been thinking a lot. heard a message yesterday from mike bickle, talking about how everything we do now has a consequence in eternity. he talked from 1 cor, about building on our foundation with gold, silver, straw or hay. I want to be one that builds on my foundation with gold. we all have to face christ during the last day of judgement, where he'll give according to what we did on earth(2 cor). even little things matter; christ see's them.
really praying for my church and myself. recall from my baptism class--about half of those in my baptism class don't even go to church anymore. really praying that God will bring them back. sorta depressing, but pressing on, knowing that God can do miracles.
Pastor John preached this morning about the the worship empowered by the Holy Spirit. really hoping we can later in the futre have ministry time where we lay hands on one another, seeing the power of the holy spirit.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Friday, July 30, 2010
Daily Thoughts
Today was a busy day full of various activities: an online Pre-calculus course, SAT homework, cross country. Nevertheless, I felt today was also very meaningful-I started the day with a powerful scripture passage: Romans 13:12-13. The passage states: "The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." It reminds us that we should not vacillate in our devotion to God, but instead strive to be more like Him. We know that sin is incongruous in our transformed lives, and we should be relentless in ridding ourselves of anything that impedes our walk with God. I do not want to sound "spiritual" in this short discussion-there are already countless of "spiritual" messages. My goal is to be practical, to be faithful to the end despite this volatile world that we live in. Although Christianity is not always easy-we try to maintain our purity, read our Bibles daily, witness to our friends-we should see that it's all worth it in the end when we receive our reward, when the "day is here." So, let us continue in our fervor. Indeed, our faces should not be morose and pitiful in a troubled world, but instead radiant with hope as we share that hope to the world.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
A Lesson from an Older Guy
As I was reading my one year Bible today, I came across a a powerful passage-the story about Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20. Moabites and Ammonites were coming to attack him, with their furtive glances and tactics. I'm sure that during those days, the emotional atmosphere was volatile-no one knew whether that week would be their last week. Nevertheless, in response to the hectic situation, Jehoshaphat did was he knew what he had to do: pray. In his veneration to the Lord, he stood in the assembly of the Lord and called upon His name: "See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance. 12 O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you"( 2 Chron. 20:11-12). Although the attacks from the two enemies were both flagrant and unjustified-the Isrealietes had every right to complain and get discouraged-the people of God instead looked to the Lord. Likewise, in our present day-full of sexual temptations, pride, materialism-let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ, knowing that He is greater than all of the "Moabites" and "Ammonites" of our days.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Reflection
Life is rough. Today at church, I heard about someone who recently passed away-it was a casualty of an honorable soldier who died in combat. I realized that no matter how meticulous we are in trying to stay safe, events occur and many times they do not go as we would desire. When I heard of this recent passing, I was inundated with conviction, thinking about the day my life will pass. It says in Psalms that our lives of but breaths, like grass-here today and gone tomorrow. What then exactly is our purpose in life? Are we to live a mundane and materialistic life, living only for transient sources of pleasure? No. I believe that in life, if you take away all the superfluous details, on the very bottom of each individual's heart is a yearning for love. It says in Proverbs that what every man desire is unfailing love. For the Christian, the unending, passionate, and jealous love comes from one person: Jesus Christ. Our response to Him should not be superficial, but should be sincere. We should do what Paul said in Romans 6:13: "Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." Let that be our prayer.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Yes and No
What bothers me is when people agree to do something and then don't do it. One of the easiest ways to ruin a friendship with me is broken agreements, such as meeting up, promises, and secrets.
I'm sure many of you would be upset if your friends are constantly canceling on you after agreeing for the hundredth time to meet up, especially if its for a school or work project.
The converse is the same: if a friend says no, but ends up changing their mind. It's a pleasant surprise, is it not? They say they won't come to your graduation ceremony, but end up freeing up their schedule and making it in time just brings a smile to your heart.
I'm sure many of you would be upset if your friends are constantly canceling on you after agreeing for the hundredth time to meet up, especially if its for a school or work project.
The converse is the same: if a friend says no, but ends up changing their mind. It's a pleasant surprise, is it not? They say they won't come to your graduation ceremony, but end up freeing up their schedule and making it in time just brings a smile to your heart.
Jesus actually tells a parable about something like this back in the halcyon days of Ancient Jerusalem:
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Matthew 21 (Biblegateway.com), NLT:
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”
They replied, “The first.”h]">[h]
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.
=====
I used to think that this was a passage about obedience; and it is to a certain extent. Whenever my parents, friends, or authorities would ask me a favor/request, I would do my best to somehow finish the task, regardless of my verbal agreement or refusal to do so.
This morning, however, as I read, I couldn't believe how blatantly I missed Jesus' true meaning of his parable: salvation and the Kingdom of God.
Here is a short, simplistic breakdown:
1. There are many "sons" of God who say "yes" to God, but refuse to go out into the field and work for the Kingdom.
2. There are also many sons of God who say "no" to God, but end up obeying because they change their mind.
3. There are NO sons of God who willingly say "yes" to God and enthusiastically labor for the Kingdom.
Wow!!!! This is unbelievably convicting and true. Jesus isn't trying to discourage the Christian body and our efforts to follow Him. He is saying that it is naturally against our flesh to obey God.
Paul infamously wrote in Romans how his flesh often makes him do the things he does not want to do, and don't do what he wants to do. Jesus is acknowledging the sinful nature of man and granting grace! The first son refused to do so, but the father did not persist! This is our God, friends! He doesn't force us to do anything. The pursuit of holiness is through work of the Holy Spirit living inside of us, which changes our mind.
Jesus is saying that he KNOWS you won't say "yes." Actually, he probably knows you'll say "no" when he tells you to stop doing your work or errands to evangelize to that person standing in line/sitting across from you. But in the end, even though you initially outright refused, YOU are the son he wants. As I said before, he is just so pleasantly "surprised" that you ended up obeying! God is so good.
On the other hand, there are the Christians who follow #2. We think saying "yes" one time to Jesus is good enough. A sinner's prayer, one mission trip, and reading our Bible once a month is satisfactory. Shouting "OH YEAH! I'M SO GONNA DO THAT!!" every time a preacher challenges you at church is not what brings the fruit (which is the context of chapter 21). Just like Jesus says in v31 and v32, we are missing the Kingdom because of our religious spirit and practices.
Haha, but guess what's amazing? Jesus says "the [sinners] will enter the Kingdom BEFORE you." Does that mean we won't enter at all? By no means! It means that the church rats who play games with God and Christianity will/probably know what it means to have true salvation eventually, but they will be much slower in getting it. After all, there were a few Pharisees, Roman centurions, and other "pagans" who grasped the concept of the Cross and salvation through Jesus!
Isn't God unbelievably gracious?
