The voyage–is long, waves high, storms pitiless but my helm is held steady...

Today, right now, with the cross before me, I embrace this magic moment with a heart on fire. Leave all the rest behind, because tomorrow I may exist no more, or I may exist yet again. To God be the glory. Don't live apathetically.

O Lord of the oceans,

My little bark sails on a restless sea,

Grant that Jesus may sit at the helm and steer me safely;

Suffer no adverse currents to divert my heavenward course;

Let not my faith be wrecked amid storms and shoals;

Bring me to harbor with flying pennants,

Hull unbreached, cargo, unspoiled.

I ask great things,

expect great things,

shall receive great things.

I venture on thee wholly, fully,

my wind, sunshine, anchor, defence.

The voyage is long, the waves high, the storms pitiless,

but my helm is held steady,

thy Word secures safe passage,

they grace wafts me onward,

my haven is guaranteed.

This day will bring me nearer home,

Grant me holy consistency in every transaction,

my peace flowing as a running tide,

my righteousness as every chasing wave.

Help me to live circumspectly,

with skill to convert every care into prayer,

Halo my path with gentleness and love,

smooth every asperity of temper;

let me not forget how easy it is to occasion grief;

may I strive to bind up every wound,

and pour oil on all troubled waters.

May the world this day be happier and better because I live.

Let my mast before me be the savour’s cross,

And every oncoming wave the fountain in his side.

Help me, protect me in the moving sea

Until I reach the shore of unceasing praise.

-The Voyage, Prayer from The Valley of Vision

Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up!

Remember when movies about the Bible were considered cheesy? But you watched them anyway and they were pretty good?! Now they seem to be more cinematic, very appealing & riddled with visual effects, some depend more on the VFX than the context of the story. Bible films aren't new, I'm sure we've all seen the 10 Commandments and many Jesus' films. However, this year be prepared! A trend has hit the theaters with Bible films! A lineup is waiting for you with Jesus, Mary and even Noah! It's ironic how each portrayal and rendition of the characters and stories have been developed towards our liking. The Jesus's keep getting more handsome, the Mary's more attractive and apparently the Noah's are getting buffer–or becoming more like a gladiator than a servant of God. What baffles me is the Bible's description vs. Hollywood's depiction. Take Isaiah's description of Christ:

He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows,and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:2

Essentially, the real Jesus, whom existed in an era of no photography (which is very interesting to me and loving of our Father, because we would most definitely forsake the Man and worship the pixels) was a man in which other men were ashamed of. A man who was unappealing, unattractive & filled with pain. I don't want to be a debbie downer about the Bible movies, and I'm not saying to watch these films is inherently sinful. I Just want to remind you that these films, they're not Scripture, and it's not Christianity. If you're going to watch them, take them for what they are, movies, not a hermeneutic to Scripture. Be cautious in allowing a movie to give you "better biblical understanding". That would be like depending on Peter Jackson's adaptations of The Hobbit to provide a clear understanding of the books. Many Tolkien disciples would shudder at the sound of that! Everyone agrees that the best way to understand any story is to go directly to the source and read it yourself. Like wise, Christianity isn't understood on the big screen, it's understood through Christ. And Christ is known through Scripture, lived through sinful men & women, who've been redeemed by Christ who humbly follow Him to the end. His word gives life, not a movie, His people paint His love, not a studio production armed with pixels and shadows of lights projected to a screen to stirr you emotionally for a dollar (or 10). They may serve their purpose for our amusement–but that's the danger isn't it? Christ is not an amusement, He is musement. They are nothing more than films for amusement. They are made because they make $$$$. The film industry are experts at manipulating stories to pull our emotional strings. We pay them to feed our emotions, as if we don't have a healthy dose of feelings, or perspective, or something. If pulling our feelings makes the industry profit, they will do it. So I'm writing this as food for thought. Rather than be fueled by shadows on the wall, go out into the world and do something for real because of Scripture. Be fueld by the Holy Spirit, not a movie. Find someone to pray for, find a shepherd to serve, preach the Magnitude of Christ–that is far greater than any Hollywood film–even with all their VFX, it can't compare with the reality of someones passion for Christ! To God be the glory!

