Tebowmania

Sorry, folks. I couldn't help it. As an avid sports fan, I had to write a post about Tim Tebow.

By now, most mildly engaged Americans should know that Tim Tebow is an NFL quarterback who plays for the Denver Broncos. He is also the engineer of five highly improbable fourth-quarter comeback wins since he took over as the starter this season. After his latest comeback yesterday, Tebow-mania is quickly becoming Tebow-hysteria. Tebow is easily the most polarizing football player I can recall during my sports-watching lifetime. You either love him or you hate him, but you must choose a side.

Tebow is polarizing because of his unconventional playing style. One school of thought says that this style will not succeed in the long run and that his short-term success and remarkable ability to "just win games" is a statistical anomaly that will disappear with time. The other school of thought is that Tebow has some competitive or motivational edge that helps him propel his team to victory at the end of close games. With every unthinkable comeback, Tebow's fans love him more and his detractors become more annoyed. Either way, it makes for a compelling storyline.

But Tim Tebow is also a polarizing figure because he is very outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ. He is a born-again lover of Jesus and not afraid to tell people about it. But as a member of the Body of Christ, Tim Tebow is nothing special. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Ephesians 4:16:

"Out from whom all the Body, being joined together and being knit together through every joint of the rich supply and through the operation in the measure of each one part, causes the growth of the Body unto the building up of itself in love."

 The growth of the Body depends on the function of every single member, not on a few church leaders or outspoken public figures. Just like in the human body, every member has a vital role.

Tim Tebow can help the Body of Christ grow.

So can I.

So can you!

Why did Jesus die?

Every Christian thinks that Jesus died to cleanse them of their sins. Which, of course, is true. And very important.

However, today I was reading a book called The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee and I found out another reason why Jesus died.

In John 12:24, Jesus said, "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit." The context of this verse shows that Jesus was actually talking about himself as the grain of wheat. He had to die so that his life could be released and reproduced in the many grains of wheat, which are the believers (us!).

This aspect of Jesus' death is typified by Adam being put to sleep in Genesis 2. In the Bible, sleep is a temporary death (Psalm 13:3, John 11:11-14). Similarly, Jesus' death was a temporary death, because after three days he was resurrected! Sin does not enter the Bible until Genesis 3, so we know Adam was not put to sleep to deal with sin. Rather, Adam was put to sleep to reproduce himself! A bone taken out of his side became Eve, his counterpart. Similarly, Jesus' death was for his reproduction into many grains. All the believers have the life of Christ, and together, we form the church, which is his bride and counterpart! (Ephesians 5:22-32).

You can read more about this awesome book from some of fellow bloggers' posts here and here.

A Reflection on the Past Semester

Friday was the final day of class, bringing to a close my fifth semester here at UT. Of the five, this semester stands out as the best so far. Before the semester started, I made a major decision that I knew would deeply affect my life. The decision was to stop running competitively. Running had been a big part of my life since fifth grade, when I first turned out for cross country and track. Though I didn't always enjoy the training aspect of running, I always enjoyed competing and the team camaraderie. However, this past summer, I felt like it was time to move on due to some outward and inward arrangements.

Including practices, meetings, and competitions, most Division I NCAA sports take at least 20 hours out of an athlete's week. Distance running is no different. In fact, in some ways, distance running takes more time than any other sport since there is no off-season. So I knew coming into this semester that I would have a lot more time on my hands. Of course, having entered the upper division of chemical engineering, I knew that some of that extra time would be dedicated to academic work and research. However, I also knew that despite the additional school work, I would have more free time than previous semesters. Before the semester, I consecrated my free time to the Lord in a definite way. I did not want my time to be wasted with vain or idle things. I wanted to redeem the time (Colossians 4:5, Ephesians 5:16), that it would be useful to the Lord.

Well, the Lord honored my consecration in a definite way. This semester, my time was filled with bible studies, gospel preaching, appointments with other Christians on campus, and times of fellowship in the homes of the saints. I also had the privilege of getting to know quite a few new freshmen and help them grow in the Lord. Many times, these freshmen also helped me to turn to my spirit and pursue after Christ!

But most of all, what I enjoyed this semester was praying in a consistent way with a few other brothers, who I would call my companions in the Lord. I felt like all semester, we were bearing one another's burdens (Galatians 6:2). The time we spent praying to contact God and intercede for others was definitely not wasted.

Last night, Christians on Campus had our final event of the semester - a celebration banquet. I had a chance to share about my experience with the Lord this semester. Hearing testimonies from other students about their experiences with the Lord this semester was awesome, as well. The Lord is moving on the UT campus! Praise Him!