Friday, January 15, 2010
Apnea
[This is a post I wrote shortly after the new year had begun, but I felt like creating a new year post before it so I'm publishing it a couple weeks later. It's a long post, but, as always, I put a ton of thought and effort into it. Who knows? You might one day hear it spoken in message format by me or someone who reads it/receives similar revelation!]
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All throughout my childhood and adolescent years, the guys would always pick on the individuals who would fall asleep first at sleepovers and snore loudly. I still have a collection of hilarious pranks caught on video and silly pictures that were elaborately set up. Ah, the memories of rudely taking advantage of my poor slumbering friends. Good times. I don't know what exact the reason is, but I simply find listening to people snore incredibly amusing. Even now, I periodically giggle while typing as my good friend Jensen is grunting away on my bed.
Not too long ago, I learned in my Psychology class that snoring was merely a combination of improper sleeping posture combined with heavy nasal cavity pressure which emits a distorted sound of breath. The professor, Prof. Dickinson, also noted that the compression that is created through the throat actually interrupts our cardiac rhythm for a temporal period of time whenever the snoring bursts would occur. In other words, the heart skips a beat. This puts immense pressure on the heart and, over time, can be cause of nocturnal heart failure (dying while asleep).
When I heard this, I did not think much of its spiritual significance. After all, many people wish to die in their sleep to avoid a painful death. However, I felt the Lord telling me that many common church goers today are not only falling asleep, but also snoring away. We are unaware of what is going on around us and the enemy laughs at us. We are no threat to the kingdom of darkness! When a bunch of weak, comfortable, slumbering Christians get together to worship and warfare against Satan, it's equivalent to a bunch of 5'5 guys trying to out-jump a 6'0 guy in Jr High basketball (True story. I actually managed to get a solid 12 pts and 10 rebounds that game though!).
It's a joke.
And that's what our faith has come down to. Christianity today has since become a punchline for cinema, comedians, and books; dismissed as uneducated, ignorant, and judgmental. And the worst part is that as we're being lulled into this deep coma, we are not even aware that our hearts are slowly weakening!
Well, we aren't the only ones. The disciples (haha, these guys are so funny) struggled with sleeping too. When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, he was interceding with all heart and mind to the point where he was sweating blood (that must have been one intense session with the Lord, but that's another topic for another post). As Jesus wept and cried out to His Father, his loyal disciples were snoozin'! Unbelievable!
I mean, think about it: The disciples publicly VOWED that they will stay loyal and defend Jesus' honor to the death. Jesus took a select few of his disciples, the cream of the crop (Peter & crew), into the last and most critical phase of prayer in Gethsemane before the ultimate plan of crucifixion that would ensure the salvation of all mankind--and these guys decide to take a nap?! LOL! Can these guys get anything right?
Unfortunately, this is a perfect picture of American Christianity today. Jesus is constantly praying and interceding for the nations. What are we doing? We are off in our careers, academics, and own interests in order to benefit our families, our friends and ourselves. It is so easy for us Christians to doze into our religious form of Christianity with little to no fruit. And when we get become hypnotized by the enemy into only caring about our own matters, we won't have the power to influence others'.
Satan ain't a fool--he won't directly confront the saints in face-to-face combat. He fights dirty and attacks when you least expect it. We must, as it says in Isaiah 62, become like watchmen on the tower who gets no rest. Samson wasn't taken captive while he was awake, but rather when he was asleep!
It's time for the church to WAKE UP!
...and, while we're at it, make a trip to the sleep clinic to get one of those snoring mouth guards.
=====
All throughout my childhood and adolescent years, the guys would always pick on the individuals who would fall asleep first at sleepovers and snore loudly. I still have a collection of hilarious pranks caught on video and silly pictures that were elaborately set up. Ah, the memories of rudely taking advantage of my poor slumbering friends. Good times. I don't know what exact the reason is, but I simply find listening to people snore incredibly amusing. Even now, I periodically giggle while typing as my good friend Jensen is grunting away on my bed.
Not too long ago, I learned in my Psychology class that snoring was merely a combination of improper sleeping posture combined with heavy nasal cavity pressure which emits a distorted sound of breath. The professor, Prof. Dickinson, also noted that the compression that is created through the throat actually interrupts our cardiac rhythm for a temporal period of time whenever the snoring bursts would occur. In other words, the heart skips a beat. This puts immense pressure on the heart and, over time, can be cause of nocturnal heart failure (dying while asleep).
When I heard this, I did not think much of its spiritual significance. After all, many people wish to die in their sleep to avoid a painful death. However, I felt the Lord telling me that many common church goers today are not only falling asleep, but also snoring away. We are unaware of what is going on around us and the enemy laughs at us. We are no threat to the kingdom of darkness! When a bunch of weak, comfortable, slumbering Christians get together to worship and warfare against Satan, it's equivalent to a bunch of 5'5 guys trying to out-jump a 6'0 guy in Jr High basketball (True story. I actually managed to get a solid 12 pts and 10 rebounds that game though!).
It's a joke.
And that's what our faith has come down to. Christianity today has since become a punchline for cinema, comedians, and books; dismissed as uneducated, ignorant, and judgmental. And the worst part is that as we're being lulled into this deep coma, we are not even aware that our hearts are slowly weakening!
Well, we aren't the only ones. The disciples (haha, these guys are so funny) struggled with sleeping too. When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane, he was interceding with all heart and mind to the point where he was sweating blood (that must have been one intense session with the Lord, but that's another topic for another post). As Jesus wept and cried out to His Father, his loyal disciples were snoozin'! Unbelievable!
I mean, think about it: The disciples publicly VOWED that they will stay loyal and defend Jesus' honor to the death. Jesus took a select few of his disciples, the cream of the crop (Peter & crew), into the last and most critical phase of prayer in Gethsemane before the ultimate plan of crucifixion that would ensure the salvation of all mankind--and these guys decide to take a nap?! LOL! Can these guys get anything right?
Unfortunately, this is a perfect picture of American Christianity today. Jesus is constantly praying and interceding for the nations. What are we doing? We are off in our careers, academics, and own interests in order to benefit our families, our friends and ourselves. It is so easy for us Christians to doze into our religious form of Christianity with little to no fruit. And when we get become hypnotized by the enemy into only caring about our own matters, we won't have the power to influence others'.
Satan ain't a fool--he won't directly confront the saints in face-to-face combat. He fights dirty and attacks when you least expect it. We must, as it says in Isaiah 62, become like watchmen on the tower who gets no rest. Samson wasn't taken captive while he was awake, but rather when he was asleep!
It's time for the church to WAKE UP!
...and, while we're at it, make a trip to the sleep clinic to get one of those snoring mouth guards.
Monday, January 4, 2010
New year, new decade
First off, happy new decade and new year everyone! I am so thankful to God for living through the entire 2000s without having to go to war or suffering drastically from the economic recession. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ for my ability to live with food/clothes, attend a fantastic church with an amazing fellowship, and pursue my dream through academics.
