Overflow

The Church
For the past few weeks i've been church hopping to find which group of fellowship would fit best for me. Today i went to Granada Heights Friends Church since it's close by. I visited Grace Free Evangelical last week, plan to visit Refuge Calvary, La Mirada Calvary, and Rock Habor. And i'm sure there are dozens more around the area.

I'm glad that everywhere I go, I can meet with people who have a common identity and foundation in Christ. When people have a common focal point on worshiping Jesus and a chief end to glorify His name, it forms a loving and warm community. It's great to know i have a family in Christ. We as many form one body. The church is just a vehicle for His will. In unity we can make Christ known. The question now is, "Will you take up your cross, surrender your life, and join the revolution in following Jesus?"

Evangelism
Of coarse we're not called to only fellowship and hangout with Christians, but also called to evangelize, by spreading the gospel to the world. Today in our small young adult group we talked about the challenges of evangelism, the difficulties of it, and our perception of it. I'm glad that we as Christians are rethinking how we are to approach sharing Jesus with others. And i think the answer to effective evangelism, is to simply love on others.

I honestly don't blame others when they get defensive in their beliefs, because I can understand how Christians can impose or try to force their belief on others. This is definitely a wrong approach. I think it should be more of a process of being relational and intentional. Christians are not to go around trying to sell something. We are to witnesses of the great work God has done and is doing in our lives. We are called to shine our light in this world of darkness. The best way to start leading someone closer to Christ is to just get to know them and where they are in life. I believe the more we disciple and water the seeds that are planted, the easier it'll be sow new seeds. Not everyone will accept the message of salvation, but some will definitely land in good soil. But before we're sent off into the world, we definitely need to make sure we equip ourselves with the Holy Spirit, because salvation is entirely God's work.


Healer
I think one of the many things that attract people to Jesus is His power to heal. Everyone deep down is vulnerable to pain, loss and suffering. We have all gone through various life problems. When sin entered our world, we allowed evil to corrupt our obedience to God. Many of us carry baggage of guilt and shame of our past sins. Many look for restoration, peace, forgiveness, comfort and refuge. We all need deliverance from our sin and pain. Many of us struggle with self worth or pride. We have all fallen into this sex infested and money making world. We are diagnosed with an illness called sin. We are troubled by broken families, drugs, violence and finical burdens. Some may have lost loved ones, gone through divorces, abuse, been betrayed by a friend, or suffer through addictions. No matter who you are, you have had your hand full of problems in life. And sometimes when we go through these trials, we may feel completely alone. We constantly seek for something to mend the pain, or for someone to help us with our burdens. But again, I would like to attract your attention to the only One who can fully redeem and restore us. It is by His love that He heals us. No one can offer such a powerful love and grace as He can. This is definitely good news.

Tears of the Saints


Adultery
Today the pastor covered over the problem of stealing and adultery, which lead to the problem of sex trafficking in our world. We need to completely abolish the act of this in our world. And although we are not those who commit these crimes, we have all sinned in our hearts. The heart of our flesh often craves, lusts and desires sexual impurities. I believe we need to learn how to guard our hearts and minds of these things. There is only freedom in Christ. We need to offer our thought life to Christ, and allow Him to give us self control. We are no longer bound to a slavery of sin. Through Christ we can have victory and deliverance over these sins. We are in dire need of His purity, righteousness and holiness. We need to become desperate for His Spirit.

Exercise
Did you ever wonder why so many fitness goals never get accomplished? And why so many weight loss programs fail? A main reason is because it takes a big load of dedication and commitment. The best advice is to stay consistent in training for our goals. It's also wise to have a mentor, trainer and friends for support. These simple tools also relate to our spiritual exercise. We must practice a daily stretching of our walk with God. Keeping our eyes on Christ, and taking one step at a time will result in much growth. Sometimes one step closer is all God is asking for. Another factor would be motivation. If we find passion and purpose in achieving our goals, then we'll be ten times more efficient. Above all we need to seek the strength of God because He is the Only One who can stir up and spark our flame.

Overflow
The church i just attended spoke about an illustration of a fountain and how it overflows. This is a great symbol to how our lives need to be gushing out the love of God through the Holy Spirit. Sitting under the funnel of God's grace, and letting Him pour into our lives, not only fills us up with His love, but should also automatically flow out of our lives onto others. This whole concept is basically learning to abide in Christ, and allow this radioactive, contagious joy to leak out and splash those around us. When the Spirit of God dwells within us, we cannot help but be moved to share this amazing love with others. But this all goes back to waiting, trusting and relying on Him for that power of the Holy Spirit.


Psalm 142

"I cry aloud to the LORD;
I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before him;
before him I tell my trouble.

When my spirit grows faint within me,
it is you who know my way.
in the path where I walk
men have hidden a snare for me.

Look to my right and see;
no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;
no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, O LORD;
I say, "You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living."

Listen to my cry,
for I am in desperate need;
rescue me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.

Set me free from my prison,
that I may praise your name.
Then the righteous will gather about me
because of your goodness to me."

Consuming Fire

There must be more than this,
O breath of God come breathe within,
There must be more than this,
Spirit of God we wait for You.
Fill us anew we pray,
Fill us anew we pray.

Consuming fire fan into flame,
A passion for Your Name,
Spirit of God fall in this place,
Lord have Your way,
Lord have Your way with us,

Come like a rushing wind,
Clothe us with power from on high,
Now set the captives free,
Leave us abandoned to Your praise.
Lord let Your glory fall,
Lord let Your glory fall.

Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
Stir it up in our hearts Lord,
A passion for Your Name.

Psalm 145

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" - Psalm 119:103
"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Cor 15:58

Psalm 145

"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.

They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.

They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.

They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations.

The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever." Amen!

God is Better

Today i am reminded of many Dubble-yous (W's). Because i have an abundant time waiting for school to start, it seems God has allowed me to use this time to be more intentional with my relationship with Him. I realize that if I am to one day become a shepherd of a church or ministry, I most definitely need to start with changing and transforming myself. So anyways here's my W's blog.

