Wi-fi experience

Open letter to our small group "Evidence" and to all believers in Christ all over the world and to all those who do not believe. I am writing this to explain to you in simplest words why we believe with full confidence what we believe, why we believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit who leads us in to all truth. This is great stuff. Stay with me please. :)

I hope you enjoyed our first day as much as I did. I'm glad and encouraged to hear from all of you. When I was younger in my faith in Christ, before I had a good foundation in faith, I watched a debate between a born again Christian and a Muslim (who in the end admitted that he was once a Reverend Born-again Christian). The Christian was losing horribly at every point of the argument- the Bible, God, Jesus, everything.  Every time he failed to defend the Christian faith, I feel like my heart tears apart because at that time I am starting to really put my faith in God, Bible and Jesus stuff. It's hard to watch something you hold so dearly in your heart fall apart like that. While watching the debate, I was grieving so bad and I almost thought of converting to Islam right there and then. What was the point of clinging on to the Christian faith if it's not true? I would be deceiving myself only together with the other "deceived Christians" if that was the case.

I just wanted the truth. Because of creation and every thing else around me, I believe there is God. Now if there is God, it is evident that He knows more than I do. Unlike other atheists or agnostics, I have no confidence in trusting in my own understanding how to live life. I was willing to submit to some form of higher wisdom. I just wanted the truth, more than anything.

Let's cut to the chase:

To the Christian, Muslim, Jews, Buddhists, Hindu, atheists, agnostics, and people who don't care (who probably did not get to finish the very first sentence of this writing) I have a question for you-

WHAT DO YOU KNOW?

I mean, what do you REALLY  know beyond a shadow of a doubt? What do you know? To the Christian, you say "Jesus is the Son of God, the only way to the Father." Ok, but how did you know? A lot of other people have different opinions about Jesus. To the Muslim, "There is no God except Allah; Muhammad is Messenger of Allah." Again, how did you know? To the Jews, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one." To the atheist, he might politely say, "Enough with the drama. We only have one life and that is now. We just have to love one another. We don't need God, in fact there is no God but I respect your beliefs." Thank you for the kind words but how did you know that?

You see, discussing these things will make you feel like you wanna throw your hands up in the air and say "It's complicated. We don't really know! Enough with the "competition". Just respect everyone's belief and live in peace with one another!" While I totally agree with respecting one another, I vehemently reject the belief that "we can not know for sure." I believe there is nothing complicated. It's just a question of whether we understand or not. If you understand, for sure you can simplify it. As Albert Einstein wisely stated, "Simplicity is the greatest sophistication."  Therefore let us simplify.

What do you know? Not the religious belief, nor politics nor science, nor anything "too sophisticated and heavy" to discuss. What do you know for sure? Pick one information you know is true and we will test the truth of that knowledge. Since we want to simplify these complicated things, let us pick YOUR NAME. The very first thing you want someone to believe when you formally meet them. Your name.

How did you know your name? If I chose not to believe your name, it does not change. Right? You might have been bored that is why you are in the "internet" right now. Internet, how did you know that this thing is called internet? You were thirsty and you drank "water". How did you know it's called water? How did you know that "tables" were called tables, "cellphones" were called cellphones, "food" called food. The list goes on. How did you know all these basic things? When did you start knowing these?

Dear human, you were born in this world with no knowledge, therefore no understanding. Do you remember your very first memory? You know your name because your parents told you so. You know that "tables" were called tables because that was what you were taught. You know things because someone else told you so. 

Every time we share an information, we don't realize that we have first placed our faith in that person who gave us the information. My name is Ananias (In other words, my name is Ananias because my parents told me so.) The weather is going to be awesome tomorrow! (because the weather app says so) This antibiotic is good for your infection (because the researchers, pharmacists say so). We do not know anything. We just put our faith in the person. In the natural realm, faith in the person precedes knowledge.

