So it's day 11. The temptation to sign in to messenger just appear offline is too overwhelming! T-T Yeah, I already uninstalled messenger from my computers so this time I just fully surrendered my e-mail account. You can call it 'running away from temptation' but I prefer 'not setting myself up for failure'. No worries, I setup e-mail forwarding so that I can read the e-mails from my school e-mail account. Hardcore eh? HAHA x) I dislike half-heartedness.
It was a lovely day outside and I spent it working on an essay for Listening to Music. I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere -.-'' I'm past the thousand word point (word limit being 1 500) but I don't feel like I'm anywhere near finishing. It seems that I've completely forgotten exactly how to write a formal essay o_o I don't think I have a proper introduction or ending and bla bla bla. Long night ahead but still somewhat preparing myself for worship tomorrow 'cause I'm analyzing last week's worship service as my assignment xD
For the past week or so, I feel like God is trying to hint me about my attitude towards worship. The past few days of Purpose Driven Life, Friday night's bible study at another church, my music assignment... all focus on 'worship'. I question whether my lifestyle is in sync with a worship lifestyle. Someone from Friday night's bible study shared about a friend's thought about how we don't need call to worship or time to quiet down before the start of service or to prepare ourselves the night before if we already live a life of worship. If genuine, the call to worship happens once at the point where you accept Christ and there would be no need to repeat it.
During the bible study, we also discussed about how now a days, everyone preaches an incomplete gospel. How many of us, even if Christian, know the full gospel? Do you notice how it stops at salvation most of the time? How can the gospel be deemed the 'truth' when we withhold parts of it? Truth is whole all the time, even the smallest detail can taint it. Incomplete 'truth' is not truth at all. In defense, I've heard things like "but it makes Christianity unattractive", "no one wants to commit", "they're not ready for that yet". What is this? Is God not attractive enough that you need to make His gospel MORE attractive? We are afraid of commitment because we have a deep seated fear of failure and abandonment. While I'm at it, it's more than a commitment, it's your life. Apparently the concept of the God of love also being the God of justice is contradictory and difficult to understand. Just because He loves you doesn't mean His love erases the sins you commit. He is merciful and will forgive you if you genuinely repent and ask for forgiveness BUT if you don't, He will not force you and will judge you accordingly. Allow me to enlighten you of what I see as the complete gospel:
In the perfect love and communion of the Trinity, God created Earth. In all of creation, He chose to create mankind in His own image and breathed the Spirit into us. We were given power over everything on earth. We were created free, free to make our own decisions. What decision will there be if all decisions resulted in good things? So there was one command, to not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. By temptation to be equal to God, man and woman fall deceived. The sins/wrong doings of humans accumulated so much that God wiped out all of mankind and started all over again with one family, with a God-loving father. Yet again, we accumulate an infinite pile of sin. Out of His love for us, He provided a way out of the eternal sulphurous flames. Even in our sins and imperfection, God unconditionally accepts and loves us. Such that He sent His one and only Son to atone for our sins. Jesus Christ, the Son, knowingly and willingly gives his place in heaven to become a helpless babe on earth. He was hated, mocked, insulted, spat at, butchered, wrongly accused, crucified alongside criminals... why, you may ask. Because he healed the sick, because he fed the poor, because he cast out demons, because he taught the truth, because he spoke up for the oppressed, because he comforted the widows and orphans, because he was doing God's will, because he has compassion on everyone, because he loves everyone. At the point, usually you are asked whether you want to accept Christ into your life and the salvation He offers. The ever so 'attractive' eternal life in heaven, a paradise. Then it stops there... but it doesn't. Even if God accepts you for who you are with all your sin and imperfection, He wants to see you change for the better - to be more Christ-like, more loving, more caring, more peaceful, more joyous, more sympathetic and most of all being more intimate with God. Being Christian did not come before being disciples of God, followers of His will. There were first called disciples then termed Christians oO for some reason we're doing it the other way around. We're not called to 'accept Jesus' we're called to surrender our life to God which includes the cost of carrying the cross (hatred from Satan and the world, persecution, rejection, oppression). Yep, surrendering yourself is giving control to God. There will be more trials and temptations, not less nor any less difficult BUT you will experience more of life, more of the way it was designed to be. You will know what love is, what peace is, what joy is, what relationships are like at its best, who you are. You will be more you than you have ever been because you will be fulfilling more of the purpose you were uniquely designed for. Lastly, the world will end in destruction with much blood and sorrow and chaos, at the second coming of Christ at a time known only to God. He will withhold His grace for a time and allow Satan to tempt and deceive mankind to his fullest capacity and allow the consequences of our decisions to reign over the world. At the very end, He will destroy the earth and create a new heaven and earth. He will raise the dead and judge every one of us the comes the eternal reward/punishment: heaven/hell. No inbetweens. No reconciliation. No more mercy only judgment awaits.
This is what I consider to be the complete gospel.
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