1) Worship
2) Word
3) War
4) Worthy
5) Witness
6) Waiting


1) Worship
Lately God has been reminding me of Worship. Worship is not necessarily the outward expression of praise for God, although i believe there should be evidence of it. Before we can begin to worship with our actions, words, behavior and lifestyle, we must first start with our heart. I believe God cares much more about our attitude and mind set of our heart than any amount of works. We can worship at any time of the day. Worship could come in the form of a prayer, singing a song of His super awesomeness, or in a joyful heart of graditude. As we grow older and mature, we must not lose that child-like joy in the arms of the Father. It's impossible to absorb God's love and not find an explosion of joy.

Kay getting a little off track.. My point is that Worship sets the tone and mood to how we live. The intentions and thoughts of our hearts display into our actions, and then into our habits, and then into our character. So start with a heart of worship, and then you can worship God in any daily activity. Personally i notice its easier to worship Him while walking, privacy in the bathroom, or falling asleep to worship music. I would also encourage people to try and write out prayers or poems and to definitely try creating your own original worship song. I have a few mainstream worship songs i normally like to hum to, but creating your own joyful song of praise definitely helps the heart to surrender and stand in awe of Him. So try it!

2) Word
Many Christians in todays church barely touch their Bibles. The Bible is God breathed, it is His living and active Word. He speaks a kajillions of lessons straight to our heart through it, but we miss a lot of it because we don't bother to dig into His love letter. My faith bloomed back in March 2008 because that's when i first started to do daily devotions. Your life will change dramatically once you dive into God's Word, read and take hold of His promises. Heaven and Earth will pass way, but His words will never pass away.

A pastor once said, "If Jesus were to come back not for the rapture, and give one message in the largest football arena today, and it were broadcast acrossed the globe, He would hold up the Bible and say, I've already communicated everything you need to know in here." God has given us everything we need to know about salvation already, we just need to trust in His Word.

I just watched the movie "The Book of Eli", I was surprised to see that the book was the Bible. He read it everyday and did his best to memorize it. It was the last Bible on earth, and Denzel had to beat up a bunch of guys for trying to take it. But anyways, we must realize the high importance of reading the scriptures and falling under God's Word, Will and Way, lol (W's).. God gave us a law that He knew no one could obey perfectly, because it would lead to our dependence on His Son for righteousness.

3) War
In the near future and coming years I believe there will be many wars and rumors of wars. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdoms all against each other. I can't imagine what a WWIII would look like. But I do believe that before Christ comes, many more Christians will be put to trial, jailed and persecuted for their faith. Many will fall away being choked up by thorns. Many will fall into the deception of false teachers, prophets and false people claiming to be Christ. The thing is, that all these things have already begun. But Christ will not return until all His promises are fulfilled.

And since we're on the topic of war, we must also realize that their is a spiritual war at hand. Yes, God has already defeated the enemy and we have victory in His name, but we don't have to look far to find a battle of good and evil. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 2 Cor 10:3-4

I am not surprised when I hear a broadcast of thousands of people and families getting hit with natural disasters. Earthquakes, storms, hurricanes, tsunamis and all sorts of natural disasters will only increase in the near future. I Bible tells us that in the end times, there will be darkness and chaos. The only hope that we have is in Jesus. And many people who intend to pray at the 11th hour will die at 10:30. We must get right with God now! Forgiveness of sins by God's grace can begin now! Salvation is upon us now! God grants us freedom through Christ now! Don't put off seeking God, salvation is such an urgent matter, because it will determine our eternity.

4) WorthySo why all this talk about Worship, Jesus, Salvation, God? Because He is absolutely Worthy. Whatever you may be struggling with, just remember that God is better. Who is more worthy of praise? What sin or idol is more appealing than God? God is infinitely better. Many people want to know God and find salvation in Him, but are hindered when it comes to surrendering anything, or if it means that they have to live their life differently. The fact is that Jesus is worthy of trading everything for. Trade your filthy sin in, kill it, deny those temptations, and God continues to help us break free from the bondage of our sins. Love always conquers a multitude of sin. The more we surrender, the more we trust, and the more we look to Jesus the less we'll sin. And eventually our desires grow into a hatred for our sin and a love for righteousness. The closer we draw to Christ, the farther we get away from sin.

I think talking about how God is infinitely worthy, may be my favorite topic of this blog. We are completely ill deserving of His grace, and He is fully worthy of our entire worship. You ever come to a point in your life, where you wonder.. "Is this all there is?" Gotta go school from 1-25, then start working till 65, and then maybe retire, and finally die. Sure we can pick up some hobbies, we read a couple dozen books, watch all the latest movies, blow money on video games, collect thousands of material things, find a spouse, have a few grandchildren, and try new restaurants, and then what..? IS that it? You explore this world, work ur butt off, then just die?! Is there anything more? Anything of greater value or worth? Many of you know what im getting at. This life is a vapor, and then it's off to eternity. The question is if it's smoking or non smoking. We must choose for ourselves who we will live to glorify. Im gonna be politically incorrect by saying that Jesus is the ONLY way to heaven. Buddha can't bring us to God, Mohamed can't forgive our sins. There is only one who died for us and can bring us at right standing with God. Don't get mad at me, i dont make up these rules, you may hafta take that up with God Himself.

Anyways the reason salvation is also called the gospel, is because it's incredibly good news that God gave us Jesus as a Savior from this world. He offers such an abundant amount of love, you couldnt carry it all. And a relationship with Christ is never bland and stale, He increasily grows and works in us. We cannot afford to waste our lives, invest in things that will never last, and jus wither away. The bottom line is, that if your looking for something more, the dots don't just seem to connect, life seems empty, lonely and it's missing something, then I want you to know that there is much more, infinitely more.

Jesus gave His entire life because He wanted a relationship with His people. In this life, we all look for something. We are confused about our identity and purpose. We wonder what significance and meaning there is to life. The answer is that we were created to worship, not just worship anything, but worship the Lord. Taste and see, get a touch from Jesus, spend a minute with Him directly, try just a sample of His love i dare you. I can barely describe the explosion of flavor from just one encounter with Him.

