I'm back at home for break, yet I'm busier than ever. Anyhow, this may or may not be the last post on the Abraham series. I feel that this series has helped me secure my dad's experiences into my brain more. However, as we inch closer and closer every week, it's been getting a bit hard to write. Like, I'm not writing for the sake of making it a biography or get something out of it, but even in writing biographies, it can be pretty awkward in writing it when the person is still alive and the events had happened the day before. And plus, I haven't had the precious opportunities to hear my dad's recent experiences as much. Many of the past blogs, my main sources were times of fellowship over dinner with other saints who had asked how my dad had come into the church life. Maybe another time in the future, I can have another opportunity to hear both of my parents' experience in the 21st century, and blog that as well.
To sort of give you a sense of direction, after this blog, I guess I'll mainly focus on (not trying to be conceited or anything) my personal experiences of enjoying Christ. A lot will be happening in the next few weeks, so it'll be a combination of posts regarding the past and the recent past. Anyhow, just in case for the sake of those who may have missed earlier posts, I'll add a little insertion in the end on the importance of our Christian heritage - the portions of Christ acquired by those who have gone before us.
Anyhow, my parents basically came to America to follow the vision and the ministry they had seen in Chile. Giving up futures, finances, and comfort, it has been a long journey over two continents in a span of time a bit longer than 3 years. In America, they started working. My mom worked in various kindergarten and preschool places. My dad jumped around in various occupations ranging from almost being a pool-man, food deliveries, book distributing, to burger shops. His original intention was to enter the Full-Time Training in Anaheim (yes, I also asked him "HA. At your age?") after 3 years or so of working and learning English. Anyhow, that desire in itself shows that my dad was serious in following this ministry. Well, shortly after we arrived in the US, it was announced in one of the international gatherings that the Middle Age FTT was being opened up to the Korean-speaking saints. From then on with some direction from the Lord and the Body, my dad begun to serve the Lord ful-time. My mom followed later, after my sister and I both left LA, to also be trained.
And now a little insertion regarding the importance of the experience of those who have gone before us. My original intention in writing this was to share my enjoyment and experience of the most wonderful person in the universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the embodiment of the Triune God. But I felt like so much of my experience had to do with what my physical and spiritual parents have gone through. I feel like I would have been a totally different human vessel if I didn't go through some sheltered hardship and suffering by following my parents.
This is also seen in the Bible. The first family in the Bible is of Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel. We all know the story how God was pleased by Abel's offering of animal sacrifice over Cain's sacrifice of his produce from the field. Well, how in the world did Abel know that he had to sacrifice the firstling of the flock? It must have been because he listened to his parents. Adam and Eve were supposed to be sentenced to death, but God made coats of animal skin to cover them (meaning that He killed an animal in their stead). Same thing with Noah - he was one who followed the patterns of the generations before and enjoyed what God had reveal to those before him (Adam's way of salvation, Abel's way of proper offering, Enosh's way of calling on the name of Jehovah, Enoch's way of walking with God). Without the experiences of those who had gone before him as pioneers, Noah would have had to start from the starting mark.
Same picture seen with Abraham and Isaac. Abraham suffered much and had to leave his own country and cross many rivers and experience much hardship to get to the good land. Isaac, on the other hand, because of what was done prior to him, just very happily received all the enjoyment.
My point here is this: we stand on the shoulders who have gone before us and thus, we should appreciate and receive much from those who are before us - our parents, the saints who are our parents' age, our serving ones, and even those who are just a few years older than us. We thank the Lord for all our spiritual fathers that fought for the testimony of the Lord, beginning from the apostles who have physically met the Lord and were martyred, to many who fought with blood and tears to fight the opposition from within and without. We thank the Lord for those who stood according to the revelation seen by the Word - that justification is by faith, baptism by immersion, church grounds, and against the Nicolaitan work of the clergy-laity system. We thank the Lord for those laboring to translate and safeguard the Bible to make it so available today. We thank the Lord for the brothers who have given up their entire life for the proper interpretation of the Bible.
Without them, we would be at ground zero in bringing the Lord back.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Recap of the Quarter - I'm thankful for...
Three months ago, I couldn't believe I was halfway through college. All that complaining, whining and crying has definitely been worth it :) Maybe I could have done it without them, but anyhow, it really hit me that I was almost done with college. On one hand, I do regret some of the things I've done and some of the choices I made or didn't make. On the other hand, however, I thank and praise the Lord for all the experiences He has given me, especially for the negative ones. I would never trade my experience here at Northwestern and Chicago for anything else.
Anyhow, that was three months ago. I can't believe that the fall quarter is already over, and that I'm over the 50% mark. Well, at the end of the quarter, I have always had a time of giving thanks to the Lord for the things that had happened in the quarter. Of course, some are extremely personal, and you probably wouldn't want to read them anyway, but in this post, I'm going to post a few in my list that can probably benefit every one of us and also, recap the quarter.
This quarter, I'm thankful for...
...the Bible. Thank the Lord for the Word. This is a shame to say, but I have to admit that I have never been an avid reader of the Bible till now. I really thank the Lord for really speaking regarding this matter of the Word. It took me a while to catch on with the burden, but in a lot of the conferences this year and in the college training, there was a burden to be recovered back to the Word. Now, I'm enjoying this book as never before. We followed some of the college students in Athens, Georgia, in what is called the Bible Reading Challenge. Basically, read the Word in a consistent manner (around 1 or 2 chapters a day). This has assisted in me being religious about reading the Bible. As Christ-lovers, we don't want to do things as a ritual or a religion. But if there is one thing that we should be religious about, it's eating. The Word is our nourishment, and every time I opened up my Bible this quarter, I felt like I was fed. Do you want to find God? His address is the Word. I thank the Lord that He has made Himself so available and concrete for us to touch. When we read the Word, we come in contact with a Person, and in His words, you can touch His heart's desire. My encouragement to all, and especially those younger, is to read the Word in a consistent manner, whether it's a verse or day or 5 chapters a day, something that can be carried out for eternity. These habits are precious. Oh, and I have to say, reading the Bible in a consistent way takes care of 95% of your problems.
...the Bible again, specifically in this matter of reading it in prayer. I said above that if you wanted to meet God you have to come to the Word right? Well, John 4:24 says that God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit. You can come to Word Avenue, but without the use of the proper faculties, you may end up knocking on the garage instead of the front door. I really enjoyed coming to the Word and chewing the Word in prayer. Many times, especially with a schedule, we want to do finish it really quick and check it off. I really enjoyed taking the time to "chew the cud", praying a verse in a very slow way to the Lord, and then re-doing it -- like a cow does with its four stomachs.
...companions. How could I have gone without the brothers this year? I thank the Lord for all the brothers He has placed me with in Northwestern. I enjoyed all the dinners, the car-rides, the banana smooth-shake nights, and times of prayer for each other. I really the Lord for my roommate this year, and the daily habits we built in going through the morning revival book and reading the Bible. The Christian life is a corporate race, and it's so much easier to run when you have someone to take care of, and someone to take care of you. I really enjoyed the spontaneous singing that would pop-out in the middle of our studying together.
...gatherings in the homes. This is a big thank you. You can see God's heart's desire and His eternal plan, but I have to tell you, they can't be accomplished without the homes. I do have to say that much growth occurs through personal contact with the Lord, but I have to admit, you can't sustain your personal contact with the Lord by yourself. You need the encouragement of all saints! In the homes, there is the proper cherishing of the soul, and nourishing of the spirit. The homes are the New Testament pattern of the church life! Day by day, house to house meetings are the way to go!
Thank You Lord!
Anyhow, that was three months ago. I can't believe that the fall quarter is already over, and that I'm over the 50% mark. Well, at the end of the quarter, I have always had a time of giving thanks to the Lord for the things that had happened in the quarter. Of course, some are extremely personal, and you probably wouldn't want to read them anyway, but in this post, I'm going to post a few in my list that can probably benefit every one of us and also, recap the quarter.
