The Blessing of Belonging in a Family

Even though Christmas has passed and a New Year is on its way, I can't help but reminisce about this past week. You see...I've lived over 23 years with one of God's greatest gifts - the blessing of a family. This past Monday, I picked my brother up at the SF airport and spent Christmas eve with my fiance's family in Stockton. On Christmas day, my brother and I drove to Oakland to enjoy a family gathering with our relatives: aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and a newborn baby!

As I continue reading through Psalms, I skipped ahead this week to read Psalm 68 where we see God's heart for families. In Psalm 68:6, we see that God care for the lonely and the hurting. God provides homes for the homeless. This tells me that God is not a far off deity. He is not oblivious to people. He is not calloused to the cries of His people. He is not blind to our needs. No...our God cares for people. He hears every crying baby, child, woman, and man. He sees our poverty, sickness, and hurt. And God provides for the lost, the homeless, and the poor.

I want to share multiple Bible translations of the Psalms 68:6 so we can see the rich beauty of this passage:

Psalm 68:6 NIV (New International Version): God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Psalm 68:6 ESV (English Standard Version): God settles the solitary in a home; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.

Psalm 68:6 CSB (Holman Christian Standard): God provides homes for those who are deserted. He leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a scorched land.

Psalm 68:6 KJV (King James Version) God setteth the solitary in families: he bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Psalm 68:6 NKJV (New King James Version): God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity; But the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

Psalm 68:6 MSG (The Message): God makes homes for the homeless, leads prisoners to freedom, but leaves rebels to rot in hell.

So this year, I am grateful for having my family, my loving family, my wonderful family...And am also excited to start a family of my own very soon. In almost exactly 8 months, I will be married to my college sweetheart. My prayer is that in this holiday season we thank God for giving us a family to help us through the loneliness, the pain, and the suffering that we call life. Most of all, I hope you join me in praising God for giving us a precious gift - the blessing of belonging in God's family and our earthly families as well.

God is our Savior, Helper, and Deliverer!

I'm inspired this morning to write this blog post as I read Psalm 54 and listened to God, You are My God by One Sonic Society. From the book of Genesis, God reveals himself as the Creator God, the Mysterious God, the All-Powerful God. And as we go into the prophets and judges, God shows himself as the God of Justice, the God of Holiness, and the God of History. In Psalm, David gives us another intimate facet of God's character. God is our Savior, Helper, and Deliverer!

This morning, I hope we can recognize how God deeply cares for us. If you read Psalm 54 and listen to One Sonic Society's great new song. I pray that your heart and mind will also sing "God, You Are My God". No praise can define our God. No light can outshine our God. There is no one like our God!

Psalm 54:1-7:

"Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me; ruthless people are trying to kill me— people without regard for God.[c]

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Let evil recoil on those who slander me; in your faithfulness destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good. You have delivered me from all my troubles, and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes."

God, You Are My God by One Sonic Society:

No praise can define You No thought can contain You God No other one is Holy No other one is robed in righteousness

God You are my God Glorious Glorious

No light can outshine You No power can defeat You God No other one is Holy No other one is high and lifted up

God You are my God Glorious Glorious God You are my God Victorious Victorious

From the dawn of time You reign To the end of days You're the God who saves Sing

All the earth will shout Your praise You will never change You're the God who saves Sing

A prayer for victims in Newtown, Conneticut

So often it takes a tragedy to bring about self-reflection and transformation...Last Friday the second worst shooting in US history took place in Newtown, Connecticut. 28 people died, 20 of them who were elementary age children. There is no sufficient response to comfort those who are going through the burial, mourning, and grieving process. However, I read this prayer today from Max Lucado which offers a ray of light in the dark hours of such a terrible loss. I want to share it with you here:

Dear Jesus,

It's a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod's jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won't you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,
Your Children

Max Lucado

Mount Zion: The Mountain of God

Psalm 48:1-3: Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain. Beautiful in its loftiness, the joy of the whole earth, like the heights of Zaphon[b] is Mount Zion, the city of the Great King. God is in her citadels; he has shown himself to be her fortress.