When i was younger I thought everyone believed in God. I thought it was the norm. I didn't see how people could completely miss the universe's most mind blowing wonder of God. During my freshmen year of UH, i realized that "Wow, i didn't realize how many people lived without knowing Jesus." And i think that also played a part in God specifically telling me to go and tell them that don't know. If you find something so incredible, infinite, and holy, wouldn't you want to share that with everyone? Why keep a cure to yourself?

5) Witness
I used to conceal my faith. I used to hide my light. You probably could'nt even tell i was a Christian. Ashamed of it? Maybe. Lukewarm? Definitely. I was salt that wasnt salty. I would only pray and turn to God when i needed Him. But now, God has called me to lead people to Him. There is no greater mission, than to attract others to God's love and redemption. In fact, we who claim to be Christians are all called to serve, give, witness, disciple, worship and evangelize. But most importantly, God calls us to love Him and others. God calls us to step out of our comfort, He calls us to put our own agendas aside, He calls us to live for His Name. That is of course, if you claim to be born again and walk by the Holy Spirit. I believe our faith should be bold, courageous and contagious.

When I arrive at God's heavenly throne in the kingdom of Heaven, the first words I want to hear from God is "Well done, good and faithful servant!" What have we done with what God has entrusted us with? In Matt 25, we see how we are stewards of God's gifts. The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. What have we spent our lives investing into? Where do our money and time go into. God gives us the task of multiplying and sharing what we have. Have we spread the gospel that He called us to? Have we sown seeds for the harvest, or have we buried the treasure and kept it to ourselves. A pastor once told me, "You are as close to God as you want to be." What you put in, is what you get out. When i feel far off from God, its normally because i haven't spent any quality time with Him. When i feel like God isn't using me, its normally because I have chosen to indulge in other things. You become what you worship, and your relationship with God is as close as you desire it to be.

We try to rationalize, compromise and make up excuses to why we don't need to surrender everything, but the bottom line is that Jesus wants us entirely. There is a very cleaver and crafty one who is always out trying to deceive us into thinking that we don't need God. He prows around like a lion looking for those to devour. We say, "I don't need to surrender anything finical because i spend enough time serving. Or "I don't need to go to church, because i can pray at home." Yes, i've fallen into these errors firsthand. Small compromises lead to big consequences. Letting small bugs in, will lead big bugs in. Cutting corners short, and taking easy ways out in life is really cheating yourself and your integrity. Satan subtly convinces us to get away with things and compromise our faith and alliance to God. He tempts us to justify our sins, and only follow God partially. He distracts us from God, he tries to draw us away from listening God, and he also distorts our obedience to God. He tries to twist up our understanding of God, confuse our worship and he basically wants us to place our trust somewhere else. Be on gaurd, sharp with discernment, and equiped with the full armor of God.

6) Waiting
This ties into worship, but i noticed that God often tells us to just wait upon Him. Sometimes we can spend time with God without being deep in prayer. We can sit in the silence, and prepare our hearts to just listen and receive His love. Times of reflection and mediation are vital for the growth of one's soul. Similar to filling up our cars with gas, we must fill up on the Holy Spirit.

We're normally off busy with school, work and life that we forget to set aside time to just meet with God. The good Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside calm and quiet waters. Turn off all your stressful problems and soak up His love. He restores, rejuvenates, replenishes, refills, and overflows our soul with His love and peace. Find great joy and delight in His grace. He's the only One who can offer such healing and restoration. So, if you're looking to dig deeper in a more intimate relationship with God, try just shutting off your loud mind and seek Him. You'll be surprised how many revelations and empowerment He gives to those who wait upon Him.
Revelation song

Worthy is the,
Lamb who was slain
Holy, Holy, is He
Sing a new song, to Him who sits on
Heaven's Mercy Seat

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And I will adore You…!

Clothed in rainbows, of living color
Flashes of lightning, rolls of thunder
Blessing and honor, strength and
Glory and power be
To You the Only Wise King,

Filled with wonder,
Awestruck wonder
At the mention of Your Name
Jesus, Your Name is Power
Breath, and Living Water
Such a marvelous mystery..

Holy, Holy, Holy
Is the Lord God Almighty
Who was, and is, and is to come,
With all creation I sing:
Praise to the King of Kings!
You are my everything,
And – I - will - adore YOU…

Isaiah 6

Today i went to Grace Evangelical Free Church. I was pretty curious about it because a few people told me to go check it out. I thought the pastor's sermon was very well prepared. He spoke on Isaiah 6 and titled it "You Become What You Worship." This message closely ties into the sins of idolatry and making Christ the center of our lives. You might wanna read Isaiah 6 before reading on..

If you read Isaiah 6 you'll see how he stood before the throne of God and saw the sheer holiness of God. He also spoke of seraphs who would be increasingly worshiping the Lord. Isaiah can barely describe the event because it was like no other. Isaiah then cries out "Woe to me!" because he saw his own sins and unworthiness to stand before the Lord. But as he confessed and repented one of the seraphs flew with a coal and touched his lips. This signifies that his guilt and sin would be completely taken away and atoned for by God's grace. Direct fellowship is restored only because of the work of God. God tells him to go out and give His message, even though the people will not have a positive or accepting response. He says that their ears are dull and that they are blind. Even if God speaks His message and Word, people will reject it. But God gives us the ability to open our eyes, ears and hearts to understand His message. And if we turn in repentance and seek God He forgives and heals our sin.

What can wash away my sins?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

The pastor asked "What is it that you want more than anything else?" What is it that we truly desire? Because what we set our minds upon and what we worship is what we become. You will reap what you sow. What you chase and worship you become. We are all idolaters is some shape and form. We put things before God. We place things of higher importance before God. We worship so many things that we may not even realize. Our hearts seek to find satisfaction in our lust.

"But their idols are silver and gold,
made by the hands of men.

They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but they cannot see;

they have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but they cannot smell;

they have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but they cannot walk;
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.

