Young Lady’s Soul

Wow, it is really early in the morning and God just woke me up from a dream. I very rarely dream, and just the same, it is rare to wake up remembering the dream in great detail and feeling impressed to blog about it. I hope that someone is blessed by the truth that I realize that that the Lord is trying to reiterate in my life.

Lo Min Wei's portrait "Meditation"

It went something like this:

I seemed to be part of a church inside of a mall, because it looked different than the standard churches that I usually go to. There are many people that I don’t know surrounding me. One day a young lady (who resembles someone I know) shows up interested in knowing more about the scriptures. We take her to different activities put on by the church. After participating in everything that the church has to offer she realizes that she would join the congregation.

A day seems to have passed by and we are all in the church again, but this time socializing. My mother is talking to a group about a woman at her job who is chronically depressed and doesn’t talk much, when all of a sudden the woman walks into the church and looks at the crowd rather timidly. After a second, the woman lifts her head with calm determination. She introduces herself and then claims that she has been looking for the young lady that had recently joined our church. Everyone is confused and starts asking if she has the right person. She emphasizes that she does and pulls out a notepad that shows a whole bunch of names, some crossed out and some not. Skipping over the people that have the same name as the young lady, she finds the girls name along with her last name on the notebook.

The next scene I find myself in an auditorium connected to a large fellowship hall where the majority of the church has congregated to hear what this lady has to say. The room is designed like a mini amphitheater where the seating rises from the bottom going up. Everyone is able to see the woman while she talks. As she is talking, she shows us an elaborate slide show presentation on a projector screen to the far right wall. Using the screen, she walks back and forth talking about God in an eloquent and convincing way, while focusing on the young lady who is listens intently. However, I quickly realize that what she is saying isn’t of the Word of God. But she is somehow such a good speaker that the church members and the young lady alike are all nodding their heads in agreement. All of a sudden, a guy gets up and walks to the fellowship meal line in the other room to prepare a plate.

The coworker is still talking. As she walks back and forth, a friend and I look at each other and bow our heads to pray. We realize that we can’t let our new friend be swept away. So as we pray, I notice that people all around me are starting to realize that the message isn’t true and start to become obviously uncomfortable. But no one stands up to the woman. My friend and I continue to pray until a church member up in the front stands up and confronts the woman using only Bible quotes from memory. The woman tries to refute everything said but can’t. As the church member speaks truth after truth, the woman has less and less to say until finally she gets agitated and storms out. With the obvious sign of victory, the young lady gives a sigh of relief and the church members give a loud victorious cheer! The guy that went to get food, comes back in without his glasses and looks around in confusion about what happens. He asks a dumb question that everyone laughs to then I woke up.

I am under the impression that everything that was witnessed was critical for the saving of the young lady.  And that the only way to counteract error is through prayer and dependence on what the great reformer Martin Luther said, “Sola scriptura (by scripture alone).”

I believe that is it important to note that our churches don’t always standup—as a body—for the truth, sometimes it is one person. Also, there are people–like the hungry man–who aren’t interested in the saving of souls or the search of Truth. They would rather indulge in trivial things. Also, like I mentioned in the beginning, maybe someone reading this is going through a similar scenario, or maybe some of you are be challenged in the faith that you have claimed to be true. Back it up with the Bible and prayer and God has promised in His word to lead you home.

Good day.

Whatever your hand finds to do…

“Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.” Ecclesiastes 9:10

I am sitting in a small study cubicle on the top floor of one of my school’s libraries. My brain is tired and my stomach is growling, yet my studying is not complete. Studying is such a crazy concept if you stop and think about it. Instead of being created to gather information absorption through our skin or by digestion, we’re subjected to the weary task of studying. Oh, so many times (like now) I have wished that an easier method quickly be found. A method that wasn’t so taxing and tiring. A method that instantaneously happened. But God disagreed with the idea.

He prefers for us to work. Knowing that popular opinion would disagree, He went on to create Adam and Eve to learn and work while in perfection. My feebleness would rather retreat from the task via facebook or hotmail. But the Lord doesn’t want professional procrastinators or anything else gained from the easy street. He wants men and women that do their best at whatever task given to them. People that strive to grasp a better understanding of Him and the world that He created for us. What happens if we stopped learning about God? Or, what if we could figure him out by swallowing a sim card.

Well, with that said, let me get back to my Spanish. Staring at it doesn’t count.

Amen.

Fasting for the Second Week

This is the second week that I have followed God’s leading and have started a fast. Maybe you can relate; your life doesn’t seem to be moving forward, your motivation is weaning, your family needs prayer and you have lost the vision.

The my first week, a friend and I fasted for 7 days, eating only raw nuts, fruits, vegetable and water. In that same week, the power of God was obviously present. We both noticed a greater desire to grow closer to Him; many areas of our lives that are lacking; and we felt that something positive had come out. Not knowing it however, we both were praying to know God even closer and to get an even greater blessing in our lives so to share with those we meet. So we started the fast again for some really important challenges in our lives.

My battle seems to be that my mind, which is full of concerns and worries. I can’t move forward, and backwards isn’t an option. My feeble strength comes from the wrestle that Jacob had with God. Praying and holding on like Jacob (Gen 32:28), I strive to receive my blessing. And the Lord has kept his promise. Reading Daniel 10, I am comforted by the following passage:

15 While he was saying this to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground and was speechless. 16 Then one who looked like a man [b] touched my lips, and I opened my mouth and began to speak. I said to the one standing before me, “I am overcome with anguish because of the vision, my lord, and I am helpless. 17 How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe.”
18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and gave me strength. 19 “Do not be afraid, O man highly esteemed,” he said. “Peace! Be strong now; be strong.”When he spoke to me, I was strengthened and said, “Speak, my lord, since you have given me strength.”

Daniel was going through his own fast and he too was faced with spiritual challenges that tired him. Claiming this situation, I press forward.

Reaction to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour “My Mother’s Daughter”

You can watch the video on CNN — Please Click Here

The truth seekers across the globe are coming to a point where they can’t stand any religion or ideology that is nominal or lukewarm. If you are a Buddhist act like Buddha, Islamic, the way Mohammad would, and if Christian, the way of Christ—just be real! Then and only then will the world see the differences and find the right way (which is Christ). Secular society has taught everyone to place their lives into their own hands and enjoy the pleasures of this world. The loss? Everything eternal.

The reason for having you watch the short film is to show you that in the process of searching for truth one must see that this creed has indeed changed your life. This woman found that in Islam. Her mother is appalled but can’t give any foundational reasoning in the Bible or of the credibility of Christ except traditions and colleagues disapproval. The daughter on the other hand can. She has a better health message (she stopped smoking, eating pork, and drinking), answers to social questions (rights of women), and spiritual connection. Why should she turn back then?

The world has placed all the religions, ideologies, and superstitions in a storefront for any passersby to see. There are the mannequins posing the latest fashions and ideas of each religious brand. Each promises something enticing to attract a searcher into the store. Many are already in the store, trying on different clothes; reading different books; or socializing with different people. However many leave overwhelmed by the mass selection on display. “Where is the owner of the store?” they ask while leaving. Where is the organization? Why are there so many types? Where is the one that I need? With no answer, they leave in frustration the same way they came—empty-handed.

Tell me; are you the same as everyone else—religiously speaking? We say that the Lord (the owner!) is coming back soon but we are not willing to lead the searcher to the right place, to prepare them for the soon coming of their savior. If you aren’t working as a store clerk, don’t be mad when someone picks something different than what you know to be best. Actually, please don’t fuss at all until you are ready to be like Moses when “he chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.” (Hebrews 11:25)

Amen.