In my devotional reading today, I meditated on Psalm 48. It is a beautiful passage that describes God abiding with His people in Mount Zion. As I did more background research, I learned that unlike many other "mountains of gods" like Olympus, Zaphon, or Kythnos. Mount Zion in comparison seems how should I best say it...unspectacular. All the other "mountains of gods" are thousands upon thousands of feet tall with snowy summits and craggy peaks. They are mysterious and majestic and dangerous to climb. However, Mount Zion is not really that impressive compared to other mountains. In fact, its more like a hilltop inside of Jerusalem. In fact, its only about 2,000 feet above sea level and not nearly as grandiose as the giant "mountains of gods" that were previously mentioned. So what is special about Mount Zion then?

The word "Zion" in the Bible is almost always a symbolic metaphor to describe the "kingdom of God coming soon". Zion was the symbol and picture of God's dominion and kingship over the whole earth. The presence of God in a human city of Jerusalem was proof of God's covenant between God and Israel as well as the rest of the world. Thus, in many ways, I am thankful that God did not choose a Mount Olmpus or Zaphon as His Holy place. Rather than remain a remote and mysterious, God chose to be "Immanuel" who is "God with us". God chose to be born in a humble manger, live with us, walk with us, and show us the way to spend eternity with Him if we choose to do so!

Psalm 48:9-15: Within your temple, O God, we meditate on your unfailing love. Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness. Mount Zion rejoices, the villages of Judah are glad because of your judgments. Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation. For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.

The History and Purpose of Advent

As our church is beginning the season of Advent, where we look ahead to the coming of Christ by celebrating His birth and eagerly await His second coming. I thought this article was a simple but great reading to learn more about Advent. Together, may we set aside extra time this Christmas season and seek God in prayer, fasting, and worship as we go through Advent together!

"What Is Advent? For many Christians unfamiliar with the liturgical year, there may be some confusion surrounding the meaning of the Advent season. Some people may know that the Advent season focuses on expectation and think that it serves as an anticipation of Christ’s birth in the season leading up to Christmas. This is part of the story, but there’s more to Advent.

The History of Advent: The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia. Scholars believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries in Spain and Gaul, Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany, the celebration of God’s incarnation represented by the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1–2), his baptism in the Jordan River by John the Baptist (John 1:29–33), and his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1–11). During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century, however, Roman Christians had tied Advent to the coming of Christ. But the “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming in the clouds as the judge of the world. It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Christ’s first coming at Christmas.

Advent Today: Today, the Advent season, which begins on the Sunday that falls between November 27th and December 3rd, lasts for four Sundays leading up to Christmas. At that time, the new Christian year begins with the twelve-day celebration of Christmastide, which lasts from Christmas Eve until Epiphany on January 6.

Advent symbolizes the present situation of the church in these “last days” (Acts 2:17, Hebrews 1:2), as God’s people wait for the return of Christ in glory to consummate his eternal kingdom. The church is in a similar situation to Israel at the end of the Old Testament: in exile, waiting and hoping in prayerful expectation for the coming of the Messiah. Israel looked back to God’s past gracious actions on their behalf in leading them out of Egypt in the Exodus, and on this basis they called for God once again to act for them. In the same way, the church, during Advent, looks back upon Christ’s coming in celebration while at the same time looking forward in eager anticipation to the coming of Christ’s kingdom when he returns for his people. In this light, the Advent hymn “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” perfectly represents the church’s cry during the Advent season:

O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here Until the Son of God appears. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

While Israel would have sung the song in expectation of Christ’s first coming, the church now sings the song in commemoration of that first coming and in expectation of the second coming in the future.

Advent Liturgy and Practice: To balance the two elements of remembrance and anticipation, the first two Sundays in Advent (through December 16th) look forward to Christ’s second coming, and the last two Sundays (December 17th – 24th) look backward to remember Christ’s first coming. Over the course of the four weeks, Scripture readings move from passages about Christ’s return in judgment, to Old Testament passages about the expectation of the coming Messiah, to New Testament passages about the announcements of Christ’s arrival by John the Baptist and the Angels.

