God

He is SOVEREIGN.

down llooww

poem that i shared at uwccf sharing night, fall 2010. spent the past month or so writing it, mainly hitting stuff i've been learning about this past while, especially on humility. it's intended for a Christian-cultured audience, not necessarily for those outside the church, but at the same time for those who are raised in a 'christian' environment.

and some rhymes might be pretty bad. just warning you now lest you choose to be a grammar nazi. you gotta say it with an accent.

shout out the the chil phan for inspiration :)

down low

a lot of us think we got our lives together

high marks, got a job, and now you dressed in leather

got you running the show like you darth vader,

but it's all kinda pointless if it ain't for the Maker.

so now you a baker and you make lotsa bread

but who is it made fo', yourself or your Dad?

i ain't mad but what i said ain't 'bout your dad on this earth

i'm talking about God, the one who gave you new birth.

if this new birth's for fame, mayne, you got it all wrong

cuz the glory is His', He's been King all along

these songs today are just about making that ice

but i can't, i'm reborn, too busy chasing the Christ.

no more wastin' my life, or putting myself on the throne

so when i see God i won't be defending alone.

Christ paid for my sins and resurrected on high

so while we here to live is Christ and to gain is to die.

but why do you sigh when i cry out the truth?

life ain't 'bout gettin' hitched like boaz and ruth.

now don't me wrong because that ain't a sin

it only becomes one if you put it before Him.

idolatry can come in many shapes; many forms

just cuz you go to church don't mean you've been reborn

and yeah, this committee here might look pretty tight

but that's cuz we're WEAK, that's how God shows us his might

for most of us here it might be school that's the idol

or perhaps it's being lazy, sitting still, being idle.

maybe it's 'bout being king, and your new job title

no homie, please don't assume the LORD's title.

and what's the LORD's title, anyone got a verdict?

no? well He's Holy, Righteous, Creator of All but most of all He's Perfect

so murk it if you think you got all those qualities bro

i can't compete with the Christ, i'm just dirt down below

you see the dirt that i am was at one point lost

blind, 'til God sent His Son to cover the cost

of all my lies, all my pride, all the porn that i've seen

but the blood of Christ paid for 'em just so i could be clean

and it ain't a dream, this ain't starcraft, it ain't just a game

i'll open up my life so y'all can see that i'm lame

it's only in His Name that i'm redeemed from the blame

so mayne we ain't ashamed when we call out His Name

we're the same, look at me, i'm no better than you

we've all fallen short; if anything i'm the foo'

you see, God chooses to use the foo's to shame all the wised

so that no one can boast except in the Christ

let me end off and say that we are because we're not

that we are worth-less, until we are bought

from the grip of death; now i'm snatched up outta hell

so we can bring Him the glory and rep His Name well.

so for all of us in Christ, let us pick up our cross

and deny ourselves daily, count this world as a loss

be obedient to the Word, to every whisper and call

to lead, to love, to serve, because Christ is our ALL.

i must decrease

sometimes, i wish that people would just stop seeing Godly people and say, "wow, they love God so much. i wish i were like them", or "they're so hardcore. they know the bible inside-out". two reasons:

a) they're not really godly, and they're just posers and a fraud, but more importantly...

b) they are Christ-centered. Question: who exactly do you think is the one who made them into who they are, the bible-loving, Christ-centered, Jesus fanatic? is it themselves? think again.

chances are (and these are pretty high chances, if you ask me), God is the one doing the work, and ultimately all the glory should go to Him. our joy should be greatest when people start seeing The Creator of the Universe behind this broken piece of glass instead of how good we look now. the life-changing, transforming power should point back to the work on the Cross and not at our own lives and how we've worked so hard to change it.

SO, as a final thought...do we take joy in decreasing, diminishing, being made into nothing while God is being lifted high in your life?

"That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less.”

