"SAM BAY India 2k11"

WELCOME!!

2011-04-27T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everybody!

It's been quite a while since I have blogged but I have a passion to write and share my thoughts with anyone (especially my supporters) who would be interested to hear about my missions experiences this summer!

Just for introductions sake, there is a "chip-in" button on the right. For those that would like to support me financially (electronically), you can click it and support me either through paypal or just any standard credit/debit card!

If you haven't already, please take 15 seconds to fill out this form so I can send you a personalized letter and so I can have your information to update you with my trip!

https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDhrYm91NnNVVmNHTk5pMUNSd1h3bXc6MA

I am in the process of putting my letters together so if you have filled out the form, expect to receive something from me soon!

Other than that, I look forward to following up with each and every one of you and I pray that God would work mightily through all of us in all that we do.

In Him,

Sam Bay

"THE MIND"

2010-09-15T00:37:00.000-07:00

Rock of ages~~ You will Stand~~ Our foundation! till the end~~

Never failing~~ God unchanging~~ Rock of AGES! You will stand.

I'm sitting here listening to this chorus as millions of thoughts are running through my head on this early morning of September 15th. Thought I would take some time to write on my jumbled thoughts!

KCM.

Servant team retreat is tomorrow. So blessed to have an awesome core of brothers and sisters who are like-minded and have willing hearts to really strive to proceed in prayer in a manner that seeks to please God above anything and anyone else. It's definitely going to be a struggle and is a direct invitation to opposition and conflict from the one who does not enjoy it when God's people actually try to live out their faith do what His word says. I have definitely been experiencing my fair share of spiritual warfare and God has been graciously revealing how weak and dependent I really am on the strength that He provides. God has instilled within me a rock solid desire to serve in KCM in a way that will fulfill the single and clear purpose of PRODUCING DISCIPLES. How exactly that will happen or what exactly that means; both things that I think God will reveal in His time and in His way for His glory. (transition) LOVE. It is still insane to think that the greatest ACT of love, if done without LOVE, is USELESS. We are utterly incapable of love if we are not attached, established, rooted, and firmly connected to the only legitimate SOURCE of love: Jesus himself. Ministry, counseling, preaching, teaching, missions, anything/everything can be USELESS?!?! God's Word continues to blow my mind into pieces (as it should) and leads me to offer up those pieces to God in a humble manner saying.. "GOD! I don't know your truth! I don't understand your scripture! I try to but I can't! I'm too finite...too limited...too intoxicated by sin. Please HELP ME! Otherwise i am HELPLESS!" on CHRIST the solid rock I stand. ALL OTHER GROUND IS SINKING SAND~~ What a great commission it really is.. that God in all His power and might would commission filthy sinners to make disciples of other sinners that we might proclaim "NOT TO US BUT TO HIS NAME BE THE GLORY!" God. Please help me be humble, faithful and spirit-led through the ministry of KCM.

CHURCH.

I love church, but no where near as much as Christ loves the church. He loved it so much that he died for it. *MIND BLOWN* It is HIS church. HIS body. HIS bride. *paradigm shift* Must must must guard, protect, and serve HIS church. He is the head, we are the body. Must never seek to do ANYTHING without first consulting the head. What's the problem with the church? I am. I AM. I AM! Turn your finger around and point at yourself Sam. Check your own speck. judge your own heart. YOU serve. YOU pray. YOU encourage. There's not time to criticize or judge. Continue to pray for young adults, pastor, college group, EM, CHURCH.

FUTURE.

Let tomorrow worry about itself~ there's PLENTY on your plate today. Don't plan; TRUST. Don't look ahead; LOOK UP. Don't desire things; DESIRE HIM. Don't live for now; LIVE FOR LATER. You live for one thing: to hear "well done good and faithful servant".

THE FLESH.

The Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak~ WRETCHED MAN THAT I AM! WHO WILL DELIVER ME FROM THIS BODY OF DEATH!???..........but thanks be to GOD!!!

It definitely is not easy struggling and fighting against yourself. I want this but I don't at the same time. Why why why why!! WHY!! Why does God not simply strip our fleshly passions from us? Why does God not simply strip our fleshly passions from us? Why does God not simply strip our fleshly passions from us? Three times Paul asked..."My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness". *MIND BLOWN* Finding the sufficiency of God's grace amidst the toil and struggle of battling the many thorns in my flesh...

Sigh.

On Christ the solid rock I stand~ All other ground is sinking sand~

Lead me to the cross.

Exodus 33:18

2010-07-12T19:06:00.000-07:00

John Newton, converted slave trader, passionately longed for the transforming vision, but the answer to his urgent prayers came in a way which staggered and almost overwhelmed him. He has recorded this experience:

"I asked the Lord that I might grow in Faith and Love and every grace,

Might more of His salvation know and seek more earnestly His face.

'Twas He who taught me thus to pray and He, I trust, has answered prayer;

But it has been in such a way as almost drove me to despair.

I thought that in some favored hour at once He'd answer my request

And by His love's constraining power, subdue my sins and give me rest.

Instead of that, he made me feel the hidden evils of my heart,

And bade the angry powers of hell assault my soul in every part.

Nay more, with His own hand He seemed intent to aggravate my woe.

Crossed all the fair designs I schemed, blasted my gourds, and laid me low.

"Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried. "Wilt Thou pursue this worm to death?"

