Testimony

19 11 2009

Tonight I stayed up late to an exceedingly silly degree, but in doing so I got a TiVo configured and a Facebook account cleaned up. These things are important to techie guys.

To myself, however, the most important development of the night is that an excessively long sidebar turned into a separate about page. That page kind of turned into my testimony, too.

I’ve never written out my testimony in a way that makes me happy. It either sounded too self-centered (look at me, I’m important!) or too religious-sounding. With tongue inserted firmly in cheek, I learned early in my Christianity that I was supposed to have my testimony ready. I don’t really see that as a requirement in Scripture, but it’s honestly not a bad idea. It’s kind of like a business card of your spirituality.

The problem in my mind with the few testimonies that I have read is that they sound fake. They don’t sound legitimate. If you know anything about me, you know that I despise things that are fake. I hate legalism with all my heart–not the people themselves, but their legalism. I’ve lost several friends that were infected with the disease of legalism. The trouble with legalism is that these modern-day Pharisees don’t know they are religious. Legalism is a form of deception, and the problem with deception is that you don’t know you’re deceived.

‘Churchianity’ is too powerful, and it’s what is driving people away from the Kingdom of God. People need to see Jesus. They see people who claim to know Jesus but live narrow-minded, judgmental, stoic, unhappy lives. They’re mean people who are not having fun, so the unbeliever is turned off and says, ‘why, those people are a bunch of hypocrites!’ And the sad thing is, for the most part, they are 100% correct.

Most Christians are hypocrites. It takes the truth of God’s Word to shine the light into our hearts and make us real people, setting us free from legalism. God set me free, or at least is in the process. Let’s just say that this a continuing work (yay for sanctification!), but I’m much more free than I used to be.

As a wise man said, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it. Good night.


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Investment

17 11 2009

I was browsing Gaijinpot the other day and found plenty of English teaching jobs. Plenty of them. Most of them were asking what JLPT level I was or what English certification I had or what degree I had. Trouble is, I don’t have any of these. And I’m not sure I want them.

The JLPT: I think it might help me get my foot in the door somewhere, but I tend to think that speaking fluently is a more valuable goal. If I aim for fluency and pick up the JLPT1 along the way, that’s icing, but I need to focus on the cake.

I would like to work in Japan, but I think English teaching is the pits. If I were ten years younger and single, it would be the ideal thing, but I have a family to support now, so I need something that will make money. For that I’ll need a real job. For the real job I need fluency.

The college degree would be nice. I’m almost to an associates degree (two years), but it’s tough to invest the classroom and study time when you’re working full time and have a family. Besides, it’s in English, which cuts into my immersion time. Jury’s still out there, obviously.

I think the best investment of my time right now will be towards fluency. If you speak the language, you can talk your way into a job that you might not normally qualify for. If you don’t speak the language…well, you have to beg for whatever you can get. Personally, I’d rather be in the asking category than the begging category.

I think that along with my Japanese RTK deck I will try to add as much vocabulary as I can. Right now I’m struggling primarily because I don’t know enough words. I think if I know what the words mean, I can figure out everything else. I am hearing the grammar patterns and sentence structure, but I need to know what all the words mean. Perhaps getting a JLPT word list would be the right thing. I’ll take a look.


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カテゴリー : Japanese Studies

Twins

17 11 2009

Tonight I noticed two twin scriptures that made me think. Because I ate chocolate before I went to bed (stupid, I know), I can’t sleep and so I thought I would write about what I found.

First, Acts:

No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

” ‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people…

A piece of one of my favorite passages. Note the bit I put in italics. Now skip on over to Hebrews:

In the past God spoke to our ancestors…but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…

Both speak of what will happen in the last days. The last days began 2,000 years ago at Pentecost (the beginning of Acts 2). What will happen? In Acts God quotes through Peter a passage in Joel, saying all the cool stuff that’s going to happen: prophecy, tongues, visions, dreams, radical salvations, and other stuff we’ve only seen glimpses of before.

But before that: In the last days, God says. In these last days he has spoken.

God says. He has spoken.

How has He spoken to you? Can you hear Him?

When was the last time you heard from God?

Do you have ears to hear, as Jesus says, or are you wandering sheep who do not believe they can hear the Master’s voice, which is what Jesus promised?

Can you hear Him?


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How?

16 11 2009

Does God speak to us today?

How?

