March 31, 2009 - Merciful Redeemer

[01:19] DraGonForCe66: good night beast

[01:19] jsk945: 99

[01:19] jsk945: yo

[01:19] DraGonForCe66: gg

[01:19] DraGonForCe66: wut

[01:19] jsk945: u do ur blog yet?

[01:20] DraGonForCe66: oh man

[01:20] jsk945: DO IT FAT HEAD

[01:20] DraGonForCe66: thanks joe

[01:20] DraGonForCe66: i love you too

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. 

 1 Timothy 1:16 NIV

in this passage, paul calls himself "the greatest sinner". even the great paul cannot withhold himself from such a shameful past of persecuting christians! his sin is pitch black. but how is it compared to my own? i would have to say that my sin in these past 21 years are quite black as well. although i have no say in comparing sins with paul, God sees all of this and forgives us without a second thought. 

the amazing thing is that God's mercy is so accessable. the bigger the sin, the more anxious God is to pour out His mercy on you at the first sign of repentence. the story of the alabastor jar and the prostitute explains this quite well. the man, whos debt was 500 denarii, would naturally love Jesus more. and that is exactly how i feel. for God to pardon a sinner like me, how can i not praise His name. God is and has always been on our side. the reason he sent down His Son was to save man that cannot save himself. 

because we sin, we fall under the heavy burden of our guilt and think that God will never want someone like me to share Heaven with. but this is quite the contrary. no matter how bad the sin, no matter how much the sin, God desires to shower you with His love if you are willing to recieve it. 

so pray the praise of your redeemed hearrt! 

Amen,

March 23, 2009 - Are You Gifted?

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 

and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in every one. 

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 

1 Corinthians 12: 3-7

when i look at myself, i dont see anything special. just another normal, plain person. if there is a gift, i have not found it yet. but it is true that God has given everyone something whether you realize or not. in genesis, man was made in God's image. in this proposition, man was made in the image of God; God is perfect; therefore it is impossible for man not to have gifts from being made in the image of a perfect Creator. 

but whatever gifts that we have and that i have, it is ultimately for God because it was given to us. dont even compare it to others because whatever your gift is, it can be used by God. in His eyes, everyone is of equal importance in what they can do for His kingdom. 

messing up all the time and recieving so much love regardless as well as having these gifts from the Lord; how can i not praise Him. 

Amen.

March 17, 2009 - Kill Me Now

If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now -- 
if I have found favor in your eyes -- and do not let me face my own ruin."
Numbers 11:15

...while he himself went a day's journey into the desert. He came to a broom tree, sat down under it and prayed that he might die.
"I have had enough, Lord," he said. "Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors." 
1 Kings 19:4

Now, O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. 
Jonah 4:3

Who has not felt like this before? Jonah, Moses, and Elijah, God's greatest leaders and prophets have. Man when live gets you down, it is so easy to just quit. But God will guide us through all. Just look at these three for example.  

• 23.
 
• May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blamelessat the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

• 24.
 
• The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. 

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

Let God work in us. Personally I need to let God back into my life. Its been too long. 

March 16, 2009 - A Journey Through the Desert

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 

And he fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterward he was hungry. 

Matthew 4:1-2

And I still find it obscure that the Spirit led Jesus into the widerness to the Devil. This seems more like  test of some sort to see if in the end, Jesus would trust God or not. In the same ways, it seems very often that God takes us somewhere where we think that it is His will and feel abandoned at the same time. Of course we see this as God's plan to build us into better people, but at the same time, we ask why? Isn't there another way to build our character and perseverance instead of ie. taking a precious family member away, not giving me that certain job, living in poverty and so on. Doesn't it seem weird that He would be so cruel at times that our faith just falls apart. 

Ever had a friend who you just gave up on because of things he did? Despite all the times he was there for you and you for him, things just didn't work out in the end. Who knows. Maybe he is still your friend; maybe not. God sees our struggles, puts us through them so that we may become better people. The beauty of this is that God is like that friend who will never go away no matter how much faith we have lost in Him. Even to the point of hating Him for the things He has put you through, God is still there, knowing that in the end you have these experiences that have made you stronger.. In a way, God is not a cruel God, but a smart one. 

Some people put up walls to keep people out of their lives. Others put walls up to see who would care enough to break them down. God is one of those who will break down those walls to get to you even if you have given up all hope on Him.

Amen.  

March 15, 2009 - Whose Voice Are You Hearing?

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

Genesis 3:6  

i believe that I am smart enough to filter out everything that people say to me between good and bad. Sometimes I even flat out refuse to listen. But most of the time, I listen to what everyone has to say. But do I hear and listen to Jesus? During times of temptation and struggles, do I hear His voice that beckons me back to Him? Or do I give into the sin? 