"This is the way," the Lord replied, "I answer prayer for grace and faith.

"These inward trials I employ from self and sin to set thee free,

And cross thy schemes of earthly joy that thou might'st find thy all in Me."

"Pictures are AMAZING"

2010-06-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Cho left that comment on my last post and i couldn't agree more- pictures truly are amazing. After a whole day of taking pictures today, I realized that a picture captures so much. It rarely needs to explain itself and it captures reality as it is. This got me thinking a lot because I'm currently reading a book called "The Godly Man's PICTURE" by Thomas Watson.

One of many quotes that I love so far is:

"It is one thing to PROFESS God, another thing to RESEMBLE Him"

I recall many times when people would describe things to me and explain things to me. A lot of times it was about a person and certain characteristics or descriptions of that person. Yet, without fail, I realized that those descriptions are ALWAYS subject to reality. It doesn't matter what a person SAYS; it only matters how a person IS.

Oh, how I pray and long for the picture of my soul to be an ever growing resemblance of God my Father. That my life in it of itself would be a sufficient evidence of the growing theme of my life: "Less of ME, more of Him". Much more to come on this book.

Other than that, VBS STARTED TODAY! WAHOO! :) Definitely one of the highlights of my summer. I'm especially happy because I took some photos that I can share :)

The CRAZY decorations. We have a BOAT in our small chapel. Wow. Some of us tried persuading Ian (The Praise Leader) to sing inside the boat. He refused.

This is Skipper. Throughout the day I passed by this poster many many times and I realized that sometimes, the smallest things can encourage and remind you of eternal truths like the fact that "GOD LOVES YOU". Hopefully I (and all of us believers) can be like Skipper here to others :)

This is FIRST MATE DK. He makes sure the schedule is followed and that everything is going according to plan.

Meet Timothy- definitely one of my favorite kids. Will share more on him later.

Ian looks like a hospital patient. This picture looks like an advertisement for the latest VBS material lol.

Anyhow, I hope these pictures were somewhat enjoyable. I have much more to come! and remember what Skipper said..

GOD LOVES YOU

Summer.

2010-06-27T23:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, but I have missed blogging indeed. I plan on updating a lot more frequently with the freedom that summer provides. I also, thanks to my friend Joe Cha, temporarily obtained a camera to take pictures. Posted below is my favorite picture of the day.

"Morning Prayer"

2010-05-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

"Lord, here I go. I'm going to go into life and I'm going to do ten thousand things with my tongue, my eyes, my hands, my heart, and my legs today. Would you please guide me? Would you so transform my mind and bring it into conformity to Jesus that spontaneously what comes out of my mouth would be helpful and loving to people? Because I can't pause at every moment in my life to ask you about this. You've got to be so in me and so fully functioning through me that my spontaneity is you!"

"Holy, Holy, Holy"

2010-04-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

We often talk about the characteristics and the attributes of God. There are over 200 names given to describe his indescribable nature and our feeble, limited minds cannot even begin to comprehend His awesome nature.

However, if we were to sum up God's nature and character in one word, what would it be?

Some would say LOVE; that God is ultimately love. Other would say JUST; that God is a God of justice. Still other may say GRACE; that at the core of His nature, is grace.

I am led to believe that at the core of the nature of God, is His holiness. He is holy.

"Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is HOLY..." (Isaiah 57:15)

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!" (Revelation 4:8)

All of his characteristics flow out of His holiness.

What did this mean for the Israelites in the old testament? It meant that they could NOT approach God. There was a CLEAR sense of separation and distance between a Holy God and unworthy sinners. Physically, this was represented through the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle.

The Israelites clearly understood that God was transcendent and HIGH above us. They would not dare enter the Most Holy place because God in His holiness cannot tolerate even the smallest ounce of sin. The relationship that stemmed from a proper understanding of God's holiness was nothing less than one of REVERENCE and AWE.

So what happened to that? That reverence? That awe?

Has God somehow become LESS holy?

This is what happened.

"We have confidence to enter the holy places BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS, BY THE NEW AND LIVING WAY THAT HE OPENED FOR US THROUGH THE CURTAIN, that is, THROUGH HIS FLESH" (Hebrews 10:19-20)

JESUS happened. He, through the cross and His blood, made a way for us to freely ENTER the Most Holy place. WOWWWWW!!! Just think about this mind-blowing truth through the lens of an Israelite.

Our Holy God did not change. Our Holy God DOES NOT change...

"Yet God is not only perfectly holy, He is also perfectly gracious. Though His presence was made known most strongly in the temple, He was also present with every contrite and repentant Israelite. This was a truth that the old covenant believer did not understand as long as the temple stood, for its limited access reminded them of the separateness of the Lord. But Christ has come and has replaced the temple, and now we see clearly not only God's holiness but also His grace. For in His great love He appointed His one and only Son to die in our place so that He could satisfy the demands of His holiness and still give us eternal life"

"Shine"

2010-04-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

"We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we won't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine."

-D.L. Moody

One thing I've been thinking about is the fact that the lightbulb that illuminates my room so brightly at night is pretty much useless during the day. It's not that it is LESS brighter; rather, it is simply not needed when the sun is up.

When's the last time you strived to SHINE where light was actually needed??

