There have been times when I’ve felt that certain things in my life seem rather mundane, “routine,” and even useless.   I was recently forwarded a timely article (link below), and find it an encouraging reminder that God is always working behind the scenes even when we don’t immediately see tangible results; that He, in His infinite wisdom, uses all things (including the “small” routine things of our life) for our good, to prepare us for future usefulness, and to develop character qualities in us.

It reminds me, too, of how we would not judge an architect by the unfinished building and raw materials yet unused.  Nor would we judge an artist by his unfinished canvas.  Thus, how much more should I trust in my infinitely wise Maker, Artist and Architect of all things!   In due time, the greatness of His work (in using and transforming broken vessels such as us to accomplish His will) will be seen and all things will give praise, honor, and glory to His divine power and amazing grace.

Please feel free to read Os Hillman’s post on “Small Things” if interested.

Hello dear friends,

I know that I haven’t been keeping my blog updated for a while now.  Sorry that I have not been keeping up with it.   I had actually been planning to get back to it again for some time, but recently I’ve decided that I need to be a better steward of my time by reducing time online (and blogging) for an indefinite amount of time.  I feel that I need to be more disciplined in my time management, to strive to be more efficient and productive with it.   There are so many things and projects that I would like to do; plans and goals that I’d like to return to and accomplish.  So many wonderful books I’d like to finish in my reading list.  I’d also like to be more diligent in my piano learning/playing, to spend more time with the Lord in prayer and His Word, to be a better steward of my health by way of regular exercise, to cultivate better homemaking skills & make my home more efficient, to be more diligent in my Westminster Shorter Catechism memorization project, amongst several other things.

Today I was listening to Dr. Joel Beeke’s sermon in my iPod when he said: “What you fill your mind with throughout the week will govern how you live your life.”  I’m convicted that I have been filling my mind with things that are not necessarily profitable for me.  They may not necessarily be things that are inherently sinful in and of themselves; but because they are not beneficial or profitable to me, they’ve become a mere time-waster and hindrance in my progress.  They are extra, unnecessary weight that slows me down in running the race.  I’m reminded of the exhortation given to us by Hebrews 12:1 to “lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”

From time to time, I still do hope to post some notes or quotes on this blog from books I’m reading, or things that I am learning, so that they could serve as good reminders and encouragement to me in the future, especially when I reflect on what the Lord has been doing in my little spiritual pilgrimage.  I hope that you would be encouraged by them, too.  I really appreciate that you’ve visited my blog.  Thank you so much for visiting!

May our wonderful God continue to bless you with His wonderful grace!

Hello friends,

I was delighted to discover that for this month of May, ChristianAudio.com’s free audiobook download of the month is the Foxe’s Book of Martyrs!

This wonderful book traces the roots of religious persecution from Stephen in the book of Acts, considered the first Christian martyr, to the early Church’s persecution under the Roman empire.

It is fascinating and encouraging to read of the great “cloud of witnesses” and those “heroes of the faith” who came before us.  I first heard of this title after hearing Dr. Joe Morecraft’s sermon series on the History of the Reformation.  It gave me a renewed love for church history.  There are so many lessons to learn from these great men who fought in the time of Reformation, many of whom are included in the book including John Wycliffe, John Huss, William Tyndale, Martin Luther, Thomas Cranmer.   The details of the sufferings and pain which they were willing to endure will move you to tears.  It gave me pause also about the things and certain freedom that we take for granted today.

For those interested in reading the written version of this work, there are many versions and editions sold, but I recommend the particular edition prepared by W. Grinton Berry because, to the best of my knowledge, I believe it’s unabridged.  The audiobook is a slightly different version from this paperback edition, but I think it is pretty good, too.

The free download is available till the end of this month.  I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Earlier this evening, I felt a bit discouraged about a particular circumstance in my life that I considered to be less than ideal. But God, in His goodness, encouraged me through a friend and reminded me of a wonderful quote by Charles Spurgeon. I decided to google the quote, hoping I’ll be able to read more on this subject and see the greater context. If I were to sum up the quote in one sentence: “Had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there.”

How comforting! How encouraging!

Besides this, I’m reminded that God has given me so much blessings in life. He’s given me so much that I don’t deserve, and He’s spared me from the things I do deserve. He’s pardoned my sins when I deserved His just wrath. And He gives me the eternal blessing of heaven when I deserved hell. Since He has taken care of the biggest problems in my life, could He not take care of smaller problems? Absolutely!