2010, for me, will be the start of my 20s. By 2020, I will be hitting 30 years of age and the very thought of me being 30 is scary, considering that I am finally managing to close my teenage years. May God take me and you on a wonderful journey for the next 10 years to stay strong in His presence and love!
I do have a few resolutions, but to summarize, I simply want to continue to pursue the destiny God has called me to and not the one that others expect of me. I also will continue attempting to enforce a time schedule on my life with conjunction to Mike Bickle's The Power of a Focused Life.
The past 10 years have been extremely hard on the church and they are only going to get harder. Many pastors, prophets, and preachers believe that the upcoming decade will show who truly remains in God and who simply goes to church for the blessings and religion. This is not to point fingers, but to encourage those who play games with God to get serious and get moving. Time is of the essence. It doesn't take a physics engineer to figure out that the world is in chaos and danger of ending at any given moment.
On a more positive note, I believe that the grace of God will shower down even more heavily upon those who abide in Him. Favor unending will pour out like never before for Christians who serve God wholeheartedly and remain clean before him. Things like famine, recession, disease, and death will plague the body of Christ like never before, but the power and light of Jesus will shine through even brighter!
Keep praising the Lord and charge the throttle to full speed ahead! Pastor Grace Chiang described it as boarding the bullet train. There will be those who opt to freely riding the train to get to where they want and many who choose to bike everywhere and struggling with manual labor on a dirty piece of metal. I don't know about you, but if all I have to do is surrender everything to have God make everything easier sounds good to me!
All aboard!
2010, for me, will be the start of my 20s. By 2020, I will be hitting 30 years of age and the very thought of me being 30 is scary, considering that I am finally managing to close my teenage years. May God take me and you on a wonderful journey for the next 10 years to stay strong in His presence and love!
I do have a few resolutions, but to summarize, I simply want to continue to pursue the destiny God has called me to and not the one that others expect of me. I also will continue attempting to enforce a time schedule on my life with conjunction to Mike Bickle's The Power of a Focused Life.
The past 10 years have been extremely hard on the church and they are only going to get harder. Many pastors, prophets, and preachers believe that the upcoming decade will show who truly remains in God and who simply goes to church for the blessings and religion. This is not to point fingers, but to encourage those who play games with God to get serious and get moving. Time is of the essence. It doesn't take a physics engineer to figure out that the world is in chaos and danger of ending at any given moment.
On a more positive note, I believe that the grace of God will shower down even more heavily upon those who abide in Him. Favor unending will pour out like never before for Christians who serve God wholeheartedly and remain clean before him. Things like famine, recession, disease, and death will plague the body of Christ like never before, but the power and light of Jesus will shine through even brighter!
Keep praising the Lord and charge the throttle to full speed ahead! Pastor Grace Chiang described it as boarding the bullet train. There will be those who opt to freely riding the train to get to where they want and many who choose to bike everywhere and struggling with manual labor on a dirty piece of metal. I don't know about you, but if all I have to do is surrender everything to have God make everything easier sounds good to me!
All aboard!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Yellow as snow?
Ever since I moved to California, I've had to make some lifestyle changes. Not going out as much, dressing appropriately to weather differences, and saving more money. One notable area is that I do not regularly go the dentist.
Now before you all freak out about how nasty my teeth must be like, fear not. I have always prided myself on my dental hygiene. As a matter of fact, I've never had a cavity nor needed braces in my entire life! I brush and floss religiously (in a good way). After all, I always believed that maintaining the positivity of your smile is like taking care of your reputation.
Back on point, as I was done whitening my teeth with some strips, I decided to actual brush my teeth last night in front of the mirror. I prefer to multi-task, and so I usually make my bed or check my email as I brush my teeth to conserve time and energy as I prepare for bed. Well, the sight wasn't that pretty. When I opened my mouth, all I could see is the yellow in my teeth! Man, I mean it looked like there were small chunks of raw butter on top of my teeth. I became extremely self conscious because, again, I thought of my teeth to have a disarmingly healthy shade of white. I was wrong.
Why am I blogging about this phenomenon? I felt super convicted that many of us Christians today pride ourselves in how well we compare our "teeth" in relation to our appearance. Mainly, we feel as if our teeth is white enough to go out. But when it comes to the truth and we do our daily washing, we fail to realize how inadequately dirty we truly are.
Now I am not trying to demoralize the genuine efforts of Christians who attempt to change and purify themselves, but what totally convicted me was my next thought: Why do we even brush our teeth? (For some, this question doesn't even pop in their mind as they don't adapt this habit into their daily routine!). The simple answer is to keep our teeth healthy. If that's the case, why am I so worked up about how "white" my teeth appear?
And that's the grandiose question: if ultimately what matters is our spiritual health of our relationship with God, why do we care so much about appearing so holy and righteous in front of others? Why do we bother putting up so many rituals to look composed and gathered?
It's because the fear of man has seized the church everywhere today. Not dressing formally (i.e. wearing hats, sandals, etc.), tattoos, piercings in odd places--the list is endless on how we judge others. There is also spiritual judging such as the religious scrutiny of others' church attendance or discipline.
Let us set aside these "whitening" practices and focus on what truly keeps our spiritual "teeth" healthy: the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), active prayer (1 Thess 5:17), fiery evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20), and a passionate love for God (Psalm 27:4).
Now before you all freak out about how nasty my teeth must be like, fear not. I have always prided myself on my dental hygiene. As a matter of fact, I've never had a cavity nor needed braces in my entire life! I brush and floss religiously (in a good way). After all, I always believed that maintaining the positivity of your smile is like taking care of your reputation.
Back on point, as I was done whitening my teeth with some strips, I decided to actual brush my teeth last night in front of the mirror. I prefer to multi-task, and so I usually make my bed or check my email as I brush my teeth to conserve time and energy as I prepare for bed. Well, the sight wasn't that pretty. When I opened my mouth, all I could see is the yellow in my teeth! Man, I mean it looked like there were small chunks of raw butter on top of my teeth. I became extremely self conscious because, again, I thought of my teeth to have a disarmingly healthy shade of white. I was wrong.
Why am I blogging about this phenomenon? I felt super convicted that many of us Christians today pride ourselves in how well we compare our "teeth" in relation to our appearance. Mainly, we feel as if our teeth is white enough to go out. But when it comes to the truth and we do our daily washing, we fail to realize how inadequately dirty we truly are.
Now I am not trying to demoralize the genuine efforts of Christians who attempt to change and purify themselves, but what totally convicted me was my next thought: Why do we even brush our teeth? (For some, this question doesn't even pop in their mind as they don't adapt this habit into their daily routine!). The simple answer is to keep our teeth healthy. If that's the case, why am I so worked up about how "white" my teeth appear?
And that's the grandiose question: if ultimately what matters is our spiritual health of our relationship with God, why do we care so much about appearing so holy and righteous in front of others? Why do we bother putting up so many rituals to look composed and gathered?
