Hall of Faith and Spiritual Depression

Another of my "Hall of Faith" is David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. After leaving medicine in 1927, Dr. Lloyd-Jones became the minister of a Welsh Presbyterian Church in Aberavon, South Wales. He was there until 1938, when he moved to London to share the ministry of Westminster Chapel in Buckingham Gate with Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, who retired in 1943. His ministry lasted for thirty years until He retired in August 1968. He then engaged in a wider preaching ministry and in writing until shortly before his death in 1981.

Dr. Morgan and Dr. Lloyd-Jones' association was a fitting example of how Christians can work together even when they differ on secondary issues.

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan was an Arminian and his Bible exposition, though famous, did not deal in the great doctrines of the Reformation.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was in the tradition of Spurgeon, Whitefield, the Puritans and the Reformers.

Yet the two men respected each other's positions and talents and their brief partnership, until Campbell Morgan died at the end of the war, was peaceful and much furthered the work of Christ in London.

From reading his books, I have learned that Martyn Lloyd-Jones, who did not approach the Bible from a dispensational perspective, states in his book, Revival, "Let us not forget that the camp of Israel was the, then, church of God. In the Old Testament the nation of Israel was the church in the wilderness." (Page 166)

One of his famous quotes:

"If I may say so in passing, the thing that has given me greatest pleasure, and greatest encouragement of all the things I have ever been told that people say about my ministry, is this. It was said by a lady, who remonstrated, and said, 'This man preaches to us as if we were sinners!' Quite so. You see, you must not be searched, you must not be examined, you are all right. Of course, denounce those sinners who are outside, or those liberals, but, why, we are the people who are orthodox! We do not need that, we need instruction. We want these general lectures, these addresses, these character studies. How interesting, how nice. But we must not be disturbed. There is nothing wrong with us. And so such people, as you see everywhere in the Bible and in the history of the Church, have always disliked anything that searches them, or makes them feel uncomfortable, or probes them."

Dr. Lloyd-Jones was brought up in Welsh Calvinistic Methodism, first as a boy in Wales and then as a teenager and student in London, when the Charing Cross Chapel, which his family attended. If you have never heard of the Calvinistic Methodists the very term may seem contradictory. Because of his spiritual foundations in that movement it would be wise to take some time to hear an explanation of that denomination from Martyn Lloyd-Jones himself. Though he did not truly found it, Welsh Calvinistic Methodism finds its roots in George Whitefield. During the mid 1700's the churches of Great Britain could be divided into two main camps. The Methodist branch (under John Wesley) was Arminian meaning they emphasized man's free will. The Presbyterian and Congregationalist were Calvinistic meaning they emphasized the sovereignty of God in salvation. Both of these camps had their problems. The Methodist ignored the nature of the doctrines of Grace and the need for depraved man to be regenerated by the effectual call of God. On the other hand the Calvinists (including many Baptists) had become hyper-Calvinistic meaning they began to deny the free offer of the gospel to all men and the need for evangelism and missions. In many ways Calvinistic Methodism sought the best of both sides. These Welsh Christians were thorough believers in the doctrines of Grace. Unlike their English counterparts, however, they did not believe that being Calvinistic means ignoring one's heart and emotions. They were aware of what George Whitefield called a "felt Christ."

Lloyd-Jones rightly notes that right doctrine apart from this "felt" Christ had inherent problems. The Welsh church saw a need to return to Bible preaching rather preaching of doctrinal statements, Catechism and Confessions. One other great concern of the Calvinistic Methodist Church was revival. For that reason Lloyd-Jones observed that he believed that Jonathan Edwards was in his heart a Calvinistic Methodist.

While the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church had itself grown cold by the time of Martyn Lloyd-Jones, it history played an important part in formulating his life and ministry.

"The Doctor" reintroduced in his preaching ministry the need for careful, expository preaching. He restored to Great Britain what it had known under Spurgeon and that was a hungering for the unfettered Word of God itself over liturgy and religious form. The British expositor Martyn Lloyd-Jones have said ''In a sense, a depressed Christian is a contradiction in terms'' Dr. Jones does a marvelous job of breaking down each of these traits found in those in the doldrums and sheds the light of Scripture on each as he takes a solely Christian look at the root of these problems and how to deal with them biblically. Dr. Jones explains that by living according to God's pattern, by thinking according to God's pattern and by feeling according to God's pattern, right attitudes, right thoughts, right actions. You have to police your life and your action ultimately will control your stability. That means you have to be disciplined.

