be solid gold, not gold-plated. - Jon Szeto.Jon said that in a message he gave a few weeks ago. It really stuck in my head. I think a lot of the Christian life is spent polishing our outsides and not as much on the transformation of the worthless stuff underneath. We should be striving to be solid gold through and through. I think what's interesting is that something gold-plated will look solid gold until it is tested. Also... there are probably non-gold chunks mixed in the middle somewhere that only God can see, reveal, and transform. Interesting.
On a related note... while I was in Boston, I ate dinner with friends there at a Thai restaurant. We sat next to the fish tank and there were various tropical fish swimming around in there. We had fun making comments on a bunch of them... but one of them... we looked at it and thought it was a puffer fish... but on closer inspection... realized that it was not. Just a lookalike. Maybe I don't know what a real puffer fish really looks like but all 3 of us thought it was one. We thought about scaring it to see if it was real... but we didn't do it. We discussed it tho. How sometimes there are animals that have these natural "protection" against predators... like the puffer fish and also the monarch butterfly. Somehow other animals know that these animals are dangerous or poisonous so they avoid them. But what IF that fake puffer fish was in danger of being eaten and it couldn't puff up? Well... it'd get eaten. When push comes to shove, it's just a lookalike. The real thing would have been protected. The fake ones get destroyed.
All of these thoughts kind of came together as I read through the book of Daniel today. Daniel was brought to Babylon (I think) as a captive of Judah... I think. Sorry, it's been a long day. Anyway... so Daniel and his 3 friends were chosen for training to serve King Nebuchadnezzar in his royal court... because those without defect, who were intelligent in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge... were chosen. Basically, they were the hottest, smartest young men...G.Q. ... so hot that they'd be recruited and taken out of a life of being a second-class citizen for service in the king's court. They must have looked exceptional according to the king's eyes... or whoever was looking at them for the king.
So they were grouped together with the other wise men of the land. La la la, living their lives... they did choose not to eat of the king's food and follow their Jewish diet. To abstain and obey in the midst of indulgent plenty... the wisdom in their choice was visible in their physical appearance. Obedience to the God who is the author of all wisdom and knowledge... is a very good choice... even if the reasons why aren't clear at the time. To obey the wisdom of God is a million times better than worldly wisdom. Anyway, back to the point... the testing.
The king had a disturbing dream and asked the wise men to interpret it. Anyone can BS an interpretation... but the big problem was... that the king didn't remember his own dream. He wanted the wise men to tell him his dream AND the interpretation. They were like... tell us the dream and we'll tell you the interpretation. He was like... YOU tell me the dream and the interpretation. And they were like... we can't! It's impossible! No man on earth can tell you your dream!
What is impossible with man is possible with God.
So the king was very mad at his "wise" men. They weren't wise at all. They were fakers. Real wise men would be able to do what he asked. So the king decreed to kill them all. Daniel heard of it and right away said that to hold off on killing everyone... that he would tell the king the dream and the interpretation. I'm pretty sure I'm remembering it right but feel free to correct me if I'm off. Daniel was the real deal. He KNEW that God could do it and he already told the dude that he was going to do it... even before he actually knew the dream.
That is faith, yo. That is acting in faith. He coulda waited until God revealed the dream first and THEN went and told the king's messenger that he had the answer... but he acted first and THEN went and told his friends and they prayed about it... asked God for compassion on them. Now I'm not advocating that you act before you pray... but I'm guessing that Daniel was already praying at least 3x a day, everyday and that his faith was solid... and his confidence in the Lord and His abilities... was solid as well. He didn't just go to God when there were problems... Daniel went to God all day long. That's probably why he could act first. Not sure. But maybe.
Long story short... Daniel was the real deal, solid gold. When put to the test, Daniel was protected and not only saved himself and his friends from being put to death... he saved the posers as well. That's hot. He also acknowledged that no man could do what the king asked, but that God could and did. He gave all the glory to Him. More hotness.
