News from Religious and Ethical Perspectives

PBS has begun a very good news program looking at religious and ethical aspects of events occurring in US and worldwide on a day-to-day basis. Please take a look. Thanks,
http://video.pbs.org/video/2042538762

Jesus

This was originally a reply to Sayak's post below, but for some reason the website won't let me comment though I tried several times :( Well... here it is:

Thanks Sayak for the long and detailed post! :) I loved reading it and I love your dedication in pursuing Truth.

It was really interesting reading about the four aspects of worldviews (I'll refer to them as The World, Ethical Ideals, History, and Life). It seems like they certainly do encompass most worldviews. I thought it was really intriguing how you noted that Christianity seemed to boil down to a single aspect, which was history as it relates to the person of Jesus (life, death, and resurrection). I feel like you are onto something deep there... after reflecting on your post, I was so encouraged because it felt like there was something new here that I learned about the whole picture of Christianity! My thought is that it isn't that Christianity is boiled down to just history and that these historical facts about Jesus are more important than all other aspects of The World, Ethical Ideals, and Life. Rather, it is that the person of Jesus encompasses all four aspects! That is, you are right that everything seems to focus and depend on Jesus. However, as compared to (what I know about) other religions, Jesus was not just a historical person who lived and died. Rather, Jesus was one with the Father at the creation of the world, came in human form to participate among us in history, and was resurrected and still living today! He is even living and active in the very hearts and lives of his followers.

The World. To me, the world consists of nature and also the reality of human existence. I feel there is a deep connection to Jesus. He said that he was there at the beginning of time and that he is one with the Father. He said that the rocks will cry out if people remain silent to praise him. His whole life's purpose seems to echo with the problem of suffering and brokenness in the world. This one's still a bit hazy with me, just a feeling...

Ethical Ideals. When Jesus came to earth, he taught about how to live and in doing so, developed a new framework of ethical ideals. Murdering is not just the act of doing so, but also thoughts of hatred. Adultery is not just the act, but the thoughts of lust. He taught about compassion for your neighbor, love for your enemies. He taught that the greatest love was to lay down your lives for others. Not only did he teach so, but he also lived an example so that we could follow him.

Life. This is probably one of the most remarkable things. In fact, Jesus encompasses the life of his believers not just because they follow his teachings, but because he is alive and living in them! He said that he will dwell in our hearts and guide us into all truth. He said that as the father has given him all authority and power, he also gives us the same. He says that through Him, we can have life. We can have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

This whole discussion made me think of 1 Corinthians chapters 1-2. In it, Paul says that "Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power." What does he mean? Later, he says, "And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." I think Paul is in fact talking about point 4: Life. The calling of a follower of Christ is in fact to "take up your cross and follow Him". It is only when we take up the cross in the difficulties that face us in life that we will realize that we have power. When we learn to walk the second mile, to love, and to trust; when we cry out to God to rescue us from sorrow; when we continue to follow His example in laying down our lives for others, it is then that we will see a demonstration of the Spirit and of power! These experiences allow us to build our faith on something that will not collapse when the winds and storms of life come. Paul seems to say that these are also the ones that testify to others.

I feel so glad that you posted your thoughts Sayak. I have been thinking about this general topic of 'The Cross' lately (it's going to be the next topic in IBS!) and struggling with it. I still feel like I know so little, both in the understanding, but especially in the Life of the cross. I realize that I live my Life so often without "carrying the cross". I realize that I rarely walk the second mile in my conflicts with others. I rarely respond to stress and worries with joy, thanksgiving, and trust. But praise be to Him who is our merciful and faithful high priest, who is bringing many sons to glory. I am confident that He will be working this in each of us in the following year and the rest of our lives! It will be exciting :) And we will experience more and more of the faith that rests not on wisdom, but on the Spirit and power!

View From Outside 1

For two weeks now I have been reading the book "Jesus Remembered" by James D G Dunn. Its a tome and hard going, but finally finished it. Yay!! Feeling very exhausted and satisfied, because with it the first phase of my foray into understanding the nuts and bolts of Christianity is over. So now I think its time to take a breather and reflect on the 2 years I have spent on this in company with my great friends from IBS.

In  retrospect, this task was far harder than I expected it to be. My mistake was obvious, Christianity is a religion that comes from a different culture with very different cultural assumptions and worldview. I was unfamiliar with it, or the language that is used to describe it, and that took a lot of time to understand. In contrast the eastern tradition (hinduism, buddhism, jainism, taoism) used  cultural assumptions that I understood very well and hence comprehension came rather easily.

In my mind I usually divide all worldviews (of any sort) into these parts:-
1) How the world actually is
2)The ethical ideals that support it
3) The historical events and personalities that shape it
4) The way in which the subscribers of the worldview live their lives within it.
All these aspects are either more or less important in one worldview or the other.

