that Karaoke Revolution game (Red Red Wine), I like to think of love like red wine, gets better with age as opposed to all those other horror/humor stories you maybe heard about marriage and people's love or perhaps just the outward expression of their love not being the same as it once was...So I believe also should be the case with one's relationship with God, it only gets better and better as time progresses and continues to grow stronger as you get to know Him more. As should be the case for marriage also. However, I am not going to be discussing that topic in this blog entry, but discuss a "different kind of marriage or relationship, one of which some people may not know about and yet have to experience its joy; the one between Jesus Christ and His church:
Revelation 19:7
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
In biblical analogy, the church is known as the body of Christ, but consequently because God also stated in the verse I quoted in Genesis that being one flesh with Christ also implies some sort of unification, a joining of two entities in an intimate relationship. That is an essential part of being a Christian to have a strong relationship with God. Futhermore God also emphasizes the unity of the body of believers, often in ways implicating that we ought to love other Christians in the same way Christ loved us as the ultimate goal to strive for...
John 13:33-35 (New International Version)
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Don't get me wrong, my old church is a fine church and also too "a perfectly good church" and I had a many good years there. In fact it was also the church where I came to Christ. I also used to go there at one point with some really close friends. But a many of those friends now have also drifted away BEFORE I did for various reasons. My point here is that I always believed contrary to some people's opinion, it was never MY decision to leave my previous church, but GOD'S... I'm not saying that's necessarily always going to be the case or people should "hop" from church to church whenever the going gets rough like it did for me.
It's interesting, because my e-mail server just crashed and I was thinking about finishing this entry yesterday too but never got around to it yet. But God has His way in technology too, so I find myself DRIFTING here to finish this entry which I have put off for a long long time and other sibs in Christ have been asking about, so it's about time. Time to put God's needs ahead of my own once again :) Well, there are some more personal factors as why I left as well, but seeing the circumstances and setting of this blog, I am mostly going to sick with the "Spiritual" reasons why I migrated to a new church.
A wise younger sibling (in Christ) once told me once "I don't believe in coincidence, I believe in God." [YT!!!] Well, I caution also against the danger of interpreting every situation, circumstance or series of events is FROM GOD (see 2 Samuel 11 if you don't believe me). Personally, also having learned about some darker pages (as well as the bright) of Christianity's past this semester, I know that if we had that kinda narrow mindedness still, then consequently should we be accepting that since in the past people blindly followed the counsel of others ALONE in some centuries and also killing others who had opposing viewpoints to them, sometimes other Christians (being killed by their siblings in Christ of different Christian viewpoints) then it was also FROM GOD, so why did we stop now? LOL... I would hope people don't interpret circumstances and what comes from the mouths of others without checking it as preached in the sermon last Sunday and "coincidently" I had been saying myself not too far in the past before the sermon :) "it needs to be checked carefully against what the scripture and the HOLY spirit is saying as well." Haha ya, good thing I'm not still like the Christians of yesterday, because otherwise there would be a many instances where I would be at least thinking about slitting the throat of some of my fellow Sunday School students who said some things I have proven to be biblically not very accurate LOL... It's a joke of course, praise God! Haha, ya, imagine that eh... HA...IF I was like that, I sure would like to point out that it wouldn't only been them I would be having umm "deadly BEEF" with LOL... nor is it limited to people/Christians only in my current church.
BOOM -> https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/447368-while-it-is-wise-to-learn-from-experience-it-is
I realize my other friend is right that sometimes it helps if you saw the movie first hand to know the analogy AND furthermore remember it, but the same can be said of people asking me about why I changed churches, they were not in my shoes and experiencing what I experienced FIRSTHAND either, so that being said, here is some other quotes I am throwing into the MIX:
Dad: "I want us to be able to talk about anything, you know when mom died, I pushed boxing because I loved it so much and I loved you so much... I know you miss your mom because I do too, boxing was my way of expressing that. It was my dream, doesn't HAVE to be yours..."
Son: "I just want to be your champion."
Dad: "You are..."
Son: "Thanks Dad..."
Narrator: "That day Izzy (Son) made a choice, to do the stuff that makes him happy, I'm glad he did..."
The context of this scene is that his son had given up his boxing even though he was good at that too, to do something he loved more. It's from a movie called "Jump In". The reason why I bought up this verse or rather it was happening as I was typing this and I kinda side tracked to focus on this touching scene that almost brought me to tears is because I realized I too am kinda in this situation with my "church switch". As much as people may question why I am at my new church versus my old one for what I see to be "more surface" reasons, I believe I am happy there and God is happy I am there also.