"The Secret Key to Heaven"

2010-03-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

"Private prayer is a golden key to unlock the mysteries of the Word to us. The knowledge of many choice and blessed truths is but the outcome of private prayer. The Word most dwells richly in their hearts who are most in pouring out their hearts before God in their closets"

First, I just farted and it REALLY smells, but that's besides the point.

What bridges the gap and serves as the means by which words on a printed page become ALIVE? become GOD-BREATHED? become NEW, as if you've never read it before?

It must be prayer.

To open His Word without asking for His help and His guidance can only result in a largely unfulfilling and shallow communion with the living God through his Word. How tragic it is to have a treasure in the palm of your hands but to not have the key to open its glory and depth. We must fight to never be content with a shallow and hurried glance at the Word of God. God renews His mercies and seeks to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us everyday THROUGH HIS WORD.

Secret prayer distinguishes sincerity from hypocrisy. If you ever want to know how you are really doing in your walk with God, engage yourself in the prayer that God commands us to: Private, secret, "closet", behind-doors prayer. Do the lofty words and holy phrases of "glorifying God" escape you when nobody is watching? When there is no one to impress? When nobody will ever know what you are doing?

I found myself struggling with this because in large groups and organized prayer meetings, I always had the words to speak and prayers to pray. I'm a good actor (which is synonymous to "hypocrite").

"They say of the nightingale, that when she is solitary in the woods, she is careless of her notes, but composes herself more quaintly and elegantly, if she conceives there be any auditors, or she be near houses. Just so it is with the hypocrites in religious duties"

The Lord seeks personal communion and intimacy with us. How beautiful the scene of a sinner kneeling before his savior in the absence of distraction and alternative motivation. God hears you clearest in privacy, when your heart reveals itself in a manner that it cannot in any other situation and context.

He tore the veil. He made a way, when He said that "it is done". The curtain was torn top to bottom; reconciliation was made from Him to us; a personal relationship was made possible through His act of love on the cross.

He gave us the key.

Let's use it.

"Then and Now"

2010-02-06T14:58:00.000-08:00

"The difficulties NOW, the suffering NOW, the disappointments NOW, and the blessings NOW are all preparation for the wedding THEN. Our experiences today do not reflect God's inattention or unfaithfulness, but His jealous love. He is exposing our wandering hearts and foolish minds and the ways we trust our passions more than the principles of His Word. He is calling us to forsake our own glory for His, and teaching us that the idols we pursue will never satisfy us. He is making us wise to temptation and aware of a lurking enemy. He is teaching us to live for treasures that moth and rust can't destroy and that thieves can't steal. He is teaching us what it means to live in a way that recognizes our identity as His children. He is teaching us to live open, approachable, and humble lives"

"It's not about YOU"

2010-02-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

"It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make ME a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for OUR salvation and for OUR sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for OURSELVES or for something from which WE want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints"

28 Days Later...

2010-01-29T01:16:00.000-08:00

28 days have past since the start of 2010.

Much CAN happen in 28 days.

Much HAS happened in 28 days.

However, most importantly...

Much has NOT happened in 28 days.

Stop. Look back. Reflect on your first 28 days of 2010.

*Sidenote*

Consider the intricacy of a snowflake. Supposedly, they are all uniquely DESIGNED and DISTINCT. Take a look for yourself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fwwidall/sets/72157603415282264/

Verse of the day: Psalm 86:11

Breakfast: Water @ 11Am

Lunch: Panda Express @ 1 PM

Dinner: Swordfish at CV @ 7:30 PM

Extra: BiBim Myun @ 1 Am

(Idea copied from my good man DK)

*EDIT*

MORE extra: Gamja Lamyun @ 1:50AM -_-

2010

2010-01-02T23:59:00.001-08:00

WITNESS

Christ the Artist.

2009-12-05T16:15:00.000-08:00

"When you have spent fifteen minutes in front of a Monet, you are thankful that he had paintbrushes, but you are not in awe of them. You are in awe of Monet and his ability as a painter. The posture of brotherhood presents Christ as the great redemptive Artist. We are simply brushes in his hands. The glorious changes he paints into the hearts of people are the not result of good brushes, but of the skills of the Painter."

Amen.

"I speak to myself"

2009-11-17T00:18:00.000-08:00

Dear Christian.

If SIN to you is but a cut in the arm, JESUS is nothing but an optional, dispensable bandage. You don't NEED Him. You only WANT Him when you want to feel good...when you need a temporary sense of relief and comfort.

Only when you see SIN for what it truly is (which you never fully will); an incurable, hopeless, never-ending, cancer-like condition that leaves nothing but death as an option. Only THEN will you begin to understand THE (GLORY of the cross, His AMAZING grace, His MAJESTY) GOSPEL.

The only way you will ever get closer to God, is by realizing just how far you really are. Then you will understand the infinite gap that Jesus filled for no real good reason other than LOVE.

So please... let us not pre-maturely make the claim that we "UNDERSTAND THE GOSPEL". We don't and we never will.

MAYBE we will get closer to understanding it when we meet our God.

Until then...we have our work cut out for us.

The Gospel not only SAVES us, it SUSTAINS us. Do not restrict it, limit it, confine it to an EVENT.

From,

Yourself.

More...

2009-11-05T03:31:00.001-08:00

Coming Soon.

"Desperation"

2009-09-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

Some jumbled thoughts.

When was the last time you were really desperate for something?

I have been asking myself this question a lot and the bible study passage from this past Sunday directly dealt with this issue. In Mark 7:24-30, I think DESPERATION is a word that accurately characterizes the faith of the Syrophoenician woman. You should read it when you have time.

