A Good Read

    I'm not a bookie, bookworm, avid reader, whatever you may call it. I haven't touched a Twilight book in my life. I've dropped the Harry Potter series after getting through the first three years. The only books I've read were usually required by the school I attended. (I gotta admit, I am a fan of The Odyssey, Our Town and To Kill a Mockingbird) and quite frankly I'm happy that those books were required so I would be forced to read it. Those were all books which have stuck with me to this day. Other than that, I rarely read for leisure. A Max Lucado book, I would read every now and then, but otherwise, not much reading going on. That said, I occasionally rummage through the attic to find old junk that needs to be cleared away. In my search for junk I usually end up finding treasures from my childhood. This past expedition in my attic uncovered a deeply hidden treasure that must have been left untouched for over five years. I've never heard of it before but the title caught my attention- "The Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges. I decided to peek inside and found a random page somewhere in the middle of the book. The book seemed interesting enough to me at first glace to bring it back down into my room. The book has received a permanent home on my nightstand right next to my bed. Once at the bottom of a pile of old junk, it has turned into one of my favorite books. I would like to share an excerpt from this book that really stood out to me and actually convicted my heart.
     The book is generally about the believer's struggle with sin and how to focus on pursuing a holy lifestyle. One point that the author spends quite some time on is the idea of convictions. If you have a certain conviction, it's your firm belief or a certain strong persuasion that governs the way you do certain things. For instance, if you are convicted that lying is wrong and displeasing to God, you will do your best to avoid lying. As a child of God, there are certain convictions that the Spirit of God will lay on your heart that helps govern the way you live your life as a christian. The key is staying true to the conviction that you have and believe. James 4:17 says "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn't do it, it is sin for them." (NIV) But where I find myself having even more trouble is having any sort of conviction in the first place. Yes, I know the basic ten commandments and what is considered "sin" in that sense. But I realize that I have not searched the Scriptures to see how God would want me to live every moment of my daily life- even simple things like which movies I should watch or song I should listen to. I feel convicted that finding a conviction is the first step to developing a conviction. (Duh Jerry) Here is where this book that I'm reading has shed some light on the topic:

    "This is the way we develop conviction-- by bringing God's Word to bear on specific situations that arise in our lives and determining God's will in that situation from the Word. Many issues of life are clearly addressed in the Bible, and we would do well to memorize verses that speak to those issues. For example, God's will concerning honesty is plainly spelled out (Eph. 4:25,28) or abstinence (1 Thess. 4:3). These are clearly stated issues where we should have no difficulty developing convictions as to God's will--if we are willing to obey His Word. But what about issues that are not specifically mentioned in the Scriptures-- how do we determine God's will and develop conviction in those areas? Years ago a friend gave me what he called his "Formula: How to Know Right from Wrong' The formula asked four questions based on three verses in 1 Corinthians:

• "'Everything is permissible for me'-- but not everything is beneficial" (1 Corinthians 6:12). Question 1: Is it helpful-- physically, spiritually, and mentally?
• "'Everything is permissible for me' -- but I will not be mastered by anything" (1 Corinthians 6:12). Question 2: Does it bring me under its power?
• "'Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall" (1 Corinthians 8:13). Question 3: Does it hurt others?
• "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Question 4: Does it glorify God?

As simple as this formula may appear, it is powerful in developing conviction if we are willing to use it. These questions can get rather searching but must be asked if we are to pursue holiness as a total way of life." Excerpt taken from The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
     
        As I'm getting towards the end of this book, it's really making me think about my lifestyle. Yes, I focus on not lying or committing adultery but do I focus on living a holy life? Do I view this command to live a holy life1 as making the heart of God glad rather than a mere victory in my christian life? A speaker at UCF (a christian gathering at my school) said a funny and ironic story of a guy who slapped his friend in the face. He immediately said sorry and asked his friend to forgive him. After the friend graciously forgave him, he slapped his friend again. I remember laughing while the speaker shared this story. It quickly turned into shame as I realized this is exactly what I do in my relationship with Christ. I hope and pray that as a christian, I can be convicted more of wrong things in my life by the daily reading of His Word. A song that I heard by Andy Mineo is called Every Word and there's this one line that says "Wanna know the fast track to lookin' stupid? Talk about obedience and never go do it." It's true, as a christian I always talk about what's right and wrong but I find myself never following through with it. I pray that I can shift my focus from the temporal things of this world to the eternal truths of God. I know I can only do so by setting aside time to search through God's word, let God's word convict me, and try to stay true to those convictions. I hope that the excerpt has encouraged anyone reading. I also encourage you to pick up a copy of this book! (and no I'm not being paid to say that haha)


For those who are interested- Andy Mineo Song: 

1 (Leviticus 11:44 and 1 Peter 1:16)
Till next time!

