08/01
Veracity, true simplicity of heart, how valuable are these always. One that speaks what is really in one's self, will find people to listen. Carlyle, "Past and Present"
Simplicity of Heart
When I encountered the above Carlyle's words, I cried myself, "This is it, This is it." The words solved my question of missionary. It was my mistake that I tried to lead others. It was just enough for me to witness my belief with "Veracity, true simplicity of heart." If I speak what is really in me, people will listen to me. I failed my missionary because I desired to influence others while hiding myself. Now I am determined not to influence others, but to speak just my witness about belief, sin, salvation and grace. I quit missionary and began witnessing. Behold, since then, I had no disappointment for my witnessing.
08/02
Continue in the faith grounded and settled, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard and which was proclaimed in all the creation under Heaven. Colossians 1:23
Regain of Earth
The hope of ours, who believe in Christ, is not to die and leave this world and go directly to the Heavenly Nation. It may be good, but not the best. What we do hope is to be revived after death and enabled to join Christ in the bliss of the life of righteousness upon the earth sanctified. The earth is not a place of evil from the beginning. It became cursed because the sins were committed by the human beings. Should the sins be removed, the earth would be a paradise prepared by God. What a misery it is that the earth, instead of being a paradise, turned into a valley of tears. The hope of hopes is to regain the paradise upon the earth so that God's people may live therein a holy and righteous life. This is the hope of hope by Christian believers.
08/03
Therefore, brothers, we are responsible to live not after the flesh but after the spirit. For if we live after the flesh, we shall die; but if we after the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. Romans 8:12-13
Responsibility
Responsibility makes a person serious and mature. Taking responsibility an individual becomes sincere before God and others. Responsibility is by no means painful. The true happiness of life lies in carrying out one's responsibility. Without taking responsibility a person cannot know one's calling. One cannot realize how much one can to until one is burdened by responsibility, especially of missionary. One perceives the reality of everlasting life for the first time by taking the responsibility of the missionary of God. One comes to understand the true value of the Gospel after taking the responsibility. In fact, responsibility is the heaviest burden of life. One who avoids taking responsibility is the most foolish one. Who is great? It is the person who takes heavy responsibility voluntary. Taking responsibility serves for other and at the same time for the true happiness of one's self.
08/04
Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having destined eternal salvation for us. Hebrews 9:11-12
No Need of Ritual
Jesus Christ alone made Himself the most perfect offering to God. He alone proved Himself to be "the Lamb of God, which take away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). He also offered Himself perfectly to His Father. And now human can, by faith, take His sacrifice as one's own, so that one may offer a perfect sacrifice to God. Indeed, Jesus Christ is our perfect burnt-offering, our perfect food-offering, our perfect peace-offering, our perfect sin offering and our perfect trespass-offering. With His perfect offering of Himself, upon the Calvary, to His Holy Father, all the requirements for the rituals by means of oxen, sheep, doves, flour, olive oil and incense have been eternally and completely abolished. Now for anyone who believes in Him there remains none at all of the rituals to observe.
08/05
The Jews ask for a proof, and the Greeks seek after knowledge; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block, and to the Greeks foolishness. But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the knowledge of God. 1 Corinthians 1:22-24
Believe First, Understand Next
Believe first and understand next. Believe in order to understand; but do not seek understanding first in order to believe because that is not the way of faith. Having no alternative but to believe is a faith. Jesus said to His disciple Thomas "Because your have believed; blessed and they that have not seen, and yet have believed" (John 20:29). Blessed are they who can believe without seeing. No human intellect can comprehend anything about God and His Holy Spirit. One cannot come to believe in Him and His works, after all, waiting to comprehend them. One therefore believes first. One believes the word, without doubting, simply because it is of God. This is not superstition, just as a child's belief and doubtless in father's word cannot be a superstition. This explains what and how to believe in. But to refuse to believe even his father's word, because it is beyond comprehension, must be mere stubbornness.
08/06
We beseech you, brothers and sisters, that you abound in love more and more, and that you learn earnestly to be quiet and to do your own labor, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you. 1 Thessalonians 4:10-11
Gospel for Laborer
Paul preached the Gospel of Christ as well as the Gospel of labor. And the Gospel of Christ is the Gospel of labor. Lord Christ himself was a laborer. Without love, no one knows God; and, without labor, no one can know Christ. Intellectual knowledge of God is the least worthily. Paul could learn knowledge of God better by making tents with Aquila and Priscilla than under the guidance of Gamaliel. Christianity is not a religion of priests. It is a religion of laypersons. It cannot be understood without laboring by hands.
08/07
So then there remains a rest to the people of God. For one who has entered into one's rest, the one also has ceased from one's own works, as God did from His. Therefore let us labor to enter into that rest, lest anyone fall after the same example of unbelief. Hebrews 4: 9-11
Day of Rest
The day of rest is the day that we leave our work, meditate whether we accord to God's direction, and communicate with Him. Where are we directing to and what place are we going? Rest your hands of operation, and see the stars of heave to know your place and direction. Resume your direction according to the great plan of the Creator of haven and earth. If you keep going the voyage without taking the day of rest, your ship will arrive at the unintended harbor and your life will end at total failure. The day of rest is the day of grace that God rescues us from the pitfall. Even God takes the day of rest after His creation of the universe to see its goodness. How much we should take the day of rest.
08/08
Whoever wants to be great among you, let the one be your servant. And whoever wants to be chief among you, let the one be your servant; even as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve. Matthew 20:26-28
Seek Not Big Thing
Not necessarily great writings, but small writings will do as well. Address simple and clear words of what you have seen in Truth. Not necessarily great things, but little things will do as well. God sent you to this world. The Earth, a creation of God, has to be made so much better before you return to your Father. Not necessarily the perfect, but the imperfect will do as well. Satisfy whatever possible consolation and joy to this suffering world, by doing your, day by day. "Do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them" (Jeremiah 45: 5). Jeremiah thus taught his disciple Baruch. Undertaking only great things will bring in nothing. Desiring only the perfect will yield nothing. Bearing nothing is evil doing. Great is the doing small things earnestly. Forbearance of the imperfect makes one side of the perfect. Let us do whatever we can do, with every ability and strength available, whether great or small, perfect or imperfect.
08/09
We are a savior of Christ both to them who are saved and to them who perish. To the perish we are the savior of death to death; and to the saved the savior of life to life. Who can bear these mission? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. 2 Corinthians 2:15-17
Self-Contradictions
Said Walt Whitman: "I have self-contradictions, because I am large." And God the Largest is the most self-contradictory of all beings. He is love Himself and a consuming fire at the same time. And His true children are always like Him. Paul, Luther, Cromwell, what combinations of self-contradictions, of mother-loves and father-angers. They never were perfect, but apparently imperfect. They were not like pink flowers worn on girls' breasts, but were like rugged mountains fitted for Titans' dwellings. And because they were imperfect and rugged, they were humankind's true friends. They demolished inequalities, banished unrighteousnesses, and laid the foundations of the Lord's Nation on earth. Alas for modern Christians, and "humanly-love" Christianity. Because they are "perfect, round, smooth, harmonious, and altogether too lovable," they are unfitted to drive deep into human souls, and conquer nations for the Lord's possessions.
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