To Beat Cancer

This is Jacqueline Li. She had a wonderful story.

We went to the same church in Toronto (Harvest Bible Chapel - York Region), grew in the same small group, ate sushi together, and were pretty good friends.

She has been fighting cancer for the past few years. Late last night, she died... She is with the Lord in Heaven now... :( She was about 23.

I want you to know that she redefined what it means to beat cancer for me. So often we think that beating cancer means that we beat the odds and live through it. But she showed everyone that it means something else.

Though we have shed many tears together, though her pain was seemingly constant through it all, though everything seemed hopeless... her hope was truly inspiring, her strength edifying, and her joy infectious.

To all reading this, I want you to know that to beat cancer is to find hope in Heaven, to find strength in Christ, and to find joy in God's presence.

This is Jacqueline Li. She beat cancer.

http://vimeo.com/78500266

Sharing the Cost in Evangelism

Amazing salvation story! Read it, share it, praise God for it!

To catch people up, I go out with a team of people to the local mall to evangelize every week. From my previous Facebook status update, you guys read about Raghulan, the guy from the mall who was agreeing with everything we said about God, sin, Hell, and the whole gospel. Two days ago he texted me "hey tony where can I get a copy of the bible?" I told him that I'd give him one and that we can meet up some time to do that. Additionally, he told me how he had a lot of questions for me.

Unbeknownst to me, God had already been working in his life prior to us meeting him at Markville. He had already been thinking about God a lot even though he came from a Hindu family. He had some pretty crazy things happen to him in the past few months. Anyway, that night we shared the gospel with him, he could not sleep well and even woke up in fear due to a terrible nightmare. Maybe we talked about judgement day (John 16:8) too much, just maybe. But that's one of the reasons he contacted me: he was afraid. But so was I when I first heard about Hell, and you should be too. When we met up, I asked what his questions were and he said, "I don't really have questions, I just want to hear more about what you were talking about." Yes! He just wants to hear more about Jesus Christ! So I told him more. I was not the one speaking that night (Matt 10:20), God kept showing me passage after passage of scripture and I just read to him, using as few of my own words as possible. We talked for a good long time as he also started asking questions and shared more of his story. When asked how he felt, he said "God is calling me." (Rom 11:29) When asked what was stopping him from being under the authority of God, he said "Nothing."

Hallelujah! I told him how he can pray right then and start that relationship. But before continuing, though the evangelist in me just wanted him to "pray the prayer" and "accept Christ," I knew he needed to be warned first. I spent much time telling him about my journey, about my grandparents' rejection of me (Matt 10:35), about the hardships (1 Pet 4:12), about how life does NOT get easier, about sanctification (Rom 6:19), about how he will have to give up stuff (Rom 12:2), about how the devil/world will hate him (1 John 3:13), about how being a Christian means being a slave of God (Rom 6:18), about the cost of following Jesus (Luke 9:58)... but lastly about how it's all so worth it (Phil 3:8) and about Heaven (Rev 22:4). I then asked again if he's still willing to give up control of his life over to God and to be His slave. He paused, thought for a bit, told me he was afraid, and then with an eagerness in his eyes, looked up and finally declared, "Yes."

And the prayer, oh the prayer. After we prayed together as he walked from darkness to light, he asked me, "Did you feel it?" I was confused for a bit but then he said, "This thing in my chest, this feeling. Ah, I can't describe it. Did you feel it too when you first prayed?" I proceeded to tell him about who the Holy Spirit is (John 14:16-17) and the concept of the trinity. He is now going to read the gospel of John and sometime next week we'll meet up to talk about it. If only you guys saw the look in his eyes, the joy he was exuding, the relief he felt, the sweet, sweet moment when he tasted the goodness of our savior for the first time. This is what I live for, the salvation of souls for God! If you've never felt this, I urge you now, win souls for Christ! God can use anyone! He used me!