The Loner

http://press.visitphilly.com/uploads/photos/1028_l.jpg

Today was a good day. Other than the fact that I couldn't focus and felt like I was getting sick, it was a good day. Even though I didn't get my work done or any of the things I set out to do, it was a good day. Why? Because I went on a walk! Ok, you might think I'm crazy. But I honestly realized how I really need more walks in my life. Just me, a personal walk, a stroll down memory lane (or in this case, 41st street). I have a three hour break on Fridays in between classes. I had a plan to get an essay done. Unfortunately, I couldn't focus at all. I decided to take a walk outside and thankfully it was beautiful, cool and sunny. I walked past cars, people, a park and found myself standing in front of a cafe. I decided to go in and see what this cafe had to offer me. I decided to purchase a small caramel latte and stepped back outside on my walk. The cafe reminded me of a coffee shop you would find in Kerala. Small, quaint, wooden floors, forest green paint- very cozy. I felt like a loner just walking by myself and getting a coffee by myself but to be honest, it felt very good. It was nice to just stroll. Quiet. Sunshine. Trees. Cold air. Warm latte in my hand. The day was so peaceful in those 30 minutes I used to walk. I even had some time to talk with God on this walk. I realized I need to do more of these walks. Hopefully I can make more time to do this sort of daily exercise. These lone walks really exercise the mind and body. =)

Wedding Season.

So wedding season has started with a roar it seems. The roar which started in September of this year for me, will last until September of next year. Even on facebook, it seems as if every day someone new is getting engaged. With all this wedding commotion, I've just been thinking about the beauty of a wedding- how anxious the bride and groom are for their special day, all the planning and preparation that goes into getting everything and the grandness of the celebration in its entirety. Here are some of the thoughts that have crossed my mind while pondering the topic of weddings. (Please excuse the randomness of the thoughts, hopefully you'll find that common thread of thought that will tie this whole post together):

Can you imagine the wedding that will take place when Christ our King returns for the Church, His bride? Can you imagine how He must be longing for that day? All the preparation that is taking place, all the majesty and splendor it will have. It is the wedding of a King! A kingdom rejoices when the King gets married! Wait, am I a bride fit for a King? Brides look SO beautiful on their wedding day- clothed in perfect white, not a hair out of place, just perfect. The King has already given me my white robe to wear. He paid for my robe with his blood! The love story between Christ and the Church. He loves and paid for her with his life, she willingly submits to His leadership. While the Church is on earth, He asks her to remember Him and live for Him. While Christ is in heaven preparing a place for his bride, the bride is asked to prepare a place for Him in the hearts of those on earth.

How beautiful that day will be! When the bride is united with her husband to be!

Weddings are so much more beautiful when one looks past the flowers and formalities- when one steps outside of the view of surroundings and beautifully decorated venues to gaze at what the marriage actually symbolizes- the union of Christ to the Church.

Consumed.

It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. (KJV)
Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. (NIV) Lamentations 3:22 

This verse has been on my heart for the past, I don't even know how long. It's been on my mind and heart for over three weeks now. The verse just strikes me as beautiful. If you were to ask me within the past three weeks what is beauty, I would probably reply- It is because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed. I don't know about you but I find a bit of irony in this verse. I see the LORD's great love..and then I see me being not consumed. We are always so quick to say God is Love. But where I fail to spend a good amount of time is on the reality that Hebrews 12:29 so vividly brings to our attention- for our God is a consuming fire. God could very well think about destroying my sinful self right now and I would vanish into thin air- never to exist again. But because of His Mercy. because of His Love. I am not consumed.

When I think about a sinful creature like me, I'm awestruck with wonder at how beautifully His holiness and love worked together on the cross. His love for me didn't overpower his hatred of sin. He fulfilled both in one transaction. How awesome is our God.

Once again,
Because of His Mercy. because of His Love. I am not consumed. 

A Relationship.

For the past couple of days I've been thinking about relationships. "Oooo" you might say, or "Jerry's got someone on her mindd" But no, that's not what I'm writing about. What I've been thinking about is the very essence of what a relationship is-what goes into building and keeping a relationship. When I hear the word relationship, I automatically think of words such as commitment, faithfulness, time, love, etc. Commitment- to the person who you're having a relationship with. Faithfulness- to honor the commitment you've made. Time- set apart with them and for them. Love- for them. Basically, a relationship requires you to put in effort on your part- or in other words, a relationship comes with you doing work! A very plain or basic statement about the result of a relationship is that it results in bringing people closer together.

But what happens if one person puts all the effort in while the other just sits back and does nothing? You might say the relationship will go nowhere, you might even bet on the relationship ending pretty soon. But I wonder if this is how I am in my relationship with God. He puts in all the effort, loves me unconditionally, provides for me, cares for me, never forgets about me during the day..etc. while I sit back and enjoy it all, without even taking a moment to thank Him during my day.

