Writing

One of my biggest pet peeves of modern day society and culture is when one uses humor as a justification for saying or doing something that one knows one should not do.

There are so many things to joke about (including oneself), and yet we choose to make jokes at others' expenses. And after we realize that what we said might have hurt someone, we say, "Oh I'm just kidding," as if those hastily attached words automatically provide just cause for the "joke" that preceded them.

Humor should not be used as a carte blanche for demeaning others. Too often we hide behind humor to express what our sinful minds are thinking.

How do we correct ourselves? Well, we ought to internalize what Jesus and the Scriptures say.

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37, ESV).

"Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving" (Ephesians 5:4, ESV).

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless" (James 1:26, ESV).

"Like a madman who throws firebrands, arrows, and death, is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'I am only joking!'" (Proverbs 26:18-19, ESV).

Here, we see that speech has an important roles in our lives. We will all stand before God one day, and will have to give account for not only everything that we do, but also everything that we say (and even think!). Let us examine ourselves and think more thoroughly about our jokes and their implications. And let us have a positive impact on society and culture through better humor.

Sometimes, we feel that we don't know what we want. But upon further thought, perhaps it's that we know what we want, but feel like that what we want is unachievable.

This is where faith is required. For us to get past the doubts of ourselves and others, we need faith. I believe this to be the reason why Jesus stressed faith so much. In the Book of the Hebrews, it says that we cannot please God without faith!

To be able to follow Jesus and forsake the world's ways, we have to reach deep to the laws written on our heart, because innately, that's what we desire. We, the Created, desire to know our Maker in a loving relationship. But the world will try to distract us from that goal and make it seem that that goal is untenable, unreachable, unreasonable, and impractical. But faith overcomes these doubts. And that is why that the Kingdom of God is revealed to those who have the faith to recognize it.

Why do moments of happiness and joy seem to pass by so quickly, while moments of suffering and pain seem to go by at a snail's pace?

It feels like our perception of time changes based upon our emotions which change from situation to situation.

So this begs the question, what will eternity feel like?

Perhaps moments of darkness and despair pass by slowly because we have a heightened awareness of temporary-ness

C.S. Lewis writes on the topic of death: "Yet war does do something to death. It forces us to remember it. The only reason why the cancer at sixty of the paralysis at seventy-five do not bother us is that we forget them" ("Learning in War-Time", The Weight of Glory).

I wonder if this is the similar case with time. When we are in agony, we constantly remember the state of time and how our time is limited. The fear of losing time kicks in. But when we are in bliss, we hardly think of time or regard it.

Although the new heavens and the new earth will be so good that our expectations will be scattered on every aspect, I think the perceptive quick passage of time during happy moments is a glimpse of eternity. For in such a close presence to God and a restored relationship with Him, we need not worry about the feeling of time nor the feeling of eternity.

Notice, that we wouldn't even be asking this question if we thought that things were truly random. So why do we ask this question? It's because deep down, we know intuitively that our world has a Creator - a loving God who is sovereign over all and judges all. It's just sometimes we don't understand things, but that itself is not a good reason for doubt about the existence of God.

It's almost impossible to conceive of a world where everything's explanation is just "randomness." And this shows how far from reality a randomness worldview is. Imagine making a movie about a randomness worldview. You wouldn't get very far without feeling overwhelmed with the banality and harsh limitation of creativity of this worldview. It seems that we were designed to be able to recognize that our world is not due to pure randomness. Tell a human that the cause for everything is randomness, and I think that it really won't be long at all before he/she begins to doubt you.

Imagine, also, that a child asks why something bad has happened to a good person. Will it satisfy the child to say that it was due to pure "randomness"? In our society today, many adults think that religion was made to dismiss the curious questions of children. But that is a gross misunderstanding and underestimation of what religion is — a way of life (and thus why it is important to make sure you believe in the true faith).

"Randomness" as an explanation for suffering doesn't suffice for the child, and it should not suffice for the adult. Be careful not to confuse what I am saying, however. Many times, we might not know the reason behind our suffering. However, we can pray that God will reveal it to us in due time. Even if He never reveals the reason to us, we have faith that He brings the good out of every bad situation and that His Will and Purpose are supreme. This way of thinking is still a sharp contrast to the randomness worldview, which suggests that there is no reason at all behind any suffering.

Pre-marital sex and hookup culture is something I don't understand. I understand the temptations and lusts that everybody experiences, but if we just stop and take a moment to think about it, we realize how shallow and absurd, not to mention despicable, it is.

Why remain a virgin before being married?

For one, I believe it makes marital sex much better. Imagine the joy of being with a partner who has reserved him or herself exclusively for you, and you for him or her. Just the fact of knowing this makes the intimacy of martial sex so much higher.

