2014

Communal verse of 2014: Grace and Truth

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testifies concerning him. He cries out, saying, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'" From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him know. John 1:14-18

Personal verse of 2014: Purity

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Excerpt from

 "또 무엇을 하든지 말에나 일에나 다 주 예수의 이름으로 하고 그를 힘입어 하나님 아버지께 감사하라" 골로새서 3:17

하나님의 사람은 일생 동안 증명해야 할 것이 있습니다. 직업이 무엇이든 어떤 삶을 살든 상관없습니다. 돈이 많든 적든 상관없습니다. 하나님만 섬기고, 하나님만 사랑하고, 하나님만 높이는가를 증명해야 합니다. 하나님이 주신 힘과 능력을 자신의 안락함이나 돈과 명예를 좇는 데 사용한다면, 그는 하나님의 사람이 아닙니다. 불충한 종입니다. 

자기 힘과 능력을 과시하는 사람은 주의하십시오. 능력과 실력을 보이라는 사탄의 유혹에 넘어가기 쉽기 때문입니다. 힘과 능력은 사탄의 관심사입니다.
당신의 인생을 통해서 다른 것을 증명하려고 하지 마십시오. 살아 계신 하나님께 순종하는 것만 증명하십시오. 하나님 앞에서만 떨고, 하나님만 섬기며, 하나님 한 분만을 사랑하고, 하나님 한 분만을 기뻐하며, 하나님 한 분만을 드러내는 삶을 살 수 있도록 기도하십시오. 하나님을 수단으로 해서 자기 뜻을 이루는 자가 되지 않도록 자기 자신을 지키십시오. 

환난도 어려움도 하나님 안에서는 다 은혜입니다. 하나님이 당신을 순금같이 만드시는 중입니다. 아프면 아프다고 솔직하게 고백하십시오. 그리고 하나님을 바라보며 곧장 나아가십시오. 어두운 터널을 지나는 동안 당신을 빛을 얻게 될 것입니다. 빛의 자녀로서 살아가는 은혜를 덧입게 될 것입니다. 

[사랑한다, 독사의 자신들아] / 김남국

God of Peter, God of Sylvia

As I was packing for round two, I wrote down five verses to keep to heart. These were verses to keep me going, past any hardship that was to come. I would renew my heart and work harder after having read these verses regularly.

"for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing" Philippians 2:13-14

"A sluggard's appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." Proverbs 13:4

"Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." 1 Corinthians 58

"Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

"Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." John 21:18

My mother wrote me a letter as I was leaving. She also wrote down five verses for me to look up. As soon as I landed, I wrote down all the verses that she noted. They read as follows:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

"You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy" Psalm 30:11

The subtle but stark differences in choice verses were truly outstanding. The measure of maturity of my mother's faith was by far a great distance apart from where I thence stood. I had held onto the verses for my own benefit, my ongoing fight to achieve, all the while lacking completely in God. She, on the other hand, knew of the surpassing authority and power in Him. He was the center of her attention. He was the one to change. He was in charge. She wanted me to see that. The foundation lies not so much on what I have done, but on the works fully completed by God, through Jesus, sustained within us by the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord is not fuel that drives my body to act on my will, but it is fuel to fix my eyes onto God and wait upon Him.

Already A

나비가 꼭 되어야 성공한 삶인가요?

하나님께서는 지금 그대로의 모습을 사랑하신다는데
세상이 뭐라하든

Not Because

This is the status of the human race.

"At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:3-7

so "...Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." Matthew 4:17

Foolishness at the Theaters

같잖게 하나님의 이름을 써서 연애를 한 적이 있는데, 그 때 했던 말이 하나 기억났다.
나를 믿지 말고 내 안의 하나님을 믿으라는, 그런 이야기...
마치 하나님이 내 악세사리인 마냥, 내 실수는 내 책임이 아닌 마냥.
이제는 다르게 말하고 싶다. 아니 사실은 말하고 싶지 않다.
그저 삶으로 보이기 원한다. 최선을 다해 섬기고 사랑하고.

The Sound Guy

I started helping out with the worship team around 2011. Music never was so tasteful until I found love in worship songs. Naturally, I wanted to join the praise team, but I had always regarded myself as someone who couldn't sing. I never got around to passionately playing an instrument either. Thus, a sound engineer was what I decided to be. Sound engineer. Oooo. Fancy title, but to a certain level, there really was not much to it. A good friend of mine was in charge of such a position then, so I was able to learn over his shoulders the basics. 

