Why Faith

The concept of faith is one of the core principles of Christianity, but what exactly is faith? Furthermore, why does God use faith to prepare his children? Hebrews 11:1-2 describes faith as "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:13-16 goes on to further describe four principles of faith.

1. Faith endures to the end - In the beginning when we first come to know God, God will answer your prayers right away. It will seem everything is going your way, but as we get closer to God, it will feel like God is answering us less and less frequently. It is not because God has forgotten us or is mad at us. It is because we have become more spiritually mature. God strengthen and refines us with our trials. Just like a mother displaying her love for her infant child by nurturing to their every need, the same mother will demonstrate her love by demanding discipline and resolve as the child gets older.
2. Faith envisions beyond here and now - Your faith must give you hope beyond our worldly existence. If you faith lingers only from moment-to-moment you will never grow spiritually. Do you live with the hope of eternity in you heart?
3. Faith eliminates all doubts and obstacle - God makes it so easy to reject him. He will never force you to listen to him. He will never give up on you, but he will never barge his way into you life demanding you give up everything for him. Yet if you find yourself always thinking about the all the stuff you gave up before you met God, then it will become inevitable that you will return to it. It is only when you make the resolve to leave it behind, is when that door closes behind you so you can move on.
4. Faith exalts God - Is God ashamed of your lack of faith? Just as much as God can be please by your faith, he is just as easily ashamed by your lack of faith. In the moment of truth when you come face-to-face with trials, God can either be pleased by your trust in him, or disappointed by your lack of faith in Him.

After all when we begin to doubt, we are really doubting God.

--from Nakwon EM September 30th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Get in the wheel barrow.... NOW!!

To Zaya,

I just wanted to tell you that your testimony has given strength to everyone from someone like me, who struggles day to day with his faith, all the way up to our Song JDSN. Maybe this was God's way of helping EM. I don't know, and honestly I'm not writing this to preach to you (that's best left to the pros like Song JDSN =P). I just wanted to tell you that our prayers and tears are with you and that we'll all be here waiting for you with open arms when you come back. Oh and we'll make sure James keeps his "wormy" apples away from you. =)

-Ray

The Power of Prayers

"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. Matthew 20:21-23

When I was listening to "Obedience, then Desert?" message, I prayed that "God please let me give you everything that I have; my life, hope, future and my family! And I want to go to the desert if I have obeyed You. I want to give up every precious thing I've ever had. I want my faith to be growing in You more and quickly."
Then I got this the most devastating phone call from my family that my little sister run away from home with a six months old pregnant.
She was the most precious gift I have ever had. I thought I was so ready for the desert and can walk with God. But i just didn't know what I was asking for and it could have been her to give up. I was just in an unexpressable pain. It wasn't something that I was willing to give up the money, possession, dreams, friends, school, job, and time for God.
The sun wasn't shining upon anymore, the food wasn't tasteful, sound wasn't clear, every color turned to gray and black, the world wasn't meaningful, the school wasn't important, work wasn't that serious and there was just absolute SILENCE and DRYness and PAIN.
I realized that how my every promise to God was empty.

I prayed that if God won't bring her back to home by tonight I was going to give up my faith and everything else no matter what. God has brought her back that night.
Through all of your prayers I was able to think of the light in my darkest days-though two of my sisters are in jail and my mom and family is falling down.

God answers and hears EVERY prayers. I think of Jesus, Job and Elijah and now waiting for the next. I found an Undying Hope within me even if I was dead...For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in You, whose thoughts are fixed on You." Isaiah 26:3

Obedience, then Desert?

Why do trials and hardships come to those who obey God? After all, aren't we taught that if we obey God then everything will be OK?. However, if you study many of the characters in the bible, you'll see that those that obey God are often driven to hardships. We will look at four characters and see how God has placed them in impossible hardships even after their great obedience.