Switching gears... Saturday was Yom Kippur and my friends and I went to morning service at a nearby temple in Boston. I've been wanting to go visit a temple for a long time. I read about the Israelites... everyday. I wonder about the remnant of Israel. I wonder how much of the things that God established to do in remembrance of His actions for His chosens... the deliverance of His people... the feasts... all these things... I wonder if they're still being remembered... still practiced... if it still has meaning for them. I wanted to go visit but I didn't really want to go alone. Aaaand... the only reason I know that last week was Rosh Hashanah and this past Saturday was Yom Kippur was because it's marked on my Dodger calendar and I looked it up because I didn't know what they were. I wondered if Jewish New Year was like Chinese New Year. We don't get days off for Chinese New Year, but we do celebrate it. I wondered. I have no answers. So my friend in Boston said that there were a lot of Jewish temples in Boston so when my other friend asked me what I wanted to do on Saturday... I said... "I wanna go to Yom Kippur service" and being the awesome host that she is... she went and found one for us to go to. She even looked up some of the things about it. Like they were supposed to wear white... not wear leather... not drink things or eat certain things. We tried wearing white... just to be culturally sensitive and to not "stand out" as much... but we still stuck out like 3 sore thumbs anyway. I was very aware of my Asian-ness that morning we walked into that temple.
But we were greeted by a very nice woman. Another man also gave us a quick run-down of where to sit, etc. It was nice. Another man showed us what page in the prayer book they were on. That was nice too. My friends and I had a discussion afterwards about how the service made us feel. I felt a mixture of things. Mostly... I had a lot of questions. And I also felt... sad a little... and... incomplete. I wondered how I'd feel sitting in reverence with a small remnant of Israel... contemplating my sins on the Day of Atonement. It felt... impersonal. And I felt... alone. The whole Day of Atonement... was missing something... and I think... it was missing Jesus.
I was still thinking about it on Sunday, a day later. Still have lots of questions. Maybe I'll try googling the answers one of these days.
So... Sunday service... I went with my friend to Redeemer... Tim Keller's... on the upper east side. I wasn't really sure about how to feel about this service. I know I wanted to go see and hear... but I've also never read any of Keller's stuff... never heard any of his sermons... so far, it's all been good things I've been hearing from other people but have not experienced any of it myself. It actually surprised me that I was more excited to go to temple than to go to Christian service. But how I felt afterwards... so, so different.
There weren't that many people at temple. And there was assigned seating. At Redeemer... it was in a HUGE auditorium and there were a LOT of people there. We got a half-smile from a greeter when we walked in. I really felt like I could have come in and gone out and nobody would have noticed. Very different from our experience at the temple.
We sat down and it was almost claustrophobic. Their program is also... a booklet. Singing the songs with musical notes... almost felt like I was in choir. It was kinda nice though... so even if you didn't know the song you could sing along if you can read music. The testimony that one of the members gave was funny and enjoyable. But I think what I really enjoyed the most was... listening to Keller speak. The message today... really spoke to a lot of the things I've been thinking about lately... about us being a chosen people... a holy priesthood... about us yearning for God after having experienced Him, about being a true Christian who has wonder and delight in the gospel, about the pervasiveness of God's love and the gospel... and even about Hosea (which I JUST read today again) and God loving us and redeeming Israel (and us) out of our harlotry... about the importance of community. I just felt so... at home. Like my heart was in the right place... with people who share that same unity... with other people who have (or may have) a growing relationship with Jesus. It was so comforting. I really almost wanted to go have a chit chat with Tim Keller over a cup of tea about God and how awesome He is... and also about what ways I was reminded and challenged today. It was really really nice being there.
I was also super encouraged... to persevere in my current community back at home. It's been hard being at a new church... meeting new people but not really having deep relationships there. Every time I go to Cornerstone, I'm so blessed by the teaching and preaching... but at times, the community aspect has been discouraging me. I kept telling myself to give it time... also since I work every other weekend and also sometimes on Thursdays so I can't make it to care groups... that it's harder for people to get to know me because they don't see me as frequently. I also know that I may or may not always have a great first impression... and sometimes it feels like I'm making a new first impression every time I go. I still haven't been able to find it without the help of the GPS even though I've technically been attending since June. I'm pretty sure I can find it the next time I go on my own tho.
I know quite a few people who are church hopping... and also people who keep hoping that starting some new study or a new accountability is going to jump start their spiritual walk. Community is super important... but it really is my relationship with God that comes first... and the community and shepherding only help me grow or give me opportunities to minister to others. Jesus is more than enough to meet every need of mine... but I was reminded today that God can meet me in a body of believers and through the preaching and teaching of a shepherd in ways that cannot happen in my own times with God alone. God loves me, but He also loves His people and He wants His people to be gathered together... unified in His name... I wrote about it before... how I love it when I read when God says that [Israel] will be my people and I will be their God.