For your amusement:

Get Involved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7n1Dix4vRaI#t=2

This video was very inspiring to me but also very sobering in that I don't get involved in the community as much as I should. I don't reach out to my brothers and sisters as much as I should. I don't proclaim about the place where Jesus is worshipped and praised eternally as much as I should. I don't show the eagerness of one day entering into the place in which I await to give my all as much as I should. But I do spend an awful lot of time ensuring my safety, comfortability and convenience. I do spend a lot of time pursuing happiness more than I do pursing His kingdom. Lord forgive us.

What's stopping us from getting involved with the space and lives around us? What's stopping us from rising up from mediocrity and pursuing conviction in the glory of God. Be light to the world, be the fragrance and aroma of the grace of God today!

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God, 9who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, 10but now has been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle and a teacher. 2 Timothy 1:7-11

A Journey Of A Thousand Miles...

There's an old adage that says, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." But what that famous adage didn't reveal was the why? Fortunately, this wise saying was literally lived out by three men documented in Scripture. Matthew 2 tells the epic journey of three wise men, and their journey of thousands of miles propelled by faith, and inspired by love for the promised Messiah.

Scripture says the three wise men hailed from the far east, and it is believed that they traveled thousands of miles in search of the Messiah! However, the reasons why they journeyed is where the true wisdom lies. They traveled so far with much risk, not only to pay tribute to a miraculous birth, but also to praise and worship the Messiah foretold in Scripture.

It's no exaggeration that Scripture calls them wise men either! Think of all the years of careful Scriptural study, historical research, prayer, cartography and astronomical mastery that went into preparing for such a journey to find the Messiah! It's ironic that these three gentiles displayed more insight about the coming of the Messiah, and displayed more zeal and expectation for Christ's birth, than most Hebrew Scholars and experts of their day. They also displayed great faith by relentlessly following a star which led them to Jesus. Their gifts to the young Jesus symbolize Christ's identity and mission: gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh, used to anoint the dead. Further more, God honored the wise men by warning them in a dream to go home by another route and not to report back to King Herod.

Jack Zavada says on the lessons we can learn from the three wise men,

"When we seek God with sincere determination, we will find him. He is not hiding from us, but wants to have an intimate relationship with each of us. These wise men paid Jesus the kind of respect only God deserves, bowing before him and worshiping him. Jesus is not just a great teacher or admirable person as many people say today, but the Son of the Living God. After the Three Kings met Jesus, they did not go back the way they came. When we get to know Jesus Christ, we are changed forever and cannot go back to our old life."

In our journey to God, let us never waiver to the goal of attaining the eternal glory of Christ! For His glory, let us endure and persevere until, like the wise men did, see Christ face to face!

Merry Christmas!

A God who is free

Christmas is right around the corner, a time of festivities and joy. And although there is much joy in my heart for this time of year, I've been probing the theme of God's Glory and Lordship over all things.

The reality and implications of this study has been nothing short of frightful and humbling. Embracing the severity of God, that is His strict judgment as documented through out Scripture, is perhaps the most frightful thought I've ever had. Much more frightful than a Hollywood film, much more frightful than any evil in this world, is the understanding that God is free to do whatever He wants! Paul exposits this reality of God in Romans 9.

For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy...So then he has mercy on whomever he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?" But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? Romans 9:15 & 18-21

In my recent reading of Francis Chan's book Erasing Hell, Chan comments on Romans 9 with

It's a passage that isn't preached often, so when believers come across it, many find themselves confused. We find ourselves asking, "Is this saying what I think it's saying? If this is true about God, why hasn't anyone told me this before? Is it because we are embarrassed? Maybe we don't want to admit that we believe in a God who is so free to do whatever He wants.

Chan's book helped me beg the question, how high is my view of God? And maybe this is exactly what we as believers need to probe more often, just how lofty is our view of God? Do I believe who God claims to be? Do I believe that God is free to do whatever He wants? To save or condemn whom He wills? Or as it says in Romans 9:21, "Has the potter no right over the clay?"

