Burky's Blog

I was reading some prophecies about the end times, and it says that we are entering the last times now. While I have no reason to fear, and neither should you, if you trust yourself in the Lord, still it is good to be more aware of what is happening about you instead of being blind to the news. While we cannot know what is happening in the future unless if God choose to reveal to us (which He mostly don't), it would be good if we are sure of heaven.

After Sunday morning of paradoxical (oxymoronous would be more like it) teaching, both Sunday School taught by Ronnie Eby and the message by Dale Horst at Pinesburg, it is refreshing to hear the message of encouragement by David Halteman at Meadow View. The just shall live by faith. After hearing the message, I started thinking. Is the message on faith my favorite? Since I understand about Christian living, it is exciting to think about what is living by faith all about. To think that "...the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits." Think how much we would accomplish by believing boldly!

I do forgive Dale Horst and Ronnie Eby as they are mere human, because you, being human, would often think of few things you miss, or wish you would have said, when you explain your beliefs or convictions to others. I have that experiences many times, which makes me begin to suspect that I may have that "I-C" personality.

I noticed that slow learners, or people who seems hard headed, and if you are puzzled what personality to fit them in, most likely they are "C". If you think they seems to have "D", but then seems to have "S", more likely they are "C". One way I detect it was because it is task-oriented people who seems to be selective in their tastes. They are the ones who know what they believe and what they like to eat. It is "D" personality that makes it more pronounced, though.

I often prefer to know something before trying them or experienced it. That is very part of "C" personality. Perhaps, that is why I felt I can balanced out all 4 personalities in myself.  By God's grace, of course.

And because of that observation about myself, I think I will be a mail-order or email counselor as my livelihood. David's message about living by faith make me want to move forward boldly in that area. What intrigues me is that Russel mentions you have to be mature Christian to be a counselor. I never thought of myself as mature; it is just that I felt confident that God will bless me if I become an counselor. After all, I noticed that my spiritual life gets stronger, and I feel more blessed, when I discuss spiritual things.

Last Friday, it got warm. Saturday, it got warmer. I am glad for a warm weather, so we can enjoy washing two cars in the sun. I should wash my car, but I am not taking my car anywhere to impress anyone and I have no inspiration or reason to wash my car. The only reason I should wash my car is to keep the body well-maintained.

Mama and I decided to walk around the block. She showed me where Tom Clancy lives (No, it is not that famous author!), and it so happens that Debroah was outside enjoying her time with her neighbor. So Mama, Debroah, and that Jewish neighbor had an interesting conversations. I am not included in that conversation very well, but Mama did interpret some about Debroah talks of Albania, the country neighboring to Greece, being open to gospel, and how they cried when they receive the Bible.

I say, we are certainly in end times. So many people are opening up to the Gospel. It is truly God's love and mercy that all shall be saved, despite of what that author of end-time prophecies may believe. It is often "Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?" (James 1:5) It is possible, but rarely, that an American politician or president to be saved, because having much money and power in the world gives one prestige and lack of feeling need for God. Self-sufficiency is our greatest sin against God. I believe that is the kind of pride which the Bible condemns.

Mama told me that Jewish lady makes a comment once in the bakery that she will miss her dogs if they didn't go to heaven with her. Mama told her that she won't. She said that Grandfather said once that if you go to heaven, and you have an unbelieving son that didn't go to heaven, you won't miss him. If you miss him, it would spoil the supreme happiness in the heaven. The Bible clearly said the peace and joy in heaven beats what we experienced here on earth.

I thought about that a bit, and realized that was where I get my thinking cap from. That teaching is not in the Bible, yet it compliments the teachings already given in the Bible very well. That is exactly how I have been doing for a long time, maybe years. I hate the inconsistency in me while teaching at CDI, punishing my students just because I wasn't too happy with them, rather than punish them to teach them to improve themselves for their future betterment. So in order to seek consistency in my life and in my beliefs, I became as I am and what I believe today. In pursuit of consistency, I start noticing inconsistencies in most Christian churches.

That's why I became a honest sinner after I left Belize, because I hate the yo-yo experiences in my Christian life. I purposed to be honest with myself, thus putting my Christianity on back-burner. It is after I read the book back in August, that I slowly wake up and start to understand more and more perfectly. Indeed, "But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day!" (Proverbs 4:18) What excites me the most is that my Christian growth mushroomed after I moved back in with my parents!

No, it has nothing to do with going to church and socializing with Christians, although it may have helped it. It is more like that I start to purpose my heart like Daniel did and the more I purposed to do different things with commitment, the more I understand about life.

That's why I believe, if you act upon your faith, you will understand more and more. Hence, the reason I kind of stopped talking about my spiritual experiences here, because I know most of my readers don't really want to understand more about Christian life. Richard Lehman taught at Bible Study (we have that every Wednesday evening at Pinesburg Mennonite Church and Richard Lehman is a deacon at Meadow View, my parents' home church) that we must not force our convictions on others. After all, I do believe that serious Christians among the Mennonites would go to heaven their way. We all believe in Jesus as our Savior and our only means of getting in heaven, so how we do about living is basically up to our individual beliefs.

No, I am not talking about anarchy, or the idea of self-expression. I am more like, if we all believe in Jesus and His Word, we will all have same basic lifestyle: honest, pure, selflessness, and so on. If not separation from the world in physical visible attire, they certainly would be separated from the worldly spirit, which is basically all about getting rather than giving.

This morning Mama ask me to take down the spouting, so they can put up a new spouting. I was kind of glad for something different to do.

I also want to do the bulletin in the kitchen as well. I want to put on there the cure for February blues!

I am done reading that e-book concerning end-time prophecies, and I am reading the Spirit-filled Temperament. I think "I" is Sanguine, "D" is Choleric, "C" is melancholy, and "S" is phlegmatic. I still think I prefer "DISC" personality study much better than Tim LaHaye's work, because it makes more sense and follows the universal law of polarity: outgoing and reserved, people-oriented and task-oriented. However, I like Spirit-Filled Temperament, because it explains about Christian lifestyle much better. "DISC" personality book, Who Do You Think You Are...Anyway?, is more like trying to appeal to all faiths, while Spirit-Filled Temperament focus on improving Christian life.

I am trying to sort through all my pictures, documents, e-books, and other stuff on my computer. So for e-book, I am in 177 Quote Book. One that stood out to me is "Faith doesn't make sense; that's why it makes Miracles." AMEN!

Here's another good one: "Decision+Action=Results" I prefer to say it this way, "Faith+Work= Living Faith."

"Few things in life has as much power as Commitment." Point well taken! It is same idea as having faith and acting upon it.

"Take control and authority over your lack of commitment in past and recommit to your achievement of your goals and dreams." While this sounds selfish, it has the same basic idea of giving your past over to God, and confess them. He will forgive and forget them completely and encourage you to start afresh. If we truly believe we are forgiven, then we will not be affected by our sinful past. We believe, therefore we conquer. Yes, naturally, because Jesus dwells in us!

Did I mentioned the last Bible Study was about church? The next one will be about relating to inconsistencies of others. I thought that whole study is pathetic, because we should not focus on inconsistencies of others. Yet, I am aware that, if we observe, then we can "expound that person more perfectly." (Acts 18:26) Still, I prefer to make sure of my salvation and trust God will take care of details.