Those who make them will be like them,
and so will all who trust in them" -Psalm 115:4-8

One example he gave was the bombardment of worldly media. Much of media displays that sin is the norm and acceptable in society. Media also makes righteousness and seeking God seem strange. Media tells us to turn to new possessions the hottest fads, and the most current fashions. We begin to conform to carnal ways without even knowing it. We feed our minds with so much garbage, that it begins to dim our sight of the holiness of God. People lift up the love of relationships and it can become a huge idol. We seek someone to fill that void. We probably don't carve idols out of wood anymore, or bow down to golden images anymore, but idols could be desiring education, fitness, health, power, and even a family. I believe the biggest idol we have is ourselves. What or Who is it that we worship? Paul says that stomachs have become their gods. We are constantly craving something to satisfy us.We chase after things that can never fill, and the result is that we become empty. I always mention Jeremiah 2 because it demonstrates that these empty and broken cisterns can never hold water. There is only One who can quench and satisfy our thirst.

"You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them." -Exodus 20:3-4

The pastor went on to mention how God gives us over to our sinful desires and impurities. We serve created things rather than the Creator. To many of us, this may all that we know. We turn to things, new hobbies, and people instead of the Living God. He went back to his main point that we become what we worship. So, what do we look like when we worship God first and foremost? When God is on the throne of our lives, we begin to look in His likeness, shining and reflecting His glory.

"For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." -Romans 1:21-25

"But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Cor 3:16-18

We can no longer go about trying to keep one foot on the sand and one on the rock. We cannot attempt to just tact God onto our lives as just another area or part of our lives. He must become our lives. We must become desperate for the Holy Spirit in our lives. We are completely and utterly useless relying on our strength. Come to the Lord with your sin like Isaiah. Present and surrender yourself before Him, and He'll take care of the rest. He is an everlasting source of strength. Trust in His mercy and grace.

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." -Acts 20:24

Satisfied

California
Transitioning from Hawaii to California has actually gone smoother than i expected. I'm actually really enjoying the state and the surrounding environment. California definitely has more places to check out than little Oahu, but Hawaii's weather is unbeatable. It's almost two weeks since i've move into my place and it's been going great. It feels like God is definitely deepening my faith through this transition. I noticed my blogs went from once a month to almost twice a week, lol. Having a lot of time for a few weeks has greatly cleared my head, and allowed me to focus my attention on God. I've been having dozens of spiritual thoughts roam in my head for a while, so this would be a good place to unload. If you've read any of my other blogs, u'll notice this one is very familiar if not redundant, because God has still been bringing me back to the 101 basics.

Why?
Question. Why don't we talk about things that matter the most? When was the last time we had a meaningful conversation? Sure small talk is nice and can help build relationships, but isn't it the deep and personal things that form strong relationships? Why don't we open up more to talking about God? Any mention of Jesus seems to be a taboo now days. Why don't we ask each other the tough questions? Why don't we ask ourselves the tough questions? Why don't we bother to seek any answers? Why don't we ponder about heavenly things anymore? Are we no longer concerned with God? Are we no longer curious? Shouldn't we dig deeper into the being of God's character? Is there anything of greater importance? In order to gain a deeper sense of God, we must all investigate, meditate and seek His truth.

Chasing the Wind
When i think of chasing the wind, i think of a dog chasing his own tail. We may think it's foolish, but we do exactly the same. In this world we are constantly chasing things to satisfy our heart. I'm pretty sure i don't need to convince anyone of that. We are always looking for things and people to fill us. We depend on stuff for happiness. We look to girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands and wives to fill this gap of loneliness. I was watching "The Secret life of Bees" yesterday, and Queen Latifah said, "We all seek to be loved by someone." And yeah, we do. We seek someone to care about us and to be there for us. But the problem is that we are looking to the wrong places.

We turn to money, friends, family, material wealth, hobbies, social networks, entertainment, sports, social statuses, cars, food and careers to give us a sense of worth and identity. We look to place our trust in all these things. We look for shelter, comfort and security in stuff. What good is it to gain the whole world and yet at the end forfeit your very soul? Paul considers everything he worked and lived for rubbish compared to knowing Christ. What is it that you invest into? Where do you place your trust? Who or what is your source of strength, motivation and joy? To make my point clear, the world will never satisfy our craving heart. Who do we turn to with our problems?

The Problem of Sin
And to even suggest God as an answer sounds foolish to many. I find it baffling that God would hide the mysteries of Himself to the worldly wise, and reveal Himself to the underdog ragamuffins. Many of us become stuck in our ways. By this i am saying that our own created ideologies of truth or misunderstandings of God can separate us from ever getting to know Him. We tend to stick to what we think or believe works. We don't usually want anything that involves surrendering or obedience. Burger King says "Have it your way." John Piper says that "We become so comfortable to the ways of the world that we are like fish under water. We no longer dream of air anymore. We have lost our entire capacity to even know that we miss it. It has become inconceivable that there's anything better than this worldly life."

We create and live in our own fantasy world because we fear the unknown. In the movie the Matrix, many people would choose to numb their minds and continue living in a made up world than know the reality of God. We have become so afraid of knowing truth that it stops us from even attempting to connect with God. It's easy to block out spiritual and religious jargon. No one likes being brainwashed. But we must also be careful that we don't block out Jesus along with other false religious ways. Our world has become so heavliy dependent on scientific and emperical evidences that we throw faith out the window. But by the Holy Spirit, God says that those who have ears will hear, those with eyes will see, and they will understand with their hearts. Sin has blinded our generation. But the truth of God gives light to our sin. There is only One who can remove this blockade of sin and forgive us of our iniquities. But the question is, "Who will you look to for salvation?" Looking anywhere else besides Jesus, is rejecting Him as Lord and Savior.

Pride is the root of our sin. All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We have all rejected, refused, and rebelled against His authority. Selfishness, pride and ignorance will be no excuse for denying Jesus as Lord. We as humans have become allergic to submission. We don't like bowing to any other authority than ourselves. Instead of humbling ourselves in obedience to God, we have instead placed a crown on top of our heads. We may claim that we are one nation under God, but in actualilty we live as if we're one nation over God. What right does the clay have to talk back to the potter? We have become gods, whether we know it or not. Who has the right to set up any moral law or boundary? Who has the right to declare what's right and wrong? We create our own rules and determine what's politically correct. We try to form truth by what is socially acceptable, respectable and culturally customed. Would not an ultimate supreme being of righteous judgement and holiness know better than all of the knowledge and wisdom of man kind? Now days we try to box God to fit into our back pockets. We say, oh i got salvation, i recieved Jesus, and our life has absolutely no evidence of it. We cannot contain God, make His deity up, or break Him down into some chemical gas. The only reason im ranting on the world is because sin leads us onto a road of destruction. The consequence of sin is eternal death, separation from God, and a whole bagage of His wrath in hell. But hopefully the next paragraph will lift your spirits.

