June 7, 2009 - John 3

Starting Over

In this chapter, Jesus answers Nicodemus, a Pharisee, who was considered a well educated and wealthy man, asks the ultimate question. The question was, "How do you get into Heaven?" or in other words, "Where is the start over button in my life?"

This question may have a simple answer (1 Peter 1:16), but people often misconstrue this simple answer. There are two inadequate answers: the curve and the balance.

The curve is like the bell shaped grading curve you get in your classes. You want to get good enough grades so that you are better than the majority of the people.

The balance is the balancing instrument with the two sides: one side is heavier than the other or they are both equal.

People often fall for these misinterpretations. You just have to be more holy than most people and you will be fine. Or you just have to have more holy deeds than sinful deeds and you will be fine. Pastor Green gave us an example about the church offering that is collected every service. A church would get a new roof just because the mafia thinks that they could knock off a guy and atone for their sin by just paying it back to God.

This "start over button" that God offers is only available through Jesus Christ! Only through faith in Jesus Christ can one reach Heaven!

And we know that people judge us view us differently as Christians and I'm glad they do! Hopefully they will see Heaven hungry, Christ-like servants and really question themselves about Christ. Now we know that we are ambassadors of Christ, but our faith in Him tell us more than just about ourselves:

Our faith in Christ reveals to others about just how faithful Christ really is!

He offers us this start over button that we never deserved and even allowed us to live with Him!

Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!

Amen.

May 30, 2009 - Just Listen!

Amen!

May 30, 2009 - Lamentations 3:25

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.
Lamentations 3:25

What do I want? I want what my better off friends have. Their lives don't seem as hard as mind and it sure looks like I am suffering a lot more than they are. When are you going to give me what I want and need? When is it my turn? How much longer do I wait until I get something good?

Personally, I ask these questions a lot. I see other people who are so much better off than I am and start questioning the Lord, why am I this way? But who knows how God works. He made us as beings to worship Him. So hopefully I see that I am that vessel for Him; my purpose in life is the glorify Him and enjoy it both as single actions. I pray that I can see what good things that God wants me to have and not the things that I personally want. And overall have Him on top of my list.

Amen.

May 29, 2009 - AMBA - Hebrews 11:13-16

If you read the entire chapter, you will see that the entire chapter is filled with a short description of how these Bible characters lived faithfully for God.. EXCEPT! for verses 13 to 16. Odd isn't it.

13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.

15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.

16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.



Today's speaker at Ambassadors.. I forgot his name.. talked about living by faith by using this passage. He first made us list our personal top three things that we currently want in life ie. being successful, making a lot of money, finding that special someone, getting good grades, finding a job, etc. The point of this was to "surprisingly" find out that loving God was not listed at number one or even number two or three!

Why was it so hard to live by faith? The biggest reasons that hit me was that persecution and pain. When we live by faith, we are persecuted why? In this day and age, everything needs a definite answer and therefore, to live by faith is to give up all intellectual thinking, in this case, to be stupid in the eyes of our non-believer loved ones. Also, I would assume that you all would agree that persevering through faith in troubling times is terribly difficult. We question God's love, His presence, as well as His Promise.

Overall, it was hard understanding him since he keep repeating vague points, but I think his main point was that: if you want to live by faith, you have to really want God!

If I really wanted God like I wanted a girlfriend, money, A+'s, then there would be no problem living by faith. As a matter of fact, if God was number one on our lists, I highly doubt that there will be a number two or number three!

NO NO NO

THAT IS NOT THE CASE! We should be living lives with all of that "stuff"! BUT with God as number one! There is no problem "living with the things promised" (Verse13), but if it hinders your relationship with God, then something has to be done. But we have to realize that we are aliens and strangers of this earth. We, as believers, do not belong here. Verse13, we do not receive the things promised doesn't mean that we don't get them, it means we don't love them in our lives as much as we should.

And if we go on to verses 15 and 16, we are continuously looking for a place; usually a place without pain, without grief, without suffering, where we can spend our times with our loved ones, etc. Without knowing, we are actually unconsciously looking for... Heaven :D

And in the end, it comes down to us wanting Heaven sooo bad! In that case, living by faith is a sound answer.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Another thing: (2nd Part of Verse 16)Do you live lives that God Himself is not ashamed to call Himself your God? Hopefully so! Personally, I have to re-evaluate myself and reset all my priorities and move God to His rightful first place in my life. Hopefully, God is not ashamed to call Aaron Lam his God :D and build me a nice city up in Heaven ^^

Amen!