Never in my evangelism have I warned someone so thoroughly and to tell them NOT to be a child of God. In fact, I told him to be a slave. Come on, who'd say yes to being a slave? It is foolishness (1 Cor 1:18)! But if you're called by God, it's the best thing ever. Never in my life have I understood irresistible grace so clearly. There was nothing I could say that would have turned him away from God. Friends, we don't have to try to make the gospel appealing, figure out a fancy way to get their attention, make sure they know God loves them, play the role of the nice friend who is always there, water down the gospel to make it simpler, or share cheap grace. This is what we must do in evangelism: we preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23) and how we are to be crucified with Him (Gal 2:20). Yes, at its core it's still just faith in Christ, but never without the cost. And when we evangelize, if we are preaching this true gospel, God WILL work (Isa 55:11).

In summary, this is what happened: Christ looked at him and said, "Mine" (Phil 3:12b). All I did was go to the mall and open my Bible.

A Testimony about God and My Grandparents

Today, I have a testimony to share. I had shared this in many formats but am now writing this down in order to edify as many people as possible. This is a story about my unsaved family.

My grandparents hated Christians and didn't even want their kids or grandkids to have anything to do with church. They would physically look away and not listen when we were talking about God. This one time, some Christian friends came to visit and care for them, my grandpa actually looked straight up at the ceiling WHILE they were talking, talk about rudeness... Beyond this spiritual darkness, there were spiritual attacks from Satan as well. For my grandpa, every single time that he went to church, that same night he would have a nightmare about demons and evil spirits fighting him or holding him down on the ground. These dreams would get so intense that he sometimes woke up in the middle of the night and got violent with my grandma. It got so bad that he doesn't even want to be physically near a church building now. During the times we prayed, he would not listen, when we talked about Heaven and Hell, he would laugh, and at the mention of Jesus, he would scoff. My grandma on the other hand would simply laugh at me every time I talked about Jesus, saying I'm delusional for believing in the afterlife and that I'm 走火入魔 (in too deep in a demonic way). The gospel had been shared in full many times, from the showing of the law to the sinfulness of man to the desperate need of Jesus as Lord and savior.

I don't need to tell you guys that spiritual warfare is real. And this is what had been going on in my house for the past four months, with my older brother too who is not too unlike my grandpa (in his rejection). I tried preaching the full, unadulterated truth of the gospel to them and they turned away. I tried loving them unconditionally and being the best example of Christ I possibly could and they ignored it. I tried fasting and praying on my knees many times a week, crying out for God's intercession, and sometimes I felt like He wasn't answering.

What made it worse was how much I love my family. I love them so much. I love them more than any other human relationship I have. I love them with the love of Jesus Christ. If I could die so that they might be saved, I would. If I could pluck out my eyes so that they can see Jesus how I see Him, I would. They are drowning, dying, and I cannot do anything... I could only watch them die... And that's what they are doing now. God has shown me very clearly that it is He alone who has the power to save. Nothing I do, no matter how "right" they are and how "strategically sound" they might be can amount to anything if God chose not to work in that way at that time.

But praise be to God, the joy of my salvation and the uplifter of souls! When we realize that it is God alone who works (Psalm 62:1), He starts working. When we continue our responsibility in sowing the seed and then do nothing else but sleep (Mark 4:26-27), God makes it grow. When we stop thinking that somehow our efforts would "inspire" God to act and realize that any action on His part is by His grace and nothing else (Eph 2:8-9), that's when God shows up.

My grandparents live in Taiwan, and I'm in Canada. The fact that they were even here for four months was an amazing opportunity. Just a month or two ago, when they still didn't want have anything to do with God, they came to church! In fact, they were adamantly against going on the previous night. Then, through the petition of the saints on bended knees, we saw a complete change of heart within a few hours! I have so many more of these God stories in just the past four months I could share but this post would get way too long. Just know that for 81 years of their life, they had never went to church, been part of worship, prayed with people, or heard the full gospel. And this all happened this summer! Praise God! Praise God!