Second, how could you accept being in someone else or someone else being in you, if you don't really know them? It's interesting how sex works, but when it happens, the two people are literally combined together. How could you engage in this act without being fully decided on truly loving the other person for who he or she is?

Thirdly, as C.S. Lewis mentions, sex is one of the ways of uniting a male and a female together. By treating sex as pleasure (as society often does), it is disrespecting the value of this method of union that God designed. Treating sex like a commodity will soon lead to treating people as a commodity. We see this in hookup culture and within apps such as Tinder. And that is the Enemy's intention all along --- to denigrate things that are sacred to mere pleasure-inducing commodities, so that we never realize the full holiness and righteous potential of good things.

The temptations will be there, but we must battle them. We must not accept perversions of a good thing, but rather seek out the good thing itself through faithfulness to God and relationship with God.

Hint: it's right-side-up.

What I love about the Christian faith, is that when you first read the Gospel, you realize that Jesus flips the world's ways upside down. He goes against society's norms. But then you realize that it's more so that society and humans' ways have been so upside down, that we think Jesus has flipped the table. But in reality, Jesus's teachings are so holy and right, that it makes our ways look so backwards. In another sense, Jesus didn't flip anything upside down, He simply presented His righteous ways. It was our ways that were upside down all along. In a sense, this is somewhat reassuring. It is only until we realize that we have been wrong all along that we can start the process of getting back to the original ways of how God designated for things to be. It'll be a tough process, for sure, but once we realize that we're wrong, there's no worry about if we're wrong (because that's what the Evil One wants). We now are sure of the right way, and want to follow it, despite it being the narrow path and a difficult one. There's no doubt that things were wrong, and there's no doubt that we ought to make things right with God's gracious help. Humbly recognizing error is the first and necessary step to acknowledging truth and pursuing righteousness with God.

When a trial unexpectedly manifests itself in our lives, we are shocked and saddened. But perhaps, we can take a moment to rejoice. We can interpret a trial that we don't understand as the deceiver's desperate attempts. If we no longer struggle at common temptations, it seems like the accuser will turn to things that appear to us out of the blue. But nevertheless, the solution to all trials is to trust God.

We can learn from the book of Job. It's no coincidence that a righteous man was allowed to bear the heaviest burdens and trials. Job is described as "blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil" (Job 1:1). If we keep reading, we realize that God praised Job in front of Satan (Job 1:8). In fact, God was so confident that Job would not fall away that He allowed Satan to test Job through any means, except against Job directly (Job 1:12). But Job "did not sin or charge God with wrong" (Job 1:22).

So, Satan then asks to test Job's life directly. God allows Satan to do this, with the rule that Satan cannot cause Job to die. When Job's health is attached, his wife encourages him to "[c]urse God and die" (Job 2:9). But Job holds fast to God and does not forsake God (Job 2:10). He doesn't curse God, but instead, curses his own birth (Job 3:1).

Eventually, Job's friends come with all sorts of different interpretations, and Job asks to bring his case before God. When God reveals to Job the complexity and intricacy of the world that He has created, Job realizes that his plea to argue his case before God seems ridiculous. Job humbles himself and realizes that the proper response is to repent and trust in God.

Keep in mind, that Job never finds out why he experiences all the trials that he did. He repented and confessed to God without having the reason for his suffering revealed. And this confirms that this is a righteous response to pain and suffering that we don't understand. The end of the book of Job describes God giving Job twice as much as before (Job 42:10).

Therefore, the proper response to trials is to still continue to praise God and trust in Him. In the New Testament, we see additional insight into the proper orientation toward God amidst pain. In Acts 5:41, the apostles rejoiced after being beaten at the orders of the Sanhedrin. "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name" (Acts 5:41). We see this righteous attitude in the lives of the saints. For example, in the writings of Paul and James. James notes, "[c]ount it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds [...] (James 1:2). Paul mentions in Romans that we ought to "rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance [...] (Romans 5:3). Paul also writes, "For the sake of Christ, then, ⁿI am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:10). In Philippians 3:8, Paul lists things that the world counts as gain, as loss. Indeed, to count loss as gain (even one's life, as Paul commented in Phillipians 1:21) takes immense faith.

We know that the Lord will bring the good out of any situation, but let us play our part in being faithful and going above and beyond what we expect of ourselves to rejoice in our suffering. We can use our trials to train in righteousness, and I think it is commendable to God when we have the proper orientation and response amidst the most harrowing, unexpected, and despairing situations.

Have you ever heard of of cliché that something is too weird to be fake? Clichés usually arise from common observations of truth, so I think there is something interesting about the idea that a thing that is so unique, that it must be true.