While it is difficult to keep in mind in the midst of holiday celebrations, shopping, lights and decorations, and joyful carols, Advent is intended to be a season of fasting, much like Lent, and there are a variety of ways that this time of mourning works itself out in the season. Reflection on the violence and evil in the world cause us to cry out to God to make things right—to put death’s dark shadows to flight. Our exile in the present makes us look forward to our future Exodus. And our own sinfulness and need for grace leads us to pray for the Holy Spirit to renew his work in conforming us into the image of Christ.

One catechism describes Advent spirituality beautifully: “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year, she makes present this ancient expectancy of the Messiah, for by sharing in the long preparation for the Savior’s first coming, the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming. By celebrating the precursor’s birth and martyrdom, the Church unites herself to his desire: ‘He must increase, but I must decrease.’”

Advent and the Christian Life: While Advent is certainly a time of celebration and anticipation of Christ’s birth, it is more than that. It is only in the shadow of Advent that the miracle of Christmas can be fully understood and appreciated; and it is only in the light of Christmas that the Christian life makes any sense. It is between the fulfilled promise of Christ’s first coming and the yet-to-be-fulfilled promise of his second coming that Karl Barth penned these words: “Unfulfilled and fulfilled promise are related to each other, as are dawn and sunrise. Both are promise and in fact the same promise. If anywhere at all, then it is precisely in the light of the coming of Christ that faith has become Advent faith, the expectation of future revelation. But faith knows for whom and for what it is waiting. It is fulfilled faith because it lays hold on the fulfilled promise.” The promise for Israel and the promise for the church is Jesus Christ; he has come, and he will come again. This is the essence of Advent."

Written by Justin Holcombis a pastor at Mars Hill Church, where he serves as Executive Director ofthe Resurgence and the Leadership Development department. Original article from Christianity.com.

Stories and Quotes on "GivingThanks"

Here are some great quotes about giving thanks to God:

"Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it." -- A.W. Tozer

"A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all the other virtues." -- Cicero

"Gratitude is a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all." -- William Faulkner

"Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds." -- Theodore Roosevelt

"Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire." -- Hebrews 12:28-29

Here is a story I shared about forgiveness from last Sunday:

"Thomas A. Edison was working on a crazy contraption called a “light bulb” and it took a whole team of men 24 straight hours to put just one together. The story goes that when Edison was finished with one light bulb, he gave it to a young boy helper, who nervously carried it up the stairs. Step by step he cautiously watched his hands, obviously frightened of dropping such a priceless piece of work. You’ve probably guessed what happened by now; the poor young fellow dropped the bulb at the top of the stairs. It took the entire team of men twenty-four more hours to make another bulb. Finally, tired and ready for a break, Edison was ready to have his bulb carried up the stairs. He gave it to the same young boy who dropped the first one...That’s true forgiveness."

Thanksgiving Season is in the Air

Its been a busy past week for me...I had to prepare a sermon in a record time because of last minute changes. My cousin and his wife just had their first newborn baby boy named Adam (the first baby in my Mom's side of the family since my younger brother Anthony). And my brother ain't that young anymore (he's a senior in High School), he's going to go off to college soon.

So what have I been pondering about lately (you all must be wondering)...really just one simple thing, something we like to call Thanksgiving. When I refer to "Thanksgiving", though, I am not just talking about the holiday coming up next week. No, I'm talking about the heart of Thanksgiving. Why do we celebrate? Why do we give thanks? It's because of Jesus Christ that I am FULL of thanksgiving. It is because of what He did for me that I am thankful.

This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to preach from the book of Philemon. We call it a book, but it’s really only a single chapter. It’s just 25 verses long, less than 500 words in all. It’s barely even an “epistle,” more like a short post card. This short letter isn’t addressed to a church like Paul’s longer letters sent to those gathered in Rome or in Corinth or Galatia. In fact, it’s a very personal note addressed to a single person: Philemon. And it addresses almost one thing: Philemon’s relationship — a man named Onesimus.

Onesimus had been a slave. He had been Philemon’s slave. But he escaped. He got away. That was illegal, of course, since Roman law was written by slave-owners and not by slaves. So he was in danger and subject to be put to death, but he found refuge with the apostle Paul. Paul welcomed him, not as a slave, but as friend and companion.

