Something profound came into my mind and I feel that God is speaking through me and that is this: The western church has become a prostitute rather than a Bride.
We have become a organization to attract people to the church. God has clothed His Bride with jewelry and crowns and earrings, likewise, He has given the church things like a building, worship instruments, rooms, etc. But we have become like an unfaithful wife and used these things for our own benefit. We use big banners, cool stage lights, fancy decorations--the things that God has clothed us with--and we have used them to bring wealth and fame and numbers and recognition to ourselves. Rather than drawing people to Jesus, we use these things to draw them into a building and into a corporate building.
If the church was the Bride of Jesus, we would be faithful to Him. Rather than feeding our desires to have more attendance and bigger buildings and more ministries--that would be like a prostitute sleeping with many people--we would use all the beauty and blessing that Jesus has given us to serve Him and Him alone, like a faithful wife.
On the outside, many churches seem to be do the right thing, drawing people into the church. But that should not be the point of the church. It should not be this prostitute-like church where we try to attract non-believers into how good looking the building or the schedule or the structure is. Rather it should be a Bride-like church where we walk out of the doors with our groom, Jesus Christ, into the streets and community, and show others how beautiful Jesus is.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
You give and take away
"The ignorance of history has led Americans to become a selfish culture." This is my thesis statement for my English essay. As I was thinking more about it, I was led to write this blog about how the ignorance of who God is has led Christians to become a selfish people.
Is there a sense of awe and reverent fear of God? Do we even know Him anymore? God is all powerful and everything that has been created is His. Satan is only alive because God allowed him to be. He is only allowed to tempt a person as far as God allows him to. We are only alive because God gave us life. We are only able to receive what God has given to us. Yet what to we do? We act like everything we have and own is ours. Our cars, job, house, friends, family, and even our own lives.
God is such a good creator that he knows what we, as humans, need to survive: food, clothes, water, shelter. In fact He is such a good God that he even gave us things beyond our minimal needs. He gave us love, hope, plans to prosper us and to give us a future and hope, a church, desires, grace, and so on. Yet we can become so arrogant and tell God how come He hasn't given us this or that. In fact we go even further and say that all these things we have is ours and we become angry at God when He takes our things, which really is all His, away. Our God gives and He takes away. Who are we to tell God that what he is doing is wrong.
And that is when Christianity(a follower of Christ), becomes religions(a follower of our lives), something we attach to our lives in order to benefit us.
If we had this understanding that God is all powerful and that everything that exists is His, we become humble and selfless. When God takes things away like a job, or a loved one, or our money, we are able to continue to glorify Him in everything thing that we do. We are able to worship Him as our God despite whatever circumstances we are in.
Is there a sense of awe and reverent fear of God? Do we even know Him anymore? God is all powerful and everything that has been created is His. Satan is only alive because God allowed him to be. He is only allowed to tempt a person as far as God allows him to. We are only alive because God gave us life. We are only able to receive what God has given to us. Yet what to we do? We act like everything we have and own is ours. Our cars, job, house, friends, family, and even our own lives.
God is such a good creator that he knows what we, as humans, need to survive: food, clothes, water, shelter. In fact He is such a good God that he even gave us things beyond our minimal needs. He gave us love, hope, plans to prosper us and to give us a future and hope, a church, desires, grace, and so on. Yet we can become so arrogant and tell God how come He hasn't given us this or that. In fact we go even further and say that all these things we have is ours and we become angry at God when He takes our things, which really is all His, away. Our God gives and He takes away. Who are we to tell God that what he is doing is wrong.
And that is when Christianity(a follower of Christ), becomes religions(a follower of our lives), something we attach to our lives in order to benefit us.
If we had this understanding that God is all powerful and that everything that exists is His, we become humble and selfless. When God takes things away like a job, or a loved one, or our money, we are able to continue to glorify Him in everything thing that we do. We are able to worship Him as our God despite whatever circumstances we are in.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
dear Ashley
Dear Ashley,
When you sing, it makes God smile. He has put in you a voice of Truth and beauty. Even though you feel week at times, He will give you strength like the mighty mountains. Jesus is crazy about you and He wants to hear your voice again. He longs to be loved by you. He loves you so much!
