Passion, what else?

It’s about that time. It is precisely that time that we turn to God. We turn from our ignorant ways and face toward the holy God. We notice His glory and understand our sins. It is now that we decide that this all-powerful God is the Only One who can change our circumstances. We thought there was no hope, but now we conjure up the good that Jesus has done and apply to the present. He never changed, but we did. We believed that we could not need Him, until now.

So many times, we routinize this procedure of repetition. It’s a recycling cycle. Trading our problems for an instant get-help scheme is what we do. In our minds, there is no reason to call for assistance unless there is an immediate emergency. God is our 911 ER team.

Don’t let that be the case. In the high and low, seek Him. You need Him today.

Don’t forget though, that Jesus understands too well how we work. He was “made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” (Hebrews 2:17). He suffered when tempted, but not only that but also sympathized in every emotion that we feel. Since He knows so well, we can see Him saying for us to return to Him with our whole hearts just as He has continually repeated that in the Old Testament to the rebellious nation of Israel among others. It’s the same as our rebellious hearts and our natural knack for idols today. Everything else seems more worth our time than five minutes in silence before the King we supposedly owe out lives to.

Jesus created us to be together and not apart. One thing that Asian collectivistic cultures have somewhat got a firm grasp on. When Adam was created, God saw that it was not good for him to be alone so He created Eve, the perfect complement one to another. There is perfection in togetherness and imperfection being separated. But yet, we hold high standards for being alone and we admire those that make it out alone. We equate people with power for being successful by their own efforts. We shun those who depend on others to make it through.

This is the church. We all need each other.

Disciple the men please.

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 23:08:36 -0500

In our culture, the men prolong their search for immaturity as if that alone will be the subject of their joy, their everlasting joy. I can’t blame them though as much as I want to. The older adolescents of this current generation just can’t seem to have that desperation to be a “man”, whatever that may mean now. The forefathers have been the example for those men today and they have encouraged the lay-back-in-your-sofa-and-not-care mentality. As horrible the stereotype sounds, men are respected for their laziness as they subject their wives to make them sandwiches. It’s all funny. Actually, it’s not. It’s sad really.

But before I go follow this track to an endless rant that won’t be read by many others that have made it up to this point here, I will address an issue I face within the society now that the church can have a significant part in transforming the tentative future.

As we can see, the men are not responsible right now. Look at the divorce rates. I dare not turn the blame on all men as women may play some part but I will be harsh on men for we are meant to be the ones to lead this generation. Feminists, women are important, I know.

In the hierarchy that God has created, men are to submit to God and women to men as to God as it says in Ephesians 5. Also in the same chapter it says that we are to submit one to another so that one does not dominate another and control someone else. A marriage serves one another in love. That’s why two are made to one because we complement one another perfectly in unison, or also named complementarianism. This system was created by an Almighty Sovereign God who had all the wisdom to cause order in a chaos that occurred with the introduction of sin.

We know this for the most part. It is second nature for most of us Christians, but the main topic I am getting to is discipleship: the root of teaching others the good news and assuring them of a future in progressive sanctification.

Discipleship is lacking. Many men and women do not have mentors who care for them. They enter into this relationship with God not knowing what it’s all about. What is application, they ask? How does all this relate to me anyway? How do I know God? Who will help me? These are the questions that they obsess about without anyone’s knowledge.

I have seen spiritual fathers absent in so many sons’ lives (though I say that daughters even with earthly fathers who do not know the Lord and have hurt them, have found spiritual fathers). Let me share a couple of examples that hurts my heart in a way that makes me confused as to even how to feel at times:

Here’s a story of a family who has a father who neglects his family all his lives. Not the wife per se, but his own children. That father, whether he faces the facts or not, forces his own children to search for affection elsewhere. They seek it in all the wrong places. It could be another partner, obsession of goals, ignorance of present reality, or just plain hatred for them. I can sympathize on behalf of these children for I have sought my own idols that would satisfy momentarily. Thankfully, the Lord redeemed me and I praise Him for it. For these children, they endlessly search for acceptance and unconditional love all while purposefully hardening their hearts towards a God who created their very being and who can love them like no other, like their parents should have loved them.

On top of this, that very father spends countless hours investing them into another young girl’s life that is not his own, all the while neglecting the deep wounds that fester bitterness and resentment and the dangerous indifference in the hearts of his own. It may be that he wishes she were his own daughter. This father is a prime example of a man who cannot do ministry because he has failed to raise his own family. This is indeed a sad story.

Another story that is common could be of a father with the wisdom to lead so many men to be great leaders for our future generation. He, on the other hand, raises his children well in the statues of Scripture, but does not care for the men around him in the way that they may need. Attention is given to the young girls instead, while the young men are dying to find a man who will pursue them to teach them. Men are sitting on the sidelines waiting to be taught. They hunger and thirst for God. Yet, some fathers like this one, would rather be a father for just the younger women.