When you survey all the major worldviews, the Christian faith sticks out like a sore thumb.

The Christian account of God, even if solely recognized as human observation of events, is nothing short of wonder and stupendous awe.

For the Christian God, the true God, is not a god that sits outside of time and space and looks on passively. Jesus is the incarnate God who entered into our world. And if you had not known the Gospels and heard this statement, you might think that the God-man came to earth to rule His Creation similar to how an earthly king would, but with some minor differences. However, instead, in a remarkable turn of events that neither even the apostles nor religious Jews of that time expected, Jesus suffered crucifixion and died for the sins of His Creation. Then, after three days, He rose again and ascended to Heaven. He also told us that He would come again for judgement. In the brief time (compared to eternity) that the incarnate God was on this earth, no one could have expected the events to unfold like they did. And that is precisely why what happened (as recorded by the Gospel writers) is simply too unique of an account to have been conceived by man. The concept that God would suffer and die for His Creation is unfathomable, until, by the grace of God, you realize that it is all true.

But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

What a profound statement! I was trying to think of a modern analogy for this verse, and I thought of careers.

A recruiter looks at an applicant's education and experience, not solely on one exclusively.

Here, for the sake of the analogy, I'm equating education to faith, and experience to works. When we pursue a career or trade, we need to attain knowledge about how to perform the work. However, we also do need to gain hands-on experience and use what we have learned.

We can't work without being educated on how to do something, and we can't fully understand the knowledge we are learning without performing work ourselves.

I believe what James is saying here is that, faith that is not expressed through action is useless. In the framework of our analogy, knowledge without being expressed through work is useless.

It is so fascinating that miracles happen in the first place, even if one might have the opinion that there should be more.

But consider this (and this is pure speculation): what if God prefers to work through people? What if the reason to why we don't think there are as many miracles is because these miracles are being done through people?

I'd like to assume that when we do things right as a human race, it is because we are obeying God's will and letting the Holy Spirit work in us. Therefore, we wouldn't see a miracle "out in the open" or directly from God per se, but rather miracles would be brought out by people submitting themselves to God and conforming their wills to His. So an outsider would attribute these miracles as "feats of humanity," although in reality, it is God who works good through us.

So, if you're a Christian, maybe think about those times when you're praying for a miracle to happen. Don't stop praying, because we need to and because that's the right attitude, but maybe think about how you can let God guide you and allow Him to do the good work through you. And that's what Jesus constantly taught us to do -- to be a blessing to others and to do whatever we can to help others in His name.

And if you're not a Christian, consider becoming one to see how God can work wonders through you.

John 14:12, Galatians 2:20, Philiippians 4:13

When if those are the consequences of sin? Maybe this isn't a satisfying response, but it is a reality. Decisions that we make don't just affect us alone, they affect those around us and those yet to come. It is unfortunate that Adam & Eve sinned, but you have to understand that that isn't the end of the story. We may read of Adam & Eve's mistake, but as you continue reading through the Bible, you will see that time and time again God has rescued us out of hurting ourselves to oblivion.

An interesting thought experiment is to put yourself in Adam & Eve's shoes. Are you so sure that you wouldn't have made the same choice, eventually? How many choices have you made in your life already that you knew were wrong?

If you read the Bible with a humble heart, you'll soon see that it is all about God's mercy on us and how he has ordered our redemption and rescue for us from our sinful ways.

I think this statement comes as a result of not understanding sin, which could be the case because of how sinful our world has become. Sin means to "miss the mark." Even without knowing Scripture, everybody has experienced moments in their lives where we know that we did not do right. Where our internal conscience and our hearts tell us that we should've done otherwise.

For our Creator instilled in us His standards, but we sometimes repress those convictions and submerge that conscience that He has given us. Romans 2:15 says that the law of God is written on our hearts.

The Bible also makes profound statements that say, "None is righteous" (Romans 3:10) and that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). One may ask, why does even one mistake or one sin separate us from God?

God is so holy and good, that there is no toleration of sin by nature. Imagine if sins were tolerated. What would be the point of worshipping a god who did that? A god that does not mind sin is not a god worth worshipping. But the God of the Bible, is completely just, and that requires Him to detest sin. But that does not mean that He detests the sinner; on the contrary, He loves the sinner.

How much does He love sinners but hate sin? He sent his own Son, God incarnate in the flesh, to die on the cross for our sins. Because all of us have sinned, there is none that could truly atone for our heinous sins. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, is the only one who can be a pure and holy man. And that is why, in Christ, we are made clean and pure in order to be restored back into a relationship with God.

