The sufficiency of grace

I’ve heard it in sermons. I’ve heard it in songs (”your grace is enough”). But I was never gripped by our Lord’s words, “My grace is sufficient for you”, until recently.

After countless trials and coming back from the mission trip, the Lord open my eyes to the wonders and peace of those words. It actually happened after my sermon prep, while doing my routine push ups and sit ups, I was thinking about my first orientation at Master’s Seminary, when Ray said, “I cry and rejoice every graduation because I know from the bible that you guys are all sheep being led to the slaughter.” (Romans 8:36) A little uneasy by that thought I started praying, “Lord give me trust!”. Then I recalled 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you!” And the Holy Spirit enlightened me! As I was pushing my weight off the ground, I was like YES! Your grace Lord is sufficient for me, your grace is all I see, and your grace is all I need! I said to the Lord, help me know this. Remind me that you govern this world and you do as you please. All my possessions, my benefits, my blessings, joy, etc. comes from you. Even if you take them all away, help be satisfied and sufficient in your grace. I’m an undeserving sinner, I’ve disrespect the God who created me and this universe, and I don’t deserve any of this (as I look at the roof over my head and my fairly decent wood floor).

After seeing that and beholding that truth I became to rejoice in all my blessings,

1. I’m thankful for my parents. They provide for me, taught me the ways of the Lord, they rejoice when I rejoice, weep when I weep, and always there supporting my ministry.

2. I’m thankful for my sister. She loves the Lord, has a desire to learn His word, plays tennis with me even though I suck, and always willing to help me even in the little things.

3. I’m thankful for IIGCD. Their passion for Jesus Christ and their overwhelming friendship and love that capture my heart every time I am with them.

4. I’m thankful for TMS. Their values and convictions in the word of God which continually mold and shape my philosophy of ministry and theology.

5. I’m thankful for my band of brothers at TMS. They are always encouraging, uplifting, Christ-like in their character, and willing to help me when I fail.

… And this list continues. I thought I’ll share this with ya’ll and hope that you too will be gripped by this.
Gotta read now. Cheers!

2 Corinthians 7:10

There is repentance of sin: though it be a deep sorrow for sin that God requires as necessary to salvation, yet the very nature of it necessarily implies delight. Repentance of sin is a sorrow arising from the sight of God’s excellency and mercy, but the apprehension of excellency or mercy must necessarily and unavoidably beget pleasure in the mind of the beholder. (Jonathan Edwards)

This is so true! The sorrow that we feel when we turn from sin is the beginning of joy because that when we see the glory of Christ, the object of joy.

Rejoicing in my redeemer!

“he remains faithful…” (2 Timothy 2:13)

I am so thankful for the Lord’s consistency in being faithful. How he runs the universe according to his good pleasure and revealing his sovereignty, majesty, goodness, and glory to his elect through his word and blessings. Today, I opened a letter with a large sum check written out to our church for the upcoming mission trip to Vietnam and the Philippines and I was blown away by how amazing he is. 

Earlier this afternoon during Men’s Bible study, we studied about being still and knowing that he is God because he will exalted himself among the nations and the earth! The context of it is dealing with placing our trust in God in the midst of calamity and I know we are not in any situation where we are suffering, but the whole point is trusting in a sovereign God. And how blessed are we to be in the hands of one who provides and remains faithful to His people. Praise the Lord! I guess we are going to PIVIET!

Bible Reading Plan

Just to be more discipline in my daily bible reading, I joined the ESV daily Bible Plan. If I follow this for one year, I will finish reading the OT once and the NT and Psalms twice.

AW Tozer

This was his prayer. “I accept hard work and small rewards in this life. I ask for no easy place. I shall try to be be blind to the little ways that I could make my life easier. If others seek the smoother path I shall try to take the hard way without judging them too harshly. I shall expect opposition and try to take it quietly when it comes. Or if, as sometimes it falleth out to Thy servants, I shall have grateful gifts pressed upon me by Thy kindly people, stand by me then and save me from the blight that often follows. Teach me to use whatever I receive in such manner that it will not injure my soul nor diminish my spiritual power…”

Glory of God in Matthew 5:16-6:4

For the past few months, we’ve been going over the need of internal righteousness that exceeds the outward righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20) and stressing the truth that our internal righteousness that manifest itself into an outward righteous act is not that means of self-glorification or self-pity, but the means of magnifying and glorifying God’s righteousness.

For example, in Matthew 5:16, “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 6:1-4, do not seek to be seen while practicing righteousness, but do it in secret, meaning don’t seek to be glorified in your imputed righteousness; however, give glory to God who is righteousness.

The key here is God being glorifying. So as I was reading over some Johnny Edward’s stuff, I found his thinking and theology to be very god-centered and Christ exalting. Check it here:

Because God infinitely values his own glory, consisting in the knowledge of himself, love to himself, complacence and joy in himself; he therefore valued the image, communication of participation of these, in the creature. And it is because he values himself, that he delight in the knowledge, and love, and joy of the creature; as being himself the object of this knowledge, love and complacence.

Well, since my first semester of seminary is over, I’m excited to read more books and maybe I’ll have more chances to share with you folks. Till then, peace.

2010

The Hobbit is coming to a theatre near you!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0903624/

Chew on this!

He is the image of the invisible God
the firstborn of all creation.
For by him all things were created
in heaven and on earth
visible and invisible
whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities
all things were created through him and for him.

And he is before all things
and in him all things hold together.
And he is the head of the body, the church.

He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead
that in everything he might be preeminent.

For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwel
and through him to reconcile to himself all things
whether on earth or in heaven
making peace by the blood of his cross.

Colossians 1:15-20

A Retrospect – Hudson Taylor

“On one occasion I was preaching the glad tidings of salvation through the finished work of CHRIST, when a middle-aged man stood up, and testified before his assembled countrymen to his faith in the power of the Gospel. ‘I have long sought for the Truth.’ said he earnestly, ‘as my fathers did before me; but I have never found it. I have travelled far and near, but without obtaining it. I have found no rest in Confucianism, Buddhism, or Taoism; but I do find rest in what I have heard here to-night. Henceforth I am a believer in JESUS.’” (93)

“In the study of that Divine Word I learned that, to obtain successful labourers, not elaborate appeals for help, but, first, earnest prayer to God to thrust forth labourers, and, second, the deepening of the spiritual life of the Church, so that men should be unable to stay at home, were what was needed. I saw that the apostolic plan was not to raise ways and means, but to go and do the work, trusting in His sure Word who has said, “seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (106)

RIP KEEKS :[

It is a sad day at the Khuu’s resident. Keke Khuu, a beloved dog who we adopted died. Please pray for our family. Her kindness and loyalty will always be remembered.