Surpassing Righteousness

Matthew 5:17-20 serves as an introduction of Jesus' sermon as he begins to break down all the misconceptions the people had with God's laws. However, even today we tend to get so caught up trying to follow our discipline that we sometimes forget why we are even doing it.

If spiritual discipline is defined as acts we take as Christians then we can view legalism as spiritual discipline gone awry. Jesus heavily criticized the Pharisees for taking God's laws and skewing them into something cold and rigid. Just like the Pharisees back in the day, we also tend to forget the heart of the law. When it comes to our daily walk with God, there are three things to keep in mind when it comes to our spiritual discipline.

1. Purpose - There should only be one purpose in your heart, and that is to know God. There is no other purpose. The moment you begin to forget this is the moment you begin to distort it
2. Practice - There is no discipline if there is no commitment. Your words will not define who you are, it will always be your actions. It is a way for you to live your life.
3. Pitfalls - Ultimately it is the danger of distortion. Don't get so caught up with following spiritual discipline that you forget why you are doing it. Because once you follow that path, you will find yourself in the presence of pride. Things like bible study, QT, going to church, etc. should be a means to God, not an ends to a mean. Think of a nice long drive way in front of a beautiful mansion. The purpose of the driveway is to lead us to the nice house, it can never be the point of the house. In other words, just because you do QT everyday, spend hours reading the bible, it does not make you better then someone who doesn't. You should be doing all this because your love for God.

After all, God loved us long before we even knew him. No matter what we do he will continue to love us, because his love is everlasting and never changes.

--from Nakwon EM August 26th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Did you enjoy ice skating?

We are called to Live for God

1 Peter 4:7-11 begins with "The end of all things are near." What an ominous phrase, but we've all heard it before. The idea that all things in this world are temporary is an idea that we, as Christians, have understood since day 1. However, what most people to fail to realize is that the end isn't a reference to some unknown point in the future, the end is now. We are living in end times. The point of this phrase isn't to scare us by prophesying some apocalyptic end, but rather it is to help us understand the present time. How often are we so caught up in our own busy life that we don't' have enough time to be sensitive to God. Maybe some of us are so caught up in our own ministries that we can not see beyond our church walls. How much time do you set aside a day to read the bible? Often times we get so trapped in our worldly lives, that we fail to truly live for God.

So then what can we do to correct this? In 1 Peter 4 v7, the first thing Peter tells us to is to clear our minds to pray. Will you be ready when you come face-to-face with your maker? If not how can you be ready? The answer is prayer. Prayer is everything! The second thing Peter mentions is love (v8). We are called to love one another and our enemies. The Lord gave up his one and only son to redeem us and showed us what it means to love. Can you show the same kind of love to your enemies? Finally, the last thing Peter mentions is to serve. We are called to by God to help further his kingdom. However, the greatest thing is that he provides us to strength to carry out his will. It is only through is great strength and grace that we are able to accomplish.

--from Nakwon EM August 19th 2007 Sunday Worship Service

Thank god for nerds

satisfaction

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." - John Piper

I Challenge You (dun dun dun~)

Hello my lovely brothers & sisters in EM =)

I just wanted to post a few verses from my QT this morning~
I was contemplating on whether I should post this or not, but... whatever. I chose to post it. :P
I know it's kind of long~ but, just read it~ unless you have something better to do ;)

*******
Isaiah 54:2-8

2 "Enlarge the place of your tent,
stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords,
strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations
and settle in their desolate cities.

4 "Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame.
Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated.
You will forget the shame of your youth
and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood.

5 For your Maker is your husband—
the LORD Almighty is his name—
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer;
he is called the God of all the earth.

6 The LORD will call you back
as if you were a wife deserted and distressed in spirit—
a wife who married young,
only to be rejected," says your God.

7 "For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with deep compassion I will bring you back.

8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face from you for a moment,
but with everlasting kindness
I will have compassion on you,"
says the LORD your Redeemer.