Once you realize the severity of human sin, you realize that the only solution to this problem is Christ. Only God can save us from ourselves. Put your faith in Christ, the one who sacrificed Himself and resurrected to save us.

Many people object to Christianity by saying that they want to retain their "freedom" by not following the teachings and commands of God. But what kind of "freedom" are they referring to?

Imagine living in a society where everyone has the freedom to do as each person desires. That would be utter chaos. Is this the type of "free" society that those championing their "freedom" want? No, for true freedom can only be enjoyed when there are boundaries.

How does anyone know that he/she has liberties? It is only because one knows of what they can or cannot do, and what one should or should not do. If there were no guidelines for life, one would not recognize the concept of freedom. Everything would be chaos.

So, when some people appeal to their interpretation of "freedom" as an objection to Christianity, it's not that they are really saying that they want true freedom from everything (for that would be utter chaos). They simply don't like the rules, and want to make up their own rules. When you really examine the Christian worldview, you begin to see that it details the rules of reality and the guidelines that our Creator has established for us. To reject this and prefer one's own limited, mishmash of a compass for life is quite ridiculous. From personal experience, I can say how foolish this was.

The freedom that each person seeks is in God, for He has given us freedom in Christ. We just need to accept this true freedom by living a life that is holy to God, in Christ and in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:1

Here, we have a statement that reflects what some believe in. Some believe that we should make our decisions by solely looking back into history and seeing what worked, and what didn't. However, this statement soon falls apart, once you consider that history never repeats itself in the same exact way, and that history itself doesn't say to look back at history for guidance (even if it might be helpful to do so).

Let us consider the first time that a unique event occurs (an event that hasn't happened before). This is fairly common. During the time when this event (that is so unlike anything else) occurs, we can't look back at history to see how to address this event, because there is no similar history for this event. Take for example, the first pandemic. If we don't have history to fall back upon, then what do we do? We try to understand the current situation, and evaluate the current evidence to make and support deductive conclusions. During the first pandemic, how did we understand how this virus spread from person to person? We evaluated observations and the current data. Then, we used our reasoning, logic, and objective values (hopefully) to determine the best course of action in a situation where history did not give us as model on how to act. Going back to our example, if we see data that a virus is spreading from human to human through close contact, then it makes sense to deduce that if we implement social distancing, we can reduce the rate of transmission.

It also seems weird to say that we should look back at history to guide all our decisions, if history itself shows examples of when we tried to implement a historical model for a current situation and it failed. There seem to be less-fallible ways to determine our decisions. History itself doesn't recommend to us to follow history, since history is always being added to. How far back should we look? How can we verify the reliability of history using history itself? History is useful, but to regard it as as an ultimate source of making current decisions seems to be illogical. There are better sources to draw upon; better sources of truth. For example, a coherent and objective worldview (that history supports, not the other way around). A worldview revealed to us by God Himself.

Those that claim that how God has ordered the world and our salvation is "unfair," ought to diligently read the Bible. For it tells us a story of countless instances of human failure to obey God, and yet God still chooses to care about us and implement a way for us to be saved through the sacrifice of His own Son.

One cannot read the plethora of warnings that God gave to human leaders and His prophets. In fact, these warnings all mention how the warning itself is a testimony against us when humans would sin. In a situation of life, if one is warned thoroughly by one's authority before doing something — but does it anyway — how can one complain about "unfairness" when facing the consequences? Does not one ask for mercy instead of complaining?

Perhaps when human sin occurs in this world, it accumulates and affects all of us in making our decisions. When much sin is prevalent in a society, does it not contribute to social pressure in following the sins of society (I am speaking especially about people who don't know the faith)? And that is probably why those that don't know the faith (at first) read the Bible or interact with Christian beliefs with society's sinful presuppositions. But if one truly looks at the story of the relationship between God and humanity, one definitely cannot call God's arrangement with us "unfair."

Deuteronymy 9
Psalm 144:3 / Psalm 8:4 / Job 7:17 / Hebrews 2:6

Science can only present you with data, but it does not tell you how to interpret it. To interpret data, you must know your values. Science does not tell you to value one thing over the other; it only tells you the results of an experiment. To say "follow the science" is meaningless, because science will not give you direction in making decisions.

Science alone is not enough. Without understanding moral and ethical considerations, as well as what is good or bad, scientific data is practically useless. A scientific experiment can give you results, but the scientist must make conclusions. Even if a scientist draws conclusions according to if the results matched the hypothesis or not, it takes a judgment (based on values) to decide whether or not the hypothesis is "good" or "bad", "beneficial" or "detrimental."So, if a scientist says that these values are purely subjective, then how is there supposed to be a legitimate standard for conducting science? If there is no such thing as science done incorrectly, then how is anyone supposed to uphold the value of scientific evidence?Therefore there must be objective values that not only everybody agrees upon, but these values must exist no matter how many people refuse to acknowledge. There has to be a point where we say, good science is science done well, and bad science does not hold any merit.