The fact of the matter is:

I am NOT DESPERATE (enough) for Jesus.

I am NOT DESPERATE (enough) for a savior.

I am NOT DESPERATE (enough) in my faith.

I will explain why I make this conclusion.

When I think of the word DESPERATE, I think of a man in a desert, who has not had a drink of water in 2 days.

A man whose lips are chapped and mouth is dry. Whose mind is solely consumed with the ever-growing desire to have a drink of water.

A man that would trade anything in the world for water.

A man who, in the span of 2 days, has developed a completely and radically different perspective towards water.

A man who understands the invaluable VALUE of water only by experiencing life in its absence.

When thinking of this illustration, one can only conclude that DESPERATION heavily and inevitably implies RADICAL change of some sort. How that change manifests itself is beyond me. One thing I do know for sure, is that the Bible calls us to be DESPERATE in our faith.

So what exactly does it mean to have a DESPERATE faith?

I don't know what it is, but I DO KNOW that I don't have it.

I don't know why, but I DO KNOW that I should spend my whole life striving for it.

I know that I am not desperate enough for Jesus because If I truly were, then.....................

God, convict us and teach us to be DESPERATE for You.

"It's been a while"

2009-08-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a while.

SOO much has happened since my last post. I will give you a quick re-cap of what I have been doing.

GLDI 40 Days

Peru 11 Days

GLDI Reunion 1 Day

SFC Summer Conference 4 Days

San Diego Visit 3 Days

God has been soooo good and gracious through it all. I will de-brief and recap my experiences in the coming posts. I pray and hope that you will be blessed and encouraged!

Day #3

2009-06-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

One of the awesome things about GLDI is that EVERYONE here pretty much has a similar background. Everyone has an extensive history of service in the church as well as some spiritual leadership experience. Usually, i'm the odd one out because i'm a PK but HERE, i'm the NORM!!! HAHAH it's crazy! This one guy is like.. PK^2/MK (Mom and Dad are pastors and missionaries). It is definitely a blessing to be in this environment and to be able to share with people who experience similar struggles and have such a heart for God and worship.

I'm so excited already for what God has in store this summer for not only me, but EVERYONE! Those going on missions, those going to summer school, those working... DO IT ALL FOR GOD! :D

Something I'd like to share...

A big problem with our generation of believers is that we tend to be CONTEXTUAL and CIRCUMSTANTIAL believers. In other words, we tend to "go with the flow". Everyone experiences the "spiritual highs" and those emotional last nights at retreats, and the crazy spiritual summer missions. We all get SOO BLESSED through these experiences and feel so close to God.

What i've been thinking about is... OF COURSE YOU WILL FEEL THAT WAY! Look around you! Look at the context in which you are! OF COURSE we will feel crazy during missions and retreats and by all means, there is NOTHING wrong with that.

The problem is...what happens when the context changes?? Do we mold to the context? or do we MOLD the context?

Is God only 100% absolutely worthy of our praise and worship if the CONTEXT is fitting?

NNOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God is ALWAYS worthy of our highest praise.

The same goes for prayer... I think we unfortunately have turned prayer into a "spare tire".

It has turned into that "thing" we have in our trunk that we just keep there until something goes WRONG! Then we're so urgent to take it out all of a sudden and temporarily use it. Then when it has served its purpose, we just put it back.

If this sounds familiar, we need to ask.. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF PRAYER?!?!?!

Is it to call on some universal butler who attends to our needs? and waits for us to ask for something?

Is it to help us only in times of need?

NO!!!!!!

Prayer should be the STEERING WHEEL, controlling and driving our entire life.

Jesus never taught his disciples how to preach, but he taught them how to PRAY!!!! (think about this)

So yeah.. these are just some of my thoughts for today :D

I pray that our generation will not consist of contextual and circumstantial christians, but rather faithful and committed believers who hold onto the eternal gospel truth of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Thanks for stopping by! :D

"Resolved"

2009-06-21T22:46:00.000-07:00

I decided to dedicate this entry to my first RESOLVED experience. I'll probably end up sharing a lot of what I learned throughout a lot of posts (and in person) because I learned SO MUCH!!!

What an honor and blessing it was to hear from five of the greatest speakers all within the span of 4 days. I praise God for blessing me with that opportunity. I was especially excited to see John Piper (my hero!) because he has been my companion for most of this past quarter through my GODPOD (I-Pod used for the purpose of God).

Here's one of MANY things that really owned me during the conference.

God is all-knowing.

God is sovereign.

He knows EVERYTHING! Past, Present, Future.

Thus,

God KNEW Adam would fall.

God KNEW His son would be crucified on the cross BEFORE he even created man.

Thus,

God KNEW whatever he made would have to be something worth DYING for.

yet,

God MADE MAN ANYWAYS!!! (Think about that for a little)

God was not surprised when Adam fell. God is all-knowing.

God's love was manifested in His very CREATION of man despite His full understanding that His one and only begotten son would be mocked, humiliated, tortured, and crucified for the sins of the very man that He decided to create.

Yet, God made man anyways....

God's love is bigger than you can ever possibly imagine or conceive.

It is bigger than this universe!

....wait no... the universe is TOO SMALL!

God LOVES you.

He desires to spend eternity WITH you.

