Praise to God for a Living Hope
September 4th, 2010
Praise to God for a Living Hope (1 Peter 1:3-8 NIV)
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Chinese and other translations available at www.biblegateway.com
Today I went to the funeral of a 28-year-old woman named Lindsey Grandits. Our pastor, Rev. Pete Drake, said “only spirit can heal spirit”; as we all grieve for her husband and family. Her mother, father and sister spoke so eloquently at her funeral. Pastor Pete genuinely encouraged people to embrace their struggles with pain and faith in this life, as Lindsey did. This passage of scripture says it all so well. In life, Lindsey was filled with inexpressible and glorious joy. Her faith was refined by the fire of a battle with cancer. She suffered grief and trials, physically and spiritually, but found her faith and the faith of her friends and family worth more than gold. She loved Jesus and believed in him. Based on the Bible, we believe she is now with him in heaven.
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Share a story
September 3rd, 2010
Imagine we are sitting down to a cup of tea together (too bad you aren’t here with me; I make really good tea). Share a story with me. Share something that is on your heart.
On my heart today is the death of a young woman named Lindsey Grandits. She has “graduated” to heaven after a two-year battle with cancer. She leaves behind her on this earth a grieving husband, mother, father, sister, two brothers and many friends. We are assured that she is “in the arms of Jesus” and all her earthly suffering is over now. (Revelation 21: 4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”) Now we just need the arms of Jesus to wrap around all of us whose mourning and crying continues for awhile.
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Quiet Sitting
September 2nd, 2010
I have been reading in my study of Confucianism about the practice of “quiet sitting”. In a book by Rodney Taylor (1988, p. 179), he says, “Now, however, I think that sitting, just sitting, is of the utmost importance. The word, kotsuza, just sitting, is the realization of this ideal. My former ideas of seiza have transformed themselves into the word kotsuza…”
I would like to know more about this practice in the lives of Chinese people. I find that there is a peacefulness in the Chinese that is not often experienced among Americans. Does living a more contemplative life contribute to peacefulness?
The Christian Bible also gives much encouragement to “wait on the Lord” for example in Psalm 27:13-14, it says, ”Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” (NIV)
詩 篇 27:14 (Chinese Union Version)
14 要 等 候 耶 和 华 ！ 当 壮 胆 ， 坚 固 你 的 心 ！ 我 再 说 ， 要 等 候 耶 和 华 ！
In another passage of the Christian scriptures, Joshua 1:7-9, the encouragement is:
“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
約 書 亞 記 1:7-9 (Chinese Union Version)
7 只 要 刚 强 ， 大 大 壮 胆 ， 谨 守 遵 行 我 仆 人 摩 西 所 吩 咐 你 的 一 切 律 法 ， 不 可 偏 离 左 右 ， 使 你 无 论 往 那 里 去 ， 都 可 以 顺 利 。 8 这 律 法 书 不 可 离 开 你 的 口 ， 总 要 昼 夜 思 想 ， 好 使 你 谨 守 遵 行 这 书 上 所 写 的 一 切 话 。 如 此 ， 你 的 道 路 就 可 以 亨 通 ， 凡 事 顺 利 。 9 我 岂 没 有 吩 咐 你 麽 ？ 你 当 刚 强 壮 胆 ！ 不 要 惧 怕 ， 也 不 要 惊 惶 ； 因 为 你 无 论 往 那 里 去 ， 耶 和 华 ─ 你 的 神 必 与 你 同 在 。
I am coming to believe more and more the power in quietly sitting. For me, that includes “meditating” on the Lord of heaven. Can you tell me about your experience?
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Nothing without love
June 2nd, 2010
If I speak God’s word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day…but don’t love, I’m nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:2 The Message
歌 林 多 前 書 13
2 我 若 有 先 知 講 道 之 能 ， 也 明 白 各 樣 的 奧 祕 ， 各 樣 的 知 識 ， 而 且 有 全 備 的 信 ， 叫 我 能 夠 移 山 ， 卻 沒 有 愛 ， 我 就 算 不 得 甚 麼 。Do you have questions about God’s love? I am personally drawn to the idea of understanding God, and believe he tells us about himself in the Bible, but I also want to love others in the way God wants me to. What about you? Do you have thoughts to share with me on this blog site?
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Burdens that are too heavy to bear
May 21st, 2010
King David talks in Psalm 38 about “burdens that are too heavy to bear” and associates them with his own guilt. Jesus instructs us this way about being burdened: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NIV) 凡 勞 苦 擔 重 擔 的 人 可 以 到 我 這 裡 來 ， 我 就 使 你 們 得 安 息 。Another teaching in the New Testament of the Bible says: Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) 你 們 要 將 一 切 的 憂 慮 卸 給 神 ， 因 為 他 顧 念 你 們 。These scripture verses are helping me today, I hope they can help you, too. Take time to rest and think about God. He wants to care for us in our times of burdens and sorrows.’
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Why did Jesus come to Earth?
May 2nd, 2010
I heard a great quote the other day on the radio from Ravi Zacharias (http://www.rzim.org/):
“Jesus didn”t come to make bad people good; he came to bring dead people to life.”
John 10:9-11 (New International Version)
9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. 11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
約 翰 福 音 10:9-11 (Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
9 我 就 是 門 ； 凡 從 我 進 來 的 ， 必 然 得 救 ， 並 且 出 入 得 草 吃 。10 盜 賊 來 ， 無 非 要 偷 竊 ， 殺 害 ， 毀 壞 ； 我 來 了 ， 是 要 叫 羊 （ 或 作 ： 人 ） 得 生 命 ， 並 且 得 的 更 豐 盛 。11 我 是 好 牧 人 ； 好 牧 人 為 羊 捨 命 Please comment on this post; we would love to hear your reaction(s) to the thoughts posted here.
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Hidden Treasures
April 14th, 2010
In the Bible, the book of Colossians (a letter written by Paul, the apostle, to the believers in Collosae), are these words: “God has hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Christ.” (Chapter 2, verse 3) In verse 2, it says, “He is the mystery of God.” (God’s Word English version)3 所 積 蓄 的 一 切 智 慧 知 識 ， 都 在 他 裡 面 藏 著. Many people search for knowledge and hope for wisdom in their lives. This scripture says that wisdom and knowledge are “hidden in Christ.” God does sometimes seem like a mystery. He is so big…how can a human mind understand him? However, the living God of the Bible chose to reveal himself through the writings of many authors. If we want to understand more about God, we need to read his words. This encouragement is for those who believe in Jesus as the Christ, and also for those who have yet to understand and believe.
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Chinese New Year Meaning–Question to Answer
February 13th, 2010
What is significant and personally meaningful to you about Chinese New Year that Americans should know?
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Being Made “New”
February 13th, 2010
The Christian Bible talks a lot about being “made new”. Here is one passage about newness from the New Testament. Ephesians 4:22-24 (New International Version) “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
以 弗 所 書 4:22-24 (Chinese Union Version (Traditional)
22 就 要 脫 去 你 們 從 前 行 為 上 的 舊 人 ， 這 舊 人 是 因 私 慾 的 迷 惑 漸 漸 變 壞 的 ；23 又 要 將 你 們 的 心 志 改 換 一 新 ，24 並 且 穿 上 新 人 ； 這 新 人 是 照 著 神 的 形 像 造 的 ， 有 真 理 的 仁 義 和 聖 潔 。
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