Raphael Zhang

Learn more about Raphael Zhang and check out Raphael Zhang’s contributions to YMI over the years.

Posts

Is Patience Futile?

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I’d just about had it. My heart was so heavy over these painful issues. What was the point of bringing them to God again and again, if nothing was going to change immediately?
Mercy Begets Mercy

Mercy Begets Mercy

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I love reading and writing. Because words affect me so deeply, I know how much they can heal or hurt. So I used to be very judgmental toward people who were careless—and thus, hurtful—with their words.

Does God Tempt Us?

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Sin is fun. There, I’ve said it. Sin is attractive and gratifying. Whether we like to admit it or not, this is why we turn to it. As American speaker and writer Rosaria Butterfield quipped, “If your sin doesn’t feel good, you’re doing it wrong.”
Man holding a camera taking a photograph

5 Ways My Non-Christian Dad Showed Me Who God Is

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I did not have the best relationship with my father when I was growing up. Like most Chinese fathers of his generation, my dad provided financially for the family and brought us on outings and holiday trips. However, I did not find him to be very emotionally present or expressive. In my head, I knew he must love me, but in my heart, I did not feel that he delighted over me or enjoyed my company.

Reimagining Church Amidst Covid-19—and Beyond

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All over the world, mass gatherings have been suspended, and churches are no longer conducting physical congregational worship services, but are reimagining different ways of gathering. All these changes have made me ponder what exactly church is. What if God, through the present crisis, is asking us to rethink how we do church, so as to rediscover His intentions for it?
Parent holding the hand of their newborn baby

How God Changed the Way I Speak About My Daughter

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“You’ve become a father.” I was going about my day when I seemed to hear a still, small voice say this to me. I wondered if it was God. This happened two months after my wife and I had gotten married. But since I wasn’t sure if that whisper was Him speaking to me, I pondered it in my heart.

Confessions of a Recovering Perfectionist

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Hi, I’m Raphael, and I’m a recovering perfectionist. I’ve been a perfectionist for as long as I’ve lived.

Does God Really Care About Me?

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“If it matters to you, it matters to God,” read my friend’s fridge magnet. I thought it was a lovely sentiment when I first read these words at my friend’s place several years ago.

8 Ways to Build a Friendship with God

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I love relating to God as Father, and I worship Him as King; I want to obey Jesus, my Lord and Savior; It's important to build a friendship with God.