This quarter, I'm thankful for...
...the Bible. Thank the Lord for the Word. This is a shame to say, but I have to admit that I have never been an avid reader of the Bible till now. I really thank the Lord for really speaking regarding this matter of the Word. It took me a while to catch on with the burden, but in a lot of the conferences this year and in the college training, there was a burden to be recovered back to the Word. Now, I'm enjoying this book as never before. We followed some of the college students in Athens, Georgia, in what is called the Bible Reading Challenge. Basically, read the Word in a consistent manner (around 1 or 2 chapters a day). This has assisted in me being religious about reading the Bible. As Christ-lovers, we don't want to do things as a ritual or a religion. But if there is one thing that we should be religious about, it's eating. The Word is our nourishment, and every time I opened up my Bible this quarter, I felt like I was fed. Do you want to find God? His address is the Word. I thank the Lord that He has made Himself so available and concrete for us to touch. When we read the Word, we come in contact with a Person, and in His words, you can touch His heart's desire. My encouragement to all, and especially those younger, is to read the Word in a consistent manner, whether it's a verse or day or 5 chapters a day, something that can be carried out for eternity. These habits are precious. Oh, and I have to say, reading the Bible in a consistent way takes care of 95% of your problems.
...the Bible again, specifically in this matter of reading it in prayer. I said above that if you wanted to meet God you have to come to the Word right? Well, John 4:24 says that God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit. You can come to Word Avenue, but without the use of the proper faculties, you may end up knocking on the garage instead of the front door. I really enjoyed coming to the Word and chewing the Word in prayer. Many times, especially with a schedule, we want to do finish it really quick and check it off. I really enjoyed taking the time to "chew the cud", praying a verse in a very slow way to the Lord, and then re-doing it -- like a cow does with its four stomachs.
...companions. How could I have gone without the brothers this year? I thank the Lord for all the brothers He has placed me with in Northwestern. I enjoyed all the dinners, the car-rides, the banana smooth-shake nights, and times of prayer for each other. I really the Lord for my roommate this year, and the daily habits we built in going through the morning revival book and reading the Bible. The Christian life is a corporate race, and it's so much easier to run when you have someone to take care of, and someone to take care of you. I really enjoyed the spontaneous singing that would pop-out in the middle of our studying together.
...gatherings in the homes. This is a big thank you. You can see God's heart's desire and His eternal plan, but I have to tell you, they can't be accomplished without the homes. I do have to say that much growth occurs through personal contact with the Lord, but I have to admit, you can't sustain your personal contact with the Lord by yourself. You need the encouragement of all saints! In the homes, there is the proper cherishing of the soul, and nourishing of the spirit. The homes are the New Testament pattern of the church life! Day by day, house to house meetings are the way to go!
Thank You Lord!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
First Table Meeting in Cincinnati Recap
I'm going to take a brief hiatus from the Abraham and Isaac series this week to add this quick insertion and another, an end-of-the-quarter recap, possibly tomorrow.
So, this past weekend, I had the marvelous opportunity to go to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first Lord's table meeting there. First of all, I just have to say that it was a wonderful experience.
The trip began Friday night - a short trek on the Chicago el to attend Conrad and Karen's home meeting in the UIC area. I need to re-visit this home meeting again, so wonderful and enjoyable! After the meeting, I got to spend the night at Dion and Emily's so we can drive down to Cincinnati as soon as possible. The next morning began early and we bustled around packing and eating breakfast. I think we left the house around 7:30 AM-ish. All four of us (Mora, their greyhound tagged along) got in the beige Honda CR-V to begin our 6-hour trip to Ohio.
I won't get into too much detail, as the meat lies in Cincinnati, but we stopped by Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, with much fellowship on the ride there. I had heard Dion's testimony many times beforehand, but I never had the chance to hear Emily's story. This is the real gem in road trips - hearing the stories of different saints. Anyhow, one particular thing that really touched me and resounded within me in this car ride was the story how Emily ended up in Chicago, which she had no affiliation with whatsoever. Somewhere in that story (you'll have to ask her for the details, as this is just a tangent) there came upon an intersection where she had to make a choice. And this is relate-able in our daily lives. We come upon decisions all the time. Rather than praying to the Lord, "Lord, which way should I go?", we should pray "Lord, I want Your heart! If I have Your heart, I have everything. Doesn't matter which way I go, as long as I have Your heart's desire." That wasn't exactly the way she said it, but somewhere along that line...
So, we arrived at Cincinnati some time around 8 PM, Eastern time. Our first destination was the Garcia's, a couple from Texas that had migrated to Cincinnati. They had a wonderful apartment, where the Grosse's were going to spend the night. I, on the other hand, was dropped of at the brother's house in Cincinnati, where EJ and Travis (both who are students/going to be the students) lived. They were renting out a really nice house with plenty of space for a price that is unheard of in Evanston! Anyhow, another brother from Texas, Alex, was also staying overnight with us.
I wouldn't say that anything special or spectacular happened, but I would definitely have to say that I felt right at home. There is something about being with brothers, that just feels so home-y. I've met EJ through a few conferences and trainings, but probably never got to converse with my brother for over 10 minutes, but it just felt like we've known each other since we were little. Same thing with Alex and Travis. Those brothers were so dear, and I wish I didn't have an exam at 9 AM on Monday, cause, otherwise, I would have stayed in Cincinnati longer to hang out with these brothers.
Okay, let me fast forward to the meat. We spend the night at the brother's house on Saturday and Lord's Day morning, we get up to some awesome breakfast burritos that Alex made. The table was being held at the Marriott hotel because there were going to be a LOT of saints coming over. And indeed, there was. I think there were around a 180 saints in total in that meeting room.
Again, nothing spectacular, I just felt right at home in Cincinnati breaking bread and praising the Lord just like in LA or Chicago. Brother Tym Seay from Austin also came to visit and shared a bit regarding "Oneness." And if you don't mind, I would like to share a little bit:
God is one. Oneness is His nature (Deut. 6:4). Furthermore, God has a plan, which is to make Himself one with man (1 Cor. 6:17). For this reason, He placed man in front of the tree of life, suggesting man to eat Him so that He could get inside of man to be one with man. We also see through the gospels, that the Lord Jesus Himself desired for His disciples to be one with one another. So, here we see a lot of onenesses going on.. One oneness. God is one with man, and we are one with each other through this same oneness that we are one with God.
So, we see that God is one, and desires to be one with men so that men would become His corporate expression. To express God whose nature is oneness, His corporate expression must also hold to this oneness. His corporate expression is the church, and the church stands upon a ground, which is the genuine ground of oneness. The church can only be built on the ground of oneness. Built upon other ground, it is impossible for the church to stand (or stand properly).
A little insertion here to describe this -- A brother once told me how important the site (ground) is in relation to building a structure upon it. It is so important in fact, that an architect has the right to terminate a contract if the site is changed.
The genuine ground comprises of three things: the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ, the local ground of the locality, and the reality of the Spirit of oneness. Our God is one, and just like any normal human head also has one Body, God has one Body. This is the universal Body of Christ, which expresses God's nature of oneness by itself being one. This universal Body of Christ, comprises of all the believes in the world. Practically, for distance and time reasons, the believers meet as the Body of Christ in their respective localities as the believers did in the New Testament. And this does not mean that each localities are separate now because they meet in different cities. No, it's one, just practically manifested in various localities. Look at the moon. There is one moon. The moon in Cincinnati is the same moon in Chicago, but in both localities there is a local manifestation of that moon. Thirdly, we need to have the reality of the Spirit of oneness. We are all under the universal Body of Christ. And we can meet in the local ground of oneness, but without the Spirit of oneness, we are all dead. The Spirit of oneness is like the pulse, the life-flow of the Body. Without it, we'll just be a corpse. Praise the Lord for another city where the universal Body of Christ is locally manifested with the Spirit of oneness flowing!