The Solution of Jesus
Yes, we covered that sin is a huge problem. The solution is always Jesus. Because of our dirty sin, we all deserve death and damnation. But because of God's love and grace, there is a freedom through Jesus. There is a forgiveness by His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus' death pays our entire sinful debt if we place our trust in Him. We would be perfectly just for God to give us no salvation, but by His grace He sent His Son to die in place of our own life. So the good news is He not only saved us from our sin, but has also given us eternal life with Him.

People have all sorts of problems. People suffer with lonliness, depression, addictions, drugs, anxieties, frustrations, family issues, or from a lack of self worth, identity and purpose. But these all point back to one perfect solution. God sends His Holy Spirit to counsel, comfort, lead and guide us. He can heal any problem of the heart. But God uses our trials to grow, strengthen, and teach us. Through our storms, He calls us to draw close to Him. He is an everlasting stream of living water and strength. Just because you become a Christian, it doen't mean it ends there. He corrects, rebukes, disciplines, prunes and refines us to grow closer into the likeness of Jesus.

Appointments With God
A key aspect of building a stronger relationship with God, is keeping daily appointments with Him. We must be intentional on waiting upon Him. We cannot expect to grow closer to God without desiring Him. We must crave His presence in our lives. We must make time to just sit down and listen to Him. We must clear out the distractions of our mind and set Him as our core focus. We need to make more time to reflect on His love and should increasingly learn what it means to abide in Him.

Could you imagine finding your way through a thick jungle without a map? Well the Bible is God's living Word. It's greatly important to practice a consist meditation on His Word. Because when His Word dwells in our hearts, we begin to see a change in our lives. Prayer and Worship is a great way to communicate to God. It not only glorifies and praises Him, it also increases our relationship with Him. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just spend time with God one on one in the stillness and quietness of our heart. Just 5 mins with God can change your entire day. Imagine what an hour would do. What would it be like if all our thoughts were just consumed by His love. What if we allowed the Holy Spirit to live in our lives? Imagine what that would look like for a second. Practicing these spiritual disciplines should not just be going through a religious routine. Reading our Bibles should'nt be something we force ourselves to do. We don't have to turn it into some rigourous, intensive and academic study, but we should see it as a tender, sweet and intimate love letter. The more we fill ourself with the Holy Spirit, the more we'll see Him live through our lives. What goes into your eyes and ears, goes into your heart and mind, and then gets displayed in your actions.

Running the Race
I like how Paul mentions how a Christian walk should really be a sprint for the prize. The prize is Jesus of course! Seeking God is exciting because His love and mercy is fresh and new each day. The problem is that many of us don't see the value in wanting Jesus. Would you rather have the entire world or Jesus? Would you trade or surrender the pleasures of this world to know God? Would you rather have a lifetime on earth or one day in God's heavenly kingdom courts? Are we only concerned with physical and emotional blessings or would you rather have a spiritual one? How far are we willing to chase after Jesus? Mary poured out an entire and very expensive jar of perfume on Jesus' feet. She realized that He was worth more than any treasure of this world. Jesus says to take up our cross and follow Him, that in order to save our life we must lose it. An elderly lady gave all that she had, which was only two little coins, but she knew that it was better to invest in everything she had, rather than keeping it for herself. The disciples that were fishermen didn't hesitate to leave their family and buisness to follow Jesus. People realized that Jesus was not some ordinary man, or even just a prophet. Jesus is worth sacrificing everything. He is our eternal prize, reward, and salvation.

Foundation
What is your life built on? What is your foundation? How's our spiritual progress? Are we growing? or just meeting a status quo? Are we stunned in an exciting and joyful relationship with Christ? Or are we missing His deliverance and redeption? Are we abiding in Him? Are we yoked in communion with Him? Is there something standing in your way of God? When Jesus healed people, He usually said, "Your faith has healed you, go and sin no more." Believe that God walks into our sin without condemnation, and only full of grace. God doesn't want us to feel an unhealthy shame, sorrow, fear, worry or guilt. He justs tells us to come to Him with our sin, and that He'll wash our dirt off. Listen to His voice. He desperately yearns and desires for us to come to repentance and to sarinate in His love.

God is not a god of the dead but of the living. He resurrected, lives and reigns! He speaks directly to your heart. He says "You're mine! You're my child. I will never leave nor forsake you. I am always with you, trust in me. Come find rest in me. Abide in me." Heavenly Father, I pray we would surrender our lives and hearts to you. Thank you for your grace and salvation, and for conquering sin and death. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and give us the strength to chase after you. Make us desperate for more of you. Teach us to follow Your ways and lead us according to Your will and for Your glory, Amen.

Step By Step

Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You
Oh God, You are my God
And I will ever praise You

I will seek You in the morning
And I will learn to walk in Your ways
And step by step You'll lead me
And I will follow You all of my days

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace. -Ecc 3:1-8



Goldfish in clam chowder is just plain genius

Undescribable

Great podcast from Pastor Bill Welsh, heard it on the radio, and it's titled "What's Up with the Resurrection? Or Who Gets the Girl?" It's a 2 part dated on 1/20 and 1/21 2010. He covers Mark 12:18-27.

