Luke 12:11-12 the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say

Jesus's words of encouragement to the disciples in times of persecution extends far beyond interrogation from authority or rulers. Sometimes the harshest persecution comes from those we love like relatives and friends. In my own extended family, persecution comes in forms of one sentence remarks such as, "you guys do your prayer thing", "no, no, don't get me involved with that church stuff, I don't believe in anything but myself", or "I don't want to go to church because christians all try to ask for money". However, I don't blame them and i see why they would think that way. Christians are humans too and are not exempt from mistakes.

I was told today that my aunt was thinking about hiring someone to get rid of the evil spirits that are in the house or that have come upon my guy cousin. They believe this is the case because he refused to attend his sister's wedding and said that he he doesn't want to see people. i see this as God opening the doors for spreading the Gospel and may the holy spirit speak when that time comes.

Luke 5:10 Fishers of Men

In the gospels, Jesus rounds up his disciples, two fishermen, Simon Peter and brother Andrew, and tells them they will now be "fishers of men" or in Luke, they will now "catch men". Over the weekend one of the Bible study groups at the retreat made a skit about the "Fishers of men". It was beautifully put together. However, the sad truth is that not all fishes will be reeled in. There will be fishes that are pulled in on the hook or by net, and there will be those who just get away. But what good fisherman gives up? Simon says to Jesus, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything." The gospels never said spreading the Word will be easy, in fact, Jesus warns that those who do try will get hated on. However, Jesus has promised to always be with us and we will not have to do it on our own. Simon continues, "But because you say so, I will let down the nets." Then what happens? Sure enough, "when they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break...and filled the boats so full that they began to sink".

John 14 "Reaching Up, Reaching In, Reaching Out"

Happy 4th of July! This past weekend we joined two other churches in a retreat with the theme "Reaching Up, Reaching In, Reaching Out". God has revealed so much to me over this weekend and has given me such comfort and encouragement to serve Him.

Reaching Up

Lifting my hand to God and admitting that I need Him. Let God take control of my life. However, it is because God reach down to us first that we can "reach up" to Him in the first place. Because of Jesus Christ, because of His grace, which we do not deserve because of our sinful nature, we may once again come back to Him.

Reaching In

"We all need to grow and we need to help each other grow" (Pastor Paul Tracy). "Reaching in" is about personal spiritual growth that comes with dependence on God and encouragement from fellow brothers and sisters in a church community. We learn to love each other in the church and create unity when we focus on serving God. This will start to cause a change in all of our lives... for the better.

Reaching Out

Sharing how good God has been in our lives to people around us. Jesus said that we must do this as Christians and we will do it bigger than He did. We do not need to be afraid to invite people to know Christ because He will be with us when we do and all we have to do is ask.

In John 14 Jesus says, "If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you...Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Whether it's reaching up, in, or out, God will always be there. It's really a vicious cycle that all Christians must learn to go through. A Christian that's not growing is like a seed that does not sprout or produce fruit - basically useless. God doesn't want us to be useless; He wants us to serve in His kingdom but He doesn't expect us to do it alone. What god can provide such peace and security like Jesus Christ can?

Dear God, I pray that you guide all of the ministries at church and you guide all of the members. Help us all to grow, help us to be like the seed that fell into good soil that bears good fruit and multiplies. Lord, help us to remain in you as you remain in us. Let us learn to reach up to you with all of our troubles, worries, and sins. Help us to reach in to our church and build each other up. Help us to encourage and love one another. Lastly Lord I pray you teach us how to reach out to those that we care most about and not be afraid. Help us to see where you need us to serve and speak for us when we are speechless. Help us to love you more and more each day. Thank you for your grace and mercy altho we are so unworthy. Amen.

Mark 12:41-44 The Widow's Offering - Put in Our 2 Cu Coins

While reading this scripture today, I almost broke into tears. I was feeling compassionate for the widow and gratefulness to God all at the same time. These verses talk about a widow who offered two small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny, to the temple treasury. All of the other people who offered offered out of their wealth while she offered from her poverty. Which is more difficult? To offer what's in excess or offer what's not?

It seems that nowadays, everyone is so brought up with critical thinking that every decision to be made must be thought through in detail. The pros and cons must be weighed out before taking action so that the gain is optimal and loss is minimal. I am one of those included in this group of highly trained logical people. However, is that what God wants me to be? Wisdom doesn't come from our own endless discussion with ourselves, it comes from God. So when God asks me to do something, shouldn't I trust in Him and just do it even if it means sacrificing something what I love? This past Sunday, U.R. gave a sermon on God's request for Abraham to sacrifice the son that he waited so long to have. Did Abraham question God at all? No. Did he feel sad, yah. What father in their right mind wouldn't? Right at the moment before Abraham was going to strike his son, God sent his angels to stop him. Abraham was willing to offer his beloved son to the Lord the same way the widow was willing to offer what little she had to God. What ends up happening to Abraham? God blesses him to become the father of all nations.

A couple weeks ago, we invited the teenagers of our church to join in on the summer mission trip. They were all extremely excited but devastated because their summer youth retreat overlapped the mission trip dates. They were in a situation where they had to choose which one to go to. In the end, the ones who were planning on going to the youth retreat, ended up choosing to go on the mission trip instead. I found that it was very admirable and inspiring of them to choose to join the mission trip to do God's work rather than go on the youth retreat to enjoy themselves. This past Sunday, during our mission trip meeting, one of the girls told me that the retreat date has been changed to begin the day we come back from the mission trip. PRAISE THE LORD! This is how God works things out. I'm sure the choice that the teenagers made to give up the retreat was not easy and who would've known the date would be changed so that they may attend both?