May 28, 2009 - Habakkuk

Habakkuk is one of those Old Testament books that are rarely mentioned. During the retreat, the 3 short chapters of Habakkuk were our daily devotionals.

I found Habakkuk to be very interesting. It is basically a conversation between God and Habakkuk in written format. From chapter 1 to chapter 2, Habakkuk gives two complaints, which are both followed with a response from the Lord. Chapter 3 closes the book with a personal prayer from Habakkuk.

As you read Habakkuk's story, you can't help but to feel his agony. His home, Judah, was being invaded by the Babylonians, yet, knowing that God sees the entirety of this happening, does not do a single thing. Living life, hearing things from other people and experiencing them yourself, you can't help but to know what Habakkuk is going through. We know that God is all powerful and the overseer of all things, yet he will allow these bad things to happen, in this case, allowing the Babylonians to pillage Judah.

What we learn from this book ie. Habakkuk's experience is that we have no idea what God is capable of. Our minds, although seemingly high in intelligence, cannot at all comprehend the greatness that is of God.

In chapter 1 verse 5, the Lord declares:

5 "Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.

So there must be a reason, usually one that we cannot comprehend, that God is raising up these blood thirsty Babylonians. But why do it in such a cruel manner? Isn't God a God of peace and Love?

Very often, we question God's promise. The promise of salvation; eternal life to us was so easy to come by right? All we had to do was accept Jesus' sacrifice for us on the Cross.

3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.

In this verse, God reminds us that His promise will most definitely come. Even though it lingers (I take this as having a hard time in life), wait for it and it will certainly come. In other words, our faith is being tested. Tested, not in the sense of cruelty, but in hope that we can pull through.

Another thing that Habakukk questions is the presense of God. Is He here or not? If He is why doesn't He do anything to stop this?

20 But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him."

The Lord is always here with us. As kids, we probably have had our time of bad mouthing the teacher when he or she was absent, but the Lord is in his holy temple, always.

Something that I need to learn from Habakukk is the entire chapter 3. Even though he is going through bad times, he realizes that there is just no one like our God. In chapter 3, he gives the Lord endless praise. Verses 17-18 :D

All praise and glory to Him!

Amen.

May 15, 2009 - Amba(5/15/09) - Isaiah 6:8-13

This is a good passage to go over if you have time, but I am just going to comment a little on these six verses. If you need a guide to the rest of this chapter, just go to (http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/2306.htm). 

 ⁸ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 

"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" 

      And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

 ⁹ He said, "Go and tell this people: 
       " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; 
       be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'

 ¹⁰ Make the heart of this people calloused; 
       make their ears dull 
       and close their eyes. ^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} 
       Otherwise they might see with their eyes, 
       hear with their ears, 
       understand with their hearts, 
       and turn and be healed."

 ¹¹ Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?" 
      And he answered: 
       "Until the cities lie ruined 
       and without inhabitant, 
       until the houses are left deserted 
       and the fields ruined and ravaged,

 ¹² until the LORD has sent everyone far away 
       and the land is utterly forsaken.

 ¹³ And though a tenth remains in the land, 
       it will again be laid waste. 
       But as the terebinth and oak 
       leave stumps when they are cut down, 
       so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."

Isaiah 6:8-13

Here Isaiah displays a heart that is true. In verse 8, we see the Trinity asking, "Whom shall I send... who will go for Us..." God does not really need to ask any questions. He knows all and whomever will stand up, will stand up. This verse begs a difference between two types of servants: one that will say "Here I am, I will go!" and one that will say "Here I am, send me!" The "I will go" servant is a servant who determines that they themselves are ready to serve God, not when God calls him/her. The "send me" servant is a servant whose readiness is determined by God. 

I consider myself the "Here I am, I will go!" servant mainly because I believed that I was ready to be a leader figure for the church, when I really wasn't. I did not wait on God's timing, but my own. Despite the fact that Cornerstone offered an amazing opportunity for me to grow, my mindset going into it was not the right one. Unlike Isaiah who was asking the Lord to send him, I told the Lord that I would go. See the difference? 

