Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Grace and Culture


A must read! Why Grace Is Hard for Me as an Asian American Here are some quotes. 'A gift given means a gift must be repaid…. Many Asian-American Christians operate under the assumption that God’s gift toward them must be reciprocated, so as to not be trapped in God’s debt…. My family’s social dynamics, both American and Chinese, generally reflected principles found in Confucian-influenced world views…. “If we were to characterize in one word the Chinese way of life for the last two thousand years, the word could be Confucian.”… Regardless of how right it may feel to one’s Christian faith, trying to repay God for his grace kills faith…. If you want to honor his grace in Christ, see how he has undertaken your infinite debt. No payment needs to be made. Only a life waiting to be lived full tilt the praise of his glorious grace.'

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Another thought provoking article. Why I've Stopped Saying ‘Church Growth’ – And What I Say Instead | Pivot | A Blog by Karl Vaters


Another article. Anne Lamott writes,“Earth is Forgiveness School. You might as well start at the dinner table…" Fighting with My Husband and the Work of Shalom | CT Women | ChristianityToday.com

Monday, November 14, 2016

Incredible Perspective on the 2016 Election


Please listen to Ernie Johnson's Incredible Perspective on the 2016 Election. This is it's context. Shaq, Chuck, Kenny And Ernie Talk About Trump Winning The Election.

1 Timothy 2:1-3, "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior…"


Things that still bother me. A poll [PRRI/Brookings]Q: Can elected officials behave ethically and fulfill their public duties even if they have committed immoral acts in their personal life? In 2011 30% of self-identified white evangelicals said yes. In 2016 72% said yes. Why this big gap. Another poll [Washington Post/ABC News]: 44% of self-identified white evangelicals think Trump has strong moral character. However, 49% think Trump does not. Are Christians in America losing our "center" concerning morality in America?

Friday, November 11, 2016

After Trump….


"We believe the most important political statement we make each week is not announcing to whom we’ve given our support 
(politically) but proclaiming the King who has given us his very life." Read more: After Trump, Should Evangelical Christians Part Ways? | Christianity Today

Mark Galli quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer from his book Life Together: “Those who love their dream of a Christian community more than they love the Christian community itself become destroyers of that Christian community, even though their personal intentions may be ever so honest, earnest and sacrificial. God hates this wishful dreaming because it makes the dreamer proud and pretentious. Those who dream of this idolized community demand that it be fulfilled by God, by others and by themselves. They enter the community of Christians with their demands set up by their own law, and judge one another and God accordingly.”


Also another Bonhoeffer quote, “It is not we who build. Christ builds the church. Whoever is mindful to build the church is surely well on the way to destroying it, for he will build a temple to idols without wishing or knowing it. We must confess he builds. We must proclaim, he builds. We must pray to him, and he will build.”

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Don't be afraid….



"Worry is not believing God will get it right, and bitterness is believing God got it wrong." Tim Keller  Don’t Fear the Future - YouTube. Roundtable video with Tim Keller, Russell Moore and Collin Hansen. Praying Our Fears – Timothy Keller [Sermon] - YouTube Luke 12:32, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom."

Why I Forgave the Man I Once Plotted to Kill | Christianity Today

Ministry in a Multi-faith Society Means Confrontation | Christianity Today

The Gospel for Daily Life: Martin Luther—Biblical Counselor | Biblical Counseling Coalition Quotes from Martin Luther in this article. “Consequently one ought to be disposed to say, ‘It is true. I have sinned. But I will not despair on this account." "You say that the sins which we commit every day offend God, and therefore we are not saints. To this I reply: Mother love is stronger than the filth and scabbiness on a child, and so the love of God toward us is stronger than the dirt that clings to us. Accordingly, although we are sinners, we do not lose our filial relation on account of our filthiness, nor do we fall from grace on account of our sin."