going to Church

I've been getting this question a lot lately - Why should Christians go to church? While my mind is brimming with answers, I find that my facts are disorganized and in some ways incomplete. This is okay with me since I am already fully convinced of the merits of "churchgoing", but for people who have questions about the matter, my messy explanations won't do, so I am setting out to investigate and write something biblical about the issue. I'm giving myself a month to come up with a short article that will help me satisfactorily answer queries like this from dubious, confused, skeptic or stubborn Christians, whichever might be the case. I am also committing myself to memorize references for all relevant Scripture. I've always wanted to do this; it's about time I started!

I'm writing this commitment down to keep myself accountable. God help me!

If anyone can recommend good reading material for this topic, let me know. =)

A song for the ache

I have always appreciated the great truth expressed in this song. As I sit in the office and busy myself with various tasks that *need* to be accomplished, it is wonderful to have mp3's to remind myself why I am here, who is my portion, & what it is I truly long for. My soul is bitter with forgetfulness, but when I remember You, I am most blessed.

Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art
Be Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my wisdom, be Thou my true Word
Be Thou ever with me and I with thee Lord
Be Thou my great Father and I Thy true son
Be Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one

Be Thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be Thou my whole armor, be Thou my true might

Be Thou my soul's shelter, be Thou my strong tower
O raise Thou me heavenward, great power of my power...

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise
Be Thou mine inheritance now and always
Be Thou and Thou only the first in my heart
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure Thou art

High King of heaven, o heaven's bright sun
O grant me its joys after victory is won
Great heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be Thou my vision, o Ruler of all...

Still be Thou my vision,
O ruler of all
O ruler of all

Faith: a holy walk

Fighting my tendency for indolence, I am going to blog again. I'm on my second week of work and my body is still adjusting to the early mornings and late nights (as opposed to late mornings and late nights while I was on vacation). Still, God is faithful and His strength is made perfect when I am weak.

I am using a book called "Faith, a holy walk" by Oswald Chambers as a devotional. Let me quote,

Faith that is sure of itself is not faith. Faith that is sure of God is the only faith there is.

(Selah)

Let that sink in for a few moments.

We can draw the same principle from the Lord's answer to His disciples' plea for an increase of faith (see Luke 17:5-6).

Bottom line: It is not so much the size of our faith that matters as the size of our God. Faith does not look at itself, but at its object, the awesome and eternal living God.