If I choose not to believe that cellphones, antibiotics, cars don't work just because I can't understand it, will it change anything? No. My belief will not change the reality.

Let us say someone who never had the luxury of technology comes to me and I gladly share with him what wi-fi is. He does not believe me and starts asking me questions down to the most intricate detail. I am defenseless because all I know about wi-fi is you plug it in, you connect and that's it. I can't fully explain it to him but I know for sure that it works, because I use it everyday. I experience it everyday.

My friends that's the kind of knowledge I want you to have about God, although you cannot fully explain it, yet you experience Him everyday. What good is our knowledge of how wi-fi works but we don't get to actually use it? What good is it if we can explain to the unbeliever what God is like if we ourselves don't enjoy Him everyday? Everything about God will not change just because the human heart fails to believe Him for who He is.

Now, how can we have faith that the Bible or the written Word of God and Jesus, the living Word of God is true? In the same principle we know what our name is- by pointing our finger to the authority. We know by pointing to the Holy Spirit. He is a person. He is the one who dwells in the believer when he humbles himself, repents and turns away from sin and declares with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised him from the dead. Anyone who does this is Heaven bound, safe from the judgment day.

You might say, I'm good with what I believe. Your faith works for you but I'm good with my comfortable life. My friend, I'm afraid you are in danger of the unpardonable sin- blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

31"Therefore I say to you, any sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven people, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. 32"Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come. (Matthew 12:31-32)

In plain words, we believe in Jesus not only because the Bible says so but because the Holy Spirit says so. Speaking against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come. Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit. It seems to me that the more I speak in tongues, the more confidence I have in God.

And like the wi-fi experience, my Christian friend, I would rather have you experience our God everyday than trying to fathom His mysteries. So if unbelievers bring you down with their arguments, your faith will not fail. Instead, you just smile and say "I know God is true because I experience Him everyday." Then you are branded "crazy" before their faces. Do we care? No. When we truly love someone, we just don't care. We become stubborn. We love God back regardless of the consequence. He is infinitely more than worthy of our love.

The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

God increase,

Gi

2 greatest commandments

The 2 Greatest Commandments of Christianity (in my own words):

1) You gotta WANT GOD, GOD, GOD more than anything, anyone else in your life. Your will to live is the god you worship. We obey because we love God back and not because we are forced or it is the moral thing to do. Obedience is the only sign that we love God. Talk is cheap. Faith without corresponding action is dead.

2) Realize that the worst and the best humans you know are just the same as you. You are no better than anyone. Love and treat everyone the same way you would do to yourself. Yes, as a Christian you are Heaven-bound but remember that your ticket is a gift to you. You cannot boast about it. All the glory goes back to God.

Love your enemies. If you only love those who love you, what good is that? Even sinners do that.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”- Mark 12:30-31

I am preaching to myself... and trying to sleep.

Get up

When I was a toddler, I cry everytime I stumble and fall. I wait for someome to get me up and tell me to stop crying and just keep walking.

When I grew up, I just laugh when ever I stumble. With a smile, I get myself up quickly telling myself to be more careful next time.

When I was a toddler in my faith in Christ, I condemn myself whenever I fall into sin. I wait for others to encourage me and get me back up.

Now that I am grown up (and still a lot of growing up), IF I sin, I get back up right away, having no doubt that I am not condemned anymore, that God loves me not because I am a "good person" but because He knows how bad I can be but still loves me the same way.

I get up, and follow Him who says "Follow Me."

I praise God for His grace and mercy.

No brainer

I'm not gonna do ANYTHING my way anymore. I wanna do everything God's way. He loves me more than I love myself and He knows infinitely more than I do. So, I might as well let Him lead.

I acknowledge every good thing in my life coming from Him and every bad thing will be a story of His forgiveness and unconditional love.