The rest will come tmrw ^^ 

Amen!

May 11, 2009 - Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3: 5 - 7

I've heard this verse a million times, but I have yet to truly apply it into my life. It is not because I do not want to trust in God, it is because I don't know how much I should trust in Him. When there are downfalls in life, we usually ask the question why? Why this and why that. We look for answers to all of our problems because we want to know what justification was there for any of this, usually bad, things to happen. I look up to the sky, ever so often, in disbelief that God would have allowed some things that have happened to happen. 

The thing is, we try to understand every little thing that God has set for us that we end up confusing ourselves and ultimately pinning all the blame onto Him. I need to learn how to trust in Him with ALL my heart. I am such a prideful person that I cannot stand help. I need to allow God to work in me and not selfishly pursue the life that I believe would be the best for me, but a life that is best for me for God. 

Amen.

May 10, 2009 - Mom's the Word

Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 9:9-10, NIV

Fear is the origin of all understanding. According to this verse, the fear of the Lord will bring to anyone wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. But we must realize that this is not a relationship based of off apprehension, but a fear based off of love. What is this kind of fear is this you ask? It is the love shown through a sacrifice on the cross, but if you want a more literal example, you can look at your mother. 

Yes it is mother's day. This is the day we celebrate our mothers for these many hard years of labor just so that we may have a plate full of food and a roof over our heads. When we think about benefitting from fear, moms usually take the cake. Having a general sense of momliness, I am sure that all of you have had a good arguement, beating, scolding, and whatever else that has caused you to run with your tail between your legs back into your room sobbing. Thats what moms do; its their job. 

I've remember thinking to myself why my mom was such a queen bee. But looking back at those days of feather duster whippings, it was all for my own good; my mom was teaching me. 

But God wants the best for us! The instructions that have been given to us over the past years in my life have not always been the most pleasing to ourselves or to our own benefit, but they have been imparted on us for a reason: growth! Although my mother was not and still not a Christian, she pushed onto me morals and ethics that I would not have learned at school. And by the grace of God, she had a little help from my neighbor who was a church counslor at that time who ultimately brought me to church. From that point on, she allowed me to go to church knowing that there could be some benefit from it. She wanted the best for me just as our Father in Heaven does. Honor thy mother today and thank the Lord for giving you such an amazing woman into your life! So let these seeds that are continuously being planted, be freakin' planted so that our good will ultimately result in God's good! 

Amen!

May 4, 2009 - My Conversation With a Hedge

He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.

The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.

Proverbs 15:32-33

Ever take a good look at your friends and realize how great everything is going for them compared to you? I feel this crap all the time. When I was younger, my parents never stopped comparing me to my cousin who was the same grade as me. Skillwise, gradewise, everything. He was considered the 'perfect child that every parent wants' and I was apparently lacking what he had. Now at that time, my parents were the ones giving me instructions and telling me to read more and play less games. What I've failed to realize was the love that that embedded behind those harsh words. 

So often I have questioned God's plans in my life. "Why me? Why this? Why not him or her? Am I the only one to suffer?" It seems like God is treating me unfairly compared to others or that others are not challenged as hard as I am. But let it stand that God is a God of mystery and grace. We cannot see all the perspectives of what He has planned for us nor what He has planned for everyone else. All we do know is that God loves us enough to discipline us into stronger and better people. Praise the Lord forever and ever.

Amen. 

May 1, 2009 - That Skip Over Verse

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

If I recall correctly, this was Gloria's favorite verse(s) that she shared with us one Wednesday evening. 

The commands: 

1) Be joyful always 

2) Pray Continuously 

3) Give thanks in all circumstances 

You must be kidding me! Unless your life is complete happy, everyone loves you, and nothing but blessings are being poured out to you, it will be pretty difficult to be joyful always. to pray continuously, and give thanks in every situation no matter good or bad. 

This verse, according to the author of today's devotional Laura MacCorkle, is the skip over verse simply because this is near impossible to do. It is easily stated and used as solutions to problems, but if we truly put forth an effort to apply this to our lives, we will most certainly come empty handed. 

How can I be joyful when I study my butt off to get that failing grade when a slacker gets through with a passing grade? How can I be joyful when I go to every meeting and work hard only to come out short? How can I be thankful when a bus sees you there and drives through the puddle of water next to you anyways? How can I be joyful when a friend does not want to speak to you anymore? How can I pray when it seems like nothing is going the way that it should be? 