1. Jesus (God will lead you to trials after you received a great calling) - This was especially true for our Lord, Jesus. In Matthew 3:16 we see Jesus being baptized as the heavens themselves parting to shine their glory upon Jesus. Jesus received a great calling and then in chapter 4 we see Jesus being immediately led to the desert where he would spend 40 days being tempted by Satan.
2. Job (God will lead you to trials after great Godliness) - Job was the picture of a man walking in Godliness. In Job 1:1 he is described as a man who "was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." Yet in verse 8 we begin to see Satan systematicallyy pick apart Job's life. In an instant he loses his wealth, his family and ultimately his health.
3. Elijah (God will lead you to great trials after a great victory) - In 1Kings 18 we see Elijah having a contest between him and the prophets of Baal. They begin a contest to see who can get their god to bring down fire from the heavens. After days of dancing and praying, the prophets of Baal failed to call down fire. Then Elijah begins to pray and suddenly "the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, "The LORD -he is God! The LORD -he is God!" Yet immediately after this great victory we see Elijah running away to Beersheba fearing for his life.
4. Paul the Apostle - In 2 Cor 12:1, Paul talks about how he received the greatest revelation a man can ever receive. Yet God struck with him a physical aliment to keep him from boasting about it. This aliment was so great that three times Paul pleaded with the Lord to take it away from him.

So then why does God do this to us? The answer can be summed up in two words. To purify and to perfect.

1. God wants to purify and perfect our vision because it can not be achieved with your own strength.
2. God wants to purify and perfect our faith. Even a great man like Job was eventually shaken in his faith. God wanted to purify his faith beyond what we think is righteous.
3. God wants to purify and perfect our spiritual maturity. People often mistake great spiritual moments with great emotion. Which is why after great religious experiences people are often proned to bouts of depression. However it's when we're at our lowest where it's the prefect moment to have communion with God. Use it to hear the voice of God.
4. God wants to purify and perfect your strength. Worshipping God has nothing to with your abilities or strength. Everything we achieve in our lifetime is by the Lords Grace, and it is through him our strength is perfected.

Paul sums it up the best in 2Cor 4:16-18. We should not lose heart in our day to day struggles. Even though our bodies will wither away in time, (16)" inwardly we are being renewed day by day." Because what might appear unfair or horribly unbearable is all (17a)"light and momentary troubles" in the light of an eternal perspective. No matter what your troubles may be, there is an (17b)"eternal glory that far outweighs them all." (18)"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."

--from Nakwon EM September 25th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Did anyone get past page 30?

Godly Living in an Ungodly World

Daniel 1:3-8 introduces us to Daniel and his friends as they are being groomed to be put into service for the king of Babylon. Daniel and his friends were thrusted into a new world where they were being forced to adopt new ideals and customs that went against their teachings in Judah. We live in a world where even though 80% of Americans claim to be Christian, our society rarely reflect the ideals of Christ. We are constantly bombarded with ideals and ethnics which slowly chip away at the very core of Christianity. Much like Daniel growing up in Babylon, we too often find ourselves struggling for godly living in an ungodly world. So how does one attain godly living in such an adverse environment?

It begins with discernment. Do you know what kind of world we live in? Does the gratuitous violent images in today's media no longer bother you? We live in a world where the idea of right and wrong has now become relative. Where something considered wrong and immoral for one person can considered acceptable for others. So how does one attain discernment? The answer is the bible.

The second characteristic of Godly living is determination. In v8 Daniel resolved not to taint himself with the royal food and wine which was used as an offering as an offering to false gods. There are three things to note about what Daniel did. First he committed without compromise. Daniel risked himself by refusing to the eat the food. Secondly he resolved with tact and wisdom. He didn't go barging into the chief officials courts demanding to have his food changed. He acted practical and plead his case with the chief official. Finally he acted with faith. He had faith that the Lord would deliver him.

Finally, godly living demonstrates results. If you live Godly, you will see the result. In v15-21 it states that at the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. Furthermore its states that God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. God blessed them with wisdom and surpassing knowledge and all began with his resolve to do what was right.