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones in writing his book on Spiritual Depression, of course he was a medical doctor, he was a physician to the queen before he felt the call of God to preach and teach the Word of God. And he suggested that this matter of looking at God's power coming into action at the end of our resources was similar to the issue of health. He put it this way, he said, "Health is something that results from right living. Health cannot be obtained directly or immediately or in and of itself. There is a sense in which I am prepared to say that a man should not think of his health as such at all. Health is the result of right living. And I say exactly the same thing about this question of power in our Christian lives."

"I suggest that the main trouble in this whole matter of spiritual depression is this, that we allow ourself to talk to us instead of talking to ourself. . . . Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?" ([Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965], p. 20).

"Now we believe that God extends His Kingdom partly through His people and we know that He has often times done some of the most notable things in the history of the church through the simple Christian living of some quite ordinary people. Nothing is more important, therefore, than that we should be delivered from a condition which gives other people looking at us the impression that to be a Christian means to be unhappy, to be sad, to be morbid and that the Christian is one who scorns delights and lives laborious days"

"I defy you to read the life of any saint that has ever adorned the life of the church without seeing at once that the greatest characteristic in the life of that saint was discipline and order. Invariably it is the universal characteristic of all the outstanding men and women. Read about Henry Martin, David Brainerd, Jonathan Edwards, the brothers Wesley and Whitfield, read their journals. It does not matter what branch of the church they belong to, they have all disciplined their lives and have insisted upon the need for this and obviously it is something that is thoroughly scriptural and absolutely essential"

But what's a Christian to do to effectively combat spiritual depression (but not get bogged down with the guilt of it all)?

Believing that Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones reveals the causes that have robbed you of your spiritual vitality and shows you how to find complete joy through the mind and spirit of Christ. Based on 21 sermons that the author preached at the Westminster Chapel in London. 300 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

Lloyd-Jones addressing the following issues that many who are downcast find themselves afflicted by:
* Lack of a foundation in Christ
* Lack of clarity
* Poor spiritual balance between the mind, heart, and will
* Inability to receive forgiveness for all their sins
* Inability to move beyond past failures
* Fear of the future
* Placing too much confidence in emotions
* Faulty love of oneself and a general contempt for others
* Lack of faith
* Seeing only bad and not good
* Bondage to dead legalism
* Failing to recognize false teachings
* Weariness
* Lack of discipline
* Failure to handle trials appropriately
* Failure to respond correctly to chastening
* Bitterness

"Faith, having refused to be controlled by circumstances, reminds itself of what it believes and what it knows.... Whatever your circumstances at this moment, bring all you know to be true of your relationship to God to bear upon it. Then you will know full well that He will never allow anything to happen to you that is harmful. 'All things work together for good to them that love God'.... I do not suggest that you will be able to understand everything that is happening. You may not have a full explanation of it; but you will know for certain that God is not unconcerned. That is impossible. The One who has done the greatest thing of all for you, must be concerned about you in everything, and though the clouds are thick and you cannot see His face, you know He is there" (Spiritual Depression: Its Causes and Its Cure [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965), p. 145).

This is one of my favorite quotes by Dr. Jones. We cannot change circumstances, but we can triumph in them. We can be 'more than conquerors'; and we become so as we are found 'looking unto Jesus'. Look at Him! Look at the nights He spent in prayer, look at His knowledge of the Word of God, look at the way in which He 'exercised His senses'. . . . We must become imitators of Him. We must look beyond men, we must look to the Son of God and what He has done in order 'to save us out of this present evil world', and to introduce us to the glory that awaits us with God" (The Christian Soldier [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1977], pp. 93-94).

Anyway, I need to read this book again because I need a good reminder of my faith. I wonder if I still have it or did I loaned it to someone? I will find out soon enough.

Hall of Faith: Dwight Moody

Dwight Moody is listed in as one of my list personal "Hall of Faith". Dwight Moody was unquestionably the chief spokesman for the revivalist wing of the flourishing American evangelicals of his day. His central leadership role was very similar to that played by Charles Finney before the Civil War or that of Billy Graham in the era after 1950. Moody’s style on the platform was not sensational or spectacular, but more like that of a nineteenth-century businessman who won the hearts of his audiences by homely illustrations that effectively appealed to their sentiments.