These 3 instructions were from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. Paul was reminding the church of Thessalonica how God's people should live and that our attitudes should not be influenced by circumstances. 

As Christians, we have accepted that our lives are for the greater glory of God for He has given us a second chance. So how do we carry out Paul's seeming "impossible" instructions? 

I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13).

Anything is possible if we believe and have faith in our Father. It was through His grace and mercy that we were allowed to even breathe another breath of air. Christ died on the cross and took the wrath of mankind onto Himself so that we may live. And it is ONLY through Jesus Christ that helps us live this way. And this is the kind of living that God wants for His children just as Christ has lived. 

Allow God to pick you up and smile ^^

Amen.

April 29, 2009 - How I Came to Enjoy Raisins

Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble.

 1 John 2:10

What is light? To throw some answers out there: God, Jesus, christians, Gandhi, etc.  The list can go on and our perception of light can differ by opinion, but lets take a look at light in the context of this verse. 

According to this verse, whoever loves someone is in the light and you cannot stumble when in this light. So from this, we see that light is a guide for us so that we do not stumble. What else? Everyone would kill to be living in a life where they do not have struggles. What is the requirement per se to have this light? The requirement is love. 

I believe that light and love are synonomous. By loving someone, you are like... their light; a light that guides them whenever they are in need. Indeed, light is a perspective changer.  It allows us to see the person the way they are and not hide or change anything about that person. With the light, we see who they truely are. 

And here is the punch in the face: are you willing to love them when seeing their true self in the light? I would be so ashamed or embarassed or whatever if someone knew the quote unquote real me. But by the grace of God, Jesus was able to accept us even though He see all of us through the light! We are such sinful beings, yet, by the grace of His Majesty, we are saved!

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him that to make him stumble." 

Whoever knows God, will love like no other! With this love of others as Christ has loved us, I believe that God will see your goodness and place His mighty hand upon your life. 

Amen!

April 28, 2009 - Don't Bother Me With Details!

So Joshua took the entire land, just as the LORD had directed Moses, and he gave it as an 

inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war. 

– Joshua 11:23

Yes. I know I go through this and I am pretty sure everyone else does too. As I/we read the Bible, we have come to notice that some parts are more bland per se than others. But every word counts! There is no pic picking when we are searching for assurance of God's hand on our lives! We live for an almighty creator who has graciously left us the Word so that we may become more like Jesus! Let us continue to search for Him through the opportunities given to us by his Son's death on the cross and let that not be in vain because we don't feel like reading/learning/preaching about certain parts of the Truth.

Amen.

April 20, 2009 - Blessed are the Meek

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5: 5 (NIV)

Whenever we think about meekness, you automatically think of weakness. But this is not the case.
Being meek can be translated into being "humbly patient". But how can those who are humbly patient inherit the earth? Those who are aggressive and active clearly has an advantage over those who are meek in terms of conquering the world.

Lets take a look at the life of Jesus. Jesus Christ walked on earth KNOWING that He was going to be sacrificed! To add more to that, He knew that he was going to be sacrificed for those people who he ministers to everyday!

Imagine yourself in the sandals of Christ. You walk amongst the land and preach the Word of God, but always come across those who blaspheme against you. There are even those who plan to kill you! Knowing that you are soon to die for the sake of these people would place me in an awkward situation. I would not want to save them at all.

But Jesus..

Jesus was meek. (I cannot say this as well as this person so here I quote!)

"It’s Christ’s humility, His lowliness, that beckons us into a relationship with Him. And ultimately, it was Christ's willingness to give up earthly glory that opened the door for us to share in His eternal glory."

Christ gave up everything for us. We are so unworthy and so sinful; but Christ allowed Himself to be killed by us and in turn, saved us all. It was his meekness that closed the gap between man and God. And it will be the meek that will inherit the earth.

April 19, 2009 - Considering the Enemies of Christ - Even With Tears

For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Philippians 3:18 (ESV)

Recently, on a friend's Facebook wall, I read posts of his brother typing in all caps denouncing the existence of God on Easter Sunday just because all his friends were too busy to hang out with him because everyone of them had to go to church. Other statements proclaimed that he was god and we should all let a little devil come inside of us. The reality of this was that I've met this guy before. He was a cool guy, but it was hard to talk to him mainly because he loved himself, girls, and getting drunk way too much. Those posts irked me a little (more than a little), but the truth of the matter is that there are so many people out there who have not known the love that is of Jesus Christ.