I've always skimmed past Philemon when flipping through the pages of my bible. But, I don't think I will ever look past this personal letter ever again. It is one that tugged at my heart because it leans heavily on a faith and forgiveness. This story is built upon two things the friendship between Paul and Philemon and also the forgiveness between Onesimus and Philemon. Paul going the extra mile for Onesimus is a wonderful testimony to his character. Paul said if this man owes any debt at all charge it to me.

Jesus did the same thing for you and me when He went to the cross for our sins. We were sinners deserving punishment for our sin but He shed His blood to cover our sins and paid our debt for us. Now if we can accept Him as Lord and Savior, we can stand before our Father God without sin and without fear.

Before the Throne of God Above

In my devotional this week, I have been going through the book of Colossians. This epistle is another four-chapter like Philippians that packs a strong punch of theology right at you. I was surprised as I read thru Colossians that one of my favorite hymns "Before the Throne of God Above" draws upon Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 of Colossians. Take a look here of the passages used by this beloved hymn in the last two Stanzas:

When Satan tempts me to despair (Luke 22:31-32) And tells me of the guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there (Acts 7:55-56) Who made an end of all my sin. (Col 2:13-14) Because the sinless Savior died My sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me. (Rom 3:24-26)

Behold Him there the risen Lamb, (Rev 5:6) My perfect spotless righteousness, (1 Cor 1:30; 1 Peter 1:18-19) The great unchangeable I AM, (Heb 13:8; John 8:58) The King of glory and of grace, One with Himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by His blood, (Acts 20:28) My life is hid with Christ on high, (Col 3:3) With Christ my Savior and my God! (Tit 2:13)

As you can see the author used a lot of scripture imagery when she first wrote this poem which was later turned into a hymn. (Yes, the author, Charitie Lees Smith, was a woman who was born in 1841 in the vicinity of Dublin, Ireland. She was the daughter of a minister of the Church of Ireland.) What I love about the imagery of this poem/hymn is that I am reminded that my life is hid with Christ on high. This come directly out of Colossians 3:3-4 which says, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then, you also will appear with him in glory."

I hope that when you too hear these words you find comfort that Jesus Christ is our advocate. He stands on our behalf and speaks in our defense against the accuser. Whenever you are tempted to despair, look up to Jesus who made in end of all our sin which comes from Colossians 2:13-14. Let us encourage one another to look to Jesus who truly holds all things together (Colossians 1:17) and to practice compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12) this week! Listen to this powerful rendition of "Before the Throne of God Above", it's one of my favorite worship songs of all time.

Worship Leading from Worship Leaders

Continuing my update on the NWLC (National Worship Leader Conference), I want to focus on learning about how to lead worship from some of the most beloved and respected worship leaders in the world today. The theme for this year's conference was to "Do This in Remembrance of Me" which is found in a number of places in Scripture include Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22: 14-19, 1 Cor 11:20-34 (usually when a phrase or word is mentioned multiple times its very important and indeed it is in this case)...Jesus said these words at the Last Supper when the disciples partook of communion with Him. Over 2000 years later, we still "do this in remembrance of Jesus". We are called to be in communion with Jesus and I believe the pinnacle of this communion is worship. The heart of worship is us (the frail, weak, and unfit believers) finding the heart of Jesus (the perfect, good, and mighty servant-king).

Right now, I just want to thank everyone who helped put together this conference in California this year (the first time this has happened in CA in many years from what I understand). So the list of this year's worship leaders included: William McDowell, Lincoln Brewster, Free Chapel, The Neverclaim, Kari Jobe, Elevation Worship, Rick Founds, Shelly Johnson, Evan Wickham, The Royal Royal, Holland Davis, Brenton Brown, Tommy Walker, One Sonic Society, Christine D'Clario, Travis Ryan, and some more who were not even on the schedule of events. NWLC was a great place of worship and fellowship! So with all these well-known and world-touring worship leaders, what did I learn?

