Mornings & Prayer

1 Peter 1: 13-21

2012-02-10T19:59:00.000-08:00

Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Peter speaks truth and exhortation in these verses. He really tries to persuade the church to live their lives in a manner that is pleasing to God. He wants the church to be a blessing to God. He wants the church to be cleaned by the word and to be pure and blameless as a bride to Jesus Christ.

He begins the chapter by reminding us of our new living hope. When we realize God's promises to us, we remember the heavenly treasures that are guaranteed to us. When we know this, we are shielded and protected during trials and suffering because we can now have faith and trust in the promisees we know that God has for us.

Therefore, we set our hope fully on the grace of Jesus Christ. We call God, now Father because he has bought us with the precious blood of Christ. Two things:

We know God's eternal heavenly inheritance for us is promised to us
We know that God ransomed us from sin, with the infinite of worth and precious blood of Christ

When we know these two things: we want to prepare our minds for action. We want to put our hope fully on Christ. We want to obey our God with healthy fear and respect. We want to be free of our former passions and former ignorance. We want to be holy like God is holy!

So Lord, I know my sins, what I am prone to and what my sinful heart seeks. So Lord, I pray for mercy and forgiveness. Help me hate my former ways and ignorance. Help me appreciate and love my eternal inheritance that You won for me with the precious blood of Christ. Please forgive me. I go to Christ and thank and love Him. I go to You for wisdom, with humility of Your power and grace.

Please help me bless Jisoo purely, love my family, and friends, and help me be studious and effective in my studies.

James 5: 13-20

2012-02-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

There is heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom says you need to seek instant gratification, you need to be driven for your selfish ambitions, that you ened to be short-sighted. Heavenly wisdom is far-sighted, peaceful, gentle, full of good fruit, and thus patient.

If we have the right perspective, a kingdom long-term perspective, we would be able to see what matters in our lives. We can be patient because we know that riches on this earth do not last. We can establish our hearts because we know that the coming of the Lord will happen.

And with this heavenly wisdom, we can pray. We can pray when we suffer because we know what is temporary and what is eternal. We can pray when we are cheerful. We can pray when we are sick. Especially when we are sick, we pray because we know that our God can deliver the sick, he can raise them up, if it is His will He can even raise the dead.

Therefore, knowing the life-giving power of God, we can pray with faith and trust and confidence in Him!

Lord, I pray this for my heart first and then my family and friends. First please bless me and heal me and clean my heart so that when I pray for my friends, it will be pleasing and fruitful and maximal for their benefit. I pray that when I pray that I not doubt or waver, but when I pray and ask that I may believe in confidence, in peace, in trust, in faith. Please heal Jenice and Abel from their flu, I believe You can.

James 5: 1-12

2012-02-08T07:56:00.000-08:00

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

James has in the previous verses teach us about heavenly and earthly wisdom. The tongue directs the body and life of the person. The tongue also reveals the state of the heart. Therefore, the tongue needs wisdom to guide it. We can either follow earthly wisdom, which is short-sighted, selfish in ambition, boasting, and false to truth. Or we can follow heavenly wisdom which is full of grace, good fruit, is gentle, and open to reason.

If we follow heavenly wisdom, we do not boast nor do we slander each other. Now we see James use heavenly wisdom to show us that earthly riches do not last. Earthly riches will corrode, they become evidence against you, they eat your flesh like fire. Earthly riches are especially displeasing to God if they were earned unjustly from the poor (field laborers, harvesters). These injustices and earthly treasures will condemn us in the last day.

Therefore, we need to be patient. Perhaps the reason we want earthly treasures, is because we can have them now. The reason we do not value heavenly treasures, is because they come later. Therefore, we are encouraged to be patient, to wait, to establish our hearts, to remain steadfast because we know that steadfastness fulfills our purpose from the Lord to be perfect and holy like Him; for He is compassionate and merciful.

Lord, I pray that I integrate God's sovereign plan into my life. He is in control. If is the Lord's will, I will do this. I will not boast of what I am not sure of, not my future plans, or my intentions. I will also not store up my treasures on Earth for they are short term instant gratifications. Instead, I will boast in God's purposes, and that He is compassionate and merciful. I will boast and wait upon God's coming and that it is worth it to wait, to believe, to remain steadfast and be a blessing to God.

Lord, please have mercy on my selfish sinful heart. Please help me establish my heart to you. I am confused about Jisoo. I want to really seek You and Your kingdom. Help me find peace in these matters as I pray to/with You. I am looking in Your word for answers. I am serious about my intentions. Please grant me wisdom, because I know you do not give reproach to those who ask. I know you are compassionate and merciful, so please help me understand. Do I need a good reason to love someone? But that sounds so wrong. If I like someone, is it wrong for me to suppress that because I do not have a satisfying reason to like them? That sounds so wrong. Please help me look into Your word and Your wisdom and Your heart's desire. Lord, what does your Heart seek?

James 4: 11-17

2012-02-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

In the previous verses, James speaks about the tongue: the tongue is a reflection of the state of your heart, moreover the tongue can steer where your body, your life, will go. Therefore, James exhorts us to gain wisdom, not earthly wisdom but heavenly wisdom. If you are humble and see that heavenly wisdom is about long-term treasure, not about instant-gratification, but about intimacy and oneness with God.

Here we return to the tongue and exhortation of how a Godly tongue looks like. A heavenly wisdom-filled tongue does not speak evil and does not boast. First we see that a tongue does not speak against a brother. This means to not gossip, slander, insult, spread rumors, or judge a brother. This is evil. To judge him or condemn him is to not follow the "law" but to be a "judge" or "lawgiver." Heavenly wisdom and humility will show us that it is God who alone judges. He has the power and the wisdom to judge perfectly.

Secondly, we see that a tongue does not boast, especially about tomorrow. I think heavenly wisdom gives you the right time perspective about life. Your life is short. You come and go. Against eternity, your life is a flash, a whisper, a mist that soon vanishes. We therefore should not boast about the future of our life; our be so certain of tomorrow that we can be sure to boast about it. I cannot boast about tomorrow because life is quickly given and quickly taken away. Therefore, I must always in humility integrate God's sovereign choice into my plans. "If it is the Lord's will, I will do this."

For me, I am so vulnerable right now. I am so unsure about the next steps in my life. I am unsure about some major decisions I am making in my life right now. So I ask for wisdom and humility and faith as I try to decide. I pray that if it is the Lord's will, I will do this. If it is the Lord's will, I will pursue and love Jisoo. If it is the Lord's will, knowing that my life is short and that God has a plan, I will study and pursue medicine to go into the world and be a missionary. If it is the Lord's will, knowing that all things were meant to glorify the suffering substitute of Christ, I will witness to my friends.

Lord please pray for Your will to be evident in my life, that I may love my family and friends more, protect my parents, my sister, my brother, and please pray that I have wisdom to study and love my friends.

Ephesians 5: 21

2012-02-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

This verses is highlighted by John Piper in his sermon series about marriage. The idea is that in a relationship, and in particular a marriage relationship, in order for harmony to exist there needs to be mutual submission.

The first point to notice is that it all begins with being "filled with the Spirit." You cannot love someone unless you are filled with the love of God. The word must be in your heart so that you can follow the Spirit which dwells inside of you.

The evidence of being filled in the Spirit is the overflowing expression of love. This can be through songs, hymns, praying, thankful attitudes, and harmonious relationships.

The last part is so significant: a result from being filled with the Spirit is a harmonious relationship as a consequence of mutual submission.

Lord, give me wisdom. I am scared, I am suspicious, I am sinful, I am not perfect. I need wisdom so that, maybe not just to not make mistakes, but wisdom so that I can build Your kingdom maximally. Christ devoted not part of His life, but His entire being for Your purposes. Not that You will count my mistakes and measure it to me, but because of Your Son's overflowing love will I want to love Jisoo, my family, and friends more! I pray for more trust and faith. I really believe You will protect me and guide me and hold me as I step forward according to Your word and Spirit.

James 4: 1-10

2012-02-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people!

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

The tongue reveals the state of your heart. What you speak and how you speak shows what you treasure and where your heart belongs. Moreover, the tongue steers your life. What we speak to others, and what we speak to ourselves, is where our live will most likely lead to.

Wisdom comes from the word of God, because in it we can have knowledge of experiences that are not our own and learn the perspective of God that is not naturally our own. Now James talks about worldliness, which opposes wisdom.

Earthly wisdom was about selfish ambition, bitter jealousy, boasting, and based on false truth. Here we see more about worldliness. Worldliness causes fights and quarrels. It makes passions at war within us. We really see selfish ambition here manifest itself as violent and caustic. We see that fighting, quarreling, and even murder stems from desperate selfish desires that covet and are jealous.

We see that friendship to the world is opposition and hostility to God. I connect this with James's previous verses because what you desire is grounded in your wisdom. If your wisdom is short-sighted, your will is to seek things that instantly gratify you. If your wisdom is earthly, your will is to desire earthly things. If your wisdom is self-centered, you will seek intimacy and fellowship and companionship with the world and not God.

But James reminds us of grace. And grace comes when your heart is kneeling and in humility. Lord, I want you to be near to me. I want to resist the devil and to flee from temptation. I want to have a pure heart. I want to have heavenly wisdom of peace, gentleness, pureness, reason, mercy, sincerity, and good fruit. I pray God that you help me be more humble and receive more grace.

Right now I am having trouble with desiring worldly things: a relationship, security in status and money and power. I am at war in my passions. I want so much for myself. I need help Lord. I ask for heavenly wisdom, knowing you do not give reproach to Your children who ask for wisdom. Help me desire and do things that will add to Your kingdom. Help me resist worldly idols and seek the spirit that dwells in me. I pray that like Jesus, I will humble myself and obey and love and serve You. Please bless Van, Esther, Jisoo, Thi, my family, my friends, and my studying today.

James 3: 13-18

2012-01-31T07:46:00.000-08:00

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

The tongue can be a blessing and a curse. The tongue, what you say and how you say things, reflects the state of your heart. Moreover, the tongue leads you where you are going; where the tongue goes, your body follows.

Now James talks about wisdom. I think there is a connection between the tongue and wisdom. If the tongue is what leads you and your life and body, then it must be wisdom and the word of God that leads the tongue.

We first see that wisdom starts with humility. Wisdom is not something that can come from me. Wisdom must come from another person. It makes sense. Wisdom comes from experience. If I am to gain wisdom for a situation, I must gain knowledge of someone else's experience so that I can apply that knowledge to my experience.

Secondly, wisdom from God is different from wisdom from earth. Comparison:

Earthly wisdom:

bitter jealousy
selfish ambition
boasts
false to truth
earthly
unspiritual
demonic
disordered
vile practice

Heavenly wisdom:

pure
peaceable
gentle
open to reason
full of mercy
full of good fruits
impartial
sincere
is in peace and makes peace

What I see is for me, I really boast and am false to the truth. Earlier, James talks about the tongue and how important it is to "bridle the tongue" because it "deceives" the heart. We see that here! Words are related to wisdom! When you speek "false" about the truth, you deceive people ("you should not become teachers"), and you lead people to stumble.

I have so much bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition lately. I need wisdom from heaven because I need to be pure. Wisdom from heaven is so opposite of earthly wisdom. It is gentle, peace, and full of mercy! For me I need to learn to forgive others by taking the blame! It's so hard for me because I get angry when people offend me. I am so quick to anger, quick to say things. I need to have heavenly wisdom. To be pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy, ready to forgive, sincere and impartial.

Oh Lord! You are so right. Lord, I know that You do not give reproach to those who ask You for wisdom. So Lord, help me gain wisdom. I want to study Your word today and know who You are and what You want to say. Please help me bridle my tongue. Please humble me and give me wisdom. Please help me give mercy and peace to people. Please forgive my sins and selfish heart. Please bless my family, my sister in Denmark, and my friends and studying today. I love You and need You!

James 3: 5-12

2012-01-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing.

My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

From the last verses, James brings to attention the nature of our tongues: of what we say and how we say things. What a person says is representative of their whole being. The tongue, what you say and how you say things, is symptomatic of your heart, of bigger, deeper issues.

Although small, small things can affect much larger things. Like an oar to a boat, like bits for horses, The tongue leads the direction the body is headed; the tongue reveals the state of the heart.

Here we see the same imagery. A small fire can set ablaze an entire forest.

But James adds another dimension to our understanding of the tongue. The tongue has a choice, it can bless others and curse others. Therefore, James uses imagery to help us choose to use our tongues for blessings rather than curses. James says that a spring cannot have fresh and salt water, a tree cannot bear more than one type of fruit, nor can a salt pond have anything but salt water.

So I will use Philippians as the "word" that will be the power behind my conduct in accordance to James:

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life

With my mouth I will not grumble or dispute. I will not blame or guilt or condemn or attack with my words. Why? Because I belong to God now. Because I am like water from the spring that comes from Jesus Christ.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant

To be motivated to have a blessing tongue, to say and use my words in a blessing way, I am motivated by the word of life, which I hold fast to because of the reminders of the suffering substitute Jesus Christ, our savior who "emptied" himself and became a "servant."

When I think about Christ, I see his guilt taking humility. He did nothing wrong. But he took the blame from others. How could I blame and attack others, with knowledge of this? Christ did not complain, nor did he fight with God, or grumbled when he was condemned by his own friends. How could I do the same now with knowledge of this?

I pray for holiness. I pray for a whole tongue. I pray that my words come from the true spring of Jesus Christ. I pray that my tongue and body become whole and pure because of the word of life and the example of Christ. My words will be a blessing, not a curse, because Christ himself takes those curses upon Himself.

I pray for a pure heart, a repentant heart, a heart that wants to bless my friends and family. Please protect my sister, be with my family, keep safe and give peace to my friends, please give me focus to study.

James 3: 1-5

2012-01-25T17:30:00.000-08:00

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

These verses come after a lengthy emphasis on reading and doing the word; faith and works. Now the emphasis switches to a very specific teaching about our tongue, about what we say and how we say things.

James first shows us the application of the tongue; to teach. It's interesting because James says teachers are held to a higher standard, "greater strictness," as opposed to those who do not teach, laymen, or students. This means to me that if I am to teach or claim to have knowledge to share, I need to watch my tongue and what I say. What my tongue is saying, the state of my tongue, the content, and how I say things matters. It affects me. It will affect other people.

The second point is that we can stumble in what we say. What I think stumbling means in this verse is that what a person says is representative of their whole being. If a man doesn't stumble in his words, he whole body is perfect. Conversely, if a man stumbles in what he says, his body, his soul, his life, his manner, character, beliefs, ideals are imperfect. The tongue is therefore symptomatic of bigger, deeper issues.

James iterates the last point with examples of horses and ships. The tongue is like the food that directs a horse, or like the rudder that directs a ship. My tongue leads into the direction I am headed. My tongue reveals the state of my heart.

Lord, help my tongue. I am quick to judge, quick to speak, quick to anger. Help me be quick to listen, to bridle and hold back my tongue. I have a lot of anger in me these days. I am really selfish these days. It's all coming out these days. Is this who I am? I have no self-control?

Lord, help me love my friends. I am burnt out. I want to feed all these mouths, but I am one person. Moreover, I think that I want to love and be at peace and show patience and humility to my friends, but when it comes to it, I fail. I am not only one person, but I am imperfect, a sinner, I make mistakes. Lord. King of the universe. King of everything. Maker and creator. You have all the power. You are generous. You are wealthy and abundant. You overflow with a pure heart and pure intentions and perfect actions. Help me gain wisdom in these days. Help me trust your words, not signs. Help me be fed by You and not illegitimate things. Help me do your word, and not just hear it. Help me bridle my tongue.

I pray for blessings to focus in my studies. Please bless my family, friends, my sister in Denmark, Jisoo, Van, Lisa. Please break my heart.

James 2: 18-26

2012-01-24T14:13:00.000-08:00

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God.

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Hearing and doing the word. Faith and works. We can apply the word and apply our faith through works by helping those who need help: orphans and widows, classmates and loners, those who are hard to love and those who don't love you. These are the kinds of people that need God's overflowing love. And I am the vessel by which God can love them through.

James recalls two examples: Abraham and Rahab. They are examples of people who believed AND did works. I like how the verses say "faith was active along with his works." I need to believe first, and then not just sit down and let things go by passively, but to be actively doing what my faith allows me to do.

LORD. Lord. LORD. I need Your word! I am so overcome! I am so overwhelmed. I am so inundated! Jisoo is avoiding me. Lisa is at tension with me. Esther is busy with her boyfriend. Van is sad over his exam. Sean is at tension with me because we gave him another gift for his birthday. WHO DO I HAVE TO LOVE ME? Who is watching out for me? Who is for my interests? Who notices when I struggle?

Lord. I want to love and serve people. And I am trying. But it's so hard right now. I feel like you are away. I feel like my friends that are close are all away. What am I to do? I look into Your word. I look into your promises. I know you will take care of me, that you are with me, that you have my best interests in mind. Why is it so hard to be satisfied by that? Why is it so difficult for me to be satisfied with wanting what you want? Why are my needs SO IMPORTANT to me when I know your needs and desires are MORE IMPORTANT?!

--

Right now, I am so tired and burnt out from loving people. I love serving people, I have great pleasure in helping people and lifting them up. But there are so many mouths to feed. Everyone wants love. Everyone wants companionship, deep intimacy, a sense of belonging, and faithful attention. I love to give and distribute this kind of love because God has this kind of love for people. But I am so tired and burnt out. Theres so many hungry people and I am only one person. If I love one person, I leave out another. If I spend time with one person, I exclude another. It's so difficult.

I pray that I remember James 1: 12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God promised to those who love him."

And I need to remember who God is: God is our father who loves us, he sees us as so valuable to Him, he knows every need, he is fulfilling every need; therefore "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."

--

Help me seek first your kingdom and righteousness. Help me know what that means. Help me be slow to speak and quick to listen. Give me a patient and soft heart. Take my angry and hard heart away from me. Transform my heart. Keep Satan away from me. Rebuke me and cleanse me clean, I want to live guilt free to glorify Your Holy Son.

Please bless my studies, my friends, any group meeting for You right now. Please bless Jisoo, Sean, and Van right now. Help me be like Christ, our suffering substitute.

James 2: 14-17

2012-01-23T10:26:00.000-08:00

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

In the previous verses, James speaks about hearing and doing the word. A person must not just hear the word, but must do it. In these verses, James iterates the same idea by reminding us that one must not only have faith, but must have works as well.

Hearing the word and doing the word. Faith and works. This verse is calling us to read the word and apply it through doing real, practical, impacting deeds for others. James mentions orphans, widows, brothers, sisters. One must feed them, cloth them, fill them, give them peace.

What does this mean to me? Right now, I am so tired and burnt out from loving people. I love serving people, I have great pleasure in helping people and lifting them up. But there are so many mouths to feed. Everyone wants love. Everyone wants companionship, deep intimacy, a sense of belonging, and faithful attention. I love to give and distribute this kind of love because God has this kind of love for people. But I am so tired and burnt out. Theres so many hungry people and I am only one person. If I love one person, I leave out another. If I spend time with one person, I exclude another. It's so difficult.

I pray that I remember James 1: 12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God promised to those who love him."

And I need to remember who God is: God is our father who loves us, he sees us as so valuable to Him, he knows every need, he is fulfilling every need; therefore "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness."

Lord, please bless my studying today, help me love my friends, family. Please bless Jisoo and Sean. Please give peace to Van and Esther. Please guard my sister and her friends in Denmark.

Matthew 6: 25-33

2012-01-21T22:53:00.001-08:00

Van, Esther,

I know you guys have seen these verses many times, but I really believe in these verses. I know that they are true for me AND YOU !!!

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -

As a brother who cares about your eternal soul and knows what it is like to be so stressed before a test, I want to remind you of who God is!

God is our HEAVENLY FATHER
God KNOWS YOUR EVERY NEED (your need for a future; purpose for next year; needs for safety, for health, for peace)
YOU ARE WORTH SO MUCH to God; you're VALUABLE to HIM
God ALWAYS takes care of his CHILDREN

God knows your needs! He knows what is IMPORTANT for your soul! He has a plan and will take care of You! Ask God and you will receive!

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” – Matthew 7:
“You do not have, because you do not ask” – James 4:2

Let's surrender our "wants" and remain steadfast, humble, and thankful that God takes care of every one of our "needs"

peace!