For example almost entirety of Atheism is spent on establishing how the world is with very little importance on anything else. Secular Humanism by contrast places great interest on ethics as well.

For example in Hinduism (1),(2),(4) are very important while in Buddhism (2) and (4) are more important than (1) . None of the Eastern traditions place much importance to historical trends believing all times are on equal footing and universe is eternal and circular. The identity and character of the discoverer is far less important than the content of the discovery.

In Christianity, for the first time I saw a worldview in which 3) The historical events are even more important than all the other put together. One personality, his life, his actions, his words and events around his life and death were considered more important than anything else that has happened before or since.

This was a problem.
 I have always been able to understand and learn from philosophical, ethical and lifestyle attitudes of different religions, cultures and people. It was a bit like cooking recipes, I imitated those that worked, modified some according to my needs, and rejected some that didn't seem to work for me.

But this was a single person. Entire Christianity seems boils down to believing that Jesus of the NT is the God and Messiah who came down, died and resurrected and believing in this leads to forgiveness of sins and salvation after death.
It was Caesar Salad made entirely of Caesar. You either like it or you don't.
This simplicity was incomprehensible, equally strange was why so much time and and so many books have been and continue to be written on the subject. The only thing that seemed relevant was to read the NT portions of the bible, establish for yourself somehow whether to accept this claim or not and you are basically done.

How to establish(or refute) this claim? I could think of three parallel tracks
1) One way was to see how my Christian friends have established this faith for themselves and how they live by it. That's where IBS was so valuable as place for discussion and sharing and friendship.
2)The other way is to see how the apologetics have tried to establish this in their books. 
3)The third way is to assess the claim through history. This was what I finished today.

It is this third part that was completed (to some satisfactory level) today. I have been thoroughly chastened from my initial presumption of simplicity. For example
1) The discussions in IBS has driven me to try to understand the nature and status of subjective experience, meaning in life and meaning of life, and psychology of self. Hard going to get the answer for the simple question "Where does faith come from?"
2)Apologetics (and counter-apologetics) have thrown everything but the kitchen sink to establish and refute each other. I remain very unimpressed by the apologies that I have read so far, but its not clear at all if that is because of the bias I already have on my part or not. I am equally unimpressed by the ostensible counter-apologetics of new Atheism, though the philosophical literature is better. Maybe I have not yet come across the right book on both sides, will keep looking.

3) History has one clear message:- go elsewhere to convince yourself whether jesus was "really" God or not. but for other information on jesus and his first disciples history has a lot to say with reasonable conviction. In the last 400 years Biblical history has every possible mistake one can think of, has been severely criticized by everyone (atheists, christians, postmodernists, positivists....). Her confidence is so completely shattered that every historian (who is not a blunt atheist or apologist Christian) writes 400 pages before coming to one small little conclusion, then another 400 pages for the next small little conclusion. But I have finally convinced myself that the conclusions of the centrist camp (I think there are 4 or 5 camps now) does have the historical credentials to stand on 2 legs . Meanwhile I have learned how history is done, how history is abused and distorted and that even for the most sensitive of issues it is possible to know about the past without falling for one partisan line or the other.

Ok this rambling is too long already. It will take a lot of time and lot of posts to verbally re-express all that I have gained in this IBS experience as a non-Christian, Hindu, atheist Indian. I do not know if you agree with how I have gone about understanding Christianity. Will be pleased to hear any suggestions.Bye for now,

sayak banerjee

He is in control...

I don’t usually share my blogs but for some reason I feel like sharing this one. Yesterday was my 10^th year anniversary in the United States. My parents and I left Sri Lanka on September 10, 2001 and our flight was scheduled to land in San Francisco on September 11, 2001. However, due to 9/11 attacks all the airports were closed, so our flight was diverted to Vancouver. We stayed in Canada for 2 days and arrived in the US on the 13^th. It was quite an experience. Many of you might already know that I grew up in the midst of civil war in Sri Lanka. Growing up in a war zone was not fun; we lived in fear everyday without knowing what will happen even the next minute. So the main reason that we decided to immigrate to the US was to escape from the war. However, our welcome to the US was not that pleasant. I remember thinking at that time, “Lord, why are you doing this to me?” But over time I realized that God was trying to show me that nothing is under my control and my job is to live everyday as it could be my last day. All I need is Him and nothing else, no matter where I live. This song from Hillsong came to mind, so I’m going to share it with you all. Praise the Lord for all his blessings in my life.

Let now your church shine as Your bride

Just wanted to share these powerful words of blessing and confession. Simply beautiful. I pray these blessings for our IBS family, and I pray that we daily sing these words of confession to our God.