The Lord is always there to help. He will always listen whether it seems like it or not; God is always there. The fact of the matter is: "Are you listening to His advice; do you care enough to listen?" I find myself falling into traps all of the time simply because I lack discipline. This is such a hard battle and there are SO many trials. I just got tired. Tired to the point that I want to give up and closed my ears to the Lord's encouragement to me. Why is my faith so lacking now after some trials? Its because I don't listen to God when he calls me back. I need to work on this relationship that is so one sided and go back to the Lord. 

Amen. 

March 14, 2009 - It's Good For Your Character

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 

Romans 5:3-5, NIV

Personally, I have failed to consider any suffering as a pure joy to my personal growth and maturity. It is such a battle between having faith in God and blaming God for all the things that have gone wrong. How can one really take pure joy in suffering then if suffering in itself is nothing but pure pain? Prayers of "God... WHY?" are constantly echoed in my head. Even though it is obvious that these trials will build character, how can we see through all the troubles and trust God with the situation? 

This begs the question of your faith. Indeed, in the past few weeks, I have discovered that I am not as close to God as I thought I was. The hope that I have believed in "disappointed" me. Things went wrong and I felt nothing but grief and sorrow. 

But I am clearly missing the point. I was believing in the wrong sort of hope. I believed in the hope that I thought was good for me, not the hope that God had for me. I have failed to realize that it is God that is pulling the strings for my own good. Whatever I am doing now, I need to realize that my relationship with God is the most important thing I need to work on right now. I need to pray and read scripture and fellowship with other believers and other things as well. 

I look at the past now and see how God has changed me and I find it quite impressive, but theres so much more to do. So I will continue to allow Him to lead me on. Praise the Lord. 

Amen. 

March 9, 2009 - Waiting on the Lord

I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 27: 13-14

Praise the Lord for this message. I needed it. 

Yes. No. Wait. The three routes through life's decisions. The hardest one for me, and generally for everyone is wait. When we choose wait, we give up man's most valuable commodity: time. Why should I wait when I only have a limited time to do the things that I want. There is no time to wait! But I have failed to see the bigger picture. God, the one who is perfect and sees all, knows whats best for me. When I decide to go and take it into my own hands instead of waiting, I am telling God that His plan is not good enough for me. But God knows all. He knows what is too fast for me. He knows what is best for me. 

But I have failed to see the picture this entire time. I am one of the most impatient people I have ever known. This makes a note of my weak faith. Waiting on the Lord takes true faith. It is hard to spend months and months and not have any progress. I have experienced this myself and is currently going through some troubles. But sometimes it hurts knowing that I may regret holding something off. So God, I pray that you would guide me because I can't guide myself. A fool can only wander so far before he realizes that he is lost. Save me oh Lord. 

..Amen.

March 8, 2009 - True Love

True Love - Phil Wickham

Listen to the lyrics and get a glimpse of a love that does not exist here on earth.

A love that breaks down all boundaries

and brings us all together in the end.

that is Jesus.

Amen.

March 7, 2009 - Stop to Here His Voice

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." 

Isaiah 30:21 

I tried to convince someone by saying that "God is here in this physics room". I failed.

His response was because God is everywhere. No matter where we are, God will be there. Class, at home, showering, doing the deuce, God is there. This verse made me think about what God really wanted me to do on this campus. While I have been given opportunities, it is hard for me to see what God has really planned for me. I know and believe that I will follow Him with my entire life, but it is hard to balance that with everything else that is needed to survive in this real world. It is hard to draw that line between faith and depending on my own abilities. I still worry about the future and what it has in store, but maybe that just roots down to my faithlessness. But it just boils down to God's promise which I know will come soon. Allow me to know you and follow you in the right speed, not going too fast or too slow. Legalism or not, help me to depend on you. 

Amen.

March 6, 2009 - Let Joy Invigorate You!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Philippians 4:4, NIV

I have to realize that I cannot find any joy from this earth. Even though God created this world and man in his image, sin has corrupted everything even myself. It is hard for me to be happy about who I am because of my habitual sin. But of course when we look at everything wrong we will not see joy, so we have to look towards Heaven, the only source of joy which is in the Lord and the Lord only. So help me oh Lord to see you in this desolate time. Help me to combat temptation and the demons that plague me as well. For you are Lord and everything I am is yours. 

Amen. 

March 5, 2009 - The Subtle Pride of Achievement

What do you have that you did not receive? 

1 Corinthains 4:7

Everything that I have or had is yours. You give and take away. 

Pride, no matter how boastful, is still a sin. In this world, every little achievement brings us a feeling of greatness. In other words, this world is built up through the faculty of achievement. Without achievement, there would not be anything at all. No technological advances, no schooling, no scientific achievements, etc. But what I fail to realize is that, every single thing that I have gained, is because of God. 

I get a good grade (praise the Lord). Who gave me that B+? God did. He gave me the strength to study in this dire cramming period and helped me pull through. 

I get into Krannert (praise the Lord). How did I get in? By the grace of God. 