Philippians 4: 8-9

2012-01-20T18:53:00.000-08:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me-- practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Lord, I pray that my mind, my thoughts, my intents be pure. I know that I've been failing You today with impure thoughts and selfish desires. I know You made me to love people, but not to love people for my glory, I am to love people for Your glory.

Please help me to meditate on what is pure and holy. Help me remember Your words: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I pray that I treasure and keep high in my regard what is pure and holy. May Your word clean me right now.

I pray that You bless me friends, my family, keep everyone safe from the winter snow, and may You bless Lisa, Van, and all those who need You desperately right now.

James 1: 19-21

2012-01-19T11:43:00.000-08:00

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

God save me.

I:

am not perfect
am slow to listen
am quick to speak
am quick to get angry
am prideful
am stubborn
am insecure
am inconsiderate
am a liar
am small
not loving
not forgiving
not wise

Oh Lord. What am I to do? I want to let go of my anger, but I cannot. I want to show people that I am loving and forgiving, but I cannot. I am hurt and I hurt others. I don't understand how I got to this point.

Wasn't I reading your words? Wasn't I keeping my mind pure from sexual sin? Am I not loving and serving and spending time with people? Do I not desire to do what Your word exhorts me to do?

Lord, I am being tempted by my own sinful desires and Satan. Please help me. I pray for these things:

I pray for wisdom from your word to help guide me in this situation.
I pray for faith in prayer to move me in the Spirit's direction.
I pray for forgiveness of sins, and a new heart to put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness
I pray for humility that is exemplified by the suffering substitute that is Christ Jesus

This is not even a major part of my life! She's not even my girlfriend or potential girlfriend! I have priorities to study, to worship and serve You, and to love my friends and family! Why should I spend all this emotional energy and time into something that is not significantly consequential!? She's a blessing to others, You use her well for Your kingdom. Why do I need to get in the way of that with standards or judgments that have a high probability of stumbling her and causing her to falter from Your plan?!

Please help me be slow to speak. And this check will help me listen more. Help me have humility. Please help me. I have not the strength or the ability to fix this. I surrender.

James 2: 8-13

2012-01-18T10:22:00.001-08:00

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.

For he who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

James exhorts us to act according to the law by explaining the law to us. We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. But if we show partiality it isn't fulfilling the law. If we break part of the law we still break all of the law. So James calls us to a higher standard.

In the context of the entire chapter and chapter 1 we see that James is calling us to hear the word and follow what it says. We should not just hear but do what the word says.

Part of doing what the word says is to follow the golden rule: to love our neighbors as ourselves. This implies that we show no partiality. Because we know that God does not favor the rich over the poor, nor the free over the slave, nor the Jew over the Gentile, we remember that God showed no partiality towards us. Therefore, we ought not to favor people to love.

And part of doing what the word says is to not follow parts of it, but to follow all parts of it. It isn't something we can pick and choose. If we break one, we break them all. We are not free to pick which laws to follow.

However, we are free to follow all the laws! What does this mean? We are free to follow all the laws because of mercy bought from the blood of Jesus Christ. We are free in a sense because if we try to follow all the laws, we no longer have to worry or fear from our imperfection. Christ paid for any transgression.

The point is that Jesus's blood allows us to follow the law out of love, rather than obligation. Instead of fearing the punishment from the law, we are free to be covered by Jesus if we make a mistake. This allows us not to forget the law, but to follow it!

Jesus won us a law of liberty. That is why we are under the law liberty not enslaved by it. We are free now to follow the law and not be condemned by it. We are free to "try," to be motivated to follow the law out of love for Jesus Christ. We are free to love everyone equally without partiality. We are free to not murder, and not commit adultery. For me I am free to live purely in my spirit and body, free from sexual sin, free from not trusting God with my needs.

I pray God help me live under the "law of liberty." I pray God help me love Jisoo freely. I pray God help me pray for Adin, Tim, Sean freely. God please bless my sister, brother, and parents; my friends; and my studying today.

James 2: 1-6

2012-01-17T06:41:00.000-08:00

My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

In the last chapter, James exhorts us to act holy under trials and suffering by living by the word. Here, James shows us how partiality is a sin.

There are two lessons here. The first one is that partiality means to "make distinctions" and to "judge"people in a ungodly way. In the example, the person judges people according to their worldly riches and appearance. Partiality means to "favor" unfairly or unjustly as God would.

Secondly, we learn who God favors. God favors those who are poor, those who aren't the best looking, the ones who don't have the best things. Our God is a God who chooses the underdog, the lowly, the people who aren't invited to parties.

Where in my life do I have partiality? Who are the people I favor because they give me something that I want? Who are the people I favor because they help my reputation, because they easily feed my heart, because they have things they could give me? It is easy to love a friend, but it is real love to love an enemy, or to love someone that doesn't give you what you want (or feed your heart easily).

I pray today that I show no partiality. I pray that my actions show the love of Christ. Right now I feel really unfed from my close friends. I really feel like people around me aren't looking out for me or caring if I am doing okay or struggling. I pray that God help me meditate on His word and help me walk close to Him and to be satisfied in God alone. I pray that God help me feed His sheep with now partiality.

James 1: 12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

Please bless my friends today, our advising group, my family, our men's bible study reunion, and my studying today.

James 1: 26-27

2012-01-16T08:05:00.000-08:00

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

In this first chapter, James makes it clear that as humans we are tempted by the devil and our own desires. This leads to sin that manifests itself in various ways: anger, aimlessness, doubt, pursuance of things that will fade away, forgetfulness, filthiness, rampant wickedness, and a worthless religion.

In contrast, we can approach God to receive wisdom without reproach. These temptations or trials can become opportunities to have faith in God. And we can remain steadfast by pursuing the word of truth, for this will help us be pure, help us remember what matters, help us stay in the right direction, help us be meek, and make our religion into something real and pleasing to God.

The word is at the center of this alternative approach to life. We see that a person who meditates on the law must act upon that law. And these verses reveal what that is:

1. "visit orphans and widows in their affliction"

This verse points to people that have been afflicted; they are hurting, there was damage done to them, they are missing something, they are dependent on others, they are vulnerable and in a position where it is hard to sustain themselves, they need help. I want to follow this verse so that my religion is pure and pleasing to God. Who are these people in my life? The people who don't know God, my classmates who are struggling with grades, my classmates who are lonely and aren't fed by anyone, my neighborhood and suburb.

2. "keep oneself unstained from the world"

This point might mean to not engage in activities that aren't edifying to God. I think this means to me, is that I need to stop reading news articles or TV or media that really isn't contributing to my well-being or kingdom mindset. It may also mean to not engage in the acts of my friends, which may be gossiping, making fun of others, or intimidating or putting each other down. This verse could also mean keeping my heart pure from pornography or even tempting thoughts or fantasies. More importantly, this verse reminds me to keep looking at the word, for it is pure. To memorize verses and read scripture to finish the bible.

I pray Lord, that I meditate on Your word and do what it says so that my religion isn't worldly religion, but a way of life that exemplifies Jesus Christ. Help me remember this verse:

James 1: 12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

And help me trust the Lord with all my needs. I pray that God bless my friends, and family. Thank You for protecting me from a potential car accident yesterday. Thank You for blessing me and Van with Cindy and David. Please bless my brother and sister, and parents. I pray You bless TRC and Pastor Jong and his church family; may they be strengthened and transformed by Your word to love selflessly even if it is hard. I pray that I may love Jisoo more, may You shower her with incredible grace and intimacy.

James 1: 22-25

2012-01-15T08:59:00.000-08:00

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

In the last few verses we see that it is the word of God, when implanted in you, that you have wisdom and truth that will save you and transform you into God's righteousness and firstfruits. In contrast, it is Satan and our desires that tempts us to sin, and thus bring us death.

How does the "word" bring forth a holy life? In these verses we see the relationship between the "word" and "doing." First, we see the differences between people who "hear" and people who "hear and do."

Hearers-only deceive themselves
Hearers-only forget who they are like
Angry men are filthy
Angry men have rampant wickedness

And those who "hear and do:"

Look into the perfect law
Look into the law of liberty
Persevere
Are blessed in doing
Produce the righteousness of God
Their souls are saved

These verses in total really point to a kind of person who hears before speaking, who hears the word but also does the word, and perseveres because s/he trusts the Lord with their needs. This person is blessed and their souls are saved.

I pray may I be someone who meditates and looks into the perfect law of liberty, into the word and persevere to remember it and do it. I pray may I meditate on James 1: 12 "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

Please Lord. I sin. I am sinful. Wash me clean for I repent and now go to you asking for wisdom. Help me plan ways to run away from sin and run to You. Help me hate sin. I ask for forgiveness so I can meditate on Your perfect law. May I trust You with all my needs: of intimacy, of love, with my future, my desire for a relationship, my desire to be holy and perfect like You. Help me remain steadfast. Help me persevere through trials by memorizing and doing Your word. Please bless TRC today, my family, friends, and our studying today. Please bless Jisoo with incredible love. Please shower her with Your intimacy in a way no one can.

James 1: 19-21

2012-01-14T08:52:00.000-08:00

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

In the last verses we see that temptation comes from Satan and our sinful desires. This produces sin and death. In contrast, good and perfect gifts, come from God and the Word. This makes us become God's firstfruits, and we will receive the crown of life. This holy living is exemplified by the life of Christ.

Hear we see more in detail how the word of God helps you live like Jesus Christ. We first see that James exhorts us to:

be quick to hear
slow to speak
slow to anger

Why? Because this produces a righteous man of God. Conversely, "anger" makes us unrighteous. More exhortation include:

put away all filthiness
put away rampant wickedness
receive meekness

How so? Through the word. And this word can "save our souls."

What is the main point? We see that the word of truth needs to be "implanted" in us so that we can be God's righteousness and firstfruits of sacrifice. These verses are sandwiched by the "word." The word can "bring us forth" to become firstfruits. Moreover, the "word" can give us "meekness" and save our souls.

Conversely, without the word we speak first and too fast, we have anger. We are "deceived" because of the blinding power of sin and filthiness. This leads to blind judgment and blind anger. Moreover, "rampant" means "flourishing or spreading unchecked! It excess to the point that it blinds you! Therefore, we need the word "implanted" in us! Because when it is implanted, in our hearts and in our thoughts, we are saved from this, saved from being blind, from being unchecked, from excess that comes from anger and a proud heart.

I pray that I can have the meekness to implant the word in me. Humble me O God! Make my heart anew. Help my heart be implanted so that I can love my family and friends. Help me trust in You completely! I don't want a blinded, or half-blinded heart. I don't want a luke-warm heart for You! I want a whole heart for You! I want to be all in! I want to give this day FULLY to You! Please bless my family, friends, Tim's family, and my studying today! Give me opportunities to LOVE YOU and to TELL PEOPLE OF WHO YOU ARE!

God, through meekness and faith may I have the word implanted in me. May I remain in Your word no matter the circumstance, the sin, or the condition of my state.

James 1: 16-18

2012-01-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

James starts with radical joy in the midst of trial and suffering. To do this he exhorts us to have wisdom and faith, which will steer us in the right direction and keep us remembering what is important and valuable. Christ is our model, in whom we see someone blessed and glorified for remaining steadfast and resisting temptation.

Here we see a contrast with the temptation that Satan and our sinful nature brings. Temptation leads to sin, and sin ultimately brings death. In opposition, we see that "from above," from the "Father of lights," comes "good gifts," "perfect gifts." They have no variation or shadow.

Instead of sinful desire there is the "word of truth." Instead of death we see that we become "firstfruits." Firstfruits are the best of the crop, the most perfect animal of the group, the best solely given to be firstfruits for sacrifice.

I need to remember these differences:

Sinful desire comes from me
The word of truth comes from God
Sin leads to death
The gifts of God lead to us becoming firstfruits of sacrifice

I pray that God help me focus on the eternal, on what matters, on what will last. I pray God will help me see with kingdom vision and that what I do now, is incredibly important for my spiritual life. I repent for my sins yesterday, I know I fail so much, but Lord, I go to You asking for wisdom to please and love You more! Please bless the hoodie designs today, please bless my family, friends, and studying.

James 1: 13-15

2012-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

James started with radical joy in the midst of suffering and trial. This is possible if we have faith and wisdom, which allow us to make decisions based on what will last and what is kingdom-important. Just as Christ was tempted but kept the faith for future glory, we too are called to do the same.

Here we see more of who God is. He cannot be tempted. Nor can God tempt people. He does not put us in places to tempt us, to provoke us, or to allure us like bait, into things we know are wrong. In contrast, He does put us in positions for us to grow, he challenges us, he wants to stretch and grow us.

This discernment is important because it changes what you will do when you are tempted. When you are tempted into doing something that you know offends God, realize first that it is the devil. It is Satan that is putting a stumbling blocks so that you will fall and hopefully struggle to get back up to run the course. Secondly, realize that it is sin, the desire for evil in your own heart. You are tempted by your very own evil nature. This desire "gives birth," or produces, sin as a consequence. And wisdom from the bible tells us that this leads to death.

In summary, when tempted:

Recognize that it is Satan that is tempting you
Remember that Satan's purpose is to lead you away from God
Recognize that it is your sinful nature that is tempting you
Remember that sinful desires lead to sin
Remember that sin separates you from God, and leads to death

For me, I really need to remember that in trials and suffering, there is an enemy that wants to use those situations to lead me from God. This hoodie ordeal has really tried to stumble my daily commitment to the word and to remain steadfast in God.

I pray God will help me "remain steadfast," to remember His promise, to know what I am living for: the eternal communion with Christ that is more valuable than anything in this world. I pray for wisdom and more faith to know what plan to take. I pray God will bless my parents, siblings, friends. Please be glorified today.

James 1: 12

2012-01-11T19:25:00.000-08:00

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

James begins the chapter with radical exhortation of being joyful during trials and suffering because through faith it produces steadfastness and perfect you and complete you into someone more like Jesus Christ.

Therefore, we need wisdom to remain steadfast under trial. Wisdom allows us to see "where this will lead us." Wisdom allows us to "stay the course" and not waver or get lost or be distracted. We are headed somewhere when we have wisdom.

Part of having wisdom is seeing what is important, what will last. Earthly riches do not last. Wisdom allows us to see what is long-term. Wisdom allows us to see that what many on this Earth consider valuable or long-lasting is not valuable or long-lasting.

In this context, we see that a man is truly "blessed" when he proceeds with wisdom, faith, and radical joy during trials. He is not being tempted during a trial or suffering. He is not being punished. He is "tested." He is being "refined" like in a fire. For when one is "refined" will he receive the "crown of life."

We see something here. We see Jesus. Jesus Christ was:

Christ was put under trial; he was tempted by Satan
Christ remained steadfast; he let trials make Him complete and mature
Christ had joy; what pleased Christ was pleasing God's will
Christ had wisdom; he had faith to know what will last and what will not
Christ had faith; He believed in God's promises and the "crown of life" he will receive
Christ was blessed; above all beings

Lord, right now I feel embarrassed. I feel stupid for making mistakes. I feel like a burden to others. I feel like I failed. I know that Satan is tempting me, trying to make me think that I am "just a burden," that all I am is "just a stupid student." I want to remain steadfast under trial. I want to stand the test. I go to You with faith that you will not reject me when I ask for wisdom. I ask for wisdom to help me glorify You first and to find a way to solve this situation in my class. I need help, I have nothing to rely anymore, not my strength nor my power, nothing to rely on but the grace of God.

Please help me. Please help me believe in Your promises. That through this I am becoming more like Christ and being made complete. Please help me find joy in suffering. Help me believe that I am blessed. Help me believe in Your promises that Your kingdom will last forever and that I am building on what will last. Help me believe I will receive the crown of life with Christ. I want to remain in Your word no matter what.

Please bless my studying, my times with You, prayer meeting tonight, Sean who is struggling with love, Van who is struggling with school, and my family.

James 1: 9-11

2012-01-09T08:05:00.000-08:00

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

In the last verses James starts radically by exhorting us to find joy in trials and suffering because it tests our faith and proves us. It matures us and makes us perfect and complete. A comfortable, easygoing lifestyle doesn't grow you. A challenging, struggle grows you to be like Christ.

Next James exhorts us to ask God for wisdom. More importantly, ask God with faith. God is generous. He is gracious and wants us to have wisdom to make good choices that will glorify Him and further His kingdom. That is why He wants us to approach Him for wisdom. We need to ask with faith because without faith, one has no wind in his sails, he has no direction, any circumstances can change his course. He is not on solid ground.

Now James exhorts us remember what is important. These verses are still about wisdom. Part of having wisdom is asking in any situation "Where will this lead me?" This is a long-term thinking approach. Wisdom is not near-sighted, only concerned about short-term pleasure, but is thinking about long-term consequences. This is how wisdom can help make decisions. This is discernment.

In these verses, it says consider the wise and poor. In either case, all will pass away. Just as nature is so prone to death and passing, so too is beauty and riches. Therefore, gain wisdom. Have the wisdom to see that riches do not last forever. Have the wisdom to see that what so many, often ourselves included, think is so valuable right now, is not eternally valuable.

So I pray God for wisdom. And I pray with faith that You are generous and will not reject me for coming to You. I pray for wisdom to love Sean. Give me the words and the spirit and the love to minister to him as he is sad. I pray for wisdom to love Lisa. Give me the wisdom to love her in the right way and to love her for who she is. Give me wisdom to make good decisions, edifying decisions, towards my friends. I pray for Stephen Ok and his CPA exam today. I pray for the BMS and M1s as they take their exams today. Please help me with my exam today.

James 1: 5-8

2012-01-07T07:42:00.000-08:00

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

In the last few verses, James started off with a mentality of meeting trials and suffering with joy. This is because his understanding of trials is biblical: trials have a purpose, and it is to test your faith, mature you, and make you holy like Christ.

Here we see that this is a hard lesson. James knows this and therefore now speaks about wisdom. Wisdom is not just knowledge but the ability to judge what is right and will bring most glory to God. In the context of a trial or suffering, we need wisdom in order to let the trial to grow us.

Therefore, we can ask God for wisdom. It makes sense. If wisdom is the ability to make choices that will bring most glory to God, it makes sense that if we ask for wisdom for God, He will give it.

God wants us to ask him for wisdom
God gives wisdom generously
God is not disappointed if we ask him to help us gain wisdom
God will give us wisdom

The only condition is that we ask in faith. What does this mean? It is that we BELIEVE that God IS GIVING US WISDOM, the moment we ask. What is it like to have no faith?

It is like doubting
It is like being one wave of many in a sea
It is like being tossed and driven without your will
It is like being lost and without control
It is being double-minded
It is being unstable

Therefore, asking for wisdom in faith will produce the opposite. You are secure, on land, you will have confidence, and know where you are going. This is because God knows His will and what will best please Him. He will make it happen. God will be glorified. Let us join in what will last, what is unshakeable, what is true.

I pray that when I go through trials, may I, instead of relying on my own strength, depend on God's strength, His wisdom. I pray that I may ask in faith. That when I can't love someone, or my studies are stressful, or when I feel lonely or hopeless or a failure, I pray that I will ask God for help and wisdom and that the trial will grow me more like His Son. I pray that I will ask in faith. I believe that God is answering my prayer right now.

Please bless my family, friends, and studying today. Please be with Tim's father and family. May your presence somehow become real to them and may you use this situation to draw Tim and His family near to You. Please bless Sean and draw Him towards Your kind Word.

James 1: 1-4

2012-01-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

I just thank God for being so holy to me these past few days. His word is truly life-giving and soul-nourishing. I want to seek His word, to feed from His waters, and to live in His house.

In these verses, James starts off with a radical mentality. Instead of seeing trials and suffering as painful, uncomfortable things to be avoided, he sees trials biblically.

Trials have a purpose:

They test faith
They produce steadfastness
They perfect, complete you
They equip you fully

Therefore, there are two exhortations from this truth:

Be joyful when you meet trials
Let steadfastness grow you fully

I pray that when I see trials to love people, may I seek it as joy to test my faith and may I let these trials become opportunities for me to grow and be holy like Jesus Christ.

