Kingdom with a Capital K.

"Give me courage to speak and act against the powers when they violate your Kingdom values."

God, give me the heart, willingness, and courage to speak and act for those who can't for themselves. When all is against me, may I look to You. May my fear of worldly powers be conquered by my faith in Your power.

You said that kingdoms against You and Your Kingdom will surely fall.
May I not be a part of those kingdoms, but a part of the Kingdom.

May I be one transformed by the truth of Your heart
for justice and mercy.

Isaiah 13:1-16

Trying to understand the relationship between God and the Gentiles in OT times is kinda difficult because... God must've created them too - I mean, God created human beings to begin with. Why abandon some and love only the chosen ones? And the destructions prophesied through these prophets seem so... destructive. Isn't God full of love and mercy?

God spoke through Isaiah of the forthcoming destruction of Babylon, even before Babylon became a world power. God knows of the sins of Babylon, and cares enough (?!) about Babylon to punish it for its sins. Ezekiel 33:11 says "...As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live." Through all the victories and downfall of Israel (and also those of the surrounding enemies), and through all the blood that ensued, God was simply sending out the message to the hardened hearts abroad - that He is the only God. Israel was supposed to be a guiding light to the surrounding nations.

Arrogance can take place in spiritual realms, too. Israel became proud and sent Jesus to the cross. Spiritual haughtiness looks down on others struggling to follow Christ. For me, it's a lot easier to be critical of the fellow Christian brothers and sisters than my non-Christian friends. There are proper situations for rebukes, but I need to be on the lookout more opportunities to be encouraging - rather than seeking the right moment to bring rebukage. I also realized that pride can be found in sharing testimonies - if the testimony is embellished with spiritual arrogance to make it sound more "blessing", it actually has the opposite impact on the listeners.

How can I be the light? What can I do to take the first step in faith, to break down the wall of spiritual pride?

Since I want to be more encouraging, I'll say one encouraging thing to each person I meet... if there's an opportunity. (Wow. I actually had to think hard about this application before I wrote this out. But I'll give it my best. I thought, simply asking how their day is going, or just saying "good morning, how are you?" will be encouraging enough. I don't wanna take it too far at work coz that could put me in trouble. Oh, and my boss is an exception - it'd just be weird.)

Consuming Fire

The passage for yesterday referred to sin as being like fire, a fire that burns (destroys), that sets ablaze (spreads like wildfire), that scorches (leaves scars).

But sin isn't the only thing that is compared to fire. The Spirit of God is also a fire, a consuming fire, a fire that conquers the flames of sin and death.


There are three properties of this fire:

1) It consumes.
The emphasis here is not so much on that it destroys, but on that it totally, completely, utterly overpowers.
2) It spreads, and powerfully.
All surrounding things catches on fire and are consumed as well. It is contagious.
3) It refines. It strengthens.
The Holy Spirit cleanses us to become a pure and holy people whose lives give glory to God.
Also, refined metal is stronger than if it was left impure. But it only becomes stronger after its impurities are burned away.

The second and third properties only come after the first, after you're consumed by the Spirit of God.

God is completely capable of consuming us. But God gives us the freedom to choose to be consumed or not. Will you choose to be consumed by God?

Every Action Has Consequence

Like King Ahaz in the Old Testament who sought after his own solution, at times, we find ourselves forgetting to seek God in our troubled times...

This past week has been a struggle for me emotionally at work. I love working with my students and trying to do things that are best for them... but this week, I was challenged by the parents of two of my students. These parents were concerned that the work given to their children were above their levels, which is true to some degree, but they wanted me to only focus on the basics... handwriting in English... and addition and subtraction in Math... I disagreed with them because I see more potential in these students to learn the things that their peers are learning... and it's been demonstrated in the classroom... and I've been working to reinforce the "basics" in class... yet, the parents were not satisfied... I was so discouraged because I felt that they were not happy with what I was doing... I hadn't met their expectations, which made me feel like I wasn't being a good teacher... so I left work yesterday feeling pretty bummed out... and not knowing what to do...