For more information about Dwight Moody... go here:Dwight L. Moody

Here are his well-known quotes:
It is easier for me to have faith in the Bible than to have faith in D.L. Moody, for Moody has fooled me lots of time. Dwight L. Moody

Sin will keep you from this book. This book will keep you from sin. Dwight L. Moody

We ought to see the face of God every morning before we see the face of man. Dwight L. Moody

We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. (D.L. Moody)

"Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody; 40 years learning he was nobody; and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody." DL Moody

The difference between listening to a radio sermon and going to church...is almost like the difference between calling your girl on the phone and spending an evening with her. Dwight L. Moody

God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves. Dwight L. Moody

(About Pride) God has cast our confessed sins into the depths of the sea, and He's even put a "no fishing" sign over the spot. Dwight L. Moody

At a certain meeting two and a half people were converted to Christ. "A friend asked if he meant two adults and a child. The facts were just the opposite - two children and an adult. When a child is led to Christ, a whole life is saved!" Dwight L Moody

Sunday Morning Spiritual Thoughts: Striving through bumpy road.....

When I was growing up, never really had a cold until I moved away from my parents house. I was very athletic, swam for 30 plus years and road cycling 25 to 100 miles every weekend. When I was healthy physically, I have learned nothing about about real life until recently. My deafness which I was born with, is not an illness but rather a disability. Looking back. I was very healthy and was able to do anything that a "normal able" people could do but hear. I hardly missed any work, I was able to my daily activities. I was able to do many things that more "disabled" person may not be able to do so. Until later in life that is. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2002. Today, I am healthy but do get sick at times however, there are days that MS can affect my daily activities. Many people asked me how do I cope, I responded that I have learned to cope with God's grace.

I have seen people who overcame their situations into positive regardless the situation. I also have experiences by overcoming my own situations as well. God's knowledge of my own discouragements are more than just knowledge; His knowledge is more personal, warm, and compassionate. He knows every pains I have been facing. Inside me, I know I am not alone because He is with me. Making a strong conviction to decided on what is affecting me, my attitude is to move on by living in faith. Accepting God's purposes and plans of God however He sees fit in my life. My faith is to believe Him and allow Him to adjust my life according to His will. I am to be aware of obstacles and hindrances I would be facing throughout my life that will throw me off balance. What should motivate me is like an athlete who trains for the Olympics to win a gold medal with such self-discipline and willing to face the challenges. In 2 Corinthians 9:8, Paul reminded me that God is able to provide unlimited grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in every everything I do. For when I am weak inside me, God's grace will make me strong. Like a journey of a child with his father, a child is unable to imagine events but a child will know and trust his father.That's how I am with God. Learning from great faiths in the Bible, I saw that their circumstances did not control them that they have reacted to their circumstances which clearly show what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were. They actually understood God's grace. God is adjusting my own history to His purposes. He knows what He's doing. I have to learn to trust His will, His power to do His will, and His timing to do it when the time is right--and not until then. That's the essence of real faith.

I have been studying about a man name "Job" in the Old Testament for a long time and learned about his own sufferings and how he coped them. Job reads like history. It talks about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. It communicates to us his friends' interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with which Job dealt. What's interesting is that other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11). From the Book of Job, we see that God is in complete control. Satan had neither the power nor the authority to do anything without the permission of God. It was consistent with God's nature and will for him to have allowed those things to happen to Job. God's main purpose in redemption was not to make my life happy, healthy and free of trouble but rather His main purpose was to rescue me from my sin that I was born with by transforming me from within to the image of Jesus by the power of His Grace. God has given me His grace to sanctify me through the sources of "thorns" which are weaknesses, insults, distresses, persecutions and difficulties in my life. Through God's GRACE, my life will be go through "Perseverance that must finish the work so that I may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:4). James says count it all joy when I fall into various trials cause trials will provide God's perfecting work. Peter says after I have suffered a while the Lord will make me perfect. God uses suffering to reveal my spiritual condition. Reading the beginning of Psalm 23 that stars with "The LORD is my shepherd", in John 10 explains that Jesus is my Shepherd that He releases me from fear (John 10:1-8, 11-13), He satisfies my spiritual hunger (John 10:9-10), and He brings me together with others to the flock (John 10:11-18)

Hebrews 13:20 May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep.

1 Peter 2:25 For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

The main thing to understand and remember is that Jesus is MY SHEPHERD that He will supply all my needs (Phil. 4:19) and that He knows everything about my life (Ps. 139:3), cares about me (1 Pet. 5:7), has the power for every difficulty (Ps. 62:11), is perfecting me to be like Christ (Phil. 1:6), and that nothing escapes Him (Ps. 147:5), that will lead me to be stable, not anxious living.