I pray that I be like Jesus who met trials, endured the cross, because of the "joy set before Him." For me to see the purpose of trials. For me to see how I can be holy and unconditionally loving. For me to love like Jesus and have my heart grow bigger. May I be like Jesus and accept God's plans joyfully, because I know I am becoming more complete!

Please pray for my family, friends, and studying for my exam.

Hebrews 13: 20-21

2012-01-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Again the author begins with truths which are meant to lead to exhortations. Here we learn about who God is:

God of peace
God who has the power to raise the dead
Christ who has conquered death
Christ is the great shepherd
Christ's blood completes our covenant with God
God equips us with everything good to do His will
Christ is glorified forever

As I think about these things, I really thank God for the power of His love. It is so powerful. There is really power to read verses every morning because it is His actual words to me. They have power to cut and divide. They give peace. And His peace is sweet. His closeness is sweet. His mercies are sweet. His word is always true. He is patient. He endures. He endures all sin and waste and distrust and hate and violence we give Him. He endures my selfishness and blindness and yet he equips me.

These verses are sweet because God is the author of the universe. He creates and destroys. He has all the authority and power in the universe. Yet he equips me with everything good.

I pray that God be glorified forever; that He may be honored and worshiped for who He is. I pray that God be loved for who He is. I pray that God be loved for who He is. I pray that God be loved for being God.

I want to obey God because He is God. Please help me. Remove my blindness, my selfishness. Cast my sins off of me. Help me see truth. And your tender mercies, your sweet forgiveness. Please bless my friends with peace. Please bless my family with truth. Please equip me to study well to be a doctor.

Hebrews 13: 17-19

2012-01-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things. I urge you the more earnestly to do this in order that I may be restored to you the sooner.

Lessons:

Obey your leaders
Leaders watch over your soul and will give an account of your soul
It is advantageous to submit to their joy
Act honorably and with clear conscience

Offer sacrifices that are pleasing to God. Sacrifices of praise, to do good, to obey, to act honorably, with clear conscience. I pray God will help me submit to our leader, Jesus Christ. To follow His example. To live worthy of the Gospel. To live pleasing to God.

I pray for my friends, family, and my studies and exam today.

Hebrews 13: 10-16

2012-01-03T07:38:00.000-08:00

We have an altar from which those who serve the tent have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy places by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp. So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

In these verses we see that Christ is analogous to the animals sacrificed by the priests. The blood was brought into the holy places while the body was burned outside the camp. Jesus died and sacrificed himself, body and blood, so that we can can be "sanctified."

Christ is our suffering substitute, we live for an unshakeable kingdom, and God is a consuming fire. These are the truths of Hebrews 12. Now we see these truths again and are exhorted to act upon these truths. These verses show that Christ is the sacrifice allowing us to approach God. Moreover, the next verse is about living for a city, a kingdom, that is not of the world. It is a city to come. Moreover, we see that we ourselves a sacrifice. And through this we see that God is that fire! He burns us as sacrifices! Therefore, let us do good, share, because these are the sacrifices we now give!

I pray for a sustainable relationship with the word. School has started and I want to make the word my priority. So I need time to make the word very doable in my mornings when I am rushed. I pray that God will help me find time to meet with Him above all other things in the day. I pray that I live for an unshakeable city, than a worldly city. I pray that I be a burning and pleasing sacrifice to God today.

Please bless my family, friends, and my studying today. Please bless lunch small group today.

Hebrews 13: 7-9

2012-01-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them

Christ was our suffering substitute, we live for an unshakeable kingdom, and God is a consuming fire. These are the truths the author writes about. Now the author exhorts us. Here he calls us to be strengthened by grace.

The author in particular is warning against teachings that elevate food as the way to achieve "benefit." There are other teachings out there. Buddhism, Islam, Baha'ism, etc. Many of these ways proclaim that they will save you or secure you. But in Christianity, it is not merit or works or strict adherence to a rule. It is grace. Grace strengthens you. When I feel like a failure, where do I turn to? Where do I ask for help or comfort or pleasure? Is it grace? When I wake up do I seek grace? If it is a day after a terrible day, do I seek grace? If it was a bad year, do I seek grace the next year? Grace strengthens me and benefits me.

The author mentions to remember past leaders of the word. It highlights to look at their outcome, their end of life, and their faith. We look at their life and see how they are strengthened by grace. We look at their life and see they are strengthened by grace until the end of their life. We see faith in their entire life. I really now find it valuable to find older people to imitate, maybe someone to disciple me. I also find it important to read biographies of missionaries and doctors.

Lastly, we see that Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever. This is important because when we look at saints or missionaries's lives. We see that they are strengthened until the end by grace. This is only possible because Christ is the same at the beginning to the end. He is the same for us. Christ will never go away or change. He will remain. Friends may go. Family may go. But Christ will stay and strengthen me.

I pray for Christ to stay with me this year. I pray that my food in the morning will be His word. I want to remain in His word no matter the circumstance or sin. I pray God will help me focus on older people so I can imitate their Christ-like character. Please bless my family today. Bless my sis, bro, mother, father, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, my friends, give them safe passage here. And please help me fight sin and study for Your glory!

Hebrews 13: 1-6

2012-01-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

Let brotherly love continue.
Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

The author moves on to give us new endorsements in light of previous said truths: we are working for an unshakeable kingdom and God is a consuming fire. Here I think is appropriate for the new year. It lists several areas in a life that the author thinks are important.

Let brotherly love continue

This implies that it has already begun. In the previous chapter, we see that the author talks about the story of Esau. Earlier he talks about "striving" for peace with everyone by giving them "grace." This will cause no bitterness.

Show hospitality to strangers

This means to give grace not only to your brother, but to people you do not know. This may mean to love and serve people who cannot pay you back. This is pleasing to God.

Remember those in prison or mistreated

This is about justice. I need to remember those who are weaker or suffering injustice. I need to pray for them and even act as though I am with them in "prison." I need to empathize, sympathize with others.

Honor marriage and be sexually pure

This is about treating my body as a temple and honoring marriage as being the picture of Christ and the church. I really need work in this area. I need to meditate on honoring God and giving Him full reverence. And then honoring marriage to purify my thoughts.

Be content with what I have

This means to love God more and value things in this world less. I am really prone to technology and buying clothes because I have money through my loan. I need to value His Word above all other things. I want Him to be an unconditional want and to be so much greater in position in my heart.

Remember God "is with us" and is my "helper"

This means I need to remember to walk "with" God. This means I need to remember Him as I live my life and to know that I am not working on my own strength, nor am I alone in this world. I know I am prone to relying on my plans and abilities. I know I am prone to being lonely and feeling like no one is helping me or loving me.

Overall, these verses hang on previous truths that I know: Christ was the suffering substitute that speaks a newer better word into my heart, the Kingdom of God is unshakeable as all other things will fall away, and God is a consuming fire. With this in mind, I am moved to live in these holy ways. I pray that God help me love people (strangers), love my brother (family), love my wife (marriage), be content with worldly possessions, and to remember the character of God.

I pray for purity and for a new life this year. I pray that I LEARN EVEN MORE things about God this year. He has really blessed me. And I want to REMAIN IN HIS WORD NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE this year. I don't care if my grades are falling, or my career is failing, or the world is ending, I want to remain in His word. I want to love Christ so much more this year. I pray for an erasure of last years regrets and failures, a cleaning possible because of the suffering Christ. I thank Him and I live now more in Him. Please bless my family today, my possible traveling, my studying. Thanks God!!!

Hebrews 12: 25-29

2011-12-31T06:54:00.000-08:00

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven.

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

In the last few verses we see the author showing us that we can be driven by fear or by the suffering Christ. Esau was an example of someone who traded God's grace with worldly pleasure. The author then mentions two experiences of God: one in which a voice of terror and gloom oppresses you, and the other in which the suffering Christ and His blood speak to you.

Here we see what the message of that voice speaking to you is. It is that everything in this world will be shaken so that the only thing that remains is the unshakable, the Kingdom of God.

God gives us many warnings. He gives Esau as an example. We also see that the Moses and the Jewish people have seen terrible shakings of God warn them. But here, it is different. This shaking is the end of the world:

Before his shaking was only on earth. But this new shaking will shake the heavens and all else
This is a promise. A final fulfillment, not just a warning as all other shakings are.
This final shaking has a purpose, it is to shake everything but the unshakable: the kingdom of God

And there are two responses to this final shaking:

Be grateful for an unshakeable kingdom
Offer God acceptable, worship, reverence, and awe

This is what I need to do. I need to realize that all worldly possessions and statuses will go away. I need to realize that even my character, my little kingdom I create, my idols will be shaken off. I need to realize that all pleasures in this world will fade away.

I also need to shape up and discipline myself so that I can give God what is acceptable to Him. I need to be Holy like Him. I need to give proper reverence and awe. I pray God will help me. I feel so defeated and spoiled. I pray God will crush all sin and blemish inside from me. I pray for a new day, a new beginning, a new start. I feel weighted and anchored and tied to so many sins that tangle and slow me down. I want to strip them and run free now. I feel guilty and ashamed. I am sorry God. Help me. I feel tired. I feel weak. I want to be different and Holy for You. Redeem me. Clean me. Make me new.

I pray that I really NEVER leave the Word. No matter what circumstance or sin, I WILL REMAIN IN THE WORD. God help me. You and Your Word are number one. Your Word will be the first thing I do in the morning. Regardless of how stressed I feel about my exams or studying or sin. I will return to Your Word. Because it is Your Word, Your Kingdom, it is You that is unshakeable. I will give proper reverence to Your Word. I want it my priority no matter how strongly my sinful nature craves temptation.

Please help me do my studying today. Please help me finish my poems and turn them in. Please help me finish ECR extra credit, study for PSPP. Please help me love my friends and family. Please bless Sean and Van today.

Hebrews 12: 18-24

2011-12-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

See that you do not refuse him who is speaking

In the previous verses we learned that Esau exchanged his birthright for a meal. Esau exchanged the grace of God for world pleasures.

In these verses we see two experiences, two voices. In one it is full of fear, begging, non-enduring, terror, darkness, gloom, and an oppressive voice. In the other we see a living God, festal gathering, perfect spirits, an sprinkled blood-- another voice, that speaks a better word.

Like Esau, the first experience is driven by fear. But in the second experience, the main message is not fear but the suffering substitute, Jesus.

Jesus, because He died and was our substitute, reveals an entirely new experience. It is not something oppressive that sends people to fear. But it is something that assembles people, a community, in covenant with God, all made possible with Jesus. It is significant to note that there is no quote of a voice here. It is an action that speaks. It is the sacrifice of a suffering God that speaks. And this word is better, stronger, more powerful, more persuading.

The suffering Christ is a "word" that is more persuading than a voice that instills fear. And that is why it is even more important to hear this word than the previous word of fear. When people criticize the motivation of fear in the bible, these verses prove that it is not fear we are motivated by, but God Himself who kills His very own Son for love, that will motivate us.

I pray that God help me not refuse Him today. I hear His voice as I meditate on His sacrifice. I want to fight against temptation. I want to run away from evil thoughts and sin. I want to run to Him. I pray God will help me pray, meditate on Christ, to love my family and friends, and to study for His glory! Please bless Van and Sean today.

Hebrews 12: 16-17

2011-12-29T11:23:00.001-08:00

that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.

The previous verses emphasized the importance of being at peace with everyone by holding no bitterness and giving grace unconditionally. A community can only be at peace if people are willing to love and serve unconditionally, especially when it is undeserved or unearned.

We need to do this as part of our training and discipline. When we discipline ourselves we are denying our sinful nature and feeding our spiritual nature. Through this we become holy and like God, we deepen our faith, and we transform into mature children of God.

In this mindset, the author recalls the story of Esau and Jacob. Esau gave up his birthright because of hunger. Esau gave up the grace of God's for worldly pleasure. In a community of disciplined believers, Christians must give grace to others and accept grace from others.

This passage can mean 2 things:

One must not exchange the pain of God's discipline for the pleasures of this world
One must not reject the grace of God and the grace that people give you in a community

I must accept pain and suffering because it is making me holy, deepening my faith, and maturing me as a son of God. I must accept grace and keep it. I mustn't reject it or exchange it for short-term pleasures of this world. When I think of Esau I need to remember that God has a plan. God is not punishing me. God is disciplining me as His son. God is refining me. I need to accept this because it is grace. It is a gift to be God's son that God disciplines. I need to not be like Esau who rejects the discipline of God. I need to accept God's grace and not long for pleasures of this world.

I pray God will help me repent and meditate on Him. I pray that God bless my thoughts, help me watch them, help me fight sin. I pray God will bless my family and friends and my studying today.

Hebrews 12: 14-15

2011-12-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled

There are reasons that we endure suffering form discipline:

for our good
for us to share in His holiness
for us to yield righteous fruit

The theology behind this is that we have two natures as a Christian: a sinful nature, and a spirit's nature. This is shown in Romans 7 and Matthew 16.

Discipline is like training. When we train we deny our sinful nature, we thrive our spirit's nature. Like physical training, it may hurt but we know it is for our good. Like physical training, we need a regiment, a plan, a strategy, to grow our spirit's nature. We need to equip ourselves and prepare ourselves to be trained.

In these verses, part of training yourself is to be at "peace with everyone." This means that there should be no bitterness between you and others. How can we do this? We do this by seeing that everyone obtain the "grace of God." What does this mean?

To be at peace with everyone is to hold no bitterness. This is only possible if we give the grace of God to everyone: love and service unconditionally especially when it is unearned or undeserved. This is an amazing plan. We see that one cannot hold bitterness if the other person is giving love and service despite what happened between them, what they say, or do. This I have experienced. This is how you can be at peace. This is how you can prevent "trouble" and the pain of sin and "defilement" or a relationship.

I pray that God help me forgive quickly because He forgave me. I pray God will help me strive for peace with everyone. I don't want to strive to correct other's thinking or enforce my ways. I strive for peace first. Even if that means to love and serve someone when they don't deserve it. Help me live these verses out today Lord. Please bless my family and friends. Please help me love my family today. Please help me study and be productive. Help me glorify You and give this day back to You.

Hebrews 12: 12-13

2011-12-27T10:43:00.000-08:00

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed.

Discipline means to deny our sinful nature while cultivating our spirit's nature. This is why discipline hurts. But this is why it transforms us into God's holy children. This is why we have to deny ourselves in order to become our true selves.

When we discipline ourselves we share in God's holiness, we gain peace, and we bear fruits of righteousness. When we are disciplined we grow as God's children. This is why we "train" ourselves!

To discipline ourselves is to "train" ourselves:

we lift our hands
we strengthen our knees
we make straight paths for our feet

To me, lifting my drooping hands means to put them to work. They shouldn't be idle or lazy and "drooping." They should be raised and on task with a mission. My knees need to be strengthened because they need to make my body stand. I need to be standing, to be in action, to be in a position that I can move. Making straight paths means that I need a mission before me. I need a goal or task. I need to have something that I can move to and follow through. I need a plan.

I pray that God help me set a disciplined plan before me. I need to strategize to fight sin and to be productive in studying. I need to endure and be trained to love my family fully. I pray God will make meaningful my interactions with my family and cousins. May He bless my time for His glory!

Hebrews 12: 10-11

2011-12-26T10:33:00.000-08:00

For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

According to Hebrews 12, suffering comes from 2 things:

From sin: As a consequence and from fighting, resisting, enduring temptation.
From discipline: because our sinful natures are being deprived as our spirit's nature thrives.

These verses show us that there is a reason for suffering that comes from discipline:

It is for our good
It allows us to share in His holiness
It yields fruit of righteousness

First of all, I need to remember some theology about why suffering takes place when we become more like Christ. Why is it that it is painful to be disciplined? Why is it painful to become holy? Why is it that to produce true, everlasting, righteous fruit we need to endure suffering?

It is because we have two natures: a sinful and spirit's nature. In Matthew 16:24

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."

Moreover, in Romans 7: 21-23

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members

These two verses reveal that Christ himself said that to follow Christ and to be like Him is to deny yourself and to endure suffering. In Romans, it explains why denying yourself is painful: it is because there are two natures in you-- when you deny yourself, you deny the desires of your sinful nature. Yet it also explains why denying yourself produces holiness and fruits of righteous and why it is for our good: when we deny our sinful nature, we are feeding our spiritual nature.

This is what discipline means: it means to deny our sinful nature in order to cultivate our spiritual nature. This is why it is hard to be a Christian. This is why their is pain and suffering when we fight sin. This is why when we endure we become like Christ. This is why discipline is needed for us to grow and mature. This is why discipline grows us into God's very own children.

I need to pray today to realize that suffering comes from sin and comes from discipline. I should really pray and not be surprised that I feel lonely, or not fed, or in pain because it is my sinful nature that is dying. It is so easy for me to respond to pain by running away from it and going to the closest thing that will feed me and give me pleasure. I need to pray about my suffering, injustice, sin. I need to think and even embrace the denial of myself because I know and believe that it is for my good. I am sharing in his holiness. Moreover, I am building on a kingdom that will last.

Christ needs to be my strength to endure. It is the promises in these scriptures and the example of Christ that can help me endure suffering and be holy. In Hebrews 12: 3 "Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." He endured, He suffered. For whom? For us! When I am suffering, it gains ourselves holiness. When Christ suffers, it gains us holiness. That is the love of God.

Please bless me today. Help me give back to You this day. Help me love my family and friends. Help me be mindful of how you came to us, to suffer, and produce for us fruits of righteousness. Help me love my brother and sister and bless my parents and cousins.

Hebrews 12: 7-9

2011-12-24T11:03:00.000-08:00

It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?

I need to fix my eyes on Jesus. When I consider his suffering against unjust sinners, then I am able to resist sin and temptation. Moreover, when we resist, endure, or suffer, we are also being disciplined as sons by our God, our father.

In these verses, suffering comes from 2 things:

Suffering comes from resisting temptation, fighting sin, and enduring sins from sinners
Suffering can come from discipline from God because we are His sons

Therefore we "endure" for these same 2 reasons. Jesus endured the cross, Jesus endured hostility against himself from sinners: and now we endure the race before us, we endure and throw off sin or anything that hinders us, we endure the discipline of God.

If I think about it, it is really not fair for God. When Christ suffers, he isn't gaining anything. He takes our punishment. Moreover, he endures pain from sinners who are against him. For us, when we suffer, it is because it is our sin that inflicts pain to us. When we suffer, it is discipline from God so that we can grow as His sons. Christ is perfect and without sin, suffering should not come to Him. Christ is already the son of God, he should not have to be disciplined like we do. God is amazing. His love is so outward!

I pray that God help me love Him today and celebrate that HE IS THE ONE THAT CAME TO US. We did not go to Him. Christ came into our world, our mess, our baggage. I pray that God help me meditate on his birth. May He bless my family and friends. May He bless the food and fellowship today. May He bless the people at Mass. May He bless most of all His Son who did everything for us.

Hebrews 12: 5-6

2011-12-23T18:09:00.000-08:00

And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

NO MATTER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCE OR SIN, I WILL REMAIN IN THE WORD OF GOD.

The last QTs were about accountability and the word of God. These two things keep me from sin and keep me closer to God. Yesterday's QT was about fixing my eyes on Jesus and meditating on his suffering and endurance. This is where strength to fight sin comes from.

Today my QT is about discipline and sin. When we consider Him, Jesus, who endured the cross, even against sinners, we find a richer picture of who God is when he disciplines us:

Jesus suffered on the cross and submitted to his very enemies
In life, we are not punished, but disciplined
When we meditate on Jesus, our sin, and discipline, we see how much God loves us
God is our father, and we are His sons

Discipline is sometimes harsh, painful, uncomfortable. But to FIGHT sin, we need to actually FIGHT: this means "shedding" our blood, this means resisting to the point of pain, this means enduring. We can do this because Jesus did this! Jesus endured, resisted, fought, suffered through, and submitted to God.

Moreover, we endure, resist, fight, suffer, and submit to God because God is our father and we are His sons! We are not just resisting sin and fighting it, we are also being disciplined by God to be worthy of being called His sons! We are becoming more like Jesus.

2 things from this QT:

Fighting sin means enduring, resisting, suffering through, struggling against. It's painful
Discipline is not punishment. We are becoming like Christ and like worthy sons of God.

I pray God help me love my cousins and my family today. I pray God will help me "consider him" so that I can be confident and have strength to resist temptation when it enters my mind. I pray that God help me love Van and pray for Sean, Lisa. I pray God help me focus on studying. Please prepare my heart for missions and marriage!