For the longest time, I was told that the only way God spoke to us was through the Bible or other people.

The only trouble with this idea? I didn’t understand the Bible. I tried to read it, but it was hard. It was boring.

There were some interesting stories, of course. And I was taught to love the Bible, because it’s God’s Word, right?

In a sense, I had to love it. If you don’t love the Bible, then as a Christian, you’re kind of sunk, because you’ve cut off communication with God.

What about people? My parents were awesome. They love God and directed me as best as they knew how. But in the teenage years, it’s difficult to know which way to go. I was hot-headed and hard-headed, but I needed to know which way to go. They did the best they could, but as I’m learning, parenting is hard. Really hard. You pray hard for your kids and ask God to direct them. But you never know what’ll happen, right?

The first time I remember really hearing from God was right before college. I’d been looking at colleges. Dad graduated from Georgia Tech, but it was expensive and not in a very good area of town. I didn’t feel smart enough to go there and commit my parents’ money to such an endeavor, but I still didn’t know where to go.

UGA was an option, and my girlfriend (now my wife) was going to go there. But same thing: expensive and in Athens (an equally dreadful town). Then there was this, then this, then this. All very confusing.

I was in the orchestra at First Baptist Church Snellville. During one particular high point in the service–I don’t know if it was while we were playing or when Dr. Merritt (the pastor then) was speaking, but at one particular point, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was supposed to go to SouthernTech.

How did I know? I just did. I just knew. Mom and Dad believed that I heard too.

That was the first time in my life I knew for sure that I had heard from God.

How did I know?

It wasn’t from studying the Bible. It wasn’t from parents, friends, relatives, or counselors.

I heard the third option.

There is a third option.


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Friend

16 11 2009

You had a good start. Why did you quit?

Once I was like you. I wanted to be Jewish. It might strike you as odd, but I had become enthralled with first the ‘Messianic Jewish’ culture, then the ‘Torah Movement’, and then finally I wanted to discard my faith in Christ and somehow, in some way, ‘work my way up’ to becoming an Orthodox Jew. It was a delusion, but it was my delusion, for a time. I owned it, and by God, I was going to do it.

I thought that I had found a philosophy better than that of Christianity. I thought that Christianity had gone way off the mark and should be more Jewish. Then it got worse–I had to become Jewish, not to make God happy with me, but because it was the God thing. Only this lifestyle was Godly, therefore I had to follow Him in this way. Sure, it was misguided, and I believe that it was even guided by the Enemy, but it was done with a heart to follow God.

I’m not quite sure what’s going through your mind, bud. I don’t know why you are following this different philosophy. Whatever it is, I believe that you do it out of pure intentions–in order to serve the Living God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Perhaps you think that you will be able to reach Him better this other way. At least I would like to think that–but only two people know what’s in your heart: you and God.

I want you to know two things: one, that Jesus is the Way. You know that already. Others have convinced your mind otherwise, and for a time perhaps you will listen to other voices. But Jesus promises that His sheep will hear His voice, and the voice of another they will not follow. You will return to Jesus, man. He won’t let you go. He will find you and welcome you back into His arms with rejoicing at finding His lost son. He won’t give up on you.

And neither will I. God put us together as friends, man. Know this, my friend, that I’ll stick by you no matter what you decide to do. One day, whether sooner or later, I will rejoice at your coming back to Christ Jesus. One day, perhaps, we’ll visit Japan together and see the mission fields white for harvest. Either way, buddy, I’ve got your back. I’ll be praying for you, regardless of what you do.

And know this: God will never give up on you. The One Who reveals Himself in fire–He is the only God. Be expecting Him to show up and prove that He is Yahweh, the supreme Lord and God of the Universe–but not only that, He is the gentle, reassuring voice of the Holy Spirit, telling us to ‘walk in this way’. He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who died for us, the one who reconciled us in His blood, and the one who is the firstborn from the dead. We were adopted into the family of Christ even when we were despicable, lost in sin, hated, worthless–He lifted us up and gave us eternal life–not only life in Heaven, but real life–full life–here and now.

Jesus is Lord, friend.

Jesus is Lord, and I believe that through this experience, God will reveal himself to you. Be expecting God to break into your life in a radical way. He’ll show up, and you’ll know beyond a shadow of a doubt the true Way.

You’ll know. I guarantee it. You will know Him.

Love ya bro.


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