Comments on: What Bible Verses Transformed Your Life? http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/ for friends of University Bible Fellowship Wed, 21 Oct 2015 04:34:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1 By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2978 Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:32:42 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2978 What Bible verses transformed your life? I just have to share this. Scripture continues to transform my heart, my soul and my mind! The hardened crust around my heart has been breaking off, being shattered by the Spirit’s guidance through Scripture.

I learned this week that Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. I’ve always picture Jesus sitting at the right hand of God, which is true because after His death and resurrection Jesus did indeed sit down, as an act of finishing the work on the cross (Ephesians 1:20, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 10:12, Hebrews 12:2). But Jesus stood up to greet Stephen! I can’t fully express what God’s message is in this, but it is amazing to realize Jesus is not always sitting at God’s right hand. Jesus sometimes stands up. He is alive and is working and takes notice of His little ones. 

I really don’t think it will be an angel or Peter we first meet at Heaven’s gate– it will be Jesus.

Acts 7:55-56  “55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”   

]]> By: jae http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2977 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:48:18 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2977 Don’t think we’re on the same page yet. I’m not talking about too much emphasis on what a Christian or a ministry is doing, I’m talking about people claiming God is doing this and that (to “glorify” themselves)
 
That’s my main issue here. Like I said, the headline “God chose Dr. Abraham Kim..” sounds really arrogant and it’s something we don’t know for sure. So if God is sacred to us and we revere Him, then we should be more responsible when using his holy name.

]]> By: jae http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2976 Mon, 26 Dec 2011 07:35:32 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2976 Hi Darren, in the Bible I think we ought to believe that God chose his servants for sure. Not necessarily because of their “fruit”, but because scripture does indicate that God chose certain people. I don’t know anything about Charles Spurgeon, but Billy Graham..nobody knows for sure if God chose him. To just presume God did, just because he drew huge crowds and converted people to Christianity doesn’t mean God necessarily chose him. We should be more humble with ourselves and not glorify ourselves to the point where we’re saying God did this and that, which is very arrogant and to me is a serious issue.
 
Also, Mr. Toh. I can assure you that the headline “God chose Dr. Abraham T Kim…” is not a language issue. Do you think native Korean reporters got lost in translation when writing that? Those are only a few words, and the message is very clear, it would be just as clear, and would be the exact same message if written in Korean.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2975 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:33:56 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2975 Hi Jae, I agree with you that “there is no need to glorify UBF.” Theologically, this is called “triumphalism,” or an “over-realized eschatology.” It is unhealthy because it distracts from Jesus and the glory of God, by emphasizing or high-lighting what a Christian or a Christian ministry/church is doing. UBF is not the first, and will not be the last church to do so.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2974 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 17:25:56 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2974 Hi Jae, Darren, My thought is that the “strangeness” of things reported is because English is not the primary language of those who write and report. A simple practical solution is to let one who is fluent and proficent in English and communication to edit before it is published for the world to see.

]]> By: Darren Gruett http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2973 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:28:38 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2973 Jae, I agree that sometimes those headlines come across as proud. In fact, I remember reading the headline on the election of Abraham Kim, and I thought that it sounded odd, just strange the way it was stated.
 
However, I do question your statement that nobody can say what God does for sure. Is not the fruit of a person’s life the evidence as to whether or not he was used by God? And would we have trouble saying, “God used Moses” or “God used Paul”? Could we not also say God used Charles Spurgeon or Billy Graham?

]]> By: jae http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2972 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:57:00 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2972 Hey Mr. Karcher, obviously those statements don’t help at all. who are they to judge people like that? Aren’t we supposed to love one another, support one another like Jesus instructed us? Why are they “so above” me that they can get away with this? See this is what I dread about UBF. There are some people who think they’re special and can dictate who has demons, who God hates, who God loves, etc.
 

]]> By: jae http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2971 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:35:01 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2971 Thank you for responding Mr. Toh, but I didn’t mention anything about Dr. Abe Kim’s being chosen before the formal election. Although that is a separate issue that needs to be addressed, I was originally questioning what you wrote here:
“One of Samuel Lee’s great strength was his faith in God. By his faith, our gracious God used him greatly to convert Koreans to be world conquerors”
You say, “…God used him…” as if that’s a fact. When honestly nobody can really say what God does for sure. 
 
