What is your Shield?

Ned produced Robert's letter. "Lord Varys, be so kind as to show this to my lady of Lannister."

The eunuch carried the letter to Cersei. The queen glanced at the words. "Protector of the Realm," she read. "Is this meant to be your shield, my lord? A piece of paper?" She ripped the letter in half, ripped the halves in quarters, and let the pieces flutter to the floor.

-excerpt from A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin

Ned ended getting the bad side of the deal. He banked on the words that King Robert wrote before his death and thought that words on paper was enough to become the Lord Protector of the Realm. Unfortunately, Queen Cersei had a greater hold on the throne, she had Joffrey, the Kings son, and rightful heir to the throne.

Cersei's question to Ned before she ripped Robert's last requests was the very inspiration of this blog. Is this meant to be your shield, my lord?


Being a Christian, it has always been a question of mine if I really am one. There are countless times where I see myself down on the ground limping because of my sin compared to the times wherein I'm comfortable standing and banking on the righteous deeds that I have just done. Where could I base my Christianity? Where could I firmly hold my belief, even through the life I live, that I am indeed a Christian? Do I have that piece of paper that would say that yes, I am in good standing and, figuratively speaking, rightfully able to claim that place? Or do I have that same assurance, like Queen Cersei had, that no matter what happens, through blood and the hierarchy of their family that Joffrey, and not Ned would rule? What is my shield?

I want to share my thoughts from my journal regarding this matter. I want to share with you the thoughts that I've wrestled with and what I've thought to be my shield and my conclusion.

On the Question of Innocents Suffering

9/22/2011 News has been buzzing about Troy Davis, a man convicted of man slaughter and was sentenced to death. The buzz about Troy Davis is that 7 of the 9 witnesses that testified against Davis already recanted their statements saying that they were pressured to place the blame on Davis.

None of it matters now as Troy Anthony Davis already served his sentence.

There were last ditch efforts to prove the mans innocence and they were all denied by their Supreme Court and his sentence was ordered to be served.

We'll never truly know if Troy Davis was really guilty of the charge that was slapped on him, but none of this stopped my grandma, who was with me while I was watching CNN, to ask the question, what happens to the judges and the people that served the sentence?

DJ Ponders: On Axiousness

Among all the feelings that I get to feel daily, this is one of the most constant ones. And being the person that usually over analyzes things and tend to look through the window of tomorrow, this feeling doesn't really help at all when reality slaps me silly and brings me back to the present time.

I get to do a lot of planning my future. And lately, I've been working on this certain step that I would want to happen soon. The most current one and the one that causes my fingers to run out of nails, is my wanting to move to a different country, and boy has it toyed with me for quite some time now.

To be honest, this particular desire of mine to move and find a job there drives me crazy. And what's more crazy is that it's just a month since I was there and finally decided to work on the move.

On Freedom and Constraints

This morning, on the way to work, I've been listening to Tim Keller's preaching about Absolutism.
Few of the things that I've picked up was regarding freedom and constraint. And here some of  my thoughts about it...

"Freedom to do the things that we like would be our own constraint to do the things that would honor God.
But being given the constraints to do the things that we would love to do would be the freedom to do the things that would honor God."

For a Christian, being barred and constrained to do the things that would mar us for eternity, is freedom.
For the reprobate, the freedom to do the things that they love to do is their own constraint for eternal salvation.

So when you actually think about it, there really is no such thing as "freedom". We're only free to do the things we love to do as the same as we being constrained from the things that we love to do.

So in conclusion to this thought, the true delight and satisfaction that we receive from the love of Jesus Christ that was portrayed on the cross and on the life that one Christian lives out is the freedom that a Christian would love and truly enjoy. Loving the cares of this world would never be seen as a constraint in a Christian's life but him being free to thinking that it's a constraint is the true freedom that he'll enjoy. That is part of the freedom that Christ gave through the cross.

A Year After

March 6, 2010.

It was a night that wasn't like any other nights that I've experienced before. It did start out pretty normal, but I never knew what was going to happen that night. I already have marked and tagged myself as a version 2.0 of  me. Little did I know I will become indeed a version 2 of me.

You see, March 6, 2010 was the night I have felt something that I've never felt before. It was the night that I cried out and sought Jesus like I never did before. It was the night that He changed my heart. And today marks the very first year since that night.