While it is true that I too had many important ministry roles at my previous church and furthermore knew the people there more intimately having been with them for so long, that I hope most would agree, that I was clearly was effectively serving God there also. But the problem like the protagnist in the movie said also, is that my heart wasn't in it all of the time. And it wasn't easy when people sometimes looked down on me in certain areas of my service such as the fact that they didn't believe I would be capable of giving wise consel on the topic of courtship and marriage, EVEN THOUGH I read numerous Christian books on the matter and had NOT FEW sessions with my Pastor on the topic during my struggles in the past too.
Ok I promised not to get too much into the "more personal" details, so now I will digress a little to the other important component of a church, "The Shepard" or "Pastor". As those in my previous church are aware, my former Pastor has now been called away to Germany for missions and our new Pastor just doesn't really "jive" with me I guess you could say. Now although, I found out recently that other people in the English congregation also left the church because of this change in leadership or at the very least around the same time; Let me point out that Pastor Can is still a "perfectly good Pastor". He just doesn't "jive" or rather "suit my needs" in what I need from a church leader at the moment, personally.
What I mean is he is INDEED gifted in what he does and personally I don't know how the decision was made to hire him as opposed to some of the other candidates that might not have given me as much as an INDIRECT push to leave my church. But keep in mind everything as Romans 8:28 states works to the "good" of the people of God. So I am simply in AWE that it so happens even my previous church's leadership decision, although at the expense of being AGAINST the wishes of quite a # of people I know at that church, was likely lead by the hand of God. And being happy now at my new church, it is interesting God would work in BIG ways to sacrifice not having leadership that would inspire the #s to stay (as 'seems to be' the consequences) in order for God to MOVE me where I needed TO BE!
BUT AS I STATED EARLIER -> Well, I caution also against the danger of intepreting every situation, circumstance or series of events is FROM GOD (see 2 Samuel 11 if you don't believe me).
...Let's make one thing clear. I am NOT 100% behind my "theory" that the decision was indeed GOD driven, as in primarily God driven over the Pastoral search committee's motives, some which may not be as God driven, but as much as it is not meant to be a cliche and advocate to allow us to "sin freely"... I would say the committee and those who made the decision to hire him are "only human" as well. Although I am clearly not saying they made the wrong choice, my 'insight' as to being there when the decisions where made, although hypothetical in nature I want to use to prove an important point. There was another candidate that FAILED to pull through prior to this one because we felt he was asking for too much AFTER THE FACT after seeing how "desperate" (assuming that was his stance) we were to have him as our Pastor. Now I agree with my previous' churches decision NOT TO HIRE him and also their stance that he did not have God's priorities on the top of his list. But nonetheless, who's not to argue that maybe God made it this way so that the WRONG person also would not be hired? Furthermore we are operating as I learned in my History of Christianity class that my church's presentation of the situation is both TRUE, FACTUAL and COMPLETELY NON-BIAS which is RARELY 100% true.
Anyhow, back to my 'insight'/speculation. The majority of the other candidates we had this second time around which we DID NOT hire were not as "experienced" as Pastor C__. However, despite lacking experience, some of us rather liked the other Candidates. And to be HONEST, not just myself perhaps, but I myself also did not even remember who this candidate was until he was hired, guess either I was away from the church at the time or the fact that even after he was hired that his sermons still put me to sleep that I probably might have even slept through his initial sermon when he was still BEING CONSIDERED for candidacy.
But turns out he's not much of the extroverted type which explains the lack of speaking ability. Although very a-typical of someone in Ministry. But I feel he is a good Pastor for the church nonetheless in the fact that he is GREAT when it comes to the counsellor/discipling side. So WHILE a lot of OLDER (and I would hope STRONGER as well, in SPIRITUAL YEARS) Christians such as myself have left as a result, probably because we need more quality sermons and don't have as big a need for counselling and discipleship (what he is good at)... Plus now LOL they can't go and tell a married man he can't teach them about relationships since he is one whether he is as well versed in the subject matter as I am or not... AND maybe one day, "GOD WILLING" years down the road IF I am married also, I can use my ability of God putting the shoe in their mouths to EXPRESS... MERCY... haha, not what you expected? I am CHRISTIAN afterall, at least that is how I see myself. Like a wise classmate told me once "One of the ways we can tell if we are TRULY Christian is whether we lead our lives differently in the light of how God has extended His grace to us." AND as I pointed out in CD team AKA Sunday School last week, the Holy Spirit should be CLEARLY in us as well! ;)
But as to whether the church, in my opinion trying to "play it safe" to hire someone who is both of the SAME/SIMILIAR NATIONALITY (as opposed to the other candidates) and MORE EXPERIENCED... this time around "because of what happened the LAST time" (in the PAST) made the right decision, whether they trusted in EXPERIENCE and other things, such as being older and having more EXPERIENCE raising a family (sounds almost like the way people hire employees at times as opposed to "God looks at the heart" ) Whether my previous church made the right decision and looking back being apart from the church (which has CONS as well as PROS), I think they did nonetheless, but only God can be the judge.