Anyhow, just a brief recap above. I have to confess I need to get into this matter more. I lack the utterance that brother Tym had. Lord, I want to see this matter more!
After the table, we had lunch back at the brother's house with some of the saints in Louisville. Then started the 6-hour trek back to Chicago, where I got to pleasantly sleep/study next to Mora :)
So, this past weekend, I had the marvelous opportunity to go to Cincinnati, Ohio for the first Lord's table meeting there. First of all, I just have to say that it was a wonderful experience.
The trip began Friday night - a short trek on the Chicago el to attend Conrad and Karen's home meeting in the UIC area. I need to re-visit this home meeting again, so wonderful and enjoyable! After the meeting, I got to spend the night at Dion and Emily's so we can drive down to Cincinnati as soon as possible. The next morning began early and we bustled around packing and eating breakfast. I think we left the house around 7:30 AM-ish. All four of us (Mora, their greyhound tagged along) got in the beige Honda CR-V to begin our 6-hour trip to Ohio.
I won't get into too much detail, as the meat lies in Cincinnati, but we stopped by Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky, with much fellowship on the ride there. I had heard Dion's testimony many times beforehand, but I never had the chance to hear Emily's story. This is the real gem in road trips - hearing the stories of different saints. Anyhow, one particular thing that really touched me and resounded within me in this car ride was the story how Emily ended up in Chicago, which she had no affiliation with whatsoever. Somewhere in that story (you'll have to ask her for the details, as this is just a tangent) there came upon an intersection where she had to make a choice. And this is relate-able in our daily lives. We come upon decisions all the time. Rather than praying to the Lord, "Lord, which way should I go?", we should pray "Lord, I want Your heart! If I have Your heart, I have everything. Doesn't matter which way I go, as long as I have Your heart's desire." That wasn't exactly the way she said it, but somewhere along that line...
So, we arrived at Cincinnati some time around 8 PM, Eastern time. Our first destination was the Garcia's, a couple from Texas that had migrated to Cincinnati. They had a wonderful apartment, where the Grosse's were going to spend the night. I, on the other hand, was dropped of at the brother's house in Cincinnati, where EJ and Travis (both who are students/going to be the students) lived. They were renting out a really nice house with plenty of space for a price that is unheard of in Evanston! Anyhow, another brother from Texas, Alex, was also staying overnight with us.
I wouldn't say that anything special or spectacular happened, but I would definitely have to say that I felt right at home. There is something about being with brothers, that just feels so home-y. I've met EJ through a few conferences and trainings, but probably never got to converse with my brother for over 10 minutes, but it just felt like we've known each other since we were little. Same thing with Alex and Travis. Those brothers were so dear, and I wish I didn't have an exam at 9 AM on Monday, cause, otherwise, I would have stayed in Cincinnati longer to hang out with these brothers.
Okay, let me fast forward to the meat. We spend the night at the brother's house on Saturday and Lord's Day morning, we get up to some awesome breakfast burritos that Alex made. The table was being held at the Marriott hotel because there were going to be a LOT of saints coming over. And indeed, there was. I think there were around a 180 saints in total in that meeting room.
Again, nothing spectacular, I just felt right at home in Cincinnati breaking bread and praising the Lord just like in LA or Chicago. Brother Tym Seay from Austin also came to visit and shared a bit regarding "Oneness." And if you don't mind, I would like to share a little bit:
God is one. Oneness is His nature (Deut. 6:4). Furthermore, God has a plan, which is to make Himself one with man (1 Cor. 6:17). For this reason, He placed man in front of the tree of life, suggesting man to eat Him so that He could get inside of man to be one with man. We also see through the gospels, that the Lord Jesus Himself desired for His disciples to be one with one another. So, here we see a lot of onenesses going on.. One oneness. God is one with man, and we are one with each other through this same oneness that we are one with God.
So, we see that God is one, and desires to be one with men so that men would become His corporate expression. To express God whose nature is oneness, His corporate expression must also hold to this oneness. His corporate expression is the church, and the church stands upon a ground, which is the genuine ground of oneness. The church can only be built on the ground of oneness. Built upon other ground, it is impossible for the church to stand (or stand properly).
A little insertion here to describe this -- A brother once told me how important the site (ground) is in relation to building a structure upon it. It is so important in fact, that an architect has the right to terminate a contract if the site is changed.
The genuine ground comprises of three things: the unique oneness of the universal Body of Christ, the local ground of the locality, and the reality of the Spirit of oneness. Our God is one, and just like any normal human head also has one Body, God has one Body. This is the universal Body of Christ, which expresses God's nature of oneness by itself being one. This universal Body of Christ, comprises of all the believes in the world. Practically, for distance and time reasons, the believers meet as the Body of Christ in their respective localities as the believers did in the New Testament. And this does not mean that each localities are separate now because they meet in different cities. No, it's one, just practically manifested in various localities. Look at the moon. There is one moon. The moon in Cincinnati is the same moon in Chicago, but in both localities there is a local manifestation of that moon. Thirdly, we need to have the reality of the Spirit of oneness. We are all under the universal Body of Christ. And we can meet in the local ground of oneness, but without the Spirit of oneness, we are all dead. The Spirit of oneness is like the pulse, the life-flow of the Body. Without it, we'll just be a corpse. Praise the Lord for another city where the universal Body of Christ is locally manifested with the Spirit of oneness flowing!
Anyhow, just a brief recap above. I have to confess I need to get into this matter more. I lack the utterance that brother Tym had. Lord, I want to see this matter more!
After the table, we had lunch back at the brother's house with some of the saints in Louisville. Then started the 6-hour trek back to Chicago, where I got to pleasantly sleep/study next to Mora :)
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Experience of Isaac (Part 6) - Leaving Chile
I don't really know how exactly this happened. I don't remember if I wasn't made aware, or if I had known it but hidden it from my friends for a time. We were leaving Santiago.
This was going to be an exciting year, I felt. I had finished two full years at SEK, and I was seemingly getting adjusted to this Asian kid in Chile life. For the fourth grade, we got to move to another part of the school, and I always enjoyed having a change, so that alone felt exciting. It was good to see a lot of my friends again and I was glad to be able to start playing basketball with my buddies.
The next thing I know is that we are leaving for the airport. Why did my parents not let me know? Or if I did know, why was I hiding it from my friends? That will forever be a mystery to me. 30 minutes before leaving our old-blue apartment, I knew I only had time to make one phone call. I called my dear friend Glen, who was at school at the time (I skipped class that day to go to the airport). His mom picked up and was kind of wondering what in the world I was doing calling her at this time of the day. And it was hard to explain what I was doing. Since Glen wasn't there, all I could do was to leave a message. I told Glen's mom to tell Glen that I was going to miss him, and wanted him to let the rest of our classmates know that I was heading to... the Estados Unidos de America.
She was kind of in shock, and I could tell she didn't really know how to respond to that. I believe she just said that she would let him know, and we ended the conversation. All I remember doing after is getting into someone's car to be dropped off at the airport. It was just my mom, sister and I that were flying. Dad was either already there, or waiting to come.
America was so different.. and going through customs was the hardest thing ever, as a child. So much tension. So much hustling around. Carrying heavy luggages. A foreign speech. Just when I thought I was settling into life for good, we moved again, this time over the hemisphere.
