Why Christians need not fear

In Edward R. Dayton's book "Tools for Time Management" (yes, Time Management!):

• "Life is too short to spend it half-heartedly."
• "Of all the people in the world, Christians should be the ones with the greatest ability to grow. Our past is forgiven and our future is secure."

God reminds us many times, "Don't be afraid." Many times we need to know why. Here are just some:


1. Jesus says to His followers (John 16:33)

• "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

 
2.  From Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 3:21-23)

• "Everything is already yours as a gift --- Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future --- all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God." 

3. From John Piper's letter to the people in Jerusalem

• We will not die apart from God’s gracious decree for his children. (James 4:14-15; Matthew 10:29-30; Deuteronomy 32:39)
• Curses and divination do not hold sway against God’s people. (Numbers 23:23)
• The plans of terrorists and hostile nations do not succeed apart from our gracious God. (Psalm 33:10; Isaiah 8:9-10) 
• Man cannot harm us beyond God’s gracious will for us. (Psalm 118:6; Psalm 56:11)
• God promises to protect his own from all that is not finally good for them. (Psalm 91:14) 
• God promises to give us all we need to obey, enjoy, and honor him forever. (Matthew 6:31; Philippians 4:19)
  
• God is never taken off guard. (Psalm 121:4) 
• God will be with us, help us, and uphold us in trouble. (Isaiah 41:10, 13)
  
• Terrors will come, some of us will die, but not a hair of our heads will perish. (Luke 21:10–11, 18) 
• Nothing befalls God’s own but in its appointed hour. (John 7:30)
• When God Almighty is your helper, none can harm you beyond what he decrees. (Hebrews 13:6; Romans 8:31)
  
• God’s faithfulness is based on the firm value of his name, not the fickle measure of our obedience. (1 Samuel 12:20–22)
  
• The Lord, our protector, is great and awesome. (Nehemiah 4:14)
  

 
What shall we say then? Paul writes to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 15:58):

• "With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."

His steadfast love

These days, I have been crying out for love... steadfast love.


For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.
- Hosea 6:6


Sow for yourselves righteousness;
reap steadfast love;
break up your fallow ground,
for it is the time to seek the LORD,
that He may come and rain righteousness upon you.
- Hosea 10:12



This morning, God answered my prayers with more of Himself. :) Indeed. He is the only One.

I am thankful for being reminded of this psalm. It includes one of my "life verses", verse 5. But the entire psalm is full of gems, which I've already posted in the past (see here) --- I really should start considering it as one of my "life psalms". Here are the passages that continue to encourage and strengthen me.



Psalm 118 - Your Steadfast Love Endures Forever


Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
for His steadfast love endures forever!
(v. 1 and v. 29, the psalm starts and ends with these lines)


In my anguish I cried to the LORD
and He answered by setting me free.
(v. 5)


It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.
(v. 8-9)


The LORD is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
(v. 14)


The right hand of the LORD exults,
the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!
(v. 16)


I shall not die but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the LORD.
The LORD has disciplined me severely,
but He has not given me over to death.
(v. 17-18)


I thank You that You have answered me
and have become my salvation.
(v. 21)


This is the day that the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(v. 24)


You are my God, and I will give thanks to You;
You are my God; I will extol You.
(v. 28)


The LORD is God,
and He has made His light to shine upon us.
(v. 27)

suffered, and called, for a reason

…”And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame (Isaiah 28:16).”
Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22),”
and
“A stone of stumbling
and a rock of offense (Isaiah 8:14),”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
-- 1 Peter 2:6-10

(written December 7, 2005)

freedom

In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and He answered by setting me free.
     Psalm 118:5  

Freedom is not the right to do what we want,
but the power to do what is right.
     Steve Murrell, Experiencing Victory

please pray for me as i pursue my true calling...

please pray for me as i pursue my true calling...

...while i make the most of where i am.

in plain English: please pray for me as i resolve to resign from my job as a college physics teacher to pursue my true calling as a Christian writer while i make the most of being a PhD student.

:)

(to those who are currently my students: yes, with God's grace i'll also make the most of being your teacher :) don't worry :) don't hesitate to tell me how to serve you better :) )

if i'm not a teacher anymore...