That being said, I am going to be "so bold" to say I feel God is in control of my decision to migrate to a different church as well. I have always felt comfortable and connected with God there. Yes, it has had it's share of bump and bruises too of course, my life at my new church, but overall I feel "I'm home". And as the message of Urbana 2006 stated (paraphrased) "God has a work for me there..." Or should I say "here"... "I'm home" :)
There's just so many other God glorifying reasons I could state for being there, but a lot of those stories such as the majority of my ministry field (University friends and relatives) who are still 'unsaved' are uptown, etc... but I feel God is calling me to "GET BACK TO STUDYING" soon and I ought to save those stories till later after God has done his part there as well like he has in the topic of this post I believe so that His glory can be ABOUNDED all the more :)
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [Ephesians 3:20-21]
Recently, as some of you realize, I moved out of my "spiritual home" of 10 years... And some of you are wondering why... Perhaps others don't wonder because they've already figured it out... Or they have theories they don't want to own up to whether they are accurate or not... But let's look first at some of God's reasons for one to "move OUT" or from one place to another (I'll let you go through the JOY of looking up the references/location of the verses yourself :D) :
23 The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman, [b] '
for she was taken out of man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."
TRANSITIONAL VERSE...
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. -Thanks PW! :)
MOVIE LINE:
"The older you get, the harder it is to admit (that you're not perfect) and the harder it is to apologize..."
Call me an "old fool", but like the song from that Karaoke Revolution game (Red Red Wine), I like to think of love like red wine, gets better with age as opposed to all those other horror/humor stories you maybe heard about marriage and people's love or perhaps just the outward expression of their love not being the same as it once was...So I believe also should be the case with one's relationship with God, it only gets better and better as time progresses and continues to grow stronger as you get to know Him more. As should be the case for marriage also. However, I am not going to be discussing that topic in this blog entry, but discuss a "different kind of marriage or relationship, one of which some people may not know about and yet have to experience its joy; the one between Jesus Christ and His church:
Revelation 19:7
7Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
In biblical analogy, the church is known as the body of Christ, but consequently because God also stated in the verse I quoted in Genesis that being one flesh with Christ also implies some sort of unification, a joining of two entities in an intimate relationship. That is an essential part of being a Christian to have a strong relationship with God. Futhermore God also emphasizes the unity of the body of believers, often in ways implicating that we ought to love other Christians in the same way Christ loved us as the ultimate goal to strive for...
John 13:33-35 (New International Version)
33"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come.
34"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Don't get me wrong, my old church is a fine church and also too "a perfectly good church" and I had a many good years there. In fact it was also the church where I came to Christ. I also used to go there at one point with some really close friends. But a many of those friends now have also drifted away BEFORE I did for various reasons. My point here is that I always believed contrary to some people's opinion, it was never MY decision to leave my previous church, but GOD'S... I'm not saying that's necessarily always going to be the case or people should "hop" from church to church whenever the going gets rough like it did for me.
It's interesting, because my e-mail server just crashed and I was thinking about finishing this entry yesterday too but never got around to it yet. But God has His way in technology too, so I find myself DRIFTING here to finish this entry which I have put off for a long long time and other sibs in Christ have been asking about, so it's about time. Time to put God's needs ahead of my own once again :) Well, there are some more personal factors as why I left as well, but seeing the circumstances and setting of this blog, I am mostly going to sick with the "Spiritual" reasons why I migrated to a new church.
A wise younger sibling (in Christ) once told me once "I don't believe in coincidence, I believe in God." [YT!!!] Well, I caution also against the danger of interpreting every situation, circumstance or series of events is FROM GOD (see 2 Samuel 11 if you don't believe me). Personally, also having learned about some darker pages (as well as the bright) of Christianity's past this semester, I know that if we had that kinda narrow mindedness still, then consequently should we be accepting that since in the past people blindly followed the counsel of others ALONE in some centuries and also killing others who had opposing viewpoints to them, sometimes other Christians (being killed by their siblings in Christ of different Christian viewpoints) then it was also FROM GOD, so why did we stop now? LOL... I would hope people don't interpret circumstances and what comes from the mouths of others without checking it as preached in the sermon last Sunday and "coincidently" I had been saying myself not too far in the past before the sermon :) "it needs to be checked carefully against what the scripture and the HOLY spirit is saying as well." Haha ya, good thing I'm not still like the Christians of yesterday, because otherwise there would be a many instances where I would be at least thinking about slitting the throat of some of my fellow Sunday School students who said some things I have proven to be biblically not very accurate LOL... It's a joke of course, praise God! Haha, ya, imagine that eh... HA...IF I was like that, I sure would like to point out that it wouldn't only been them I would be having umm "deadly BEEF" with LOL... nor is it limited to people/Christians only in my current church.