I still remember that lady who was talking to us being.. so mean. No emotions, no smiles, no expression. Those are the moments in life when you just feel your childhood being taken away. Especially, when you are the one who has to talk to her. There was nobody at the booth who could speak Korean, so we had to speak Spanish to her. I had to translate for my mom, and all those words coming out of her mouth that formed a question just seemed like a test that we had to pass, that we had to answer correctly, or we would be sent back home to Chile. Anyhow, let's fast forward this dramatized moment. We miraculously get in. Mom says we were going to get in anyway, but I think she was saying that our of faith. It just seemed like there was no reason why we should have been given access to come in.
So anyhow, life was a new start, again. I take a look outside and again notice that the streetlights are different shapes. This gives me the awry feeling I felt three years ago when I exited the airport in Santiago. Something about them streetlights... from the familiar to the unfamiliar again.
We settled down at the Kang's. Again, like the Jung's in Santiago, it was a family of three kids, with the two elder kids being girls and the younger being a boy - Ashley, Esther, and Joshua. They lived in a nice part of Los Angeles called La Brea, which is right in front of what is now the Grove. The first few weeks of American life was pretty solitary for me. I had no friends, and no way to communicate.. since I did not speak the language. I had to communicate to the kids in my broken Korean, only to realize that they did not speak any Korean, nor understood any. During the short period we stay in La Brea, I remember struggling because I wasn't home. I was in another person's house, and although that family welcomed us as much as possible, it was still relatively new to me so I just had to grit it out.
This brings in mind to me what it is to be like God, homeless. I wrote a little bit regarding this in my Kankakee post, but I'm going to write a little bit more again, because this matter can never be repeated enough! I can most confidently and bravely say that this is the meaning of my existence in the whole universe, and the focus of my life. So, let me take a look really quick and read the Kankakee post so I won't be repeating myself too much.. I'll be right back..
Okay, I'm back. Great. I haven't written regarding Genesis 28. Just to let you know ahead of time, I'm probably going to speak again regarding Gen. 28. One of my fave chapters in the Bible. But to be brief because I wrote so long already, and just to drive the point: Jacob had received the blessing from Isaac that was supposed to be Esau's. Warned by Rebekah, he has to leave his own house, away from the comforts of his family, where all his resources -- food, shelter, and fun -- were. He is kicked out of his own house by the threats of his own blood brother to kill him. He basically trades the comforts of his bed, to the bare floor outdoors, and substitutes a stone for a pillow. You must be very desperate if you cannot find anything else to be your pillow. No hay? No mounds of sand? No folded clothes? Shows you what kind of situation Jacob must have been in.. Anyhow, it was in that kind of situation that God revealed to Jacob, His heart's desire, Bethel (translated the House of God).
Strange how God would reveal it to a tricky person like Jacob, somewhere in the middle of Genesis. Wasn't Abel was a really good kid? and wasn't Adam the first man on the earth? God revealed it particularly for Jacob because he was under a certain condition, a homeless one. He was in a state that matched God's situation of being homeless, and only in this kind of state, was man able to sympathize with God.. I'm not saying we should all end up becoming homeless to experience what Jacob experienced. These times will come eventually, a sudden transition in life from the familiar to the unfamiliar. I just like to encourage you to read Genesis 28 in a prayerful way during that time. Jacob received this clear revelation in his homeless condition. (I'm also not saying that being in this state is the only way to know God's heart's desire regarding His house).
I'll end it here :) Didn't want to end the entry with just me, me, me, so had to add this small addition. I don't know what I'll write next week.. I might move back to my dad's side of the story again, or continue on my line.. Check back next week..
This was going to be an exciting year, I felt. I had finished two full years at SEK, and I was seemingly getting adjusted to this Asian kid in Chile life. For the fourth grade, we got to move to another part of the school, and I always enjoyed having a change, so that alone felt exciting. It was good to see a lot of my friends again and I was glad to be able to start playing basketball with my buddies.
The next thing I know is that we are leaving for the airport. Why did my parents not let me know? Or if I did know, why was I hiding it from my friends? That will forever be a mystery to me. 30 minutes before leaving our old-blue apartment, I knew I only had time to make one phone call. I called my dear friend Glen, who was at school at the time (I skipped class that day to go to the airport). His mom picked up and was kind of wondering what in the world I was doing calling her at this time of the day. And it was hard to explain what I was doing. Since Glen wasn't there, all I could do was to leave a message. I told Glen's mom to tell Glen that I was going to miss him, and wanted him to let the rest of our classmates know that I was heading to... the Estados Unidos de America.
She was kind of in shock, and I could tell she didn't really know how to respond to that. I believe she just said that she would let him know, and we ended the conversation. All I remember doing after is getting into someone's car to be dropped off at the airport. It was just my mom, sister and I that were flying. Dad was either already there, or waiting to come.
America was so different.. and going through customs was the hardest thing ever, as a child. So much tension. So much hustling around. Carrying heavy luggages. A foreign speech. Just when I thought I was settling into life for good, we moved again, this time over the hemisphere.
I still remember that lady who was talking to us being.. so mean. No emotions, no smiles, no expression. Those are the moments in life when you just feel your childhood being taken away. Especially, when you are the one who has to talk to her. There was nobody at the booth who could speak Korean, so we had to speak Spanish to her. I had to translate for my mom, and all those words coming out of her mouth that formed a question just seemed like a test that we had to pass, that we had to answer correctly, or we would be sent back home to Chile. Anyhow, let's fast forward this dramatized moment. We miraculously get in. Mom says we were going to get in anyway, but I think she was saying that our of faith. It just seemed like there was no reason why we should have been given access to come in.
So anyhow, life was a new start, again. I take a look outside and again notice that the streetlights are different shapes. This gives me the awry feeling I felt three years ago when I exited the airport in Santiago. Something about them streetlights... from the familiar to the unfamiliar again.
We settled down at the Kang's. Again, like the Jung's in Santiago, it was a family of three kids, with the two elder kids being girls and the younger being a boy - Ashley, Esther, and Joshua. They lived in a nice part of Los Angeles called La Brea, which is right in front of what is now the Grove. The first few weeks of American life was pretty solitary for me. I had no friends, and no way to communicate.. since I did not speak the language. I had to communicate to the kids in my broken Korean, only to realize that they did not speak any Korean, nor understood any. During the short period we stay in La Brea, I remember struggling because I wasn't home. I was in another person's house, and although that family welcomed us as much as possible, it was still relatively new to me so I just had to grit it out.
This brings in mind to me what it is to be like God, homeless. I wrote a little bit regarding this in my Kankakee post, but I'm going to write a little bit more again, because this matter can never be repeated enough! I can most confidently and bravely say that this is the meaning of my existence in the whole universe, and the focus of my life. So, let me take a look really quick and read the Kankakee post so I won't be repeating myself too much.. I'll be right back..
Okay, I'm back. Great. I haven't written regarding Genesis 28. Just to let you know ahead of time, I'm probably going to speak again regarding Gen. 28. One of my fave chapters in the Bible. But to be brief because I wrote so long already, and just to drive the point: Jacob had received the blessing from Isaac that was supposed to be Esau's. Warned by Rebekah, he has to leave his own house, away from the comforts of his family, where all his resources -- food, shelter, and fun -- were. He is kicked out of his own house by the threats of his own blood brother to kill him. He basically trades the comforts of his bed, to the bare floor outdoors, and substitutes a stone for a pillow. You must be very desperate if you cannot find anything else to be your pillow. No hay? No mounds of sand? No folded clothes? Shows you what kind of situation Jacob must have been in.. Anyhow, it was in that kind of situation that God revealed to Jacob, His heart's desire, Bethel (translated the House of God).
Strange how God would reveal it to a tricky person like Jacob, somewhere in the middle of Genesis. Wasn't Abel was a really good kid? and wasn't Adam the first man on the earth? God revealed it particularly for Jacob because he was under a certain condition, a homeless one. He was in a state that matched God's situation of being homeless, and only in this kind of state, was man able to sympathize with God.. I'm not saying we should all end up becoming homeless to experience what Jacob experienced. These times will come eventually, a sudden transition in life from the familiar to the unfamiliar. I just like to encourage you to read Genesis 28 in a prayerful way during that time. Jacob received this clear revelation in his homeless condition. (I'm also not saying that being in this state is the only way to know God's heart's desire regarding His house).