Tonight, we sang "all I need is You, Lord" in church. I sang it not because those were the words flashed in the big screen but because I understand and I mean it. I'm saying "all I need is You, Lord" publicly and I will never be ashamed of my faith in Jesus. Neither shall you if you believe in Him. ;)

Thought life

I am convinced that no Christian can enjoy an authentic God fearing lifestyle if he does not exercise godliness. The flesh is always against the spirit. The old self has to be crucified or else we will have no joy, no integrity, no right to preach repentance to all sinners.

In morality, compromise is surrender to the devil. We must be pure in our private thought life so that we can have a public voice to preach God's holiness.

Just because...

Just because I helped and smiled at someone, I believed I am a good person

Just because I don't believe in "sex before marriage", I thought I was more morally upright than others.

Just because I believe that there is God, I thought I was better than those who did not believe.

Just because I was close to achieving my own standards, I felt good about myself...

Until I came to understand and know who Jesus is, I realized that I cannot brag about anything.

My "goodness" is nothing compared to His goodness.

My morality is crap compared to His perfect holiness.

My faith in God is not worth comparing to His faith in God the Father.

My own standards in life is like building a sand castle by the seashore compared to a palace in a wonderful city.

I felt like a little kid who believes he is strong just because his muscles are sore from doing 10 push-ups for the first time in his life, until He met the Man who can lift up the weight of the world in His hands.

I pray that someday confessing  that Jesus is Lord is not as controversial or as complicated as saying that the color of milk is white. Everyone agrees.

No one can tell the color except through the eyes. No one can tell the sound except through the ears. No one can tell the smell except through the nose.

No one can say that "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit. I pray that we choose God and not sin.

Inadequate

I'd rather be aware that I am inadequate and ask for God's help in everything consistently than think I am strong by my own effort and not recognize it is God who enables me to do absolutely everything in my life.

For a man to know that he is only a man and God is God is the most humbling experience a man can have.

Funeral

Attend a funeral once a year to pause and contemplate your own life.

If it's true that we only live once, then that is not an excuse for us to do stupid "fun" stuffs. If we really are only to live once, we might as well get it right so that when it's our time,  we are ready.

Realize that in your own funeral, people will not be talking about how much you loved yourself but how much you loved the people around you.

Love. Be the reflection of the very nature of who created you. God is love.

Number line

Those who know me from high school and college days most likely know that I always loved numbers.

Here I'm using the help from the world of numbers to illustrate an exceeding amazing spiritual truth about our Lord Jesus Christ. Stay with me.

In the middle of the number line is 0. Moving to the right and to the top we count positive numbers 1, 2, 3, 4..1000..10, 000, 1 million, 1 billion, 1 trillion, 1 x 10 to the power of 7, 1 x 10 to the power of 1, 000, 1 x 10 to the power of 1 million. The numbers go on. It is literally infinite. Beyond our intellectual grasp.

Moving to the left and the bottom is going to the negative numbers,  which is the same infinity as well. The pendulum swings equally on both directions.

Now, try measuring the length of that from point 0 to the infinity to the right. Can you? How about from the infinity left to the infinity right. Can you?  From infinity below to the infinity above. Can you measure it? You can't.

No one can because our 6 pound complex brain is finite, it cannot be completely trusted. We are finite. We are humans.

Now, when you acknowledge that someone loves you and you love them back, don't we normally love them back the way they do to us? That is if we really love them.

How is it then that we live in a church culture where a Christian says he loves Jesus but with seemingly no joy or enthusiasm about it at all? Does he really know the love of Christ? Does he really understand who Jesus is? Is he able to comprehend the love of Christ?

And if he does love Jesus, what in the world can shut him up? Don't we all get stubborn when we are truly in love?  We don't really care what people say, whether it is immoral or not to them. We just don't care. We love and it is when we love that we feel we are alive.

"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

We love Him because He loved us first.

To the unbeliever, I am talking about spiritual things here. God is Spirit and so we need the Spirit to understand Him. Eyes to see, tongue to taste, ears to hear, nose to smell, Spirit to understand the Spirit of God.