So, where do our objective values come from? They cannot be based upon a source that is temporal, or always changing. If we were to base our objective values on something that changes (such as public opinion, societal mores, or governmental laws), then there would be no way to improve upon these things. There would be no "end goal" so to speak, if there is no pinnacle of morality. There is no benchmark to measure progress, and there is no way to evaluate progress toward a objective standard, if your standard is one that is ephemeral and variable on a person-to-person basis.

Therefore, there is no morality without God. There are no objective values without God. This is why the phrase "follow the science" is nonsensical -- science won't lead you anywhere. Science can only support our arguments and judgments with evidence, but it can never bind us to a certain conclusion or decision without our objective values from God.

It's interesting that in media and entertainment, we're fascinated with the spiritual realm. I don't think this is solely due to our imagination. I think there is a spiritual part of us that is searching for what is spiritually true. Perhaps at some level, we know certain spiritual truths, such as the fight between good and evil.

Spirituality has always played a part in society. But what we see time and time again, is people searching for spirituality, only to be led astray by the quick-fix spirituality proposed by society.

This self-centered spirituality offered by society, cheapens our spiritual selves by fooling us to think that spirituality is nothing more than a self-help resource that is tethered to worldliness. When in reality, the spiritual world is our world, but we often refuse to acknowledge or even perceive it sometimes. Once we realize this, we are able to turn away from the fake spiritual offerings that society and mass media produces. Our spiritual yearnings are not just figments of our imagination, but rather, they are elements of reality.

In our entertainment, why are we fascinated with certain themes?

In sci-fi, we are intrigued with the "possibilities" of a futuristic world. Yet, something always goes wrong. In our human pride, science experiments in sci-fi always tend to go wrong. I think deep down, we all know the limits and drawbacks of prideful human scientific achievement. We know there are boundaries in science that we do not cross; we know there are ethics in the things that we try to do.

In fantasy fiction, we see elements of spiritual forces, and there are always good and evil forces. Deep down, we know that spiritual warfare occurs. Even the most "hardcore atheist" enjoys a film about the good battling against evil. Even the most "extreme naturalist" is interested in a narrative about supernatural elements. Why is this so? I think that our intuition, despite being buried deep by the distractions of the world and society, tells us that these themes correspond somehow to reality.

How refreshing it is to not draw upon earthly identities. The world teaches us to take pride in earthly identities, whether it be race, class, nation, or political affiliation. Earthly identities are what the devil uses to divide us.

Our real identity lies in a relationship with God. Apart from God, we have no true identity. Christ called us His brothers and sisters, and we are called to be united in Him. When we confess Christ to be our savior, we are restored children of God. What a blessing it is to be called a child of God! To be a part of the family of our Creator. How great it is to forsake the snares of worldly identities, which people treat like their favorite sports teams to gain a false sense of belonging. These earthly identity associations will let you down, but there is a Heavenly identity that won't.

Make no mistake, God is our only source of true identity. Let us be united in Christ today and forevermore.

inspired by: "I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist" by Dr. Frank Turek - YouTube (50:39)

This seems to be a common complaint among humans. When confronted with the reality of death, many make the conclusion that since death is inevitable, somehow our existence has been tainted and therefore is flawed. This would only be a legitimate complaint if our universe was purely material, and our realities were only strictly naturalistic.

An atheist who makes this complaint will soon realize that he/she is not an atheist. If one complains about the reality of death, he/she is actually suggesting explicitly that there is a cause of the universe, that there is a Creator. That our universe is not only a natural world that beget itself. If the "atheist" truly believed that the current reality has no manager of the universe, he/she should have no reason to complain. But if he/she makes the claim that the "game of life is rigged for us to lose", he/she is merely complaining on how the reality is, without fully understanding the complete picture.

The complete picture is this: that first human sin of Adam & Eve introduced death into the world, and we are still reeling from the consequences of that sin today. However, God has shown his mercy to us throughout all the generations, and continues to do so today (and will continue to do so). He sacrificed His only begotten Son so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16). His Son tasted death for us, so that our death would not be an eternal death, but only a passageway from an earthly life to an eternal one in His presence. God gives us the rope to get out of the hole (C.S. Lewis' Mere Christianity) that we dug for ourselves. How can you now say that our existence is set up for failure, with knowledge of this?

For someone who is not a Christian, they might hear the phrase "Jesus died for our sins" and might think it unusual.