The verse you see in the picture is the very verse that God has told me to turn to when I get home.

"He began to be in need." is the very verse that showed up when I turned to this verse. The very thing that I was feeling that night that made me turn to something that I have tried to avoid for months. I began to feel in need, and that very moment I turned to prayer. A prayer that made me ask God to show me square 1. And that He did.

I celebrate today with joy and gratefulness in my heart for it is the very day that God have surgically replaced my heart. Truly, that day, I became the version 2 of myself. No longer cold, far and rebellious against God but one that runs towards Him and totally depends on Him on all things.

Now, a year after, I'm still at awe at that very day that I received the joy of my salvation. I don't think no other experience could ever top that. It was the very day that made me just hold on to my bible and not let go of it. And to think, hours before that, opening and reading from it was something that I would have an allergic reaction to. I can't explain the whole feeling of it, but to sum it up, that night truly was refreshing. That night, I would say, I was born again.

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' The wind blows where it wishes and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the spirit" - John 3:5-8 (ESV)

I thank you Jesus for that very day when you came into my life and replaced my heart. I thank you for this new heart, this new life that you have granted me, one that I do not deserve. I know, from my previous actions that I deserve being forsaken by someone as awesome as you, yet you gave me this new heart that is able to see and recognize what you've done to the cross and eventually get into this relationship with you. Get into this very thing where in I would be able to experience the awesomeness that you are. Oh, my mouth that once sputtered filthy words that came from my heart is now replaced with repentance and praise of your Holy name. May I have more of you and less of me as I celebrate this day. I have nothing but love for the one who has given me Love. With my life, I pray that I'll forever give you praise, this I ask through Your Son, Jesus...

Amen.

The Edge of Twenty Five

Twenty five has been a blast, and as I'm hours away from bidding it farewell, I'd want to continue on with tradition. Every year, I find myself recalling bits and pieces and mostly just writing about the year that was, this year, I might be left to write a novel as my 25th year is nothing more but a BLAST!

First I wanna start things off with this verse...

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. James 1:17 (ESV)

My 25th year couldn't have started with a surgery. God gave me a new heart (Ezk 36:26) and that is the most awesome gift anyone could ever have. A heart that recognizes God and repents for the things that it has done. I've gone from not knowing anything of the Bible for 24 years being a human being and 8 more years being a Christian, to I can probably tell you everything about Paul's letter to the Romans. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bragging, it's just that I fell toooooo in love with reading and getting to know of Jesus, it just happened.

Reading was one of the biggest turn around this year. "I'd prefer moving pictures" is what I usually say, but I think I spent a fortune building a library of books about God. I could never stop myself from reading these books! I don't know if it's an obsession, but I just couldn't stop knowing of God and wanting to know more about Him. And this... this very desire is the one that I'm most thankful of. By myself? I don't know if I could've done that turnaround myself. The very desire to know of Him, the desire to read, and mostly the desire to repent and get back on track running towards him is something of Him. God I thank you for all of these things and I want to give credit to none other but you for the life that you've given me this past year. It was surely something to write about and something to brag about. And I'm just about to start to blog about this year.

I also thank you Jesus for the new office that you've placed me. It's not because I didn't want to leave the old one, but I guess He really wanted me to leave the old company that I worked with. I'm also thankful to them for the opportunity, and trust, that they gave someone like me. And because of them, I grew professionally and was able to land on the job that I'm working on. It even had a funny story along with it, I think none of my experiences really made me land the job, but one conversation with my boss, he told me specifically that he really wanted to hire me because I was a Christian. During the interview, they were asking me about what kind of leadership skills I got, and as I was running out of experiences to share, then came my experience in leading young guys to the Lord. And so I told myself, what the heck, I'll just blurt it out, I'm leading a life group and part of the youth leadership in our church. This is what I shared during my job interview, and I am surprised that this is what sealed the deal. Big props to you Big G! Now I'm enjoying being busy and doing all these things for the Lord. I've never thought I'd be happy being busy hah!