I shared two Sundays ago the illustration that Lincoln Brewster shared with us. Sometimes, we really need to surrender to God and one way we show this is our posture before God. In my paraphrased memory, Brewster shared this, "First, if you go to foreign country and someone points a gun to your head, what is your first natural response? Well, most of us know the universal sign of surrender is to raise our hands right. Second, when a child wants to be hugged or carried by his father, what does the child do? The child raises his arms up to show that he or she wants to be carried by their father." Well, isn't our heavenly Father looking for our surrender to Him? God wants us to surrender to His will, We are called to give up everything for the sake of the cross and lay down our rights before Jesus. Then, we can take up the yoke of Jesus which my friends is so much lighter, easier, and better than taking up the yoke of this present world...

In the world's perspective, surrender is a sign of weakness and defeat. Military generals in the US army or any army in the world will always tell you, there is no retreat and there is no surrender. In God's perspective, however, surrender is a sign of humility and worship. God sees our posture of lifting our hands as an act of surrender when we worship Him. So my question today is how can we together change our posture before Jesus Christ? Shall we start by lifting our hands to our Maker?

Spiritually Refreshed, Physically Tired

Is it possible to be spiritually refreshed but physically tired? Yes, it is. I had the opportunity to go down to San Diego for the NWLC (National Worship Leader Conference) this past week. The drive down from the Bay Area took about 8+ hours (16+ hours round trip). But the messages, workshops, and worship for the conference were well worth the drive. The first day, our main session speaker was Leonard Sweet who is a distinguished professor and speaker with a huge heart for Jesus (More about Leo)

I wish I could share his entire message with everyone but here is a few points that were really powerful to me. First off, the NWLC is about teaching worship leaders how to lead others in worship. Leo taught me really just how important worship really is. He shared from Matthew 4:9, "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."... If Satan was willing to give up the whole earth just to have Jesus bow down and worship him... Then, worship is a very powerful act, one that can change the very world.

Another point that really stuck out to me from Leo's message was the importance of creativity. God is a creator God. If you have attended my HS Sunday School class we have hit this topic many times. God reveals His creation to us through general and special revelation. However, often times, we (the Church) lose what it means to be creative. We (the Church) often get stuck in traditions, bylaws, and ordinances. Let me be first to say there is nothing wrong with any of these things but when the church loses its creativity it loses its power to reach the world for the Gospel. The Church needs to be aware of the culture (its local community). Do you know what are the hottest word trending in our culture right no, its "localvore" and "artisan". To be a "localvore" (think omnivore and herbivore), is to eat local products like farmer's market. To be an "artisan", is to be an artist in the community and have a story to share with buyers like Semifreddi's artisan bread.

So why did I bring all of this fascinating topics up in my blog today? Its because I hope that as a Church we can together better reach others for the sake of Jesus Christ. We (the Church) need to understand the power of worship in our lives and our community. We (the Church) need to understand our culture so we can be a fresh, relevant, and creative body of Christ reaching the world for the Gospel of our Savior (the Savior of the World). I admit I am physically tired and worn out but I am also right now so fired up to share the Gospel. I want my life to be testimony of worshiping and glorifying my Father in Heaven. I hope that you too will join me in giving it all to see God lifted up.

My Theology of Pain

As I have begun preparing a message on perseverance in Christ, I have had to think hard about the topic of pain. "Perseverance" according to the Merriam Webster dictionary is: "continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition." So when I consider all that the Bible has to say about perseverance...I eventually have to come across the "difficulty, failure, opposition" which for me I will condense into one word "pain".

We have all heard the phrase "No Pain, No Gain" (and if you haven't well now you have!) Its a common phrase used during trainings, boot camps, and weight lifting. But I want to take this phrase and apply it to our daily walk with God. The more I study about "pain", the more I realize that pain may really be "God's mercy in disguise"

First, without pain we wouldn't know how to protect ourselves. Here is a horrible but true story. When I was in Nigeria, our mission team visited, treated, and tried our best to comfort those with Leprosy (Leprosy is a disease that has been known since biblical times. It causes skin sores, nerve damage, and muscle weakness that gets worse over time.) Most people don't know but the worst thing about Leprosy is the fact that you can't FEEL pain anymore. Your body becomes numb to feeling. So many of the people we visited who as you can imagine lived in the slums had body parts burned, severed, cut, infected, and bitten (yes bitten off from rats and bugs). Because they could no longer feel pain they could no longer defend themselves from injury.