This sermon closely ties to my last few blogs about how the fullness of Christ is infinite. Just because Heaven is inconceivable and above the capacity of our limited minds, It doesn't mean that only the empirical things of this world exist. There is way more to life that many are missing out on, and this life is found only in Jesus. Just listen to it. I'm thinking about checking out their church soon since its only in Long Beach.
"And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." - 1 John 5-11-11

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" -1 Cor 2:9

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." -John 1:1-5

"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth" John 1:10-14

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I read a few pages from Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning, (Author of The Ragamuffin Gospel) Here's a short excerpt from him about God's character, holiness and being.
It is beyond our ken to withstand the unbearable intensity of God's holiness, power, and grandeur. God dwells in inaccessible light. (1 Tim 6:16) In the later Old Testament writings, the kabod Yahwed is revealed as God's manifest holiness, and the Israelites give glory to God by recognizing and acknowledging God's divinity.
The magnificent theme of kabod reaches its culmination in the Christian scriptures, as the kabod rests on the person of Jesus and he shares in the luminous brilliance of his Father. He is the Light who has come into the world. To glorify Jesus is to confess his divinity as well as his humanity. In short, Jesus is God.
The carpenter who walked the dusty roads of Galilee is "one who has been tempted in every way that we are, though he's without sin" (Heb 4:15); he is also, as the Nicene Creed stipulates, God from God, Light from Light, Kabod from Kabod, true God from true God, eternally begotten not made, one in being with the Father. He is more than a superior human being with an intellect keener than ours and a capacity for loving greater than ours. In his divinity Jesus is inexpressibly Other, absolutely incomparable.
Jesus is the power and wisdom and holiness of God Almighty. "In him all things were created in heaven and earth" (Col 1:6). He is creatively present 264 trillion miles from earth on the start Upsilon Andromedae. No thought can contain him; no word can express him. He transcends all human concepts, considerations, and expectations. He is the Beyond in our midst, and though in our midst, still beyond anything we can intellectualize or imagine. Jesus Christ will always be a scandal to the murky, immodest theory making of the intelligentsia, because he cannot be comprehended by the rational, scientific, and finite mind.
"Anyone who has been brushed by the divine kabod cannot but adore God." The only appropriate response is that of the apostle John, who laid his head on the breast of Jesus in the Upper Room. In the Book Revelation, when John saw dimly the glory of the risen Christ, he fell on his face, prostrate in adoration.
It is of immense importance to understand that every word spoken and written about God is delivered in the language of analogy. In any divine analogy, there is a similarity between the human words used about God and the reality of God himself; there is also, however, a radical dissimilarity. What is affirmed in one breath must be denied in the next. For example, we liken divine love to human love. The similarity induces us to think that we are getting a grip on God's love. And yet, though human love is the best image we have, it is utterly inadequate to express the love of the Infinite. Not because human love is too sugary and sentimental or because is is too passionate and emotional, but because it can never fully compare with that source whence it came the passion emotion love of the Totally Other.
The more we let go of our concepts and images, which always limit God, the bigger God grows and the more we approach the mystery of his indefinability. When we overlook the dissimilarity, we begin to speak with obnoxious familiarity about the Holy, make ludicrous comments such as "I could never imagine God doing such a thing," calmly predict Armageddon, glibly proclaim infallible discernment of the will of God, and trivialize God, trimming the claws of the Lion of Judah.
You are beautiful beyond description
Too marvelous for words,
Too wonderful for comprehension
Like nothing ever seen or heard.
Who can grasp your infinite wisdom,
Who can fathom the depth of your love?
You are beautiful beyond description
Majesty enthroned above.
And I stand, I stand in awe of you.
I stand, I stand in awe of you
Holy God to whom all praise is due,
I stand in awe of you.

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."-Ephesians 3:14-21
"..whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Matt 20:26-28

The Supremacy of Christ
"For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant." -Colossians 1:13-23

"We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true—even in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." -1 John 5:20

The Power of the Church

TODAY WAS LEGENDARY!! I avoided a tornado warning and stayed alive while driving in LA..(The streets were super flooded, at times the water was about the lvl of my tires! and no one told me about the warning + i dont have a TV fo any news, so i feel really grateful not to have gotten hit), I got my car registered at the DMV, stayed completely dry from a thunderous storm (smart ppl are always prepared w/ umbrellas), I did my devos, had a cup of hot chocolate, had a fun argument with my GPS (which i won btw), I also did my laundry, went to the gym, played some ball, ate some awesome Chinese food, met some new Christian friends, and had a great bible study by the fireplace. And now im gonna eat a hot dog, check my farmville, and kill zombies on my iphone. And because im feeling so adventurous, i might even floss my teeth later.

The Power of the Church
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Today i learned something more about the power of the church. Transitioning into a new state has had its difficulties. But where God guides, He also provides. I'm greatly thankful to have met 2 MDiv Christian brothers and have 'em as roommates, (Ryan & Cato). I feel honored to get an education at one of the greatest Christian schools at Talbot Seminary. (I moved to LA if you didn't know) I have already met many Biola/Talbot students and they have been very warm to welcome me into their family. I have a dozen churches in the area i can check out, and plan to find a good youth ministry soon.

Today I also got to meet a guy from Hawaii named David. We had a long discussion about God, salvation, truth, the church, the Bible, and all that theology stuff. (He also shared some good insight on what it means to be poor in spirit, Matt 5) He then asked me to go to a bible study at someone's house. This house was super nice, and the people their we're even nicer. We discussed Romans 2:25-29, which is about the inward circumcision of our hearts, rather than any sort of outward expression of religion. I got to meet most of them, and it was cool to read God's Word, pray and talk about Jesus with a bunch of people I don't really know too well. Being surrounded by other Christian brothers and sisters has a huge affect on one's spiritual walk.

I learned a lot today just by listening to how the Holy Spirit has worked in other people's lives. As the days draw closer to when school starts, i cant help but feel excited. The most important thing in life is to have a relationship with Jesus, and then tell ppl about it. If you only lived once, why not spend most of your time trying to get closer to God and learn as much as you can about Him? There is absolutely nothing in this world that I need, except Christ. When you truly find God, you lack nothing, and have completely everything in one treasure!

There is absolutely nothing to worry or fear about when you know that you're completely in God's hands. (read the verses in Matthew 6 below) Trust in His plans, in His power, and in His grace. There is nothing greater than being sealed by God's salvation. Once we are declared righteous in His sight through Christ, we conquer over sin and death, and step into a beautiful love relationship that will last for eternity. Now doesn't that sound good?

