I love listening to the sermons of this particular preacher. He always quotes Jewish sources for stories/explanations. This time on explaining this particular passage (which was originally from Deuteronomy), he used some Jewish examples again. I'm paraphasing a bit, because I can't find the original quote (I don't know the name of the guy who said this), and this is translated from Cantonese in my memory... (Please tell me if you know who said this.)
A certain Jew wrote this before he died in a concentration camp during the Holocaust (after all his other family members has been killed), "God in anger, you wanted to destroy my faith, but you have failed. You have failed to destroy my belief in you, even with all the things you have done."
This is what I believe in. Like Romans 8:35-36. Nothing separates us from God.
I have always believed Christianity is about suffering, self-denial. Nowadays, "believing in Jesus" has been portrayed as the "solution for everything". Not that it isn't, but not in a "living happily ever after" kind of picture.
I am so sad when I heard the so-called "Gospel", when people are called to believe in Jesus so that you can get peace and joy, and NOT mentioning the cross-bearing life of discipleship. Christianity is NOT about what you can get. Like the preacher said today, Christ helps you change your personality, and with your changed personality you can face whatever crisis you encounter in your life.
Also, when you love God, you love other people. This is even more difficult. Love is not an emotion. What I'm trying to do is do whatever I want to be done to me. Not always succeeding.
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