BOOM -> https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/447368-while-it-is-wise-to-learn-from-experience-it-is
I realize my other friend is right that sometimes it helps if you saw the movie first hand to know the analogy AND furthermore remember it, but the same can be said of people asking me about why I changed churches, they were not in my shoes and experiencing what I experienced FIRSTHAND either, so that being said, here is some other quotes I am throwing into the MIX:
Dad: "I want us to be able to talk about anything, you know when mom died, I pushed boxing because I loved it so much and I loved you so much... I know you miss your mom because I do too, boxing was my way of expressing that. It was my dream, doesn't HAVE to be yours..."
Son: "I just want to be your champion."
Dad: "You are..."
Son: "Thanks Dad..."
Narrator: "That day Izzy (Son) made a choice, to do the stuff that makes him happy, I'm glad he did..."
The context of this scene is that his son had given up his boxing even though he was good at that too, to do something he loved more. It's from a movie called "Jump In". The reason why I bought up this verse or rather it was happening as I was typing this and I kinda side tracked to focus on this touching scene that almost brought me to tears is because I realized I too am kinda in this situation with my "church switch". As much as people may question why I am at my new church versus my old one for what I see to be "more surface" reasons, I believe I am happy there and God is happy I am there also.
While it is true that I too had many important ministry roles at my previous church and furthermore knew the people there more intimately having been with them for so long, that I hope most would agree, that I was clearly was effectively serving God there also. But the problem like the protagnist in the movie said also, is that my heart wasn't in it all of the time. And it wasn't easy when people sometimes looked down on me in certain areas of my service such as the fact that they didn't believe I would be capable of giving wise consel on the topic of courtship and marriage, EVEN THOUGH I read numerous Christian books on the matter and had NOT FEW sessions with my Pastor on the topic during my struggles in the past too.
Ok I promised not to get too much into the "more personal" details, so now I will digress a little to the other important component of a church, "The Shepard" or "Pastor". As those in my previous church are aware, my former Pastor has now been called away to Germany for missions and our new Pastor just doesn't really "jive" with me I guess you could say. Now although, I found out recently that other people in the English congregation also left the church because of this change in leadership or at the very least around the same time; Let me point out that Pastor Can is still a "perfectly good Pastor". He just doesn't "jive" or rather "suit my needs" in what I need from a church leader at the moment, personally.
What I mean is he is INDEED gifted in what he does and personally I don't know how the decision was made to hire him as opposed to some of the other candidates that might not have given me as much as an INDIRECT push to leave my church. But keep in mind everything as Romans 8:28 states works to the "good" of the people of God. So I am simply in AWE that it so happens even my previous church's leadership decision, although at the expense of being AGAINST the wishes of quite a # of people I know at that church, was likely lead by the hand of God. And being happy now at my new church, it is interesting God would work in BIG ways to sacrifice not having leadership that would inspire the #s to stay (as 'seems to be' the consequences) in order for God to MOVE me where I needed TO BE!
BUT AS I STATED EARLIER -> Well, I caution also against the danger of intepreting every situation, circumstance or series of events is FROM GOD (see 2 Samuel 11 if you don't believe me).
...Let's make one thing clear. I am NOT 100% behind my "theory" that the decision was indeed GOD driven, as in primarily God driven over the Pastoral search committee's motives, some which may not be as God driven, but as much as it is not meant to be a cliche and advocate to allow us to "sin freely"... I would say the committee and those who made the decision to hire him are "only human" as well. Although I am clearly not saying they made the wrong choice, my 'insight' as to being there when the decisions where made, although hypothetical in nature I want to use to prove an important point. There was another candidate that FAILED to pull through prior to this one because we felt he was asking for too much AFTER THE FACT after seeing how "desperate" (assuming that was his stance) we were to have him as our Pastor. Now I agree with my previous' churches decision NOT TO HIRE him and also their stance that he did not have God's priorities on the top of his list. But nonetheless, who's not to argue that maybe God made it this way so that the WRONG person also would not be hired? Furthermore we are operating as I learned in my History of Christianity class that my church's presentation of the situation is both TRUE, FACTUAL and COMPLETELY NON-BIAS which is RARELY 100% true.