Saviour King - Hillsong

Verse
Let now your church shine as Your bride
That you saw in your heart as you offered up your life
Let now the lost be welcomed home
By the saved and redeemed those adopted as your own

Pre-chorus
Let now our hearts burn with a flame
A fire consuming all for your Son's holy name
And with the heavens we declare
You are our king

Chorus
We love you Lord, we worship you
You are our God, you alone are good
You asked your Son to carry this
The heavy cross our weight of sin

I love you Lord, I worship you
Hope which was lost, now stands renewed
I give my life to honor this
The love of Christ, the savior king

afternoon meditation

I used to think we are at bare minimum when we go through difficult times. I would say things like, 'the only thing I have left is God.' But I realize now that my situation during these times is no different then when things are going well. When we are living in abundance, God is with us and His hand is in those things He has blessed us with. And when we walk through the desert, God is with us and His hand is still in control of the situation we are facing. And in time, He gives us eyes to see how He has been good to us all along. Matthew 7:25 "The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." Let us turn our eyes to our Rock and praise Him for His steadfast goodness and love.

Peace that surpasses understanding

Peace that surpasses understanding: "It is so true that God rescues us to give us Life and a peace that surpasses understanding! Mmm, just read this from Nests Above the Abyss ,..."

human beauty

every time God shows me another layer to His love, i begin to wonder how much deeper His love really is for His people and whether i could ever understand it completely. i just came back from a camping trip. the campers were a most interesting mix of believers and non-believers, all from different parts of the world with different experiences and different personalities.

i confess, i never thought we could see past our differences in a deep way, but i saw that there was something at work that bound us together, and that something...I was to later discover, was the love of Christ. one taste of it by any one person, and it spreads to all others like a contagious disease.

a taste of "being loved," and i mean the real, deep kind...seems to bring out the beauty that resides within each person. there is beauty within each person, we were all made in the image of God. and when we feel loved, our beauty shines. a calloused person's eyes begin to soften. and friends and strangers become family.

i think i am only now beginning to understand why Christ died for us, and the purpose behind this earthly life....

The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing

The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing: "The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing is chapter 2 of A. W. Tozer's Pursuit of God , which I have just begun to read. It is powerful and si..."

Check this out from Stanford Library

This is a good resource to know of.

Christianity [videorecording] : the first two thousand years (TV documentary) 

 Stanford Link

"Geek Theologian"

I saw an interview with Christian and Wired magazine co-founder Kevin Kelly in the magazine Christianity Today which I thought was very interesting. I don't know if I agree with every single thing he says, but I don't know all the answers either (as those in the Sunday MPPC IBS group know very well!). I do appreciate a fresh perspective on things and people who are willing to ask the new questions, even if they aren't sure they'll get the answers right away.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/julyweb-only/geektheologian.html

Belief

Hi all,

Just wanted to share a poem that I wrote today based on today's sermon. I really felt convicted during the sermon and wanted to share this with the group. It is entitled Belief.

Belief

Is is a story or do you believe?

Is it merely a fairy tale or a living non-fiction moving within us?

Is is stirring, breathing within us?

Do you believe or do you BELIEVE?

Where do you go when your world crumbles?

Who are you when you fall?

Are you angry when you are hurt, when you are broken?

Do you believe or do you BELIEVE?

Do you remember Him in times of suffering?

Do you still feel Him when you are in pain?

Can you still hear His voice when you feel lost?

Do you believe or do you BELIEVE?

Do you know he cries when you cry?

Do you know he suffers when you suffer?

Do you know he's still there for you when you feel abandoned?

Do you believe or do you BELIEVE?

_____________________________________________

Lord, give me the courage to believe in you, the ability to trust you when I can't see clearly and when I feel abandoned. Allow me to feel your presence and draw on your love as my strength. Father, give me the power to believe.

Luke 9:23

This is a poem that my friend, Peter Ngo wrote recently. He gave me permission to share it here. It was especially powerful to me because I know his story, but even without, I hope it will encourage you as much as it encouraged (and inspired) me.

Luke 9:23

a cruel rhyme i once heard from me,

it went

smile, smile, all the while

smile, smile, all the while

when you search and find nothing but darkness within

smile, smile, all the while

when you choose to do evil and trade good for sin

smile, smile, all the while

when your friends go away but their shadows remain

smile, smile, all the while

when your hope seems forgotten but your shame's still your stain

smile, smile, all the while

when your arms grow colder and your heart's still as stone

smile, smile, all the while

when your labor is fruitless and your toil's in vain

when your mouth fills with bile, when you've fallen again

when you're broken again

when you're broken again

smile, smile, all the while.