Discipleship is all about one-on-one exchange of life. It is intimate and dirty. It hurts and takes a lot of time. Trust is given and risk is involved. Men are searching high and low for these fathers within the church to reach out to them and ask them if they would like to hang out once a week or even once a month to learn about Jesus, about how to love God, and how to be a responsible man of God who can be an influential leader for all people that are involved in his life. They seek them in order to live life and have fun, to be a father that they never even imagined about having.

Don’t get me wrong. Fathers, your own family always is first. But look around at the men in need around you now. Where are they? Do you see the care they need to be given by a spiritual father who can feed them with the wisdom they need in order to mature to be a true man? Look into their eyes. Even men that are younger and not yet married, look at the younger generation in need. They need you. They need us too. We need the fathers to rise to the occasion on behalf of Jesus Christ: the servant-leader in whom’s footsteps we follow.

Church: to the men: teach the younger men and give your life for them

Women: do the same for the younger women.

Then can we see a beautiful picture of the universal church that lays down their lives in order to see the future be bright and full of those in love with God, pursuing righteousness and justice, full of responsible men and women who raise families in households that honor the Most High.

Hello

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:31 -0500

Hello, it’s been quite a week but I see the grace of God pulling me through. I pray that this week will be much better. Jesus, lead me to be that example for my girlfriend and all others. Amen.

I need more time and we need each other.

Sat, 16 Jul 2011 00:07:22 -0500

Time flies and I have so many thoughts I need to write here, but I don’t have the time right now. I need some time with my Jesus. So for today I leave these thoughts: Friends are precious and their friendships should be treasured. I seek those who will lead me into a deeper relationship with the Lord because that is our purpose together. I need you and you need me. We need each other always. It’s all about the church. When time moves this fast, I jump way into the future and I dwell on it. I forget about today for what it is worth. Then, I worry. But His plans for me remain and they are for my good and for His glory. It is a truth I am glad to believe in. It gives me no reason to fret over the details in my life, like finding a place to stay in about 15 days. Going out on faith, I long for Him to pull through for me because I know I will and I am not being foolish, at least I hope to think that…

Praying for you always.

Boys will be boys. No, never! Be men for goodness sake!

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 00:14:17 -0500

My feelings right now: frustrated.

This is what I see a lot of the time… ^ Funny, cute, yes, but in reality of the situation, nope, not at all.

I am currently experiencing deep feelings of frustration. As a man, I examine the men of society, or should I say boys. My confession is, I can’t stand boys. Before I go on though, don’t get me wrong. I love boys who are boys because they’re young and are still in the process of growing. Them I do not mind. In fact, they are still immature and I don’t blame them. They’re still at that age. My frustration lies in the adolescent boys who are supposed to be men. You, who read this, I know you can sympathize with my notions and even feel strikingly similar emotions. The men of this generation refuse to grow up! The immaturity and opposition to being responsible makes me so frustrated and even angry.

Leaders, arise! You, a man, should mark the way for our future. Do you not know the power you carry in your words and in your actions. The potential that lies in a deep slumber must be awakened. The fleeting nature of your entertainment will only promote a culture where men follow and women lead. You enjoy your time now, but what could occur in your time to come will never be revealed. The purpose that lies in your life will never be even peeked into. If only, you could understand a glimpse of what you were called to be.

You were called to be a servant-leader that would serve women and honor and respect them. Leading by example, you were called to be a man of conviction, a man of passion and determination, a man with clear purpose and drive, a man who holds to his word, a man who is unwavering, a man who knows what’s best and acts on them, a man who loves selflessly, a man who is called to lead this wicked generation into a lifestyle of holiness, purity, and love! You are to be feared because of how you stand apart from this world. You were called to be a man who people will respect and honor you because of your convictions. But you, men, fail miserably: myself included. We, fail. I’m tired of you and tired of me not being those men. I am close (though I do not speak pompously of myself and do not intend to, for I am a man with many problems and in constant need of His grace) and others are so far. I know what I need, but men right now, I speak on your behalf…Grow up already! Stop thinking like a dependent boy and be a prudent man of God.

Women, I know we fail as men as a whole. We fail to lead and serve you. We fail to respect you and honor you as equals and I apologize on behalf of us, but I have things to request of you too. Though I wish I had not need to ask this of you, I ask this one thing. Encourage us to be those men. We need it. See what we do not correctly do and correct us. Encourage us to be leaders by presenting us with opportunities to lead. Don’t let us push you around and stand up for what you believe in.

I warn you, women. Do not encourage us to be boys. I despise this practice with deep passion. I know you do not intend to, but do not be leaders for us. If you do, pride as men will be hurt and we will no longer search for reason to be, well, a leader. I know we fail to, but whenever you get the chance, push us to be leaders however you can. Guide us to respected men of God to be discipled by. Encourage men of God to encourage the younger boys to be men. Stress the importance.