Through our finite perspective, there may have been times when we feel like it would’ve been better for us to be in another circumstance than we are in, or maybe to have been taught or exposed under godly teaching earlier, or _______ (fill in the blank); yet in God’s infinite wisdom He knows what is best. He is never too late. His timing is perfect. Never one second too early, nor one second too late. It happens exactly when He wants and appoints it to happen. It would be utterly foolish for me to think that I know better. No one can improve God’s plan, for He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, emphasis mine). We often see things from a temporal perspective; yet as the eternal Creator, God sees the beginning to the end. He is in control.

Everything God does is right, holy, and just. In His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, whatever lot God places me in life is the most suitable for me—not only for the purpose of molding me into the person He wants me to be but, more importantly, to display His trophies of grace by showing what He can accomplish through (or despite!) imperfect means, sinners, and less-than-ideal circumstances, so that it brings Him the most glory.

The following is the portion written by our beloved “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon, that was used by God to encourage, comfort, and remind me of His goodness and sovereignty this evening (excerpted from Spurgeon’s Evening by Evening; Or, Readings at Eventide for the Family or the Closet – page 318):

Believer, if your inheritance be a lowly one, you should be satisfied with your earthly portion; for you may rest assured that it is the fittest for you. Unerring wisdom ordained your lot, and selected for you the safest and best condition. A ship of large tonnage is to be brought up the river; now, in one part of the stream there is sand-bank; should some one ask, “Why does the captain steer through the deep part of the channel, and deviate so much from a straight line?” his answer would be, “Because I should not get my vessel into harbor at all if I did not keep to the deep channel.” So, it may be, you would run aground and suffer shipwreck, if your divine Captain did not steer you into the depths of affliction, where waves of trouble follow each other in quick succession. Some plants die if they have too much sunshine. It may be that you are planted where you get but little; you are put there by the loving Husbandman, because only in that situation will you bring forth fruit unto perfection. Remember this: had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances, and if you had the choosing of your lot, you would soon cry, “Lord, choose my inheritance for me, for by my self-will I am pierced through with many sorrows.” Be content with such things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good. Take up your own daily cross; it is the burden best suited for your shoulder, and will prove most effective to make you perfect in every good word and work to the glory of God. Down, busy self and proud impatience; it is not for you to choose, but for the Lord of Love!

I feel great this evening. I did my work for the day, washed three loads of laundry this evening, took a warm shower, ate dinner, made plans for the weekend and this coming Lord’s Day. I think cleaning is therapeutic for me. Organizing makes life so much easier and manageable. I enjoy putting things in order or where they belong. Yes, I even alphabetize my books…according to author’s last name, publication date, etc. (This is what happens when God combines a love for books and organization together. ) Okay, just kidding about the publication date part!

There’s also something fulfilling about performing these things ourselves. It’s just not the same when we hire a maid or someone else to do them. I am learning that taking care of one’s home is more than just going through the motions. The labor of love that goes into it makes a difference. One can’t pay for that; it’s priceless. It is the ingredient that turns a house into a home. Growing up, I wondered why my mom’s cooking often tasted better than mine even though I’ve tried to replicate her recipe by following it step-by-step. Now I know why. It is because of the dedication and labor of love that she pours into everything she does for her family. The dishes she prepared were cooked with a mother’s warmth, stirred with a mother’s patience, seasoned with an extra pinch of real hearty love, and served generously with affections.

I echo Cheryl Mendelson’s words when she wrote in her excellent book Home Comforts (an encyclopedic A-Z resource on homemaking how-to’s):

[W]hat a traditional woman did that made her home warm and alive was not dusting and laundry. Someone can be hired to do those things (to some extent, anyway). Her real secret was that she identified herself with her home. Of course, this did not always turn out well. A controlling woman might make her home suffocating. A perfectionist’s home might be chilly and forbidding. But it is more illuminating to think about what happened when things went right. Then her affection was in the soft sofa cushions, clean linens, and good meals; her memory in well-stocked storeroom cabinets and the pantry; her intelligence in the order and healthfulness of her home; her good humor in its light and air. She lived her life not only through her own body but through the house as an extension of her body; part of her relation to those she loved was embodied in the physical medium of the home she made.

Housekeeping is also one of those things that returns immediate satisfaction. It’s one of those jobs where we can not only enjoy, but also see, the results almost immediately. After finishing the laundry, at the end of the day I get to enjoy the nice, delicious feeling of clean bed sheets and warm, fresh-smelling comforter during a cold winter season such as this one. Or when I cook, I get to share and partake with my loved ones the savory creation of homemade recipes with fragrant aroma already wafting through the air. How wonderful…

On this note, well, soon it will be time for me to sleep. Before then, I shall lie down and curl up with a good book on my cozy bed that has been wrapped with crisply washed sheets. The rain has been pouring outside, and I cannot think of a nicer way to end the evening than snuggling up on airy pillows, under a soft comforter along with a great book (off my alphabetized bookshelf, of course ), a warm cup of drink, and a few chocolate chip cookies.