(a cruel rhyme i once told to me,

a cruel lie i once sold to me,

it went

smile, smile, all the while)

but a nobler hymn i'll yet sing in me

and a better song i'll let ring in me, it goes

take up the cross, go another mile.

though you search and find nothing but darkness within

look to the cross, go another mile

though you choose to do evil and trade good for sin

take back the cross, go another mile

though your friends go away while their shadows remain

you'll be one in the spirit, just another mile

though your hope seems forgotten while your shame's still your stain

you'll be crowned in the heavens, just another mile

though your arms grow colder and your heart's still as stone

ask the Lord for his leading, go another mile

when your labor is fruitless and your toil's in vain

when your mouth fills with bile, when you've fallen again

when i'm broken again

i'll take back the cross,

i'll smile,

i'll go another mile

Famine in East Africa

East Africa Famine Crises

Do not be afraid

I really like this verse during quiet time this morning..

Genesis 15:1

"Do not be afraid, Abram.
I am your shield,
your very great reward."

Wish that in doing everything or making every decision, I'll always remember that God is protecting me, and he will bring me great reward.

It reminds me of a song from Veggie tales:

"The battle is not ours,
We look to God above,
and He will guide us safely through,
and guard us with His love.

I will not be afraid,
I will not run and hide,
for there is nothing I can't face when God is at my side,
No there is nothing I can't face when God is at my side!"

Jonah and the Blue Dress

         I was really excited about my new blue dress that I had purchased for a deal of $20 at Nordstrom Rack. So, imagine my disappointment when I washed and dried it for the first time yesterday and saw that it had shrunk to a size that would only be appropriate for a 10-year old! (Although its label read "tumble dry low", I guess I still shouldn't have put it in the dryer.) Anyway, once I saw that it had shrunk, I immediately hopped online to search for ways to "unshrink" clothing. I followed some interesting directions, including soaking the dress in water and hair conditioner, and put a lot of effort in stretching it out. I even stretched it to the point where I made 3 small holes in it, which I then had to spend more time stitching up. While the dress is now at a wearable size, its shape just isn't the same as it was originally. ::sigh:: All of this got me thinking: is this dress really worth all the time and effort I spent fixing it?

         Anyway, reflecting on this incident this morning, I am reminded of the story in Jonah 4. At the start of the passage, Jonah is very happy and satisfied with a plant that is giving him shade. When it soon withers away, however, he becomes very upset, even though he hadn't done anything to make it grow in the first place. Aside from shelling out several dollars, I did not do much to get my dress, yet I felt so disappointed when it was messed up. Certainly, God feels much more sad when the people he has devoted so much love and care for don't know Him or aren't walking with Him. I've had to ask myself, "Do I sweat the small stuff, or do I invest time and effort where it counts?" Also, I generally invest time in things I care about, but I think it sort of works the other way as well...I care about things that I have already put a lot of myself into. Thus, another question comes up: "Have I invested enough of myself into caring for people who haven't heard about the Lord or who have strayed away from Him, that I truly care whether they end up with Him?"

Be the one for Jesus

Just hope to share part of a letter from Mother Teresa to her sisters working in the Missionary of Charity. It's such an encouragement to feel her simple humility and her pure heart to love Jesus and the poor. To Teresa, the poor are not only made in the same image of God, but they also have the very presence of Jesus in them - Jesus is bearing the suffering with them. Like what Jesus said in Matthew 25:

"'for I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me... Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’"

Mother Teresa lived by this determination to "be the one" to love and comfort Jesus who are dressed in poverty.

She also gently reminded her sisters that " love begins at home - our community - our family." Love starts from loving the ones who are the closest in our lives.


-----------------
My dearest children, Sisters, Brothers, Fathers, Lay Missionaries, Co-workers,

This brings you my prayer and blessing for each one of you - my love and gratitude to each one of you for all you have been and have done all these 40 years - to share the joy of loving each other and the Poorest of the Poor.

Your presence and the work you have done throughout the world for the glory of God and the good of the Poor has been a living miracle of love of God and yours in action. God has shown His greatness by using nothingness - so let us always remain in our nothingness - so as to give God a free hand to use us without consulting us. Let us accept whatever He gives and give whatever He takes with a big smile...

Humility always is the root of zeal for souls and charity. We see that in Jesus - on the Cross and in the Eucharist...

So it is very important for us MC to be pure and humble... Because a pure heart can see God in the Poor - a humble heart can love and serve Jesus in the Poor.

Remember the five fingers -
you-did-it-to-Me

Remember - love begins at home - our community - our family.

Remember - works of love are works of peace.

Let us thank Jesus for the 40 years of tender love we have received from Him through each other- and pray that we grow in this love for each other and our Poor- by deepening our personal and intimate love for Jesus and greater attachment to Jesus through prayer and sacrifice.

...

God bless you
M. Teresa, M.C.