Anyhow, back to my 'insight'/speculation. The majority of the other candidates we had this second time around which we DID NOT hire were not as "experienced" as Pastor C__. However, despite lacking experience, some of us rather liked the other Candidates. And to be HONEST, not just myself perhaps, but I myself also did not even remember who this candidate was until he was hired, guess either I was away from the church at the time or the fact that even after he was hired that his sermons still put me to sleep that I probably might have even slept through his initial sermon when he was still BEING CONSIDERED for candidacy.
But turns out he's not much of the extroverted type which explains the lack of speaking ability. Although very a-typical of someone in Ministry. But I feel he is a good Pastor for the church nonetheless in the fact that he is GREAT when it comes to the counsellor/discipling side. So WHILE a lot of OLDER (and I would hope STRONGER as well, in SPIRITUAL YEARS) Christians such as myself have left as a result, probably because we need more quality sermons and don't have as big a need for counselling and discipleship (what he is good at)... Plus now LOL they can't go and tell a married man he can't teach them about relationships since he is one whether he is as well versed in the subject matter as I am or not... AND maybe one day, "GOD WILLING" years down the road IF I am married also, I can use my ability of God putting the shoe in their mouths to EXPRESS... MERCY... haha, not what you expected? I am CHRISTIAN afterall, at least that is how I see myself. Like a wise classmate told me once "One of the ways we can tell if we are TRULY Christian is whether we lead our lives differently in the light of how God has extended His grace to us." AND as I pointed out in CD team AKA Sunday School last week, the Holy Spirit should be CLEARLY in us as well! ;)
But as to whether the church, in my opinion trying to "play it safe" to hire someone who is both of the SAME/SIMILIAR NATIONALITY (as opposed to the other candidates) and MORE EXPERIENCED... this time around "because of what happened the LAST time" (in the PAST) made the right decision, whether they trusted in EXPERIENCE and other things, such as being older and having more EXPERIENCE raising a family (sounds almost like the way people hire employees at times as opposed to "God looks at the heart" ) Whether my previous church made the right decision and looking back being apart from the church (which has CONS as well as PROS), I think they did nonetheless, but only God can be the judge.
That being said, I am going to be "so bold" to say I feel God is in control of my decision to migrate to a different church as well. I have always felt comfortable and connected with God there. Yes, it has had it's share of bump and bruises too of course, my life at my new church, but overall I feel "I'm home". And as the message of Urbana 2006 stated (paraphrased) "God has a work for me there..." Or should I say "here"... "I'm home" :)
There's just so many other God glorifying reasons I could state for being there, but a lot of those stories such as the majority of my ministry field (University friends and relatives) who are still 'unsaved' are uptown, etc... but I feel God is calling me to "GET BACK TO STUDYING" soon and I ought to save those stories till later after God has done his part there as well like he has in the topic of this post I believe so that His glory can be ABOUNDED all the more :)
20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. [Ephesians 3:20-21]
Monday, November 27, 2017
(8) 'He'll write my name...' (8)
"She's not the only one that has to 'go to work...'" [sensing the spirit]
I am finding my writing skills to be rusty, but I'm slowly trying to brush off the metaphorical cobwebs.
Taylor Swift strikes again! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg] Wow.... Ironically, around 8 years ago, around the time when a close friend of mine was getting married, I always wanted to attend a wedding with a certain person named after a certain then well known eastern singer; however like a certain friend of mine said of his admiration for Rachel McAdams, "Taylor Swift is still my girl..." haha...This song happened to come on the PA system right on cue when I was doing some reflection about the world and its true nature. And I've come to the same general conclusion as I was taught some years ago, but with a corollary. The reason why pop (popular) music is such a hit with most people is because they are 'looking for love in all the wrong places' and the most common fallacy is trying to seek it in a significant other that isn't Jesus Christ. To quote an old prophecy from the archives a friend of mine who is now in professional ministry said once:
(can't find the quote so just going to go by memory) "If you can't find complete satisfaction in Christ, you're never going to find it in a girl.." [1.0] I assumed he spoke out of experience given the differences in his life circumstances from mine at the time.
I noticed Taylor Swift uses two interesting elements in her music video that have a strong correlation to my past experiences with this particular aspect of my life. Without getting too personal on my public blog, the elements are 'White horses' (like her song which helped me pull through 'the long drive home' some years ago) and the fact that the setting of this music video seems to have the same setting as that movie Cruel Intentions. Not to imply I was in fact that 'cruel', but maybe perceived inaccurately to be like that you could word it. Brings me to another point that another issue is the media portrays a lot of emo drama as an expected part of any romance, but while I agree it can happen in some, it would be a 'bad idea' to expect your romantic relationship will necessarily have a lot of emo drama.