It's because the fear of man has seized the church everywhere today. Not dressing formally (i.e. wearing hats, sandals, etc.), tattoos, piercings in odd places--the list is endless on how we judge others. There is also spiritual judging such as the religious scrutiny of others' church attendance or discipline.
Let us set aside these "whitening" practices and focus on what truly keeps our spiritual "teeth" healthy: the Word of God (Hebrews 4:12), active prayer (1 Thess 5:17), fiery evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20), and a passionate love for God (Psalm 27:4).
Thursday, October 15, 2009
4 Ways to Enter His Presence
Psalm 15 [NIV] (BibleGateway.com)
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.
------
I've been convicted more and more of how I am so quick to leave God's presence. I don't mean viewing His presence as a place, such as a worship service or even my devotion time. I'm talking about walking WITH the presence of God. Treating it as a coat of blessing, as it says in Psalm 56.
Just imagine: everywhere you go, the presence of God follows you. My goodness. What power. You will never stumble (v5), you will experience joy and favor unending (Psalm 68), and signs and wonders follow you (Pretty much most of the chapters in Acts)! This is just a short list of the countless promises of God. If you've encountered the presence, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, that's okay--keep searching for it!
So I ask myself, how may I keep God's presence on me? Well, I must first be able to enter His presence, shouldn't I? How am I supposed to carry it as a mantle if I cannot even access it in the first place?
Here are some ways:
1. (v2) Righteousness
We must get in an attitude of constant repentance to cleanse ourselves. Christians today are so easily offended when they are corrected by other brothers/sisters. I'm not encouraging false repentance, such as stating "FINE! SORRY! Goodness." and storm away frustrated. Repentance is not about whether we are right or wrong; rather it is about your heart. We forget that when we pray for God to help improve our character to become more godly, he sends us other people to do it.
2. (v3) Compassion
Simply put, if we protected other people's integrity and well-being, the church would be a place where people would want to go. After all, who loves being slandered by insults and hurt by others? On the other hand, I don't want Christians to be fake. Being honest with each other is not trying to harm them, but there is a time, place, and manner to do so. Continuing off my previous point, let us be slow to speak and quick to repent. I do not want us to become passive, however. To summarize: when it comes to talking, as it says in James 3, use your discernment and tame your tongue. All words--whether its rejection, neutral statements, or affirmation--have power.
3. (v4) Fear of the Lord
I could spend all day on this topic. One of the main reasons we don't have power as Christians because we do not fear God. At conferences, retreats, and conventions, I often see way too many overeager Christians who make ambitious covenants and promises to God. Purity, radical lifestyles, and life commitments are often the big sharks here. It is no fault to the pastor/speaker, the worship team, and the church itself, but to our own recklessness in how we deal with sin. We love to dine with angels and demons. Sometimes, even simultaneously. We do not honor that fear of the Lord. Read more on Charles Finney if you're interested on this subject. It's powerful stuff.
4. (v5) Extravagant Generosity
Christianity was based upon the principles of giving. Think about the most well known verses, such as John 3:16. For God loved the world that he gave. Jesus too gave his life. Yes, in verse 5, it is talking about monetary giving. But the context of David's psalms are always a reflection upon life. We must give our lives without "interest" (usury), meaning we should not expect anything in return! Wow! And the best part is this: we must do cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7. Ohhhhhhh boy. This is what gets most Christians right here. Many times me and my friends see homeless people and we often attempt to AVOID them. When by chance they grab our attention, we reluctantly pull some change out and give it to them. I want to challenge ourselves to look deeper into what we give and to do it with joy. Jesus did not sacrifice himself with a frown and a whining voice. He did it, with all his heart, cheerfully.
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless
and who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue,
who does his neighbor no wrong
and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man
but honors those who fear the LORD,
who keeps his oath
even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury
and does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things
will never be shaken.
------
I've been convicted more and more of how I am so quick to leave God's presence. I don't mean viewing His presence as a place, such as a worship service or even my devotion time. I'm talking about walking WITH the presence of God. Treating it as a coat of blessing, as it says in Psalm 56.
Just imagine: everywhere you go, the presence of God follows you. My goodness. What power. You will never stumble (v5), you will experience joy and favor unending (Psalm 68), and signs and wonders follow you (Pretty much most of the chapters in Acts)! This is just a short list of the countless promises of God. If you've encountered the presence, then you know what I'm talking about. If not, that's okay--keep searching for it!
So I ask myself, how may I keep God's presence on me? Well, I must first be able to enter His presence, shouldn't I? How am I supposed to carry it as a mantle if I cannot even access it in the first place?
Here are some ways:
1. (v2) Righteousness
We must get in an attitude of constant repentance to cleanse ourselves. Christians today are so easily offended when they are corrected by other brothers/sisters. I'm not encouraging false repentance, such as stating "FINE! SORRY! Goodness." and storm away frustrated. Repentance is not about whether we are right or wrong; rather it is about your heart. We forget that when we pray for God to help improve our character to become more godly, he sends us other people to do it.
2. (v3) Compassion
Simply put, if we protected other people's integrity and well-being, the church would be a place where people would want to go. After all, who loves being slandered by insults and hurt by others? On the other hand, I don't want Christians to be fake. Being honest with each other is not trying to harm them, but there is a time, place, and manner to do so. Continuing off my previous point, let us be slow to speak and quick to repent. I do not want us to become passive, however. To summarize: when it comes to talking, as it says in James 3, use your discernment and tame your tongue. All words--whether its rejection, neutral statements, or affirmation--have power.
3. (v4) Fear of the Lord
I could spend all day on this topic. One of the main reasons we don't have power as Christians because we do not fear God. At conferences, retreats, and conventions, I often see way too many overeager Christians who make ambitious covenants and promises to God. Purity, radical lifestyles, and life commitments are often the big sharks here. It is no fault to the pastor/speaker, the worship team, and the church itself, but to our own recklessness in how we deal with sin. We love to dine with angels and demons. Sometimes, even simultaneously. We do not honor that fear of the Lord. Read more on Charles Finney if you're interested on this subject. It's powerful stuff.
4. (v5) Extravagant Generosity
Christianity was based upon the principles of giving. Think about the most well known verses, such as John 3:16. For God loved the world that he gave. Jesus too gave his life. Yes, in verse 5, it is talking about monetary giving. But the context of David's psalms are always a reflection upon life. We must give our lives without "interest" (usury), meaning we should not expect anything in return! Wow! And the best part is this: we must do cheerfully. 2 Corinthians 9:7. Ohhhhhhh boy. This is what gets most Christians right here. Many times me and my friends see homeless people and we often attempt to AVOID them. When by chance they grab our attention, we reluctantly pull some change out and give it to them. I want to challenge ourselves to look deeper into what we give and to do it with joy. Jesus did not sacrifice himself with a frown and a whining voice. He did it, with all his heart, cheerfully.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Perfection
In his book, "The 7 Longings of the Human Heart," Mike Bickle writes that as members of the human race, it is natural for us to want to be great.