READ His Word. His Truth. It will BLOW YOUR MIND!

"G.L.D.I."

2009-06-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

So it's my first day here at GLDI (Global Leadership Development Institute)! I decided that I want to write down some of my thoughts and the things that I learn throughout this experience. I hope that you (my valued reader) are blessed and that God will ultimately be glorified and magnified through these posts.

But for tonight, i'll just write this.

John Piper, asking to his father...

"What's the key to joy?"

He answered without hesitation: "Soul winning"

I pray that you will pursue a joyful life through the sharing of God's love and truth to everyone you encounter.

"The Answer"

2009-03-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

"The ANSWER seems to be that we must acknowledge our helplessness. All true spiritual leadership has its roots in desperation. Jesus commended the man who said, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." Jesus said of his own ministry, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous but sinners." This means that the beginning of spiritual leadership must be in the acknowledgement that we are the sick who need a physician. Once we are humbled to that point we will be opened to reading the doctor's prescription in the Word."

The moment you think you're "ALL BETTER", is the moment you will start to stray from God.

Thank you God, for reminding me that I am sick.

2/23/09

2009-02-23T11:05:00.000-08:00

"There is not an inch of any sphere of life over which Jesus Christ does not say, 'Mine'."

- Abraham Kuyper (as quoted by John Piper)

"Wisdom"

2009-02-18T02:40:00.000-08:00

I have always asked the question, "What is wisdom?"

I've been through many different definitions, but for now, I like this one.

"Wisdom is absolute obedience to God"

"Depressed???

2009-02-06T14:38:00.001-08:00

Spiritual Depression in the Psalms!! :D

P.S. - I am not depressed! I just thought it was a really good sermon. :D

http://www.desiringgod.org/resourcelibrary/sermons/bydate/2008/2806_spiritual_depression_in_the_Psalms/

"Update"

2009-02-05T12:45:00.000-08:00

AHHH!!!!!

I've been sleeping too late these days. I have compromised my "don't sleep later than 1 AM" policy that was soo effective for the earlier part of this year.

It is the most basic, logical flow of statements.

"If you sleep late, you will be tired and it WILL affect your tomorrow*."

*Tomorrow = studies, alertness, ability to concentrate, time spent with God, breakfast, etc.

BUT! HOPE IS NOT LOST!!!

All I have to do is... STOP SLEEPING SO LATE!!

:( It sounds so easy. WHY IS THE FLESH SO WEAK!!!!

That is all. I am finished.

God is Good

"The Apple"

2009-01-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him" - Romans 8:28

My church recently, by God's grace and mercy, got a new EM Pastor named Pastor Alex. It's so refreshing to have a new start, a new vision, and a new goal for our ministry. I look forward to see how God is going to use him to lead our congregation to grow in Him and serve his kingdom in might ways.

He shared this story in one of his sermons (I condensed it a little bit):

There was a very famous theologian/bible scholar who was trying to convert a "devout" atheist. He provided all of the arguments and reasons why he himself was a Christian and that the Christian life is one filled with a joy and happiness that this world cannot offer. However, no matter how hard he tried to persuade the atheist, he simply would not believe. After a few hours of debate and discussion, the bible scholar reached into his bag and pulled out an apple and started eating it. Confused and offended, the atheist simply stared for a few moments before expressing how offended he was to the bible scholar. He told the bible scholar how rude he was and how eating that apple was not appropriate for the given situation. However, the bible scholar, without stopping, kept eating his apple.

After a few minutes, the bible scholar stopped, looked the atheist in the eye and asked... "Do you know how good this apple is?"

The atheist responded, "No. How can I? You're the one that is eating it"

The bible scholar then said, "Exactly. No matter how hard I try to convince you or explain to you about how good God is and how much happiness He brings, it is pointless unless you experience it yourself"

After saying this, the bible scholar packed his bag, and left.

I think many people are afraid to "bite into the apple" and truly "taste" how good God really is. Some simply stare from a distance. They know what the "apple" looks like, but nothing more than that. No matter how well you know the "apple", nothing will change unless one takes the step of faith and bites into the "apple."

God is good.
God is faithful.
God knows you better than you will ever know yourself.
God does not change. He CANNOT change.

but YOU can.

going back to the first I started with. God promised that he works for the good...

...for who?

for THOSE WHO LOVE HIM!

Do you LOVE GOD?!

"Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!"

- Psalm 34:8

"From a friend"

2009-01-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine shared this with me and now I share it to you!

A basketball in my hands is worth $30.
In the hands of Michael Jordan it is worth $33 million.
It depends on to whom the hands belong.

A twig in my hand can draw pictures in the dirt.
In the hands of Moses it caused the whole ocean to part.
It depends on to whom the hands belong.

A sling in my hands is so single a toy.
In the hands of David it is a powerful weapon.
It depends on to whom the hands belong.

Two pieces of bread and five fish in my hands barely make one meal.
In the hands of Jesus they fed a multitude.
It depends on to whom the hands belong.

Nails in my hand can build a chair.
In the hands of Jesus they brought salvation to the entire world.
It depends on to whom the hands belong.

As you can see, it depends on to whom the hands belong.
So place your afflictions, your worries, your fears, and your dreams in the hands of God.
Because remember: it depends on to whom the hands belong.