You can only have His Spirit if you confess your sins and trust Jesus as your Lord and that He saved you from your sins. There is more to this earthly life and somewhere within you is looking for that. Jesus is that door to eternity.

Don't be afraid of acknowledging Him in public or else He will not acknowledge you before our God the Father. Love Him back because He loved us first. The cross is the proof.

It's like the zero point. Wherever you are in your life, no matter how far you are on the negative or positive side, you are still within His number line. No one is far from God's reach. Do not harden your heart. He is just waiting for you.

Don't be scared, I would love to help you with this new found faith my friend.

God increase and i decrease,
Gi

Intolerant?

Is it intolerant of me if I say I hope everyone put their faith in Christ?

If we were all in a building and Someone tells you that it will collapse and everyone inside will die and the only way to live is to get out of the building, isn't it that warning people about what's about to happen is the most loving thing to do to save them?

If they don't believe the warning, then they did not only reject you but also the one who gave the warning in the first place. It's not ignorance that will destroy them but their unbelief.

“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” - Acts 17:30-31

Love

If all we need is LOVE, I pray that everything be expressed out of love. Love expressed through forgiveness, wisdom, patience, gentleness, rebuke, correction, discipline, kindness, goodness, joy, peace, self-control, selflessness, giving, and all those nice things that we know; not because we want to feel good about our own goodness but because we choose to love one another.

I pray that of all people in this earth, the so-called "Christians" would be the ones to show what love is- in action, more than words. Since they proclaim that the GOD who created the heaven and earth IS LOVE.

If all we need is love and God is love, then God is all we need. We love God in return through our obedience to Him, not being forced but out of love. There is never a qualified excuse to disobey God and say that we love Him. God is not mocked. What we reap is what we sow.

Fact

Fun Fact:
Of all creatures in this world, it's interesting to note that humans are the only ones who can read. It's like the Creator of humans Himself, hinting that the more we read and understand, the more we become who we are created to be.

Another Fact:
The Bible, composed of 66 books is the best-selling, epic book ever BUT only very few actually read it. The amount of energy we exert in understanding what the Bible says is equal to our desire to understand who God is. God, who out of love created all of us and never intends any harm for us.

You can only know my thoughts through my words. Jesus is the Living Word of God. We can only know who God is through Jesus. Without Jesus, there will be no understanding of who the real God is and we make god according to our own taste and that is called religion, man attempting to reach God. I pray this should not be because God revealed Himself through Jesus. We do not create our own truth. We just need to understand it, and my friend you will be set free from your clouded thinking if you follow Jesus.

There is a fruit.

To say that "you don't need God to do good" sounds to me like "the fruit can exist without the tree" or "there is a tree but it produces a different kind of fruit" which means "yes there is God but he is not good."

No one else is good but God.

Unbelievers do good things.
Yes that's true.
It is because humans are all created in God's image, unlike the other animals, we have moral accountability.

Now, doing good is not what will get us to where God wants us to be (Heaven). We all sinned and sin means death, separation from God.

We cannot buy our way back to God and so God reached out to us.

Man's attempt to please God is called religion.

God reaching out to man is called grace.

That is what exactly Jesus did when He became a man and suffered and died then resurrected for our sins. We can finally go back Home because our Lord paid the price for our sins.

Let this truth not depart from you my friends.

Submit

We are not given a lifetime to know the truth. We are instead given a lifetime to decide daily whether we follow the truth or not. To carry the cross or not to. Knowing the truth and not following it is futile and evil. We must submit to it.

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even demons believe-and tremble! Do you know that faith without works is dead?

Brain

Oh my gosh! A kid accused me of literally not having a brain!

He said because I can't fully explain the complex structures and functions of how my 3lb brain works means I don't have a brain! I told him, "well we are having a conversation now which is an enough proof that I have a brain. Right???"