• i won't have the opportunity to be a walking testimony of God's love to my students as well as my co-teachers
  
• i won't have the opportunity to share God's Word on the blackboard every day
• i won't have the opportunity to show everyone that YES, IT CAN BE DONE! you can love and follow God even while teaching science in the most secular school in the country

but if i'm not a teacher anymore...

• i will have the opportunity to testify of God's love to a larger audience outside one classroom or laboratory (today Quezon City, tomorrow the world! hey teci as long as you remember that it's all about God and not you ok? ;p )
• i will have the opportunity to share and discuss God's Word in books, in newspapers, on TV, on radio, and face to face with my brothers and sisters (that's everyone else)
  
• actually, i will still have the opportunity to show everyone that YES, IT CAN BE DONE! you can love and follow God even while having a doctorate in physics and having taught science in the most secular school in the country

of course, many things can still happen from today until the end of my yearly-renewed contract on May 31, 2007. and it's still possible that this particular decision is not God's will for me.

which is why, please please pray for me :)

especially because, if this decision is God's will, then i will suddenly lose financial security and move out --- nay, plunge headlong --- out of my comfort zone.

how exciting! ;p


why is writing my true calling?

** more than ten years ago... **
unknown relative: would you like to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior?
teci, age 15: (i nodded, and thought to myself, why not? it would sound bad if i said no...)

** months later **
teci, still age 15: i'm going to be a doctor in physics to look for aliens! yeah!

** October 2005 **
teci, age 23: why? why can't i get anything published? (for those who don't know: if your work gets published in a scientific journal, that means you have contributed new knowledge to the world of science. it's a big deal, though in some instances like this i was having a hard time over a supposedly easy publication.)
God, in that still small voice: write for Me.


i'll never forget that moment. the world suddenly changed and everything suddenly made sense. well, a lot of things still weren't perfect including my immediate future, but that Word --- three one-syllable words! and it's not i-love-you! though i know He loves me too! --- changed everything. suddenly it's as if the barely recognizable landscape had some plastic wrapper ripped off it and i saw everything more clearly.

it's funny how we think we know what we want.

it's funny how what God wants, is actually what we want too.

it's funny how when God says what He wants, i realized that's what i wanted too. then and only then.

funny. and i'm not ashamed of being called "slow" or "stupid" especially when it comes to my personal destiny. besides, as Rick Warren's "Purpose-Driven Life" posits, it's the Creator who knows best about the created...fortunately, we can all read the Manual.

so now i'm taking a more specific, more immediate, short-term-decision-with-long-term-consequences. there's actually nothing to be afraid of! think about it: if God has always blessed me to overflowing, what more now when i am purposefully following His plan for me?


what more indeed.

:)

haha, it seems i don't need your prayers after all! ;p (KIDDING!!!!)


(praise You, God of all, for even as i write this You're speaking comfort and reassurance to me...and i am excited. yeah!)

** January 7, 2007 **
teci, age 24: i'm going to be a doctor in physics while writing for God! yeah!

Psalm 118

(these verses have time and again been the summary of my life so far)

1 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:
"His love endures forever."
3 Let the house of Aaron say:
"His love endures forever."
4 Let those who fear the LORD say:
"His love endures forever."
5 In my anguish I cried to the LORD,
and He answered by setting me free.
6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
7 The LORD is with me; He is my helper.
I will look in triumph on my enemies.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
than to trust in princes.
10 All the nations surrounded me,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
11 They surrounded me on every side,
but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,
but they died out as quickly as burning thorns;
in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
but the LORD helped me.

14 The LORD is my strength and my song;
He has become my salvation.
15 Shouts of joy and victory
resound in the tents of the righteous:
"The LORD's right hand has done mighty things!
16 The LORD's right hand is lifted high;
the LORD's right hand has done mighty things!"
17 I will not die but live,
and will proclaim what the LORD has done.
18 The LORD has chastened me severely,
but He has not given me over to death.
19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for You answered me;
You have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
27 The LORD is God,
and He has made His light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give You thanks;
You are my God, and I will exalt You.
29 Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;
His love endures forever.