"I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything - all she had to live on." Lord, let me learn to put in my two coins every time for You and see that You will fulfill your promises.

Mark 10:6-9

Today is Winfred and Eva's wedding ceremony and thank God it's a beautiful Saturday morning. Last night, many brothers and sisters went to church to help organize the social hall, decorate the sanctuary, prepare the favors, prep food, and rehearse for the wedding. Witnessing all of that made me realize just how beautiful and flawless God's creations are. I'm not talking about the people that helped out or the rehearsal (though all was just wonderful), I'm referring to the beginning of the creation of mankind. God made male and female, and two are joined to be one flesh. The unity of a male and female together to form one life and to start new lives together is the most perfect idea, most perfect creation, most perfect planning ever.

It's incredibly sad to the see the perversion of marriage that's happening all over the world. I guess I can be referred to as "old fashion" about marriage but I don't think it's that at all. It's about preserving what God meant it to be and giving the authority to He who established it. Like Jesus said in Mark 10:5, "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law" that allowed for divorce and along the same line, the reason why there are laws today being passed to redefine the original definition and origin of marriage.

Seeing Eva and Winfred marriage is the portrayal of God's almighty power in joining two lives together. God, I pray that your power rule over the this earth. I pray that we will all come back to you and turn away from the evil that perverts your original and perfect definition of marriage so that our next generations may be lead in the right direction. Lord, what you have joined together, let man not separate. Amen.

Mark 6:17-23 You are What You Eat?

Many people that I know still keep the tradition of not eating what was written in the Torah to be "unclean". In the gospels, Jesus makes it clear that nothing that enters the body can make a person "unclean" but rather what comes out of a person from within, thoughts and actions, that defines a person's "uncleanliness". That's because nothing a person eats will go through the heart; it goes through the stomach and out of the body. The first time I heard this, my mind was so blasted. I felt so enlightened after reading this scripture. How sad that so much time is spent arguing what's "clean" and "unclean" when it's so clear what the Gospels say. That being said, that was not the main message i received from the verses.

During one of my Sunday classes, one of the youths said to me that they're the type of person who doesn't react immediately when someone says or does something mean to them. Rather, they scheme and think of the worst way to get someone back. I guess it's passive aggressive for a lack of a better term. When he told me this i started to think about when I was his age. My temper was quick, my strength was unknown to me, and my insides were filled with anger all the time. Growing up, I'm sure i was a nightmare to my family. I made my sister cry every single day at least twice. I said plenty of very hurtful and dishonorable things to my parents that probably made my grandfather turn over in his grave a couple times. I'm really an ugly person - very ugly and "unclean" person. However, Mark 6:17-23, and other verses, keeps calling me to reassess the person that I am. Just in this last year alone God has reminded me multiple times to watch out for things I say, how I say it, and the things I do. It's not what goes in my mouth that makes me "unclean", it's what comes out.

Some of these people I know who still keep this tradition are a combination of beliefs - Jewish, some Muslim, and even some Christians of some denomination. Of course if you don't believe Jesus is the Son of God, you wouldn't take into consideration what Jesus had said. But even if it wasn't said by Jesus, doesn't it logically makes sense? I have nothing against someone who doesn't eat "unclean" foods, I even try my best to accommodate them when cooking. I guess pertaining to chemical balance, "you are what you eat" but a person could eat all the most expensive, non-pesticide infested, naturally fertilized, non-synthetic, unmodified deliciousness on earth but that will never make a person "clean".

Mark 1:29-31 - "...she began to wait on them"

I have always been very close to Grandma as she raised me when I was younger. My very first memories were of her and my grandpa in our tiny two-bed-one-bath, stone tiled apartment on the third floor of a four floored building in a beautiful gated area made for athletes and those who worked at the gymnasium. Coming back to the US was very difficult because I had to leave them and live with parents and a sister that just seemed to appear out of no where. Little did I know I would go to school and come to know Christ. I accepted Jesus when I was in the third grade and tried very hard to convince my parents to accept Jesus. I waited and prayed for 15 years before it happened but God's timing really is the very best. The story of my parents coming to know Christ is incredible and the arrangements of events on how it happened is worth another post all of its own. My parents coming to know Christ showed me how much God is working and how much He loves and listens to his little ones.

Now, I pray that God will bring my grandmas to know Him. Last Sunday we visited our grandma on a rather calm afternoon. Unexpectedly, my sister pulls out this new flip book thing we got and started sharing the message of the gospel with my grandma. Historically, my grandma gets very defensive when we mention the Bible or God. She usually shuns the moment. She was raised under a communist government so I can understand her confidence in the belief that everything that she goes through is a product of her own achievements. However, this time it was different. Grandma thanks my sister for sharing with her and said, "I will know in my heart, ok?".

Like Mary, Simon's mother-in-law, I have seen the way Jesus works when we have faith in Him.

So I wait like she does. I wait on Jesus for His perfect timing. I wait on Him to soften Grandma's heart and I wait for the moment He calls me to do His work.