Hebrews 12: 3-4

2011-12-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Yesterday, my quiet time taught me 3 things:

I need to be surrounded by witnesses/accountability
I need to throw off anything that hinders me or stumbles me
I need to fix my eyes on Jesus

Practically, I need to check my thoughts and cut off any thoughts that I know will lead to sin or stumble me. I need to avoid actions that I know have the tendency to mislead me. Watch my thoughts, stick to my schedule. I need to play video games only if it helps me love my family or friends. I need to fast from games that involve only me. I need to make a schedule each day: with goals and flexibility. I need to sleep early and to wake early.

My issue with Lisa really showed where my heart is. I need to sober up! I need to get it together. I need to do my quiet times every morning! I need to focus. This is vital because sin has been insidious and crept into my life and entangled me. These verses are really good because I need to fix my eyes on Jesus. What did he do? He endured. He withstood unjust actions to Himself. I fix my eyes on Jesus. I fix my eyes on his complete determination withstand pain, suffering, injustice.

When you fix your eyes on Jesus you do not grow weary or faint, you are strengthened. I am not fighting sin at all. My fists are not even clenched or up. I am not like a focused boxer. I need to get it together. Focus.

I pray God will help prepare my heart for this advent season. I pray God will help me love Lisa, love my friends, and love my family. Please bless me even thought this QT is late. Help me. NO MATTER WHAT SIN OR CIRCUMSTANCE, I WILL REMAIN IN THE WORD OF GOD.

Hebrews 12: 1-2

2011-12-21T07:14:00.000-08:00

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith

Right now I am really disgusted with sin. I am horrified, terrified, ashamed, embarrassed; I feel weak, vulnerable, exposed; I feel like a failure and I am just sad that I fell into sins that I thought I conquered already.

However, what blesses me is this verse. It says that "since" we are surrounded by witness, let us "throw" off our sin that stumbles us. There are 3 things that I learn from this verse.

One: it is that I need to be surrounded by witnesses. This is a new thing in life. I am being super transparent and vulnerable to Van. I am telling him everything I do and feel. I am being transparent with him about my anger, who I like, what I am sad about. I've never had this before. On one hand, I feel really weak and vulnerable to him, on the other I feel very free. I feel like if I can tell him anything, I am guarding my heart and I feel accountable. Accountability is really keeping me from sinning. If I know I have to tell him everything, I automatically check what I am doing, in front of girls or alone or in my head, and make sure it is pleasing and edifying. I use shame and embarrassment in a good way: I don't want to do something that is shameful if I told Van.

Two: This accountability keeps me from sin. And when I see sin, I need to "throw" it off. Moreover, I need to throw off ANYTHING/EVERYTHING that stumbles me. I need to learn how to cut my thoughts when I know they are on a track to sin. This means watching my every thought and checking to see if it is wholesome and pure. This means that I have to be wise about what I look and think about and watch out for habits or thinking tracks that I know are vulnerable for me to sin. Whether it is lusting thoughts, or judging thoughts, or failure thoughts. As for sin itself, I need to throw it off. I need to push it away. I need to punch it out of my life. Be strong and confident and forceful and aggressive about fighting sin.

Three: I need to fix my eyes on Jesus. I am sinning right now because I am not in the word. I pray that God help me do my QTs consistently and make sure I am in the word, in His thoughts, in His mind, fixed on Jesus. The word washes. The word purifies and cleans my thoughts. It directly is tied to how I am fed that day. It directly inversely correlates to my hunger for sin.

I pray God please bless my family and friend. Help us love each other well. I pray for forgiveness, I was really mean and critical to Lisa. Please help me fight jealousy. I am more jealous than I think I am. Please help me do what I need to do this break to love You more.

John 8: 24, 29

2011-12-10T13:42:00.000-08:00

I told you that you would die in your sins, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.

This passage is Christ explicitly telling the jews the truth about who He is. Christ lays the foundations that people need to know to understand Christ's true value.

First, he explains that Christ is not from this world, he is not from below, but from above. Christ explains that sin will cause you to die. What I get from this verse is that sin is equated to death. And as I meditate on this more I am refreshed to understand the severity of sin. Sin does two things:

1) it breaks the relationship you have with God. God is justice but is also love. Sin is a violation of justice. God is so infinitely pure that anything we do that is imperfect must be punished infinitely, to be fair and just. God cannot have a relationship with us if it violates his justice, that is why sin cuts us from a relationship with God.

2) Sin is unhealthy for our spiritual souls. Sin has consequences. Sin really keeps us from being who we are made to be, in the image of God. Sin in itself deviates us from a spiritual life of love, peace, hope. Sin makes us spiritually sick.

I love God. I know there is a spirit in me that loves Him. And it is hard to fight sin, to fight selfish desires. But I really trust and put active faith in God. I want Him to take ALL of me. I want Him to rule in ALL parts of my life. I don't want to sin and desire evil thoughts or pleasures anymore. I want to live free. I want to live abundantly. So I feast on His word to purify me and to align my thoughts and heart to God.

Lord, please bless Van, Esther, Jisoo and my friends and family today. Please bless my future spouse and family. Please bless us as we seek to be more like You. Help us hate sin and love You more.

Philippians 3: 12-13

2011-11-29T11:52:00.000-08:00

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

To know Christ is to know something of surpassing greatness. To know Christ makes everything in this world look like rubbish. Why? Because to know Christ is to have a relationship with Him, it is to have marriage-relationship with Him, it is to be in union with Him. To be in union with Him is to participate, to share, with Him in power, life, suffering, and resurrection.

That is the prize that Christ has won for us. It is something not earned nor worked for. It is not something we deserve. This is why Paul writes that "Christ has made me his own." We have not a God that sits afar, being apart and above our lives. We have a personal God. A God who wants to be integral to our lives, to be part of it. We have a relational God.

The fascinating thing about it is that we can have more in that relationship. A relationship is not static. A relationship grows. This is why Paul is motivated! He is not content with the way things are. He loves God! He wants to know Him more!

This is the beautiful paradox! We haven't earned it and we already have it: a relationship with God. Yet paul writes that he "presses on toward the goal." This is the beautiful paradox of a relationship! You grow! You move one! You work!

For me, I forgot about God over Thanksgiving break. I took a break from our relationship. I stopped listening to Him, I stopped talking to Him, I stopped praying and reading. But now, I want to go back. I thank God that we have a God that is patient and long-suffering. I feel really guilty, but God payed for my sin. And I, like Paul, forget what is behind and strain forward to what lies ahead. I ask God, "forgive my sin." I in faith move on to grow our relationship.

Please bless Eric. I plead with You God to show the POWER of Your LOVE. Make it known because You are GOD. I ask You give wisdom to Danielle. Grow her. And please bless the fellowship as we pray and love Eric. Please bless my studying and my friends. Grow us!

Colossians 3: 3

2011-11-28T16:46:00.000-08:00

For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God... Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.

These verse reminds me of Galatians 6: 24:

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

And these verses remind me what God said to me when I committed myself to Christ. Crying on that one Sunday morning, during worship, he said to me:

I will be your father. And you will be my son. This is my covenant I will keep to you.

I really think God is teaching me a great deep truth through all of this. From my testimony, to Pastor Peter's sermon, to this Colossians verse, I am learning that when you know you belong to God, when you are God's and not your own, when you have died and have this new life, that is when you are able to live differently in this world.

It's not the other way around. It's not: deny yourself this, follow these rules, and then you can be with Christ in God; nor is it if you change yourself in these specific ways, you are eligible for "son" status; if you follow these membership characteristics, you now "belong" to his group.

No. You start with death. You are dead to that way of thinking. You are dead to thinking that works equate to reward. You are now alive. You have a different life. Your real life is having an identity with Christ first, unearned, freely given.

I need to meditate on this more. I belong to Christ. I am his. He has my real life. I want to give Him more. Please pray for my friends, my family, and my studying. And more opportunity to serve and share You gospel.

Galatians 1: 3-5

2011-11-21T05:12:00.000-08:00

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen

Paul starts his letter to the Galatians with the gospel. It first starts with stating truths about God. God is our Father. Jesus is Christ and Lord. Then Paul mentions what God did. He gave "himself" and "rescued us." From what? From what is against us: from evil and for our sins. Lastly, Paul mentions that it is all according to the "will" of God. We now praise him for "glory" belongs to Him forever.

The words that struck out to me were "to rescue us." I really need rescue. I feel defeated. I feel like I have no control in my life. I feel frustrated because I can one moment love God so intensely and read his word with so much devotion, yet the next moment I can be in love with sin and pleasure. I feel scizo. I feel bipolar. I feel like two different halves.

But Christ came to "rescue us." There is an enemy: our sin, this present evil age. It is a spiritual battle. It is spiritual warfare. There is a fight. There is struggle. I need a hero to win. I have to read this verse and meditate on it more. At the beginning it says "Grace and peace" are to me from God.

I pray that God help me depend on Him as a hero. I pray for the Holy Spirit to come fill this space today, I am prone to sinning at home after school, late at night. I can't stop myself alone. I can't prevent myself with my strength. I need the Holy Spirit. I don't need to try more, but I need to pray more beforehand, to run from evil NOW! To pray NOW! To meditate NOW! To strategize NOW! My sin is strategizing right now so I need to plan further ahead of it. Please help me father. I need a rescuer. I know my redeemer lives.

Please bless today. Help me love you more and read your word more! That is how I will fight sin. I surrender this day to give back to You in whatever You need and to whatever Your wants are. Please help me surrender and sing to You more. Please bless my studies, friends, family in faith I pray.

Philippians 4: 19

2011-11-19T07:27:00.001-08:00

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

Paul ended his letter with encouragement: we do not have to be anxious but we can pray with faith, we can gain peace if we keep our eyes on heavenly things, and we can be content in any circumstances if we rely on God's strength.

In this verse, Paul ensures the Philippians, that God will meet all their needs according to the riches of Christ. What significant to notice is that the previous verses were about how the Philippians have Paul's needs. He has expressed how thankful he is and that the Philippians were the only supporters of Paul.

Moreover, Paul explains that their giving is an expression of their heart to God. Their giving is credit to them. Their heart is noticed by God and is a "fragrant offering." It is not only credit, but a participation and fulfillment of being like Christ. They share in being like Christ through their sacrifice. And in this verse, it is Christ's riches that will fulfill THEIR needs.

I think it is Christ that hinges all these things together. It can easily be seen as if Paul is saying "Serving me is serving God and if you serve me you will get what you want." However, Paul says two things that change this. Paul says he "doesn't seek a gift" but for anything that "increases" their "credit;" and he says verse 19, it is Christ's "glorious riches" that will meet their needs. These two verses mean that Paul really is wanting the Philippians to gain more of Christ by being like Christ.

For me I am very distracted lately. There have been so many things I have been doing this week: extracurricular, clubs, emails, projects, friends. I really feel even stressed out about emails, shirt designs, and this Hillsong concert that has tickets we still need to sell. But I think I need to keep my eyes on heavenly things, I need to pray without anxiety but with faith. I need to give and remember it is about Christ.

Lord, please protect me from sin, please make me more like You, please bless us as we find those who want to go to the Hillsong concert today. Please bless my meeting with Annie. Please bless my family. Please help me find time to study.

Philippians 4: 16-19

2011-11-18T06:51:00.000-08:00

Even in Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. I have received full payment, and more. I am well supplied, having received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable and pleasing to God.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Paul ends his letter by imparting peace. He reminds us to pray with faith not anxiety, to keep our eyes focused on heavenly things, and to be content about any situation by relying on God's strength.

Here, he thanks the Philippians for their support and gifts. He is wise to remind them the theology of gift-giving and the purpose. He states that he seeks gifts because he wants "fruit" that can be credited to them. How can giving a "gift" be fruit and credit to someone? In Col 3:24, Paul states that when we serve men, we are really serving Jesus Christ. I think this is what Paul is thinking when he tells the Philippians that giving to Paul shows God their heart and love for Jesus Christ. We can bless people by letting them bless us.

Moreover, he describes the gifts as a "fragrant offering, a sacrifice acceptable." This reminds me of Romans 12:1 "present your bodies as a living sacrifice." In Ephesians 5:2 "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." When we give or sacrifice for the benefit of others, we are being like Christ. We do not giving meaningless gifts or sacrifices for the sake of sacrificing. When we give we participate and act like Jesus Christ. These gifts build people up and honor God.

Lastly, our gifts and sacrifices are not themselves not what God wants, but through these actions, our hearts posture themselves in a way that pleases God; for the heart is what God wants. So today, I ask God to help me posture my heart to give gifts and to sacrifice, to serve others and listen to them, to meet people where they are at and to really try to provide what they are needing, to know people deeply and share with them a love that can fulfill them.

I pray that God bless everyone I've contacted today. May they not remember anything selfish or self-glorifying, but may they only remember the Spirit of You! May they somehow fall in love with You through me. Please bless my bit of studying today, please bless my service to others today, please bless the CMDA thanksgiving dinner today. I pray You transform us and inspire us today.

Philippians 4: 11-13

2011-11-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Paul ends by reminding us about the power of prayer, to keep our eyes and heart focused on heavenly things, and lastly shares the attitude of being content. Overall, he ends his letter sharing an incredible kind of peace.

Paul is thankful for the gifts and support of the Philippians. He really appreciates it not because he is "need" of the gifts are "dependent" because it is God who provides and "gives strength." Paul isn't diminishing the value of their gift, but really is thankful, he "rejoices," he states later that he is looking for "what may be credited to your account," meaning these gifts are really evidence of the state of their hearts and God will honor them.

When one is fully dependent on God, for power and strength and their needs, one can truly become content. Paul is content no matter the circumstances. Paul's faithfulness to God is not dependent on whether the Philippians support him, if the people accept him, if he is comfortable, or even if he has what he needs to do ministry. Paul really believes he "can do everything" through God's strength.

For me, this really challenges me to ask myself if I am truly content right now. Do I feel his peace? Do I feel like I am lacking anything? Do I feel inadequate for certain tasks? And more so, I think this is relevant for when I go into the mission field. There may be so many things that are absent that I think I will believe would be necessary for fruit. Perhaps I will complain of lack of quality Christians, lack of an organized church, lack of friends or moral support, lack of resources, lack of knowledge, lack of capability. I know I am prone to complain about things that I really think I need for ministry.

Yet God is so good with this word. I need to pray with faith and without anxiety; I need to keep my eyes on heavenly things; I need to rely on God's strength. This attitude, this way of life, can bring peace and contentment.

I pray that God help me meditate on His strength. That is the key to contentment. I pray God will bless my studying today, my classmates and professors, large group today, and my family. I pray for Chantelle to grow incredibly, and Esther, and Van, and for the fellowship to be strongly tied to one another as a body.

Philippians 4: 8-9

2011-11-16T05:50:00.000-08:00

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

Having a prayer said with faith requires a right attitude. After Paul talks about prayer, he reminds us again that we should focus our attention to heavenly things. We have a relationship with Christ and we want to grow it. We want to be with and become like Christ. We pray for what we need and we believe our prayers to be answered through faith. We keep our eyes on Christ and Christ-like people.

I think keeping our focus on edifying things keeps us from sinning. Paul mentions many attributes that are really characteristics of God. Part of what keeps us sinning is looking at God. Moreover, looking at God can mean constantly reading the word and keeping scripture in our thoughts. When we read we clean our minds and focus our attention on what is clearly things about God.

In addition, Paul mentions that we focus on what is admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy. I think Paul means that we should focus our attention on things that are out of this world, things that stand out, things that are above the rest, things that stand apart from the norm, things that are holy and different. What this means to me is that I need to remember especially blessing moments in my life, to remember miracles and how God saves, to remember when it was clear God had a hand in this experience.

Lastly, Paul reminds us to "put it into practice." I need to not just have "head" knowledge, but I need to have "heart" knowledge. It needs to be in my thoughts and to be shown in my actions.

What this all means to me is that I need to keep doing my devotionals and to do them early in the morning. Moreover, I am free to memorize verses and to finish the bible. Right now I have this hunger to read the bible and finish it. I am going through Job and it is so full of treasures and insights. I pray that God really help me as I read, to be consistent, and to schedule my time wisely. I also pray God help me make accountability. I pray God help me be more like Him and to commit my studying for His glory.

Philippians 4: 4-7

2011-11-15T05:51:00.001-08:00

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand;

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Paul ends his letter with exhortations and encouragement for the Philippians. He calls us to rejoice and to pray.

When we are stressed out by something, when we are "anxious" about an outcome, when we worry about things in this world, we need to pray. But Paul reminds us that our prayers are not just about "asking" or "supplication." Our prayers need to be said with faith.

That is why we need not to be "anxious," we can pray even with "thanksgiving," and from this right attitude and trust we allow ourselves to be filled and "guarded" with the "peace of God." Our prayers when said with faith can give thanks because we already know God has answered and will continue answering our prayers.

I need to meditate on this more. Things that really bother me are my grades and my evangelism to my friends. I really need to start praying; even more so, I need to start praying with faith. I want to my prayers to be filled with thanksgiving, with such trust that my words show that I really believe God has already answered my prayers. I get so anxious or worrisome sometimes that I stress myself out. This means I really do not have faith in the working hand of God.

I pray today that I by prayer give thanks and rejoice in God. I pray for His spirit of peace to guard my heart and mind and fill my today. I pray God will give that peace to Xixi as she does her test, to Andrew, David, Victor, Micah, Melissa, and all the other first-years who are taking a test today. I pray that God bless my studying today to make it effective. I pray God will help me be an excellent doctor so I can bless people more in the future. I pray God bless lunch bible study today.

Philippians 3: 12-21

2011-11-14T06:24:00.000-08:00

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.

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

To know Christ is to be more like Him. To know Christ is to be in a marriage-relationship to Him. That is why we have the prize already: we have a relationship with Christ. But we also "strain" for more: relationships grow and get deeper.

When we grow deeper in a relationship with Christ we become more like Him. That is why it is important to keep our eyes on "examples" of those who "walk" and look like Christ. In this world, there are those who look and act like Christ and those who are "enemies" of Christ. There are people who keep their "eyes" on Christ and Christ-like people, and those who keep their eyes on "earthly things."

For me, after coming back from the Global Health Missions Conference in Kentucky, I saw so many examples of missionary doctors who are incredible examples of those who walk in Christ. They love the word. They live to share the gospel. They serve with their entire lives.

I think God is reminding me to remember these disciples. I think God is reminding me to journal and really read more books and biographies of missionaries and doctors. I think God is asking me to research and learn about discipleship and mentoring. This is because I still need training. I need a role model. I need to see the paths other Christians have walked through.

I pray today, that God instill in me righteous and glorifying habits. I want to finish the bible. I want have my devotional in the mornings. I want to sleep early and wake up early. I want to discipline myself for the word and for studying. Father, please bless my studying today as worship to You. Please help me love my family and friends. Help me be more like You and keep my eyes on heavenly things. Forgive me for my sins and my eyes that look away from You. I love You and want to love You more.

Philippians 3: 13-16

2011-11-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul told us about his testimony because he wanted to show us that the gains of this world are truly incomparable to the treasure of "knowing Christ." That to know Christ is to be in union with Him, to know Christ is to be in a marriage-relationship with Christ, to know Christ is to be more like Him.

This understanding empowers us to change and grow. The prize and goal is a relationship with Christ. This is already won for us. The incredible thing about this prize is that we can get more. A relationship is not static. A relationship grows. Therefore, that is why we run! This is why we persevere, this is why we mature, and grow, and transform our hearts and minds! We do not run like others in this world, who run to win the prize, but we run because we have the prize already.

Part of running means to "strain forward." Part of that means to look ahead rather than linger our eyes behind. Through our active faith we can "forget what lies behind" and "strain forward to what lies ahead."

What does this mean to me? Well, my eyes linger on prizes that are not the prize of Christ Jesus. I run, but sometimes, I run off track towards other things. Sometimes, this means running so far off track I get lost, or I fall down. Falling down is so hard for me. Yesterday, I took an exam that went terribly for me. It was the worst I have ever done on an exam. It was also one of the exams I was most disciplined and committed to studying. That is why it really depresses me. I feel like even though I studied and committed time, I still didn't do well. That makes me feel dumb and just incapable of doing well.