The power of the church is actually really dependent on the Holy Spirit working through God's people. I find it amazing how God calls people to His holy purposes and reveals Himself personally. Perhaps one day I can find a job counseling, mentoring, leading, or shepherding a flock of His church. I can't think of anything i'd rather do. I've learned that it's extremely difficult to love, teach, or lead people if I'm not deeply rooted and abiding in Him. Life can get tough, it has many storms, but I'm glad that God leads me through it all.

Without the church their would be no accountability, no one to share in the wonders of His love, and no one to help disciple, train, rebuke, comfort, or encourage you. (and it would mean you have the entire world to evangalize) So I'm glad that the kingdom of heaven is full of God's people ready to march, stand and rejoice in His glorious Name. The church makes up the body of Christ, and we are called to be the light of the world. As a commander leads his army, or a coach his team, the church has the ability to play a part in accomplishing His perfect will. The church itself is far from perfect, but that doesn't matter, because God is perfectly righteous and holy.

Have you ever wondered how much delight and joy it brings God to watch His children laugh and grow? We are God's precious treasure, His inheritance, His royal priesthood, His ambassadors, and the people who reflect His glory in worship. And whether we acknowledge Him or not, He automatically and unconditionally loves us. All that God desires is that we come to Him. Enjoy in His pasture. Find comfort, rest and peace in His embrace. Life is like a vapor, cherish it while we can, but know that this world is only a tent, a hotel if you would. Those who are redeemed in Him will reign forever in His kingdom, and Christ will be our eternal home.

God calls His people His bride. Imagine a perfect intimate marriage commitment with God that could never be broken. But the thing is that we don't have to wait to experience this wonderful relationship. It can start right now, at this very moment. If you don't know Jesus yet, then what are you waiting for? Christ calls all who are weary, all who are lonely, and all who hunger and thirst. He will be all that remains. His love endures forever. Nothing else matters, because God is good.

I just started going through the book of Matthew, so here's some good verses i picked out.. ( I figured I'd put Jesus' words in Red, lol)

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." -Matthew 4:4

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matt 6:25-33

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." -Matt 7:13-14

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
-Matt 5:1-10

Conviction

What have your eyes been set upon lately? What do you think and talk about? Where has our heart, worship and desire been lately? What do you crave, hunger and thirst for? Where have we placed our trust and passion? How have we spent our time lately? What has been our source of strength, joy and satisfaction? Whom have you been seeking to glorify? Have we been convicted of our sins lately? What is your treasure?

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Luke 12:34


Imitating Christ's Humility
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. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—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." -Philippians 2:1-13

"May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. - Hebrews 13:20-21

Meditations on Joshua 21-24

"Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled." Joshua 21:45

"You know with all your heart and soul that not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled; not one has failed." Joshua 23:14

"As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." Isaiah 55:10-11

No matter what happens, God's will will be done. He fulfills every single one of His promises. So yup, that even includes God's promise of salvation! In fact most of the Bible's prophecy has already been fulfilled. Which means we're drawing closer and closer to the completion of His work. When all is said and done, God's word remains good, true and legit. This gives us good reason to trust in all His promises.

"But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave to you; to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." Joshua 22:5

God makes His commandments very clear. He tells us to trust in His holy ways and to hold fast to Him. We are to give our entire lives in complete trust, submission and reverence.

"The whole assembly of the Lord says: How could you break faith with the God of Israel like this? How could you turn away from the Lord and build yourselves an altar in rebellion against him now? Was not the sin of Peor enough for us? Up to this very day we have not cleansed ourselves from that sin, even though a plague fell on the community of the Lord! And are you now turning away from the Lord?" Joshua 22:16

The one thing God repeats over and over again is to not worship any idols. God absolutely hates it when we begin to put our trust anything besides Him. The biggest idol that we worship today would be ourselves. Instead of acknowledging the Lord we begin to lift our own name. The more we increase ourselves the more we decrease God in our lives. But the more we humble ourselves the easier it is to place our trust in Him. The decision everyone must make is if they will place themselves under the authority of God or if they will follow after their idols. There is only One who can save us from our sins.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

"The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day. If we have built our own altar to turn away from the Lord and to offer burnt offerings and grain offerings, or to sacrifice fellowship offerings on it, may the Lord himself call us to account. Joshua 22:22-23

God knows our entire heart. And ever tho we deserve God's almighty wrath for our disobedience, unfaithfulness and rebellion, He has extended His hand of grace over our sins. God will call us all to account for our faith. Only He knows if we have true fellowship with Him or not. And God will righteously judge our consequences based on if we have trusted His Son.

"Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:6-9

There once was a boy who asked Yahweh, "God, is it true that for you a thousand years is just a minute?"Yahweh answered, " Yes, that is true." The boy's second question was, "And God, is it true that for you a million dollars is just a penny?" Yahweh replied, "Yes, that is also true." Extending his right hand with his palm upturned, the boy asked, "God, can you give me a penny". Yahweh responded, "Certainly. It'll take only a minute."

Even if we may not understand or see why God does things, we must always remember to trust in His way. Sometimes I've questioned whether God really knew what He was doing, or whether His plan for me was right or not. But it turns out that God is God and all knowing. Even if we have suffering and tribulation, His will is perfect and full of meaning. And if your persistent, God will often give you a glimpse of His blueprints. Then you begin to fully know your identity in Christ and know exactly what your supposed to do in life.

"But just as every good promise of the Lord your God has come true, so the Lord will bring on you all the evil he has threatened, until he has destroyed you from this good land he has given you. If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you." Joshua 23:15-16

Like I said before, God clearly lays out His boundaries for our good. He warns us of sin and tells us to turn from our idols. But because of His love, He allows people to choose curses over blessings. If we don't fall under God's grace, then we must face God's justice. In order to discuss the Bible in its entirty we must also warn others about the consequences of sin.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:14-15

God presents us with two options. We can choose to follow and serve Him as Lord or choose to follow our own man made gods. We can have blessings, fullness, and the abundant life of the Spirit or choose to follow our sins and reject God's grace. Yielding our hearts to God and trusting in obedience should not be a chore. It should be a joy to meet with God and soak in His words of love. God never forces us to love Him back, but gives us an infinite of reasons why we should. When we say Jesus is God, we are claiming that God reigns supreme in our lives and that He has complete ownership of us. We as Christians must stand for His righteousness and hate our sins. The decision is yours. Who will you serve?