John 3:29-30

...to die is gain.

no, i am not emo, or wanting to take my own life. so please, don't think i'm gonna kill myself aha. the other part (to live is Christ) i'll post later since it's so much juicier.

HOWEVER, when we think about it, how willing are we to die? Are there things that we want to do before we leave this earth? Get married, have kids, get a house, do something adventurous, what is it? As a Christian, I truly believe that to die is gain. I can care less when I die, whether it's next week, 70 years later, in the next 10 minutes, doesn't really matter. What matters is if I know where I'm going. My citizenship is in heaven, and I eagerly await my Saviour from there, the LORD Jesus Christ. (phil 3)

So (back to the question of the week a week back), then, who is your LORD? Is it the idea of marriage, perhaps the mortgage bill, your family, the next paycheck? What do you live for and what do you have hope in? Who is your LORD? Are you ready for His return, or the day you die? Is death (physically) a gain for you, or will you just lose everything you've stored up on this earth?

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:20-21, NIV)

chapter 3

One chapter that I've recently finished in my life is one of violence. Back in high school, I used to relish in violence and gory bloodshed, and it was to me entertainment. I was known at school for my violent tendencies (although I never really did anything since I'm a rather small person :P)

However, as of late, I realized that I became disgusted at gory things. I would feel sick if I saw, even in movies, things that are plain violent and unnecessary. I still enjoy well-choreographed fight scenes (such as 300, oh man), which I see as more artistic. I like those fight scenes where the guy just flows from one place to another. What I don't like is exposing guts and whatnot. It's weird. I've never really thought that I'd be changed so much, but thinking about it, it's not really me.

Naturally, I'd probably still enjoy those things. I guess it's a result of the renewing of my mind, and turning to what God loves and hating what He hates.

don't worry be happy!

even the non-Christians get it haha

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bNE-5TVAmg

so why worry? ^_^

fools rush in

what a fool i've been. to think that i can be someone without Him. to think that i am something when i am nothing. trying to be something i'm not; trying to be someone of this world. why? what made me like this? why do i still love the things of the world? are YOU not enough? no. i'm a failure, that's why. and i continue to be a failure as long as i don't cling to You. Lord, bring me back. i've gone too far, strayed too much. all i want is to see You again. help me to see these worldly things as rubbish, as garbage, as meaningless. and help me see that You are worthy of all my praise, that for You alone are life is worth living, that only You can satisfy. i'm done living as a fool of this world. let me be a fool for Christ instead.

July 16, 2010

Please note this is a rather hefty thing I wrote. It's not intended or directed for any one person, but just as an observation on whole. Feel free to comment, let me know if I'm wrong, or if you think I'm a crazy heretic or something :P Here goes.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to be on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' "

- Matthew 7:21-23

As I tried to sleep tonight, I realized something. And this kept me up all night because I was greatly saddened by the reality. I was saddened in the fact that although many people call themselves CHRISTians, few have actually met the Creator of the Universe, the Lord God Almighty, Alpha Omega, Jesus Christ my LORD and my Saviour.

This realization led me to understand why so-called Christians are lazy and don't seem to have God first in their lives. And that is because THEY DON'T. They think that they got the whole eternity thing figured out, that they're going to heaven because they prayed a prayer one time, or that they go to church and fellowship and read the Bible everyday. They feel as if they've already earned salvation so they move on with the rest of their lives.

If you are Christian, you will realize that you must continue to work out salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12) That is to say: on your own, you can never be good enough in the eyes of the LORD. (Romans 3)You cannot call yourself a Christ Follower if you do not devote yourself 100% to Christ. You are not a Christian if you think you can let Jesus control a part of your life but not ALL of it. (Note: it's not to say that a new believer or a immature Christian is not saved. I am not trying to question salvation, but rather your willingness to be sold out for Christ)

No. If Christ is not EVERYTHING in your life, then He is nothing in your life. If you call yourself a Christian, live up to it. Do not blaspheme the name of the LORD my God. If you don't plan on surrendering your sinful desires, or your plans, your dreams, or your hopes to God, then please don't try. God doesn't accept half-hearted sacrifices. (Malachi 1) And besides, it's no sacrifice anyways.