Second, without pain we wouldn't experience what it is to truly have faith. We wouldn't know what it is to hope for something. And I believe we ultimately would not understand the power of love. Pain is what brings all these things into completion for us. When we are really under a trial, the virtues of faith, hope, and love really come ALIVE!

Third, I want to encourage you from the book of Philippians 2:1-11: "Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

We have hope to endure all trials because we have Jesus. Jesus Christ persevered despite all the pain at the cross, the whippings of the 39 lashes, the thorn of crowns...Jesus overcame and so we can overcome!

Sincere Love = Hating Evil, Clinging to Good.

Reading through Romans is always convicting...to say the least. Maybe its because we are so much like the Roman people. We went through the epistle of Romans for Friday Youth Fellowship last year. It was deep. It was rich. It was GOOD. But I wish I could do it again...I feel as if each time I go through Romans, I learn something new and/or change my old perspective. Romans is a profound exposition of the Gospel and packs a big punch of theology. I'm reading through chapter 12 of Romans today which focuses on offering our lives as living sacrifices to God and overcoming evil with good. Both of these can only be accomplished with what I would call "Sincere Love". Romans 12:9-18 says:

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

And sincere love...is much easier much much easier to say than to do. First off, sincere love must HATE what is evil. I don't even have to look at anyone else but myself to recognized that I don't hate evil as much as I should... Many times, I've caught myself speaking evil, watching evil, putting up with evil, even doing evil. And when I look into our society/culture today...its just as bad if not worse. We purchase more than we should (which is evil), we obsess over fame and money (which is evil), we ignore the homeless and poor (which is evil), and we only care about our own pleasure (which is evil).

So just how do we hate what is evil? Well, I think its important to recognize that this sentence is tied together with the ";"...Which means hating what is evil correlates with clinging to what is good. In order to hate evil, we must KNOW and FOLLOW what is GOOD. So what is good? Or maybe that's the wrong question, who is good? What model can we follow for pursuing the good, the true, and the beautiful? Well, that my friends, only comes from God. A few verses earlier in chapter 12, Paul writes "brothers...will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

Whether we acknowledge it or not...God wants the best for us. Sometimes, what's best for us is not what we want! Actually, I would be safe in saying "most of the time" we don't know what is best for us! So my friends, I encourage you today not to be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Till next time, I hope we will all practice sincere love!

Back on Track...Car "Accidents" with God

Its been almost 3 years since my last posting, a lot has happened since then...Let me try to recap everything in the past 3 years in roughly 3 sentences each:

Here I go:
1) I've graduated college from Biola University and the Torrey Honors Institute...
2) I'm engaged to my beautiful fiance and the most wonderful girl you'll ever meet...
3) I am now serving as a youth minister at the Home of Christ in Menlo Park...

Here God goes:
1) God pulled me through some of the darkest times of my life to finally graduate!
2) God "tied the knot" in my relationship with Leah Lee, a joyful Spirit-filled lady!
3) God introduced me to serve the church and youths in Menlo Park near my hometown!

So what inspired me to start blogging again? I've been meaning to find a way to share my thoughts and devotionals with my youths at church...And I thought finally I could use my blog for a good purpose! Also, it seem to much of a coincidence but I first started blogging a lot around the time I got in a serious car accident. And it so happens, I have gotten into another car accident...I'm currently undergoing chiropractic treatment, renting a brand-new white Nissan Versa, and getting my Hyundai Tiburon "ATOM" fixed at the shop. So while, I am stressed, sore, and aching all from the whiplash. I thought this would be a good time to stop, pause, and reflect on all that God has done in my life. The Psalmist David puts it best Psalm 40:1-8 to wait patiently for God and trust in Him:

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him.

Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, Lord my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, “Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to do your will, my God; your law is within my heart.”

Take home message is this...trust in God and He will lead you to the place you should go...May you seek God today and everyday!