With that, I am not thankful that I am deaf however I am thankful because in my circumstance of my deafness, I have communicated with other deaf people to know Christ as Jesus said in John 9:3 "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."

That's what I am to be thankful for. I am not thankful for what I am experiecing but I am thankful in what I am living in through God's grace.

God reminded me of His promises through the Bible:
Philippians 4:11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

1 Timothy 4:8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

2 Corinthians 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Spiritual thanksgiving is that I can rejoice because I do count in God's promises for me which are greater than my own trials. In the Old Testament, God taught me examples of GREAT faiths listed in Hebrews, Chapter 11 which is a chapter everyone may know called "Hall of Faiths".

We can stand affliction better than we can prosperity, for in prosperity we forget God. (D.L. Moody)

"Moses spent 40 years thinking he was somebody; 40 years learning he was nobody; and 40 years discovering what God can do with a nobody." DL Moody

Hall of Faith: Abraham Lincoln

It is NOT up to me to figure out whether President Lincoln a Christian or not. This is between God and him.

Lincoln's relationship with God is a subject highly debated by historians. Some say Lincoln was an unbeliever while many say he was a "deeply religious" man that daily sought God's guidance. Lincoln grew up in a poor dirt-farming family in the upper South and lower Midwest without privilege, position, or much formal education. The world of his upbringing was much closer to the culture of Puritanism than the culture of narcissism. Lincoln had very few books when he was growing up so he read the Bible with great care. His later speeches and ordinary conversation were peppered with biblical quotations and allusions.

When one reads Lincoln's presidential speeches, filled with his pleas to the American people to seek God's aid and guidance, and demonstrative of his own dependence on God's mercy, it is difficult to comprehend any scholar that would see Lincoln as anything but a man that sincerely depended on God. In that day, "born again" was not a commonly used, or understood, phrase and it is likely that his relationship with God lacking due to his reluctance to join any specific church or denomination. It is true that Lincoln never did join a church, although he attended church services regularly while President. The reason he gave for never joining a church was that he could never be satisfied with all the dogmas and creeds that the denominational churches of his day required. He found the harsh infighting among Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Disciples, and others repulsive. As a consequence, Lincoln several times professed willingness to join a church that required nothing of its members but heartfelt love to God and to one's neighbors. The competing creeds of the churches were not for him.

Here are some of Lincoln's quotes:

"When any church will inscribe over its altar, as its sole qualification for membership, the Savior's condensed statement of the substance of both law and Gospel, 'Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and thy neighbor as thyself' that church will I join with all my heart and all my soul."

He also said

"That I am not a member of any Christian church is true; but I have never denied the truth of the Scriptures; and I have never spoken with intentional disrespect of religion in general, or of any denomination of Christians in particular....I do not think I could myself be brought to support a man for office whom I knew to be an open enemy of, or scoffer at, religion."

The Christian character of President Lincoln is an American enigma. A lifelong non-churchgoer, Lincoln has been the subject of numerous speculations concerning his faith. He was more intensely spiritual than almost any other American President, yet the confusion about the genuineness of Lincoln's Christianity arises from the ambiguities of his early life. The very first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln. The Republican Party was established in 1854 by a coalition of former Whigs, Northern Democrats, and Free-Soilers who opposed the expansion of slavery and held a vision for modernizing the United States. On Monday, September 22, 1862, in a meeting of his Cabinet on the second floor of the White House, Lincoln seemed a bit embarrassed. He was trying to explain the timing of the Emancipation Proclamation, but was not sure anyone else would understand. Lincoln's words were an honest, even brutal acknowledgment that man is not always able to arrange the world as he would like. Lincoln intuitively understood the drama of sin and redemption better than most traditional believers.

“If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of those offences which, in the providence of God, must needs come, but which, having continued through His appointed time, He now wills to remove, and that He gives to both North and South, this terrible war, as the woe due to those by whom the offence came, shall we discern therein any departure from those divine attributes which the believers in a Living God always ascribe to Him?”