Today in Hosea... it was a little different.
God said: You are my people!
And they will say: You are my God!
That's so awesome. I can't quite express the joy in my heart... in looking fwd to the day when all of God's people will by gathered from where they are scattered... and we'll all say, "You are my God!" corporately and as one voice... united in heart and soul. It makes me all bubbly inside. :)
K... it's late. Better sleep.
<3,
Tiff
Hello there! Funny, I was just talking to my co-workers about the same thing - about how making connections or as you stated "community" is so important. You know, I may not have said it in the same way - with the knowledge that you have of God's teachings and Word - but it's funny/neat how it ends of being the same message :oD Like your analogies (which I love btw! :OD)...you have to put it into a context with which you are familiar to understand it (the main idea/message) better. Part of our conversations (several different people) basically was about how we need to connect and touch base with the special people in our lives - even though we're busy and have a ton of things to do - you gotta stop and enjoy--make the time to do so. Also we mentioned how the little gestures mean a lot and how it not only helps you and makes you feel good/better - it may just be what someone else needs at that moment - thus touching their lives too. Anyhow, wanted to share that with you. :O) haha, i know it's almost a comment/POST, but i know that i like to read detailed comments :o) haha hope you do too! :o) good night, buenas noches, aloha 'auinala (or rather aloha kakahiaka - 'cause it's technically morning already! haha)... take care! aloha, tara :o)
ReplyDeleteaww, thanks for the comment/post, tara. :) i'd like to meet you one day. let me know if you're ever in LA and i'll let you know if I'm back in HI although... which island are you on?
ReplyDeleteHi! :oD I'm on O'ahu - me, my husband and my two little girls :o) You won't believe it...well of course you will hahaha...just had to use that expression 'cause it fit best. Anyhow, I JUST saw a video the other day about a "social experiment" ----- just as what you did/mentioned!! I tell you, the coincidences! (which are probably not coincidences at all-but messages sent through you - also to you - for those around you or following your thoughts) :o) Wait, let me go and find it because I copied/pasted the url in a word document - to: show it to my students!! (i teach!-college) hahaha I told you it always amazes me the similarities between what you write and are experiencing and my life and my thoughts. Okay, found it, here's the link: http://thebubble.msn.com/video/?id=2747e6c9-016c-40c7-b0f4-2013b215267e ....when you watch it you'll see how exactly what you wrote about also happens in the short video. :o) It took place in Chicago - so kind of similar to New York (big cities). And yes, I'm also still up late although I did want to go to sleep about several hours ago :o) haha yes, let me know when you're back here in Hawai'i! It would be nice to meet you too! And here in Hawai'i - no need to worry about getting lost! ;oP haha :oD just look and ask yourself "mauka (mountain)" or "makai (sea)"? haha :o) Another note, on Friday and over this weekend (actually it started the day with the conversation about connections), I've decided just that to go for it and take the opportunities that present themselves. I think I've always been like that more or less, but there was a point lately that I was starting to feel hesitant and fearful... However I also just read somewhere that the obstacles and challenges that someone came across were actually projections of their own fear(s)...in line with what you were saying. It's all a learning experience - I also hope that I'm able to learn what it is that God has in his plans. :o) Well have good night/morning! Take care, lots of aloha to you, tara :o)
ReplyDeletethanks for sharing, Tara! I enjoyed watching the video. :) btw, my email is tiffany.g.ng@gmail.com and my fb is Tiff Ng Chen in case we wanted to converse with each other without leaving blogger comments. :)
ReplyDeleteand I think the coincidences or similarities occur... because you're looking for them and are aware. If i watched this video, I'm not even sure I would have thought that I was doing the same thing. :) I do think social experiments are fascinating. I think... that the way people reacted in the video is a lot like how people respond to blessings or opportunities in life. A lot of people miss out because they don't even see it. A lot of people see and just take a little bit. Some people see and take like 5 of them. Some people see it and just walk on by. Interesting how many people got on their phones and called others to tell them and some took pictures. When ppl see remarkable things, they should want to share the news with others, but some do and some don't. Very interesting.