I get angry. When people talk down about my God, it makes me angry. I wanted God smite to hit them right there right then. I despise those kind of people. But is this really how I should feel? Am I not suppose to love thy neighbor as my own? They are human beings created by the hands of God just like I am.

Luke 9:54, “And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, ‘Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?’” made me realize that I acted like James and John.

When they said this, Jesus rebuked them.

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things (Philippians 3:17-19).

Like what Philipians 3:17-19 states, I need to realize that there are so many people who have yet to know the love that is Christ and many others denounce it. I've been so blinded by hatred of these non-Christians that I did not realize that there is always hope. But what can we do for these people who have destruction as their ends but pray for them even with tears in our eyes?

Amen.

April 16, 2009 - Prepare to Be Shot

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Romans 10:14-15, NIV

When I thought about this verse, the song "I Will Go" by Starfield popped into my head. The lyrics in that song are so powerful to me. "I will go, I will go, I will go Lord send me.. to the world.." If we think about it in more "literal" terms:

'Lets say you received a letter in the mail. You open the letter and read it. The letter says, "On September 11, 2001, there will be a terrorist attack." With this information now in your possession, what do you do? The date is 9/10/01.'

You look at this illustration and think to yourself, 'Psh, the answer is obvious! You would tell everyone because people's lives are going to be lost! You would be insane to keep this information to yourself!"

There is the 'obvious' answer. In my blessed life with Christ, knowing that I am saved and that the only way to God is to acknowledge the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross, I hold this good news dearly in my own heart and mind and not to my mouth.

And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?
And how can they preach unless they are sent?

Think about it. If it weren't for one of your friends or family members, you would not know God. Whoever that person was, praise the Lord that you have met them! Personally, I remember a friend in high school who really brought me closer to Christ. I would always utter the phrase, "Oh my God" (ie. using the Lord's name in vain). That pissed him off one day and he finally cracked on me. At that time, I had no idea what he was so angry about, but it all makes sense now. Because of him, I decided to visit church more often to see what I was REALLY missing. And because of that wake up call, here I am now! Even though it was not the preaching of the gospel, that simple message of 'stop using my Father's name like that' woke me up.

If you are not ready to preach the gospel, you can glorify God by living it out. When you know that you have matured and grown, pray to God for wisdom and strength to take those 'beautiful feet' there and spread the good news!

Because in reality, time is running out and lives will be indeed lost if they are not saved.

Praise the Lord!

Amen.

April 15, 2009 - More Than Forgiveness

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
– 2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Reconcile - to restore.

"Forgive and forget", the new American catchphrase. To me, this seems like the easiest route in solving this problem. But can we really forgive and forget at the same time? If you think about it, only God can really forgive and forget. I can only either forgive or forget, either or. It is hard for me to completely forgive and completely forget my enemies, but I know that God's grace is just so amazing that He is able to do so through His Son.

Amen.

April 14, 2009 - Is Suffering Inevitable?

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
1 Peter 3:17, NAS

Everyone suffers. Christians, non-Christians and all people alike. The moment we were born to the moment we die, there will be a small trickle of unpleasantness that will always be with us. When we look at ourselves, depending on who we are, we will see either more good or bad.

For those who see themselves as the "greater sufferers", can't you see yourself instead as the most wise, knowing, strong, full of experience instead? Suffering gives birth to many qualities and honestly enough, makes you into a better person if you accept it.

That's it! Accept your suffering! Do not turn away the pain, blood, sweat and tears that have made you into what you are now. Christ brought us true love and died on the cross for us just so that we may be connected with God. If Jesus ever hated Himself or regretted that He went through that entire journey, the saved would mean nothing to Him. But the truth is, we mean everything to Him.

Praise the Lord.

Amen.

April 13, 2009 - Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Matthew 26: 40-41

Are your quiet times still and peaceful? Or are they distracted and rushed? What can you do to improve your quiet times? Do you have a special place set aside where you spend time with the Lord?

