groanings

i watched 2012 on my laptop last night (my mom told me to take a study break) because i have this weird fascination with the end of the world (the term is called eschatology). it was interesting to see how people react when they realize that the end of the world is here and they are gonna die. it was actually kind of fun (should it be sad?) to watch people panic and scream and in and jump off cliffs in desperation and stuff like that. apparently, i discovered that when the end of the world has come, people react 3 different ways:

1) try to survive and do whatever you can to save your own life (yea you try running away from a 1000 foot tsuanmi)

2) accept the fact that the end of the world is here and there is nothing you could do to stop the fact that you are gonna die very soon. therefore, call your loved ones or, if you are with your loved ones, [finally] come to the realization that all of life comes down to love, and hug them, get hit by the tsunami, and die together.

3) (the most interesting response) turn to religion. whether it is Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, when people realize that the end of the world is here, they realize that they are not all-powerful after all (too bad it took the end of the world for them to realize that), rather, that things happen in this world that are beyond our control. so we have to turn to some divine force.

anyways, to my point.

so i was having lunch with a good friend of mine at CV (who might be reading this right now) and we had an awesome conversation and one of the many (deep) things that came up was about how our human experience of reality (and life itself) is limited. my point is, i (sadly) think that most people in this world are satisfied with knowing that the purpose of our existence is to live a good life, enjoy it, be free to make as much (or as little) of it as you would like, and die. it's interesting that it sometimes takes things (like the end of the world) or even personal crises (family death) to make us stop and think, what is the purpose of life? what does all of life come down to? what really matters in life? is there is more to life than we realized? with all these world disasters happening right now, more and more are asking the same questions.

well, YES. let me be the first to tell you that there is more to life. i know because i've experienced it. unfortunately, our human perception of reality is only limited to our experiences. so as someone who has experienced more to life, i am here to tell you (especially if you haven't had an experience) that there IS more to life. even more so, what i am talking about isn't necessarily an experience, but an encounter. you see, our life is based upon experiences. some can have some effect on us (i.e. sky-diving) but some can have no effect on us (i.e. going to lectures). but an encounter with the living, uncreated God of the universe always leaves us never the same. 100%. all the time. trust me.

so if you've never had an encounter with the living God before, and you want it, ask for it! seek after it and you will get it i promise you! and you will experience a love encounter with God! yay!

"the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (rom. 8:23-24)

"[all of creation] waits for [God]. to give them food as they need it." (psalm 104:27)

we were created for something more. whether we know it or not, every person on this world was created to yearn, to desire, to groan, to crave something more than this world has to offer. some are just better than others at surpressing their cravings or filling it with other stuff.

we were all created to groan. we were all created to or want something more. i don't think drugs, sex, alcohol, partying, success, an ideology, a philosophy, a theology, not even religion will satisfy. not even "christianity" as a religion to help us live a better life and become better people will satisfy. yes, only Jesus will satisfy but more specifically, it's the revelation of our adoption as sons (and daughters) of God that will satisfy. the realization that we were created to have a perfect relationship with the uncreated God whom we can call Daddy, Abba. that is the purpose of life. it comes down to love love love. not blind lovey-dovey sappy love, but a relationship with the very Person of Love, the man Jesus Christ.

You have a Dad, an Abba. He created you, and He loves you so much. He wants you to hear just one word from Him. He's saying it over you right now,

Son,
Daughter.

so Spirit of Adoption. I ask you to come.
(Thank You in advance!)

and until the end of the world comes (just kidding, not really) just LOVE, as if it was your last day to live. heh...
just love God and love others DEEPLY. the end.