Last week when my brother left, as we were sitting in the car at the airport, as I shared how much he means to me and how much I wanted him to see Jesus clearly, right before we were about to pray, tears started forming at his eyes. I've only seen him like this twice in my life. God was tugging at his heart and it is so evident! Bob, if you're reading this, God is calling out to you right now! How can you deny it any longer? It's not family you miss or need, it's Jesus! Read your Bible, pray, and meet your savior! Sorry about sharing this in public, you'll be fine.

This week, not to share any details, I was devastated by my grandpa's hardness of heart. And it broke mine. I had to lay it all before the throne of God above because my heart could not take it anymore. I had to stop trying so hard and doing so much and simply trust that God's word does not go out in vain. I even had to lay my grandpa's life on the altar, saying that his salvation (or lack thereof) does not change a thing about my affection for Christ. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

The next day, after prayer, the same thing that happened to my brother happened to my grandpa. The thing is, during the whole prayer I was sharing about the love of Christ and how they need it so badly. The Holy Spirit led me to rebuke them! Instead of getting angry, my grandpa, who I've never seen tear up in my entire life, was doing all he could to hold back his tears. My grandpa, who had never held my hand, not even to cross the road when I was a kid, could not let go of my hand after prayer. This was God at work!

My Christian friends, you may know all these things. You may know how only God saves. But I am praying that this truth will impact you more today than it ever did. When we experience spiritual oppression of this level, we don't stop trying when we see how our methods are ineffective. We keep trying as long as we are with them, waiting for God to work, however long it may take. And when we are not with them, we pray unceasingly. And throughout it all, we trust in God not to do what we ask, but to do what is good. That is the secret to evangelism: To fully work and fully rest at the same time. The gospel is disgusting and the fragrance of death to those who are perishing. But once God flicks that switch, you can be doing and saying the exact same things, but your unsaved friend will be on his knees, begging God to forgive him, smelling life for the first time.

Is that not where you were when you met Jesus for the first time? On your knees, broken, but knowing you've finally found what you've been searching for? Do you remember the beauty of your savior when you first laid eyes on Him and the smile on His bloodied face? Can you recall more clearly what was shared at your conversion or rather the overwhelming weight of sin and the unsurpassable desire for Christ? That feeling was the Holy Spirit! The Spirit's working can and WILL overwhelm any of your efforts. It was by GRACE you have been saved! Shall we "stop working" so that grace may abound? By no means! Do you remember what you were when you were called? Can you think back on how much God has changed you since then? Do you not think that what the gospel did in you, it can do to your friend/family? Yes! Yes, God Is mighty to save.

And if you can't remember any of these things, you need to repent right now. Beg for Jesus to forgive you. Know in your heart that whatever you had before was of man and not of God. Ask for a new heart of flesh and new eyes of faith. Then open those eyes, and look! Look up, for Christ is waiting for you with open arms. Oh run to Him, run to our blessed savior! And know that then He will give you rest for your soul.

Clinging to the Cross

I am clinging to the cross because right now, that is the only thing I know how.

I am a lazy excuse of a man, having my parents take care of so much around the house. I am an impatient teacher, letting my anger flare up in the tiniest of mistakes. I am a horrible lover, unable to guard my own heart and unwilling to let go. I am a habitual sinner, daily unworthy of God's love as I continue to do the things that bring him no glory. I am a powerless evangelist, hardly preaching the word and never preaching the word hard. I am a nobody.

Here I lie, broken, unworthy, scared, angry, sad, and finally seeing a small glimpse of what I truly am. So I will cling to the cross. I will cling to the cursed tree that brought life (Deut 21:23). I will cling to that which is foolishness to most people (1 Cor 1:18). I will cling to the fulfilment of all the law and the prophets (Matt 5:17). I will cling to the impossible love demonstrated on the cross (Rom 5:8). I will cling to Jesus Christ, the hope of glory (Col 1:27).

What does it mean to cling to the cross? It means to hold fast and embrace the cross. Embrace the sacrifice that brought us peace. It means to hold on for dear life, never letting go, not for a job, not for a family, and not for anything in this world. It means to remain close to the cross and resist anything that would distance yourself from it. Resist those things because when the storm comes- and it is coming- the cross is the only thing that will save you. We cling to something when we are desperate, when we have nothing else around us, and when we believe that without it, we will die. Cling to the cross.

