All Human Authority is Appointed by God

Appreciate that though grownups (our elders) tell us things against what we think is right, even when it's
illogical and incomprehensible, God still appointed them on our behalf. God's assurance is that He is working behind-the-scenes. Maybe God is showing us something better than what we think is right. God is in control of everything.

Reflection on Deuteronomy & Thanksgiving for Dec7'13

Deuteronomy is an account re-announcing what God had done to Israel since He brought them out of Egypt, and in the wilderness, He's preparing them for His promise for a Land flowing of Milk & Honey.

Reflection: It's Christmas. It's the end of the year. Time to look back and remember what God has done, His faithfulness, His holiness, His reigning AUTHORity, and what we did, our good & our bad, our need for a Savior. And a reminder of Christ's coming just as the OT people looking forward to the coming Messiah.

Thanksgiving:

1. Working w/ fellow Christians from other churches and different ministries.
2. Spiritual family. Found in the WWW (Whole Wide World). Though not present in the flesh, but present in spirit with one goal & one desire: To glorify the One True God. Supplementing one another with love cos God first Loved us.

Is Jesus waiting?

Driving home, I ran across a billboard sign that says "Jesus is waiting. Come fast. Don't let him wait long enough." Hence, I asked in my thoughts, "Is Jesus really waiting?"

In Genesis, Abraham grew up in pagan roots, but God called him: Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go out from your country, your relatives, and your father's household to the land that I will show you." - Genesis 12:1

Then came Jacob the Deceiver, who left his family running away from Esau, his brother's revenge, but God met him: Then he fell asleep in that place and had a dream. He saw a stairway erected on the earth with its top reaching to the heavens. The angels of God were going up and coming down it and the LORD stood at its top. He said, "I am the LORD, the God of your grandfather Abraham and the God of your father Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the ground you are lying on. I am with you! I will protect you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you!" - Genesis 28:11b-12, 15

Jesus' disciples were doing their business before Jesus called them to become His disciples: As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). He said to them, "Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people." They left their nets immediately and followed him. Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then he called them. They immediately left the boat and their father and followed him. - Matthew 4:18-22

So, is Jesus waiting? Is He waiting for sinners to follow Him, accept Him as Lord and Savior, believe in Him, confess their sins?

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.

Faith, grace, and salvation only comes from God, and not from ourselves. Can we be able to choose to be saved? Can we, creatures of God, choose whether to believe in Him or not? Will Jesus really wait for us until we make a decision to believe in Him? By no means, "consequently faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the preached word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

And where does the "word of Christ" comes from? From God Himself. From God's calling. From God's spoken Word. From the gospel being preached by those who heard the call of God through His Holy Spirit.

Thank God for He has called you after you heard His gospel preached. Thank Him for the faith that is in you. Thank Him that He enabled you and chosen you to come to know Him. Thank Him He called you.

Now, with Jesus' command: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age." - Matthew 28:18-20

Do we have to make Jesus wait before we do what He told us to do, to spread the Word so they can hear and be called by God? No, we have to obey else we disobey His command. Take heed though, not all who hear the Word, hears. They're not making Jesus wait before they believe in Him, they are rebelling against their Creator.

But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, they have: Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world. But again I ask, didn't Israel understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous by those who are not a nation; with a senseless nation I will provoke you to anger." And Isaiah is even bold enough to say, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me." But about Israel he says, "All day long I held out my hands to this disobedient and stubborn people!" - Romans 10:18-21

"I was found by those who did not seek me; I became well known to those who did not ask for me."

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness, because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes --- his eternal power and divine nature --- have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to impurity, to dishonor their bodies among themselves. - Romans 1:18-24

On Jesus' Lap

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. - Mark 10:13-16

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." - Mark 9:36-37

Imagine you were one of those children. You wanted to go near to the most famous man the town or the whole country was talking about. You thought, "Who is this man whom grownups say that he has made wonders and loves any people he meets? If he sees me, can he love me too? Can he come and play with me?"

Walking towards the man, you were almost there, close to his side. You raised your arm to touch his cloak, get his attention. Then two of his bodyguards saw you, they shoved you away and said, "This is no place for children."

Heartbroken, you thought, "He doesn't love me," and you walked back to your house. Then you heard someone calling your name. You looked back and saw the scary man walking towards you. Petrified, you wanted to run away, but could not because of fear, "Oh no," you freaked.

The man, now standing in front of you, and you, didn't know what to do, bowed your head and waited. Then suddenly he took you in his arms and walked back to the crowd. He sat down and you sat on his lap.

How would you feel that you're sitting on the lap of the King of kings and Lord of lords. The lap of the One who made the heavens and the earth. The lap of the One who made you and loved you even before you've known Him. He even took you in His arms and embraced you. You could feel his macho arms, you could lay your head on His shoulders.

Sit on the lap of Jesus and learn from Him through His Word with the guidance of His Holy Spirit.

Reflections on Podcasts (Mark 6:1-6)

"Familiarity breeds contempt; therefore, seek and know God. God is astonished with unbelief & belief from unexpected faiths." - Mark 6:1-6 (Kevin DeYoung)

"It is not me who will direct my path but God. God knows where He will call someone to faith, not me. I just have to wait upon the Lord where He leads. If I have to stay I must learn perseverance, dwell in Christ, rest in Christ, and continue in believing, not in unbelief." - Mark 6:1-6 (Paul Tripp)

"To dwell in Christ and to rest in Christ, I would say pray & learn more about Him through His Word."