Let's be real here--I have never met one person who truthfully admitted that they DESIRE to be awful in every area of life. Some clever folk might try to say, "Well, Dan, I don't mind being weak in everything so that the strength of Christ shines through me." While this statement is a great way to be profound and impress your local bible study buddies, the truth is that God wants you to love yourself as well! Why do you think Jesus also stated "Love your neighbor [as] yourself." He doesn't want you to serve others, yet suffer from low self-esteem. Read Psalms 139 if you want more proof.
Wow! And here we are, sulking in an attempt to display a false form of humility so that people would not think we are proud. While we can deceive man, we cannot deceive the Lord. He knows our intentions and ambitions.
Anyhow, now that we have established that we should enjoy how we're created in the image of God, I would like to make another point: we as humans only have one life to live. To live for ourselves is simply against the commandments of the Bible (Matthew 28:19-20, Micah 6:8, James 2:15-17, the list goes on). Thus, we must live for more than our own wishes and continually to improve our character. Cool. But as we all know, writing down all those New Year's resolutions seem overwhelmingly difficult. What then shall we do? As the economist says, we simplify and isolate. We must have one simple goal and focus on that one vision. One aspiration.
No, I'm not promoting IHOP-KC's One Thing conferences.
Rather, our goal, as Christians, is to bear the resemblance and likeness of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
However, back to the analogy of the New Year's Resolutions, it seems far too naive to simply put "Be a better person in 20xx" to replace every resolution on the list. After all, we're asked to not just be better citizens, friends, and family members, but we're asked, as it says in Matthew 5 to be perfect because Jesus is perfect.
Perfection?! But nobody's perfect! Is God setting us up for failure?
Not quite.
In the Greek translation, perfectus is not defined to be without flaw. Alternatively, it means "a finishing" or, to be more grammatically sound, "finished." Furthermore, the word has various contextual implications, such as:
- to be complete with all requisite parts
- to be so good that nothing can be compared as better
- to attain its purpose
Great Scott!! This whole time, we have been under the impression that every move we make has God angered on his mighty throne in heaven because we're not like his perfect son, Jesus. Nonsense! Jesus was stating in Matthew that we have to become COMPLETE like Him. God wants for us to achieve our destiny (attain purpose) by obtaining all the characteristics (requisite parts). As in says in James 1, God simply seeks for us to become mature, so that we're lacking nothing.
The amazing thing is that above all else, God delights in us so much for who we are. He understands that its a process! That's why God calls upon us to wait upon Him, because the procedure of abiding takes time. Even when we accomplish the greatest feat of human history or become the scum of the earth, Jesus thinks that there's no one better than you!
Let's be real here--I have never met one person who truthfully admitted that they DESIRE to be awful in every area of life. Some clever folk might try to say, "Well, Dan, I don't mind being weak in everything so that the strength of Christ shines through me." While this statement is a great way to be profound and impress your local bible study buddies, the truth is that God wants you to love yourself as well! Why do you think Jesus also stated "Love your neighbor [as] yourself." He doesn't want you to serve others, yet suffer from low self-esteem. Read Psalms 139 if you want more proof.
Wow! And here we are, sulking in an attempt to display a false form of humility so that people would not think we are proud. While we can deceive man, we cannot deceive the Lord. He knows our intentions and ambitions.
Anyhow, now that we have established that we should enjoy how we're created in the image of God, I would like to make another point: we as humans only have one life to live. To live for ourselves is simply against the commandments of the Bible (Matthew 28:19-20, Micah 6:8, James 2:15-17, the list goes on). Thus, we must live for more than our own wishes and continually to improve our character. Cool. But as we all know, writing down all those New Year's resolutions seem overwhelmingly difficult. What then shall we do? As the economist says, we simplify and isolate. We must have one simple goal and focus on that one vision. One aspiration.
No, I'm not promoting IHOP-KC's One Thing conferences.
Rather, our goal, as Christians, is to bear the resemblance and likeness of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).
However, back to the analogy of the New Year's Resolutions, it seems far too naive to simply put "Be a better person in 20xx" to replace every resolution on the list. After all, we're asked to not just be better citizens, friends, and family members, but we're asked, as it says in Matthew 5 to be perfect because Jesus is perfect.
Perfection?! But nobody's perfect! Is God setting us up for failure?
Not quite.
In the Greek translation, perfectus is not defined to be without flaw. Alternatively, it means "a finishing" or, to be more grammatically sound, "finished." Furthermore, the word has various contextual implications, such as:
- to be complete with all requisite parts
- to be so good that nothing can be compared as better
- to attain its purpose
Great Scott!! This whole time, we have been under the impression that every move we make has God angered on his mighty throne in heaven because we're not like his perfect son, Jesus. Nonsense! Jesus was stating in Matthew that we have to become COMPLETE like Him. God wants for us to achieve our destiny (attain purpose) by obtaining all the characteristics (requisite parts). As in says in James 1, God simply seeks for us to become mature, so that we're lacking nothing.
The amazing thing is that above all else, God delights in us so much for who we are. He understands that its a process! That's why God calls upon us to wait upon Him, because the procedure of abiding takes time. Even when we accomplish the greatest feat of human history or become the scum of the earth, Jesus thinks that there's no one better than you!
Friday, August 28, 2009
Our Goal
As summer is drawing to its last lap of its pleasure-filled race, I would like to comment simply what the Lord has been doing showing to me and what has been happening. I'll begin just what has been happening this week.
On Monday, I got my wisdom teeth pulled out, which was quite painful process despite the numbing and dissolvable stitches. I was require to eat only soft things, such as congie, boiled eggs, dried pork, and TV Dinners. Nevertheless, I thank God for how he healed and is continuing to heal my swollen mouth. When you break a bone, or in my situation, lose the ability to chew with your ferocious molers, isn't there a result of great inefficiency? The same is related to the Body of Christ. As we see in 1 Corinthians 12, the body of believers is the body of Christ, called to be "the fullness of him(Jesus) who fills everything in every way"(Eph. 1:23). We are to be instruments of righteousness, used by the Master to be Good Samaritans and servants of hospitality and love that fight for justice and freedom. Recently, I discovered the truth regarding slavery in our world, and the horrible degree of it. They say that there are more slaves in the world then in any point of history(exoduscry.com for more information). As servants of Jesus, we are called to "love our neighbors as ourselves". Let us strive to meet this, through prayer and action. Let us be committed to have regard for the weak, for in return there will be blessings(Psalm 41:1). Tonight, a rainy yet pleasant night, at JoyWok, Pastor Banji(I believe that is how you spell it) came and shared about how in his high school years, he was captivated and awed at Jesus, of his magnificent mercy and glorious grace. We can follow his example, to strive to fix our eyes on Him, that ultimately, our lives will truly reflect God's glory as we desperately reach out to a lost and dying world.