Lincoln saying that it was on a God who is attentive to history and has it in his power to affect our course. The bad events are circumscribed by a loving providence that there is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to us that we are not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything. Faith is accepting God's Will. God is adjusting our history to His purposes. He knows what He's doing. We have to learn to trust His will, His power to do His will, and His timing to do it when the time is right--and not until then. That's the essence of real faith. God carries out His will in His perfect power and timing. Reading the book of Esther show how God controls history through providence. There isn't a miracle in the book and the name of God isn't mentioned but at the same time, without anyone realizing that God is always in control of every single event in this world. The king mentioned in Esther favored Esther and Mordecai, spared all the Jewish people, made Mordecai the Prime Minister and hanged Haman on the gallows he build himself for the Jewish people and preserved the nation Israel. Hadassah, "myrtle" in Hebrew (Esther 2:7), or Esther, "star" or "Ishtar" in Persian. One of the greatest and most essential attributes of God is His sovereignty, God rules over all things and controls all things. God also uses providence to accomplish His will in the world. You won't find the word providence in the Bible. It's like the word Trinity. God directs and uses events to accomplish His own Will which meant: "the providence of God." Romans 8:28 says, "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Lincoln's faith have revealed when tough circumstances drove him to deeper contemplation of God and the divine will even when he was casual about Christian observance. He was a man of profound morality, an almost unbearable God-consciousness, and a deep belief in the freedom of God to transcend the limited vision of humanity. Therefore, Abraham is listed as one of my "Hall of Faiths".

One of my favorite singers and songs.......

Play the video and listing to this song as you read this. This song is called "We will Glorify". This song was played in my wedding November 28, 2003 at my parents' house in Massachusetts.

Twila Paris is another Christian who is listed in my personal Hall of Faith. I first saw her in concert about 20 years ago (I think) and fell in love with her music and songs. love Twila's music because most of them are focused on worship. At our wedding (our second marriage), we played "We will Glorify", written. It was the most beautiful song for our wedding. We both want to glorify God with our marriage and we are glorifying wonderfully. God is with us and we both are spiritually and emotionally.

Winner of the Gospel Music Association's 1993 and 1994 Dove Award for Female Vocalist of the Year. Known for years as "the modern-day hymnwriter," Twila has been compared to the legendary Fanny Crosby for her powerful contributions to contemporary hymnody. Songs like "We Will Glorify," "Lamb of God," "How Beautiful," and "Faithful Men" have been recognized as significant by virtue of their inclusion in millions of hymnals in churches around the world.

We will glorify the King of kings
We will glorify the Lamb
We will glorify the Lord of lords Who is the great I AM
Lord Jehovah reigns in majesty
We will bow before His throne
We will worship Him in righteousness
We will worship Him alone He is Lord of heaven,
Lord of earth He is Lord of all who live
He is Lord above the universe
All praise to Him we give Hallelujah to the King of kings Hallelujah to the Lamb Hallelujah to the Lord of Lords
Who is the great I AM

Hall of Faith: JOB

"Experience is the hardest teacher. It gives the test first and then the lesson."

Often it is known that suffering leads to eternal salvation. I like this quote by one of my favorite authors, "The devil, things and people being what they are, it is necessary for God to use the hammer, the file and the furnace in His holy work of preparing a saint for true sainthood. It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply." (A. W. Tozer, The Root of the Righteous, 157). Unbelief is the oldest of the many spiritual diseases by which fallen human nature is afflicted. From the Old Testament, I have been studying Job. Job reads like history. It talks about a man named Job. He lived in the land of Uz. It relates details about his family, his life, and his suffering. It communicates to us his friends' interest in his suffering, and the spiritual struggling with which Job dealt. What's interesting is that other biblical writers refer to Job as a real person. Ezekiel refers to Job along with Noah and Daniel (Ezekiel 14:14,20). And James draws upon the example of Job to comfort the suffering, proving the point that God is merciful. He commends the endurance of Job (Jas. 5:11).

How I learned about Job are as follows:

1. Job's example of Faith God made a point to the devil and to the whole world of people who have ever read that account. And the point is this, that true saving faith is not dependent on positive circumstances. God is making a point with Satan and to make the point He uses Job and the point is to show the strength and the continuity and the unwavering character of true saving faith, true love for God. The person who really loves God is not the person who loves God because of what he gets, but the person who loves God because of who he is.

2. Job versus Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars (Job's friends)
In the beginning of the Book of Job, Job's innocence is established so that people won't interpret Job's friends opinions as judgemental. The very first verse explains that Job was blameless and a man of complete integrity. Job's faith was very strong and feared (loved) God. Job's friends (Eliphaz, Bildad, & Zophar) reminds me of some movements who believes that when Christians get sick, they blame on a Christian who have committed sin. There are many of those who believes such doctrines. There are so many Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars. God allowed Satan to inflict Job (i.e. boil which is a skin disease). The fact of Job's story is that there are no answers when disaster strikes. We can't explain everything. Faith is to keep trusting God no matter what happens. Job had the strength, the continuity and the unwavering character of true saving faith, true love for God regardless what happened to him. Many of us have identified with him. Many of us also have identified some of our fellow Christians as Elphazs, Bildads, and Zophars. When when Christians face tribulations as Job did, what would their friends do?