Let me share some things I learned at my Bible study last week. Our prayer concerned much about us treating women as women and not objects of affection. Together, we sought out practical ways to guard your hearts. One of those things, was to not allow the possibility of a woman clinging to us through the sharing of personal spiritual matters.

Now, if you aren’t a born-again Christian, and you see a man of God, you will be drawn to his passion and charisma for the Lord. To see an upright man know where he stands in life will attract you. Next thing you know, you may unknowingly disclose your personal life with him in hopes of one, being closer to him, or two, just wanting his wisdom and counsel. For most, I will say it will be because you may like him. Now, if you’re a woman who knows the Lord and needs a man to lead you, you will love those men of God that are few in this society. If you love the Lord, you will love a man who loves the Lord. Simple fact. But you may not be ready and you may be a little desperate for a relationship. You may still struggle with problems and may seek a strong man to help you. And us, as men, who like to be needed and who enjoy the attention may fall for it and guide you and teach you and pray with you. These, though, not wrong in themselves, are not good. If we truly care for you, the resolution was to guide these troubled women to women of God whom we respect to counsel them and pray with them emotions all aside. You won’t like us and we won’t be tempted to deceive you and manipulate you. We won’t have a chance to break your heart intentionally or unintentionally. That is a safeguard for you. You don’t need us, until you have a strong relationship with the Lord. You need strong women of God to guide you and be examples for you.

Flip side: women, don’t be counseling us either. Guard our hearts too. Be strong in resolution to stand for what you believe in. There are boys out there who want help, but don’t be the one to be that help. It is not your duty and if you want them to grow up and be men, stop giving them advice. By giving advice, you serve as a spiritual leader and encourage boys to be boys. Now, once in a while, some spiritual advice from a woman of God is to be respected and taken into account. They have life experience and the Lord to teach them hard, foundational truths that can help us in specific situations.

Guide the boys to men. Don’t feel like you have to be the one to help them because they have no one else. Your biggest contribution to us is your prayers. I appreciate them and as a man, I am thankful for your prayers for boys to be men of God. We all need it a lot. Look at this world, if you feel we don’t. If we aren’t strong in our conviction and it’s hindering us, be the one to be set on a conviction and tell us to be convicted. If we are weak, tell us to get over it and be strong. Don’t question us or guide us into us understanding what we need to do. If we are weak, which there are many, tell us what to do and be done with it.

Don’t baby us. We don’t need it, unless you want us to seek a woman for help when trouble comes, so we can be emotionally invested and depend on you for advice and help and so you can help this generation be marked with bunches of boys… Don’t be unaware of the dangers. Be perceptive and look around. I need your help for boys to be men today. Don’t delay. Be an active part in this for His sake please.

For you, I pray, I ask for you to be a part in this, for wisdom as a woman, and for you to be one set on conviction to make a difference today. Don’t lead if you don’t want to be a leader.

Feeling: frustrated. Lord, help me to turn these thoughts into powerful prayers for the boys who need to grow up! Jesus, do something, because I can’t do anything. Only Your power can change this generation of immature boys into grown, mature, responsible, men of God who are upright, passionate, pure, servant-leaders for the future! Ah…

Matthew 12:34- “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of...

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 00:13:05 -0500

Matthew 12:34- “You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The more the words, the less the meaning, and how does that profit anyone? —
Ecclesiastes 6:11

Words are so important and lately in this society, in my world, they have become more and more less meaningful. To make up for the wasted words that define nothing, we invent new words and ways to express our thoughts. What ever happened to meaning what was said and what was said, being full of meaning? Words lack credibility now and they are taken lightly. Sayings like, “I love you.” now mean
“I like you. I’m interested in you.”, “I miss you.” means “I kinda miss you.”, “I’ll do that for you.” means “I will do it, if I want to, or when I want to.” It seems that in places of inadequacy, instead of working on those weaknesses, we instead find creative ways to circumvent the real problem at hand. We create methods to cover up our consistent debasement of diction. Let’s all come back to a place of bringing new meaning into old words or at the least, restoring definitions with those words. I long for a world where a phrase means what it actually says. Less words with more meaning. Concise, precise, and truthful.

Speak clearly, if you speak at all; carve every word before you let it fall. —Oliver Wendell Holmes

Words like “never” and “always” should never be used because those just mean nothing. “All” or
“none”, these absolutes are examples that just boost another’s confidence in you to make yourself look good. Deep down, you know you can’t keep it, but in your desperate attempts to earn people’s trust you shoot out words such as those. Pride is the main reason we say that. When we long to control situations we speak empty promises. Humility is the cure. It takes humility for me to be truthful down to the core. For me to say that I will fail you, for me to express that I can’t always be there for you, I will try to keep in touch, etc. is much better than for me to say that you can trust me always, and I will always be there for you. You and I will fail because you have a sinful human nature and you are prone to not keep your word.