On Monday, I got my wisdom teeth pulled out, which was quite painful process despite the numbing and dissolvable stitches. I was require to eat only soft things, such as congie, boiled eggs, dried pork, and TV Dinners. Nevertheless, I thank God for how he healed and is continuing to heal my swollen mouth. When you break a bone, or in my situation, lose the ability to chew with your ferocious molers, isn't there a result of great inefficiency? The same is related to the Body of Christ. As we see in 1 Corinthians 12, the body of believers is the body of Christ, called to be "the fullness of him(Jesus) who fills everything in every way"(Eph. 1:23). We are to be instruments of righteousness, used by the Master to be Good Samaritans and servants of hospitality and love that fight for justice and freedom. Recently, I discovered the truth regarding slavery in our world, and the horrible degree of it. They say that there are more slaves in the world then in any point of history(exoduscry.com for more information). As servants of Jesus, we are called to "love our neighbors as ourselves". Let us strive to meet this, through prayer and action. Let us be committed to have regard for the weak, for in return there will be blessings(Psalm 41:1). Tonight, a rainy yet pleasant night, at JoyWok, Pastor Banji(I believe that is how you spell it) came and shared about how in his high school years, he was captivated and awed at Jesus, of his magnificent mercy and glorious grace. We can follow his example, to strive to fix our eyes on Him, that ultimately, our lives will truly reflect God's glory as we desperately reach out to a lost and dying world.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
What happens from here on?
As summer draws to a close and the new school year is creeping upon us, there are thousands of young people all over the nation wondering to themselves, "Well, this summer has been great, but how can I keep the fire going once I start going back to school?"
This question comes up for me nearly every year around the same time and I felt as if I could share some insight. Fortunately enough, our youth website has been able to post up the most recent messages!
Some people might wonder why we should bother listening to audio clips (especially when its over 30 minutes long) rather than read. The answer is this: The universe, assuming you believe in the creation of the world through God, was spoken into existence. Not read, formulated, or materialized through supersonic combustion, but orated by the words of God himself. There are power in words and there is something about having an audible voice declaring words rather than listening to your mind speak it over yourself. Don't get me wrong--I'm not trying to toot my own horn. I'm rather stating that there is a different way, not a better way, to have a blog message posted.
Keep it going - Dan Chou (08-09-2009)
Quick points:
1. Don't have the appearance without the substance
- Imitation of traditions and rituals without understanding leaves to dryness
- Also leads to constant comparison/envy
2. Shed the old wineskin, receive the new one
- Conferences, retreats, and other summer activities are great, but only temporary
- Having a "quick fix" to patch up your problems will only make matters worse!
3. Fresh impartation can only go into fresh containers.
- Spoiled containers (think dirty milk carton) will only spoil the contents
- Similarly, if all you gain is more fresh understanding/revelation, but never change, it simply spoils and becomes useless, while poisoning others!
4. Ways to obtain the new wineskin
- Galations 2:20! Crucify your flesh. Pick up your cross.
- What does that mean? Deny yourself and that fleshly desire.
Last notes:
- Message was drawn out of Mark 2
- Raging waters is a water amusement park that our youth went to the following week, incase you wondering about the preface.
- I am still learning my flaws and weaknesses, but I hope you can overlook them; and to not become offended by how it was said, but instead to look at what's been said.
- For future resources and messages, click here.
Blessings.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Monday Tuesday and Wednesday
8/17/09 Monday
Last Monday, I was able to hang out with my sister the whole day. We went to see the doctor for a checkup and afterward went to Costco to buy a gargantuan sized pack of premium protein powder, which when mixed with your favorite liquid becomes a nutritious creamy vanilla thick shake; however, sometimes the powder does not fully dissolve. Nevertheless, I deeply enjoyed the time I was able to spend with my family at home. We later then had dinner, which consisted of a soft wrap burrito stuffed with spiced ground meat mixed with mozzarella cheese and fresh-tasting oregano. That was what it tasted like in my mouth. Soft mouth-watering golden mangoes which were extremely delighting came next! I am so thankful to God for the family he has given me and I give him all the praise for all that He has done. After pondering on this topic, I came to these conclusions. A family most of the times consist of a mom, dad, and two children. In particularly in a home scenario, unity is very important, and it is the same with the Body of Christ(1 Cor. 12:25). In Ephesians 4 it talks about to keeping the unity of the Spirit. Why not commence the tranquil environment God calls us to maintain filled with joyful and caring relationships at home?
8/18/09 Tuesday
The towering hospital stood there, on Madison Avenue at 100th Street, where we sent my sister to Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. My mom drove about 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the swarming metropolis, where we stopped and entered the magnificent university and treatment center. Doctors were blatantly recognized due to their white coats and scholarly sophisticated walking. There was a uncountable number of them on the streets that if you were a giant looking from a bird's eye view, the place would appear to be a strange anthill because the bugs were no longer black and brown, but brightly white, but MD degrees. After examining the Grey's Anatomy environment there, we headed to Flushing to eat lunch and to get my hair cut. Returning to the apartment, I had the chance to read Proverbs 13:13-14: "He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death." Here, it emphasizes the importance of being quick to listen which allows us obey commands and instruction, in particularly from the wise. The teaching of the wise will definitely benefit me, leading us towards the One who is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. Yet, I feel listening to even your parents' most intricate directions is vital and rewarding. When an individual gets their mom the hot tea with no sugar but a touch of cinnamon just as she asked, his consideration shines in comparison to a person getting their mom a cold cup of tea when his mom wanted one that was warm. Overall, the lesson is to set our hearts first on obeying God's Word, all of it, whether we like it or not, from honoring our parents(Exodus 20) to being quick to listen(James 1).
Last Monday, I was able to hang out with my sister the whole day. We went to see the doctor for a checkup and afterward went to Costco to buy a gargantuan sized pack of premium protein powder, which when mixed with your favorite liquid becomes a nutritious creamy vanilla thick shake; however, sometimes the powder does not fully dissolve. Nevertheless, I deeply enjoyed the time I was able to spend with my family at home. We later then had dinner, which consisted of a soft wrap burrito stuffed with spiced ground meat mixed with mozzarella cheese and fresh-tasting oregano. That was what it tasted like in my mouth. Soft mouth-watering golden mangoes which were extremely delighting came next! I am so thankful to God for the family he has given me and I give him all the praise for all that He has done. After pondering on this topic, I came to these conclusions. A family most of the times consist of a mom, dad, and two children. In particularly in a home scenario, unity is very important, and it is the same with the Body of Christ(1 Cor. 12:25). In Ephesians 4 it talks about to keeping the unity of the Spirit. Why not commence the tranquil environment God calls us to maintain filled with joyful and caring relationships at home?