This is my struggle right now, to really live this verse out. Because I don't feel like my prize is already won and that it is "my own" as Paul says. I feel like my prize is lost. This means that in my heart right now, my prize wasn't Christ, it was the grade, it was the pride that comes from knowing knowledge of this world.

I really repent and ask God to lift me up. Please. I know that grades and school aren't bad things in of that themselves, but I really desperately ask You to help me improve my studying so that I can be a good doctor and a good servant. I want to know this material, I want to know how to study well, so that I can really treat patients. I feel like I don't know hypertension drugs now or microbial infections. I need to know because this information is so relevant and important for missionaries and doctors.

Lord, help me treasure You above all. Help me treasure a relationship with You. Please help me truly forget what is behind so that I can truly strain forward to what lies ahead. I want to be a blessing to You so please grow my heart as I stand up again from falling down.

Please bless my hangout with Esther, Chantelle, and Van. Please bless us. Please bless our conversation and travels. Please change our hearts and grow us.

Philippians 3: 12

2011-11-03T07:59:00.001-07:00

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfect; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.

Paul shares how knowing Christ is unlike anything else in this world. After he shares his testimony, it is clear that he was transformed in his thinking. In the last verses, he now considers what he lived for to be a "loss" and even now "rubbish." To know Christ is to have something of surpassing greatness. Why? Because to know Christ is to be in union with Him. To know Christ is to spiritually be married to Him. To know Christ is to participate in His power, life, suffering, and resurrection. To know Christ is to be like Him.

In this verse, Paul emphasizes that once you know this, and understand the kind of relationship we have with Christ, one of union and marriage and sharing, you are motivated to "press on." It is not that Paul is already like Christ, or that he is perfect, or has reached the goal or end. It means that transformed Paul is now in the right way. There is still a path he must follow to the end. The surprising part is that he has already the prize, Christ Jesus.

I'm super stressed out. I feel like I know nothing about microbiology and the test is tomorrow. I've studied pharmacology but I feel like I don't know it at all, which is depressing because it makes me feel like I wasted time or that I am just dumb from not studying correctly.

Lord, please help me. I know I am not perfect, but I know you are building me and have already put me on the right path. Help me man up and be more like You. Help me not lose heart but really treasure You. Please give me energy and focus to study these last 24 hours. Please God. I am desperate and I am scared. In one hand I want to do well. In the other, I want to be faithful to You first. So please, help me because I am weak, and I want my ultimate goal to glorify You.

Philippians 3: 10-11

2011-11-02T07:28:00.000-07:00

I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What does it mean to know a friend? What does it mean to know Christ? In the last few verses, Paul shows where his treasure is. He has testified that he used to live for worldly things. His life was the epitome of worldly desire. Yet he now counts it all for loss. In comparison to what? To knowing Christ. Knowing Christ has "surpassing greatness" in comparison to all other things that are now "rubbish."

We know the worth of knowing Christ. But what does it mean to know Christ? It evidentially means:

knowing his power
knowing his resurrection
sharing in his sufferings
becoming like him in death
resurrecting from the dead

To know Christ is to be like Christ, it is to want to be like Christ, it is participating in Christ's will and life right now. This has so many meanings, but I will focus on our treasure in Christ because we are in union with Christ.

Knowing Christ is being in union with Him. This relationship has no equal. The closest mirror is marriage itself. And yet, symbolically, we are married to Christ! The church is the bride and He is our groom!

To know Christ, is to be married to Him, and even more so to be in union with Him. So what comes to mind is: do I really know my spouse? Do I know Christ's wills, desires, wants? Do I know what He hates? Do I know what He loves? What are the areas in my life that I need to hate to? Where in my life an I make Him more happy? Sad?

Do I talk to God everyday? Where are we in our relationship? What is the season of our relationship? Do I know what kind of spouse my God is? How faithful he is? How he waits for me everyday for me to go home? That even though I neglect our relationship, He never neglects, never points, never guilts, never blames, never is bitter, will never leave me even if I want to leave him?

This is the power of knowing Christ. This is why Paul considers ALL things a loss, EVERYTHING is a loss, compared to knowing Christ! Every other mistress or spouse on earth pales in comparison to Him! God, how could I do these things when I am in union with You!?

I repent today, I really ask God for a bigger picture of Him. He has already answered. I pray for incredible blessing and permission to share how big You are during prayer meeting today. Keep me in a humble and blessed mood to love and serve You. I want You to be so big and known and respected and loved in my school. Please honor whatever the Holy Spirit's will is in me. Please bless my studying, I am really worried. But God, You are so much more compared to anything in this world. Please keep my treasure in You.

Philippians 3: 7-8

2011-11-01T11:33:00.000-07:00

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him.

After Paul commends two of his friends and tells the Philippians that he is sending the two to them, he ends his letter with final words. At first he tells them that he writes his letters to grow and protect them. Then he tells them to wisely discern and watch out for those who depend on the flesh and works and the law.

This warning leads him to reveal parts of his testimony. He describes how he himself used to depend on his own strength, on his flesh, on his works. He himself can attest that this is not the way to God. But to him, fulfilling the Jewish law by strict adherence is now "rubbish" to him. They became worldly "gains" that are not "counted loss for Christ."

What is now a gain in his life? What does he consider worthy of losing everything he has built on earth? What is more worthy than building a character, reputation, or good works? It is "the knowledge of Christ Jesus."

What strikes me is that it says he "gains Christ." Not only that but he is now "found in Him." One verse that comes to mind is Matthew 6: 21 "For where you treasure is, there your heart will be also." It also has reminded me of Colossians 3:3 "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

What all these verses remind me is that where my treasure is matters. It matters because that is where my heart is, that is where I belong, and that is where I call home. God, I ask You, where is my home? Where is my heart right now? What am I living for? What are the things in my life that I call my treasures?

I pray that the knowledge of Christ will be my treasure here on earth. I repent that I uphold my character, my good works, my ways to be my pride and source of joy. Lord I am sorry that I build these sand castles when I could be building Your throne. Lord, help me make You my treasure. I pray to the Holy Spirit. Spirit, You can make the mountains move, You will and desire and are passionate for building His throne because the treasure is worth it. I pray Lord for the Spirit to be alive in me so that I may know God and be in Him. Please bless my studying today, bless how I seek You bless my prayer time and bless Your spirit who wills and does the work in my school. Please shake the ground father so that more people may know You more!

Philippians 2: 20-22

2011-10-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

Paul has described the kind of servant that pelase God in the verses before this. He has painted a picture of Christ and through that motivation we "work out" our salvation by living with character and words and action.

Now Paul mentions Timothy, a servant that exemplifies what Paul has just talked about. These verses touch me because I relate to Timothy. I am young, I feel young in terms of faith and service to the Lord, and my nickname is Timothy.

What first gets me is how Timothy is known for his "genuine interest in" other people's welfare. I think the first things that I learned when becoming Christian was having a heart that wasn't just for myself. I really saw Christians and was astounded that they would pray for others, that they would think about the needs of others, that they really thought about how other people lived and what their current needs and problems were. Most of all, they didn't just do it to look moral or good. They did it because they know how it feels to be in need and they truly know what it means to be loved and to love.

The last words of these verses point me to the direction I want to go. I want to have a proven character, I want to not just say these things but to live Christ's love out. I want to have a history of helping people genuinely and of praying for people out of love. Moreover, I want to "work" with others in a team for God's gospel.

I pray that God help me be more like Him. I pray that God help me fight jealousy, put my faith in His love, surrender my desires, and to be filled with the Spirit and peace and joy. I pray God will bless each guy in our small group. I pray God will comfort and provide for them. I pray God will bless my family, provide, and show them your real presence God. I pray God will bless the women's small group, bless this school, and bless my time studying. I praise You for a good prayer meeting and Van and friends.

Philippians 2:17

2011-10-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

As I meditate on this, I feel that God really has made this imagery a symbolic center of my life on this Earth.

Paul here is saying that "Even if I am just as supplemental offering, a side order, not the main sacrifice, not the main gift to bless You, I am OK with that." This is an attitude that wants your life to mean something, to amount to something, but even if that doesn't happen, as long as other people's faith are being built up, it is OK. His goal is to bless God by helping others bless God.

For me, I tend to believe that I am self-sustaining, that I can do anything on my own strength, and that it is my sacrifices and service that will do God's work. Yet, I am reminded that it is not about me. It is all not about what I do or what I can bring to God. I can bring nothing to Him.

I pray that God help me meditate on this more. Please bless today, my studying, my friends, my family, ESC meeting, prayer meeting, NCC's prayer meeting, and my love and commitment to You Lord! It's all about You!

Ephesians 5: 15-21

2011-10-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

God's presence. This is the reality that is the power to do good and avoid evil. If I know God is here in this room, I will not sin but worship Him.

This verse was reminded to me by Pastor Peter at New Community Covenant Church yesterday. I was so blessed by it. The verse even came after a verse that was spoken at CFC Revival about God's will. God is telling me something through these verses.

I am really messed up and crazy right now. I feel that my spirit is so strong and so inspired these days and at a depth of relationship with God unlike before, yet my sinful nature is so strong as well. I am so discouraged because I fall from the same things as I did years before, despite all that I've learned and understand about God. I am more disciplined today than ever, yet I also feel so much more willing to disobey and be rebellious.

These verses make it clear that I have to live differently, to fight sin, to be apart from worldly sinful desires, to be pure, to be free from sexual immorality, to live in the light than in the dark. It is clear what God's will is: to be "imitators" of God; is to live purely.

Yet, I am so frustrated because while part of me wants to do that, part of me does not. I purposely forget who God is, what He did for me, and I forget His presence. I want to do what pleases me and makes me king. I want to sin. I don't know what to do.

Yet, I remember Pastor Peter say that in Alcoholics' Anonymous that there is no step that says "try harder." It's confusing and not intuitive. Yet I believe its truth. It is true about God and heaven. God doesn't say try harder, he says "look at my Son."

So that is what I will do. That is why I can do my QT right now. Because that's all I can do. While on one hand I want to please myself by wanting to be assured that I am now in God's favor, I know that on the other hand, I can do nothing to earn God's favor. So I can be still or stuck, or freely go to Him. I freely go to Him. I feel guilty, but I remember that Christ paid it all so that I don't have to feel guilty. But "God's kindness is to lead me to repentance." So Lord, here I am. You paid the debt not so I can sin freely without consequence, but because you Love me. So please help me grow and mature like You. Help me fight sin to love You more.

And I ask this, thinking about Christ's payment and purpose, please "fill me" with Your Spirit. Nothing in me can please You, so please help me. Please bless my day today, help me study for Your name and for caring Your people in the future. Please bless my brother. Please bless my family. Please help me stay awake in Your light.

Philippians 3: 1-4

2011-10-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh

Paul here, after describing two examples of people who serve with all their heart and all their strength to build the church, describes people who do the opposite: they who do nto live by grace but do evil by dividing the church being bitter and critical.

I think this verse is a good reminder that in this world, it is a spiritual battle. We aren't living to stay comfortable, but we are actively working to build the kingdom of God. And part of building the kingdom of God is fighting for Him, and defending ourselves against those who oppose the message of love and justice of Christ.

There are 3 enemies: Satan, the world, and our own individual sinful natures. We keep in mind that the war has been won, that Christ reigns supreme, but we are left here on earth to build a relationship with Him and to give a chance for others to turn to Him before they die or before Christ returns.

Paul here may be referring to Jewish leaders who are Christian, but are still hanging on to Jewish traditions and customs. These false teachers for example take the act of circumcision as necessary for the faith, it becoming not a symbol but a work that will contribute to salvation. Paul fights against this, it is not works but by faith we believe. We are "spiritually" circumcised. Without faith, circumcision truly becomes "mutilation."

For me, I tend to do this even after being saved. I still believe that I can earn God's favor by doing more quiet times, by sinning less, by praying more, by serving more. But God's favor does not change even if I do or do not do those things. At this moment I'm feeling guilty over sins and I feel confused about what to do. Although, this verse reminds me that it isn't the QT that will redeem me, but I will obey and still do my QT and praying, praying that God will help me look at Christ rather than myself as I repent; his faithfulness rather than my works.

Moreover, the fellowship has been discussing about promoting a church field trip to a Mormon church. A Mormon friend asked us to email about it and as a club we are confused about what to do. In addition, I was talkin to Steve to share about whom I like and my life. Although I came out with a greater knowledge of God and people, his bitterness and cynicism and critical nature clouded certain ideas. As I read this passage, I think that God is reminding me to discern wisely.

These two are not "dogs" but sinners just as myself. I pray that God give all of us wisdom not that we become just better people but that Christ can be glorified ultimately. So Lord, as we pray about going to visit the Mormon church, as I pray about a girlfriend, as I pray about finding a church, as I pray about hating sin more and loving You more, please help me do these things that will glorify Christ's name. It don't want these actions or emotions to be rubbish, I want them to build on what is eternal: Your glory. I am confused sometimes, but I know Christ has incredible patience and will guide the "blind." Please bless my studying and time today.

Philippians 2: 19-30

2011-10-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

For I have no one like him (Timothy), who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare. For they (us) all seek their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know Timothy's proven worth, how as a song with a father he has served with me in the gospel.

Epaphroditus... you heart that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him... So receive hi min the Lord with all joy, and honor such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me (Paul).

Paul starts his letter with intense joy and encouragement, despite his imprisonment. He talks about how suffering glorifies Christ and then reminds us of who Christ is and what he did so as to motivate us out of love to be more like Him. He charges the Philippians to get along together and to be disciplined and in right relationship with each other and with God.

Now, he mentions Timoty and Epaphroditus, two people that have served Paul in the way Paul wants the Philippians to serve each other. These two characteristics make serving others glorifying to God:

Timothy has real sympathy and genuine concern for the well-being of others.
Epaphroditus has given everything, his actions, his emotions, his body, his life to serve others.

I meditate on these characteristics and I realize that to have both is difficult without Christ. Sometimes I serve out of obligation, because I have to, because it is the only thing I can do, yet my heart isn't in it. Other times, I may want to do something, may be emotionally stirred to feel or desire something, but I do nothing about it. It is a battle to be both committed in body and heart to serve others.

As I meditate on this more, I will pray for more of God's spirit to help me understand this deeply. I think Paul is making it a point for us to be more like Timothy and Epaphroditus. They were the models of serving men that were truly effective in the most important purpose of all, to "serve" "in the gospel." Above all, we are motivated not just to be morally good people, but people who are like Christ.

Please bless the dinner I have with Steve Ok today, please help me pray more to You, please help my friends and I study efficiently today, please help those who are depressed or feel defeated, please bless my family, and please provide more opportunities to share with my roommates and friends.

Philippians 2: 12-18

2011-10-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

… continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

Salvation has 3 meanings:

We have been saved. (Ephesians 2:8 "By grace you have been saved") It is once and for all. We accept Christ and this faith in him saves us from sin, guilt, and hell.
We are being saved. (1 Cor 1:18 "To us who are being saved the cross is the power of God") Salvation is God's present work in our lives. God is redeeming my actions, He is working in me right now, growing and developing our spirit; we are being more like Him.
Salvation is still in the future (Romans 13:11 "Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed") The second coming of Christ, the end of time, when Christ arrives to bring judgment, that is the final stage of our adoption. We have the sinful and spirit's nature right now, but one day He will pluck our sinful nature away and we will be fully with our God.

"Fear and trembling"

It is not out of doubt or anxiety
It is active reverence to the infinite power and glory of "God working in you"
Col 1:29 "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me"
1 Cor 15:10 "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

"Do everything without complaining"

1 Pet 4: 8-9 "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling."
Be like Christ, He did not complain or grumbled or argued God about what has been given Him.

"But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice"

Genuine faith is active and working
We are not serving ourselves or people. We are serving Christ. That is why we give everything.
What we do is not in vain, it is eternal, it will outlast the world and humanity.
Col 23:24"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."
1 Cor 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

I think there are a few things here that can encourage us as medical students:

We work hard to study. We need to work jsut as hard to study the "word of life"
We work hard not from our own strength, but from the strength of God.
We do not complain, argue, or grumble because everything we know everything given to us has a purpose for our good and the glorification of God.
We are meant to be a light in our school; to "shine like stars in the universe."
What we do is not for temporary rewards or earthly treasures. What we do is not transitory but eternal. We are building something that will last.

Main point:

God works in us so that we can work hard and have the power to give everything to glorify Him on earth and for eternity in heaven.

I pray that God help the M1s and BMS for the stressful weekend of studying. May he encourage Christians by working in them and giving them strength that does not come from themselves. I pray that God help the second years, especially those who are lonely or desperate or feel hopeless. I pray that God help me repent today and live free in Christ's gift. I pray that God grow me to live like Him, put Him first, and to be disciplined to accomplish the responsibilities of studying and working hard to glorify Him as a future doctor. I pray that God forgive Lisa and all the other RFCF members. May God look at Christ as we repent and ask to grow to be like Christ. May we glorify His name above all.

Philippians 2: 12-18

2011-10-19T07:13:00.000-07:00

… work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without grumbling or question, that you maybe be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life…

Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.

Paul in this letter started off with incredible joy and encouraged the Philippians despite his imprisonment and suffering. He reminds them that suffering is not a punishment but a gift from God because God wants us to be more like Christ. Paul than tells of who Christ is in full force, reminding them of the reason they are Christian and the motivation that enables them to grow to be like Christ.

Here Paul, after giving a powerful description of Christ, gives a "therefore." This is how we should respond. When we remember the suffering and power and love of Christ we cannot help but:

"obey"
"work out" our salvation with fear and trembling
"do all things without grumbling or questioning"
"hold fast to the word of life"

Paul gives us theology to help bridge our picture of Christ with our God-glorifying response:

"for it is God who works in you, both to will and work for his good pleasure"
"among whom you shine as lights in the world"

As I meditate on this, I realize that I need to first remember that it is God who is working in me. Christ died, he rose, and now the Holy Spirit resides in me. This spirit urges and enable and empowers me to respond to the gospel. If it is for God's glorification, the spirit will do everything and empower anyone to do God's will, to do "his good pleasure."

When you realize this truth, it becomes easier to live your life "worthy of the gospel." We can obey and fight sin because it is God who works in us. We can live without complaining or grumbling because it is God who works in us. We can be lights to our classmates and family because it is God who works in us. Moreover, it is the same God that used and worked in Jesus Christ that now resides in our hearts.

Christ poured out his life. Paul poured out his life. The Holy Spirit is the same then as it is now. We can pour out our spirit.

I pray that God help me meditate on these verses more. I pray that God keep me awake today so I can schedule what is important to me in my day. I pray that God help me with time and help me effectively witness to my friends and to love them and bless them as Christ would. I pray that God help my parents financially, bring Christian friends to them and my brother, and give my sister wisdom. I pray He will bless our fellowship on campus, really reach out to those who need You, and that God's kingdom will be established on this campus. Claim this place as Your Holy ground!

Philippians 2: 5-8

2011-10-03T15:18:00.000-07:00

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Paul started the letter with encouragement and hope because he has complete faith in the gospel and the truth of God's power. He goes on to explain, using his own imprisonment as an example, that even suffering is part of God's redemptive plan. He lifts the philippians by reminding them of spiritual reality and the strength, power, and model that Christ gives.

In these verses, Paul gives the motivation for persevering, for fighting through sufferings and tribulations, the reason we need to live a life "worthy of the gospel," the reason to stand firm, to "strive side by side." It is Christ's example that should motivate us.

The verse that stuck out to me was "have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus" because it says that the Christ-like attitude I am supposed to have is not created by me or my own strength, but is given to me, it is mine already, and it is through Jesus Christ. What does that mean? It means that Christ wants me to be like Him, and will even do the work in me to make me like Him.

Christ made himself nothing, he counted others as more significant than hismelf, he did nothing from rivalry or coneit, he was humble, he gave comfort and love ot others, he had true affection and sympathy, and had God-given peace and joy. This is what I was called to be, this is where God is taking me: to become more like Christ.

So as I fast today, fasting from sin, fasting from food, I will pray to be more like Jesus Christ, who also fasted and went off into lonely places to pray. I think about Him, what He did, His actions and way -of-life, so that I can be more like Him. I pray that God help me pray through two things:

Community Connections - if I will join and commit to volunteering through them this year
A God-loving friend - I've been praying about this one girl because I feel a tug to pursue her for marriage!