I thank you Jesus for a renewed and strengthened relationship with my family. Along with God's heart surgery is the sucking out the pride in me. I've walked long enough to think I've got it all together and I am above all things, but throughout this year, experiences and situations lead me to know this. I am nothing apart from Christ (Jn 15:5). I pray that I've been more of a blessing than a scorn to their flesh. I thank God for them, all of them, if not for them I wouldn't be any close to who I am right now. All the love and discipline that I've received from them has truly did its job. God in his ultimate wisdom knew where to place me. I love you guys! :)

Friends, what would I be and where would I be without you guys. I have nothing but love and gratefulness for you guys. You helped me stay together when I was crumbling and helped me stay grounded when I was all high and lofty. You're the awesomest friends anyone could ever have. I thank God in my prayers for you guys, each and every night. You guys are more than a blessing to me and my walk. It's been awesome being your big brother throughout this year and I hope to be more of a blessing to you guys in return. I know we haven't been seeing each other and never been complete together in one day, but I hope that we'd get to hang out like before. You know who you are.

And to you...

I literally have no words to express how grateful I am for you. You're the very proof that God does indeed know my heart more than I do. I can never ask for anyone else. To save the public from cheese, I think it's heatlhy that I'd just email you personally these things. But thank you for a wonderful year and more wonderful years to come. You're truly a blessing to me and surprisingly to my friends as well. :*

I just can't put into words how wonderful this year has been. All I could do is lift my hands in praise and gratefulness to the King that has made sure that all things would work together for His praise. Another lost sheep found, another lost son was brought back home. I thank You for everything.

On to the next one...
26 here I come

Book Review: Not Even A Hint by Joshua Harris

I wrote this book for both men and women. Why? Because lust isn’t a male problem. It is a human problem. It ruins our relationships, robs us of spiritual passion, and leaves us feeling hollow…

But the truth is that you and I don’t have to stay on that treadmill of guilt and shame. God calls us to a high standard - not even a hit of sexual impurity. And he gives us everything we need to make it a reality.

If you’re ready for a practical grace-centered plan for defeating lust and celebrating purity, I hope you’ll join me on a most promising journey.

- Joshua Harris

Lust goes beyond attraction, an appreciation of beauty, or even a healthy desire for sex - it makes these desires more important than God. Lust wants to go outside God’s guidelines to find satisfaction. - Joshua Harris, Not Even A Hint, Chapter 1 - The truth about Lust.

This is what lust is. It goes beyond God and centers on self. You’ll find that lust’s only concern is self satisfaction. We shouldn’t look far more than ourselves when we lust after the things that we do. What we first have to distinguish is the truths between what’s healthy and what’s not. Joshua Harris’ book, Not even a Hint made clear for that. 

He later on changed the title for this book to Sex is not the problem, lust is. This is what we should know. Sex shouldn’t be feared nor considered taboo. Lust is what makes this gift of God towards married couples dirty. This is what this book is addressing. I find the book really helpful the second time around. I have read this before and I would say that I have forgotten mostly what it said. Now that I’m in the will of God’s learning curve of sanctification in my life I find that the words that Harris wrote here helps more.

If you find yourself in a sick cycle of falling into this trap, and wanting to get out, I would suggest you pick up this book. Men and women alike. As Harris bluntly said, this is not just a man’s problem but a human problem. We need to know when to open ourselves towards this idea.

This book is split into 10 chapters and 3 parts. 

Part One discusses the Truth about Lust. This part consists of 3 chapters that will redeem the purpose for sex, the proper identification between our design to have sex drives and lust and the reality of us not being able to save ourselves from it. 

Part two, In the Thick of the Battle, gives perspective of the authors personal journey in battling lust and gives suggestions and ideas on why we’re in it and what we could possibly do to avoid it. I personally liked one of his suggestions but I’ll leave you, the next reader to see it for yourself.

Part three, Strategies for Long-Term Change, will give you suggestions by the author on what we could possibly do to make our desire to defeat lust gain ground over the shackles that held us in it.

I would really suggest this book for everyone who would want to defeat lust in order for them to be more that just a Christian in title but also a blessing towards the people around them. May you be not just a good partner for the one you’re with but also a sturdy support for others who are weak against it.

Not even a hint will not just leave you with self written contracts and ideas on how you, yourself alone, will be able to fight this sin that the Bible instructs us to flee from. Joshua Harris will really point you towards the truths about God as was stated in the Bible to fight against it.

With all that is said and done, if you haven’t done so yet, pick it up. If you already have this one in your library and still desiring to live a life closer to God and away from this, read it all over again.