I know a secret place. A place I can go to get away from the world. A place of still calmness and peace. This place is found only in Jesus. This is a place where it's just you and God, one on one. You will experience the most intimate love of the Father. He reveals Himself little by little, and grows our faith stronger and stronger. However, God is a jealous God. He wants our hearts completely and entirely. God is a jealous God because what is His will often turn from Him and say "No thank you, I don't need you, I'll find something better to love." But like the Father in the prodigal son, He allows us to go our way, but immediately accepts us unconditionally. His love and grace covers all of our sins, if we would just come to Him.

At the Cross
I know a place, a wonderful place
Where accused and condemned
Find mercy and grace
Where the wrongs we have done
And the wrongs done to us
Were nailed there with Him
There on the cross

Hopes in Ropes

I recently had a dream about ropes in the sky. I think God popped this analogy in my head because it symbolizes what i've been doing lately. Imagine this huge rope with a huge balloon lifting you up higher and higher into the sky. You can see the entire world from this view. You go straight through the clouds and find yourself surrounded by a peaceful silence. Then all of a sudden dozens of other ropes start to float up next to you. Some ropes are colorful and look very appealing. So you jump off the strong rope you were on and grab onto a new rope. This rope seems to hold your weight for awhile, but eventually it beings to sink.. So you jump back onto the big strong rope which sustains you easily. But soon you see a sparkling dazzling rope, so you jump off and cling to the new one. This one suddenly beings to fall through the sky, but in the nick of time you leap back to the strong faithful rope. And again it catches your deadly drop. But when you look up you've seen how far down you fell. It would have been better to have just held onto the big strong rope.

If you didn't get my analogy, let me explain. The big strong rope is obviously God's hand. You have the choice to trust in His power, strength and care.. or you can choose to abandon His guidance and support by jumping onto other ropes. The problem is that these other ropes that seem authentic are actually traps. In this world we have become surrounded with distractions. These different ropes could symbolize putting our source of happiness in other people, money, material, appearances, reputations, popularity, hobbies, relationships, our friends, families, and the biggest temptation is to just live entirely for yourself, trusting in only your own capabilities. Are we investing in our relationship with God or just in ourselves? I've gone through many phases. I've gone through many hobbies. I've gone through a variety of entertainment. But in the end, God is the only one who stays the same. God never changes and is our only hope of salvation. Sometimes God just wants us to put our trust in Him and hang on tight. Other times He says start climbing while I carry you up.

In this analogy i am not saying it's wrong to hang out with friends, have hobbies, accumulate money, have possessions or have other desires. But I am saying that these other things should not be our focus of where we put our trust. Faith is relying on God. Faith is belief manifested in trust. Faith is knowing that God is better. He remains sovereign, holy and just in His ways. The only thing He calls His people to do is to just trust in His grace, trust in His righteousness, and trust in His power over sin. It'll be weird to say that Christ is my deepest source of pleasure if I spent the entire day tweaking on a video game and 2 minutes of my day starring at my unopened Bible. It'd be ridiculous to say i'm addicted to Jesus if my prayer life consisted of just praying before a meal. It'd be hypocritical to say i'm only concerned with Jesus and sought only the approval of others. If we claim to love God, should our lives not reflect that?

I've been putting my priorities on hanging out with friends, going to the gym, going to new restaurants, playing tons of video games, watching a load of tv, sleeping whenever, and all these earthly pleasures before God. Of coarse I would say God is first in my life, but if you played back the dvd of my last few weeks, you probably couldn't tell. I've made up enough excuses for missing church. I've made enough excuses for putting off devotions. I've spent time with God only on my time, and decided to just look to these other ropes for security, happiness, and comfort.

Christians, have you ever noticed how much easier it is to change a behavior when God becomes your strength and motivation? Have you noticed how much more joyful life is living by the Holy Spirit? Why do we continue to jump to other ropes when God says "I'm all you need." He's the only one who can truly satisfy your heart and sustain your every need. No matter how many times we've back stabbed and betrayed Him, He never abandons and always accepts us as we are.

Ask yourself, "Why does God love me so much?" It's like lightning striking your soul when you come to realize how much God loves you. Why does He love you so much? Simply because you're His. I love how the best imagery Christ gives us about God is that we should see Him as a Father. Even when we're completely undeserving, Abba Father loves us unconditionally.

What or who do you turn to with your problems? What's your therapy? What's your main source of enjoyment? Where do we run to when we're stressed out? Who do we turn to for help, guidance and support? Where have we placed our trust? What are we most concerned with? What are our minds set upon as we go to sleep at night? What do we like to talk about most? Who are we seeking to please? How have we invested our time? I ask myself these questions and talk about conviction.

Yes, we'll jump ships and seek other things to depend on at times, but how long will we last on these sinking ships? Why not stay on board and close to the captain of the redeeming craft carrier. The Bible gives so many other illustrations of staying close to Him. Even when sheep run astray after pretty butterflies, the Shepherd always finds His lost sheep. When the prodigal son spends all the inheritance his father welcomes Him back. Solomon called it chasing the wind. He knew that all the wealth, riches, power, authority, women and kingdoms could still not truly satisfy him. When we're thirsty we foolishly run to broken cisterns that can't even hold water, instead of planting ourselves near Christ who calls Himself the eternal spring of living water. Plant your feet on the rock, who is the chief cornerstone. He always endures. Basically the overarching lesson is to abide in Him, because He is more than enough.

The man who has everything in this world except Jesus, has absolutely nothing. The man who has nothing but Jesus, has absolutely everything.


The Nails in Your Hands

The nails in your hands
The nails in your feet,
They tell me how much you love me.
The thorns on your brow,
They tell me how, you bore so much shame to love me.

And when the heavens pass away,
All your scars will still remain,
And forever they will say,
Just how much you love me.
So I want to say,

Forever my love, Forever my heart
Forever my life, is yours.
Forever my love, Forever my heart
Forever my life, is yours, it's yours.