*******

In verse 2, the prophet Isaiah is using the illustration of a tent. He was telling the Jews to enlarge the place of their tents, stretch their curtains, etc. as a challenge to act in faith & to depend on God's promises only.

In verses 4-8 Judah is being viewed as a wife judicially separated from her Husband, God, because of her sin. But, because God had such an intimate relationship with his people, he never ceased to love them. AND- even though they were in exile for many many years, God's compassion for Judah just seemed like a fleeting "moment".

SO--- basically, I just wanted to challenge you guys by saying, "TRUST IN GOD!!" Trusting in God IS a challenge sometimes... but I urge you to take a step of faith. ACTUALLY, I urge you to take MANY steps of faith & lean on God's promises.

Like verse 4 says, "do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more..." God has taken all that shame from us forever~ no matter what we've done. He said, "...with deep compassion I will bring you back..." & "...with everlasting kindness I will have compassion on you..."

So, yea!!! Don't forget how much God LOVES YOU!!! <3

As an EM (or- as Christians~), I pray that we can see each person as God sees them AND that we can show compassion towards one another as God has given us.

Like William Carey said,

"EXPECT GREAT THINGS FROM GOD
ATTEMPT GREAT THINGS FOR GOD"

I love you guys a LOT... SOOOOO very very much <3
LET'S DO THIS!

Responding to Trials

"Untried faith is unreliable faith"
- Charles Stanley

1 Peter 1:3-9 talks about the purpose and necessity of trials in our life. Much like temptations, trials are inevitable in our life. It is also a measuring stick by which we can gauge the degree of our faith.

1. Purpose of trials
   The first step is to purify us. In 1 Peter 1:7, an analogy is made between our trials and the process of refining gold. We are that piece of impure ore that is constantly thrown into the furnace of trials, and little by little our impurities begins to strip away until all that's left is the beautiful shiny piece of gold. For the Lord will purify us of our sinful nature, but he will also prepare us for our calling in life. Sometimes the Lord will call upon you to give up something other don't have to. Will you be able to let go?
2. Process of trials
   God designs our trials to discipline us. Furthermore each trial has been specifically tailored to you. We are all in different points in our spiritual walk with God, so it's only obvious that God's trials will not always be the same for everyone. The key thing to understand that despite the hardship of our trials, this is not a punishment. It is discipline.
3. Product of Trials
   Ultimately in the end it all boils down to devotion and demonstration. The harder your trials are the greater your faith will grow. Each time you overcome your trials you will grow stronger, but how will you react the next time you are faced with a burden in your life?

How does God measure our faith? God measures your growth by the way you respond to your trials. Will you have the strength to trust that God is in control? Do you have faith to believe he will deliver you from your hardships no matter how impossible it might be? Because when you overcome your trials you will be stronger, but what about your faith?

--from Nakwon EM August 12th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Don't run with baby skunks!

Temptation in my life

Temptation looks so good and feels so right when it comes...
There are certain things I just couldn't let go for a long time. Maybe still am?! And I knew it has to be changed and got to do something about it because afterwards as a result i was dead...I mean dead dead. And i didn't like it and hate it so much. I didn't know what to do about it anymore and whom to ask because I've tried so many "my" ways to fix it. There was just Satan over me and my soul.

"Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."---Well, my sin was giving birth to a double, triple death as I've felt...
Ever since I've decided to give my life to God ( after came to EM), everything has been changed!
I think everyone knows how it feels like when the Holy Spirit guides us and God shows to us His Grace , Mercy and Love that nobody can't.
Every time I'd sin or when there is a temptation, Holy Spirit starts telling me that I shouldn't have done that or reminds me I belong to God not Satan. But at the same time, in my mind like - "I've been a "good person" for so long and if i do that "a little bit", there will be no harm because I know how to control myself more than ever. Hey, you know what, I've been changed...! "
Once I started, then I was no longer under control and even it became worse. I couldn't get up and stand up in front of God. But there was no judgement of God, just "Love" after love pour out through EM and that's what make me understand He has already won the war for me.
One thing i'm so sure is that no matter how many times i'll fail God's love for me will never change.