I am here. Lord take me. I am vulnerable to Your word and Your presence. I really pray that God help me above all to be like Him, regardless if I get what I want. What I really want is to be like Christ and to be with Him forever. Help me walk humbly with my God and to serve. Please bless my studying time, the remaining hours of my fast, and the prayer time I will have with You.

Philippians 2: 1-2

2011-10-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with 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 purpose.

Paul started giving thanks and encouragement to the philippians because he knows the power of God and the gospel. He even encourages the philippians by showing them a theology of joy and contentment even through suffering.

In these verses, Paul reminds the philippians that yes, Christ gives suffering, but he also gives unity, comfort, fellowship, tenderness, compassion, and joy. So he reminds them that Christ blesses them in every situation, in any circumstance, whether good or bad to us, it is good for Christ's glorification.

So by remembering how blessed you are, this is the key, and the drive to "be like-minded." This is the correct God-glorifying response to blessing: repentance and obeying and serving God more and fighting sin more.

This is how I might be able to fight sin. Lately I've been having a hard time, but in this passage it shows me to meditate on my blessings, to really think about God's hand in my life and all the guidance and love He pours onto me. So I pray that God help me work on this this week. God help me meditate more on your blessings and happiness, dive more into your word. I also ask that you help me fast. I will try to fast in your name, to be more like Christ, to starve myself from sinful pleasures and to feast on your word and a relationship with You. Lord bless this week, help the fellowship grow, bless Dr. Bardella, bless Kendra's friend Josh with more theology and an open-heart, bless me so that I can study and obey You more.

Philippians 1: 29

2011-10-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake

Paul gives thanks and joy in the first part of the chapter because he really sees reality through the lens of the gospel. He sees people as God loves them and he can encourage his friends because he knows God is working in them.

In the next verses, Paul shows his incredible Christ-centered attitude when he is faced through hardships, suffering, and prison.

In Men's small group, we talked about how we normally react to hardship. We talked about people who are optimistic, pessimistic, ignorers, stoics, American-can-doers, etc. However, Paul is neither of these, his optimism is based on truth, he works hard only because he knows of God's power, and he can face suffering because he knows Christ gives suffering as a gift, more importantly, he knows Christ suffers with us.

For me, this verses, 29, really struck me. God "grants" to us, he gifts us, he portions out in our lives: suffering, pain, loss. I meditate on this and realize this isn't like Buddhist or stoicist's aim to be above pain and pleasure; this isn't fake optimism or ignoring the bad; it isn't just "that's how life is" apathy or incomplete acceptance. This is Christianity. This is embracing suffering not because we are masochists, but because when we know that there is a purpose to suffering and that Christ suffers with us, suffering becomes an entirely different reality.

I pray that when I go through hardship, may I be a man of God that man's up by having faith in God's word and promises, that I lead my family and wife and friends by being broken and humble before God, that I pray and fast to know God more and be more in love with Him. Please bless my studying today, please transform my friends and roommates lives, please be with my family, please bless our fellowship, the women's and men's bible studies, please bless Pearls birthday today, and please forgive me for my sins and transform my heart into something pleasing to Your Son.

Philippians 1: 14

2011-09-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.

Paul has shown in chapter 1 a God-serving, Joy-driven life. His joy is in the gospel as evident by how thankful he is for the growth of his brothers and sisters in God. His joy is so exuberant because more and more people are getting deeper into a relationship with Christ.

In these next few verses, he describes in detail how Christians in Philippi are spreading the gospel. This particular verse struck me because it shows that Paul, in any situation, is gospel-centered.

Although he is in prison, a bad situation, a normally negative experience, Paul sees it as a source of hope and joy. He is "confident" because he sees a spiritual reality in his life. He finds "hope" because he sees the kingdom progress that comes from being imprisoned. His attitude towards imprisonment is different when he sees how it can spread the gospel.

In lunch bible study, we talked about Peter's changed character that became bold and Christ-centered during the beginning of Acts. The same is true here. Peter and Paul both have a gospel-centered life that sees reality as opportunities and evidence of the gospel.

I pray that I have this gospel-centered life. That I can see when I get stressed from tests, or friends, or with too many things to do, that I see the worth of it in terms of the gospel. I pray that I ask myself if this, my actions, can be used to share the gospel. I pray that I tahnk God and see hwo God is working to spread the gospel in other people's lives. I pray that God bless my studying today, my dinner with Andrew, my preparation for bible study tomorrow, and my planning for the next few weeks-- all for God's name and Son.

Isaiah 10: 20-21

2011-09-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of the house of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him who struck them down
but will truly rely on the the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God

In the last chapter we learn that God is a God of justice and love. He will not let injustice go nor will he take back any of His love for us. In this chapter we see that God will use Assyria to punish and give judgment to the unfaithful Israelites. However, we learn that God will leave a remnant.

This remnant will "truly rely" on the Lord. They wil "return" to God. God encourages them. He tells this remnant to not be afraid, and ensures that He will protect them against judgment. He will "lifter" their burdens and yoke.

For me, coming into this school, I really had a hard time finding solid Christians. There were many Christians in the colleges, but there were only a few that seemed strong and living completely for God. I think God is calling me not to feel special or self-righteous as being the "remnant" that remain, but pleading God to leave a remnant in our school.

We should all be "destroyed" by the "Assyrians" because our sin, our school's sin, my sin deserves that kind of punishment. But God withold's that punishment in the old testament because of the coming Messiah and God withold's punishment for us because Jesus took it. What I pray now is to be thankful that God withheld his justice that is due to us. I pray to be thankful that God had a plan to save us by leaving a remnant of Israel. I pray to be thankful now that God wants to use the "remnant" of Christians in our school for His glory, a remnant that because of their sin should be punished.

Thank you God. Help me not be self-righteous, but know that you are a God of justice that hates Sin and unrighteousness. I did not gain my way to be a Christian. I did not earn my right to be a "remnant." I only had faith in Your Son, which was gifted to me. So I pray for right perspective on this. I pray that you help me continue to meditate on this. I pray that you strengthen the Christian fellowship and all other Christians on campus to learn more about you and obey and love you. Help those especially who are weak and really need You. Please touch them especially today and help them feel and know that You are real. Transform our lives so that we will "return" and "truly rely" on You, even if it means to send "Assyrians" against us.

Isaiah 9: 12

2011-09-20T05:40:00.000-07:00

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

In a quiet time back in January 2010, I wrote about the last 9 chapters of Isaiah. The last post was about Isaiah's prophecy about Jesus Christ. I think it is important to know this in relation to the scripture following it because it gives us a picture of who God is.

In the first part of chapter 9, he describes a "great light," in the darkness of the land a "light has dawned." He will reign, bring peace, establish justice and righteousness, and live forever. The Lord will bring this intense prosperity to Israel.

Yet right after, Isaiah describes at length God's anger over Israel. People have "pride and arrogance of heart," everyone is "ungodly and wicked every mouth speaks vileness." Moreover, God has a "wrath" that will scorch the land. And as the above quote says, God has an "anger" that cannot be turned away.

What am I to do about this? In one hand God has an incredible gift for us brought by His son. In the other hand God has wrath that must fall on us. Yet it is this paradox, that gives us a great understanding of God. Our God is a God of Justice and a God of Love.

In the later chapters and more in the New Testament, we see how God deals with this problem. But for this context, it is worthy to remember that sometimes we need to be thankful that we have a God that will not let go of injustice. He is not blind when people hate each other or when people hurt the weak or when people kill their brothers. He will bring justice to the sinful inevitably. It is important to see that God sent His son to bring a peace unlike any other. He comes with overwhelming love and forgiveness and will carry our sins to purify us.

I pray that I meditate on this picture of God more. There are so many people with the wrong interpretation of who God is: God is wrathful. God is soft. God can't hate. God will save everyone. I pray first that me and my family today have a healthy view of who God is, I pray that my future spouse and future family will fully know how complex and wonderful our God is. I pray that my friends, really, somehow, through Gods plan, will be able to know who God is. Please bless lunch bible study today, please bless our path quizzes today, please bless my studying for the test next Monday. Help me give back this day to you.

Romans 15: 4-6

2011-06-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In this chapter, Paul describes how Christians should live with other Christians. In the last post, our source of strength to act the way we should towards other Christians is from knowing the character of Christ.

Christ knows that we are weak. There are strong and there are weak Christians. In our last post, Christ is emphasizes to have "bore," to have taken and carried and even suffered for the weak. He took the weak's "reproaches," their shame, discredit, scorn, and contempt.

And we know Christ through the scriptures. It says endurance and encouragement coming from the scriptures is equal to endurance and encouragement coming from God is equal to an attitude coming from Christ.

I need to dwell on the scripture for power. Scripture provides:

Endurance
Encouragement
Hope

Christ took away our reproaches and instead gives us endurance, encouragement, and hope. This is a big gift. I need to dwell on this gift. I need to really buckle down, be serious, stand up. I need to fight to pray everyday and to do my quiet times. I need to be serious so that I can be strong and worthy to be a Christian in our missions trip in China. I need to find strength in scripture so that I can do Hannah's posters, the school's orientation shirts, to do the Kenya book. I need to grow up and mature.

I pray that God please help me because I am weak and distracted. I am poor in my endurance and I can't fight for the right reasons. Lord please bless this day as I try to do Your will and glorify You rather than pity myself or numb myself away from You. Please help me find hope in scripture. Bless my family, my parents, my siblings in their summer school, Sean and the rest of the China team. Please bless Tim Wilcox and his step 1 exam, please give him endurance. Please give the rest of the Kenya team real hope for the future and strength to wait.

Psalm 23: 5-6

2011-03-26T10:53:00.001-07:00

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

I really feel like a sinner. I am finding it hard to repent for sins that are really sins. And I dwell and am sad and angry over things that aren't sin. I feel so much difficulty in working. And when I work for things I think are for the Lord, I feel like they aren't going anywhere.e

I feel self-centered. And I am just sad because I am not getting what I want. And I don't know what to do after this.

This psalm is so good, yet I don't feel the way the psalmist feels right now. I don't feel like I have enemies. If I think about it, perhaps it is Satan, who really wants to make me fall and ineffective for God's kingdom. He wants to make me believe that giving my all doesn't really matter.

There is oil, there is plenty, there is drink, goodness and mercy are abundant and given to me. That is how the psalmist feels and knows. That's hard for me to feel right now. I have a test coming up that I don't feel prepared for. I feel disappointed in other Christians. I feel disappointed in my discipline. I hate how my mood is so quickly changed. I feel inadequate in the skills I think are so needed or important for building people up. I feel alone, I feel like I should get help if I am doing something for God.

Surely. Shall.

These words mean the psalmist is convincing himself. That it isn't concrete for himself either. He doesn't have it right now in one sense because there is still a future. There is time and thus he needs faith for a future he cannot be certain of in the same way he is certain of the now.

I need help. I need a saviour. I need someone to show me the way, to help me believe and have faith and have trust that in the places I cannot see, God will be there, and I will be with Him.

Please forgive me, I need to know what is sin. I need help to ask forgiveness to what offends you. Please pray for my studying, help me REALLY focus and be motivated. Please bless my mother, her MRI results, Shauna's sickness, my friend's souls, the Christians here, my school, my family, my future wife and career. Please help the mourners in Japan, be with those who are crying in a way that is so much more deeper than mine. May their cup overflow when they see Your face. Please help us, for you are a God who saves and overwhelms our souls.

Romans 15: 1-3

2011-03-25T07:05:00.000-07:00

We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, "The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me."

The last chapter Paul wrote was a lengthy exhortation about Christians judging each other. In this chapter, Paul returns to the character of Christ. In everything we do, the reason we change, the reason we think about these things, is because of Christ.

In the context of judging one another, these verses are so much more meaningful. Even if there are differences between you and other Christians, and even if you are realistically more faithful and more mature in your spiritual life, Paul exclaims that the strong have an "obligation" to help the weak, just as Christ did.

Observations:

There are strong and weak Christians.
The strong are obliged to "bear" the failings of the weak.
The strong are: to hold up, to carry, to sustain without yielding, to suffer for the weak.
Christ took the "reproaches" of the weak onto himself.
We are to take: the blame, the disgrace, the discredit, scorn, contempt of the weak.

As I think about these things, it now makes more sense in the bigger picture of Christians living with other Christians. We aren't to judge other Christians and condemn them, but we are supposed to build other Christians up, share in their weaknesses, and take their condemnation and shame away!

For me, it will always be a struggle, but I pray that God will help me see that faith is given, it is not earned, therefore I cannot brag about my faith. Moreover, my strong faith is meant imitate Christ: I am to use my faith to "bear the failings" of the weak. Instead of blaming or judging other Christians, I am to build them up and really take responsibility for whatever "failings" they come with. Covering another's sin and taking them as my own as I ask forgiveness for God, this is Christ-like.

Lord, please pray for our fasting today. Please, I believe in Your power, please, give focus and mass blessings on the P2s and M2s as they study for their board exams in the coming weeks. I pray that You will also bless the BMS class, that Your strength will really leave a mark on them as they wait for a decision to enter med school. Please somehow through all of this make stronger Christians who are in love with You. Lastly please bless our M1, P1 class and all the other students in my school. Help us really unite as the body of Christ. I pray that you will stir hearts so that people can show how incredible and extravagant You are!

Please bless my family, friends, future family, wife, and career father. Thank you for the China ticket drop in price!!! I bless You!

Romans 14: 22-23

2011-03-24T07:21:00.000-07:00

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

This chapter is a lengthy exhortation on how Christians should live with other Christians. The largest problem Christians may have is judging one another for their differences.

Observations:

Faith is individual. You are responsible for your own faith.
We should not judge those by the things that we do.
Whatever we do, we must do it out of faith.

This is a hard teaching because it asks me to figure out the relationship between faith, judging others, and my standards of living. In the previous verses Paul asks us not to do things that will cause another brother to stumble. Sometimes, I may do things that are "Christian," but I make them a stumbling block because of the way I use them. For example, my selfish motive may make "fasting" something that I use to judge others, to say that I am better than other Christians. Paul asks us not to take such actions and "destroy" the work of God.

In these verses, I feel Paul is directly addressing me. If I have such a strong faith, it is not for me to brag about it, it is something only between me and God. Therefore, I need to fight to remember this. I cannot brag or compare my faith with other people. It is wrong. It actually doesn't make sense. It will bring down people. Faith is something given, not earned. That is why you cannot credit it to your own doing or character.

Therefore, whatever I do, I need to be sure of what I am doing is for God and then have trust. I should not doubt. I think this is a powerful way to check ourselves. Am I doing this with faith? Do I have doubts? Otherwise it is sin.

*If I am doing something for God, then I should not doubt! Use the faith that has been given to you, because that is how God is glorified rather than yourself!

Father, please bless my studying today. Help me rely on You for my plans for China this summer. I really want something that will build Your kingdom. I want to care for your children in China. Help me be an example only for Your glory, may our trip be a testament and encouragement for Christians in our school. Moreover, please pray that I stay motivated and focused in my studying. It's getting hard to study lately. Please bless our attitudes for lent, keep us pure, keep us fighting. Please bless my mother and family this day. Please bless my future.

Romans 14: 13-23

2011-03-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

Paul gives further exhortations for Christians. This entire chapter is devoted to advise against Christians judging each other. Paul first explains that there will be differences between Christians in the way they live. He however implores Christians not to judge each other by those differences but to meditate on God the perfect judge.

In these verses, Paul explains that judging other Christians is a stumbling block for them. Some observations:

Nothing in itself is sin. Only a human's sinful nature perverts something into sin.
Christians may see what you do and be "grieved" or stumble.
You can do a "good" thing and yet "destroy" someone by letting it be talked of as "evil."
The kingdom of God is "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit"

Paul makes such an emphasis on judging because it is such a strong tendency in Christians. FOr me, I know that Satan and my selfishness try to pervert even my passion in the Lord. I can see how when I do things for God, how if I do them with the wrong motive, without the gifts of the Holy Spirit, they become empty and in fact actually destroy people. I start acting righteous and judge people.

I need to remember that my goal in life isn't to share my standards, my principles, to others. The kingdom of God is righteousness, peace, and joy that can only come from the Holy Spirit. I need to look at people as better than myself. I need to be humble by meditating on Christ's humility and being more like Him. I pray that God really give me strength to cry out. I want to work for His kingdom, please Lord, help me cry out to forgive my sinful nature, and to purify me, and to give me the right motive out of love for my friends and family.

Lord, please help me trust in you and not stress out. Help me organize my China trip. I really need guidance. Help me study today because I feel behind. I am finding hard to go through my day. I need encouragement Lord. Please be near me.

Romans 14: 10-12

2011-03-22T07:24:00.000-07:00

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written:

“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.

In this chapter Paul describes how a transformed Christian is to live with other Christians. In the prior verses, Paul tells us that even amongst Christians, there will be differences in our minds. Paul reminds us that whatever we do, we have to do it with the motive to worship and glorify God. Instead of going into exact details, Paul reminds us of the gospel. He states that Christ died and rose again and now in our entire lives, even in our deaths, everything belongs to God.

I think Paul repositions us in a better light. As Christians, we may argue or fight over things that may be culture or context, tradition or style. It may be a squabble over worship or hierarchy or organization or even ideals such as evolution or homosexuality. Instead of dwelling on these things, which may actually be important at times, Paul brings us back home. He brings us back to Christ and what He did and who He was.

Paul again reminds us of who God. In these arguments, we have a very strong tendency to judge others. When we selfishly judge other people, we need to be reminded of who God is.

First, God is the one who judges. There is no one on Earth who has the authority. No on Earth has the power. No one on Earth is more fair. No one on Earth has the most knowledge or capability to judge someone. God is the perfect judge. We cannot know a person or situation enough to be able to judge anyone on Earth.

Secondly, God will judge every person singularly. He won't judge us in groups or as denominations or as cultures. He will judge us soul by soul. We are responsible only for our decisions and our commitments and our lives. We are held to only what we are responsible for.

For me, I need to know that I am not God and I should not judge others. I judge others because I am holding them up to my own light and character. I judge people by their character and from such a small angle. I need to remember that I am sinful and that my judgments are tainted by my selfishness. I then need to remember that God will judge me. I need to remember who God is. Judgment should belong only to Him. And I will only be accountable to Him. I pray that I won't seek other's approval but only God's approval. I pray that I really follow His word today.

Lord, please bless my studies today. Please bless my school, friends, and family, Be with them by giving them a real understanding of Your presence today. Help us edify one another for Your glory. Please bless my decision making today, help me with my respectful attitude this lent of Your Word. Please bless Japan and the families and the churches that are suffering there.

Romans 14: 5-9

2011-03-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind. Whoever regards one day as special does so to the Lord. Whoever eats meat does so to the Lord, for they give thanks to God; and whoever abstains does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.

For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

In the last chapter Paul describes what it is like to live a transformed life in view of the gospel. In this chapter Paul describes how Christians are to live their transformed life with other Christians.

Observations:

There are strong and weak Christians
Christians do different things for the Lord, even contrary actions
Whatever we do, we must give thanks and do it for the Lord
Even in our life and death, we must give thanks, and do it for the Lord
Christ died and rose again so that in whatever we do, we may belong to the Lord

Paul exhorts us to live not only for ourselves. It is an incredible message when we realize that we do not have to live for ourselves alone anymore. Because of Christ, we may now live for the glory of another, we may now die for the glory of God. If we were made to glorify God, then Christ's death and resurrection has freed us. We no longer have to belong to ourselves, but we are free to belong to the one we should belong to, our God.

Christ died and rose again so that He may be the one we glorify in our lives and death. As I meditate on this, I realize that God did a very great thing, He gave us a very great gift. Our lives are now much simpler, instead of worrying exactly what laws or what customs to follow, all the things we do must be done for the glory of Jesus Christ. What we eat, what we abstain, does not matter. We no longer look at other Christians based on what they do, we now look at Christ and giving everything to Him.

For me, I need to learn how to feast and abstain. In this Lenten season, I want to really be committed to go to church every week, to do my quiet time every day, no matter how sinful or busy I am. I want to keep God on top even if I pile so many things beside Him. Lord, please help me realize what I do belongs to You. Please bless my studying and my friends, family, future family, wife, and career. Please be with Japan and their victims, strengthen Your churches with consuming love.