It wasn't until today that I realized I needed to turn to God... to let Him be in control over this part of my life... to give up my troubles to Him... we met an old friend today... and she said something that made me think about my situation in a different perspective... she said that when she was teaching, she was trying to please everyone... her colleagues, her administrators, her students, her parents, etc... but what she realized was that the most important person to please was God... I had been thinking about the parents of my students ever since I came home from work yesterday... I've let them control me... I've worried about what they thought of me as a teacher... but all this worrying doesn't matter because, in the end, it's God that I want to please... it's God who I want in control... it's God who matters...

so, as I head into a new week at work... I want to keep it fresh in my mind... that God is in control... that God is the one to please... no matter what happens... no matter what others say about me... or how they may make me feel at the end of the day... I will turn to God.... instead of trying to do everything on my own...

The Word of God. Good Stuff.

So. I've been slacking off with reading Scripture these days. I could say a whole lot of reasons why I haven't been keeping up, but all these reasons are nothing but excuses. I could have read more often, it's just that I didn't put it higher on my priority list.

Just thinking about this past week, I've only read Scripture on Saturday (to prepare for my testimony), Sunday (for church and IV), and whenever I was recommended a verse or so (which wasn't a lot). During those instances, it's uber delicious just delving (that is, digging deeper) into Scripture. But this joy is simply limited to the few minutes or hours I devote myself to (or think about) it.

For me to hide it in my heart, I need to expose myself to it day and night. Day and night. All the time. It might not be humanly possible for me to be immersed in it every minute of every day, but it would be good for me to devote at least a minute of every day.

Recently I've realized that I really love the Old Testament. Since our readings have been from Isaiah, I suppose I'll have some fun. =)

Safety

In the last days, we can find refuge in the Lord. The verses talk about how the nonbelievers will face judgment and embarrassment at the end of the days, however, the ones who put their trust in the Lord, will be called holy and righteous. In these last days, those who lean on Him, will be granted safe passage through the life, where God will protect through the pillar of cloud during day times, and a pillar of fire in night; place us under the shade when hot, and a safety from the storm.

But nonbelievers do not have such safety; and do I care for them? Do I love and grow sad at the thought that in the end, they will call out to us for not having reached out to them, for not having to sit with them and convinced them otherwise. Will they come up to me and say, why didn't you tell me about this before? You think it's OK for you along to be saved and leave me? I thought we were friends/colleagues/partners/etc?

중심을 보시는 하나님

외모지향주의적 삶속에 살고 있는 저희들에게 하나님께서 하신 말씀은
저희로 하여금 반성 하게 합니다. 나는 너희들의 겉모습이 아닌 중심을 본단다..
오늘 주님께서 주신 이사야서 3장 16~26절은 교만한 시온의 딸들에 대한 내용입니다.

그들은 겉모습에 치중하여 온갖 귀한 장신구를 달았지만
정작 가장 중요한 그들의 마음을 단장하지 못했습니다.
그들에게 하시는 하나님 말씀은 어떻게 보면 참으로 통쾌하다는 생각까지 들게 합니다.

"그때에 썩은 냄새가 향을 대신하고 노끈이 띠를 대신하고
대머리가 숱한 머리털을 대신하고 굵은 베옷이 화려한 옷을 대신하고
자자한 흔적이 고운 얼굴을 대신할 것이며"

우리를 지으신 하나님의 눈에는 저희 모두가 아름다워 보이십니다.
장신구를 달아도 달지 않아도 그의 눈에는 저희 한사람 한사람이 다 보시기에 좋으시답니다.
그렇기에 우리의 마음을 보신다고 생각합니다. 지금 우리가 우리 자신을 위해서 추구하고
있는 것들..나의 삶, 나의 꿈, 나의 목적...이런것들이 결국 우리의 겉모습을 꾸미는
장신구가 아닐까요? 주님의 삶, 주님의 꿈, 주님의 목적으로 살아가는 우리모두가
되길 소원합니다.

May Your Kingdom Come in Our Lives

When I first read that, I wondered if it meant "God, may Your Kingdom come in our lifetimes" or "God, may Your Kingdom come through us". Actually, I still don't know what the author intended to say. But whatever.

