james chapter 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
good reminder from my Savior today and this also explains the approach to prayer I often have (which I have found to be fruitful) confessing, giving thanks, then supplication. it helps you put into perspective God's purposes and your own humanity.
this is also an encouraging verse to me that I need to continually grow in the Lord to become a prayer warrior and one that He can entrust His good work. I do not think I am there at all yet but I need to strive to become closer to Him even now.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
the world we live in
so i just watched a video on some girl's opinion of marriage.
and i think that if I had watched this a few years ago, I would have agreed with her, or i would not have known how to respond adequately.
to summarize the video: the girl was basically saying that she thinks marriage is a choice between two people and no one else should really be involved. as she was speaking, she made me realize what the overall worldview we are taught so prevalently in society today in America: you mind your own business and i'll take care of mine.
however, this is very selfish way of thinking. in fact, in my first year of undergrad, i used to think "to each his own" when it came to biblical interpretation. and it was not until my dad started seminary and i started to read his papers that God began to open my eyes about this issue. that there is a right way to interpret the Bible but there may be multiple ways to APPLY it. the Bible is meant to be interpreted as it was taught to those people of that time. which makes total sense when you think about it because the words that Jesus spoke, He was trying to communicate an important message to the people He was ministering at that time. however, because nowadays we are so far removed, it becomes increasingly difficult for us, without proper studying, to understand the true intent behind God's words.
i felt ashamed when i realized that i used to think it was up to one's interpretation when it came to reading the Bible (to an extent of course). similarly, i felt that this video was very reflective of the beliefs that society strongly supports. everyone has a right to themselves and their own lives. but the reality is God created us and we are meant to worship Him and glorify Him. today i began to understand my personal dilemma in ministry. while I realize her incorrect point of view and where it is stemming from, at the same time, I do not condone some Christian people's response to her (as in the way they respond). to me, this sensitivity has a negative side because it has made me less bold in my faith. I think God was telling me today that the gospel REQUIRES a response. i've always known that intellectually, but as I analyze the way people think in America, I realized that there is no way to go about this issue without an overwhelming response from the opposing side. i still think there are more appropriate ways to approach this topic, but it's tricky.
in all honesty, the way i would approach this issue might just be to circumvent it. cause i've always been a firm believer that if the argument is pointless (as in if you are arguing for the sake of getting your point across) then there is no point. nevertheless, the truth needs to be proclaimed. for me, it's always been more of show them what it means to be a believer and why people are believers in the first place before addressing such "controversial" issues that may end up in nonfruitful discussions. Because I believe that God will reveal His truth when people accept Him as their Savior. It may not all happen right away but He will peel away the lies as they continually depend on Him.
and i think that if I had watched this a few years ago, I would have agreed with her, or i would not have known how to respond adequately.
to summarize the video: the girl was basically saying that she thinks marriage is a choice between two people and no one else should really be involved. as she was speaking, she made me realize what the overall worldview we are taught so prevalently in society today in America: you mind your own business and i'll take care of mine.
however, this is very selfish way of thinking. in fact, in my first year of undergrad, i used to think "to each his own" when it came to biblical interpretation. and it was not until my dad started seminary and i started to read his papers that God began to open my eyes about this issue. that there is a right way to interpret the Bible but there may be multiple ways to APPLY it. the Bible is meant to be interpreted as it was taught to those people of that time. which makes total sense when you think about it because the words that Jesus spoke, He was trying to communicate an important message to the people He was ministering at that time. however, because nowadays we are so far removed, it becomes increasingly difficult for us, without proper studying, to understand the true intent behind God's words.
i felt ashamed when i realized that i used to think it was up to one's interpretation when it came to reading the Bible (to an extent of course). similarly, i felt that this video was very reflective of the beliefs that society strongly supports. everyone has a right to themselves and their own lives. but the reality is God created us and we are meant to worship Him and glorify Him. today i began to understand my personal dilemma in ministry. while I realize her incorrect point of view and where it is stemming from, at the same time, I do not condone some Christian people's response to her (as in the way they respond). to me, this sensitivity has a negative side because it has made me less bold in my faith. I think God was telling me today that the gospel REQUIRES a response. i've always known that intellectually, but as I analyze the way people think in America, I realized that there is no way to go about this issue without an overwhelming response from the opposing side. i still think there are more appropriate ways to approach this topic, but it's tricky.
in all honesty, the way i would approach this issue might just be to circumvent it. cause i've always been a firm believer that if the argument is pointless (as in if you are arguing for the sake of getting your point across) then there is no point. nevertheless, the truth needs to be proclaimed. for me, it's always been more of show them what it means to be a believer and why people are believers in the first place before addressing such "controversial" issues that may end up in nonfruitful discussions. Because I believe that God will reveal His truth when people accept Him as their Savior. It may not all happen right away but He will peel away the lies as they continually depend on Him.
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