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I remember a time in my life when I longed to be 16. I thought that I would finally reach a cool age. Then I didn’t like being 18 and felt quite at home being 19. Years went by and I found myself to be 22, I never knew if I liked this age. Now I’m on the verge of turning 23 and I am scared I am not a little girl anymore. Well actually, I wonder when I will ever start considering myself to be a (oh I hate the word) woman. It doesn’t sound like me. Or maybe I should say it the other way around: when will I ever stop considering myself a little girl? I don’t know.

The years will keep coming my way, as long as my Creator wills it. I don’t know when will be my last birthday, maybe it’ll be tomorrow or maybe it’ll be when I’m 31 or 72. I’m always thinking that I haven’t started my life yet, I mean, my real life. It’s always going to start when I am where God has always intended me to be. Probably a teacher somewhere in the woods of I don’t know where, sharing the Gospel of Jesus or maybe … I don’t know. The thing is that I’ve got proof that my life has started, well, at least 23 years ago. I’m living today and I’m not sure but I’m not taking every single of my day very seriously, but the thing is that life has begun and life counts right now.

It’s hard to believe this evening counts. Or that going to work or studying or whatever counts. I want to be reminded that my purpose is to help people know, love and treasure God. I want to care about God’s stuff in my everyday life and stop waiting for THE LIFE to come to me.

That’s probably part of what perseverance is.

Enjoy November 3 with me by rejoicing in God’s grace and by living for Him in the little things.

Prayer Walk & Infant Baptism

I know, too many posts in such a short period of time. I guess interesting things are happening and I feel the need to share them and get feedback.

Tuesday nights are GBU (University Bible Group) meetings and we were going on a prayer walk around the UQAM campus. We were only six people (three leaders…) so I went on a prayer walk with one of the leaders. He’s actually learning French at l’UQAM so we went to a few of our classrooms and prayed for our teachers, classmates and the university in general. We prayed about many different things, but at one point I asked a question that made us stop and talk for the remaining time.

“I know everything is possible with God. But since the world is always getting worse and will one day reach a point where it’ll be judged by God and will be destroyed, can we pray and hope for a revival in the Québécois society?” That was my question.

I’m sort of tired to pray for God to move hearts, to bring life to the students, to help them make right choices and be delivered from sin because if they don’t hear the message of Jesus Christ, no change will come. I do not mean that we should not pray for those things to happen, but we should pray that God would open our hearts and eyes to see what we can do and how we can bring His gospel on campus. We need to pray that God would strengthen and equip US to shine His life around us.

My conversation with my prayer partner though was very inspiring. I’m realizing how superficial I am when it comes to the things of God, how quickly I get discouraged at praying and how I forget about the spiritual battles that are going on around me. And because of that, I’m no threat to Satan and his demons.

We were three people going for something to drink after the meeting. The leader and I had some stuff to talk about and the other person accompanying us was a student. We didn’t know he was Catholic so it opened up a range of discussion topics. I had to stop them on infant baptism and make sure my understanding of it was real. It’s quite interesting the views people hold and it’s good to rub shoulders with them. Both guys were pretty much for infant baptism. The Catholic guy seemed to change his view or words as we talked (going from “it’s to ensure the baby will go to heaven if he dies before a certain age” to “it’s the symbol of a blessing to be born in God’s family” - I might lack some info here though) but anyways, what I’m wondering about it that they were saying that early Christians associated baptism with circumcision. Circumcision was not to be performed anymore (no more blood needed) but baptism was a replacement for it (an alliance of water). I get the point and see how people at that time could have linked the two together, but I personally don’t see any evidence for it in the New Testament (if you have some Bible sources about it, please let me know). But the guys argument was that this thinking (link between circumcision and baptism) was so deep into the philosophies of the Jews, that there was no need to write about it in the New Testament (to me, this is quite a weak argument, they might have sources, but I have no idea what they are). It’s okay if baptism is a symbol as described in the Bible, but the only baptisms talked about in the Bible are done after repentance and I don’t think we should baptize for any other reason than what the Bible tells us we should. I have little knowledge about this all, so your comments are welcome!