Home

Inspiration for following poem entitled "Home" is from the IBS/519 Fellowship at MPPC. Written by Andrew Li (Andy)

A home of brokenness

A home of hurt

A home of loneliness

A home of pain and suffering

That's where I belong

-----

In this home where there are tears

A home filled with fears

A home that's disillusioned

A home riddled with anxiety

That's where I will go

-------

In this home, I see faces

My face, your face

Rows of faces of people

Of every background, of every colour

That's where I see

------

I see facades fade

I see people sharing

I see realization that they are not alone

I see community

I see home

------

I see brothers and sisters

I hear laughter, worship, and praise

I see dancing

I see growth

I am at home

Thank you for Andrew for such a wonderful portrayal of what the IBS community is like..

Defeating Temptations

This is a continuation from my earlier post..discussing some of the practical ways to overcome temptations. This is again an excerpt from Chapter 27 of the Purpose Drive Life by Rick Warren. I encourage you to read the full version if you have the book or let me know if you want a pdf copy of this chapter

You may sometimes feel that your temptations are too much for you to overcome. But that is a lie from Satan. Remember the Bible tells us that we won't be tempted beyond our ability to bear. 1 Cor 10:13. However you need to practice four biblical ways to defeat the temptations from becoming Sin.

Refocus your attention on something else:

Bible does not teach us to resist temptation.. but we should resist the devil. You don't have to fight the thought of your temptation.. rather refocus your attention on something else. The more you think about something stronger it takes hold of you. Temptation gets you by capturing your attention. So don't continue to give your attention to it. Bible tell us to keep our minds focused… " Fix your thoughts on Jesus" Heb 12:1-2. and "Fill your minds with things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable" Phil 4:8. Remember that this might take a lifetime of practice but with the help of the Holy Spirit you can do it. In a very practical way find other ways to keep yourself and your mind engaged. Things that you do with others.. things that are fun to do like sports.. music.. reading etc..

Reveal your struggle to a godly friend or a support group:

This aspect has been a major help in my own struggles against my temptation. The Bible says that " Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed" James 5:16. Also the song "Healing Begins" by Tenth Avenue North resonates well with me. By sharing it with a Godly friend, you shine light on the darkness that the Satan is haunting you with. The satan will run miles away after you share. Sharing with a friend not only helps you lower you sense of guilt or burden but also provides an opportunity for you to seek help from others in terms of keeping you accountable or suggesting different means to help you. Remember that just by your will power and personal resolutions you cannot defeat the Satan. Because he is gonna try to lower your confidence by speaking more lies to you. I would suggest that if you do not have anybody (atleast one person) in your life who does not know that darkest part of yours that you struggle with.. then I encourage your to pray to God to show you such a brother or a sister. I have seen the power of this in my life and would greatly urge you to do so. But often times one aspect that would come on the way of confessing to others is our pride. Remember the bible says, "God hates the proud and gives grace to the humble" James 4:6. So confessing to an other person is also an act of humility before God. You will realize that, by doing this what you gain (the freedom from the bondage of sin) is much more than what you might lose (your pride).

Resist the Devil:

As I said before.. You don't have to resist the temptation.. but the devil. We are called to fight back the devil. That's why the Bible addresses us as soldiers in the enemy territory. We are called to wear the armor of God. (Eph 6:10-18). There are two important things that we should do in order to resist the enemy..

- First is to accept God's salvation. You won't be able to say 'no' to the devil unless you have said 'yes' to Christ. If you are a believer, satan cannot force you to do evil but can only suggest.

- Next is the Word of God. It is the weapon against the devil. Remember how Jesus when he was tempted by the Satan in the garden, used God's word to defeat him (Luke 4:1-13). You cannot defeat Satan with your own logic or opinion, but only the truth of God. So the key thing is to "MEMORIZE BIBLE VERSES". It is absolutely necessary to defeat the devil. If you don't have any memory verses with you then you have no bullets in your gun! This aspect is so true.. I'm starting to see it's power in my own struggle against my temptations. But have seen it working powerfully in the life's of many other believers also.

Realize your vulnerability:

It is important that we don't get over-confident about our own ability to overcome temptations. Given the right circumstances any of us are capable of sin. So we should always be wise in terms of avoiding the obvious situations that might tempt us and be always prepared with God's assurance of salvation and His word to fight against the enemy.

So in summary.. Temptations are good in a way that they help us grow and mature in Christ. But we should also know that this will happen only as we depend on Christ to resist the devil and not by our own strength. Temptations are meant to humble us and help us grow. The satan's plan for us is to fall through temptations.. but In Christ we can transform it for us to get even closer to God.

I pray that we as a community can continue to grow and mature in Christ.. by dwelling on His word and sharing honestly with each other so that we may defeat the Satan's plans and let God's plans work in our life and our community.

Growing Through Temptation

This is an excerpt from Chapter 26 of "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. This has really encouraged me to see my temptations in a very different way. (Thanks to Ming for recommending this) I thought i would share with all of you a summary form what I read. I encourage you all to read the full version if you have the book. Or let me know I can send you a pdf copy of the chapter. Blessings.