This time I stood up once again but stronger than ever!

Overcoming Temptation

Where there is no temptation there can be little claim to virtue."

James 1:13-15 speaks about the nature of temptation and where it comes from. It begins to reveal the power of temptation and ultimately where it will lead you.

So we begin with...

1. Source of Temptation
   myth : to be strongly tempted means as if we have actually committed sin
   We are sinful creatures by nature. God does not tempt us, the desire to sin is already in us. V.14 reveals that "but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." It all starts with that small desire in our hearts. Have you ever told a white lie? Do have inconsistencies in you life? Do you indulge in acts you know are wrong? What starts off as a harmless desire will give eventually give way to sin. v.15 spells it out very clearly. "Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." That desire is a gateway which will lead you to sin, and ultimately that sin will lead you to your spiritual death.
2. Power of Temptation
   myth : you can overcome temptation by separation from it
   Do not underestimate the power of temptation. Furthermore, do not be naive to believe you can remove yourself from it. No matter where you go, there will always be temptation. The key isn't to avoid it, the point is to overcome it. When you take a bird's eye view of a river, you'll notice it never follows a straight path. It always weaves around different bends and looks all crooked. This is because as a stream of water encounters an obstacle, it will go around it. It will follow the path of least resistance. This analogy holds true for us. If we follow the path of least resistance, we ourselves will become crooked.
3. Deliverance
   myth: When I am spirituallymature, I will no longer be bothered by temptation
   (a) Believe the truth (John 16:33) - The bad news is that in this world you will always have trouble. The good news is that God has already won the war for you. Do you believe in the power of Jesus' blood?
   (b) Accept God's Grace (Philippians 1:6) - You are not fighting this war alone. If you try to overcome temptation on your own you will ultimately fail. It is only through God's grace that we have the strength to overcome impossible obstacles. All we have to do is accept it.
   (c) Actively avoid sin (Romans 13:14) - Are you desensitized by the sins of the world? Does it no longer bother you when you turn on the TV and it's littered with violence? How much time do you spend for God compared to the amount of time you indulge yourself in temptation?
   (d) Live by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-18) - "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not bound by the law"
   (e) Judge Not (Romans 2:1) - Don't be so quick to judge others as they struggle through their battles with temptation. You don't know how hard it is for them. You don't know how hard they are being attacked, and ultimately who's to say you won't react the same way if you were placed under the same situation.

No matter where we are in our spiritual walk, we all live temptation. Know the source or your temptation, don't underestimate the power it can have over you and most importantly believe that God will deliver you from it.

--from Nakwon EM August 5th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

When buying a house avoid the nails.

~Faith~

Sanctification: Moment-By-Moment Obedience was one of the powerful message to me as i was struggling with a lot of things in my life.

We come to church because of the faith but there is a question that "how much faith do we have in our Savour who set us free?".

I've seen Jesus was walking on water to came to save me in the storm when i was so afraid that i couldn't even recognize Him. Sometimes I even recognize Him, I'd say " I know this can't be a ghost or human, It's Him, Jesus Christ alone because nobody can't do this but let me stay in the boat until the storm will calm down for now." But God told me through this message, " Believe in Me, trust Me!!! If you have a faith, step out from the boat and just walk towards me; you will not be shaken."

I really want to able to step out from the boat and walk on the water, looking at Jesus' eyes. I know what I'll see;-It'll be so much love, peace and joy in His eyes...If i have a lttle faith.

renewed in the Anointing

Message by Pastor Claude Houde in Times Square Church on July 31, 2007:

3 Principles for Renewal in the Anointing:

You are renewed in the Anointing, when you...

1. Commit to His Promises
2. Confess in His Presence
3. Confident in His Power

You can go into TSC website (see side bar under "Soul Food") and listen to sermon dated 31-July 2007 entitled "Renewed in the Anointing" by Pastor Claude Houde.