I have to admit it was definitely a shocker to my system that when I had finally gotten comfortable with the gift of singleness that God suddenly started to open my eyes to show me suddenly that MAYBE He actually wants to bestow the gift of marriage onto me instead. Or perhaps similar to my experience recently with misplacing my cellphone for an entire 12 hrs and the irony of it being right by my side but only having the one usable internet connection at home to try to locate it, I couldn't cause it wasn't connected to the internet, which was weird, cause when I found it I discovered cellular data option was still switched on. Similar to how at my previous church they were discussing the inauguration of my previous English Pastor and how they said they discerned that he has the 'gift' (for ministry I presume) that maybe just like my phone, I perhaps had the gift of marriage all along, it just wasn't yet time for me to start putting it into use. There was also another ironic thing I saw when taking the bus home after working out at the gym, the bus driver had just finished his shift and he was giving instructions to a noticeably younger bus driver as to what she'll need to know when beginning hers.
So going onto the important stuff, what is my personal viewpoint on the gift of marriage in a nutshell? Well I wrote in much more detail on how marriage affect's one's ministry some years ago. And AH HA...just when I thought if I wanted to look at what I wrote earlier I would have to try to dig up my old laptop, I am forgetting one key element, it was for an ONLINE course so I should actually have it sitting in my email somewhere for easier access. Anyway, let's go with my original plan to do a summary of what I think is healthy imagery and definition of a blessed marriage. I think a healthy marriage is very much like the tree in Psalm 1:3 that bears fruit at the right time. Also going along the lines of gardening, I believe this verse also speaks a lot about marriage: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." 1 Corinthians 3:6. Although I agree there obviously is free will in marriage, I also believe if the couple does not make God the foundation [Luke 6:43-49] that fruit will not continue to regrow healthy and you'll just end up with a whole bunch wasted efforts [Matthew 13, note also the explanation of the sower parable]. The concluding thought I leave you to 'drive home' with you is this, just like the way Joshua Harris terms it in his book, I believe it was the second one "Boy Meets Girl" where he says Adam probably told his daughter that things only "seem" more complicated with more options in terms of whom one can choose as a mate, "you just need to trust the Creator to bring what is good..." And honestly, let's face it, just like with all long term decisions in life, do you truly believe you know what is best for yourself and His Kingdom or maybe Jesus does?
Although I am not seeking the 'ideal secular (non-Christ centeric)' version of marriage. I pray I can aspire to be what a Christ centered marriage should look like with my previous original aspiration from my youth to be 'nothing like my (biological) father...'
I am finding my writing skills to be rusty, but I'm slowly trying to brush off the metaphorical cobwebs.
Taylor Swift strikes again! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ORhEE9VVg] Wow.... Ironically, around 8 years ago, around the time when a close friend of mine was getting married, I always wanted to attend a wedding with a certain person named after a certain then well known eastern singer; however like a certain friend of mine said of his admiration for Rachel McAdams, "Taylor Swift is still my girl..." haha...This song happened to come on the PA system right on cue when I was doing some reflection about the world and its true nature. And I've come to the same general conclusion as I was taught some years ago, but with a corollary. The reason why pop (popular) music is such a hit with most people is because they are 'looking for love in all the wrong places' and the most common fallacy is trying to seek it in a significant other that isn't Jesus Christ. To quote an old prophecy from the archives a friend of mine who is now in professional ministry said once:
(can't find the quote so just going to go by memory) "If you can't find complete satisfaction in Christ, you're never going to find it in a girl.." [1.0] I assumed he spoke out of experience given the differences in his life circumstances from mine at the time.
I noticed Taylor Swift uses two interesting elements in her music video that have a strong correlation to my past experiences with this particular aspect of my life. Without getting too personal on my public blog, the elements are 'White horses' (like her song which helped me pull through 'the long drive home' some years ago) and the fact that the setting of this music video seems to have the same setting as that movie Cruel Intentions. Not to imply I was in fact that 'cruel', but maybe perceived inaccurately to be like that you could word it. Brings me to another point that another issue is the media portrays a lot of emo drama as an expected part of any romance, but while I agree it can happen in some, it would be a 'bad idea' to expect your romantic relationship will necessarily have a lot of emo drama.