Arguing.

I am quite weak in speech and I’m no good for live argumentation. I’ve always looked up to people who could do that in a constructive way with good points and good sources. I’ve been thinking about argumentation lately, from arguing about points of views on food or ecology to sharing the Gospel and revealing the pitfalls of people’s philosophies. I am not sure anymore if I want to be someone who knows and can argue well with people. Simply because the majority of the stuff that I find myself arguing about are points of views about things that are not worth arguing for.

I firmly believe that the Scriptures cannot be bent, at any cost and so I want to be able to contend for the truth (Jude 3 says, “… I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the truth that was once and for all entrusted to the saints..”). No doctrine of the Bible, no Gospel point can be altered or compromised, ever. And these are worth fighting for.

But there is little use in arguing about issues that the Bible does not speak clearly for or against. Romans 14 states that for matters of “holy days”, foods and dietary restrictions, one should simply be “convinced in his own mind.” (Romans 14:5).

I believe that what is most important when I feel like I need to “mettre mon grain de sel” (add my grain of salt… French expression) to a conversation because I have a different opinion and want to argue my position, I should look at my motivation. Why do I want to argue? To show the other person’s wrong? To humiliate people? To elevate myself? To look smart? To look different? To help? To keep someone from danger? I think that that’s my job prior to say any word, “Why do I feel the urge to talk?”. If someone’s asking me my opinion, then that’s fine, but if I have wrong motivations, then it’s useless to argue. If my knowledge can help someone who truly is in the wrong, then I must argue and pray for the person, but if my argument is about trivial things or things that the Bible says we should personally be convinced about and that opinions can differ, then, I’m wasting time and pouring vinegar into my relationship bottle.

It’s humbling to keep quiet when the heart disagrees on issues that are not cast in black and white and have no spiritual consequences, worldly stuff. But I think that this is actually promoting love and peace. But one cannot forget to contend for truth revealed and plain found in the Bible.

This is sort of new to me. My understanding and explaining of it isn’t exactly clear, sorry about that. Feel free to add and remove. This is only my thoughts being processed.

Lloyd-Jones wrote:

“No man should like argument for the sake of argument. We should always regret the necessity; but though we regret and bemoan it, when we feel that a vital matter is at stake we must engage in argument. We must ‘earnestly contend for the truth’ and we are called upon to do that by the New Testament”

Gain.

I love to hear John Piper say:

“… How do you make Christ look magnificent when you’re dying? Answer: say “gain”. If you put everything this life offers over here and Christ over here and death takes all this and gives only Him, what do you say? GAIN! And when you say that, you know what happens in hell? They gnash their teeth. Fail! We failed again! we can’t stand it when those saints treasure Christ and delight in Christ and are satisfied with Christ and enjoy Christ so much that He looks so great. They gnash their teeth in hell when dying Christians say GAIN. And the angels, with tears running down their faces they rejoice, yes! Look how magnificent Christ is magnified by being preferred above everything that life can offer.”

Hey, I’ll be going to WEST for Christmas! I’ll be visiting my sister and her husband who are living in BC this year. Exciting!

by Faith

“By faith people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land … By faith the walls of Jericho fell … By faith the prostitute Rahab was no killed … And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again.

Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.“

-Hebrews 11:29-38

Isn’t it interesting how faith leads to blessing and/or suffering.

A week ago or so I listened to John Piper’s sermon entitled, “The sale of Joseph and the Son of God”, VERY GOOD (thank you Jason). Piper described how Joseph kept getting the wrong stuff for the good he had done. He was faithful and righteous in everything, even though he couldn’t understand why he was going through such an odd and tough time in life. Things didn’t get better because Joseph was righteous. It took a long, long while, people’s sins and forgetfulness to finally bring Joseph to a blessed time in his life.

I wonder. Should we be looking for blessings in this life? Should I live in a way that will bring happiness and joy and comfort to me? Should I change my life or prayers if I don’t seem to be blessed in spite of my obedience and faithfulness o God?