The point of this passge to me is that it is so easy to leave God out in all of our achievements. Look back at a time when you are at a social gathering and you talk about school and classes. The topic of exams is brought up and lo and behold, you aced that sucker and want to talk about it. You proceed to mention about this achievement and how you overcame it to the other person. Did you bring up God in this conversation? Subtly we don't mention God at all and recieve all the brownie points for ourselves when all the credit goes out to God.

So I really want to challenge myself to remember God even for the smallest things in life. It is because of God that I have, and it is because of Him that I am.  

Amen. 

March 4, 2009 - An Excuse to Be Joyful

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Psalm 16:11

A snowstorm in Virginia where 8 inches of pure white snow has fallen. The devotion writer describes this desolate event as she rummages through her store brought goods that will lead them through this frosty lock in. It was warm inside, but was cold on the outside. The writer and her husband were content staying inside. Until they saw the joyous looks on their nieces faces' as they ran outside from the house across the street. The cold was not cold to them nor was the snow.  The parents joined the kids and really, became kids themselves. They rejoiced together in the excitement of this winter wonderland and played together til the end of the day.

Whatever happens, hot or cold, I will find joy in your presence oh Lord. 

Amen.

March 3, 2009 - Men & Christian Friendship: It Won't Just Happen on its Own

A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. 

Proverbs 17:17, NLT

A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Proverbs 17:17, NIV

I remember last week when a friend of mine went to hang out with his friends instead of his girlfriend. She got mad at him and it really made me wonder: "How would you balance time between your girlfriend (if you had one) and your man friends?" I don't know the answer, but let me just put out what I believe should be the case in these separate, but oh so similar relationships. 

Guys need friends who are guys and girls also need friends who are girls. In a way, same sex relationships tend to be more open and people are usually more honest with one another. The devotion writer used a quote from the 1983 Edition of David W. Smith's The Friendless American Male, "Close relationships don't just happen. They result from the application of principles recorded throughout the Word of God." 

The main point that I want to emphasize is that relationships take effort and they ultimately need God in the center of it all. When meeting together, we should always bring up God. From that, our unity will be honest and of love. Since I cannot word it better than this guy, here: 

"God is indeed at the center of each of our lives; we've formed an agreement to meet together and communicate together around something we all enjoy, and are faithful to that agreement, to God, and to each other. We all fill roles, and are active socially and economically with each other, lending a hand in often amazing ways when needs arise; we speak freely and candidly, and we respect the various issues everyone brings to the table." 

Shawn McEvoy, Crosswalk.com Senior Editor

Let our togetherness just truly be glorifying to Him. Praise the Lord. 

Amen. 

March 2, 2009 - A Clear Conscience

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.

Romans 6: 12-13

When we don't offer our entire body to God, we feel guity and that guilt plagues us until we forget or we simply pray for forgiveness and leave it at that. But when we look at ourselves and our sins and evil deeds, do we fall into despair knowing that we are sinful or do we appreciate God for his grace and mercy? 

Christ, with full knowledge of our sins died for you and me where we wouldn't give even a piece of us for a virtuous man. 

I can easily say that I could sacrifice myself for my Cornerstone and Ambassador buddies, but is that really true? During the semester, it was even hard for me to give up a little of my time to ask my small group members to eat. I was so selfish and unsacrificial with my time that I could not believe it myself. I was not a leader; I was not Christ-like at all. 

But as I continue on this journey, let God work in me. I know that I cannot do this on my own and need to depend on Him. Knowing that He has my back is a very relieving feeling. Praise the Lord. 

Amen. 

March 1, 2009 - Match Outside to Inside

Then the Pharisees and Scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. and in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  "For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men--the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."

Mark 7:5-8

In the past, the Pharisees kept their laws to the highest regard. They would purify their physical body before eating or touching any bread as a ceremony. In this verse, Jesus' disciples were criticized for being hypocrites. 

Hypocrites. This word makes me cringe under my skin. The fact that anyone you know can be playing you for a fool is beyond my belief and heart. The sad thing is, I am that hypocrite. I have heard a lot of complains and have seen many people leave the church because of Christians who claim to be Christians, but are something else when they are away from church. We complain about hypocrites, but aren't we all hypocrites in comparison to Christ? Of course one can argue that some people can be more hypocritical than other, but no one is perfect. Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". It is by the grace of God that we are here at church. It is not because of our righteousness that we are here sitting in bible study answering questions and sharing, but because He allowed us to; because of Christ's blood.

Even if their chardes still bother you, remain holy in your decision making. Do not judge these people. You don't know whats going on in their lives. Only God does. Let Him work, pray, and have faith for that hypocrite so that God's mysterious, mighty hand may be upon him/her. 

As a prayer request for me and for your other churches as well, that we may worship God, not with our lips, but with our hearts. Praise Him always. 

Amen.