I have to admit it was definitely a shocker to my system that when I had finally gotten comfortable with the gift of singleness that God suddenly started to open my eyes to show me suddenly that MAYBE He actually wants to bestow the gift of marriage onto me instead. Or perhaps similar to my experience recently with misplacing my cellphone for an entire 12 hrs and the irony of it being right by my side but only having the one usable internet connection at home to try to locate it, I couldn't cause it wasn't connected to the internet, which was weird, cause when I found it I discovered cellular data option was still switched on. Similar to how at my previous church they were discussing the inauguration of my previous English Pastor and how they said they discerned that he has the 'gift' (for ministry I presume) that maybe just like my phone, I perhaps had the gift of marriage all along, it just wasn't yet time for me to start putting it into use. There was also another ironic thing I saw when taking the bus home after working out at the gym, the bus driver had just finished his shift and he was giving instructions to a noticeably younger bus driver as to what she'll need to know when beginning hers.
So going onto the important stuff, what is my personal viewpoint on the gift of marriage in a nutshell? Well I wrote in much more detail on how marriage affect's one's ministry some years ago. And AH HA...just when I thought if I wanted to look at what I wrote earlier I would have to try to dig up my old laptop, I am forgetting one key element, it was for an ONLINE course so I should actually have it sitting in my email somewhere for easier access. Anyway, let's go with my original plan to do a summary of what I think is healthy imagery and definition of a blessed marriage. I think a healthy marriage is very much like the tree in Psalm 1:3 that bears fruit at the right time. Also going along the lines of gardening, I believe this verse also speaks a lot about marriage: "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow." 1 Corinthians 3:6. Although I agree there obviously is free will in marriage, I also believe if the couple does not make God the foundation [Luke 6:43-49] that fruit will not continue to regrow healthy and you'll just end up with a whole bunch wasted efforts [Matthew 13, note also the explanation of the sower parable]. The concluding thought I leave you to 'drive home' with you is this, just like the way Joshua Harris terms it in his book, I believe it was the second one "Boy Meets Girl" where he says Adam probably told his daughter that things only "seem" more complicated with more options in terms of whom one can choose as a mate, "you just need to trust the Creator to bring what is good..." And honestly, let's face it, just like with all long term decisions in life, do you truly believe you know what is best for yourself and His Kingdom or maybe Jesus does?
Although I am not seeking the 'ideal secular (non-Christ centeric)' version of marriage. I pray I can aspire to be what a Christ centered marriage should look like with my previous original aspiration from my youth to be 'nothing like my (biological) father...'
Saturday, November 25, 2017
I will be faithful...
"I will become a better king..." [The Chronicles of Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, well the movie version anyhow, and if you're reading this, you'll know whether it's in the book version, since you told me you've Read it...]
I like how C.S. Lewis also picked the word "DAWN" for the title of his book. Seems almost preordained too. I don't know if I'll be like a Calvinist and say everything in life is absolutely going to be like that, but I do truly believe that if God has a strong leading towards for you to do something that He does indeed have a purpose behind it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV5iZBTNYrk&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNwVMkV5iZBTNYrk
Although, my life didn't end up the way I thought it would when I met a certain Someone that somewhat aspired me to start this blog, the first blog I ever wrote, or as I later had it prophesied over in 2006 I believe it was, maybe 2009, "God has a work for you to do..." [One of the Urbana conferences, I attended.] I always thought it would be as Russell Peters put it "really cool" if one of these Urbanas I would run into the (some of) the larger Christian community that God has blessed me with and everybody would be able to see a ring on my mate's finger as a testament similar to the prophecy Rick Warren and his Wife (I believe if I remember right, her name begins with the same letter as mine too, haha what do you know). Well year 14 of this blog is coming up and so is the next Urbana, so who knows...
I definitely promise before God to continue writing in this blog sticking with the currently level of anonymity it holds because you never know who you could end up reaching out to and inspiring to live or reorient their life towards Christ. And looks like I did 'call it' in the blog entry that had been sitting in my drafts for some time now:
"one of the themes of this movie is that things that our futures are also written based on all the things that happen in the present and past, regardless of whether we want these things to happen or not" [posted on a different day, but link: http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2017/11/meet-robinsons.html]
Using my spiritual discernment abilities to try to discern what God is speaking in movies on some of my entries, I recall an interesting line from something I read 7 years ago (LOL probably to the date/month too if I think about it) that really caught my eye.
Without looking it up, I believe reads exactly like this:
"You're STILL always talking about movies and you're STILL ruining all the endings, please stop!!!"