--unknown

"WOW"

2009-01-21T23:15:00.000-08:00

"Probably the reason most people don't share their faith is that they really don't have any faith to share. Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself. Be sure of that"

- Charles Spurgeon

"My Friend"

2009-01-20T20:17:00.000-08:00

My friend, I stand in judgment now,
And feel that you're to blame somehow.
On Earth I walked with you day by day,
And never did you point the way.

You knew the Lord in truth and glory,
But never did you tell the story.
My knowledge then was very dim;
You could have led me safe to Him.

Though we lived together here on Earth,
You never told me of the second birth.
And now I stand this day condemned,
Because you failed to mention Him.

You taught me many things, that's true;
I called you "friend" and trusted you.
But I learn now that it's too late,
And you could have kept me from this fate.

We walked by day and talked by night,
And yet you showed me not the light.
You let me live, and love, and die,
You knew I'd never live on high.

Yes, I called you "friend" in life,
And trusted you through joy and strife,
And, yet, on coming to this dreadful end,
I cannot, now, call you "my friend".

I came across this poem while reading a book and it really hit me hard.
Read it, think about it, digest it, and then apply it.

Are you that friend?

"Prove It!"

2009-01-07T22:38:00.000-08:00

I have not blogged in a while and for that, I apologize to the few readers that I do have! :D

I took a break and devoted my entire winter to family time, 3 retreats, and really seeking to grow closer to God in spiritual maturity. I can definitely say that I have learned SOOO much that I would LOVE to share and I will try my best to do it in an effective manner through this blog site. However, because I cannot fully express my thoughts through writing like this, feel free to message me to just chat and talk about God and great He is! :D

So this is something that has been on my mind since Ghana and I have shared this with many people but it's a recurring message that I constantly think about.

In the end of my testimony that I wrote after coming back from Ghana, I wrote:
"We as believers have done enough talking about our faith; in this era, we need to LIVE our faith"

These days, I'm slowly learning what that exactly means and what the Bible has to say about LIVING out the faith.

James 1: 22 says, "Be DOERS of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves"

1 Peter 2:12 says, "Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God..."

Galations 2:14 says, "But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

2 Corinthians 8:24 says, "SO GIVE PROOF before the churches of your love..."

If a person were to completely "shadow" or follow/observe you for an entire month, even to the most private and personal parts of your life, what would they think? Though you desire to tell this person in words of how "devout" of a Christian you are, you are unable to say even ONE word to this person. The only method of communication in which this person will determine WHO you are, is the way you live your life in EVERY PART of your life.

At end of the month, WHO has this person followed?

Perhaps they followed a humble follower of Christ who continually ran the race, constantly fought against the flesh and daily put on the full armor of God to live a life worthy of representing the great God that reigns inside of him/her.

Or maybe they followed someone else...

What kind of person are you?

"Passion"

2008-12-08T14:21:00.000-08:00

"Passion is not something you attain, nor is it something that you do. Passion is not something you learn, or discover. Passion is something that YOU ARE. YOU ARE PASSION"

- My Visual Arts Professor

I will expand on my thoughts on this quote in a later post.

What do YOU think?

Something to think about.

2008-12-02T02:28:00.001-08:00

It was not the blood on the doorpost that saved the Israelites during the Passover.

Rather, it was their obedience to God's instruction.

"Week 10"

2008-12-01T02:11:00.000-08:00

It is now Week 10.

"Thanksgiving"

2008-11-27T00:37:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I decided to write a post on some things that I am thankful for as well as my thoughts on "giving thanks".

So after coming back from Ghana this summer, I realized that you aren't truly thankful for something until you either LOSE it or you see what life is like WITHOUT it. Because I am so challenged by "perspective" these days, I decided to change the manner of how I view my blessings. So, with regards to my experience in Ghana:

1) I am thankful that I don't have to walk 6 miles to the nearest source of barely drinkable water on my bare feet.

1a) I am thankful that I don't have to transport that water in a bucket that I carry on my head for the 6 mile walk back.

2) I am thankful that I don't have to work 10 hours in the field, many times without food, to earn 10 dollars towards my education.

3) I am thankful that I don't have to ride a bike for 2 hours to attend a church service.

4) I am thankful that I don't have to live life without knowing or experiencing the love of Christ.

5) I am thankful that I don't have to live with malaria.

I can go on forever and as I am writing these, the faces of the people I got close to in Ghana are flashing through my head. I think giving thanks in this manner is a good exercise because it really helps you get a different perspective on the blessings that God has given to you. As a result, it gives you a deeper appreciation for the "thanks" that you give instead of saying empty words.

I am thankful for the cross.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving! Be sure to let your loved ones know that you are thankful for them and be sure to thank God for giving you those loved ones!

"Degrees of Severity"

2008-11-23T23:20:00.000-08:00

Something I was thinking about recently.

A boy slaps a wall.

A boy slaps another boy.

A boy slaps his mother.

A Boy slaps his grandmother.

Many people, when evaluating the severity of a situation, tend to look at the action to determine the severity of a deed. However, in reality we measure the severity based upon not WHAT the action is but WHO commits the action and WHO the action is committed against. The boy slapping has no significance until the "slapee" is attached.

What is my point? Let me try to explain the unexplainable gravity of the gospel. Read the following statements with an emphasis on the act of dying.

Man dies for man.

Man dies for murderer.

Man dies for murderer/liar/adulterer.

Man dies for sinner (murder, lie, etc.).

Perfect Man dies for sinner.