I'll end it here :) Didn't want to end the entry with just me, me, me, so had to add this small addition. I don't know what I'll write next week.. I might move back to my dad's side of the story again, or continue on my line.. Check back next week..
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Thanksgiving Conference 2011 Brief, Brief, Brief Recap!
So you struck gold this week!
I will be posting two entries because this past weekend there was a marvelous conference in San Jose that I didn't get to go, but got to watch all the messages through the webcast.
First of all, let me say that this thanksgiving break was both awesome and sad at the same time. This was the first year that I was not able to go to the Thanksgiving Conference live, because it was too far. The last few years it's been at drive-able locations, Columbus and Indianapolis, but they took it away from us :( The good part was that I got to spend quality time with the families in Chicago. It was a great time hanging out with the Barker's, the Robert's, the Yun's, the Johnston's, and the Hall's. We ended up having 6 Thanksgiving meals in total.. a record in my life which I hope I never, ever dare to attempt again.
Anyway, enough of myself, time to focus on the conference! The general subject and the burden of the conference this year was: the focus of the Lord's recovery.
To be honest, going in, I had no idea what this phrase meant, or what it could possibly mean. So, let me do some assisting work for you. First of all, defining the words:
s] noun
If our Christian living is a road, the center will be the stripes that divide the incoming and outgoing traffic. This conference made me realize how much of my living is in the outskirts, the edges of the road, if not even further, on the dirt on the side of the roads. Well, it's good to be re-calibrated and re-focused!
The Lord's recovery, is not the name of a group, nor an organization, nor a movement, it's something God has been doing ever since Genesis 3. After the fall, God has been doing a recovering work, bringing man from his fallen state back to the original state He had planned in Genesis 1 and 2. In Genesis 1 and 2, we see God's heart's desire and eternal purpose.
In creating man as a vessel in the image of Himself (Gen. 1:26) , God wanted to fill man with Himself. For what purpose? For the purpose of gaining His expression. This is consummated in Revelation 22 with the New Jerusalem. You look at the materials that compose the New Jerusalem - they are all pictures of the Triune God! The golden streets, the jasper walls, the precious stones... No time for me to get into those..
So, knowing the definitions of these words, what is the focus of the Lord's recovery? It is the testimony of the Triune God, which is simply a corporate expression of the Triune God, the testimony of Jesus.
Man failed in Genesis, and continues to fail throughout the Scriptures, and man's failure is constantly seen again and again carried out in our daily lives. Even in the midst of all the men who failed, there is one man who has fulfilled God's original desire, that is, the man Jesus! The Father calls this one His delight, and we should hear Him and see Him only. Jesus, in all His human living, lived for the Father's will and expressed the Father in His thoughts, feelings, intentions, speaking, and living. So you can say, that God's purpose was accomplished in one man. However, God doesn't just want a single, perfect (perfect in God's eyes, not ours) man. He wants a corporate expression - many ones who are just like Jesus.
This man went through a process of death and resurrection, to become the life-giving Spirit to enter into our spirit! He did this to make Himself available to us whenever and wherever. Now, when we contact this One in our spirit, to enjoy Him and partake of Him, we become Him. The phrase you are what you eat (John 6:57), is really true.
Anyhow, my prayer after this conference is "Lord, thank You for recalibrating me!" Also, I am encouraged yet again to read in prayer, Paul's prayers in Ephesians 1 and 3. And also, I really want to get into these messages again. I have to say, the few paragraphs I have put up here is very short, maybe 3% of all the riches in the conference. There is still much left to dig. Anyway, praaaaaaaaaise the Lord!
I will be posting two entries because this past weekend there was a marvelous conference in San Jose that I didn't get to go, but got to watch all the messages through the webcast.
First of all, let me say that this thanksgiving break was both awesome and sad at the same time. This was the first year that I was not able to go to the Thanksgiving Conference live, because it was too far. The last few years it's been at drive-able locations, Columbus and Indianapolis, but they took it away from us :( The good part was that I got to spend quality time with the families in Chicago. It was a great time hanging out with the Barker's, the Robert's, the Yun's, the Johnston's, and the Hall's. We ended up having 6 Thanksgiving meals in total.. a record in my life which I hope I never, ever dare to attempt again.
Anyway, enough of myself, time to focus on the conference! The general subject and the burden of the conference this year was: the focus of the Lord's recovery.
To be honest, going in, I had no idea what this phrase meant, or what it could possibly mean. So, let me do some assisting work for you. First of all, defining the words:
fo·cus
[foh-kuhs] noun
a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity: The need to prevent a nuclear war became the focus of all diplomatic efforts.
If our Christian living is a road, the center will be the stripes that divide the incoming and outgoing traffic. This conference made me realize how much of my living is in the outskirts, the edges of the road, if not even further, on the dirt on the side of the roads. Well, it's good to be re-calibrated and re-focused!
The Lord's recovery, is not the name of a group, nor an organization, nor a movement, it's something God has been doing ever since Genesis 3. After the fall, God has been doing a recovering work, bringing man from his fallen state back to the original state He had planned in Genesis 1 and 2. In Genesis 1 and 2, we see God's heart's desire and eternal purpose.
In creating man as a vessel in the image of Himself (Gen. 1:26) , God wanted to fill man with Himself. For what purpose? For the purpose of gaining His expression. This is consummated in Revelation 22 with the New Jerusalem. You look at the materials that compose the New Jerusalem - they are all pictures of the Triune God! The golden streets, the jasper walls, the precious stones... No time for me to get into those..
So, knowing the definitions of these words, what is the focus of the Lord's recovery? It is the testimony of the Triune God, which is simply a corporate expression of the Triune God, the testimony of Jesus.
Man failed in Genesis, and continues to fail throughout the Scriptures, and man's failure is constantly seen again and again carried out in our daily lives. Even in the midst of all the men who failed, there is one man who has fulfilled God's original desire, that is, the man Jesus! The Father calls this one His delight, and we should hear Him and see Him only. Jesus, in all His human living, lived for the Father's will and expressed the Father in His thoughts, feelings, intentions, speaking, and living. So you can say, that God's purpose was accomplished in one man. However, God doesn't just want a single, perfect (perfect in God's eyes, not ours) man. He wants a corporate expression - many ones who are just like Jesus.
This man went through a process of death and resurrection, to become the life-giving Spirit to enter into our spirit! He did this to make Himself available to us whenever and wherever. Now, when we contact this One in our spirit, to enjoy Him and partake of Him, we become Him. The phrase you are what you eat (John 6:57), is really true.
Anyhow, my prayer after this conference is "Lord, thank You for recalibrating me!" Also, I am encouraged yet again to read in prayer, Paul's prayers in Ephesians 1 and 3. And also, I really want to get into these messages again. I have to say, the few paragraphs I have put up here is very short, maybe 3% of all the riches in the conference. There is still much left to dig. Anyway, praaaaaaaaaise the Lord!
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Experience of Isaac (Part 5) - A Boy's Life
Oh SEK. How I miss thee.. You have to remember that this was the time I really began to remember things. I know I had friends in Korea during my kindergarten years, but Chile were the years I spent my adolescence. If I had to choose between Korea and Chile, I would visit Chile. Anyhow, I'll try to condense 3 years into one post, to make sure I wring out all the boring details and just give a good story line.