Certainly, it might seem unusual if one does not have an understanding of the Bible. One might ask, if Jesus was fully human and fully God, why did he have to die for our sins? Couldn't he have atoned for our sins without submitting to a natural death?

And here lies the stark difference between Christianity and other worldviews. From reading the Old Testament, we realize the need for blood sacrifice, due to our manifold sins and how they contribute to a fallen world. Then, we realize that nothing of this earth could be a final, atoning sacrifice. In the New Testament, we see Jesus the God-man, descending into our world and descending into Hades in death. To recognize that God in the flesh died in order to atone for the sins of humanity is mind-blowingly humbling.

Then, Jesus's resurrection and ascent into Heaven is mind-blowingly spiritually lifting. That this God-man promised us eternal life and He himself was raised from the dead is refreshingly reassuring. That He also now sits at the right hand of the Father and intercedes for us is an important fact of peace and comfort for us.

Whenever we choose to give *constructive* criticism, or practice our use of speech in order to bring to light an issue, we must also be wise to offer something better in return. In other words, when we decide to highlight a problem, we must also try to offer a solution.

If we Christians are only known for always complaining about certain policies, or protesting against certain decisions, then I think we’re not doing a good enough job. If others fail to remember our ultimate solution to every problem – Jesus Christ – in our conversations, then it is we who have failed.

We Christians have no excuse that prevents us from sharing the solution of Jesus. For one, sharing the Gospel is what every Christian is called to do. It’s a command that is obeyed by faith. Secondly, the solution of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is one that is the best for everyone, without any caveats. We can have the highest confidence of this solution to offer, for there are no faults with God.

It is not enough for us to point out the faults in our society. Rather, we must also give the hearers and readers of our words – and the observers of our actions – a clear message of the Gospel. The solution. For Jesus did not say that we should ignore the world that we live in, but rather He wanted us to help make it better by following Him.

“’I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.’” (John 17:14-16)

Once we place our faith in Christ, we are in this world, but not of this world.

We also see this concept in God’s will to create us and be stewards of the earth.

“And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’” (Genesis 1:28, ESV)

We are even called to be co-heirs with Christ!

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” (Romans 8:16-17, ESV)

So, not only do we have a responsibility to address evil where it rears its ugly head, but we also have a duty to provide the solution and help people to receive it. Romans Chapter 12 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Paul goes on to describe what it looks like to be a Christ-follower, and what the identifying marks of a true Christian are. Chapter 12 ends with, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” It is not enough for us to simply abstain from evil, but we are called to overcome it in Christ’s name and to replace that evil with good.

Can you ever have an "absence of belief"? Can you ever truly not believe in anything? Can you ever truly believe in "nothing"? Let's use an analogy.

As our country's politics grow increasingly polarized, some voters find it difficult to vote for either of the two party's nominees in the election. Yes, there are other third-party candidates as well. However, lets for this moment, consider that an "absence of belief" is equivalent to an "absence of a vote." By not voting, this is in fact itself a decision and a belief that no candidate deserves your vote. There are consequences for this decision, especially when elections are determined by a slim margin. An "absence of a vote" is still a decision and positive affirmation of the belief, not a "lack of a vote." You sill are responsible for your decision to not vote; not voting does not put off the responsibility of voting.

There is also a common saying: "Sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action." Nobody says, "doing nothing is an absence of choice." "Doing nothing" is still a choice to make, and an expression of the belief that this choice is better than the other choices.

So, can one ever sustainably say, "I have a lack of a belief in x" and "I don't know" at the same time? These two things seem to contradict each other. For, if you "do not know", you truly do not know and that is the only thing that you can say in response to a question or in explaining your position. Does everything come down to positive beliefs? That is a philosophical question, but it seems that we cannot function without affirming positive beliefs. I think there are temporary moments where we say, "I don't know," but the whole point of saying "I don't know" is to get to the point where you can say, "I can believe (beyond a reasonable doubt) in these certain things." I don't think there is every one thing that we can fully claim to have no knowledge of anything related to this thing. In other words, is there something that is unaffected by other knowledge, completely unfathomable, remotely inaccessible, yet we can still identify what this thing is that we don't know?

So if one does not seek to continue to evaluate the claims and evidence presented before him/her, I think it is important to keep in mind that choosing ignorance also stems from certain beliefs, and one will have to defend one's ignorance with reasons. If one cannot defend his/her ignorance, than it seems unreasonable to maintain that ignorance.

I think at our deepest core, we desire to be with God, for we have an instinct that only a Maximally Great and Benevolent Being could offer us true, everlasting happiness. I think we all come to realize at some point that the happiness that the world or society offers is ephemeral and unauthentic. I also believe that God desires to give us this true happiness, but if one does not choose to accept the way to true happiness, then God will not "force Himself upon us" as many apologists say.