“We must fight fire with fire. The fire of lust’s pleasures must be fought with the fire of God’s pleasures. If we try to fight the fire of lust with prohibitions and threats alone - even the terrible warnings of Jesus - we will fail. We must fight it with the massive promise of superior happiness. We must swallow up the little flicker of lust’s pleasure in the confagration of holy satisfaction” John Piper - Future Grace

Other Book Recommendations with regards to this topic:

Porn-Again Christian - Mark Driscoll

Triumph over Temptation - John Owen

Tap: Defeating the sins that defeat you - Yancey Arrington

Book Review: C.H. Spurgeon, All of Grace

The object of this book is the salvation of the reader

This 128 paged book that’s about 8 inches long is one that I would call a pocket dynamite. It fits in the back pocket of my jeans but has contents that would last forever.

In All of Grace, Spurgeon tackled the essentials of faith. He explains in detail, and in old english, the truths on justification and our nothingness.

Spurgeon concentrates on the technicalities or what happens in the background throughout salvation. It will give you a solid idea on what Justification is and an understanding on Faith and Grace.

One chapter in particular that made me weep as I understood the gravity of it was on Man’s Nothingness. It’s the 11th chapter that he entitled as I Can Do Nothing!. It will give you an understanding on Romans chapter 5.

It contains 20 short, concrete and straightforward chapters that goes from Justification to Preservation. It won’t leave you hanging as a perfect conclusion was written towards the end.

If you would like to see and understand God’s grace, then I would highly suggest you to read this book. I’d probably suggest that you’d get to pickup a more modern translation as I endured thee, thy, and all the -est from this guy.

The Lord does, in fact, produce the new birth in all who believe in Jesus, and their believing is the surest evidence that they are born again.
- C.H. Spurgeon

Psalm 104 Notes: Trust, Faith, Creation and Suffering

O Lord, how manifold are your works. In wisdom you have made them all. The earth is full of your creatures

Psalm 104:24

The whole Psalm 104 talks about the things that we normally see happen around us. But one thing I cannot deny as I was pondering on this Psalm is how everything just works together like a perfectly planned blueprint of creation. Everything, working together.

One thing that I have picked up from this is seeing and being confident in trusting the Lord’s wisdom.
I look all around and there, everywhere, I see the Lord’s wisdom through his creation.

Book Review: Don't Waste Your Life

After 9 days of 1 chapter each, I would say, this book by far… the most enjoyable book I have read this year (hehe).

But with all seriousness. Don’t Waste Your Life is something that I would suggest all Christians to read. This book will certainly act as a compass to where we should look and what we should look at.

It addresses the most common sickness known to men, and Christians alike, is complacency. We tend to see the cross of Christ, learn about salvation and sit back relax and be satisfied that we won’t suffer from guilt of sin and the fires of hell. This book should challenge you to look more beyond that.

So if you want to challenge yourself to look beyond that mediocrity and know what we should be gunning for, go ahead and pick this book up. Read it, understand it and hopefully enjoy it. Hopefully you’ll get to understand that it’s not us that we should be making much of, but Him who is worthy of all praise. Let’s all strive to understand and be satisfied by that fact so that in the end, we’ll look back and say yes, we didn’t waste our life.

God loves us by liberating us from the bondage of self so that we can enjoy knowing and admiring him forever. — John Piper

A Blog About God's Grace and the Seriousness of Sin

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Psalm 103:10-12

Gift - noun

something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient orwithout its being earned

----

And if there's anything that wrecks my heart more, its this.

"He does not treat us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities."

I don't think one would get to see this clearly if one wouldn't consider the seriousness of sin.

Let me share to you how I came into having an idea of how serious sin is.

Psalm 1 Notes

So I was helping my Bubby memorize Psalm 1 for her Bible Study group a few weeks ago. As we kept on repeating and repeating the verses, it was like a nail being hammered to me as I found these verses more beautiful than I have initially thought.
 
Here are my notes on the 1st Psalm.