Living Godly is our world is never an easy thing to do. Peter mentions that those who want to live a Godly life will always be faced with persecution. However, if you have the faith and resolve to follow through, God will bless you in ways you can only begin to imagine. We are called to follow a higher path, will you have the resolve to follow?

--from Nakwon EM September 16th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

what?!! there's no hae-dup bap?!

Extravagant Devotion

Mark 14:3-9 tells a story of woman who took a bottle of perfume, worth over a year's wages, and selflessly poured it onto Jesus. In that single act of devotion Jesus acknowledged her and states that "wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." It is this extravagant act of devotion that moved Jesus so much that he went out of his way to make sure she is forever remembered in his gospel. It is also the only time in the bible where Jesus does this, but what exactly does it mean to have extravagant devotion?

1. Confronts lukewarm devotion - Verse 5 mentions how those present "rebuked her harshly" for wasting such expensive perfume. There will always be people who will criticize others for their acts devotion. What makes it even harder is the fact that often times it will be those people who believe who will criticize you the most. Love seems a waste to those who don't.
2. Costs what you cherish the most - Often times God will call to you to sacrifice that which you cherish the most. It can be your career, family, money, your abilities, etc. However, as hard it is to let go, God will never take without a reason. Always remember that whatever God takes from you, he will return it to you a thousand fold better. He will take a facet of your life and purify it. Do you have to faith to let go?
3. Conforms to the heart of Christ - In the last part of verse 3, it mentions that "she broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head." She could have easily have just opened the jar and poured the perfume out. After all this was no ordinary jar, this was a marble alabaster jar which, in itself, is worth a lot. Yet she held nothing back and gave everything without expecting anything in return. Do you give waiting for Jesus' return or for his return?
4. Counters self corruption - If you try to satisfy yourself with God's blessing, then it will ultimately corrupt you. God's grace is something which is given to you as an award. If your don't pour it back and try to hoard it for yourself, then in the end it will only make you bitter and selfish.

Extravagant devotion is not something that comes easy. By definition alone it means to go beyond. Will you live your life as a nominal Christian? Or will you actions move the heart of God?

--from Nakwon EM September 9th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

God accepts knee-mail ;)

Cure for the Great Sin

Philippians 2:1-11 talks about imitating Christ's humility, but for what purpose is there a necessity to do this? There is one sin greater than all the other sins. There is one sin that is said to be the root of all the other sins. This sin is so powerful that it made the devil the devil. This sin is called pride. Pride is something we all know about and live with. It is something that we despise to see in others but hard to see in ourselves and it is a sin that no one is safe from, now matter how "righteous" one claims to be.


There are three characteristics of pride

1. source - pride is the source of all our sins. Think back to any guilty thought or conscious sin you've committed. Most likely it can be traced back to some form of pride. Maybe you were mad at someone because you felt you were more deserving? Maybe you felt people weren't recognizing you? Or maybe you feel you are above everyone else? Whatever it is in the end it's a comes back to some form of pride.


2. competitive - pride by nature is competitive. It thrives on comparison. It is being proud of having more than the next person.


3. deceptive - Pride is such a subtle sin because it something entirely spiritual.

So how do we overcome pride?

1. Mind of Christ - v2 talks about "being like-minded" as Jesus and furthermore it mentions the word "joy." If you are so enveloped in pride you life will never be filled with joy.


2. Other-centered - Is your priorities the only the thing that's on your mind? Verse 3 mentions considering others better than yourself. There is nothing wrong having your own priorities but you make sure they are not your ONLY priorities.

Humility is not an option, it's a necessity . Jesus showed us the greatest humility. v7 mentions how a perfect and eternal God "made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness." If you are so busy looking down on others, then you'll have no time to look up to God.

--from Nakwon EM September 2nd 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Air-tight arguments