"This goes here, that goes there, here's the power button, don't turn it off until...yup, that's what will happen."

A few weeks was enough to handle most of the situations, but one of his comments that I could not agree was that a big part of worship will be lost. It is difficult to pay attention to the service when you are in charge of all the sound that occurs. It definitely is difficult to sing along, worshiping God with my own voice. The critical part of it all is that you need to shut up to listen to others. Each instrument, each voice demands attention, while an overall sound is what needs to be in touch. It was such an easy concept, yet probably the hardest to follow. Of course it was a blessing in itself as well, but if you were ever to do the same, it is probably a good idea to find another service to let your soul out.

Last Pharmacology Exam (hopefully)

Aisetane: Developed by GrasDeo Inc. in 2013 for the purpose of inhibiting relaxation and inducing anxiety and, even at times, mild to severe panic attacks. Recommended for laziness and haphazard playfulness. DDX: Depression

아 이제 타네...시험 몇시간 전에 글쓰는 만행

Post CNN Perusal

I am not much of a beats person. Whenever I listen to music, the tunes are secondary. The lyrics always catch my mind, and again, this song had something for me to chew on. Whenever sex is involved, mindless, meaningless, empty kind of sex, I always picture a girl quietly crying alone in a room on a bed. The time is probably around 8 to 9-ish, where it is difficult time to meet someone, but still to early to go to bed. Classic metropolis, skyscrapers scraping up glimpses of the sky. Sirens blaring, yet she is all alone to her thoughts. Some aching feeling in the guts. Some feeling that never quite gets washed away, but only faded through time, only to resurface here and then. 

It angers me as I realize this is indeed reality. My naivete is no excuse. I never actually believed it. I probably still don't. I simply can't imagine my peers getting in bed. It was always stuff in the media, movies and pornographies. Child sex trafficking and many being raped is no violence in media. It is happening right now. 

Sometimes, as Christians, I think one of the easiest acts of faith is reading the newspaper, giving time and care to those near or far from us. Look yonder, there are people out there far worse than you that need your help.

This is probably enough crude talk for today...

http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2013/12/world/cambodia-child-sex-trade/

Letter to Cambodia

"Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, 
but set an example for the believers 

in speech, 
in life, 
in love, 
in faith 
and in purity."

1 Timothy 4:12

Hey kiddo. I just wanted you to know,
God loves you and that's all you need in life.
Dream big, because God is always with you.
Be all that you can be, but not just for yourself.
Recieve freely, give freely.
Immanuel: God with us. I'll be praying for you.

Our Crown

"For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? Indeed, you are our glory and joy." 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20

A crown. Mark of a king. Pure golden frame ridden with jewels, all perfectly spaced into magnificence. Power and authority surrounds it. The rights to rule over all that is in grasp. The crown that Jesus wore, however, was no precious than garbage, for he had a different crown. The crown that is us, His created, His beloved. Every time I read the Epistles, I can almost sense the biggest smile formed by Paul whenever he hears the news of his fellow friends in Christ, the ones with repentant hearts. Simply hearing the news of faithfulness brings out the best in him. A pure delight that cannot be found in the world that is seen.  

"But Timothy has just now come to us from you and has brought good news about your faith and love. He has told us that you always have pleasant memories of us and that you long to see us, just as we also long to see you. Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. For now we really live, since you are standing firm in the Lord. How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith." 1 Thessalonians 3:6-10

I was fortunate enough to be able to visit the churches I attended, again, at a different time in life: Moksan Church, Korean Central Church of Pittsburgh, Blackhawk Church in Madison, Northway Church, Onnuri Church... A sense of nostalgia would surround me, but with a hint of disappointment. I always wondered what it was that lacked in my visits, but the answer was simple enough. It was not the church itself that I was longing for, but the people that I had met, the fellow faithful, the repentant, the saved ones in Christ. How I long to see everyone at the same time and place. Such a promise is what I hold onto, the promised day of His return. 

Hi everyone. I hope you are doing well in Christ. Never give up, Do not back down. The end is near. Hold onto your faith.

Ithaka By Constantine P. Cavafy

Ithaka By Constantine P. Cavafy

As you set out for Ithaka
hope the voyage is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
angry Poseidon—don’t be afraid of them:
you’ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians and Cyclops,
wild Poseidon—you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope the voyage is a long one.
May there be many a summer morning when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you come into harbors seen for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind—
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to gather stores of knowledge from their scholars.

Keep Ithaka always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you are destined for.
But do not hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you are old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaka to make you rich.

Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you would not have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.

And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
you will have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.