Temptation is an opportunity to do good. It is an opportunity for you to grow and mature in Christ by developing the fruits of the spirit (Gal 5:22-23). Character building always involves a choice and temptations provide that opportunity.

You cannot claim that you have done good if you were not tempted to be bad. You can't know how much you can love somebody unless you are in the midst of unlovely people. God gives us His real joy in the midst of sorrow. Every time you defeat a temptation you become more like Jesus!!

How does temptation work?

1) It starts from our inner desires. It is not something that is external. You won't be tempted unless you have a desire for it. Mark 7:21-23

2) The second step is doubt. Satan tells us that it is not wrong to do it. It is not a sin and God won't care about it. Heb 3:12

3) Next is deception. It tells that it is only a little sin. YOu can get away with it. The satan is the Father of lies.

4) Final step is disobedience. We succumb to the temptation and commit sin. James 1:14-16

Overcoming temptation

a) Don't be intimidated when you have a temptation. Don't be ashamed. Infact Temptation is a sign that satan hates you. He knows that you are Godly and wants to tempt you more. It is all the more reason for you to be holy. Also know that Temptation is not a sin. For eg in case of sexuality… it is natural to have attractions and desires..infact it is God given. but it is lust, the deliberate act of will that is evil. Actually the closer that you grow to God, the more that Satan will tempt you. So rather than condemning yourself of having such a thought, rather refocus yourself on God and consider it an opportunity to even more depend on God.

b) Recognize your pattern of temptation and be prepared for it. Know as to what places, times and with whom do you have the most temptations and be prepared to avoid those situations.

c)Request God's help. Remember that there is a 24 hour emergency hot-line in heaven. So don't hesitate to call upon God's help during those times. He is there to help us. Also don't feel guilty even if you are tempted the 10,000 times. Because God is patient and His love endures forever. So shout unto him again and again when you need help. And remember that after you have stood the temptation.. you are gonna grow one more step closer to God. James 1:12

So in all, temptations aren't that bad after all. In a sense one should be happy about having temptations because then you know that the enemy is really scared of you. However.. you should be prepared for the times of temptations and should be strong and know how to face it…

Christ-powered

"Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him."

- 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
- James 1:27

South Korean pastor tends an unwanted flock (Los Angeles Times)

Beautiful Things - Baptism Recap '11

Beautiful Things - Baptism Recap '11 from MPPC on Vimeo.

An encouraging video

Hi all this is Choon.

I am sharing this video about encouragement and support.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=453130647887&oid=151523654862808&comments

It was filled with hope.

more than words

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

sometimes, i wonder how it is that people really communicate with one another--is it really through words, or even through actions? today, my dad and i went to the supermarket to buy some ice cream for our movie night. when the woman in front of us saw that we were eyeing the 15 items or less line, she smiled at us warmly and said, "you can go ahead of me." we thanked her profusely and took her gracious offer. what i realized afterwards was that it was not so much what she said or did that left a strong impression on me, but the way in which she said and did it. there was a language she seemed to be speaking in between the lines of the reality that i saw and heard. i felt love from this stranger.

through various events this past week, i am beginning to think that words and actions are mere tools for a deeper language of the heart. i felt that God was trying to teach me that this is how i am to communicate with His people. psychologist-educator robert valett once said, "the human heart feels things the eyes cannot see, and knows what the mind cannot understand." i think i might have gotten a taste of this through this small, 1-minute encounter at the supermarket.

shine, bright, let Your glory fill this land

jeremy camp - the way


this is our prayer, Lord. Your people cry out--let Your kingdom come.

How to hear from God

Have you ever wondered how to hear from God? The past 2 weeks, Scotty Scruggs at Sanctuary (www.sanc.info) gave 2 awesome sermons on this topic. Please check out the website for the podcasts, but below I will post my notes from the sermon series entitled Get Smart.

Part 1 - How you know if God is leading you in a certain direction (May 22, 2011)

Though at times God may show miraculous signs to show you that He wants you to do something like how he did for Gideon (see Judges 6:17), this is more of an exception. The reality is when we set up God with a test, we normally don't get a sign from the Bible. However, the story of Gideon does show that God wants to speak to us when making decisions.

7 key points:

1) The assurance of God's love (for you)

• This is a fundamental prerequisite since nothing you choose to do can change the fact that you are loved by God
• However, most of us instead seek approval or the others rebel against it as our way of functioning
• 1 John 4:18

2) The characters of God's kingdom

• The answer will have to do something that God is doing in the world. Our decisions will become more congruent with His
• Is our decisions in line with God's character?

3) The shape of your strengths (something you are made to do to give you joy)

• It is a process of narrowing down the list of possibilities of who you could be to who you actually are
• Is it even you? Which words give you meaning?