My quiet times have become loud times. The time that I have put aside for the Lord have become mere leftovers of my day that I deem myself too tired to continue on with anything else and therefore do my quiet time. This is not what God deserves. Usually I am too preoccupied with school work or other forms of non-beneficial, self-indulging entertainment that I completely forget about what I was created to do in the first place, to worship Him (Col 1:16).

Life has been so busy that I forgotten about God until the end of the day when its too late..! In this scenario, the devil has won; he has created enough distractions for me to keep me away from God. But this will be a constant battle for me. Just because I do not have a functional computer at my disposal doesn't mean that I cannot do my quiet time blog. Thats just an excuse.

I will constantly try to improve my quiet time, even if it does mean listening to music to drown out other music within the vicinity. I will find the Lord every morning and everyday of my life!

Amen.

April 11, 2009 - Thank God it's Friday!

Currently in the Hilltop computer lab with an Indian guy that.. you know what Indian people are good at ;)

If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-because
anyone who has died has been freed from sin.
Romans 6:5-7,

The Cross. Our Savior. His blood rolled down the wooden cross as the rust covered nails pierced his hands through the strength of the striking hammers. One by one. His hands, his feet. The cross was no longer the bare of a fresh cut of wood, but covered by the thick crimson of our Saviors life.

His death and our life. That is the truth.

When I view the cross, I see it as a torturing mechanism that was used in the old days; like the electric chair that is used in the present days. There is nothing celebratory about that. But for Christians and all believers alike the cross is all important. Because of His sacrifice on the cross, we are saved.

When He died, so did our sins. Every sin that came from our living soul was erased on that day. The image of Jesus pushing us aside and telling us its going to be okay, its going to be okay is so powerful to me. That one man is willing to take the wrath of God Himself for the sake of people that hate and blaspheme. As He takes every man on his shoulders and dies.

It is true. We should not be ashamed of our sins any longer because Jesus Christ is was and forever will be our ransom. Sin can no longer hold us down any longer for we have been freed because of Him!

Good Friday! Praise the Lord!

Amen!

April 10, 2009 - Killings Words

But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city and for murder. Pilate addressed them once more, desiring to release Jesus, but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no guilt deserving death. I will therefore punish and release him.” But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he should be crucified. And their voices prevailed. So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus over to their will
(Luke 23:18-24)

Think about this situation: put yourself in the shoes of the commoners. What would you have done if you saw your Savior being put on trial and being sentenced to death on the cross when he was clearly innocent?

Putting yourself in lets say, YOUR OWN shoes at that time, would something have happened putting aside the fact that Jesus was destined to die for us? Personally, I would be too afraid. Knowing that Jesus, the guy under God, was being put through this; how much could I do then? This, I believe, comes down to how much faith we do have in God. The faith of what we are capable of doing and what we are not capable of doing. Under God, all things are possible no?

Short blog. Long talk :)

Amen.

April 9, 2009 - Easter: All That Matters vs. All I Live For

"What is truth?" Pilate asked.

John 19:38

The truth is... I've been forgetting about these blogs because I usually do them at night and without my computer, they've been slipping my mind.

He has risen, just as He said.
Matthew 28:6, NIV

With Easter coming up, there is a sudden realization that God is here? What? For some of us, there is life and then theres LIFE! When we look at the two, we see two distinct difference: one that lives for the world and the other that lives for God.

Jesus comes back to life! Its truly a glorious day, BUT I hate how it is almost retreat-esque. We sing of Jesus' ressurection with so much more heart than the previous friday night praises before when this should just be us praising the Lord. of course there are highs and lows in life, but that is besides the point.

the point is "He has risen!" and we know that.. NOT JUST ON EASTER SUNDAY DUDES! we have KNOWN of the ressurection since we were saved and that is not the end of it.

i turn on the tv and see this awesome move.. JOHN Q.. omg best movie ever. i watch this and mentally decide that it is news that must be spread. so i go on aim/msn and start spreading news about this movie like propraganda. (i even updated my fb status on this)

But when it comes to Jesus dying for the world, how does it fair in comparison to all else that matters? Have you ever proclaimed/exclaimed that Jesus lives! and that He does so in your heart! It is not just a religion that you can get into or not; it is a true relationship. So go. Just go and realize that there is everything and then theres One thing that IS everything!

Amen!

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.