Infinite Perfect Man dies for sinner.

Jesus (Infinite, perfect, holy, blameless, etc.) dies for sinner (undeserving, sinful, wicked, etc.).

Jesus died for you (sinner).

The gospel isn't necessarily about the deed. The gospel is about WHO Jesus is and WHO He died for. Now try reading it.

MAN dies for MAN

MAN dies for MURDERER

MAN dies for MURDERER/LIAR/ADULTERER

MAN dies for SINNER (Murder, Lie, etc.)

PERFECT MAN dies for SINNER.

INFINITE PERFECT MAN dies for SINNER.

JESUS (INFINITE, PERFECT, BLAMELESS, ETC.) dies for SINNER (UNDESERVING, SINFUL, ETC.)

JESUS died for YOU (SINNER).

In order to understand the gravity of the gospel and the extent of God's grace, we need to devote our lives to understanding how perfect, great, and holy God is and how sinful, undeserving, and hopeless we WERE before Christ. Only then will we getter a stronger grasp of the extent of Jesus' death on the cross. It isn't necessarily about the death itself. It's about WHO died for WHO.

Hope this post encourages you to think about the beauty of the gospel one again :D

"Discipline VS. Pleasure"

2008-11-17T01:09:00.000-08:00

In this post, I am going to expand a little bit on the topic of Quiet Time/Devotions and a relevant analogy that I learned during my stay in Ghana.

While in Ghana, I quickly learned that eating food was a NECESSITY. Growing up in one of the richest areas of the one of the richest nations of the world, food was always available to me. Thus, I simply ate because I was hungry. I ate when I wanted, I ate what I wanted, and skipping a meal or eating too much for that matter was never a big deal to me. This past summer, I learned that in MOST of world, people eat because they have to. Food means SO much more to them and they are thankful with whatever they are given, whenever it is given.

In Ghana, we ate three meals a day at almost the same time everyday WITHOUT FAIL. Within the first week in Ghana, I realized that more than eating because we wanted to, we ate because we HAD to. Not eating consistently would have made us MUCH more prone to sickness, disease, and possibly malaria. Thus, for my short time in Ghana, eating became a DISCIPLINE rather than a PLEASURE. There were times where I wouldn't be hungry, times when the food was NOT appetizing, times when I felt like it wasn't enough, and times where I loved and enjoyed the food. However, my feelings on the given day did not change the fact that I ATE. Back in America, any one of these reasons may have been sufficient for me to decide to not eat.

Where am I going with this?

I learned that our daily Quiet Time with God is a DISCIPLINE as opposed to a PLEASURE. We do it not because we want to but because we HAVE to for our spiritual well-being and survival. In no way does this mean that we don't WANT to do it but with regards to my analogy, Q.T.'s are our SPIRITUAL FOOD! Many times people, including myself, will do Q.T. when we "FEEL" like it or when we want to feel CLOSER to God and we for some reason we feel that by "over-indulging" ourself with a longer Q.T. time, we can make up for days we missed. In Ghana I learned that it DOES NOT WORK LIKE THAT! There are going to be days when we aren't "hungry" for the Word, times when you feel like you get NOTHING out of the Word and time where the Word will completely blow you away and bless you. Regardless of emotions or feelings, nothing should change the discipline of spending time with God on a DAILY, QUIET, UNHURRIED basis.

Physically, there are not as many dangers in America as opposed to Ghana. So, an inconsistent eating pattern may not pose any immediate/serious dangers to our physical health. HOWEVER, spiritually speaking, Satan is ALWAYS on the prowl seeking to tempt and cause believers to fall. This is why we EAT our DAILY bread (Q.T.) to remain spiritually strong and fight against temptations. As Apostle Paul states, we must CONSTANTLY wrestle with our flesh and fight the good fight.

I am writing this entry because this is what I am struggling with the most. Coming back from Ghana, my biggest commitment was to maintain a consistent life of daily devotion and Quiet Time with God. I have failed many times and I will continue to fail, but I thank God that he is BIGGER than my mistakes and that His grace covers all of my shortcomings.

I also want to encourage those we actually read this to strive for a life of NO COMPROMISE when it comes to daily devotions and Q.T.s. It is the most basic and fundamental practice of a believer, but I truly feel that it is the most important and crucial to a stable Christian walk that is built upon the Rock (God's Word) as opposed to anything else that may deceive us.

I have more to write on this topic but that should be enough for today! :D

I am also debating whether or not I should start writing about my day and stuff as opposed to strictly "thoughts" I have. Give me some input! :D

"Fruit"

2008-11-14T02:41:00.001-08:00

I just returned from watching the midnight showing of Quantum of Solace.

As a result, I missed my prime "blog" hours of 1-2 AM.

Thus, for today I will leave you with a short note.

Is an apple tree capable of producing oranges? No.

What if that apple tree were to try REALLY hard? No.

What if that apple tree tried its VERY BEST and SINCERELY believed it could? No.

The only solution is if that apple tree were to BECOME and TRANSFORM into an orange tree.

Can WE produce fruit on the OUTSIDE if we aren't experiencing change on the INSIDE? No.

We can definitely DECEIVE ourselves into THINKING that we are producing fruit.

We can definitely PRETEND like we are producing fruit.

We can definitely TRY our very best to produce fruit.

But in the end of the day, the fact of the matter is that we simply cannot and aren't producing fruit.