4) The demands of reality

• Need to see if it is realistic - financially, emotionally, for your family, etc.
• Luke 14:28-30
• However, God may call you to do something unreasonable if that is the case. God will then go out of the way to make it clear to you

5) Wisdom of community

• Normally great decisions aren't made in isolation
• Community to help process your thoughts/strengths/wisdom
• But at the end of the day, it is your call

6) Presence of peace

• Decisions should never be made from a place of desolation. It should always move you to a place of contentment
• He won't lead you to fear, doubt, anxiety, discontentment, desparation
• Don't choose out of anger, greed, frustration

7) The goal is Christ

• Only goal is to glorify Jesus
• Phil 4:21
• to live is Christ = to seek His life before your own

Part 2 (May 29, 2011)

What do you think Jesus is saying to you at this point in your life? How do you know? These are 2 questions that every Christian should be able to answer. How do you hear God?

People struggle to hear God's voice secondary to the way we arrange our day to day lives. It has to do with how you live your life.

The 7 prominent barriers that keeps you from hearing God in your day to day life:

1) Hurry

• You are always sitting on the edge of your seat, busy, stressed, fatigued, exhausted physically and emotionally
• Our culture equates business with success
• It is almost impossible to hear God when we are exhausted
• 1 King 19:4-9 - when Elijah is broken down/worn out God's response is to REST. Take a sabbath
• You need to ruthlessly eliminate hurry in your life if you want to hear God - Dallas Willard

2) Selfish motives

• Telling God the way you need to have God do something so you can live your life for Him
• We see this not only in what we pray, but when we pray
• Forcing God's hand to act in our benefit
• We are free to ask for what we want, but need to trust and follow Him even if things aren't going our way

3) (Unchecked) Anger/resentment

• Matthew 5:23-24
• Our anger/resentment and our capacity to receive from God are at odds
• That type of anger can dominate your thoughts - it dulls your ears to hear the subtle whispers of God
• Go get help, seek reconciliation

4) Fear

• Look to see where your decisions are driven by fear/pain
• A common theme now is people fear loneliness and the decisions that they make based on that are not always the right ones
• There is a fear of failure, of disappointing others since we strive for approval from others, a fear of rejection
• God's voice = overcoming fear

5) The Voice of the Enemy

• Voice that wants to contort God's message
• Voice that condemns, belittles, casts doubts in your life
• Voice that tries to say things so you don't rely on Him

6) Ignoring/Avoiding Scripture

• 2 Timothy 3:16
• There is no substitute for a mind constantly renewed by Scripture

7) Who's in charge?

• You or God?
• Who's will matters most?
• Some dreams die when you follow God's calling, but in the process you get something far far better

Hope these notes help all of you =)

His servant,

Andrew

Freedom

What is freedom? Today's MPPC IBS Bible study centered around the idea of Christ as Liberator- setting us free from the bondage of sin. Many of us who have lived in America for many years have heard the word 'freedom' quoted and thrown around quite often, and it's a favorite of politicians and pundits alike when they make speeches or write op-ed columns for the New York Times. This is generally the idea of political and personal freedom- the freedom to express your opinions, practice a particular religious faith, vote for a candidate of your choice who is running for office. But is this the same meaning as 'freedom' in a spiritual sense?

Paul, in Galatians 5:1, states "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Peter echoes the same theme: "Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God's slaves. Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor." (1 Peter 2:13). He also warns us about the consequences of following false teachers: "They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for 'people are slaves to whatever has mastered them'" (2 Peter 2:16).

In Romans 6:18-23, Paul offers an elegant elucidation of the Christian concept of freedom:

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness...Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Freedom, in the Christian sense, is dissimilar to righteousness in that, while righteousness is measured according to an absolute standard, freedom is defined relative to something else. It is not possible to be free from both sin and from righteousness at the same time- one who defies one must necessarily serve the other.

Let me offer an analogy. A person who owns a bicycle and a person who owns a car get into a conversation about their respective modes of transportation.

"My car offers me freedom," the person with the car says. "I can drive it wherever I like and visit places hundreds of miles away in only a few hours- something which would be difficult, dangerous, tiring, or simply impossible if I didn't own it. I can go wherever I want and enjoy many opportunities which would otherwise be unavailable."

"My bicycle offers me freedom," the other person says. "I can ride it many places as well- although I can't go nearly as far as you can and it's hard work. If it breaks, it is easy for me to repair, unlike your car. As well, I don't have to worry about expensive tune-ups. I don't have to worry about changing the oil or about topping off the tank when gas prices are shooting above $4.00 a gallon, or about paying for expensive automobile insurance. Finally, riding my bicycle keeps me in shape, freeing me from having to go to the gym and giving me more free time to spend on other things."