It was hopeless. He won't believe. He has a lot of questions, questions and questions. The more he asked, the more he made himself believe that he was right.

Now I was accused of believing in a "make-believe God" or the Trinity, just because I can't explain everything.

The more he asks, the more he thinks in his heart that he is smart.

But I pleaded with him,

"Please, I'm not even able to explain to you how my little 3lb brain works and now you are asking me how an Infinite God, who created not only my little brain but everything in Heaven and earth of what He is like? Well I can tell you a lot about Him but you won't believe me again. Right?"

I asked an obese patient if he was aware that exercise and diet would have saved him from obesity,  he looked offended when he answered "yes" but then he added, "well I just love to eat so get the f*ck outta here."

I asked the corrupt governor if he was aware that stealing is a sin. He looked offended as well, then said "I know. What the f*ck do I care? This is my life. We only live once. We gotta enjoy it to the fullest. I love my life. I don't care about people really. Can't you see it in my actions?"

I asked the prostitute while she was having sex with a customer that if she was aware that having sex just like that is a sin, she said, "F*ck you little kid. Don't talk to me about morals. I do good to other people. F*ck you twice! I love my life so I do what i wanna do. Come join us if u want. No one will find out. I'll do it for free."

Realize that people don't need facts. Humans are consumed by what he loves and surely he will reap the fruit of what he loves.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, this is to remind you that being a follower of Christ is not about answering all their questions about God. You can answer all their questions and have them fully convinced BUT in their heart they still love sin. Sin, when full grown, brings birth to death.

My Family, we are called to be witnesses, meaning we have experienced God. We have the confidence because we have His Holy Spirit in us giving us confidence as though we can literally see God. We have the Holy Spirit because we confessed our sins and accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Only the Spirit can understand the Spirit of God. God is Spirit. No one is beyond the forgiveness of God. But why delay coming to Him?

Love the LORD our GOD with all our mind, with all our strength and with all our soul and with all our heart.

The life of faith in God is never about "to do's and not to do's" please let us get rid of that thinking.

"Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
- Lord Jesus

#allconversationsareofcoursefictional

Galaxy

Man looks to God and see Him boring or uninteresting. He gazes upon the seemingly infinite galaxy and is overcome with amazement. "Wowwwww!!!" He says in his heart.

God looks to His created majestic heavenly bodies or galaxies and is quite unimpressed maybe because He sees it as limited, big yet very limited creation.

God looks at man and says "Wow. I can see Myself in that little creature, the only creation that I breathed My life into. I can see My Spirit in him. I have created an immortal being, made to be with me for eternity. I am determined to keep him with me as long as I live."

No wonder God stepped out of His throne when sin corrupted us and snatched us away from God's love. Praise Jesus.

Religious

Just sharing about what happened today:

My patient was sick, has stage 4 lung Cancer and was breathing via 100% nonrebreather mask. He has chest tube at right side as well. (In layman's term- he's really sick.)

Like what I usually do, I talk to my patients cuz i want to develop a more personal yet professional relationship with them, to make them feel that they are not another workload in my eyes but a person just like myself to be treated with respect the way I treat myself. That's how I see everyone- equal, maybe not all the time but mostly.

He was sick and I was already concerned with him although I don't personally know him. I had conversation with him:

Me: so, do you have any kids?
P: yeah..
Me: Cool. Are they coming to visit you?
P: No. I don't think so.
Me: How old are they?
P: 9 and 13.
Me: oh wow.

Cancer is no joke so I thought it would be very bad if he would pass away and leave his family like that.  Now I began to feel really more concerned. He was sick and here I am, confessing stuffs like "THERE IS NOTHING IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD."

I know I can do more than giving meds and doing my nursing stuff. I claim to believe in a literally impossible God in an ordinary man's perspective. I do know that God is able to heal him. I have no doubt. So I thought of praying for him. I was reluctant because I normally don't do that. I usually say, "ill be praying for you." Go home, sleep then completely forget. I was tempted to do that but I was moved out of love. It is a sin for me not to do what is right if I knew what was right.