So why do you continue to call yourself a Christian, when you revel in SIN, and when you enjoy the same entertainment of the world around us? What makes you different except that you're busy on Friday nights and Sunday mornings? You say you have to be a part of this world, but I say that we find our citizenship in Heaven (Philippians 3:20) You say that you have become all these things in order to 'minister' to all these people (1 Corinthians 9:19), but all you do is give an excuse to sin freely. You say 'everything is permissible', but 'nobody should seek hos own good, but the good of others'. (1 Corinthians 10:23-24)

So please. Do not use the LORD's name in vain. If you claim to be a Christ follower, then be prepared to lose everything to gain Everything. If not, then do not use my God's Holy Name in vain. Do not use His Righteous Name to bring glory to yourself. If you seek the praise of man, then go for it. But if you want to seek the praise of God, then stop indulging in this worldliness. Wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed! (Romans 13:11) Live a life of Christ that is worthy of a life of Christ. Take up the cross. Suffer for it. Let all men hate you because of what you believe and trust. (Matthew 10:22) Stand up, men and women of God, and forsake everything for the sake of knowing the LORD Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:8)

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it."

- Matthew 10:37-39

i'm a saint

Hook:

Yeah they tell me sugar coat it, dumb it down but I can't
Might as well could deny the Jesus and be ashamed but I ain't...imma saint
'Til the day I see the grave I'm going hard in the paint
It's the only hope we got that's why I'll die for the faith...imma saint

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjgBhpanOfQ

Is it your only hope?

The Gift Nobody Wants

"A good tree cannot bear bad fruit"

It is seeing an apple tree and seeing one or two bad apples, but seeing the rest of the tree produce thousands of healthy fruit. It is still a good tree.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=799d7Tl5uCM

oh man so good

recently been getting into latin music. wahh too goooddd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8cmHPSW_7Q

You Might Not Finish This Chapter

An excerpt from Crazy Love, by Francis Chan, p. 41-42

When I am consumed by my problems - stressed out about my life, my family, my job - I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have the "right" to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities.

Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives.

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it's okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small, indeed.

Why are we so quick to forget God? Who do we think we are?

the gate is narrow

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
- Matthew 7:13-14

I think that this verse refers to Christians as a whole; the wide gate and the wide road is often seen as the 'wrong way to go', and rightly so. But the narrow gate and the narrow road is one that leads to heaven. I believe that this applies to Christians who choose the narrow gate, but find it much easier to walk the wide road.

Christianity. Is. Hard. It's not meant to be easy living as a Christian. You will be persecuted (Matthew 5), you're meant to suffer (James 1), you're supposed to DIE to your earthly desires (Romans 6), and you should consider everything trash for the sake of knowing Christ Jesus (Philippians 3). Yet we live in a culture that clearly does not endorse these things. Heck, I live a life that doesn't endorse these things.

When was the last time you were persecuted? Or how often to you suffer because you are sharing the Gospel? Are you sin-free? Do you still value material possessions (a lot)? I'm not saying that you have to be all these things to be a Christian, but rather our lives should show a change if we have been changed by Christ. It won't be perfect, but as your relationship with Christ deepens, you'll naturally want those things, or you'll naturally suffer because you are sharing the Good News. Our lives will gradually but surely become more and more Christ-like.

being wrong

...it sometimes sucks. but guess what, it's relieving to know that you were.