There were both negatives and positives that occurred in Chile that have shaped me to who I am today. I've encountered much racism as a kid, being the few yellow-skinned kids running around the school among faired-skins (Chileans are more European-like). Many times, I've been taunted for who I was, and how I spoke. Pronounciations were always things that kicked me in the rear. Anyhow, I feel like this really created an inward motive in me to excel academically and socially. I wanted to prove to my teachers and my friends that a different color made me no different. I had trouble in Language Arts, but that was excusable. However, everything that ranged from Math to Art, Sciences to Physical Education, I competed for the best spot. And it wasn't just about getting it done right and scoring high. It was all about getting it done right and scoring high AND being first. That was where all the social glory resided. Being the first one to get up from his chair and proudly walking down the aisle while everybody else watches you in the middle of the test was what I sought for. This may sound pretty competitive, but I made a lot of friends this way and gained a lot of respect from teachers and classmates. My best friend Christian and I would always compete to be in first in class and basketball, and we had this mutual respect for each other. The only person that I counted acceptable to finish before me was Christian, and vice versa for him as well. I guess this kind of environment really translated to the high-speed work I like to be under in the present. Anyhow, in elementary school, we were so guile. We gained popularity by being the smartest kid in class, not by being the rowdiest.
This kind of competitiveness translated onto the basketball court as well. Basketball was not the main sport in Chile, it was obviously futbol. But I somehow found a liking to this sport. Being at a young age, skill wasn't obviously evident, so being a hard-worker was what distinguished you in practice. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and was further encouraged by the coach who admired hard-workers. I quickly ranked to be the captain of the team, but sadly, that didn't turn out to mean much... I was never able to go to the games. The games were always so far, and not having a car or means of transportation, I never experienced the thrill of the competition. I would always be jealous to hear the stories of my teammates, but of course, these were just small exhibition games that kept no score.
The following year, I wasn't able to join the basketball club because of finances. My dad after giving up his pastorship, took up a job as a store manager with my mom selling needles and threads. It wasn't like we were starving, but needs were barely met. Coach would take me out of class to talk to me about joining the team again and again. I was ashamed to tell him that I couldn't join because of finances. I made excuses that we were going to move away soon, and other non-sense. He offered to cut the cost of the club in half, but even then my parents told me it was hard to afford. That was a heart-wrenching experience for me.
Another highlight of my time in SEK were marbles. This was a huge trend that all of a sudden skyrocketed some time during my stay there. There was this wall where there was a bunch of water fountains in front of the cafeteria. On the other side, there would be a line of kids lined up with their backs against the wall, with a certain formation created with their marbles. Other kids would come to challenge them. They would use their marbles to hit the marble formation. What you hit was yours. What you missed became theirs. I still remember very vividly those rowdy walls.
--
I want to talk about two more stories that are actually one whole story that was a big piece in my Chilean days. Outside of school, I went to Korean school. Surprisingly, Chile had a good number of Koreans - a good number to create a Korean Saturday school every week with every grade and teachers for every grade and even a principal. We used to take the bus in downtown which would take us to this worn-down property that had worn-down buildings. It was in Korean school that I met another dear friend of mine by the name of Sang-Hoon. I honestly don't know how we met, but we somehow met. He visited me in LA, a few years back, and from hearing the recounts, apparently, he thought I was really smart, and thus took notice of me. I did skip a grade in Korean school, since I came from Korea and spoke Korean with my parents. But honestly, I thought those grade levels were a joke.. Anyhow, he noticed me and then somehow, my mom and his mom somehow got in contact with each other. And then, the next thing you know is that I'm getting excited to go over to his place and to sleep over and hang out.
There are two experiences I would like to share with SH. The first is that I really miss those creative activity sessions we used to have. Of course, we didn't call it that. We were just explorers that made use of benches, swings, sand, grass, skateboards, scooters, walls, pavements, sticks, and anything we can find outside the apartment complex. These were awesome times that, of course, anybody who is older will look down at. But I believe these sessions constituted in me an eternal kid-heart that loves crazy ideas. Our adventures would be part-Pokemon, part-Digimon, part-pirates, and mainly-whatever. We would jump over hedges, sleep in benches, heal fake wounds, destroy enemies, find and hide treasures, and a bunch of other crazy stuff. Anyhow, I know it's silly, but I really account these times with Hoon to the perpetual kid in my heart that can come out whenever he wants to. Growing up, I'm learning to balance this.. and I believe it's an extremely useful skill.
Another account I like to share is very negative actually, but an extremely rewarding experience that benefits me to this day. Sang-Hoon was very rich. His parents owned a very good clothing business that had several(?) stores in Chile. So, he would always get the latest Pokemon cards and the best of the shiny cards. I, on the other hand, couldn't really afford to buy any Pokemon cards. All the cards that I owned I got through trading or by having it handed down to me from older kids that didn't play anymore. One weekend, I slept over his house, I took a few of his shiny Pokemon cards and put them in my deck. I thought he would never notice since he had so many, and I could just hide them in my room. If it came to the point that he wanted to search my room, I would sell them, and buy new packs of Pokemon cards (yes, I am really evil). Well, he called me the night after I went home after the sleepover and asked me if I had accidentally taken his pokemon cards. Of course I lied, and pretended to not know about anything.
I thought the plan went accordingly and I was all safe now. But of course, I didn't think it over thoroughly enough. What if SH told his parents who then would end up telling my parents about it? And of course, that's exactly what happened. My mom denied it at first, not willing to believe that I would do such a thing. She came home, and asked me, and of course, being in shock and not knowing what to do, I lied. At this point in stage, it was easier to lie to continue my storyline. Otherwise, if I told the truth, I would have looked like a loser to SH, whom I orginally told that I didn't steal his cards. Anyhow, my mom let my dad know about it and when they both confronted me, I had to lie again. Man, one event in sin just brings in another and another to an endless cycle... I think it must have been a Saturday or a Sunday, or some time during the summer, because I remember we were eating lunch when they inquired. And lunch time that day was awfully quiet. Too quiet that I can hear my own heart pound, and my conscience speak. I guess before that I unconsciously knew that I had a conscience, and experienced it. Whenever I would lie, or hit my sister, I felt this painful moving in my heart that told me that I was did the wrong thing. But, oh man, never this clear. That experience definitely brought me to a definite experience of my conscience.
Soon enough, I couldn't help it. The guilt that was building up, the awful feeling of my conscience crying out, and the silence in the dinner table. I went to my room and brought the stolen Pokemon cards and showed them to my parents. My parents were in shock and angry at the same time. I was punished (which I won't go into details) and it was good that I was punished. I, for that short moment of time of stinging punishment, hated my parents. If only they had given me money to buy Pokemon cards, this would have never happened. Looking back, I appreciate and treasure this expereince. That same day, we went over to SH's place, where I made my entrance of shame. To my surprise, SH forgave me really quickly, and we went back to playing again. Oh, kids.
Anyhow, I would never trade this experience. This matter of listening to the conscience is so crucial in the Christian race. Also, having and bearing to have a soft heart to be forgiven is also essential. It's easy to forgive others; but to be forgiven is a galaxy away. (Of course, this situation varies depending on which side of the equation you are in...). Anyhow, enough dwelling in all this philosophical talk. I like to give you a verse! 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!"
There were both negatives and positives that occurred in Chile that have shaped me to who I am today. I've encountered much racism as a kid, being the few yellow-skinned kids running around the school among faired-skins (Chileans are more European-like). Many times, I've been taunted for who I was, and how I spoke. Pronounciations were always things that kicked me in the rear. Anyhow, I feel like this really created an inward motive in me to excel academically and socially. I wanted to prove to my teachers and my friends that a different color made me no different. I had trouble in Language Arts, but that was excusable. However, everything that ranged from Math to Art, Sciences to Physical Education, I competed for the best spot. And it wasn't just about getting it done right and scoring high. It was all about getting it done right and scoring high AND being first. That was where all the social glory resided. Being the first one to get up from his chair and proudly walking down the aisle while everybody else watches you in the middle of the test was what I sought for. This may sound pretty competitive, but I made a lot of friends this way and gained a lot of respect from teachers and classmates. My best friend Christian and I would always compete to be in first in class and basketball, and we had this mutual respect for each other. The only person that I counted acceptable to finish before me was Christian, and vice versa for him as well. I guess this kind of environment really translated to the high-speed work I like to be under in the present. Anyhow, in elementary school, we were so guile. We gained popularity by being the smartest kid in class, not by being the rowdiest.
