Why I am a Christian

"In the course of my travels I have entered a number of Buddist temples in different Asian countries, I have stood respectfully before a statue of the Buddha, his legs crossed, arms folded, eyes closed, the silent, a remote look on his face, detached from the agonies of the world. But each time after a while I have had to turn away. And in my imagination I have turned instead to that lonely, twisted, tortured figure on the cross, nails through hands and feet, back lacerated, limbs wrenched, brow bleeding from thorn-pricks, mouth dry and intolerably thirsty, plunged in God-forsaken darkness. The crucified on is the God for me! He laid aside his immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us, dying in our place in order that we might be forgiven. Our suffering become more manageable in the light of his. There is still a question-mark against human suffering, but over it we boldly stamp another mark, the cross, which symbolizes divine suffering."
By John Stott from the the book" Why I am a Christian"

It's offensive to claim Jesus is the only way to God

I am absolutely against any religion that says that one faith is superior to another. I don't see how that is anything different than spiritual racism. It's a way of saying that we are closer to God than you, and that's what leads to hatred.

Rabbi Schmuley Boteach

Moses could mediate on the law; Muhammad could brandish a sword; Buddha could give personal counsel; Confucius could offer wise sayings; but none of these men qualified to offer an atonement for the sins of the world.... Christ alone is worthy of unlimited devotion and service.

Theologian R. C. Sproul

Incidents had happened in Singapore, that really challenged my opinion on sharing the gospel to other this is especially true for people that I do no know, stranger on the street. Cos if they don't take it properly I would be charged in court for sedition.
Why should Christian push our truth into others mind and force them to accept it? That's one of the many statements that was on the paper from interview. Should we just mind our own business? If God had plan for them then they will somehow get to know him with or without me.
But wait the truth of God is just too great and beautiful for me not to share them to others. It's not only a command from God but as a person on earth who have that feeling called love and compassion, that's something we should do isn't it? When we know He is the answer to all our questions, suffering and eternal life. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me".
So what should I do about it? How should I preach or share in such a way that they wouldn't be offended?

"One cannot communicate the love of Christ in non-loving terms." Ravi Zacharias.
"I like their Christ, I don't like their Christians." Mahatma Gandhi
"I will believe in the Redeemer when the Christian looks a little more redeemed." Friedrich Nietzshe.

Quotes taken from the book" The Case For Faith"

With those quotes taken in mind, it's not hard to see that non-believers is not against what the bible had said about God, it's our manner and behavior that they are opposing and objecting. We might be doing it all wrong.
How would seekers take Christ seriously when we said things like; "I never know them in church, and we being here together is a coincident." "I've never read the tracts that I had given to them." (Quotes)
Let's start from our manner and behavior before we make our case to other about our Savior. Do our action reflects what we preach?
Jesus said "if we love one another, others will know that we are His disciple."
Are we His disciple or deceiter.

Can a loving God exist, since evil anf suffering exist?

A Bear, A Trap, A Hunter and God

“A bear got trapped in a trap and a hunter who, out of sympathy, wants to liberate him. He tries to win the bear’s confidence, but he can’t do it, so he has to shoot the bear full of drugs. The bear, however, thinks thus is an attack and that the hunter is trying to kill him. He doesn’t realize that this is being done out of compassion.

Then, in order to get the bear out of the trap, the hunter has to push him further into the trap to release the tension on the spring. If the bear were semiconscious at that point, he would be even more convinced that the hunter was his enemy who was out to cause him suffering and pain. But the bear would be wrong. He reaches this incorrect conclusion because he’s not a human being.”

How can a mere finite human be sure that infinite wisdom would not tolerate certain short range (suffering) in order for more long range goods that we couldn’t foresee?

God does the same to us sometimes, and we can’t comprehend why he does it anymore than the bear can understand the motivation of the hunter. As the bear could have trusted the hunter, so we can trust God (in our suffering).

From The Case For Faith by Lee Strobel

Objection #1 Since evil and suffering exist, a loving God cannot Page 43- 44 (from an interview with Peter Kreeft )

Application:

We are finite being with finite wisdom and vision. We should look at our suffering in two ways;

1) Is the suffering we are having, a result of our action (Sin)?

2) Is the suffering we are having, a result of something not of our own doing?

There are cause and effect, when we steal or cheat things that are not rightfully ours, this action lead to a jail sentence. But there are also suffering that are not of our action, it just happens to us (like the story of Job). Who are we to judge or say that temporary suffering would not lead to something good in our life?

A piece of ore has to go thru countless grinding, chipping and polishing (ouch) before the diamond that is inside shines.

Sever the root of SIN

Quote "No one sins out of duty. We sin because we want to. Sin promises happiness, and we buy the lie. So how can the root of sin be severed in our lives? The penalty of sin must be paid by the righteous blood of Christ. And the power of sin must be broken by banking on the promises of Christ." by John Piper

I've finish Jesus Christ Disciple Marker and now on the next QT material Future Grace by John Piper.
Really find the above quote quite interesting and true, we did what we do everyday because it's promises us happiness and joy. But how much of the things we are enjoying are not pleasing to God? In the end, does the things that we dwell in really bring us to a place that it had promise?
I've been quite engrossed playing Farmtown in facebook and it had taken quite alot of my time with God, it's fun at first and I think it's also relaxing and de-stressing. But in the end, emptiness is what I felt. Usually when this feeling comes we would try to move on to other interesting de-stressing activities, slowly it'll eat into our time with God.
Jesus said," When you drink the water that I had given, you will never be thirsty again." Once you had a taste of true and pure honey water, you would never be satisify by sweeten drinks.
once you had taste the joy and satisfaction that Jesus had given, you would never be able to find anything that even come close to it.

Denying and bear the Cross

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Mark 8:34)
Jesus mentioned self-denial and cross bearing, what did he really mean? When Jesus referred to self-denial, he was not talking about denying ourselves some luxury item or denying the reality of self or the needs of self. Rather he was focusing on the importance of renouncing self as center of our life and action. In other words, self-denial is the decision of each of his followers to give over to God his or her body, career, money, and time. Self-denial is a substainer willingness to say no to self so that we can say yes to God.
Remember one incident where Jesus was telling the crowd about his died, Peter pulled him back and said this could not be happening to him. Peter and other disciples had begun to realize that Jesus is the Messiah and to them the Messiah can't fail. I do see some "selfish reason" in Peter when he say that.
It is frightening to see how easily we can suddenly take on the perspective of Satan. This happens when we try to keep others from doing God's will. One of Satan's most effective strategies is to get Christians to consider their own self interest as equivalent to God's will. What better poly than to push our selfish desires under the banner of the cross?
Taken from Jesus Christ Disciplemaker by Bill Hull
Application: Learning to be self-denial is not easy let alone taking up the cross that led to death? But we as Christians are called to be take and follower the way of our Lord. "What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?" (Matthew 16:26)
Good Friday and Easter is just round the corner, lets use this period to remind ourselves why does Jesus had to come to earth and die on the cross. That's self-denial and taking up the cross at it peak.