Another Religion

"If we were to set out to establish a religion in polar opposition to the Beatitudes Jesus taught, it would look strikingly similar to the pop Christianity that has taken over the airwaves of North America."
-Tony Campolo,from The Irresistible Revolution, p. 269

I wrote this on May 12, 2010 during a UWCRT Bomber shift while reading through The Irresistible Revolution. Here it is:

Is Christianity about gorging ourselves on Christian books, going to church on Sunday, listening to worship music, knowing all the books of the bible, or asking God to help you with your school marks or help you get a job? (I hope you realize the answer is no.) All too often we find ourselves following an idol of Jesus, not Jesus Himself. We pick the qualities that our human nature wants and we put it on a pedestal, on a totem. The other things, the "harder" things to do, we ignore and say it's not important or we don't have a passion for it. We want God on our side when we have exams, or job hunts, or things that annoy us, but we just say "I'm not made that way" when you are called to hang out with the homeless or care for our enemies.

Christianity is NOT about having all the 'Christian' books you can get your hands on, or having the latest Starfield album, or going to fellowship, or going to church, or constantly "building each other up". It's not praying for marks or getting jobs or for getting interviews. It's not sponsoring children, leading worship, opening your house, feeding people, or being on committee. Christianity is not a set of rules to follow, and it's not the freedom to do whatever you want because "God has already forgiven me." Christianity is not having good stuff happen to you and praising God, and not questioning "Where is God" when life takes an unexpected turn. Christianity is not about going to retreats, it's not about having good friends, or not doing drugs. It's not protesting against the government or voting conservative. REAL Christianity is not what it seems like today.

So then, WHAT. IS. CHRISTIANITY?
Christianity, then, is genuinely devoting your life to God. It is a desire and passion to leave all worldly things behind. It is a desire to flee from money, comfort, health, safety, sex, being popular, being successful, being powerful. It is a desire for the ONE and ONLY true God. It is to seek a life that is not your own. It is spending time with the homeless. It is spending time with the rich. It is forsaking everything physical that you can find on this planet. And Christianity is about enjoying it. To be a Christ follower means that you demonstrate love, to love thouse who are unloved, to touch the lepers, to eat with the hungry. It is to share the message of Christ and His redeeming grace, and to live it out here on earth. It is giving your coat, your other cheek, the extra mile, and seeing the image of God behind the person. It is loving those that Christ called his brothers (and sisters I suppose); the prostitutes, the lawyers, the fools, the church-goers, the drug dealers, the diseased, the homeless, the Christians, the gangsters, the frauuds, thieves, murderers, rapists, people-who-piss-you-off, politicians, sinners, drunks, everybody.

So then, what is this "Christianity" that I see today? It is not the way Jesus taught it, that's for sure. Humongous church buildings and BMW's at "church"? Strong hatred towards the gays and lesbians? Exclusive Chinese Christian circles? Why has Christianity turned from a relationship with the Creator of the Universe, to another industry, another commerce, another trade, another business? It makes me sick.

If being a Christian is about fitting in, or filling myself up with books to regurgitate with others, or being a good kid, I'm done. If Christianity merely offers life after death, or if it means living a comfortably safe life, or following a set of rules, it's over.

I want to live a Christian life that brings the Kingdom of Heaven to earth NOW. I want to live a Christian life that loves all people, regardless of where they'll end up (ie. heaven or hell. that's about all the options there are). i want to live a Christian life that is not my life, but a life that God can fully use for His glory. I want to live a Christian life that is not confined by what the "church" tells me, but one that listens to every whisper from God. A life of love, of grace, of mercy, and of Christ.

Tears of the Saints; Leeland

There are many prodigal sons
On our city streets they run
Searching for shelter
There are homes broken down
People's hopes have fallen to the ground
From failures

This is an emergency!

There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We're crying for them come back home
We're crying for them come back home
And all your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

There are schools full of hatred
Even churches have forsaken
Love and mercy
May we see this generation
In it's state of desperation
For Your glory

This is an emergency!

Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!
Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!