Psalm 73: 21-26

2011-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

When I tried to understand all this,
it troubled me deeply,
till I entered the sanctuary of God;
then I understood their final destiny.
...
When my heart was grieved
and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant;
I was a brute beast before you.

Yet I am always with you;
you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

In this Psalm, the speaker describes so well how it feels to live on this earth as a Christian. We are so joyful at times when we meditate on our citizenship in heaven, how Christ adopted us, and how God redeemed us from this world. Yet, at other times, we feel the pangs for the same thing: we are truly set apart from this world, we are now aliens, we do not belong here.

This especially comes to the forefront during circumstances about injustice. Everyone at times feels oppressed, as though their are enemies against us, as though we there are real forces that are seeking our defeat. And this is true! Satan is against us. Evil wants us apart from God. The selfishness of this world wants to consume us and bury us so that we will forget the power of God.

Yet the power of God is so well shown by the psalmist. In the midst of tragedy, in confusion, in despair, s/he enters the sanctuary of God. What is this? How does s/he do it? The psalmist meditates on God, on His redemption story, on our final destinations. Most of all, the psalmist remembers that God is with him/her.

God is with you, He is so close He is holding your hand. He is so intimate that guides you. He walks with you. And He will be with you and walk with you until the end. He will never leave you, He holds you even more closely when you are in trouble. And when you are weak, He will be your strength.

Let's live for God! Let's be strong by knowing that God is working. Remember His promises! Remember his faithfulness! Faith is like a muscle. His promises and ways are building you up so that you can love people so deeply.

Lord, I pray for my studies, help me be motivated. Lord help me bless my friends by truly loving them. Bless my family, my far friends, my future wife and family, and my school and career. Please help the year two's with their exam tomorrow. Help all of us focus on your incredible love. :)

Romans 14: 1-4

2011-03-17T08:29:00.000-07:00

As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

In the last chapter Paul shares about the transformed life of a Christian who lives in light of the gospel. When one fights and does not conform to the world, something changes in that person, and they start to walk in the light, clothing themselves in Christ Jesus. Their relationships with God, themselves, friends, and enemies are dramatically changed from a self-glorifying to God-glorifying motive.

In this chapter Paul now shares how a transformed life affects a Christian's changed relationship to other Christians. Some observations:

There are Christians who are weak in faith.
There are Christians who may be strong in faith.
We are called to welcome those who may be weak.
God has welcomed those who are weak.
We should not judge or despise those who are weak.
It is God who "upholds," it is God who judges, it is God who makes one "stand"

God calls us to welcome those who are weak of faith. We are not to welcome them to "correct" them or to "fix" them or to "quarrel" with them over opinions. I think this is what my life needs to remember: to not fight over issues in Christianity that aren't important to a heart that has faith.

I am so prone to fight and linger over issues about Christianity that probably aren't important in the big picture. Small things, like how to run a fellowship efficiently, or drinking, or habits or actions or ways of life, I really emphasize so much that I judge people by these things. I need to remember that some Christians may not be at that point in their faith-life where they can tackle those issues. In other times, I need to make sure that what I am concerned about is biblical and out of love for the other person.

What is rebuking is when Paul states that it is God who welcomes faith-weak people. And it is God who decides to make people stand. It is not our own strength, not our adherence to rules, or our perfect character, or our perceived strength of self-faith, it is God who makes one stand.

Lord, help me FIRST love other Christians around me. Make me strong so that I can love them sincerely. Help me love them deeply. Help me accept them just as you accepted us because of Christ Jesus. Help me cover their sin with love, conquer sin with forgiveness, shower them with grace and mercy, and really show them how big Your love is. I pray that You help me fight my desire to judge and condemn. Please give me a bigger heart. Please save me. Save us.

Lord, please help me study today for Your glory. Help me love You with all my heart, soul, and mind. Help me burn. I want to spend and be spent, in entirety for You! Bless my family and friends today with God's love through Your Word.

Romans 13: 11-14

2011-03-16T06:11:00.000-07:00

Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Paul shares with us an incredible urgency to love people in these verses.

All the laws in the bible, in Jewish culture, were made to exemplify our love-relationship with God. We are sinful people, but God loves us so much that He sacrificed His Son so we can be free. Therefore, we know lives lives not out of debt, but out of love to serve and give ourselves in the highest. Paul has been sharing how, when in view of God's redemption history, we are transformed: in our our view of ourselves and our view of others.

Part of a transformed life is an intense urgency to love people. This is almost a mirror image of the beginning of chapter 12. When we fight our desires to conform to this world, we are transformed. In this passage, there are two iterations of the same idea:

When we cast off darkness, we are putting on the armor of light
When we fight our desires of the flesh, we clothe ourselves with Christ Jesus

Be transformed. Wake up. Walk in the day time. Put on the armor of light. Clothe yourself in Christ Jesus. Live as a sacrifice.

All of this is for Jesus Christ and love. There is great urgency to love. There is great urgency to fight. And our motivation can only come from knowing who God is, what He did, and His incredible overflowing love for us. I need to learn to fight my sin by meditating on God's love for me. I need to learn to obey and arm myself with the power of Christ by praying and reading scripture. I need to love people with all I have by living in the light and walking with God.

Lord, please pray for me. Please give me strength to honor You and obey You. Please bless my friends and family, my future family, my future wife, my future career. I pray that You help me study for Your glory. Please help me build a Christian community here. Please help me live all out for You. Give us a sense of urgency to love people.

Romans 13: 9-10

2011-03-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Paul gives an extra charge to love those whom we have especially a hard time to love. He encourages us even more in these verses by saying when we love people with the breadth and depth of Christ's love, we are fulfilling the law of God.

Laws aren't there to earn us our way into heaven. Laws are the practical representation of our relationship with God. These biblical laws show us who God is and help us form a relationship with God.

If love is the fulfillment of the law, we break the law all the time. Yet God still fulfills His part, His covenant, His promise to us. This is how the law shows Christ. Christ died, so that we can be free: free from our sin, and free to follow the law out of love.

For me, I need to learn how to obey. I need to remember God's laws and by love, through love, for love, follow them. Lord, please help me fight sin today. To listen to Your Holy Spirit. To be brave and live selflessly. Help me study and love my family and friends. Bless them all, my school, and please bless families in Japan.

Romans 13: 8

2011-03-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.

Paul continues to describe what a Christian looks like with a life transformed. A Christ-centered life transforms how you live with people. Knowing about the body of Christ, we know live invested in each other, with responsibility to build each other up as our own bodies.

The hard part occurs when we apply this attitude to our enemies, to the people we have difficulty loving, to evil people, and to authority. Paul now gives an extra charge to empower us to love those we have a difficult time loving.

This verse means so much to me because it helps me live a life of grace and love. I have a hard time understanding grace because I always feel the urge to repay back someone after they have given me something. I have difficulty to accept gifts or favors because I don't want to owe people.

But how can I live like that in light of God's mercy? How can I accept the greatest free gift of God if I do not understand grace? This verse teaches me that I need to learn how to accept grace. I need to accept gifts. I need to be humble and allow people to give to me.

Moreover, I need to learn that it is biblical and God-centered to feel indebted to people! I am not indebted to repay gifts or services. I am indebted to give love! And love is the whole reason why I do not understand grace or mercy. Love is not about paying back debt. Love is about always giving because you love them.

God, please bless my studying today. Please give me focus and strength. I pray that You bless my family, my friends, my future wife and family, please give strength for people to know Your lovingkindness in Japan, do magnificent things in Japan Lord, show them what Love means.

Ruth 2: 15-23

2011-03-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

And her mother-in-law said to her, "Where did you glean today? And where have you worked? Blessed be the man who took notice of you." So she told her mother-in-law with whom she had worked and said, "The man’s name with whom I worked today is Boaz." And Naomi said to her daughter-in-law, "May he be blessed by the LORD, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!" Naomi also said to her, "The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers."

This was from the message I heard today. Boaz has heard of Ruth's love and sacrifice to help Naomi, her mother-in-law and gives her permission to glean in his field. Ruth is so thankful because in her dire circumstance and position as a widow in society, gleaning is the only way she can get food and take care of her mother-in-law. When Ruth returns home to Naomi, these verses take place.

Upon receiving the blessings of God, what does Naomi do?

She acknowledges her position of need.
She blesses God and the man God used to bless.
She recognizes the loving-saving character of God.

For me, the biggest point is realizing that God is the redeemer that I need/ed. I need a saviour. I need someone to save me.

I need to dwell on this, when I am hurt or broken, or stuck, or fallen, or weak, or short, I don't just need to rely on God's strength. I actually need someone to save me!

Lord, help me by saving me. Come near me. I need ou. I don't just need your strength, I don't just need what you can give to me, but I need You. I need You to come and bring me out of darkness, bring me out of my temptation and sin. bring me out of my un-motivation and lack of discipline. Lord, I need You by my side! Please bless my studies today. Make my friendships pleasing to You. Protect my heart. Make me worthy of Your calling.

Romans 12: 18-21

2011-03-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Paul continues to describe how one lives in the body of Christ after a life transformed. Part of living the body of Christ is becoming radical to world in loving our enemies.

We were meant to live lives of forgiveness and reconciliation. Because we have been given mercy and so much grace from God, we reflect that to others. In a fight, or a broken relationship, God calls us to ask for forgiveness or to forgive. It says to do this "as far as it depends on you," because God knows we cannot force the other person to reconcile. However, we are responsible for our part. And even if the relationship remains broken, God is still pleased and only holds us responsible for our side.

God asks us to do something even more radical, He doesn't just call us to not do bad for our enemies. Moreover, He doesn't call us to remain neutral to enemies, He asks us to DO GOOD to our enemies. In terms of ethical theory, this is above beneficence! We are obligated not to just restore relationships to what was, but to make them new, to make our relationship MORE, to make something broken better than it was before!

This is because of Christ who died out of love. I pray that God help me melt hard hearts in my school with service and love and humility of Christ. I pray that God give me this Christ like attitude as I live my life. To put others above myself. Lord, help me make a difference in my school.

I pray for help to fight sin. I pray for focus in this Lent. I pray for motivation to glorify God by studying so well. I pray for love for my family and friends. I pray for Japan and Christians there to rise and show the love of God in such tragedy.

Romans 12: 14-17

2011-03-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

Paul here continues to show us what a true Christian looks like when his/her life is transformed.

Part of being transformed is knowing that you are one body in Christ. This notion dramatically changes how you see success and failure. In the previous verses, Paul mentions characteristics that make sense for people to have in a community or in a team: various services are performed, each member has different purposes but all work together to make a whole. However, here, Paul talks about issues that will make it hard for sinful people to live in the body of Christ!

If we are the body, we need to treat each other as our own body, as our own family, as our selves. In other words, we need to treat people as Christ treated us. God blessed His enemies, God forgave them, moreover, Christ gave everything and more to them.

We bless our enemies or people we do not like because we will show the body of Christ through our other-worldly actions. This is so different than in the world. If someone makes you mad, or does you wrong, it is fair to punish them. Not so in Christ.

This can only be done knowing two things:

It is for the purpose of showing the body of Christ and a transformed life
It can only be done with having humility

Today I pray for strength. Sometimes, I do feel that people are against me. I do feel that I am misunderstood or taken the wrong way as to be against people. Other times, I want to judge people and let them know it. I pray for a humility of Christ. I pray for strength to do this because I love God and want to meet Him in this Lenten season.

Lord, please pray for strength to obey you today. I pray that I can flee evil. I pray for blessings, help me be motivated to study Lord!

Romans 12: 9-13

2011-03-10T07:15:00.000-08:00

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

In the last quiet time Paul showed us how a changed spiritual reality will affect our service to other people. In this section, Paul continues to describe what a Christian looks like whose life is transformed.

Outstanding points:

Love is mentioned first. It is the motivation to do all things proceeding. It must be first in my mind and daily actions.
I need to learn to run away from evil. I need to flee. I need to hold on to what is good.
Zeal, fervor, fire, passion. These are all attributed to a state of mind when serving the Lord. That is the attitude of a servant. It is not passion to control, or to save, or to change people, but a fire FIRST to serve the Lord. Self-centered fire vs. God-centered fire.
Lastly, Paul says to be constant in prayer. I need prayer. I really am desperate for God to help me pray. I feel so fast and fragmented. I want one desire.

Lord I pray for all these things. Please help me want more for you. Help me focus on you today. To flee from evil and hold on to your word. Help me be constant in prayer. I want a fire to love you today.

Romans 12: 4-8

2011-03-09T06:38:00.000-08:00

For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if it is serving, then serve;
if it is teaching, then teach;
if it is to encourage, then give encouragement;
if it is giving, then give generously;
if it is to lead, do it diligently;
if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

To sum up the last few quiet times: When we fight something changes in our hearts-- when we fight against the ways of the world, we become transformed. When we fight we become "sober," we see less of ourselves and more of God and His will.

When we see with this spiritual reality we se God differently, we see ourselves differently, and we see other people differently. Paul emphasizes that we can only picture God completely when we all work together. Just like the body has parts, each with different functions, if we are God's body, we each have a role to play.

We all belong to each other in the sense that we share in each other's experiences: our victories, failures, struggles, and successes. When we think like this we become more invested in each other's well being. We become more like a community. We picture the church as a whole.

Paul goes into detail about what kinds of gifts can build up the church of God. I think the second to last really spoke to me today. Leading has been difficult for me because I am insecure and I am afraid of taking responsibility for things that could go wrong. This pressure keeps me from taking lead when I know I really should. This verse speaks loud to me about this issue. I know now I need to fight to be quick to lead when the Holy Spirit prompts me. It is important because it builds up the body of Christ.

I pray that God feed me today so that I can only live off of Him. I want to start this Lent with His pleasure in mind. I pray for incredible faith to fight sin and to love people more. I pray that He bless my studies today because I am having a hard time, and I pray that He bless my conversations today with words that build up the body of Christ for His glory.

Colossians 3: 23-34

2011-02-10T10:33:00.000-08:00

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know you will receive and inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Tumultuous! Tortuous! That's what I feel like right now. My life is too fast for me to process. It's exciting because I want to know exactly how I will be able to get all what I need to get down in this short time before break: my exam I just took, the small projects/posters I have to write, ECR on Friday, lab practical on Tuesday, Histo quiz next week, and prayer meetings, and APAMSA show practices all the time.

Yet, I was very unfaithful. I had so little faith before my Monday exam. I was much more depressed and stressed out than what I am used to. I was sad because I had C's on my last 2 exams. And in that last one I thought I studied enough. It was because I really tried last time to study and getting a disappoint grade that really discouraged me.

So coming into last weekend, was worse, because I really had no time to study. Potluck on Friday with me leading prayer meeting too and a Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday. I was exhausted.

And yet, I had an incredibly good grade. Man, it's something I don't deserve yet God gives it to me. Yet, again I was so depressed yesterday about certain relationships in my group of friends. I felt discouraged because I felt like my life, the way I live, was not enough. That who I am didn't matter to people. That what I was doing was pointless. Was my friendship with people, my service to them, my pouring of all my energy doing anything to my friends or this school?

I came back to this verse. Paul is encouraging the Colossians to live the glorious life God has called them to live. Paul transforms the idea of being a servant, a slave in this world. It's so radical.

We are servants. We are lowly. Our position is being beneath. This is the posture our heart should be taking.
Yet, we serve not human eyes but our Lord's. We do things to not please our earthly friends or masters, but to please God.
This allows us to work with ALL our heart. We pour our service out like a drink offering. We can only give everything if we understand that we are servants and we serve God.
Lastly, there is purpose to our outpouring. It is NEVER IN VAIN. We give because out of love we somehow, receive more love, when we give love. God is our end goal. Being like Christ is our reward.

When I get confused, when I get discouraged and question how meaningful my actions really are, this verse rebukes me. It is not my friends I am only serving. It is not this school, this nation, my family, or even myself that I am only serving. I am serving Christ, Himself.

This is for Him. Lord, help me meditate on this scripture in my life. Help me find motivation ad strength and power by knowing that I am fighting for You!

Please bless my studying today, my love to my friends and family, be with my future wife and family, change my heart today so I can serve others in the future, give peace to my brother. I am fasting today because I want to realign myself and my desires. I want to do things for You only, because from that there is incredible strength and power, this can save my friends and moreover, I can love You more. Purify me and make me new.

Romans 12: 3

2011-02-04T11:05:00.000-08:00

For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Fighting against worldly desires and in turn being transformed starts with the self. In my last quiet time I show that when we set ourselves apart, when we fight, when we resist the world, we become transformed. When we fight something changes in our heart. Paul goes into detail in this verse.

Where and how do we start fighting? We start with the self. How we think of our selves can be so worldly. We tend to think justify all our actions and decisions on what can we gain. When we think of this, we put our selves on the highest pedestal. What matters most is what we want and who we are.

Christ wants more for us. He doesn't want us to find satisfaction in pleasing our selves, but wants us to find even greater satisfaction in pleasing God. If we were made in the image of God, our greatest feelings, greatest desires, greatest joy will come from a God-centered life than a self-centered life. Making our minds God-centered is the key of "sober judgment."

When we fight we are changed, when we are changed, we see more of God's will. We start to understand God's will and judgment as reality. How? Through faith. I need to have a faith, a "trust" in God as a being, Christ as a person. I need to have faith in a relationship about God, not about me.

I am very depressed as of yesterday about school and grades. I feel like I don't study enough and even when I do study I feel so inefficient and slow compared to others. It feels so much greater this exam than before. God help me please You. Please be more real in my life. Part of my pain comes from wanting a good grade for myself. But if I am in a relationship with You, can I study for Your pleasure?

Lord please help me make that desire real. I feel so pressed for time. I feel so encumbered by things I have to do. I feel so heartless to my brother. Help me love my family. Help me pray for my brother. Please please help me be pleasing to You today. Above all things, may I just dwell in Your house today. Of all things I ask, may it be to please You and to be a sacrifice, and aroma to You. May You help me by grace to fight to make You my top priority. You above all.

Romans 12: 2

2011-02-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- His good, pleasing, and perfect will.

There's something beautiful in these verse because there is a death and rebirth. Paul in verse 1 calls us to sacrifice our bodies in worship. In the next verse, it is our minds that become renewed.

God's mercy precedes our worship. Knowing God's mercy precedes our sacrifice. In parallel, God's good, pleasing, and perfect will procedes our transformation. When we are renewed in mind, we are transformed. When we align ourselves away from the world's perspective, we will be able to see God's perspective.

In other words: when we know what God did for us, our bodies natural response is to offer itself as a sacrifice. In parallel, when we resist the direction the world is taking us, something changes within us. And in this change, we start to understand God's will. We start to become more like Christ.

In my previous post, I showed when we see who Christ is and what He did, we realize the incredible love our Father has for us. When we know who God is, our lives change. We start loving God and our lives aim to please Him. We sacrifice because it is our way of showing God we love Him.

In this post, it is when we resist the world, when we fight our worldly desires, we are being cleaned. We are being renewed. We are being transformed. It is when we fight, we start to understand not the world's perspective, but God's perspective. We find that it is good. God's will is pleasing to God and us! God's will is perfect.

I think that's what I need right now. In my life, my med school life, I need to sift through my day and my actions and my thoughts. I need to find out what God's will is. Perhaps, it's less "knowing" but more like "approving." In my life, I need to find out what is "good" in the light of my Father's will, what is "pleasing" to Him, what is "perfect" in His sight.

As I think about it more, it seems very complicated, because it is not so systematic in my thoughts. But what I know is that it is important for me in my day to think about my Father's perspective. When I read the word and apply it to my perspective in life, my attitude and my thoughts change. It's a different reality. It's a spiritual reality. What is valued in the world is not valued in the spiritual realm. What is hopeless or unchanged in the world, is full of potential and growth in the spirit's eye.

I need to see my world with a spiritual reality. This is hard because we need to fight to see the world in this way. We need to know who God is first and we have to fight our sinful desires to see God. But "by His light, we see all light."

Lord, please bless my dinner with Ryan today, help us grow, please bless my friends today as they study, help me stay awake and focused, keep me efficient, please bless the Christians on campus, please help us grow into a beautiful body of Christ, please bless prayer meeting today. I want to make much of You! Help us make much of You!