So then... How do we produce fruit?

We need to be BORN AGAIN.

We cannot, in our own power, become born again.

Thus, nothing WE can do will cause a transformation within us.

Only GOD can cause such a transformation.

Only through disciplines such as prayer and the reading of God's word can we MAINTAIN such a transformation.

The Bible teaches us that we will know people by their "fruit".

But when is the last time that you checked your OWN fruit?

What kind of fruit are YOU producing?

"Blessing"

2008-11-13T01:14:00.000-08:00

This summer, I went to Ghana for one month to spread the Gospel message and "bless" the people there.

As is the case with many of my other team members, I was "blessed" much more by the experience and the lessons I learned.

In fact, I probably received more "blessings" then I was able to give.

Something I have been thinking about ever since I have returned is the meaning of "blessing".

We hear it all of the time, we use it all of the time and we ask for it all of the time. But what exactly is it?

One day in Ghana, I approached a man who was clearly poor. He did not have a decent pair of clothes. The condition of his house was FAR worse than anything I have seen in the poorer areas of America. He did not have running water or electricity.

I approached this man thinking, "I feel so bad for this man. His life is clearly miserable".

As I began talking to him, my perspective was completely transformed when he managed to relay in broken english that HE felt bad for ME.

He told me that his life was full of joy and happiness because ALL he had was God and the promise of His Word. All he could DEPEND on was God and because of this, his relationship with God was that much more intimate and real.

He told me that MY life must be so difficult because there are so many things that could take away from that joy and happiness. That there are so many things that I THINK I can depend on.

That there are so many things that may SEEM to give me joy and happiness.

That these things can easily serve as OBSTACLES in my relationship with God.

Going into the conversation, I would have said without a doubt, that I was blessed much more than this man.

I would have said that us Americans, with our wealth and comfort, are probably the most blessed people in the world.

Coming out of the conversation, I could no longer confidently state that I was more blessed than this man.

I think many people equate blessings with "good" things that happen to us.

For example: A healthy and happy family is a "blessing."

A pay raise is a "blessing."

Getting into a good college is a "blessing."

I think you get the point. In no way am I saying that these things aren't blessings.

My point is, what if things aren't so good? What if someone in your family dies? What if you are born without an arm or a leg? What if you are born without parents? What if you get into a car accident?

Do these "bad" things automatically dismiss the possibility that they might actually be a "blessings"?

1) Would you say that God putting Daniel's friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace was not a blessing?

2) Would you say that God putting Joseph through the long years of imprisonment was not a blessing?

1) Because God rescued them from the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar worshiped and feared the one and only God.

2) Through his imprisonment, Joseph worked his way to become the 2nd most powerful man in Egypt and fulfill God's will.

Because this note is getting long, I shall finish it up.

Basically I am stating that there are going to be trials and tough times in life.

During these tough times, the purpose or meaning of the trials may not be and probably WILL not be clear.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN that they are not from God.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN that they are not "blessings".

If we seek God daily and trust in the promise of His Word, then we should view every circumstance not in the eyes of "good" or "bad" but with the knowledge that "it is from God and it is for His Glory".

Hopefully my thoughts were not too jumbled! Have a good night!

"Sanctification"

2008-11-12T01:37:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking a lot about the concept of "sanctification" recently.

I find that my Christian walk is mainly sustained and maintained through Christian events and Christian peers. Coming into college, I joined KCM and I was surrounded by Christian peers and constantly occupied with Christian-related activities and events. As a result, my Christian walk apparently "improved" and even now, I feel that I am in a "comfortable" environment in which my Christian walk (sanctification) is not in danger.

So here's what I've been thinking about.

Statistics show that the majority of people fall away from Christianity post-college and some never return. Now we are talking about people who are the ideal, "holy", respected Christians during college. If this has become the norm, then it leads to the simple question of "Why?"

Does this mean that sanctification is only possible through events/peers?

What about those that do not have access to any of these things?

Will my Christian walk be hindered drastically if I wasn't in the comfortable "Christian" bubble that I am currently in?

The more I think about it, the more I think that Christianity is "designed" to be a group/community effort. Thus, the church was created for believers to come together as a community. Even if it isn't through the church, the Bible is clear that believers are to build each other up with love through encouragement and rebuke.

So when did Christianity become so individualistic?

We now feel that we have done our Christian duty by sitting alone and watching a sermon via the internet.

We now have trouble sharing our spiritual walks with FELLOW BELIEVERS because it is "awkward."

We now have to be pushed to meet in groups and pushed to share and meet with other believers.

So back to my concern...

Is "sanctification" an individual journey/effort? I would have to say no.

Then what happens when a believer does not have or loses the Christian peers that are so essential to spiritual growth?

To that I say: BE THAT PEER.

That is my thought for today. Happy Veteran's Day!

2:41

2008-11-11T02:41:00.001-08:00

It is currently 2:41 AM.

It is very normal for me to be up at this time.

Yet, is it normal to be up at this time?

It is clearly NOT normal to be up at this time.

So...

Can the actions and decisions of an individual determine the norm?

Or is the norm already determined and set in stone?

It is now 2:44.

I decided to make this blog so I can jot down my random thoughts about pretty much everything.

It should be interesting to look back at my thoughts in a couple of weeks or months.

Goodnight. :D

:D

2008-11-10T18:41:00.000-08:00

I...now....have....a.....blog.