And all Your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

bald!

so...i shaved my head today after raymond wanted some practice with his barber tools. i have to say it is really breezy up there now :P, not to mention interesting in appearance.

haha...my dream of being bald at least once in my life is now complete. i'll have pictures up soon hopefully (or from sean, since he took pics)

freedom from sin

Recently, God has taught me the importance of the Gospel and what it means in my life. Many churches teach and many people believe in a Gospel that says you are free from the punishments of sin. They teach how you are free from the harm, the repercussions, and the "bad things" that sin brings. While that is true, that is NOT the full Gospel.

If Jesus died to merely relieve us of the hefty punishments of sin, then that is meaningless. My Jesus did not die to just 'forgive' my sins, but He died to free from its bondage. Let me explain. Many 'Christians' believe that the Jesus has forgiven our sins, but continue sinning (the same habitual sin) thinking that they do not have any fault any more.

BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? Nothing. Jesus did not die to ONLY forgive sins. He died to free us from the bondage of sin, from the seemingly-never-ending cycle of pain and suffering. He died so we might have LIFE in Him. And if this life in Him is genuine, where does sin belong? (it was a rhetorical question, but the answer is nowhere)

5If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with,[a] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Freedom from sin does not entail only forgiveness; it is a part of it, but the greater part is the freedom from sin itself, to be able to live life without sin whatsoever. Being a slave to righteousness, to God, means you cannot be bound to sin at all. It is impossible to be both a slave to sin and a slave to God.

how many times...

how many times have we called out to God for "repentance", and then how many times do we fall back into our pattern of sin? how many times do we genuinely believe we are saved from the punishments of sin, but yet are not free from the bondage of sin itself? how many times do we call on God to save us, but turn away from Him once He does. how many times do we ask God to forgive ourselves yet ask God to discipline those who sin against Him? how many times does God offer a way out of temptation and we just ignore it. HOW MANY TIMES DO WE, LIKE DOGS, GO BACK TO OUR OWN VOMIT?

when will we stop being slaves to sin and become slaves to righteousness?

the Gospel

On evangelism. Everything I need to say can be said by this man. If you consider yourself a Christian, spend one hour of your time to watch this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shxQcczYuAA

suffering pt.2

So again on the thought of suffering, why do we do the things we do? As a North American I feel this is probably one of the hardest place to grow up as a genuine-for-reals-and-for-trues Christian. It's so easy to live in comfort and just do the things we enjoy, or do the things we are used to.

However, that does not necessarily mean that those who are poorer are any more Godly than those who are not. I was talking to byli and he mentioned how there are both righteous rich and righteous poor, and likewise with the unrighteous. What that means is that ultimately what we do with our things does not matter inasmuch as where our hearts are on the issue. For example, if i were to sacrifice all my material possessions for the sake of "just doing it" or "to look good in front of other people", then that is meaningless.

Again, that is not to say that it's alright to flaunt around with excess wealth. It merely becomes more difficult (in my opinion) to remain humble and rely more on God. The money given to us can be a blessing, yes, but it can also be a curse in which you rely on your wealth to pull you through rough times rather than relying completely and utterly on God the Father, who sustains us.

So then, where do you draw the line? Is it okay to possess ridiculous amounts of wealth, or should we continue to be generous (with your heart in the right place, of course) to the point where you only keep enough to live?

blood donation

sup boys and girls
i think blogging isn't so bad anymore. will try to keep it updated whenever i can

anyways, there are blood donor people over at the SLC today, from sometime until 4. drop by and donate some blood! http://blood.ca

committee

When the first deadline to apply came by, I declined the call to take up the role of committee (or at least running for it). However, as of last Wednesday, things have changed. Thanks Derek for sending me the email (despite how late it was :P) which has since made me reconsider applying for committee (to uwccf, for those uninformed).