3. Details of Job's friends treating Job during his trials Some have the attitude, "I have the knowledge and how God have blessed me with that knowledge. One of these days you will also come to know and have the same knowledge and that is when you will know the truth." Job's friends were obstacles to his relationship with God when they don't really know why things are happening to Job. Self-righteousness is terrible among Christian community because it is very naturally that we judge everyone by what/who we are because it is usually smug satisfaction with self. Self-righteousness also leads to self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of what is going on. I love this quote by C.S. Lewis: "You never know how much you really believe anything until truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you."

4. Job's friends persecuting Job..... Job knew in his own heart that his friends were wrong. Finally, after listening to his friends for so long (20 plus chapters), in Job 21:27, Job said, "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me." In other words, "You know, I've had it with you guys. All you do is think what I lacked against God." And that their comments just proved that they didn't love him. “Oh, Job. You’ve got a lot of sin in your life. We know, we’ve got a good theology. Our theology is that if you’ve got problems, you’ve got sin.” Job's friends ran through weeks of his personal inventory and they came up with nothing. Job 32:2 But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God. Job 37:14 "Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God's wonders.

The bad events are circumscribed by a loving providence and God promises to use them all for His ultimate good for HIS GLORY. There is a verse in the Bible that God promises that there won’t be anything so bad happen to me that I am not able to bear it. God does everything--He governs everything. Faith is accepting God's Will.

Job in the Old Testament is one of my Hall of Faiths.

William Whiting Borden

William Whiting Borden (November 1, 1887 – April 9, 1913), Christian missionary to Egypt with Samuel Zwemer was the heir to the Borden, Inc. family fortune and graduate of Yale University in 1909 and of Princeton Theological Seminary. William Borden, also known as "Borden of Yale". Borden was converted to Christianity under the ministry of Dwight L. Moody. His dream of working in China was derailed, however, when he contracted spinal meningitus in Cairo on March 21 and died on April 9, 1913, never completing the journey he had begun. Borden's legacy, however, extended beyond his life and example as he bequeathed $1 million to Christian missions, including to China Inland Mission which he was joining, Moody Bible Institute and Moody Church, Princeton Theological Seminary, several Presbyterian mission boards and other agencies. CIM established and dedicated Borden Memorial Hospital to ministry in Lanzhou, Gansu Province in northwest China, an area populated with Muslims like those Borden hoped to serve. No Reserves. No Retreats. No Regrets. is a website about William Borden's life.

One day, he told his family "I'm going to give my life to prepare for the mission field." One friend expressed surprise that he was "throwing himself away as a missionary." In response, Bill wrote two words in the back of his Bible: "No reserves." Very quickly, however, Borden's classmates noticed something unusual about him and it wasn't his money. One of them wrote: "He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ and had really done it. We who were his classmates learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration." When news William Whiting Borden's death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. "A wave of sorrow went round the world . . . Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice" wrote Mary Taylor in her introduction to his biography.

Was Borden's untimly death a waste? Not in God's plan. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words "No reserves" and "No retreats," he had written: "No regrets."

This man is worthy to be part of my Hall of Faith.

Eugene Bordean Jr. (1953-1999)

My mentor, my good friend, my pastor.

In 1986, the Lord called Eugene Bordean to establish the Liberty Baptist Church of the Deaf in Columbus, Ohio, with the purpose of reaching the Deaf. The first church service was held in the basement of a McDonald's Restaurant on September 7, 1986.

Eugene had a burden to share the gospel with the 175 million Deaf around the world. He had the great privilege of going on three missionary trips: two times he went to Romania for a couple of weeks, and one time he and his family and others from the church went to Jamaica for two weeks to work with the Deaf. One of his long term goals was to plant a Deaf Church in Chicago, Toledo, Flint, Detroit, and Pittsburgh.

As the founder and pastor of Liberty Baptist Church of the Deaf, Eugene established a Deaf Men's Advance and a Deaf Couple's Retreat which meet annually. The Lord blessed Eugene's prayerful determination in reaching the Deaf community with the gospel as evident in 1999 as the church averaged 110 people for the Sunday morning worship service each week. Liberty Baptist Church of the Deaf also has a great outreach ministry with the students at the Ohio School for the Deaf by bringing them to church every Wednesday night for bible study.