Now, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be careful at all. To earn another’s trust, we should respect those words uttered from our hearts and follow through with them. Be truthful, be intentional with every word, don’t give reason for people to believe that your words are lies. Sure, it’s not like crying wolf where it is a matter of life or death, but if you want people to trust you at all, then keep to your word every time. It is never too late to do so because today can be a day for you to say something and mean it.

Also, some things are just meant to be kept secret. Discern these. Protect others when it is needed.

Praying for you as we live to be truthful about all things with all people to protect one another and guard one another and for our words to mean what they say. Gain others’ trust by following through always. Let’s be people of integrity today, so let’s be careful.

Patient and wise is what I long to be for His sake and yours. Thank you Jesus for your mercy and compassion on me.

I try to be real.

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 02:11:36 -0500

The truth is that I miss my family. When, I don’t know what to do or where to turn in trouble, just seeing their faces soothes my soul. I calm down and am able to breathe and think deeply about what I am to do. Today, I look at myself and I find myself, well, alone.

No family around, busy friends, and a busy lifestyle. It’s almost like all that I have has been stripped from me. All I have is Jesus. And while I know that He is enough, life just gets hard. I can’t even begin to imagine how it would be without them in my life. At times, I realize that I have taken my family for granted and my friends, whoever they may be, for granted.

There’s this, and there are times where I wish I was someone else or somewhere else with a different life. Sometimes I wish I could be more, well, not me. Sometimes I wish I could be in a new place with completely new people and start fresh and do exactly what I’ve wanted to, be the person I want to be, and people would accept me more. I compare myself to others sometimes and doesn’t benefit me.

You may be thinking that I am the way I am for a reason and that God has me where I am for His purposes. I don’t doubt that at all. I’m just being real with you. We have all thought that sometimes when things don’t go our way or when we just struggle with people.

It could be rooted in insecurity in who I am in Christ. It could be that I am just stressed lately, but I know that He is the Only One I can depend on. He will never fail me and He will ever love me, like no other. Whatever I seek, He can give me more than anyone on this earth. There’s truth and there’s believing it. The tangible is so much easier to see and believe…

I don’t believe most of it, but I wanted to voice it. I believe that God has made me the way I am for a reason though I have trouble believing it at times. My walk is where I am, and I long to be closer. It’s not a competition or a contest, it’s just a race to meet Jesus. There’s no reason to see the other people, lest I become distracted. I must be focused. My identity is in Christ alone and He alone is my security. I need to pray.

I pray for you.

This thing we call life.

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 01:03:35 -0500

Every day is a journey. Every second can be a chance for you, for me to be who we want to be. There are times I think about today and claim that today has enough to worry about, when in reality, I look to the future and worry about it more. I like to see to the future so I don’t have to look at today. Because I know for a fact that today has enough things for me to cloud my thinking, I run away into the future imagining how much better it could be. I think, “Today wasn’t all that great. Tomorrow will be better or ten years from now, I’ll be happy.” We can all relate to this but we also all can agree that looking ahead won’t change today. Take it one day at a time, you say. This is true and yet, so hard. As we look at today, we seek what He wants and follow. To trust Him with today is to trust Him with tomorrow and ten years from now. This is the truth, the unchanging truth.

All things that are good are worth waiting for. My transition into graduate school into seminary, will be worth it as I prepare myself to go there. My patience will prove to me and the Lord that I am now ready to pursue a ministry that God is leading me to. My life as a youth pastor, worship leader, or wherever else He wants me, will be worth waiting for because in the meantime, He will be preparing me for that season in life. And my future wife is worth waiting for as I pray that the Lord would make her into the woman He wants her to be. Time prepares us for the greatest things in life. This time is His and if we allow Him to have His way with that time, then we can see the value in what we receive as a result.

Patience and wisdom is what I long for in everything. I just need Him to show me this more in every conversation that I have. I need to learn to take things slow and allow Him to orchestrate something so beautiful. I can just ask for the end result ten years into the future, but that would be no fun. There would be no adventure, journey, or dependence on the Father. When He is involved though, we see how He works perfectly and in His time to make something known to all mankind of how beautifully He orchestrated my or your life to end with what our hearts’ truly desired all for His glory.

I pray for you without cease and ask for patience and wisdom. Direct me in all that I do.

Cows today and I won lemon squeezing. The prize was 6 coupons for spicy chicken sandwiches. Yes, double win! And yes, that is my tail. and my friend there on the left, he is furiously attempting to moo. I guess he just really wanted some free food, and bad… It was a blast!