This kind of competitiveness translated onto the basketball court as well. Basketball was not the main sport in Chile, it was obviously futbol. But I somehow found a liking to this sport. Being at a young age, skill wasn't obviously evident, so being a hard-worker was what distinguished you in practice. I pushed and pushed and pushed, and was further encouraged by the coach who admired hard-workers. I quickly ranked to be the captain of the team, but sadly, that didn't turn out to mean much... I was never able to go to the games. The games were always so far, and not having a car or means of transportation, I never experienced the thrill of the competition. I would always be jealous to hear the stories of my teammates, but of course, these were just small exhibition games that kept no score.
The following year, I wasn't able to join the basketball club because of finances. My dad after giving up his pastorship, took up a job as a store manager with my mom selling needles and threads. It wasn't like we were starving, but needs were barely met. Coach would take me out of class to talk to me about joining the team again and again. I was ashamed to tell him that I couldn't join because of finances. I made excuses that we were going to move away soon, and other non-sense. He offered to cut the cost of the club in half, but even then my parents told me it was hard to afford. That was a heart-wrenching experience for me.
Another highlight of my time in SEK were marbles. This was a huge trend that all of a sudden skyrocketed some time during my stay there. There was this wall where there was a bunch of water fountains in front of the cafeteria. On the other side, there would be a line of kids lined up with their backs against the wall, with a certain formation created with their marbles. Other kids would come to challenge them. They would use their marbles to hit the marble formation. What you hit was yours. What you missed became theirs. I still remember very vividly those rowdy walls.
--
I want to talk about two more stories that are actually one whole story that was a big piece in my Chilean days. Outside of school, I went to Korean school. Surprisingly, Chile had a good number of Koreans - a good number to create a Korean Saturday school every week with every grade and teachers for every grade and even a principal. We used to take the bus in downtown which would take us to this worn-down property that had worn-down buildings. It was in Korean school that I met another dear friend of mine by the name of Sang-Hoon. I honestly don't know how we met, but we somehow met. He visited me in LA, a few years back, and from hearing the recounts, apparently, he thought I was really smart, and thus took notice of me. I did skip a grade in Korean school, since I came from Korea and spoke Korean with my parents. But honestly, I thought those grade levels were a joke.. Anyhow, he noticed me and then somehow, my mom and his mom somehow got in contact with each other. And then, the next thing you know is that I'm getting excited to go over to his place and to sleep over and hang out.
There are two experiences I would like to share with SH. The first is that I really miss those creative activity sessions we used to have. Of course, we didn't call it that. We were just explorers that made use of benches, swings, sand, grass, skateboards, scooters, walls, pavements, sticks, and anything we can find outside the apartment complex. These were awesome times that, of course, anybody who is older will look down at. But I believe these sessions constituted in me an eternal kid-heart that loves crazy ideas. Our adventures would be part-Pokemon, part-Digimon, part-pirates, and mainly-whatever. We would jump over hedges, sleep in benches, heal fake wounds, destroy enemies, find and hide treasures, and a bunch of other crazy stuff. Anyhow, I know it's silly, but I really account these times with Hoon to the perpetual kid in my heart that can come out whenever he wants to. Growing up, I'm learning to balance this.. and I believe it's an extremely useful skill.
Another account I like to share is very negative actually, but an extremely rewarding experience that benefits me to this day. Sang-Hoon was very rich. His parents owned a very good clothing business that had several(?) stores in Chile. So, he would always get the latest Pokemon cards and the best of the shiny cards. I, on the other hand, couldn't really afford to buy any Pokemon cards. All the cards that I owned I got through trading or by having it handed down to me from older kids that didn't play anymore. One weekend, I slept over his house, I took a few of his shiny Pokemon cards and put them in my deck. I thought he would never notice since he had so many, and I could just hide them in my room. If it came to the point that he wanted to search my room, I would sell them, and buy new packs of Pokemon cards (yes, I am really evil). Well, he called me the night after I went home after the sleepover and asked me if I had accidentally taken his pokemon cards. Of course I lied, and pretended to not know about anything.
I thought the plan went accordingly and I was all safe now. But of course, I didn't think it over thoroughly enough. What if SH told his parents who then would end up telling my parents about it? And of course, that's exactly what happened. My mom denied it at first, not willing to believe that I would do such a thing. She came home, and asked me, and of course, being in shock and not knowing what to do, I lied. At this point in stage, it was easier to lie to continue my storyline. Otherwise, if I told the truth, I would have looked like a loser to SH, whom I orginally told that I didn't steal his cards. Anyhow, my mom let my dad know about it and when they both confronted me, I had to lie again. Man, one event in sin just brings in another and another to an endless cycle... I think it must have been a Saturday or a Sunday, or some time during the summer, because I remember we were eating lunch when they inquired. And lunch time that day was awfully quiet. Too quiet that I can hear my own heart pound, and my conscience speak. I guess before that I unconsciously knew that I had a conscience, and experienced it. Whenever I would lie, or hit my sister, I felt this painful moving in my heart that told me that I was did the wrong thing. But, oh man, never this clear. That experience definitely brought me to a definite experience of my conscience.
Soon enough, I couldn't help it. The guilt that was building up, the awful feeling of my conscience crying out, and the silence in the dinner table. I went to my room and brought the stolen Pokemon cards and showed them to my parents. My parents were in shock and angry at the same time. I was punished (which I won't go into details) and it was good that I was punished. I, for that short moment of time of stinging punishment, hated my parents. If only they had given me money to buy Pokemon cards, this would have never happened. Looking back, I appreciate and treasure this expereince. That same day, we went over to SH's place, where I made my entrance of shame. To my surprise, SH forgave me really quickly, and we went back to playing again. Oh, kids.
Anyhow, I would never trade this experience. This matter of listening to the conscience is so crucial in the Christian race. Also, having and bearing to have a soft heart to be forgiven is also essential. It's easy to forgive others; but to be forgiven is a galaxy away. (Of course, this situation varies depending on which side of the equation you are in...). Anyhow, enough dwelling in all this philosophical talk. I like to give you a verse! 1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness!"
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Christians on Campus Kankakee Outing - November 12th, 2011
Last Saturday, November 12th, 2011, we had our first gathering of all the Christians on Campus clubs throughout Illinois & others. And I just have to insert this: it was awesome! So good to blend with other fellow brothers and sisters in the other campuses!
The topic of this time was the Lord's recovery of His Building.
Here's a tidbit of what I enjoyed - Our hearts can be very complex, because our living is very complex, and some times (or rather most of the times) our complex living causes us to lose sight of why we are really here on earth. I have somehow entered that kind of condition, and this weekend was very timely in bringing me back. Did you know that our God is a homeless God? Isaiah 66:1 says "Thus says Jehovah, Heaven is My throne, And the earth the footstool for My feet. Where then is the house that you will build for Me, And where is the place of My rest?" Isn't this striking? Even the lowest king on earth probably had a throne and a footstool. He probably also had a house where he can rest and dwell. But God Himself, the greatest and the highest One in the universe, asks, "Where is the place of My rest?"