Eugene served on the Advisory Board for the Silent Word Ministries under the direction of Ted Camp in Trenton Georgia for a few years. He was also on the Board of Directors for Baptist International Missions, Inc. (BIMI) Deaf Bible College in Ringold, Georgia. Also, he was on the Dorothy E. Ann Fund (D.E.A.F.) Advisory Board in Columbus, Ohio.

Eugene loved serving the Lord with his wife and three children. It was Eugene's desire that people remember that he loved his God, loved his family, and loved his people (Deaf people). Eugene's life verse was Jude 1:22, "And of some, having compassion, making a difference." During Eugene's devotions in the spring of 1997, his devotional book asked if he wanted God to use him in a mighty way. Eugene thought a moment and decided God had used him in some ways by starting several organizations for the deaf and a Deaf church, but Eugene felt that God had not yet used him mightily. Eugene told God he would surrender to His will in order to be used and give Him the glory. Eugene and Sharon had no idea what was about to happen. Although Eugene had been sick off and on for five months, Eugene and his family were shocked when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer on April 18, 1997.

After praying for God's will, he and his wife sought alternative treatments. Eugene often said he did not want to go back to the days before cancer because God taught him so much during his struggle with cancer. Often, he would remind his family to fear God and not to fear cancer. (Matthew 6:33-34) In fact, as a result of Eugene becoming closer and closer to God during his cancer, during his devotions one spring morning in 1998, Eugene told God that he was willing to take cancer back if there would be revival in his own life,in the lives of his family, and in the lives of the Deaf people at church and around the world.

That summer, the doctor informed him that cancer had come back in his liver. In September, the oncologist only gave Eugene four or five months to live. Eugene and his wife prayed and trusted God to do what He wanted and that they would keep their eyes on the Lord each step of the way. Soon after the doctor gave Eugene such a despairing report, his wife heard a preacher on the radio say, "A man of God, in the will of God, is immortal until his work on earth is done." This gave them much hope knowing that Eugene's life was completely in the hands of God and not in the hands of doctors. They again held onto the verse that God gave Eugene just before his surgery in May 1997. Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God."

The Bordeans realized some people may trust in doctors, some in medicine, but they trusted in God On Friday morning, September 10, 1999, the victory was won. Family and friends saw so many miracles happen in Eugene's life during the 28 months he battled cancer. God took Eugene home to be with Him. Finally, Eugene's pain was over, suffering was ended. Only eternity will tell how God has used Eugene's life and death to influence many Deaf and hearing people here and around the world.

Joni Eareckson Tada

When I (Jim) was healthy physically, I had learned nothing except my deafness which is not an illness but rather a disability. Looking back. I was very healthy until I was diagnosed with MS a few years ago. I was unable to learn anything from my healthy body. Its just that I was able to do many things that an unhealthy person could not do. (which I learned later). Mark Pickup said it perfectly when he was healthy at one point, “I have been more service to God disabled than during my able-bodied years. This didn’t happen despite my disability but because of my disability.” Joni Tada said: "Sometimes God will use suffering and affliction to sandblast us to the core and get us seriously thinking about larger than life issues of heaven and hell, I just don't know that we would think about these issues were it not for an ice-cold splash of suffering waking us out of our spiritual slumber. God's purpose in redeeming us is not to make our lives happy, healthy, and free of trouble. It is not an escape from our physical pains. His purpose is to make us more like Christ. He will chose to allow spinal cord injury or multiple sclerosis or blindness or stroke or Alzheimer's or whatever to not only teach us, but also our loved ones, about what it means to become more like him."

Suffering produces perseverance, character, and hope. Romans 5: 1-5 (NIV)

Joni followed great examples of the biblical's great faiths. No matter what we do, God is always guiding us through our circumstances (good and bad). Nothing is impossible for Him. God is Good and at the same time, God is Holy and Sovereign. The Apostles, Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Job, David and other great biblical characters lived in the same world, but how differently they interpreted their relationship with God. Learning from them, I can see that circumstances did not control them; it is their reaction to circumstances that determined what kind of people they were and most importantly, how faithful they were.

Through another example of my other personal "Hall of Faith" is Corrie ten Boom who have suffered because she protected the Jewish people from the Nazi, not because of her Christian faith. She lost all of her family and she was the only one came out of Nazi prison alive due to clerical error through God's divine intervention. Through her examples, she explained to us how to survived through suffering as she did. Corrie took to her heart that when life is at its darkest, God is there for her always.