I one day would maybe hope to meet that person who submitted those words for the publication or perhaps I already have (or rather whoever it was that told that person to submit that posting to the seminary newsletter)... :)
I like how C.S. Lewis also picked the word "DAWN" for the title of his book. Seems almost preordained too. I don't know if I'll be like a Calvinist and say everything in life is absolutely going to be like that, but I do truly believe that if God has a strong leading towards for you to do something that He does indeed have a purpose behind it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV5iZBTNYrk&list=RDGMEMMib4QpREwENw3_jAc0YgNwVMkV5iZBTNYrk
Although, my life didn't end up the way I thought it would when I met a certain Someone that somewhat aspired me to start this blog, the first blog I ever wrote, or as I later had it prophesied over in 2006 I believe it was, maybe 2009, "God has a work for you to do..." [One of the Urbana conferences, I attended.] I always thought it would be as Russell Peters put it "really cool" if one of these Urbanas I would run into the (some of) the larger Christian community that God has blessed me with and everybody would be able to see a ring on my mate's finger as a testament similar to the prophecy Rick Warren and his Wife (I believe if I remember right, her name begins with the same letter as mine too, haha what do you know). Well year 14 of this blog is coming up and so is the next Urbana, so who knows...
I definitely promise before God to continue writing in this blog sticking with the currently level of anonymity it holds because you never know who you could end up reaching out to and inspiring to live or reorient their life towards Christ. And looks like I did 'call it' in the blog entry that had been sitting in my drafts for some time now:
"one of the themes of this movie is that things that our futures are also written based on all the things that happen in the present and past, regardless of whether we want these things to happen or not" [posted on a different day, but link: http://life-of-agent-k.blogspot.ca/2017/11/meet-robinsons.html]
Using my spiritual discernment abilities to try to discern what God is speaking in movies on some of my entries, I recall an interesting line from something I read 7 years ago (LOL probably to the date/month too if I think about it) that really caught my eye.
Without looking it up, I believe reads exactly like this:
"You're STILL always talking about movies and you're STILL ruining all the endings, please stop!!!"
I one day would maybe hope to meet that person who submitted those words for the publication or perhaps I already have (or rather whoever it was that told that person to submit that posting to the seminary newsletter)... :)
Thursday, November 16, 2017
"Meet The Robinsons..."
Original Date Started Typing [Some Years Ago]
A Christian friend of mine recently pointed out that maybe I was 'meant to get sick' for this week, well personally I've never been THAT 'Calvinistic' in my beliefs, but encountering him recently reminded me of something else another Christian told me before: "If it happens, then it's God's will..." After having a discussion with her about that statement, I realized that she wasn't asserting that everything that happens is because God 'wanted' it to happen, but rather she was reminding us that nothing can happen unless God 'permits' it to, like in the example of when Satan needed God's permission in order to 'test' Job [Job 2:7].
Anyhow, not too sure perhaps why I decided to get into that above intro so much, perhaps it is a good prelude to my commentary on this movie though, because one of the themes of this movie is that things that our futures are also written based on all the things that happen in the present and past, regardless of whether we want these things to happen or not. For those of you who also watch Star Trek, this is known as 'the timeline' and is based on a belief that every event has an effect on a future event and if past events are changed, the future is consequently also altered.
To run or 'spoil' as little of the movie as possible, I will also just say that something like this happens to the main character in which his 'timeline' is altered by visitors from the future and he needs to fix it in order to prevent a possible timeline that will lead to 'mass destruction'. The moral of this movie is that we may at times consider ourselves insignificant when really we are important or as my other friend likes to quote Marianne Williamson, "we are powerful beyond measure" [http://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/122.html]
TODAY:
Every hour every minute...
A Christian friend of mine recently pointed out that maybe I was 'meant to get sick' for this week, well personally I've never been THAT 'Calvinistic' in my beliefs, but encountering him recently reminded me of something else another Christian told me before: "If it happens, then it's God's will..." After having a discussion with her about that statement, I realized that she wasn't asserting that everything that happens is because God 'wanted' it to happen, but rather she was reminding us that nothing can happen unless God 'permits' it to, like in the example of when Satan needed God's permission in order to 'test' Job [Job 2:7].
Anyhow, not too sure perhaps why I decided to get into that above intro so much, perhaps it is a good prelude to my commentary on this movie though, because one of the themes of this movie is that things that our futures are also written based on all the things that happen in the present and past, regardless of whether we want these things to happen or not. For those of you who also watch Star Trek, this is known as 'the timeline' and is based on a belief that every event has an effect on a future event and if past events are changed, the future is consequently also altered.
To run or 'spoil' as little of the movie as possible, I will also just say that something like this happens to the main character in which his 'timeline' is altered by visitors from the future and he needs to fix it in order to prevent a possible timeline that will lead to 'mass destruction'. The moral of this movie is that we may at times consider ourselves insignificant when really we are important or as my other friend likes to quote Marianne Williamson, "we are powerful beyond measure" [http://explorersfoundation.org/glyphery/122.html]
TODAY:
2 Corinthians 3:2-3New International Version (NIV)
2 You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone. 3 You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stonebut on tablets of human hearts.
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