mp3 of Song

Here is a recording of my latest song.  It's a simple praise song -- sort of a theme song from this past semester, based upon some trials I was going through and wrestling over what's important in life.  Matthew 16:24-26.  Take a listen below, or if doesn't work, click here to download the mp3.

²⁴Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. ²⁶What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?

Does God Exist?

 It's been pretty cool to read about how Christian apologist William Lane Craig destroyed author and atheist Christopher Hitchens in a recent debate at Biola College (titled "Does God Exist?").  I saw some video highlights and I hope to watch the full debate sometime soon.  Craig's opening remarks highlights five lines of argument for why he believes God exists.  They are:

1. The Cosmological Argument (the Big Bang needs a big banger). 

2. The Teleological Argument (the incredible order, complexity, and design of the universe points to a God).

3. The Moral Argument (the innate sense of right and wrong points to God).

4. The Historicity of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus (was Jesus a liar? madman? mistaken? or God?).

5. Personal Experience of God (God changes lives).

There's a lot that could be said about each of these, and I'm by no means an apologetics expert, but I find these lines of argument pretty interesting and good to think through, as faith in God is not a blind or ignorant faith, but one that is intellectually sound, logical, and reasonable.  Here's some brief thoughts on each of these:

1. The Cosmological Argument.  This basically goes like this:

Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
The Universe began to exist.
Therefore, the Universe had a cause.

It's really cool how cosmologists widely accept the Big Bang and how evidence from expanding galaxies and the laws of thermodynamics point to the fact that the universe had a beginning.  Wikipedia talks about how "huge strides in Big Bang cosmology have been made since the late 1990s as a result of major advances in telescope technology as well as the analysis of copious data from satellites such as the Hubble Space Telescope and WMAP...Cosmologists now have fairly precise measurements of many of the parameters of the Big Bang model, and have made the unexpected discovery that the expansion of the universe appears to be accelerating."  The Big Bang points to First Cause, and this basically makes a good case for God.

2. The Teleological Argument.  The teleological argument for the existence of God or a creator is based on "perceived evidence of order, purpose, design, or direction — or some combination of these — in nature."  Complex things are everywhere and everything appears designed with a purpose.  Just as cars and airplanes don't produce themselves out of nowhere, everything is made for an intended purpose. 

3. The Moral Argument.  There is a universal sense of right and wrong that is innate and in every person.  This implies a higher, objective standard or law, and requires God as the one to set this standard.  Romans 2:14-15 talks about how the moral law (or conscience) comes from an ultimate lawgiver above man.  This leads me to think about an interesting point regarding athiesm.  If there is no God or higher moral authority or standard, then there ultimately is no meaning to life, no real reason to live it, and no consequences to one's actions on earth.  A person could steal, cheat, murder, rape, and do horrible things, and if there truly were no God, then it wouldn't matter.  But instead, we are born with the imprint of morality -- we know some things are wrong even if the law doesn't say so.

4. The Historicity of the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus. Craig writes a good article about how the gospels are trustworthy documents and how the historical veracity shines through in pagan, Jewish, and Christian writings and archaeological discoveries.  The fact is that Jesus made extremely bold claims of being the Son of God, performed amazing miracles, was gruesomely crucified, and rose from the dead to appear before eyewitnesses -- this is pretty incredible stuff.  I know from experience that whenever I tell a lie, I always get caught and it gets harder and harder to maintain a lie.  Given all the historican documentation of all the events that transpired in Jesus' life, it seems pretty much impossible for there to be an elaborate conspiracy and for Jesus to be a master liar and deceiver.  Instead, Jesus had many eyewitnesses who watched him do amazing things and faithful followers who gave up their lives because of what they believed and saw.