Here’s an extreme version of what I’m pointing out:

“2011 God chose Dr. Abraham T. Kim as the new UBF General Director”
 
Would a humble Christian group say this? Why can’t we just say “We elected a new director, Abraham T. Kim!”
There’s no need to glorify UBF by saying things in such a manner. I don’t know about anyone else but it sounds very proud to me.
That headline makes it hard

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2970 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:35:08 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2970 I should clarify a bit… “rebellious sinners who have demons” was said about others several years ago, not about me. I have been discussed, more precisely, as someone with an “evil spirit these days”.  I don’t mind and don’t hold this against the person who said this, but I want such attitudes and mindsets to end. May such things not happen in 2012 or after.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2969 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:39:24 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2969 “rebellious sinners who have demons!”: Brian, I am very, very sorry and inwardly quite distressed and angry whenever I hear of anyone being labeled and carricatured. It is childish, immature, spiritually blind, self-righteous and Pharisiacal. It is inexcusable! If we as Christians and as a church are ever to be Christ-like, I pray that such behavior may cease.

Jesus extended love and grace even to a Gerasene demoniac, and do we say such things to our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ?!?

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2968 Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:48:35 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2968 jae,

You’re not ruining the party (but yes are touching on some subjects that have been taboo for over 50 years). In fact, you raise some very important questions that need to be asked and discussed openly, and most importantly, addressed in light of Scripture.

Some of this discussion has taken place elsewhere: http://coveringandauthority.com/covering-and-apostolic-authority/difficult-questions-about-covering-and-authority/

I hope we could all find some life-transformation from Scripture by discussing such things honestly and without people like me being labeled as “rebellious sinners who have demons”. Personal mediation of Scripture is necessary, but just as necessary is group discussion where differing opinions are allowed. 

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2967 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:23:12 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2967 jae,

Welcome to ubfriends. I am glad that you expressed something that disturbed you. I have become convinced that the things that disturb us or confuse us are opportunities for the Holy Spirit to teach us as we seek to clarify and learn.

In fact, getting back to the topic of this thread, about Scripture that transforms us, we should not forget that it is the Holy Spirit who transforms us. I am convinced that we need both Spirit and Scripture to be truly transformed, if we are to look anything like Christ’s image.

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2966 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:17:45 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2966 In regard to this, we should be a bit careful: “Dr. Abraham Kim was chosen by the senior leaders of UBF months before the official formal public election.”

I would be willing to bet that less than 1% of UBF members understand the election process or are aware of the UBF by-laws and official hierarchy structure. And even as a director in UBF, I knew almost nothing about this.

Sorry for the tangential topic comment, but I don’t want to give our readers the impression that Dr. Kim’s election was the same as the election process in America. It was very different. I and 99% of UBF had zero say in the matter. 

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2965 Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:20:39 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2965 Thanks, Jae, and welcome to UBFriends, since I don’t think I remember you commenting before. I do not entirely disagree with you about Lee’s faith. It is not my intention to glorify him. Faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8). No one can be proud if he has “great faith which God uses greatly,” since it is a gift of God’s grace. Those who are proud because of their great faith, then shame on them.
I do also agree with you that Dr. Abraham Kim was chosen by the senior leaders of UBF months before the official formal public election. Nonetheless, that too is in the hand of God. As someone said, we all “elect” people into office and we “deserve” whom we elect, such as when Israel wanted a king like all the other nations of the world.

]]> By: jae http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2964 Sun, 18 Dec 2011 06:42:42 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2964 Don’t mean to ruin the party here, but I feel a little uneasy about what you said here, Mr. Toh:
“One of Samuel Lee’s great strength was his faith in God. By his faith, our gracious God used him greatly to convert Koreans to be world conquerors.”
How can we possibly know it was through Samuel Lee’s faith that God used him. Also, how do we even know God used him at all?
Sure there are numerous chapters and members of UBF, but it’s really just a small organization. Who are you to say “God used him greatly”, and “God did this and that”. We don’t really know, do we?
I have respect for Samuel Lee’s character and what he did, but I don’t think it’s wise to “glorify” him like this by saying God did great things because of Samuel Lee’s faith. Or say that “God used him greatly”. We mere humans don’t know or understand what God does exactly, and to say that we do is really arrogant, prideful, and foolish.
I apologize if I’m offending you, but it bugs me when people just assume God did something. Earlier this year when I read the UBF website headline entitled, “2011 God chose Dr. Abraham T. Kim…” it disturbed me.

Were we always this proud? God may not have chosen Dr.Abe, or he may have. But it is disrespectful to just assume he has, and just assume that God is on our side for everything we do. That is being proud, that’s what the Pharisees were like. The Pharisees probably thought they were always right, that God is always on their side..their pride obviously blinded them.