Romans 12: 1

2011-02-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.

Right now, I feel very frustrated with myself. I feel like I am so in love with God and want to worship Him, yet at the same time I am so selfish and undisciplined. I can think of God and this great urge to save my friends, yet I can fade that away in an instant and think only about my sinful desires.

There is a great struggle and frustration in me. I know that I have sinful nature and a spirit's nature, both inside me, both desiring. I am not surprised at my relapses. But I am frustrated because I want to be free. I want to be pleasing to God. I want to give ALL to my God. Not sometimes, but all the time.

I am thinking about the last chapter in John. When Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves Him. I really want that. God forgive me. I am sorry I lust and I am sorry I give up fighting to love You. I'm sorry my heart wanders and calculates and plans. I'm sorry even in my repentance, I am sinful against You.

Lord, You died to set me free. You give Peter so much mercy and grace. You do not chastise him, You do not hate him, You do not ask anything about his denials against You. All You do is ask, "Do you love me?"

Lord, help me say "I love You." Help me. Wash me. Make me clean. Please wash my sin with Jesus Christ's blood. Do this so I can shine and be a light for Your kingdom and glory. Please help me live for Your name.

As in the verse, help me see who You are, what Christ did, so that I can offer my self as a sacrifice. Out of love for love. Please bless my studying today, I am so tired, I feel so weak, I can't focus, help me focus on You and study for Your glory. Please bless my friends as they love each other, may Your light show them who Christ is. Please bless prayer meeting today, may Your love be new. May they fall again in love with You!

Romans 11: 33-36

2011-02-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?"
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen

Paul prays out of worship because He has meditated on God's redemptive plan for humanity. He looked at the Gentiles and he looked at the Jews and saw a glimpse of God's power and love when he sees God's redeeming plan for them.

God's promises, His plans, His gifts are irrevocable. Knowing this and realizing God's immense heart leaves Paul responding in worship.

God has a heart with a crazy plan. God is big enough to make this plan work. God resolves all things for us in a dramatic way. God thought of me through it all. God wants all to be with Him.

Therefore, we pour out glory to our Lord. Knowing who God is worship. Worship is knowing who God is. I pray today that I meditate on the plans of my God. To really believe in His promises. To trust Him. To need everything from Him. To feel free in Him. I pray that He bless me, my family, and my friends, my future wife and family, my calling, and this school. May we burn for Him.

Romans 11: 25-32

2011-01-29T15:18:00.000-08:00

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;
he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
And this is my covenant with them
when I take away their sins.”

As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies for your sake; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable. Just as you who were at one time disobedient to God have now received mercy as a result of their disobedience, so they too have now become disobedient in order that they too may now receive mercy as a result of God’s mercy to you. For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

God has such a big heart. He wants all people to be saved.

Everyone disobeys, it does not matter if some rebelled first or others second. It does not matter if they were in the original covenant or not. God did something amazing, He took a blessing that was for one people, and used it to bless all.

That is my God. Somehow, when God was blessing Abraham, or David, or Jesus, or the disciples, He was blessing me. Now, I know, when God is blessing me, He is blessing others.

I need to think bigger. I need to let go of what I want, my self focused nature to think of only my well being. I need to really find joy in how God is saving others. To really want only what God wants, which is to be with God alone.

Lord, my heart is so prone to wandering. I want so much more. Even after seeing amazing things with our fellowship, I want so much more. Please help make me biblical, that the more I want is more for You and not more for me.

Lord, bless our dinner today. Bless my conversation, may it be revealing to Your INCREDIBLE love. Save us, have mercy on my friends, forgive me as You forgive them, make us pleasing to Christ!

Luke 15: 1-7

2011-01-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn't he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it?

And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.'

It tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

Thank you for the privilege. Thank you for the purpose. Thank you God because You let me participate in Your kingdom. There is such joy in wanting your kingdom to grow. There is incredible fire and peace and burning when I meditate on Your love for me and Your people. Please, take not Your Holy Spirit from me, protect me against the devil's schemes, let me bask in what Your glorious Son has won.

In this parable, Jesus shows the heart of God through the heart of a shepherd. There are a hundred sheep. Imagine all of them. If we lose one of hundred of anything, most of the time we don't care. I have not one hundred, but ten fingers. If I lost one of them, I will really care. God feels the same way, but not for ten, but for hundreds, millions, billions. When he looks at you, you are not one of a hundred. You are the only one to Him. His love is that specific and special for you. If you are lost, He, Himself will go out and find You.

To God, You are worth so much. So much, that if You are lost, He sees only You, He feels your loneliness, He knows your struggles, your frustrations. He sees my unsatisfied heart, my disappointments, my failures and wants to relieve me. He wants to relieve me of my fears and insecurities and bring me to Him.

God's love is so directed, so unique, so abundant for you. When He finds you, he "lifts" you up! He puts you on His shoulders and carries you. He carries you home! He calls His friends, God's angels, others in heaven, and they all rejoice at God's incredible love for you.

Do I feel this joy? Do I see God's joy in my life? Do I feel God's joy for finding me in my daily life? Do I feel God's joy for finding His other sheep, His other children? If I do not, then I might be lost. I might not be anywhere near the other sheep, no where near the shepherd. I need to meditate on this joy of God.

God is so pleased when I go to Him, in whatever state, in the middle of sinning, when I am apathetic, when I am happy, or sad, or angry. He will rejoice no matter where I am, when I go to Him. When I let Him find me. When I let Him bring me home.

The secret of repentance is that I meditate not on me but on God and Christ's love for me. With that picture of Christ's overwhelming love, my natural reaction is to repent. So Lord, I repent. I am sorry if I judge others, I am sorry that I am in this school for my glory, that I study for my name, that I study for my pleasure. Help me. Redeem me. Bring me home. Change my reality.

There is no guilt here! Jesus Christ died to set me free from guilt! I do not study more because I feel bad about failing or getting a low score. I do not study any more because I need to prove my worth. I study because it pleases God. Because I know I am on His shoulders rejoicing. That He is sharing His joy with me and with others. I want to be Godly-joy motivated!

Lord, bless all the Christians here. Whether or not 12 or 2 people show up tonight, I want to rejoice with You tonight. Thank You for the magnificent joy in serving You. Please, please, please let this joy be true for my friends and family. Please bless our prayer meeting tonight. Revive us!

Romans 11:19-24

2011-01-27T13:57:00.000-08:00

You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did no spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either.

Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.

And if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree!

My spiritual life right now feel so turbulent. I am on fire, but my sinful nature is ever strong still. I am in love with God, but I have so much pride and arrogance. I am so desperate for His love and acceptance, yet I judge the other Christians in this school.

This passage needs to be engrained in me. I need to tremble.

I need to remember Christ. I need to stand behind the cross. Paul here knows the kind of arrogance that comes from being accepted in Christ. The freedom Christ gives us could be perverted into arrogance and used to destroy the body.

I need to remember faith. I need to remember that faith is a gift, that my purpose in this school is a gift, that it is a blessing to minister to people, that God could use anyone else to love His children.

I need to be thankful and destroy my pride. I need to get out.

What do I really want? People to become what I want? Or people to become what God wants? I think the last line really shakes me and reminds me of what my life is about. God wants all people to go to Him, I really need to s tart praying for the Christians in this campus. I need to invest and really get close to them because they need to be fed. I want to love them more, because it will please God so much when they are intimate, when they are "grafted" in again!

Help me deny myself father. For Your glory only. Bless my studying. Bless Tim and the bible study. Help us become a community. Help us become the body of Christ. The real, suffering, praying, working, loving body of Christ.

Romans 11: 16-18

2011-01-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches.

If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches.

If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

In the previous verses, we see that God is so powerful that He can redeem our disobedience, He can redeem our brokenness. His love is so great, He wants to not just restore our relationship with Him to what it was, but to make it even greater, and all this through Christ.

In these verses, Paul asks us to check our hearts. Because of sin, we have the tendency to take God-centered gifts and make them self-centered gifts. Great blessings God gives us are meant to glorify Christ. We have the ability to take them and glorify ourselves.

I need to remember that any strength in me is because of God's great strength that He gives to me and through me. I need to become less, He needs to become greater. I need to remember that God will do the work of expanding His kingdom and saving souls so that He can receive all the glory and credit.

Sometimes I am too prideful, my desire to put myself in the spotlight and to want the credit and honor. Lord, please help me remember that from You all good things come. Help me really understand that You are the root of my life. Help me really understand that You are the foundation of my soul. Please help me depend on You so that my reliance when totally on You can bless others.

Romans 11: 13-15

2011-01-22T11:44:00.000-08:00

I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. For if their rejection brought reconciliation to the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead?

This is a continuation of the attitude of "more" from the previous verses Paul writes. Paul makes theology and perception a direct link in his life.

He knows that God's love is excessive, it is overflowing, it is a torrent, it overwhelms. That is how God loves us. He wants to give us riches, He wants to give us the best, He wants to be with us, He wants to give us the ultimate prize, which is himself, a relationship with God.

Yet we sin. We break our relationship with God. And how does a love, the overwhelming love of God respond? He redeems it. Our God can take something broken and make it whole. Moreover, He doesn't just make it the same as before, He makes it better. For us, we maybe be broken in the inside, crushed, hopeless, lost. Or maybe apathetic, no feeling, no passion. Our God is a God that loves so powerfully that He takes that brokenness unto himself. For the purpose of setting us free to love Him more.

And that's what Paul writes. He takes the sin of Israel, to bless the Gentiles and the Israelites. It is because he wants everyone to be set free, to revive us and be alive in Christ.

And this attitude is the attitude that I want, to love His people and have intense passion to bring them to Him. I want my classmates to know Christ. I want them to have a relationship that is like none other. I want them to just know who God is, that God loves them, nothing else. I pray that God equip me, change me, grow me, put my in circumstances that will let me grow. I ask God to give me chances to become more like Christ!

Romans 11: 7-12

2011-01-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

What then? Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking. The elect obtained it, but the rest were hardened, as it is written, "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would no hear, down to this very day."

And David says, "Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and bend their backs forever."

So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means,! Rather through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles so as to make Israel jealous. Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!

This is a complicated passage. Let's rewind, Paul has previously shown that Israel needs the gospel in chapters 9 and 10. Israel does not have a special standing before God that exempts them from not needing to believe in Christ and His name. Israel needs to be saved.

However, Israel has rejected the gospel. Chapter 11 describes this in detail. In the earlier verses, we see that Israel's rejection is not total: God will leave a remnant of Israel who believe. Paul emphasizes this is by grace and for the purpose of showing God's love.

In these verses, Paul further describes Israel's rejection of the gospel. He shows that even though the Israelites reject God by choice, in his sovereignty and love, God can redeem Israel's rejection of the gospel!

The quotes from the OT by Paul, are evidence that it is God's sovereignty and a human's choice to reject God. What is important isn't dwelling on the complications of free will and God's will, but what God does to resolve the situation. God can redeem our disobedience!

We may think our disobedience or sin ruins everything, but our God is powerful and creative, he can take our disobedience and grow us. Moreover, God can take our disobedience and grow others. God wants to bless all of us, he wants to give "riches" to the world! Even though the Jews reject God, God can use the situation to bless the gentiles, even more so, God will use that situation to ultimately bless the Jews too.

I need to meditate on where I fall short for the glory of God. My attitude, my laziness, my thoughts. I need to go to God and ask Him to redeem me. I need to surrender. Redeem me. Be it, a negative or a positive example for others to learn from and be blessed.

Lord, bless my school, bless my friends, bless our dinner together, bless the prayer meeting tonight, those who are stressed out I ask for your peace to go into them so that they can call on Your Name and give all glory and love to You! Make me a fighter to win hearts to You!

2 Timothy 4: 6-8

2011-01-18T13:56:00.000-08:00

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have have loved His appearing.

What is our fight? What is our race?

Studying = Our fight

This passage reminds us that we should fight. It reminds us why we should fight.

It's so different than this world. In school, we study to earn the A. In God, we already have the A. So why do we work hard, why do we fight, why do we study? It's in the passage. Jesus Christ won that A for us. Jesus Christ won that race, the war is already won. Knowing God has won, we fight because we love God and enjoy fighting for him. It's because we love our God! It pleases God when we fight. AND we receive joy when we fight.

What does this mean?

When we study = we are worshiping/loving God

Have you ever heard of that? Studying out of love? Studying motivated out of love? It's crazy. It's so out of this world. It's what Christianity is all about!

OUR SUCCESSES:

- our successes do not come from our work

- our successes come from God working in us

Let's count our blessings right now. Where have we succeeded that we need to thank God for? What were situations that we thought were hopeless that God pulled us through in the end? Any tests we thought hopeless? Any situations were we were surprised about the outcome? God is trying to say something to you. Let's thank him! Let's give him credit!

OUR FAILURES:

- the value of our work is not what we achieve.

- the value of our work is not what others see we achieve. (not our professors, parents, friends)

- the value of our work is measured by what God is doing through us

God, I want to see my failures in a God-centered way. I want to believe that my B, my C, my failing grade can be redeemed if I offer it up to you. I want to believe that even if I don't think it's good enough, even if this school doesn't think it's good enough, you accept my broken offering to you. You do not seek sacrifices or burnt offerings. You want what we have even if it is not perfect because you love us.

Let's pray that we offer our imperfect grades and studying as sacrifices to God. Let's think about areas in our life we may feel like a failure, and offer that up to God. He is so pleased when we offer our failures to Him.

Let's think about where we will be after this, or tomorrow, or this week. Let's ask God, to help us focus on our studies. When we get distracted, let's learn to trust in God's power, and fight the good fight! He is pleased when we fight, not that we must win every time, but that we fight again!

Romans 11: 1-6

2011-01-17T10:30:00.000-08:00

I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew.

Don't you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah- how he appealed to God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me"?

And what was God's answer to him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.

As I learn more about Christianity and its different subcultures, I am realizing there is a difference between those who grew up in the church and those who didn't.

I met a person the other day and we talked and shared about where we are in the Lord. It was fascinating to see that although he grew up in a youth group and was so involved in leadership and ministry, he developed a sense of pride that was a major issue he had to grow through. It was so serious that he is at the point of feeling insecure abou serving in any circumstance with the body of Christ.

As for me, I do not have pride in that sense. My pride comes from judging others and wanting them to do things not to please the Lord but to please me. I've been judging some Christians because I expect that if they grew up in the church, they should serve in it. They know more, they've experienced more, they should do more. Is that right of me to say? No. More often than not, I see that people who are "gentiles," those who haven't been born into the church, are so much more willing to love and serve God. Is that necessarily correct?

What's the point? In the previous chapter, Paul does show that the Israelites, who had God with them, are the people who rejected God. Consequently, God is now going to the gentiles who are now given the gifts and relationship the Jews were supposed to have.

In this chapter, Paul assures the Jews that even though the gentiles are given the gospel, the jews have the gospel as well. Paul gives himself as an example. He was a jew.

In my context, yes, I have experienced that those who grew up in the church are not as refreshed, on fire, or as passionate about the gospel as those who became Christian later in their lives. Yet, there is hope for the "jews" who may feel 'flat' or even bitter about church. The example of Paul's life is testimony that those who even grew up in the church are capable of incredibly strong passion.

God does not reject those who come to him by grace and faith. This is regardless if you are a Jew or a gentile, this is regardless if you grew up in the church or just came in. Paul is emphasizing that we are God's chosen remnant. Those who have trust in Christ are the few that God has set apart, the few that God has chosen to be a light to the world, the few that are called to love with a supernatural love.

I pray that God help the Christians today in our school. Help us, we are so sinful, we are so distracted, we need your presence and the holy spirit to stir in us a desire to seek you, to need you, to have a deep relationship with you. I pray that you bless all our classmates and professors and school staff, please send someone, send us, to minister to them and to love them with the power of Christ's suffering. Speak to all of us, help us know you are real, and that you have plans for us.

"Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive... With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day." - MLK JR

John 8: 13-18

2010-08-20T05:01:00.000-07:00

"for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one."

In my previous QT from december of the verses before this one, I mentioned that I "felt" lost and purposeless. This passage directly contends with that! When the Jews question Jesus, they question the validity of Jesus's testimony. They do not see Him as a valid witness or source of information. This is because they do not know who Jesus is.

Looking at the previous verses, we see that Jesus is the light that comes from the Father. Jesus is like the pillar of fire that the Israelites followed in the desert. If we are lost, we need to follow the light. If we are lost, we need to follow Jesus. We are not the light. We do not have the validity to be the light. We are not Jesus who can be a witness to God and the light.

Yet by following Jesus, we do become the salt and light of the world.

I need to see Jesus as the light. Lord help me see Jesus. Help me follow the pillar of fire before me so that I can walk in the light. I need to know I am faulty in my understanding and own strength to make my own path. Help me follow your path by knowing who you are, where you came form, what you did, and what you will do.

Please bless my school, family, friends, and future.

2 Peter 3: 10-18

2010-08-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief... You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming... since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless, and at peace with him"

After Peter describes God's patience with us, Peter describes the final day God will unveil his wrath. God is patient with us because he wants us to repent, but he will not wait forever. There must be a day for justice to be fulfilled.

Peter's main point is that this judgment day will come unexpectedly. Therefore, we must live our lives right now for Him. This is what Peter teaches us because of the inevitable day of the Lord:

Everything will be destroyed.
There will be a "new heave and a new earth," a new place where Jesus reigns
Therefore, we must look forward to this day.
We must live in a way that sees this long-term spiritual reality.

What is the function of judgment day for Christianity? It gives us a reason to live "holy," to live so that we can be "spotless, blameless" before God. We know that we cannot be perfect. It is impossible. In consideration of Peter's letter as a whole we learn one main thing:

God's main point is this: He wants us to live lives different than how the world lives their lives. The knowledge of the Day of the Lord helps us live for God right now

Practically, this can help us live in this way: instead of living for short-term gratification, we now have a reason to live in a long-term perspective. We have a reason to discipline ourselves. We have a reason to be patient. We have a reason to repent. We have a reason to live lives separate from the world. We have a reason to live a life with urgency.

In many ways the Day of the Lord is for us! God really wants us to become more like Jesus, and part of being like Jesus is to see reality the way He sees it. Since we previously learned that God does not see time as us, the Day of the Lord somehow helps us see time like Him. Therefore, we can live our lives with urgency.

I ask God to bless my school, my studying, my family, my friends, and my relationship with Christ. I ask God to help me understand the Day of the Lord so that I can live for Him in a way that pleases Him. May I be blessed so others may be blessed today.

2 Peter 3: 1-9

2010-08-18T05:35:00.000-07:00

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."

After Peter discusses about false teachers and men who are slaves to sin rather than slaves to God, he talks about who God is. God is person that:

created the heavens and earth
intervenes in the present world
will destroy the heavens and earth on judgment day

The first point I got out of this is the need for punishment. After seeing Brennan and Maya behave and play, I realize that for some children, the only way they can learn and grow is to be disciplined. They are too young to reason fully, so physical reward and punishment serves to point them to spiritual reward and punishment, and hopefully self-discipline. Moreover, after participating in the "Integrity and Professionalism" seminar for med school during orientation, I realize that punishment and the consequences of sin are needed so that we can hate and turn away sin. As an aside, as everyone discussed the ethics of professionalism and academic integrity, I realized there is no way for us to justify our morals or motivate others to follow our morals. The only way is through a relationship with Jesus.

If we look at Peter's previous discussion, we see that Peter sees people who follow evil ways. And then he describes God who will punish them.

The second point is this: God does not see time as we do, and thus his justice and wrath is impossibly held back. If God is above time, then the very existence of our sinful lives should cause Him to obliterate our souls and punish us to Hell. God does not watch our lives, and when we sin He records a tallying punishment. No, when God looks at us, at that very moment, He should send us to Hell because of our sinful nature. Then why does God delay punishment?

The third point is this: God is patient. God is patient because he wants us to repent. Jesus Christ is the only reason we do not perish immediately. Jesus Christ is the reason God can be patient. Jesus Christ is the reason that we can come to repentance.

Help me hate sin Lord. Help me obey and walk by the spirit. Help me read your word and pray. Please bless my spirit today, bless my school work today, my family, my friends, my future, and our relationship.