Who are we to complain about our condition, then? Who are we to complain about the free-will that is given to us by God? None of us are able to order a world any way remotely close to the one in which is our reality. This is obviously apparent once we really think about our existence. This is also clearly evident in the Book of Job. So, why not just accept God's promises of benevolence and acts of grace? The enjoyment of having a fruitful relationship with God will unlock an incomparably amazing level of happiness. The very fact that God even allows us to know Him personally is an astounding realization.

The LORD speaking to Job: "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements -- surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? "(Job 38:4).

If one says that his/her confidence come from oneself; how can one say this because we know that we do not have confidence sometimes. Our confidence should only come from God, for He is eternal and all-powerful, and has no weakness or fickleness.

We see the confidence of God in Christ. His confidence in doing the Father's will could not have been only from a "human confidence." The acts of the apostles could not have been done with only a "human/natural confidence." Those acts were done with the confidence from the Holy Spirit.

Thus I am wary when a motivational speaker emphasizes that we must be the sources of our own confidences, for this is like saying that we need we should refer to ourselves for confidence when we know we are not consistently confident. Therefore, let us trust in God as the source for confidence in all things!

If you believe that only God can save us from ourselves, then it is impossible to deny the Trinity. To call God our Savior also naturally means to call Jesus our Savior, in light of what He did for us.

I've been listening to The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) podcast, and Deuteronomy 7 was one of the readings for today.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 especially stood out to me.

The Israelites were chosen by God to be the means through which blessing to all people would come. Therefore, the Israelites had to keep themselves holy (set apart) from all the people around them. Sometimes, this mean that they had to take (what we see today) as drastic measures. However, everything was done so that we could share in the blessings of God and arrive to a point where now we can see things through the new covenant lens of Christ. Jesus also constantly mentioned how the least, last, and humble will be great, first, and exalted.

I also noticed how Deuteronomy 7:7 says that "[i]t was not because you [the Israelites] were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:7, ESV). If they were not chosen by might or strength in numbers, it seems that they were chosen by their faith and the faith of their forefathers. Other parts of Scripture confirm this; Romans 4:13-25 and Hebrews 11, for example.

The Israelites were a type of how we are united in Christ. This leads me to conclude that we are chosen by faith, in order to be blessings to the world, and to do so, we need to keep ourselves holy.

Only God and His loving grace and mercy could make such an offer. To offer the Son to take upon all the pain and suffering of the world - which was a consequence of our sin - so that He could also give us eternal life in Him.

A YouTube video from InTouch Ministries inspired this reflection. We are invited to share in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and He took it upon himself to share our burdens and take on the wages of our sin. Now, we are called to die to self, to die and be raised up anew in Christ.

"that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11, ESV).

^"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name" (1 Peter 4:12-16, ESV).

This theory occurred to me while I was listening to one of our chapter directors for Ratio Christi - Rutgers, Steve DiSebastian, present on this topic.The very fact that the apostle Paul wrote about the relationship between a master and a bondservant shows that the early Christian community valued human relationships beyond a transactional nature (as probably was such the case between masters and bondservants).

A first-time reader of the letter of Paul to Philemon might be uncomfortable with reading that Paul was sending Onesimus (a bondservant) back to his master, Philemon. However, if you read the whole letter, it is clear that Paul was calling for a master-bondservant relationship beyond the societal status quo for Philemon and Onesimus. "For this perhaps is why he [Onesimus] was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever, no longer as a bondservant but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother — especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord" (Philemon verses 15-16, ESV).

We are called to be bondservants of Christ, as he came to serve, die, and resurrect for us. We are also called to be bondservants to each other. The fact that early Christians called every person (master and bondservant alike, Greek and Jew alike) before God to improve our relationships with each other shows a counter-cultural and revolutionary approach to seeing humans of equal and highest value during the time of the Roman empire.

We are called to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and to also love our neighbors. For not only did God create us, but He also dwelt among us to save and help us.

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20).

"I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me’" (Matthew 25:43-45).

There is no doubt that one should read the Gospels if he/she has not read the Bible before. But oftentimes, if someone is not even in a position to accept the authenticity and authority of the Bible, I think that person would be interested in exploring the book of Ecclesiastes.

In this book lies the writings of the author who has thought deeply about the world and man. Someone who has reflected on the existential and philosophical questions that many still ask today. The book constantly invokes questions such as: "What is the meaning of life?"

Essentially, we are presented with two worldviews: a theistic one and an atheistic one. It becomes clear that how we perceive the world can effect our attitude towards our lives.

The voice in this book (who explores these existential questions) acknowledges that there are simple pleasures that humans can always enjoy. These pleasures are to enjoy God's Creation - food, fellowship, and nature.