What the Lord is after today is His house, His dwelling place. Speaking of a house, what is a house exactly? It's not just a rectangular formation of bricks that surround a space that contains your bed, your desk, your fridge, and your furniture. In fact, it's a place where you can throw up your feet on the couch and nobody can say anything. It's a place where you can have your bed upside down, and nobody cares. It's a place where you can be you. It's a place that expresses who you are. So, when we say that God is looking for His house, we are likewise saying that God is looking for a place where He can have the final say in the arrangements to fully express who He is.
So, what is His house? Christians throughout the centuries have had this desire to build something for God. King David is referred to by the Psalmists in Psalm 132 "How he swore to Jehovah and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: I shall not go into the tent of my house; I shall not go up onto the couch of my bed; I shall not give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids; Until I find a place for Jehovah." What a sweet prayer. I was very touched by this verse, and a song that was written from this verse that we sang during the time:
Anyhow, as I was saying, Christians throughout the centuries have been wanting to build a house for God, and in good intention, built beautiful cathedrals that tower above the skies with jaw-dropping features and stained-glass. But is that really God's house? Isaiah 66:2 says "But this kind of man will I look, to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."
What God is after today is not a physical building, but man. In fact, Ephesians 3:17 says "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." God, who is homeless, is knocking in the door of my heart, asking for us to let him in. What is our heart? You can say that our heart is composed of our conscience, mind, emotion, and will. Our mind, emotion, and will are the faculties of man's soul that expresses man. Man thinks about something, loves that something, and chooses to do that something. Well, does God have the final say in your thoughts, feelings, and intentions?
To be honest, I was very much exposed how much I'm consider just myself, myself, myself, and become too busy to think about God's need, God's longing, and God's purpose. Well, I guess to kind of cap off the topic, I just want to repeat some practical application points some of the brothers shared:
To start off, here is a principle - the amount of heart-space a particular person of thing occupies, hinges upon the time spent on that particular person/thing. If you spend time playing, thinking, talking about basketball, your heart is full of basketball. I was encouraged and reminded, this last weekend, that I need to spend time with God!
Here are some practical ways you can give God more space in your heart: (1) consider your ways - confess your sins. You know, David had a heart to build a temple for God, but he wasn't able to build it. It was his son, Solomon, who became the one to build the temple. Do you know how Solomon came about? Here's the divine equation: man's transgression + man's repentance + God's forgiveness = Solomon, who built the temple. Nothing of ourselves can build God's house. (2) spend time in the Word! The word is where God resides, and you are sure to find Him there! After the children of Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, they needed a reconstitution of the Babylonian mindset, culture, tastebuds, and living. Ezra, a scribe that was skillful with the Word of God, was able to lead such a recovery in constitution.
Anyhow, we not only listened to brothers sharing, but also had a variety of activities - the weather was good enough to play ultimate frisbee, football, and volleyball. I really wish someone would post pics of that time. I would love to see them.
Another matter that I really enjoyed, was the singing and the exercise of our entire being - body, soul, and spirit - to enjoy the Lord and love the Lord (Mark 12:30)..
And I heard some rumors, that there could be another Kankakee some time this academic year. Awesome!
The topic of this time was the Lord's recovery of His Building.
Here's a tidbit of what I enjoyed - Our hearts can be very complex, because our living is very complex, and some times (or rather most of the times) our complex living causes us to lose sight of why we are really here on earth. I have somehow entered that kind of condition, and this weekend was very timely in bringing me back. Did you know that our God is a homeless God? Isaiah 66:1 says "Thus says Jehovah, Heaven is My throne, And the earth the footstool for My feet. Where then is the house that you will build for Me, And where is the place of My rest?" Isn't this striking? Even the lowest king on earth probably had a throne and a footstool. He probably also had a house where he can rest and dwell. But God Himself, the greatest and the highest One in the universe, asks, "Where is the place of My rest?"
What the Lord is after today is His house, His dwelling place. Speaking of a house, what is a house exactly? It's not just a rectangular formation of bricks that surround a space that contains your bed, your desk, your fridge, and your furniture. In fact, it's a place where you can throw up your feet on the couch and nobody can say anything. It's a place where you can have your bed upside down, and nobody cares. It's a place where you can be you. It's a place that expresses who you are. So, when we say that God is looking for His house, we are likewise saying that God is looking for a place where He can have the final say in the arrangements to fully express who He is.
So, what is His house? Christians throughout the centuries have had this desire to build something for God. King David is referred to by the Psalmists in Psalm 132 "How he swore to Jehovah and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob: I shall not go into the tent of my house; I shall not go up onto the couch of my bed; I shall not give sleep to my eyes, slumber to my eyelids; Until I find a place for Jehovah." What a sweet prayer. I was very touched by this verse, and a song that was written from this verse that we sang during the time:
- Recall how David swore,
"I'll not come into my house,
Nor go up to my bed,
Give slumber to mine eyelids,
Until I find a place for Thee,
A place, O Lord, for Thee."
Our mighty God desires a home
Where all His own may come. - How blinded we have been,
Shut in with what concerns us;
While God's house lieth waste—
Lord, break through, overturn us;
We'll go up to the mountain,
Bring wood and build the house;
We'll never say, "Another day!"
It's time! We'll come and build! - O Lord, against these days,
Inspire some for Your building,
Just as in Ezra's day—
A remnant who are willing
To come and work in Your house,
Oh, what a blessed charge!
Your heart's desire, is our desire—
We come, O Lord, to build. - Within those whom You'd call
Put such a restless caring
For building to give all—
These times are for preparing;
The gates of hell cannot prevail
Against the builded Church!
The hours are few, the builders too—
Lord, build, O build in us!
(Repeat the last four lines)
Anyhow, as I was saying, Christians throughout the centuries have been wanting to build a house for God, and in good intention, built beautiful cathedrals that tower above the skies with jaw-dropping features and stained-glass. But is that really God's house? Isaiah 66:2 says "But this kind of man will I look, to him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word."
What God is after today is not a physical building, but man. In fact, Ephesians 3:17 says "That Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith." God, who is homeless, is knocking in the door of my heart, asking for us to let him in. What is our heart? You can say that our heart is composed of our conscience, mind, emotion, and will. Our mind, emotion, and will are the faculties of man's soul that expresses man. Man thinks about something, loves that something, and chooses to do that something. Well, does God have the final say in your thoughts, feelings, and intentions?
To be honest, I was very much exposed how much I'm consider just myself, myself, myself, and become too busy to think about God's need, God's longing, and God's purpose. Well, I guess to kind of cap off the topic, I just want to repeat some practical application points some of the brothers shared:
To start off, here is a principle - the amount of heart-space a particular person of thing occupies, hinges upon the time spent on that particular person/thing. If you spend time playing, thinking, talking about basketball, your heart is full of basketball. I was encouraged and reminded, this last weekend, that I need to spend time with God!
Here are some practical ways you can give God more space in your heart: (1) consider your ways - confess your sins. You know, David had a heart to build a temple for God, but he wasn't able to build it. It was his son, Solomon, who became the one to build the temple. Do you know how Solomon came about? Here's the divine equation: man's transgression + man's repentance + God's forgiveness = Solomon, who built the temple. Nothing of ourselves can build God's house. (2) spend time in the Word! The word is where God resides, and you are sure to find Him there! After the children of Israel returned from captivity in Babylon, they needed a reconstitution of the Babylonian mindset, culture, tastebuds, and living. Ezra, a scribe that was skillful with the Word of God, was able to lead such a recovery in constitution.
Anyhow, we not only listened to brothers sharing, but also had a variety of activities - the weather was good enough to play ultimate frisbee, football, and volleyball. I really wish someone would post pics of that time. I would love to see them.
Another matter that I really enjoyed, was the singing and the exercise of our entire being - body, soul, and spirit - to enjoy the Lord and love the Lord (Mark 12:30)..
And I heard some rumors, that there could be another Kankakee some time this academic year. Awesome!
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