8/18/09 Tuesday
The towering hospital stood there, on Madison Avenue at 100th Street, where we sent my sister to Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. My mom drove about 1 hour and 15 minutes to arrive at the swarming metropolis, where we stopped and entered the magnificent university and treatment center. Doctors were blatantly recognized due to their white coats and scholarly sophisticated walking. There was a uncountable number of them on the streets that if you were a giant looking from a bird's eye view, the place would appear to be a strange anthill because the bugs were no longer black and brown, but brightly white, but MD degrees. After examining the Grey's Anatomy environment there, we headed to Flushing to eat lunch and to get my hair cut. Returning to the apartment, I had the chance to read Proverbs 13:13-14: "He who scorns instruction will pay for it, but he who respects a command is rewarded. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death." Here, it emphasizes the importance of being quick to listen which allows us obey commands and instruction, in particularly from the wise. The teaching of the wise will definitely benefit me, leading us towards the One who is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. Yet, I feel listening to even your parents' most intricate directions is vital and rewarding. When an individual gets their mom the hot tea with no sugar but a touch of cinnamon just as she asked, his consideration shines in comparison to a person getting their mom a cold cup of tea when his mom wanted one that was warm. Overall, the lesson is to set our hearts first on obeying God's Word, all of it, whether we like it or not, from honoring our parents(Exodus 20) to being quick to listen(James 1).
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Returning Back to America
The Boeing 747 stood there magnificently, like a mighty warrior preparing for battle. The Eva plane had stripes of forest green, gargantuan wings, and many circular windows. The plane began to taxi, gently and slowly, similar to an elder young woman named Auntie Rose driving a 1967 rusty Chevy truck. However, this truck suddenly turned into a 2010 300 horsepower Corvette, racing down the track, and then lifting from the ground with extraordinary force. After 14 hours and 10 minutes, my plane arrived in Newark airport.
I(Richard)left Taiwan on August 12, at 6:30 PM and arrived in America on August 12, at 9:45 PM. That day that I left Taiwan, I treasured every moment that I had with my dad. I woke up that partly cloudy morning practicing Chinese characters. There was much persistence and diligence needed to accomplish the characters I desired to copy, and afterward my dad and I took my luggage and headed to an all you can eat sea food buffet, which may sound absurd, especially since we were carrying two luggages which both feel like there is a car in each of them. We put the bags on the side of the restaurant, and began enjoying our last feast before I headed to Taiwan. I soon left the admirable nation Taiwan and went back home, where I continued on my academic studies. On Friday night, I attended a Summer Festival, which was hosted by JoyWok! There, people from the Herald Gospel Camp mission gave testimonies, regarding how the Lord moved there. I was deeply touched to see how God's grace was sufficient for them, that despite the team's weaknesses and uncomfortable environment, some rebellious kids, during the alter call, a majority of the kids came up to respond. God was truly with them, in a remarkable way.
Chinese is an amazing language, and I'm trying to finish a year's course in the summer, so I can jump to Chinese 3. I spent today, Saturday, mostly doing homework and exercising. Yet, right now I want to exercise my faith. As God's people, we are called to love, and have compassion on people(Luke 9). There was a catastrophic typhoon that hit Taiwan, and I urge myself along with others that we should pray for the victims. May God fill them in this troubling hour with light, hope, truth, and comfort.
I(Richard)left Taiwan on August 12, at 6:30 PM and arrived in America on August 12, at 9:45 PM. That day that I left Taiwan, I treasured every moment that I had with my dad. I woke up that partly cloudy morning practicing Chinese characters. There was much persistence and diligence needed to accomplish the characters I desired to copy, and afterward my dad and I took my luggage and headed to an all you can eat sea food buffet, which may sound absurd, especially since we were carrying two luggages which both feel like there is a car in each of them. We put the bags on the side of the restaurant, and began enjoying our last feast before I headed to Taiwan. I soon left the admirable nation Taiwan and went back home, where I continued on my academic studies. On Friday night, I attended a Summer Festival, which was hosted by JoyWok! There, people from the Herald Gospel Camp mission gave testimonies, regarding how the Lord moved there. I was deeply touched to see how God's grace was sufficient for them, that despite the team's weaknesses and uncomfortable environment, some rebellious kids, during the alter call, a majority of the kids came up to respond. God was truly with them, in a remarkable way.
Chinese is an amazing language, and I'm trying to finish a year's course in the summer, so I can jump to Chinese 3. I spent today, Saturday, mostly doing homework and exercising. Yet, right now I want to exercise my faith. As God's people, we are called to love, and have compassion on people(Luke 9). There was a catastrophic typhoon that hit Taiwan, and I urge myself along with others that we should pray for the victims. May God fill them in this troubling hour with light, hope, truth, and comfort.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
The Day Before I Leave Taiwan
The Bible says in Proverbs that when pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. Since wisdom comes from the Lord, and the Lord calls us to be "give thanks in all circumstances", I will overflow with what I am so honored to have. I am in particulary very grateful for having the opportunity to spend around 6 weeks in Taiwan. The nation has a fantasticly clean and innovative subway station and a great Body of Christian believers. Today, after I did some SAT work, my dad and I ate at the church with the pastor, his family, and some of their friends. The pastor's wife told us that she, her son, and some other members of the church are going to southern Taiwan to help with the typhoon disaster. They say that the damage there is similar to the damage done by hurricane Katrina. Knowing that the group going to southern Taiwan, a place of grief, chaos, and disaster, will face dangerous situations, we came together to pray for the team going along for one another. Overall, I am very appreciative for all that God has provided and I hope that I would continue to grow in his humility and love.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Doing What is Right
The previous post I mentioned about Tracy and Elsa, my Taiwan co-workers whom I worked with during SEC. I learned a lot from their lives through serving the Lord with them. Tracy, a spectacular singer and musician, set an example for me to further develop my gifts and talents for the glory of God. During our talent show for our group 3, she played the piano for the background music, which added a great amount of suspence and anticipation. She sang "The Lord's Prayer" for our skit, and helped with worship by singing. Her enthusiasm, honesty, and love for God and people has challenged me to become more like Christ in the ways of his meekness and compassion. Elsa's love and humility also set an example in my life. She would often lead prayers before meals and explain the directions of the games with oflowering joy and energy. Her kindness and servant heart was noticed by me, and surely by others as well. During lunch and dinner, Tracy and Elsa would get drinks for everyone in our group, definetly deomnstrating a 1 Tim. 4:12 attitude, which calls young people to set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity. God states in his Word in Proverbs that doing what is right and just is more acceptable than sacrifice. Let us learn from his Word and from the lives of men of woman of God to obey and follow our Lord Jesus Christ.