God, may Your Kingdom come through us.

These days God's been doing crazy things around me. Actually, He has been doing so forever. It's just that I've been noticing a lot more these days.

God is moving. Like, in CRAZZZYYYYY ways. Nicaragua was definitely an eyeopener. Me being hospitalized is another thing. Me being locked out of my apartment at 10:30 at night is another. A prayer meeting leading to the genesis of a small group treading onto unprecedented territories is yet another. Even tonight, for my friend to tell me that if she hadn't known me, she wouldn't have started this small group is an amazing reminder that God is moving in my life.

Last week I've written about the vessel. I look back at my past week, and ask myself: Am I a vessel through which God fulfills and perfects all things?

I wonder.

I want to move in God's direction. I want to be empty of myself and full of the Holy Spirit.

I want to be a vessel for God.

Hell is so real

A day late. -.-

2 Thessalonians 1:1-12

The church of the Thessalonians persevered and held firm through troubles. Paul is writing to encourage a discouraged and burnt out church that is prone to deception.

v.8 gave me a lot of trouble, but I learned that "those who do not know God" actually means "those who refuse to know/accept God." v.9 talks about "everlasting destruction" for these people, and it's like the unforgivable sin in Matthew 12:31-32. This kind of refusal - if it lasts until death - the lost soul will end up in hell, and that's the everlasting destruction.

The line is clearly drawn. Hell is a real place, and Christians should not try to water this down when it comes to spreading the gospel message. Others tell us that God must be a selfish god to allow only Jesus believers into heaven - but Jesus did the most unselfish thing imaginable on the cross to allow us into heaven.

I'll pray for my lost roommate's revival and salvation.

Are You a Vessel for God?

The false teaching that we have to earn our salvation through works.
The false assumption that once we make the decision to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we can just sit back, relax, live life any way we want to, and still be assured of eternal life in paradise.

We can't earn our way into heaven; only God can grant it. We can't just chillax and not do anything; God calls us to respond to the calling to be holy as He is holy - to love the things He loves, to hate the things he hates, to cry for the things that shatters His heart.

It's funny that the action-verbs that came to mind ("to love", "to hate", "to cry") signify actions that aren't conjured up by the will. They are all responses to something else. We don't choose to love, we don't choose to hate, we don't choose to cry. The heart that elicits these responses aren't created out of our own will. Only God can give us a heart that feels and reacts the same way His does.

Yet at the same time, for us to develop a heart like God's, our will has to take part in the process. If we don't allow God (a preposterous thought, since we have no authority over God to let him do something) to transform us, if we don't choose to empty ourselves out so that He can (another absurd word choice) fill us with His Spirit, we won't change.

In Living Life it says, "We are the vessels through which God fulfills and perfects all things."

Out of curiosity, I looked up the word "vessel". As expected, there was more than a single definition. One was, "a ship or boat, a craft for traveling on water." Another was, "a hollow or concave utensil, as a cup, bowl, pitcher, or vase, used for holding liquids or other contents." Both definitions fit quite well, no?


So I ask you.

In terms of the boat: "Are you moving in God's direction?"
In terms of the bowl: "Are you empty of yourself and full of the Spirit?"

The Return of the King

No no no. This is not the title of a movie, but it is the title of what we all are waiting for, as Christians.

I think there are times when I feel insensitive to the Spirit, when I am busy trying to make it through one day at a time, and reviewing this passage about the return of Christ, certainly is a nice wake-up call to all of us.

For none of us doubt that He will return indeed, and when He does, it will be the glorious return of Christ, and a new and exciting beginning for all of us, but why is it that I don't live day to day looking forward to it? Waiting for His return expectantly?

I think this is something I must learn; to live with eternal aspect, in my life. With eternity in mind, almost nothing else in this life should matter, for this life is but a passing moment, a flower quickly fading in season, a setting Sun.

And as we prepare ourselves for the day, we ought to keep encouraging one another. Praying for each other. Lifting each other up, instead of tearing each other down. When was the last time I actively prayed for the RY teachers, other than our usual Sunday meetings?