Being aware of how Americans are when it comes to God,  I closed the curtain and gathered my courage and asked him,

Me:I normally don't do this but do you want me to pray for your healing?
Patient: sure, if that helps.
Me: ok let's do it now.
Patient: nevermind. (Shook his head and put his oxygen back on)
Me: ok. (A little frustrated)

So I opened the curtain and asked, "just wondering, why did you not want it?" He said because he is not religious. I said "you don't really have to be religious to pray" in a little frustrated voice. (To believe in God is not to be religious if you can relate) "I'm not making you believe what I believe. It's just like I'm offering you your med. You know.."

If only he have prayed with me, beyond a shadow of doubt,  he would be healed, DEFINITELY not necessarily immediately. I was so confident that he will be healed that if it did not happen, the very first thing I would do when I get to Heaven is tell God that He lied about it. I just know. I just have full confidence that he would be healed. The diagnosis or word from the doctors would have been easily overriden by the Word of God saying "I can heal Him and I am willing." He created us and able to do all things.

He did not have to believe in it. My faith alone would have been more than enough to be honored by God. If we prayed, he would have been healed and his case would have made it to the "miracles or unexplainable wonders in medicine" stuff. My intention was good and selfless (by God's grace). I wasn't even gonna tell him to believe what I believe. I just want him healed because I'm concerned and I love him.

But he refused.

Because he is not religious.

Now I understand and respect that. The Bible nowhere says to force my belief in other people. I present God as who He is and it is up to people to believe or not. Praise God if you believe, if not praise God for His patience and mercy. Whatever the situation is I praise God.

I am just concerned that by saying "I am religious and I have a different spirituality. I just don't wanna talk about it.", I'm afraid that we are making a god out of our own idea just because it is convenient for us. We don't wanna talk about it because we will immediately find out how weak our belief is and that is inconvenient. We normally don't want inconvenience. Not in this pampered country especially.

The 1st commandment is not to have other gods before Him. God reveals Himself. He does not want us to guess what He is like. That's why we have the Bible. I personally don't want to form an idea of who you are. I could be wrong. I would be most likely wrong. I have to talk to talk to you and know you personally. Same with God. We need to know Him personally and we can.

Now there is an increasing persecution of Christians here in USA and I praise God for that. I believe that persecution is the missing ingredient of church growth.

I'm hearing that a Christian would get in trouble for sharing the gospel which is the message of God's love reaching out to us by forgiving our sins. To reject the gospel or Jesus is to reject God's love.

Don't be surprised then my friends if I ever go to prison for my faith. It is my Master's promise that the world will hate me for His name's sake. I am not afraid.

I fear God and not man. I am not of this world. When I die, I'm going Home. To be alive and share Christ or to die and be  with Him- either way I am in a win-win situation. Praise God.

Convenience

The problem is not that man doesn't know the truth but he does NOT WANT to know it because he is living conveniently in his own belief.

A simple evidence would be how easily we violate or do the things we are not supposed to do just because it's easier and more convenient for us.

Truth sets us free from our own wrong thinking.

Almost hired

One day the employer of the job I was applying for finally told me,
"Congratulations. You're hired!" with a big smile.

I smiled too and shook my head saying "Thank you. I trust you but I don't trust your word." I thought I made sense. So silly me, I didn't get the job that's freely offered to me.

I told my friend, don't fear death because God promises through Jesus that you will have eternal life with Him. Bible is God's written word.

My friend smiled and shook his head saying "I believe God but I don't believe in the Bible and Jesus." He thought he was making sense.

Now I am praying for you my friend. I pray this will open your understanding.

Blood

How can I condemn any sinner, if in my heart and in my mind, I have done things they have done?  Praise God for His mercy, grace and second chances. Praise Jesus for the Blood.