That is where I am, not by choice, but because God has painfully opened my eyes. I asked him, "Why God why?" "Look at the cross" he says, "Look at the cross!" It's not about me and my tiny problems, it's about God having solved it already. It's not about trying to be more humble, it's about obeying Jesus in every action. It's not about feeling depressed and hopeless, it's realizing the full magnitude of what was accomplished up there. It's not about whether I am this or I am that, it's about the great I AM.

The gospel is not something you try to share with unbelievers. The gospel is something that you preach to yourself day in and day out. The natural overflow of that is what reaches those around you. The gospel is not cheap grace that focuses on how God has changed you or how great your relationship with him is. The gospel is that God is unchangeable and that he has always been a self-sustaining and glorious triune God. The gospel is not Jer 29:11, the gospel is Phil 1:21 "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain".

Clinging to the cross isn't about how hard you can cling, it's about what the cross actually is. It's not about your petty sins. Look at the cross... It's not about your daily devotions. Look at the cross... It's not about Christian living, there's too much "me" in the bookstore, in worship music, in everything. LOOK at the cross! It is HIS life, HIS son, HIS blood, HIS wrath, HIS justice, HIS mercy, HIS grace, HIS goodness, HIS love, HIS plan, and HIS glory. Oh the beauty of our saviour, the majesty of our king!

I am everything I wrote in the first paragraph, but more than that I am a saint, so much so that the first paragraph doesn't even matter anymore. And I am part of a holy priesthood. I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17). And I WILL bring glory to the one who died on that rugged cross. I will look at the cross, not myself, neither my strengths nor my weaknesses.

I am clinging to the cross because right now, that is the only thing I know how.

Acts 16:31

I was challenged on the interpretation on a verse today, and I am happy. I'm also proud of the person who challenged me, and thankful too. We teachers should be held accountable and if we are wrong, we better be corrected! Now... about the verse:

Acts 16:31
And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."

You're right in saying that Paul was more talking about the fact that the jailer's family can get in on this whole salvation business too. And I do think it's more of a localized promise rather than something general that is "do A to get B". However, I think we CAN apply this directly. When a person believes, he will show change in his life. Change should be so apparent that non-Christians should not be able to ignore it. And for one's family, the ones who are in contact with the person the most, they are going to feel the impact of the change the most. In addition, that person should not be able to shut up about God. That person, if truly saved, will most definitely want the same thing for his family too. A changed life combined with a passionate desire for others to experience Jesus the same way equals power, power to move the hearts of those close by.

Yes, ultimately it is still God who saves. But if God asked us to be laborers for the lost (Matt 9:37) and even uses us to reach lost souls (Rom 10:14), it only makes sense that a Christian can quite likely influence his family for Christ. On a more personal note, I've seen this for my dad. My Dad! But not for my grandpa, who has already passed away. So I guess I was a bit misleading. Though the fact remains that we are powerful tools in the hands of God, tools to reach our family. This verse, even if it doesn't promise that, reaffirms that through example.

長大

小朋友總是相信大人所說的每一句話。
不管是聖誕老人的存在或著是吞掉鼻涕會生恐龍蛋，甚至連奇蹟都會相信。
他們會用充滿喜樂的眼神看著你，那滿臉期待得樣子沒有一絲毫疑惑。
他們不會因為害羞而不敢要求，反而會直接說出真心話。
這種單純不就是Mark 10:14所說的嗎？

所以...
他們不會擔心，因為大人說不會有事的。
他們不會傷心，因為有隻大而有力的手緊緊的牽著他們。
他們不會害怕，因為這隻手曾帶他們走過死蔭的幽谷。
他們不會絕望，因為他們還相信有奇蹟。

我到底是什麼時候長大的...
不, 我還是小孩，嗯。

Original: http://tcfish.blogspot.com/2011/06/blog-post.html