Today is the Lord’s Day!  Happy Lord’s Day to everyone!   I hope you have a blessed day of worship at church today.

Exodus 20:8-10 says, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God.” So in this scripture God tells us that for six days we shall work, but on the sabbath day we ought not to work, but rather set it aside as a day of rest.

I can hear it now…  “What?  No work?  Yep, I’m all for any rules that says we don’t have to work.  We need more rules like that!”

Heh-heh…   On a more serious note, though, isn’t it so wonderful to have one day of the week where we can set aside all the other cares and affairs of our lives (including its hustles and bustles) and simply devote it for the worship and meditation of our God?  God knows we need it!  I’m grateful for the opportunity to reserve the Lord’s Day for the public worship, private meditation, reading, and reflecting on the things of God.

May you continue to have a blessed and wonderful Lord’s Day today!

Recently a visitor to my blog wrote a comment in one of my entries to share his views and beliefs against the Reformed view of soteriology.  One of the nice things and purposes of a blog is to interact, share thoughts, and learn with one another as we seek to grow in our walk with God.  I’m thankful to have the opportunity to learn and exchange thoughts with others.  So with that in mind, I just wanted to share some of my thoughts and reflections on this subject…

I believe that one of the common objections against the doctrine of God’s sovereign grace in electing sinners often times stems from a misunderstanding of the nature of fallen, sinful human beings.  Many believe that human nature, though infected by original sin and the fall, has a neutral free will or perhaps even the inclination to choose good.

Those who reject Calvinism likened the non-believer as a mere patient suffering from an illness (sin) and in need of a cure (the Gospel).  They believe that he, just like any other sick person, has the ability to choose to take the medication (e.g. choose God).  But this is a wrong analogy.  The Bible likened the sinner not to a sick person, but rather a dead person (e.g. spiritually dead in sin).  There’s a reason why it uses this analogy.  Can a dead person respond to anything?  Does a dead man or woman desire to choose life?  Well, he or she is dead; they are unaware of their need.  The Scripture uses this analogy to point out the impossibility of the sinner to choose God in his spiritual death.  That’s why Paul says that though we were once dead to sin, now we are made alive spiritually in Jesus Christ because that is what it takes for God to save us.

The sinner is dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God.  He cannot respond to God’s outward call.  His heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt.  His will is not free; it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not — indeed he cannot — choose good over evil in the spiritual realm.

The “Prince of Preachers” Charles Spurgeon said,

“Free will I have often heard of, but I have never seen it. I have met with will, and plenty of it, but it has either been led captive by sin or held in blessed bonds of grace.”

And George Whitefield aptly said:

“Man is nothing: he hath a free will to go to hell, but none to go to heaven … till God worketh in him to will and to do his good pleasure.”

This is precisely why people continue to reject God in their sins, unless God raises them from their death and makes them alive spiritually.

Another common misunderstanding of God’s unconditional election is the assertion that God makes robots out of men in predestining or electing them unto salvation.  But, no one goes to heaven kicking and screaming.  Allow me to echo the words of Charles Spurgeon when he said, “An Arminian, on his knees, prays desperately like a Calvinist.” The truth is: we despair of anything other than unmerited, irresistible, sovereign grace as the cause of our salvation.  Who of us, when our loved ones are lost as they dangle over the fire of hell, would pray, “O Lord, I know You desire to save my brother John, but he over here has his own free will…”  That prayer surely makes God out to be an impotent Savior.  I’d venture to say that even when we were Arminians, chances are at some point in our lives, we have pleaded on bended knees before the throne of grace, “O Lord, save my unsaved parents!! Seize them! Draw them with Your cords of love. Pluck them out as a brand from the burning, O Lord!”

Which elect person, when awakened from his spiritual death and shown the depravity of his sinfulness, would choose to return to their dead state of damnation in bondage to sin and reject an eternal bliss of heaven with his Holy Creator?  In saving a sinner, the Holy Spirit graciously causes the elect sinner to cooperate, to believe, to repent, to come freely and willingly to Christ.

I praise God that we’re not dependent in any way upon our so called “free will” in order to be saved, for if that were the case, no one would ever be saved!  No one would have chosen God in his natural dead state.  I thank God that we do not serve an impotent Savior who is limited in His work of applying salvation by man’s will, nor is He dependent upon man’s cooperation for success.