My original reasons for not applying for committee was because of three reasons. One being my inability to lead when there are, in my opinion, others who are more capable to lead a fellowship. My second reason was regarding my want to do things outside of fellowship: house ministries, homeless ministries, one-on-one caring to name a few. I figured that being on committee would limit my time to do these things, or perhaps limit my "permission", so to speak, to run these things. Reason three was pride. I felt that when or if I applied to committee I would consider myself higher or "more elite" than those who did not apply. Reason rebuttal in next paragraph :P

So. Reason one was easy. It didn't take long for me to realize (once again) that God does not look for perfect people to accomplish His will. He looks for those who are broken, those who are humble, and those who are willing. You don't need to be a super-intense-hardcore-beastmachine Christian to serve. Serving is something that is a privilege given to us and should not reflect on what we are capable or not; if we are called to a certain role, God will provide us the necessary tools to accomplish said role. Second reason. I was talking with an LCCF committee member and he had the same thoughts when it came to this as well. However, he made me realize that being part of committee does not limit what you can do; it only gives you more freedom to do things. I can be on committee and still hang out with froshies, or cook for sick people, or chill with some guys downtown. Committee just adds a bonus, if you will, to what I can or cannot do. Third reason was pride. And to be honest, I'm not over this one yet, and if you are reading this and you sense pride in me at any time of my life (whether committee or not), please just tell me. I would prefer be bashed by a friend than going around being a douchebag. As for pride, I think it would be best to view committee not as some high-up elite service role, but more of a unique place for unique people, just as everyone is called to serve in some capacity. It may be leading worship, or caring ministries, or perhaps talking to janitors after CCF. Whatever it is, each of us have a place to serve and committee is just another one of them.

So, pray for the best. Will update on the comfort post soontimes, just have to get this out before it goes stale in my brains. :) thanks for reading

suffering

wow it's been almost a year since i've last blogged O_O shows how much i love computers hahaha (and/or have the ability to use one) and also, who is stsip? :P

So. I've been thinking for a while on the thought of suffering and discomfort. along with derk's post on TCB (http://thechristianbubble.blogspot.com/2010/03/comfy-christians.html), and going back to deedz in a long times (deedz.ca), I've been caught up with the thought of suffering, discomfort and where it all leads.

My initial reaction was, pardon the passion, disgust and revolt of the North American culture in which we live our lives so comfortably. I don't understand how you can call yourself Christian when you have brothers and sister that are suffering daily, not even necessarily far away. At the same time I'm shocked at the blindness of our culture; even when somebody is suffering we do our best to hide this weakness, as if everything in our lives are perfect all the time. "How are you doing?" "Oh, I'm doing fine." WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?! If you're upset with something, or if you're going through rough times, just say it.

Anyways, my post is not on that. My post focuses more on discomfort and being comfortable with it. This thought originates with a lot of older generations, around their 30s and 40s. When I look at my parents, or pastors around that age, I wonder where all the passion went. What they go through in their lives and what they say do not match. "You must give Jesus your everything" ...but at the same time you hoard a ton of unnecessary material possessions. "You should spend time with the homeless and the suffering; those in prison and those who are hungry and sick" ...but all you ever do is sit around with the same small group FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS. "Please pray for my sufferings" ...but you never pray for those who are hurting and you know it.

How is it that these people can say all these things (and I believe that at some point meant something to them) but not live out the life that we are called to? My answer was comfort. Growing up as a teen/young adult means a lot of experimentation, and a lot of new experiences. Once you hit that age, you have a family to care for, a house to pay for, and a bunch of other things to do since "you're an adult now". However, you're living a life of comfort and of complacency, and I freely use those terms interchangeably. And while you *can* do these things, I do not think they are necessary. Why devote so much time to things that are of this earth? When you die, none of these things last. Generations may go by from your influence but ultimately has zero eternal value (unless you've been given the task by God to do such things...shall elaborate later).

I was talking to a sister of mine regarding this and she mentioned how at some point in her life, she had to choose between God or everything else in this world: family, house, education, freedom(s). In the end, when everything is lost and nothing seems to be true anymore, what can you rely on? Can you REALLY say God is your absolute EVERYTHING, and that everything else that comes your way is like a side bonus?

Just a thought. I'll have a follow-up soon (i hope haha). Let me know what you think :)