The fact is, people had Dr. Abe elected as the new leader. PEOPLE..in UBF. That’s as much as we know, and that’s as much we can say! Let’s stop being arrogant, and be honest with ourselves, so that we can be free from unhealthy pride.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2963 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:59:01 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2963 Thanks for sharing Gerardo. Thank God for standing for and championing the cause of Christ as a grad student. It’s great to be “known.” Perhaps, relating to the previous post, you might find me extremely “religious” by your framework and definition of “religion.” But I would say this: I am ultraconservative in my orthodoxy, but ultra liberal in my orthopraxy.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2962 Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:40:42 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2962 Hey Brian, I just read this quote:
“When God planned the great work of saving sinners, he provided two gifts. He gave his Son and he gave his Spirit. In fact each person of the Trinity was involved in the great work of salvation. The love, grace and wisdom of the Father planned it; the love, grace and humility of the Son purchased it; and the love, grace and power of the Holy Spirit enabled sinners to believe and receive it.
The first great truth in this work of salvation is that God sent his Son to take our nature on him and to suffer for us in it. The second great truth is that God gave his Spirit to bring sinners to faith in Christ and so be saved.”
— John OwenThe Holy Spirit

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2961 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:36:34 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2961 Yes, we have talked :)

]]> By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2960 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:41:50 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2960 Brian,
You and JohnY should talk. He has been incredibly moved by the Holy Spirit as well. 

]]> By: GerardoR http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2959 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:37:18 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2959 Wow, great post Dr. Toh. I feel like I know you so much more after reading this. 
Hmm… the passages that transformed my life were the following:

John 11:36 (Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”) – This passage really stuck with me when I first began to personally encounter God. I was amazed that God cried for one dead friend. It began soften my heart to the gospel. Within a matter of weeks I went from “all religions are true” to “every knee should bend and declare Jesus Christ is Lord!” The Holy Spirit was powerful in my life during that month. 

Jeremiah 20:7 (You seduced me O Lord and I let myself be seduced) – This passage was running through my heart constantly when I first started grad school. I felt like there was so much work to do and felt like my faith was always under attack by my lab mates. It was one of the loneliest times in my academic career. I even sometimes blamed God for seducing me and making it hard to concentrate on my studies. I was both overwhelmed with work but overwhelmed with how much God had done for me. 

Luke 22:19 (And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”) – During my second year in grad school, I began to finally take seriously the differences that divide Christians and ask myself where I stood. I debated faith+works, bible alone and many other points of contention and even though I found myself agreeing with the Catholic Church, I wasnt ready to go back. I remember posting on a Catholic forum my concerns about becoming Catholic. One of my concerns was, “but there are no potlucks after Mass.” I am not joking. Eventually, one anonymous member pointed out something that hit me like a lightning bolt: “The Catholic Church offers you the Jesus’ real presence in the Eucharist. Nothing is above that.” Next thing you know, I am a Catholic revert. 

Matthew 26:6 (“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’) – It is difficult to consider a passage verse that has defined my faith life as of yet. But I think Matthew 26:6 comes close. I have gone though so many changes in the last year. I got married, had my first baby and published some of my research. These things take much time in my life but each one reminds me of my responsibilities before God. My work reminds me that while I have certain duties in this life, they must not come above my duties to God. My wife reminds me of what it means to enter a marriage covenant with God and makes me appreciate how God is always calling me to recommit myself to him. My baby teaches me that I am responsible for making protecting the spiritual condition of another human being! This fact makes me consider how important it is that I prepare my own spirit to meet Jesus when he comes. I want to be like a beautiful bride for my husband. 

]]> By: David L http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2958 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 02:29:45 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2958 Gosh so many! My Favorite verse in the Bible has to be John 11:25-26 it is my hope and got me through my mother’s death.

1peter 1:24-25 has always stuck in my mind and especially powerfully so when I visited ground zero in New York.

1John 4:10 taught me the meaning of LOVE

Isaiah 55 is one of my favorite chapters for a variety of reasons so is Romans 8 and Genesis 44-45 always makes me cry

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2957 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:43:40 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2957 Thanks, Brian, for the verses you shared on your blog. I’ve often quoted Isa 55:8-9 to remind me that God is above all of man’s thoughts and all of man’s ways, and that God’s word will always prevail above all of man’s thoughts and ways.
A few months ago, I shared 1 Tim 4:12 in the Philippines to encourage our young Christians there to not be afraid of those who insist upon patriarchy, paternalism, and primogeniture. Sorry for being enamored by those 3 infrequently used words! But I’ve found them very useful in understanding that God does not follow man’s expectations based on those 3 “P” words, especially in choosing the younger over the older repeatedly through out the Bible.
Thanks for linking my sermon on Jn 1:14 and the Dick Lucas imaginary conversation on your blog!
I notice the Wikepedia Browser highlight you installed on this site and on your blog. I was wondering if you know why it picks up only so few words and phrases, such as CS Lewis.

