My Concerns About The International Conference, part 2
Earlier Ben shared an article expressing his concerns for the upcoming UBF ISBC (International Summer Bible Conference) to be held in Pennsylvania. The article quickly became our #2 most-commented article ever. But I read almost no response regarding Ben’s concerns directly. For those who responded to Ben, thank you. Here is a second chance for people to comment about Ben’s concerns.
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Christian Life is More than Sin Management
[Admin note: Don’t like talking about UBF so much? Then let’s talk about the gospel! Here is another article submitted to us regarding Christian life and how the gospel of Jesus impacts our life.] I entered UBF when I was seventeen years old. I had just finished a disastrous break-up with a high school girlfriend that had left me with overwhelming guilt and shame because of the impurity of our relationship. I was disgusted with my life-dominating sin problems, and I earnestly prayed for God’s help to change.
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In Christ Alone I Stand
[Admin Note: Here is another article submitted to us. As various conversations continue here, we hope to remember Jesus and take some time to reflect on honoring Him.] At the last supper, the disciples disputed about who was greatest, but Jesus taught them the spiritual way: Luke 22:25-26 Jesus said to them, “The kings of the gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.”
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Finding the Key to Real Transformation
While the UBF conversations continue here, we would like to begin some new dialogues about Christianity in general. We have a few articles that have been submitted on topics that go beyond the UBF context. We hope this will expand our minds and hearts, and infuse our dialogues with some outside input. The first article is from a virtual friend Brian met (via phone, blogs and Facebook) last year, Joe Machuta. Joe has been on an amazing journey of transformation. He calls it a Christian “paradigm-shift”. Joe has nothing to do with UBF and has never even heard of UBF until he met Brian. Please take some time to listen to Joe’s words and share your reactions.
I Dream of Absolute Honesty
[This is in part a response to “Walking in the Light of Absolute Honesty” by Joe Schafer.] We often dream things we never think of while we are awake. Joseph’s two dreams concerned a thing he would have never thought of or imagined. Dream has uncanny ability to make us forget humdrums of daily routine and bring to our consciousness something worthwhile to dream of. Absolute honesty is something I pray for me to be even in my dream. I will discuss later why absolute honesty may be only a dream. But is absolute honesty is something worthwhile to dream of? Absolutely! I would define absolute honesty as my true being. When I am honest, I am being who I am, not who I am not. And how liberating it is for me to be who I am, not who I am not!
Believing Grace, Practicing Law
Saved by Grace; Function by Law. I know that I am saved by Grace (Eph 2:8-9), but somehow I functionally and practically operate as if I am saved by keeping the Law: by reading my Bible, praying, preparing sermons and Bible study, discipling and mentoring others, blogging, repenting of my sins, loving, serving and praying for others and for ways to advance the kingdom of God, attending prayer meetings, Bible conferences, weekly worship services, etc. Though I believe in Grace, I functionally default to the Law daily. I wake up every morning as a Pharisee. Though I want to extend Grace to others, my default is to give them some Law, such as work harder, read your Bible daily, participate more, have a specific goal for your life, don’t be selfish and self-centered, overcome yourself, don’t go see Breaking Dawn Part 2, etc. What exactly am I doing?
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What is the gospel?
For over two decades I thought I knew the gospel. I believed the gospel, preached the gospel, taught the gospel and shared the gospel. But it occurred to me sometime around 2009 that I could not articulate the gospel. The more I tried to answer the question, what is the gospel, the more elusive it seemed. Almost every Christian talks about the gospel. We say it is necessary, critical, essential, obligatory and primary. But what is it?
What a First Day in Philippines UBF
For 8 years, I visited Philippines UBF yearly. It has been an indigenous UBF ministry led from the outset by Filipinos for the last 25 years. I have felt the wind of the Spirit blow palpably and visibly (Jn 3:8), which is why I visit regularly.
Sandwitched between 2 staggering sorrows. I arrived in Manila at 1 am on Fri July 20. I didn’t sleep because of jet lag. I received an email about the horrific Colorado shootings, which killed 12 and wounded 58. The next day I received another staggering news of a close friend having a stillborn birth. My heart has been aching and thrown into a tailspin ever since I arrived in Manila. Sandwitched between these 2 sorrows, I attended Antipolo UBF on Fri evening, a 2 year old church plant. The lead church planter is Dr. John Talavera, a professor of Anatomy and Physiology and his lovely wife Hannah.
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Marriage By Faith (Should “No Dating” be a Church Policy?)
Scary! “Marriage by faith” (MBF) is highly sensitive and “controversial.” In 1980, when I first heard the phrase before marriage, I cringed and broke out into a cold sweat. I think it is a wonderful phrase. But I stopped using it because it has become misunderstood, misapplied and mis-taught, as suggested in the comments on What is the Point of Genesis? and LGBT. MBF has perhaps come to no longer mean what it originally meant.
Mission/Legalism/Tradition Hinders Spiritual Growth
Welcome back from a break. Thank you, admin, for your labor in the Lord!
Emphasizing mission. Since 1961, UBF’s strength has been our emphasis on mission. When I studied Genesis 1 three decades ago, I loved the catchphrase “Man = Mission.” I taught this in Genesis 1:1 Bible study repeatedly for a quarter of a century as my mission until a few years ago. I still treasure my life of mission and Bible teaching. I am as driven and passionate to teach the Bible today as I was when I became a Christian in 1980. The only subtle change is that I now wish to primarily “testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), and to proclaim/preach “Christ and him crucified” (1 Cor 1:23, 2:2) as my primary emphasis, rather than emphasizing mission imperatives. So, my point of Genesis is no longer mission, but Jesus (Jn 5:39,46).
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