The term "relationship with God" has been replaying in my head over and over again-this idea that I should have a strong relationship with God. I'm sure many people, including myself, really want to have a stronger relationship with God. But sometimes I find myself wanting a relationship without having to do any of the work that comes along with the relationship. But many know and can attest to the fact that relationships like that never last. God wants to have a real, strong, lasting relationship with me. He's been putting in the effort all along. How can I ever hope to get closer to him if I don't set apart a time in my day to talk to Him? How can I expect that I will be more faithful to Him without really ever committing to Him? How can I expect to grow closer in a relationship with God without showing the same dedication that He shows to me? If I have any hope of getting closer to God and having a stronger relationship to him, I guess I better be prepared to do my part.

What I mean by working on a relationship with God can be compared to a situation like this:
Jack is a father. He has a son named Billy. No matter what, Jack will always be the father of Billy but the child and the father might not have a relationship with each other. They may not speak during the day, or for months even. But they are still related.

This is kind of like our situation with God. Nothing can stop God from being our heavenly father, but while He is our Father, we may not have a relationship with Him.

God is pursuing a relationship with each and every one of us. He wants us to know Him. He knows us better than we know ourselves.


Psalm 139:1-5 "Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from far away. You observe my travels and my rest; You are aware of all my way. Before a word is on my tongue, You know all about it, Lord. You have encircled me; You have placed Your hand on me."

Keeping a relationship with God is no different than trying to keep a relationship with a friend. It takes time and effort. But the result is better than anything we can ever hope for in this world.


James 4: 7-8 "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you."

Once you're in a relationship with God, nothing can ever separate you from God. You may have to work to get closer to God, but you never have to work to get love from God.


Romans 8: 38-39 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God desires, longs, yearns for a relationship with his children. I know having a strong relationship with Him won't happen in a day. Relationships take work. I pray that this year I'll put in more effort on my part to make this relationship stronger. I know He loves me no matter what, but I don't want to be the one in the relationship who puts no effort in- I want this relationship to work and I guess it's about time I got to work.

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).

It's been a long time, We shouldn't of left you...without a dope beat to step to.

School has started :( Blog posts will come....sorry for the wait!

A King

Once upon a time, there was a King. This King was the king of a land. In-fact he made the land that he was king over. This land he made was his perfect little creation. He then decided that he wanted friends in this land. Not like the trees or clouds, but friends that were just like him-caring, loving, sharing, honest, and just fun to be with. He wanted friends who would be there with him but at the same time recognize that he is the King. So this King created a nation, and filled it with people-his people. He looked after the people of his nation, went out to fight their battles with them, provided them with clothing, shelter and a secure nation. Only, these people decided to reject him as their king. They decided that they wanted a different king. He kept calling them to stay as a part of his nation but they denied and rejected him and joined other armies and nations. So the King, being a fair and just king, allowed the people of his nation to have freedom to choose who they wanted for a king. So the people left his kingdom for other kings and nations. Soon afterwards, the people realized that they had made the wrong choice-they had chose to serve and become a part of the wrong nation. They realized that if they stay with these other kings, they would die. The King knew he had to help his people even though they left him. So he got on his horse and rode out to battle to bring his people back. He defeated dragons and witches and warlocks and voldemort and lollll. He gained victory for his people and the nation that left him. Today, the King has brought many of the people of his nation back home. Though the battle is won, some people of the nation willingly choose to stay with the other kings even though they know they will die. The people of the King's nation have been ordered to go out and search for survivors, lost souls, lost friends, still following other kings so that they too will be brought home-to safety and life.

For the past couple of weeks, I've really been meditating on God's Kingship. How our God is really a true King. His character revealed in scripture even shows Him as a King! He has a people whom he cares and provides for and a kingdom which will one day be complete. The way Isaiah captures the awesome scene of his vision of our Lord seated on his throne just boggles my mind. But don't take my word for it! Here, take a look:

Isaiah 6: 1-7

¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
   “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
   the whole earth is full of his glory.”
 ⁴ At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
 ⁵ “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
 ⁶ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. ⁷ With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

WOW. How beautiful is that? I can picture in my mind, with my limited capacity, just a glimpse of what Isaiah is seeing and I'm dumbstruck. The King on this throne, wearing an exquisite, large robe- fit for a king, with a train that fills the temple. Beautiful Seraphim flying, calling out, proclaiming the holiness of the King. Isaiah is so humbled by this scene that he cries, "Woe is me!!!" He knows he is a sinner yet he has seen the King. Yet, a seraphim flies to him and assures him that his guilt is taken away, his sin is atoned for.

It reminds me of the graphic picture on Calvary where my King wore a crown of thorns and where moments before, he was adorned with a purple robe as a mockery of his very kingship. I thank my God and King that he has won victory for his people. With a King like the one true God, I can't imagine why people don't want to be a part of his everlasting kingdom. But one thing is sure, my King has asked me to go out in search for people who don't know about this awe-inspiring King and his everlasting kingdom. My prayer is that I can continue meditating on my King and follow out his orders to help expand his kingdom. I'll end my blog-post with the final verse I was meditating on.

Isaiah 6: 8

⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

   And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

[Isaiah 6:1-8, As found in the NIV version, Emphasis mine.]