The passage in Hebrew says that those who suffered did not get (on earth) what they were promised to receive. Conclusion: I should not think God is against me because my life is… du caca. Instead, I should simply keep going and persevere, doing what is right in the eyes of God and be sensitive to His Word. There is more to this passage and etc. but you might not want to fall asleep right now.

The Truth War

“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not professing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Where the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved; and to be steady on all the battlefield besides, is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that point.”

- Martin Luther

 

I am reading “The Truth War” by John MacArthur. Very appropriate for our world today. We now live in a postmodern society. It might not be easy for all to realize it, but for Christian university students, it is quite clear that people are swimming in a postmodern jell-o pool. “Modernity … was characterized by the belief that truth exists and that the scientific method is the only reliable way to determine that truth.” (MacArthur) “Postmodernism suggests that if objective truth exists, it cannot be known objectively or with any degree of certainty. That is because (according to postmodernists), the subjectivity of the human mind makes knowledge of objective truth impossible.” (MacArthur)

 

It’s just amazing how people around me think like that and a lot of them are actually a mixture of the two philosophies. People buy it because they buy a little peace of mind for a little while. The modernist would say that God cannot be proved scientifically while the postmodernist would say that even if God exists, He’s got no hold or say over my life because really, we can’t know for certain what He says in the Bible and what you think is just as good as what I think. So people like it that way.

 

It’s tough for me to chat with those people and try to make them realize that God exists and what He thinks and says about anything is ultimate truths that cannot be altered or changed or adapted to one’s interests. Christian people are easily dismissed by postmodernists because postmodernists will simply reply that what you think is good for you. But they deeply dislike that you are convinced about something. Anyways, it’s hard to witness to them without being harsh to a certain point.

Tying a Tie…

As some of you might know, in one of my university classes, I have to do “micro-teaching”. This is sort of fake teaching. Each student has to teach a special skill in no more than ten minutes, to the rest of our class. I really had no idea what to do. But, Jessica had an idea for me. What about teaching them how to tie a tie? Smart.

Thanks to Jason who told me to google “tie a tie” and so gave me the opportunity of learning how to do it quite easily, because I had never tied a tie before. This is me and my first attempt at the “Half Windsor Knot”:

I am indeed quite excited about this new skill I have acquired (and new style too…)

Tonight we had a leader’s meeting for more planning and thinking about our desire to start a small youth group among two small churches in Verdun. It is quite neat to have representatives from both churches as leaders and especially the input of older people. We had a couple from one of the churches for supper to talk about it all and it was really encouraging to be guided by them, see their joy about this new thing happening, and pray together. We’re embarking on a new adventure.

I remember the days when I was trying to start something at Valleyfield (my home church), a few years ago. All I wanted to do by God’s help, was to start create a bond in between the people. The majority of the teens were not exactly interested into God’s stuff and several were not even saved. What I did for them was minimal to my eyes and I could have done more. But God blessed and things changed dramatically during the summer.

Let us never look down on humble beginnings. God asks for faithfulness, not success. He gives success according to His own definition of success in our contexts and in His time.

He takes it personal.

(God’s) knowledge of our afflictions and adversities is more than theoric; it is personal, warm, and compassionate. Whatever may befall us, God knows and cares as no one else can.” - A.W. Tozer

I do not think that Tozer meant for me what he made me think, but nevertheless, I believe it is quite interesting. It’s the word “personal” that I probably do not get right, only to find myself encouraged and defended by my Creator. The temptations of my flesh, of this world, of the spiritual world that bombard me day and night, all of these, God sees as my adversaries and because He is my Father and redeemed me at an unbelievable price, God takes all this adversities as His own. They are trying to touch the apple of His eye. God takes it personal.

It feels liberating. I’m not alone in the bull’s eye. God is standing in front of me. And who would dare shooting an arrow at Him?

Takin’ it slow.

