To Give Up

Note: 一首刻画出我的心声的歌 - 超人不会飞 =)

Years ago I remember a sister in Christ said, "It is better to give up the thing that will make you give up your faith". Last year I have made a decision, a rather drastic decision. I gave up a friendship, because I have treat this person more than a friend, and is wrong. 

An argument between us shown me one clear truth, we are not in the same boat, we are from a different world. I am in the light, and this person is in the dark, though trying to shed light into this person's life, yet this person chooses to run away from light and remains in the dark. More over, this person bashed the very core of my belief, the very core of my faith. 

Maybe I did it in a wrong way or used a wrong method, and from time to time I scare that I made the wrong decision. Yet this verse below has always remind me that though I might have done it in a wrong way, but I didn't make the wrong decision, that is to give up the thing that will make you give up your faith.

____________________

 

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to 

the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, 

for whose sake I have lost all things. 

I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ. 

Philippians 3:8

Consequences of Not Trusting God

You can choose not to trust God, but you need to pay the consequences of it.

1. By not trusting God, you are declaring that you trust yourself.
2. By trusting yourself, you are declaring that you are in control (even though you are not).
3. Hence, when bad things happened, you cannot blame God, other people, fate, luck, destiny, since you trust your own self, and declared that you are in control. You can only blame yourself.
4. Though you believe not in the living God, yet you still have to give an account to everything that you did before God, before the great white throne in the judgement day,  because "each of us will give an account of himself to God." (Romans 14:12) and  God "will give to each person according to what he has done." (Romans 2:6)
5. Be ready to give a reason or excuse to God regarding why you trust not in the living God, but none will be acceptable, "since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
6. Be ready to pay the price for not trusting God, that is death, "For the wages of sin is death..." (Romans 6:23)
7. By not trusting God, your name is not written in the book of life. Be ready for the eternal fire, because "If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:15)

Will you still choose not to trust God?

____________________

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 

in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayers & Sovereignty

The reason we pray, is not because we try to feel better during our bad conditions, or try to make ourselves strong with some false imaginations, but because we admit that we are not in control, and we entrust our life into the hand of the Sovereign God, who is in control of everything. We pray not for our will be done, for for His will be done. 

We will not understand why things happened in a way that we don't like it, simply because  "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Many people don't understand how God can be in control even in bad situations, because we tend to forget this foundational truth:

1. God is completely sovereign.
2. God is infinite in wisdom.
3. God is perfect in love.

God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He knows what is best and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about.

From: Trusting God written by Jerry Bridge.

The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law (Deuteronomy 29:29). What we can do, is follow what He has revealed to us, follow His commandments, and in all things, trust Him.

____________________ 

Westminster Shorter Catechism Question 98. What is prayer?
Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, for things agreeable to his will, 

in the name of Christ, with confession of our sins,  

and thankful acknowledgment of his mercies.

一日为师，终生为父。

一位很久没联络的老师，

在寻求答案时，

给了一个忠告：
  

“Be flexible and easy-going.”

难道我正的太死板，

一板一眼吗？

可能常常读医学，所以每样事都是
protocol, protocol,
algorithm, algorithm,
 mechanism, mechanism,
manual, manual,
gold standard, gold standard.

流逝在繁忙的时光中，
自己渐渐的变得很死板，
不会变通。

____________________

 Though I am free and belong to no man, 

I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. 

To those under the law I became like one under the law 

(though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 

To those not having the law I became like one not having the law 

(though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), 

so as to win those not having the law. 

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. 

I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 

I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

牵手 × 分手

Status: Exam in less than one week time. Going back home in less than one month time. Just in case anyone is concern about it.

Many people like to start a relationship, just because they hearts were telling them that they like certain people, they have the "feeling" toward certain people. But at the end the relationship doesn't last long, and the excuses that they give are " 性格不合 ", " 和久必分 ", " 因了解而分开 ". So what is the point of starting a relationship in the first place? Someone said this before, 牵手了请不要随便分手.

Before anyone consider going after someone that they like, they should consider these few questions:

你能带给她幸福吗？

你能带领她到主吗？

你能让她在主内成长吗？

你能照顾她直到主的来临吗？
     

____________________

Love is about wishing for the salvation and hopes of your partner

and entrusting those prayers. 

- Gen Urobuchi -