For more on Erasing Hell:

A Little Perspective

Many times we forget how fast life fades away. We forget how quickly our time on this earth is running out. If we could only muse on the severity of God's holiness more than what form of entertainment we will dabble in, or behold the miracle of God's kindness more than focusing on how much my neighbor annoys me, then maybe we can start living lives that impact the world for Christ rather than our own comforts and pleasures.

Tonight while I was writing this small note, in just 5 minutes, todays death toll rose from 152,539 to 153,536! In 5 minutes of writing this post, 1,000 people breathed their last somewhere in the world, and the number is still rising. As a believer, I wondered how many of those 152,000+ who past away today were destined to hell? Or how many of those lives were wasted on minuscule priorities or vanities and chasing after the wind? I most definitely can't say, but my heart weeps at the thought of many of them being unmarked by the blood of Christ. Further more, how is it that we can sleep at night, and not once consider the hundreds of thousands of lives that are perishing daily? Life is sacred, but to be honest, it doesn't look like most of us treat it as such.

If you are tempted to complain, please consider the Lord and be still. If you are tempted to hate, please fight more to love one another than to strike each other (verbally or physically). Be slow to anger and quick to forgive one another, pursue each other to Godliness, and utter often, "To God be the glory" not mine, because the clock is ticking and time is running out!

Can't we apply the same energy we use to be on time to work, also to our spiritual lives by being eager to serve the Lord?

Please pray for each other and pray for the unknown. We need more perspective in our lives.

To God be the glory.

But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Jesus of Nazareth (Matthew 5:44-48)

Who do you really worship?

I read a compelling statement today about the American evangelical church that humbled me greatly. I thought it was worthy of sharing, but also I encourage you, if you are humbled as well, to examine your heart before the God revealed in Scripture. Personally speaking, I need to examine the reality and severity of being a Christian.

We are giving in to the dangerous temptation to take the Jesus of the Bible and twist him into a version of Jesus we are more comfortable with. A nice, middle-class, American Jesus. A Jesus who doesn't mind materialism and who would never call us to give away everything we have. A Jesus who would not expect us to foresake our closest relationships so that he receives all our affection. A Jesus who is fine with nominal devotion that does not infringe on our comforts, because, after all, he loves us just the way we are. A Jesus who wants us to avoid danger altogether. A Jesus who brings us comfort and prosperity as we live out our Christian spin on the American dream...We are molding Jesus into our image. He is beginning to look a lot like us because, after all, that is whom we are most comfortable with. And the danger now is that when we gather in our church building to sing and lift up our hands in worship, we may not actually be worshipping the Jesus of the Bible. Instead we may be worshipping ourselves. David Platt

For more book info:

The Lessening

"Though He slay me, I will hope in Him..." - Job 13:15

The defeated Job, broken and weeping over the loss of his household wrongfully accused by his closest friends, deserted by his wife, with agony cries out to the LORD, 'Though God slays me, I will hope in him!' This is true faith my friends. This is love.

How often do we complain and weep over the miniscule things in life that bear no significant importance in light of loving God with as the Savior uttered, 'all your heart, mind and soul.' The reality of our faith isn't found in emotional highs or lows, nor is it found in riches or status, but it is found in loving the LORD even when all else screams not to. Even when all around is dark, cold and lonely. When everything seems helpless, we yet cry out to Him and long to see the radiance of God's perfect imprint, our Savior's face. We yet long to be in His courtyard, by His side. The mark of true believers is best seen in the light of real affliction. As Spurgeon so rightfully said,

In Job's utterest extremity he cried after the Lord. The longing desire of an afflicted child of God is once more to see his Father's face. His first prayer is not 'O that I might be healed of the disease which now festers in every part of my body!' nor even 'O that I might see my children restored from the jaws of the grave, and my property once more brought from the hand of the spoiler!' but the first and uppermost cry is, 'O that I knew where I might find Him, who is my God! That I might come even to His seat!' God's children run home when the storm comes on. It is the heaven born instinct of a gracious soul to seek shelter from all ills beneath the wings of Jehovah.

Children, run home! Run to the Father! Run to Him who is sweeter than honey, to Him who is more precious than gold. Nothing teaches us so much the preciousness of the Creator, as when we learn the emptiness of all besides.

Further reading:

Who then is this?!

...And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, "Where is your faith?" And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, "Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?" — Luke 8:25