Our circumstances may appear to wreck our lives and God's plans, but God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.

Founder of Joni and Friends

Joni broke her neck (fractured the fifth cervical) at the age of 17 in a July 1967 diving accident in the murky waters Chesapeake Bay, which left her a quadriplegic. She wrote of her experiences in her international best-selling biography, Joni. Joni’s work has mainly focused on influencing the church on disability-related issues. Joni has appeared twice on Larry King Live, sharing not only her Christian testimony, but a biblical perspective on right-to-life issues which affect our nation’s disabled population.

CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE ON DISABILITY began in 1982. Mission Statement: To Impact the Church, Christian and public institutions and societies with a biblical worldview and life-giving Truth on issues pertaining to life, dignity, justice and equality that affect people with disabilities. See more in About The Christian Institute on Disability

People with disabilities are God's best visual aids to demonstrate who He really is. His power shows up best in weakness. And who by the world's standards is weaker than the mentally or physically disabled? As the world watches, these people persevere. They live, love, trust and obey Him. Eventually the world is forced to say, "How great their God must be to inspire this kind of loyalty." Joni Eareckson Tada

A.W. Tozer

One of my favorite writers of all times. A. W. Tozer's conversion to Christ at seventeen. As a result he gained an insatiable hunger and thirst for the things of God and became a great pastor of his time. Tozer had not attended Bible college or seminary, Tozer received two honorary doctorates. Many of his books have impacted my thoughts and hearts which directed me to understand the Word of God better. His writings were very provoked and brought me to deep thoughts about my spiritual life.

A. W. Tozer (1897-1963) a pastor and author, well known in evangelical circles both for his long and fruitful editorship of the Alliance Witness as well as his pastorate of one of the largest Alliance churches in the Chicago area. Among the more than forty books that he authored, at least two are regarded as Christian classics: The Pursuit of God and The Knowledge of the Holy. His books impress on the reader the possibility and necessity for a deeper relationship with God. Even after becoming a well-known Christian author, Tozer signed away much of his royalties to those who were in need.

Christian History Institute 's on Tozer
Online Writings:
The Pursuit of God
Man - The Dwelling Place of God
Writings by A. W. Tozer (a long list)
Tozer Devotional

The average Christian is so cold and contented with his wretched condition that there is no vacuum of desire into which the blessed Spirit can rush in satisfying fullness. A.W. Tozer

There is a book he wrote called “Jesus, Author of our Faith” from where I extract an interesting excerpt as follow (from Page 99):

People have cornered me and pressured me, asking pointedly, Are you Calvinistic or Arminian in doctrine? I think I have effectively parried this thrust by repeating a conversation I once had with a prominent English clergyman of our times. He spoke to me of another minister of his acquaintance, and I asked, He is a Calvinist, I presume? My minister friend smiled with good humor. Well, he replied, I think he is what we might call an equivocating Calvinist! From a personal point of view and to answer the curious, I would say that the phrase also describes me fairly well!

Equivocating basically means to avoid committing oneself in what one says

Corrie ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom is one of my favorite Christian role models. Corrie ten Boom (1892-1983). She was born in Holland into a Christian family who loved the Word of God. Corrie and her sister were shipped to various concentration camps where they continued to teach fellow prisoners about Jesus Christ. Her sister died while they were imprisoned. Corrie was eventually released through a clerical error (God's intervention) and during the week following her release all of the women of her age were gassed. Following the war Corrie helped in rehabilitation camps and she travelled all over the world telling people of her experiences and of how faithful and loving God is. How many people you think Corrie's life have "influenced" or "planted the seed" others to know Christ as their savior? Four (her parents and sister) Ten Booms gave their lives for this family’s commitment, but only Corrie came home from the death camp. She realized her life was a gift from God, and she needed to share what she and Betsy had learned in Ravensbruck: "There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still" and "God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies." At age 53, Corrie began a world-wide ministry which took her into more than 60 countries in the next 33 years! She testified to God’s love and encouraged all she met with the message that "Jesus is Victor."

Trying to do the Lord's work in your own strength is the most confusing, exhausting, and tedious of all work. But when you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then the ministry of Jesus just flows out of you. Corrie Ten Boom

When a Christian shuns fellowship with other Christians, the devil smiles. When he stops studying the Bible, the devil laughs. When he stops praying, the devil shouts for joy. Corrie ten Boom