I was out of new books to read (well, there’s always university stuff…) so I picked up an old book I’d read a few years ago, “The Knowledge of the Holy” by A.W. Tozer. I mainly read it when I’m sitting in the metro, going to university, or when we have a break in class and nobody has anything very interesting to say. What is interesting though, is that I don’t read at the same pace I would normally read. I am not a fast-reader (not in English, nor in French), but when I read this book, I always, on purpose, read really slowly. You wouldn’t want to hear me… or maybe you would. It is very different and it really feels as if the words penetrate my mind, as if I can savor them. It’s a time with God (because the book talks about what God is like, His attributes and etc.) in the middle of business. I’m always doing something, going here, going there, in class, studying, “homeworking”, talking, searching, working… it feels so sweet to stop and read slowly, like, really slowly this book. I feel at peace, in a holy place. I think it’s healthy for my mind and heart. It’s just taking the time to think about God, slowly.

You can read the following slowly, see for yourself…

“O Lord God Almighty, not the God of the philosophers and the wise but the God of the prophets and apostles; and better than all, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, may I express Thee unblamed? They that know Thee not may call upon Thee as other than Thou art, and so worship not Thee but a creature of their own fancy; therefore enlighten our minds that we may know Thee as Thou art, so that we may perfectly love Thee and worthily praise Thee.”

(A.W. Tozer)

“Lord, how great is our dilemma! In Thy Presence silence best becomes us, but love inflames our hearts and constrains us to speak. Were we to hold our peace the stones would cry out; yet if we speak, what shall we say? Teach us to know that we cannot know, for the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Let faith supports us where reason fails, and we shall think because we believe, not in order that we may believe.”

(A.W. Tozer)

“O Majesty unspeakable, my soul desires to behold Thee. I cry to Thee from the dust. Yet when I inquire after Thy name it is secret. Thou art hidden in the light which no man can approach unto. What Thou art cannot be thought or uttered, for Thy glory ineffable. Still, prophet and psalmist, apostle and saint have encouraged me to believe that I may in some measure know Thee. Therefore, I pray, whatever of Thyself Thou hast been pleased to disclosed, help me to search out as treasure more precious than rubies or the merchandise of fine gold: for with Thee shall I live when the stars of the twilight are no more and the heavens have vanished away and only Thou remainest.”

(A.W. Tozer)

Jesus, remind me.

Tonight was the opening night of the GBU (Groupe Biblique Universitaire - you can figure what it means I’m sure). Lots of new faces and a couple of known ones. We were about twenty people. There are more Christians than that in the university for sure, but it is still a very small number when we think of the … 30, 35, thousand other students going to my university.

These last weeks I have been feeling a bit different. Yes university started and life is busy and etc. but I’ve been thinking about obedience to God. It frustrates me everyday to find myself failing to obey the Holy Spirit and just do things my way because it’s easier, because sin tastes better (for the moment). It is still frustrating and I feel powerless. I feel that it shouldn’t be that way.

The last song we sang at the GBU meeting was the French version of “Arms of Love”. We had sang about God’s holiness and loving eachother and I myself had a good time praising my Lord. But with my heart frustrated because of sin and struggles and lack of understanding, I felt that I couldn’t sing those words:

 My heart is glad that you’ve called me your own 

And there’s no place I’d rather be

Than in your arms of love, in your arms of love

Holding me still, holding me near, in your arms of love

In French, the last verse literally says something like “Holding me very tight, holding me very tight”. I was picturing myself in the arms of Jesus, being hugged very tight, like, very tight. Why would Jesus want to embrace me? I must be so frustrating to Him with my repeated sins and empty words. I am a sinner, I am helpless, why would He want to hug and love me? After the song, we could pick up a bible verse from a bunch of little cards. I picked Matthew 28:20 and that said in French, “I am with you for ever”. That struck me. He wanted to be with me and care for me.

In my struggle for holiness, I had forgotten I was helpless. Well, I knew it, but I was still struggling with my own strength, in my own way. I had forgotten how Jesus loved me and wanted me to lay my burdens at His feet and put His yoke on my shoulders so we can walk together. I’m not exactly sure how to do that, but I want to remind myself that Jesus is by my side, waiting for me to give up and accept His yoke. What is His yoke?