Top 5 Books Read in 2010

This is the year that I have flushed down quite a number of books down my library. So here, I give you the top 5 books that I have read last year.
1. Dug Down Deep - Joshua Harris

This book helped me out a lot when it comes to guiding me to where I should go with this new desire of knowing God. I just considered myself saved last March of 2010 and this book most certainly brought in the light to shine the things that I have been totally missing my whole life. Finding out who God is through scripture.
I've come to learn that theology matters. And it matters not because we want a good grade on a test but because what we know about God shapes the way we think and live. What you believe about God's nature-- what he is like, what he wants from you, and whether or not you will answer to him--affects every part of your life.- Joshua Harris, Dug Down Deep

2. Your Mind Matters - John Stott

This book set a blaze a fire within me to just know more and more and more. Any feeling that I feel should always be set ablaze by the truth that the Bible testifies about God. In lieu to what Dug Down Deep was, a lot of people has ideas about God. Oprah has one, Deepak Chopra has one, and probably your next door neighbor has one. In order for us not to be easily deceived we need to set our foot on the very book that testifies about the real God.
We shouldn't just bank on our feelings and emotions about God. Our hearts can easily deceive us. Everything else should be set in motion about the facts, the realities and what we know in our head and then catapult our emotions to what we know is real.
I am not pleading for a dry, humorless, academic Christianity, but for a warm devotion set on fire by truth. - John Stott, Your Mind Matters
3. Justification By Faith Alone - R.C. Sproul

To better understand where our faith totally lies I would suggest one should pick up this little dynamite by R.C. Sproul. This book answers on where our whole faith lies. What is it that we believe that Christ has accomplished on the Cross. How are we, Christian followers, declared righteous before the sight of God.
Without sola fide (justification by faith alone) one does not have the gospel; and without the gospel one does not have the Christian faith. - R.C. Sproul, Justification by Faith Alone
4. This Momentary Marriage - John Piper

I have always been the guy that has respected and take relationships seriously. It's not just something people should try out, it's something everyone should work for. And I thought I've got it all together before I even get to read this book. Dr. Piper has managed to rearrange the seriousness of relationships, commitments, and covenants to a whole new level.
As Dennis Rainey stated on his review that this is not just a How To on marriage, this is a why to book about marriage.
This Momentary Marriage managed to point the whole model of marriage back to the Gospel. And I wouldn't just recommend married or those to be married couples to read this book, I would also suggest single people with a desire to be married one day to grab a hold on this book.
Staying married, therefore, is not mainly about staying in love. It is about keeping covenant. "Till death do us part" or "As long as we both shall live" is a sacred covenant promise- the same kind Jesus made with his bride when he died for her.
Christ will never leave his wife. Ever. There may be times of painful distance and tragic backsliding on our part. But Christ keeps his covenant forever. Marriage is a display of that! That is the ultimate thing we can say about it. It puts the glory of Christ's covenant-keeping love on display. - John Piper, This Momentary Marraige
5. Triumph Over Temptation - John Owen

Recently finished and instantly loved. I've been munching on this book for quite some time now because I just have to admit, it's not an easy read. John Owen is one of the prominent Puritans that came out of their days and his treatise on The Mortification of Sin has been one of his most celebrated writings.
This book is a compilation of his three treatises regarding sin. These works of Owen are Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers, Of Temptation, and The Nature, Power, Deceit, and Prevalency of Indwelling Sin.
Anyone who would want to understand or at least see the glimpse of the corruption that we have within us should get a grab of this book. If you could recall the verse in the book of Jeremiah that describes the nature of our hearts as being deceitful, it is because of the sin that dwells within us.
This has totally acted as a mirror in my life and every chapter made me reflect on everything that I have done, am doing and what could possibly do. This book made me extra gracious to the people that I am leading as well since you'll start to understand the corruption that we have within our lives.
I enjoyed reading the last portion which discusses the mortification of sin since it gave out practical things to follow or to check with regards to the sins that we would want to cut off from our lives.
This book will truly help you point out that our salvation is truly of the Lord's and not from us.
When we realize a constant enemy of the soul abides within us, what diligence and watchfulness we should have!
We need to be awake, then, if our hearts would know the ways of God.
Our enemy is not only upon us as it was with Samson, but is also in us. - John Owen, Triumph Over Temptation
Notables:
1. Dangerous Duty of Delight - John Piper
2. Pierced by the Word - John Piper
3. The Five Points of Calvinism - Edwin Palmer
4. The Reformation - Stephen Nichols
5. The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God - D.A. Carson