If salvation were in even any minute way (or shape or form) dependent upon the “free will” of man who is dead spiritually, we certainly have room to boast.  Consider Charles Spurgeon’s rendition of Arminian prayer to demonstrate the vanity of such a belief:

Fancy him [an Arminian] praying, `Lord, I thank thee I am not like those poor presumptuous Calvinists.  Lord, I was born with a glorious free will; I was born with power by which I can turn to thee of myself; I have improved my grace.  If everybody had done the same with their grace that I have, they might all have been saved.  Lord, I know thou dost not make us willing if we are not willing ourselves.  Thou givest grace to everybody; some do not improve it, but I do.  There are many that will go to hell as much bought with the blood of Christ as I was; they had as much of the Holy Ghost given to them; they had as good a chance, and were as much blessed as I am.  It was not thy grace that made us differ; I know it did a great deal, still I turned the point; I made use of what was given me, and others did not — that is the difference between me and them.’

I am eternally grateful to my Almighty God that salvation is all of Him, beginning to end, top to bottom, inside and out.  I have no room to boast.  I thank God that He saved me not with the help of my own supposed “glorious free will,” but simply by His glorious, amazing grace.

Thank You, Lord, that when I was dead in sin and could not respond to You, You in Your mercy and grace, raised me alive spiritually by changing my dead cold heart of stone with a new heart of flesh, that I may believe and thus come freely and willingly to Christ.

Happy Thanksgiving to you!  I’m excited to be able to celebrate today with my family.   I’m so thankful to God for His infinite goodness, mercy, and blessings that He abundantly pours into my life.  I hope that your Thanksgiving is filled with much joy and thankfulness to our wonderful, gracious God!

The Pilgrims and Puritans celebrating their first Thanksgiving.

I just want to praise God for His goodness to me.  He answered a BIG prayer request of mine over the weekend.  Though, of course, nothing is too big or too hard for our great God.  Praise God for His kindness!   Without delving too deep in details, I must say He works wondrously, in ways I wouldn’t have guessed.  I know that it was the Lord Who orchestrated the answer to my request.  Yes, nothing happened by “chance,” but the way it happened also seems a bit out of the ordinary.  And I believe God sometimes does things in ways that we least expect Him to.  Or in a way that seems almost unlikely or maybe even almost “impossible.”  Why?  It is so that we will give Him all the glory.  So that we can thank Him and not take any credit for our answered prayers.  So that we are reminded that He is Jehovah Jireh–the Lord will provide.  He alone receives all the glory because we know we can never say “Oh, I did this or that to help make it happen.”  I truly feel that God is watching out over me.  Yes, I’ve known this intellectually in my mind before.  I had an intellectual assent that the Lord loves me and provides for me in every way.  But through my experiences, the Lord continues to teach me and help me to not only think it, but also to experience His wondrous providence and love in my daily life.  Thank You, Lord.

These recent two weeks have been amongst some of the best weeks I’ve had in a while.  Praise God for that!  He has been so good to me.  And He has also answered a few of my prayers.  Well, of course, God always answers our prayers.  Sometimes it’s a “yes,” sometimes it’s a “no,” and other times it’s a “wait.”  But, recently I’ve been able to see how several of my prayer requests have come to materialize.  And I want to publicly thank my Heavenly Father for His kindness and goodness to me.  I want to thank Him for His sovereign providence and provision over my life.  He knows my needs even before I ever knew of them myself.  He providentially sends different people into my life with the right temperaments and personalities that He knows would uplift me, encourage me, teach me, and edify me.  It is so wonderful to be around God’s people who love Him and His truths!  They challenge us in the faith.  They make us want to be a better and godlier Christian.  They set an example for us so we are reminded to set the bar higher in our walk with God.  And through their examples, they help us see how it is possible to live out the godly principles laid out in Scripture.  As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.  And so it is when we see a living embodiment of the kind of character traits we strive to cultivate in ourselves.  That is so encouraging.

When I look back over the different stages of my life, I can now see in retrospect that God has always been there for me.  He is good to me not only when things are going well for me, for example, like this recent week.  He is good not only when He answers prayers with a “yes.”  He is good even when He said “no” because in His divine providence and omniscience, He knows what is best for me.  He was good even when times seemed so dry and hopeless in my life.  He uses even the seemingly “bad” things in my life for good and for the purpose of teaching me.  He uses bad times to draw me closer unto Him so I may rely upon Him more.  God used those times I walked through the deep valleys of life so that I may look up and behold the great heights of His love from below and experience the rich depths of His mercy.  He sovereignly orchestrates everything for His purpose (Romans 8:28).  I am so thankful, humbled, and grateful to know such a good, merciful, loving God Who is actively involved in the lives of His children, Who does all things according to the council of His will and His good pleasure, and for His own glory.  We serve an awesome God indeed.