Starting The Master Seminary

This is the first week in my seminary studies. I took introduction to Hebrew, Hermeneutics, and Fundamental of Expository preaching class. Hebrew class is based on memorization and the other two are based on reading and writing.

What stood out as we arrived to Los Angelus are the seminary families. Me and my wife have been inviting families and going to their homes for dinner or tea. The stories behind their journey in how they got here is VERY humbling. Each family has a stunning background in how they arrived to seminary and what they are going through day by day today. Their humble attitude to what they face humbles me personally. Recently I broke down just after one of these meetings thinking on God's faithfulness in these families. Some are handicap, some just gave birth to a down syndrome child. Some struggle day by day with their finances.

A little about our arrival. The first night in Los Angeles, my oldest daughter breaks her hand. Couple weeks later, I crash the only car that we have. Insurance only agrees to pay some and we had to cover the rest. These are the little things that we had to go through arriving here. But God is faithful in providing a job that is flexible with my classes. Providing apartment that is affordable, surrounded with other seminary families (this is huge blessing for my wife), and is located in a safe area.

Also, what stood out is the influence TMS has on the world. I knew they influence the world, specifically like Samara area, but 17 countries that presently train men to preach the bible and not including the countries that requested for help already. To see God's work in this area makes me want to worships our Savior even more.

I am looking forward towards the studies and actually read the Hebrew bible in it's original language.

Comments

Lock Him up with the Bible & the Books

"Fling him into his office. Tear the 'Office' sign from the door and nail on the sign, 'Study.' Take him off the mailing list. Lock him up with his books and his typewriter and his Bible. Slam him down on his knees before texts and broken hearts and the flock of lives of a superficial flock and a holy God. Force him to be the one man in our surfeited communities who knows about God. Throw him into the ring to box with God until he learns how short his arms are. Engage him to wrestle with God all the night through. And let him come out only when he's bruised and beaten into being a blessing. Shut his mouth forever spouting remarks, and stop his tongue forever tripping lightly over every nonessential. Require him to have something to say before he dares break the silence. Bend his knees in the lonesome valley. Burn his eyes with weary study. Wreck his emotional poise with worry for God. And make him exchange his pious stance for a humble walk with God a...

The Last Moments of Christopher Hitchens life

Christopher Hitchens is one of the leading atheist of our times, they call it the new atheism now. He also is the author of a book, “God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything,” that was just recently released; heavily opposing religion and any idea that God exist. But right now Mr Hitchens is in his last stages of the esophageal cancer. The New Your Time describes his last moments of life like this: “Some of these articles were written with the full consciousness that they might be my very last. Sobering in one way and exhilarating in another, this practice can obviously never become perfected.” Another words, Hitchens has little time left. Smoking and drinking was something that Hitchens needed to quit, life was more important then the pleasures of these habits, not mentioning that he had a feeding tube installed since June. He had power in articulating his worldview to others, the ideas, but were these thoughts the reality of our world? You...

Why Do an Altar Call?

Altar call is described as a religious method that helps a person to confess Christ publicly. The problem with this method is that altar call is not described in the bible. When three thousand people received Christ during Peter’s preaching, most likely no one came forward to confess Christ publicly (Acts 2:41). The confession was there, yet walking forward down the aisle was not there. These days, when an alter call takes place, music is plays in the background. Preacher might say a sad story followed with a tear. Some even have counselors walk forward to motivate others to do the same. Thus, altar call is a method that is not described in the Bible leading us to question if this method should be practiced in churches at all? Altar call began in the 1800’s. Preachers created a mourner’s bench as an area for people to walk forward when an altar call was called. The Methodist evangelists have invented this method, yet Charles Finney was the one who gave a title al...

Justified or Incarcerated

Search This Blog