5. Personal Experience of God.  The short form of this is that God transforms lives in ways that only can be explained by a living and powerful God.  I've seen it in my life; I've seen it in hundreds of peoples' lives around me.  Because of God, sinful people are somehow able to love other people in spite of selfishness.  A person is able to forgive and show grace even when horrible acts are committed to them.  Chains and bondage of sin are broken are incredibly overcome.  Inexplicable peace and joy are present.  Crazy things happen that are too amazing to just be a string of mere coincidences.  God gives a deep sense of satisfaction, purpose, and meaning -- there is a sense of knowing exactly why you're created and why you're on this earth.  Lives change as a result of God working in peoples' lives, and people continue to grow.  It can't really be explained in words -- a life needs to trust in God, and once that personal relationship is started, the journey begins and a life is changed, and continues to grow for the better.

More thoughts later.. maybe.

i think my faith is bigger now than it has ever been in my whole life.

why? because each time i let go of something and simply pray, trust, and give it up to God, God does amazing things and blows me away with kindness, undeserved grace, and blessings.

sounds vague, i know, but let me just say that i'm so thankful to God for this past year in which i've learned so much, been broken a few times (in a good way), had my eyes opened and my perspectives shifted off of me and onto things of more eternal significance.

with a God this good, how can i not give Him praise?

i want to take my guitar and pour out a loud, joyful song straight from my heart --- but it's 3 am and alan is sleeping next door.  haha. it'll have to wait.

in every victory (and in every failure)

in every victory, let it be said of me: my source of hope, my source of strength is Christ alone.  in every failure or unpleasant situation, too.

last semester i wanted to be a witness to my fellow grad students and professors and it's been amazing how many people keep coming up to me to ask me how i got a job in this economy and i tell them what God did.

anyway, i was thinking about it and i am excited that i will probably end up in new york city.  i feel like God is preparing me for the future by sending me out of my comfort zones and into a really crowded city in which i can't take stuff for granted.  it is going to be super challenging, and i know i will have to cling to God. (although, yes, i am looking forward to pinkberry, musicals, central park, great food, flea markets, redeemer church, hopping on the subway and exploring, and a new adventure every day. :))  

God stories

crazy God stories keep happening.  there is so much excitement and natural fruit where there is more obedience and availability to God.  yesterday i made a new friend who was eating Panda Express by himself at the HUB, and i felt led to sit down and get to know him and talk with him about a personal relationship with Jesus.  he's a freshman engineering major from Connecticut.  God gave me all the words to say, and conveniently i had a Knowing God Personally book with me.  God gave me the opportunity to share the gospel with him and gave him a chance to pray to know God personally.  he was stressing a lot over his major and over coursework, and my new friend deeply appreciated and enjoyed talking with me about God and the meaning of life beyond just studies and trying to be successful.  i was able to share from my testimony and some of my honest struggles (including present day ones) and how God gives me purpose as i've given my life up to Him.  later, he quite randomly he said that he wants to learn guitar, and i told him that it's one of my passions and joys to help guys learn stuff including guitar.  (today on Facebook we discovered that our birthdays are one day apart).  can you say Divine Appointment? he said he's basically been alone at Penn State so far, with not many friends, and turned off by the party scene, and he got really excited to hear about an Asian American group called AACF.  he joined us at Men's Community time last night and i think he really sensed something different about the time of fellowship -- a kind of love and care that he's never seen before.  he said that maybe he needs God to be "the rock of his life."  he smiled so much and said he loved being prayed for, that he never experienced anything like this, and that he can't wait to get to know more people in AACF.  hopefully you guys will meet him soon and will be able to extend God's love to him.

i'm starting to understand more and more each day how as we stay connected to the vine, fruit simply naturally happens as we live our daily lives naturally.  i pray that i see the world more from God's eyes.  God does all the work and radically transforms lives.  we simply obey and are available. 

God is so cool in how he speaks words of comfort or encouragement or conviction in His word, too.  Reading through 1 Corinthians, it's been unbelievable how relevant and timely different passages have been in terms of my relationships, career path, love, understanding my purpose, and so on.  "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless."   1 Cor. 15:58