When I read Ecclesiastes, what stood out to me was the striking resemblance of some of the author's critical statements to those of many people today. The second verse of the book contains the sentence: "All is vanity (RSV)." Is not that what people claim all the time - "What's the point of everything?"

But as you read on, it becomes apparent that if a view of our lives and the world as only vanity is not only depressing, but also outright unreasonable and unrealistic. For if our lives or life itself has no objective value, why should we even care to live?

But our lives do have objective value. All life has objective value, designated by our Creator. And it is He who helps us understand the world and ourselves, and thus it only makes sense to obey and worship Him. The end of the book concludes with: "Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh. The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every secret thing, whether good of evil (RSV)."

Is our responsibility to discern our purpose, and we constantly arrive at a conclusion that God created us to enjoy His presence through obeying and worshiping Him. Let us not be deluded, and keep our duty to have a fearful awe of God's might, so that we keep His perfect commandments of good.

This past month and a half have been some of the hardest days I've ever had -- spiritually, mentally, and then physically. But I've also learned and grown more than I could have ever imagined.

When I started out on this journey, I was looking for a new life. I was lost, sinful, and didn't really understand my life. I went through challenging times, with much anxiety and stress: health and medical conditions, social relationships, personal challenges and achievements, group belonging and identity struggles. After going through a very challenging 2 years, I looked for something else to satisfy me and keep me going. Over time, I realized that nothing of this earth, nor any fleshly desires, could give me true peace.

I didn't know what it meant to call Jesus my personal savior. All I wanted to do was become closer to God and live a life that wasn't revolved around my poor decisions and my poor understandings.

Little did I know, but I discovered and learned more about faith than I could have ever expected. What it meant when Jesus personally died on the cross for my sins. That Jesus could carry all my burdens and be my advocate to God. That He already loved me and chose me by way of his sacrifice, when I didn't even do anything good for Him. On the contrary, it was my sin and our sins that put Him on the cross.

And it wasn't easy to come to these conclusions.

Hebrews 11:1 says, Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

I went through many trials and so much searching, and I know the journey of learning and trying to live a more holy life doesn't end or get easier. But through these hardships, I've been given a new peace - a new foundation, the strongest rock, the sturdiest cornerstone that will keep me grounded no matter what else I am dealing with in life.

So now, as I take my first step of obedience, I'd like to share two of my favorite verses of the New Testament:

Paul says in Philippians 4:7 -

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

He continues later on in verse 12 - keep in mind that Paul is writing from prison - I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

This secret that Paul refers to is the peace from knowing God through Jesus Christ. If you're still searching for this type of peace, I'd encourage you to just pick up the Bible and read. Some things in there are humbling and not easy to stomach, but in any time of fear or doubt, the emphasis on God's powerful love in the Bible strengthens us to persevere and endure.

I don't know where my path leads exactly, and I don't know everything about the Word of God, but I do know enough to stand here today to publicly declare my love for Jesus and announce him as my Lord and Savior.

Thank you.

The journey of life is like driving on a road in the winter. This might be very relatable to many right now. Perhaps there's snow and sleet that makes driving dangerous, perhaps there's tons of potholes and bumps. And perhaps there are times when you are at new crossroads and don't know which way to turn.

Everybody has these moments along the road of life.

But the important thing is that you can't stop on the road or take too long to make a decision. You can pull over, but eventually, you need to get to where you need to go. Even if you don't know where you need to go, you need to be somewhere safe.

In these unforgiving and confusing moments in life, our mental health might suffer. The anxiety, the fear, the stress overwhelm us. Then our physical health starts to deteriorate. We start being unable to sleep, and the burdens make our bodies feel weak but heavy at the same time. Life seems to look like shades of gray, with doom and gloom. Nothing can give us a permanent feeling of joy or peace.

Someone who's going through all this might wonder if there's anybody or any place to turn to. Searching online may produce even more anxiety, as the person begins to wonder if they have all these disorders and conditions. The person wonders, "Do I go to the hospital? When if they tell me nothing's wrong with me? When if the anxiety doesn't go away? Do I go to a mental health clinic? What even goes on at a mental health clinic? Do I call my primary doctor? What if he can't do anything or just gives me generic medication?". The person begins to wonder if there is something they can do that is less daunting, perhaps speak to someone in a less pressuring setting. If only there was a casual clinic that removed any real or imagined barriers to simply walk-in and speak to a medical professional. If only there was an affordable and accessible way to get off the road of pain and start on the road to recovery.

For conditions such as mental health, taking the first step correctly can sometimes be the most important step. And it's vital that this first step doesn't add any more fear or anxiety.