Regarding to what I did today, my dad and I went to National Taiwan University Hospital to pick up his medicine. Afterwards we ate lunch and returned home where I worked on SAT. did some excercise, read my bible, and some other things. It is late now, but I hope to post more later. God bless!
Regarding to what I did today, my dad and I went to National Taiwan University Hospital to pick up his medicine. Afterwards we ate lunch and returned home where I worked on SAT. did some excercise, read my bible, and some other things. It is late now, but I hope to post more later. God bless!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Our Reward
If you had the opportunity to sit down with President Obama over a cup of coffee for one hour and simply have a conversation with him, would tell the President of the United States that you are too busy and do not have time for him? Never! With immense delight and anticipation, you would make that appointment with him a priority in your schedule. Likewise, in your Christian life, you should make your time with the Lord Almighty a priority, "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does. The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love. By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth...For He spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm"(Psalm 33:4-6;9). While praying today, God really impressed on my heart truly how magnificent, glorious, sovereign, and awesome He is, in particularly His words and commands. Through reading the Bible, we have the opportunity to receive councel from the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning in the End. Let us not be like the exiles of Israel who forsook the Lord by intermarrying with the nations around them, which God commanded them not to do(Ezra 9:11-12); but let us be a holy people of God, consecrated for the Lord's purposes and earneslty seeking Him. Through setting aside time everyday to pray and diligently seek God's Word, we can step by step grow closer in living a life fully pleasing Him. After all, He is our God, our King, our Savior, our Reward.
Stepping aside to what I did today, I began my day going to church in the morning with special guests Tracy, Elsa, Eric, Eric, and Ann, co-workers and students from SEC(Summer English Camp). They took the MRT subway to meet up with me. The service was very powerful, which included a testimony, and a message on Luke 15 regarding the prodigal son and how we should come to our senses and offer our lives to God, our Abba Father. Afterwards, my dad and I took Tracy, Eric, Eric, Elsa, and Ann back to the subway station, where they returned home. I went to play some guitar at the church, and then came back home, to work on SAT math. I did my daily excercise routine, had some oysters for dinner along with litchi, and now here I am writing this blog. I have to conclude this post now for I have to go to sleep soon. God bless and take care! =)
Stepping aside to what I did today, I began my day going to church in the morning with special guests Tracy, Elsa, Eric, Eric, and Ann, co-workers and students from SEC(Summer English Camp). They took the MRT subway to meet up with me. The service was very powerful, which included a testimony, and a message on Luke 15 regarding the prodigal son and how we should come to our senses and offer our lives to God, our Abba Father. Afterwards, my dad and I took Tracy, Eric, Eric, Elsa, and Ann back to the subway station, where they returned home. I went to play some guitar at the church, and then came back home, to work on SAT math. I did my daily excercise routine, had some oysters for dinner along with litchi, and now here I am writing this blog. I have to conclude this post now for I have to go to sleep soon. God bless and take care! =)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
8/8/09 Father's Day in Taiwan
Waking up today, after doing devotions, my dad took me to go eat shao bing you tiao( bread ), soy milk, and xiao long tan bao. On the xiao long tan bao, we put thin strips of ginger on top of it which provided a fresh original whole taste, delightful to my tastebuds and healthy for my body. Afterwards, we returned home and I worked on SAT math. On one Math section, the longer one, which consists of 20 questions and provides only 25 minutes to complete, I received a full score, finishing all the questions and getting none of them wrong. I was extremely delighted when I finished grading it, because it was the first time I got a perfect score on one section of the SAT. As I did more math problems, and figured out where I made my mistakes, I gradually began to improve and the material commenced to appear easier to me. The phrase "Practice makes perfection" does have truth in it. My heart overflows with thanksgiving for my dad's love in teaching me math and the time that I am able to spend with him: "O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever"(Psalm 30:12). During the evening, we went to the Youth Fellowship at our local church. The pastor preached about the wonder of the Word of God, regarding all its completed prophecies and astounishing unity. Continuing with the topic of God's Word, one essential truth the Bible teaches us to "Delight yourself in the LORD"(Psalm 37:4). Jeremy Taylor said "God threatens terrible things if we will not be happy." After reading Desiring God, written by John Piper, I discovered this key kiblical concept of pursuing joy in God. I will try to write omre about this later. Overall, that is an overview of my day. God bless!
Friday, August 7, 2009
8/7/09
With a great mass of rain and winds of tremendous speed, the typhoon hit Taiwan today with great strength and might. Motorcycles were flipped over, trees were pulled, and light poles fell, at the feet of the fearsome storm. As a result, I stayed home today, doing SAT math. I was quite busy today, despite not having the opportunity to leave home. I was occupied with doing my 130 pushups, 240 situps,my daily reading of the Bible, writing down a Proverb a day, watching Taiwan televion, eating mouth-watering litchi, almost as sweet as honey, with its smooth tangibility, chowing down popoyya( i think that is how you spell it), ba la(fruit), fish, shrimp, beans, and red bean soup with smooth milk, which is rich in calcium and nutrition. Regarding nutrition for my soul, I read Psalm 29 today, which describes God's glory and power. John Piper's book "Desire God" speaks that God's purpose throughout human kind is to glorify and magnify Himself, for He truly is the essence of truth and security. I was reminded today of His strength, for "The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temply all cry, "Glory!"(Psalm 29:9). Therefore, my heart's respond to God garganteous splendor is "Glory!".
Thursday, August 6, 2009
蘇澳 Trip ( Shu Owh ) [ East-coast Taiwan]
I think that east coast New Jersey is pretty pretty, with the Big Apple and home to countless of world renown sports teams, it is an enjoyable place to visit. However, what do you think eastcoast Taiwan is like? Today, I went to Shu Owh, eastcoast Taiwan, to sight see. The train ride was more than 2 hours each way; therefore, I spent about 5 hours on a train today. Nevertheless, the trip was very meaningful because of the time I was able to spend with my dad and the majestic views we saw such as the Pacific Ocean. The ocean was grumpy today, like an old frightening man who lives in a house on a high mountain who did not eat his breakfast. You know what that means. Uproar and anger. Likewise, the ocean was rough due to to the coming hurricane. The hurricane is considered a middle level strenghted typhoon, with a 250km diameter, a length that is able to cover the entire Taiwan. As I right this blog, it is raining and forecasters predict that the edge of the hurricane will approximately touch land by midnight. This hurricane and the intensity of it is similar to Paul's intensity and fervor for Israel to be saved: "BROTHERS, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Isrealites is that they may be saved"(Romans 10:1). Moving to the subject of the Word of God, one interesting observation from the book of Romans is to see that Paul was even audacious enough to say the he could[important word] wish that he was cut off from Christ for the sake of the Israelites. As we are amazed at Paul's love for the Israelites, I believe that we too should cultivate a similar heart for them, one like Jesus'. Therefore, my challenge is that for a week, you can pray that God may bring salvation to Israel.
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