Sorry guys, It's been a while since i've posted so I'll make sure to make this one long :) Finals are FINALLY OVERRRRRRR and now I can kick back and enjoy the luxury of getting more than 5 hours of sleep a night!
Jim Elliot, a missionary martyred while evangelizing in Ecuador, once wrote, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." He was speaking of worldly wealth in exchange for eternal life. All of us know that all things which we posses in this world will one day return to rubble, so why do we hold so tightly to the material assets that seldom satisfy? In a culture driven by idols and expensive toys, it should be to no surprise that we get bored so quickly of the things we currently possess. How many of us have gone even a year without buying a new cell phone, gadget, or clothes? (Lord knows we can easily suffice a single year without them)
Jesus clearly states, "And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings." -Luke 16:9
Tis the season of giving, and what better time to pour out all that God has given us unto others? By storing the resources and 'unrighteous wealth' which the Lord has placed in our hands and using it for ourselves we are essentially stealing from our Father. Instead may we make this Christmas season one of charity and generosity. Let us prepare and practice giving what was never ours to those who need it most and ultimately, like Jim, giving up our lives for the sake of anothers salvation. Our seat is secured, may we prepare chairs for others...
Submerged in His mercy, drowned by His grace...
-Hoon
Friday, December 18, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Grand Theft Apparel
It is 4:31 in the am I do declaya. Back from work and I'm late night bloggin. Theres something about typing my thoughts that just doesn't cut it as much as handwriting. Wow I am just realizing as I speak, why they called it Language Arts in elementary and middle school. Anyhow, yesterday the most unfortunate of events occured, someone broke into my car! Now if one were to assess the situation justly for what it was, I guess they could really say someone opened my door and stole some stuff. This is because I made the careless mistake of leaving my car unlocked. Luckily, by the grace of God, all that was stolen were the clothes in my car nothing else. But I was still bewildered at how they got into my car when I was nearly positive i locked it! So whats this got to do with Jesus?
When I realized my clothes were missing I was more confused than upset but by the time I got home I was laughing with joy. As I opened my bible and continued reading in the gospel of Matthew, I reached the point where Pontius is telling his men to "lock" the tomb. 'Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard' (Matthew 27:65-66). It was almost as if he knew something fishy was about to go down and wanted reassurance that the "King of the Jews" was dead fo sho, buried, and wasn't leavin anytime soon.
Right after reading that verse it hit me! I shared a similar experience as those of Pilate's guards, the only difference is that instead of returning to a car with an empty back seat where once was my clothes, they returned to an empty tomb where once laid Christ Jesus! Death has been conquered and the Saviour has risen! The irony of the situation in hand with this verse and the Lord's awesome sense of humor changed my stressful night into one of rejoicing. Oh what power contained in the triumphs of Jesus! "While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:52-53)
Faithfully we await The Day...
Submerged in His mercy, drowned by His grace...
-Hoon
When I realized my clothes were missing I was more confused than upset but by the time I got home I was laughing with joy. As I opened my bible and continued reading in the gospel of Matthew, I reached the point where Pontius is telling his men to "lock" the tomb. 'Pilate said to them, "You have a guard of soldiers. Go make it as secure as you can." So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard' (Matthew 27:65-66). It was almost as if he knew something fishy was about to go down and wanted reassurance that the "King of the Jews" was dead fo sho, buried, and wasn't leavin anytime soon.
Right after reading that verse it hit me! I shared a similar experience as those of Pilate's guards, the only difference is that instead of returning to a car with an empty back seat where once was my clothes, they returned to an empty tomb where once laid Christ Jesus! Death has been conquered and the Saviour has risen! The irony of the situation in hand with this verse and the Lord's awesome sense of humor changed my stressful night into one of rejoicing. Oh what power contained in the triumphs of Jesus! "While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:52-53)
Faithfully we await The Day...
Submerged in His mercy, drowned by His grace...
-Hoon
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Soul Food
As finals week is underway, crunchtime approaches and I am finding myself stacked with loads of stuff to get done but no time to do it. This for me is obviously an excuse seeing as how even when I set aside time to study, I don't. I spend most of my day at school and find plenty of time for leisure inbetween classes. I jet to work and return home beat. I long for a rest yet salvage just enough energy to get on the computer and compose a few emails along with this blog. After a moments reflection I'm astounded when I realize how much precious time I really have and the amount of that time I waste. That stack of work slowly becomes a pile of excuses that I seldom bring myself to realize.
This is sin! And beyond academics, I shove my necessity for the word of God to the bottom of my 'to do list.' "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. " (Matthew 4:4) Just as Jesus was tempted, I too could not escape those places where the devil loves to linger! With every excuse I flirted with satan to use my laziness as a means of seperation from God, when all I needed were the revitalzing words of a faithful Saviour.
Just three days ago I was uttering the words of a psalmist "As the deer pants for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1) Yet today at work I found myself joining in conversations with non-believers, joking about things that I knew weren't glorifying or even the least bit pleasing to God. It makes me realize that much more, how desperate our souls require God's unfailing word. Each morning he fills our cups with grace anew, only to be poured out and filled again. There is no greymatter with sin. Where Jesus is not, sin is present fully; and until we realize this our lives as redeemed Christians are unsustainable. May His blood and mercy continue to cover our wrongs as we strive to become the Christ-like beings we were made to be.
Submerged in His mercy, drowned by His grace...
-Hoon
This is sin! And beyond academics, I shove my necessity for the word of God to the bottom of my 'to do list.' "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. " (Matthew 4:4) Just as Jesus was tempted, I too could not escape those places where the devil loves to linger! With every excuse I flirted with satan to use my laziness as a means of seperation from God, when all I needed were the revitalzing words of a faithful Saviour.
Just three days ago I was uttering the words of a psalmist "As the deer pants for You, O God." (Psalm 42:1) Yet today at work I found myself joining in conversations with non-believers, joking about things that I knew weren't glorifying or even the least bit pleasing to God. It makes me realize that much more, how desperate our souls require God's unfailing word. Each morning he fills our cups with grace anew, only to be poured out and filled again. There is no greymatter with sin. Where Jesus is not, sin is present fully; and until we realize this our lives as redeemed Christians are unsustainable. May His blood and mercy continue to cover our wrongs as we strive to become the Christ-like beings we were made to be.
Submerged in His mercy, drowned by His grace...
-Hoon
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