Does one person have more 'freedom' than the other? It is clear that the car owner and the bicyclist are defining freedom according to different standards, so they are both 'free' in their own way. Where this analogy breaks down for Christians, though, is the fact that the two choices are largely value-neutral. However, as Christians we are called explicitly to be slaves to righteousness (freedom from sin), rather than slaves to sin (which is freedom from righteousness). Moreover, our freedom from sin is not a license to do whatever we like. But rather, as Paul states (in Galatians 5:13), "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh [sinful nature]; rather, serve one another humbly in love." And in 1 Corinthians 10:22, "'I have the right to do anything,' you say—but not everything is beneficial. 'I have the right to do anything'—but not everything is constructive. No one should seek their own good, but the good of others."

As Christians, Christ's death and resurrection has granted us freedom from sin, which once enslaved us. It also grants us the freedom to seek the will of God and to want to do what pleases Him. We don't indulge our desires to 'increase grace', but rather we seek to draw closer to God each day and to more fully be attuned to His perfect will and His desires for our lives.

What are your thoughts about freedom?

(All quoted passages taken from the NIV.)

Relationship with God

As God’s children, we have been made in His own image and we have been given the privilege to act upon the world. I am realizing that just by being, just by existing and breathing, we influence the things around us. When i examine the way i have handled this “privilege of influence” in various situations, i often find myself asking God these questions—am i doing the right thing? Have i done well? and i feel that God has been responding to me by teaching me that it is not so much about how well i have done in following His will, but rather, it’s all about whether or not i am focusing on my relationship with Him. It’s not so much about how well i fix my eyes on Jesus, or (i’ll even go as far as to say) about whether or not i am fixing my eyes on Him. But it’s all about my relationship with Jesus and whether or not i am caring for my relationship with God and doing what’s best to nurture it. Love the Lord God and love your neighbors--all the other laws of the prophets hang on these two principles of relationship (matthew 22:37-40).

Christian singer kim walker once said...singing, playing instruments, all of that stuff, they are all expressions of worship. But worship at its core is our relationship with God, our connection to Him. And by fighting to stay connected to Him all week through His grace, we are worshiping Him.

Overcome evil with good

Romans 12:21
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

"...the first I learned up here. Every circumstance in life, no matter how crooked and distorted and ugly it appears to be, if it is reacted to in love and forgiveness and obedience to your will can be transformed.

There I begin to think, my Lord, you purposely allow us to be brought into contact with the bad and evil things that you want changed. Perhaps that is the very reason why we are here in this world, where sin and sorrow and suffering and evil abound, so that we may let you teach us so to react to them, that out of them we can create lovely qualities to live forever. That is the only really satisfactory way of dealing with evil, not simply binding it so that it cannot work harm, but whenever possible overcome it with good."

- "Hind's Feet on High Places"

***
Testify to love

test

::ehem:: mic check onetwo onetwo :)
hi guys, let the posting begin!

Be faithful in little things - Quote from Mother Teresa

"To the good God nothing is little because He is so great and we so small - that is why He stoops down and takes the trouble to make those little things for us - to give us a chance to prove our love for Him. Because He makes them, they are very great. He cannot make anything small; they are infinite. Yes my dear children, be faithful in little practices of love, of little sacrifices - of the little interior mortification - of little fidelities to Rule, which will build in you the life of holiness - make you Christ-like."

- Mother Teresa

a light in the darkness

"in him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (john 1:4-5)



Psalm 121

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

i could sing of your love forever

Acts 2:15-28: David said about him: '"I saw the Lord always before me.  Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.  Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay.  You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'" amen.

this week's worship songs:
1.  heart of worship
2.  i can sing of your love forever
3.  hungry

"full" band this week--piano, guitar, vocals.  thank you, Lord, for raising up your people and providing for the group.  You are a good God.  we pray that the Spirits within us will rejoice as we think about your goodness and express it through our worship.

by your side - tenth avenue north

warfare through worship

2 Chronicles 20:15-22

15 This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 16 Tomorrow march down against them. They will be climbing up by the Pass of Ziz, and you will find them at the end of the gorge in the Desert of Jeruel. 17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’”

18 Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD. 19 Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.” 21 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying:

“Give thanks to the LORD,
for his love endures forever.”

22 As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.

all eyes on Him

something weird seems to happen inside when we direct our attention toward Jesus.  i'm not quite sure how it happens, but when i keep looking at Him, i can't help but see...people.  steadily gazing upon Him somehow turns our hearts outward toward His children.  God, we praise You because You abound in Your selfless love and we praise You for allowing us to have a relationship with You that moves us to become better and more loving people for the people around us.

To see You in Your glory

"And as we worship, build Your throne."

The 3 songs for the week:
1. Blessed Be Your Name
2. Still
3. Jesus, We Enthrone You

Lord, we long to see You in the fullness of Your glory as we worship You this week.  We long to lift Your name high and sing of Your goodness and love.  Make us into a group that brings glory to Your name.  In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

initial prayer for the website

Lord, I seek Your will.