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2956 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:30:26 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2956 Thanks, David. Your reflections are profound, yet simple; heavenly, yet practical; theological, yet real. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I am sure that it is not all…

]]> By: David Bychkov http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2955 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:18:35 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2955 Cool topic!!!!!!
GOD REALLY EXISTS. With this word i was invited to the church and Bible study. My life was totally meaningless, and this word gave me the hope to find the meaning of life in God.
HEAVEN’S TREASURES or THE KINGDOM OF GOD. I’m not sure that it was exactly these words, but something like this made the New Testament very attractive to me and filled my life with real meaning to conquer it.
SIN and HELL. That was my reality I found in the New Testament. The clear undestanding of my sinfulness and God’s wrath made my life as hell on earth.
ERROR. I thought of my life as God’s error, as I wrastled with my sins without any success for 1,5 years.
GOD IS LOVE or GOD HAS LOVE. God loves me inspite of my sins! i am not sure how but this gave me power to change myself, to get rids of my dirty sinful habbits. Sola Gratia!
FAITH. God is love and it is true. But how I know it? How I am convinced of it?  I do not neccasary have to feel it, I need to believe in it and only to believe. Sola Fide!
DRINK JESUS’ BLOOD, NEW AND LIVING WAY TO GOD.  When I once again found myself in the dirty sins I deeply realise the only way I have to God and to live – it’s Jesus blood. B/c of His Blood I’m accepted by God, and I really have no any doubts. Solus Christos!
RELATIONS. God valued the relations with vineyard workers so high, that gave his faithful servants and even the only Son for suffering and the death. How can I neglect the relations with God’s people so easily, even they really require pain and sacrifice?
KNOWING GOD THROUGH CHRIST IN THE WORD.  That’s the really great and th only true motivation for the Bible study, reading, ministering, living the life.
BE HOLY. SANCTIFICATION BY THE WORK OF THE SPIRIT. That’s really great purpose of my practical life and my preaching in practice.
THE DRIVER. I’m not the person who sits in the controller’s office and knows everything – why and what is happening in my life. I am not to seek the meaning in my life events, to tie everything to mission etc. I’m simlpy a driver who need to know how to react on the event on the road. I just need to know how to lbe a christian here and now and not dreaming much about God’s plans and purposes.

I think that it not all…

]]> By: Ben Toh http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2954 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 23:08:12 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2954 Thanks, Darren, for sharing. “How far away I think I am sometimes, and yet, how close He really is!” Amen. Php 1:6 is perhaps a most burden relieving verse. It takes away ALL my burdens because it is not up to me to finish the job, but up to the One who chose His elect and those He adopted as His own child by His grace alone.

]]> By: Brian Karcher http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2953 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:32:23 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2953 For the past 8 years, not many words of God moved my heart.  But this year, Scripture bursted into life, exploding in my heart, mind and soul almost daily: http://www.priestlynation.com/archives/708 (2011 was the “year of Scripture” to me!)

The most potent was John 16:7  “But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”  

For the first time, I realized the Holy Spirit is a person and the Trinity suddenly made sense.  And the Spirit is my Counselor and my Director. The chains of fear were broken by this verse. Then the unbinding of my conscience (which had been tightly bound to legalism and elitism) began as the Holy Spirit began teaching me many things. 

]]> By: Darren Gruett http://www.ubfriends.org/2011/12/15/4249/#comment-2952 Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:42:52 +0000 http://www.ubfriends.org/?p=4249#comment-2952 Thanks for the posts the last few days. It has been very encouraging. Some of the verses you listed have been meaningfully to me as well, especially 2Co 5:21. I love that one!
 
I also love the episode of Jesus walking on the water, and Peter coming out to Him (Mt 14:22-31). I think that verse 31 in there is so meaningful to me, because it says, “Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him.” Peter was almost to Jesus, so close in fact, that when he started to sink, Jesus was right there, within arms’ length to catch him. How far away I think I am sometimes, and yet, how close He really is!
 
Another verse that has been extremely meaningful to me is Php 1:6. It always encourages me to remember that no matter how broken I am or how low I feel, God is not finished working on me.
 
And of course, Jn 3:16 is an all-time favorite. When David Jeremiah was in town a couple of months ago, Charles Billingsley led the worship, and I heard this song for the first time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEARV1iGzQk) based on that verse. Since then, I have loved it even more.

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