When you sing, it makes God smile. He has put in you a voice of Truth and beauty. Even though you feel week at times, He will give you strength like the mighty mountains. Jesus is crazy about you and He wants to hear your voice again. He longs to be loved by you. He loves you so much!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Passion and Glory
Think of the craziest, most beautiful, and the best gift anyone can give you. Maybe it's a brand new car, a diamond ring, a painting, or maybe a dozen of your favorite flowers. Whatever gift that is, to you it is the best and there is probably no better gift, in the world. Nothing compares to receiving that gift. If there is, than obviously what you thought of before isn't the best. But when you think about receiving that specific gift, emotions run down your veins and joy fills your soul. You are so in awe and in joy when that person gives you the keys, or opens the velvet box, or displays the masterpiece, or hands over a piece of nature to you. It's also like receiving something from God, like His strength, wisdom, blessing. Even things like the ministries or the spiritual gifts that God has given us, we take them and embrace them. Whether we are receiving things from others or from God, there are just some things where we say to ourselves, "nothing can be greater than what I just got!"
But let me tell you that there is. There is something greater and better than the gorgeous flowers or the diamond ring or the box of the finest chocolates. And that is the person that gave you that gift. There is also something greater than reading and learning about God, being involved in a certain ministry, and receiving your spiritual gift or His strength and boldness. God himself.
See, sometimes we can get so caught up in the things we do as Christians such as leading a Bible study or being involved in a certain ministry or being on fire after an event, that we forget about the God who is over all, through all, and in all. We see what we are doing and we think to ourselves that there can be nothing greater than this.
It's like going to a beautiful wedding; the cake and food is perfect, the decorations, and music, and the setting, everything is just perfect and wonderful. And we just look around and say "wow, this is awesome!" But we can forget that all these things, the flowers, chairs, tablecloth, the centerpiece, the lighting, and all that is there...it's all for the Bride and her Groom. Being in awe and wonder of God's creation and being filled with joy and excitement when we teach others about Christ is good. But we can get so focused in these things that we do and receive that God and the sole purpose of glorifying Him can become oblivious to us. We need to be doing what we do as Christians yet also having this awareness and understanding that all that we do is to glorify the King of Kings.
Sometimes we can get all on fire for God and the ball is just rolling and building momentum. We're having such an awesome time at church and hanging out with our Christian friends. We have so much fun evangelizing to other people and giving to the needy. But we must not forget the God who is seated at His throne and that all our passion and desire and fire is to be directed to Him in hopes of bringing glory to the God who is holy and pure and great.
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. And to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!
But let me tell you that there is. There is something greater and better than the gorgeous flowers or the diamond ring or the box of the finest chocolates. And that is the person that gave you that gift. There is also something greater than reading and learning about God, being involved in a certain ministry, and receiving your spiritual gift or His strength and boldness. God himself.
See, sometimes we can get so caught up in the things we do as Christians such as leading a Bible study or being involved in a certain ministry or being on fire after an event, that we forget about the God who is over all, through all, and in all. We see what we are doing and we think to ourselves that there can be nothing greater than this.
It's like going to a beautiful wedding; the cake and food is perfect, the decorations, and music, and the setting, everything is just perfect and wonderful. And we just look around and say "wow, this is awesome!" But we can forget that all these things, the flowers, chairs, tablecloth, the centerpiece, the lighting, and all that is there...it's all for the Bride and her Groom. Being in awe and wonder of God's creation and being filled with joy and excitement when we teach others about Christ is good. But we can get so focused in these things that we do and receive that God and the sole purpose of glorifying Him can become oblivious to us. We need to be doing what we do as Christians yet also having this awareness and understanding that all that we do is to glorify the King of Kings.
Sometimes we can get all on fire for God and the ball is just rolling and building momentum. We're having such an awesome time at church and hanging out with our Christian friends. We have so much fun evangelizing to other people and giving to the needy. But we must not forget the God who is seated at His throne and that all our passion and desire and fire is to be directed to Him in hopes of bringing glory to the God who is holy and pure and great.
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being. Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise. And to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
They need His love, not His history.
I had no school today so I decided to make lunch at home. I was looking through a cookbook and saw this really yummy recipe for chicken. I went to buy some ingredients and started to make the chicken along with some mashed-potatoes. And after I made it, the smell of the Italian seasoning and the white wine sauce brought me to Heaven. And I ate my lunch and posted my status on facebook: "made for lunch...mushroom, garlic, cranberry stuffed chicken breasts with italian and basil seasoning; garlic basil mashed potatoes; all poured with a chicken broth with white wine sause (: ..and a coke." And I was just thinking of how I should have taken pictures so people could at least see what I made.
But then a thought came to me. Even if I took some pictures of my meal and showed it on facebook, people still wouldn't experience what I cooked. It's like when I watch the food channel or the travel channel, where they show like deep fried food, and steaks, and seafood, and how to make this and that. And I'm always saying to the tv, "Oh my God that looks so good!" But it in the end all I see are colored pixels on a screen or a colored picture in a cookbook. I can hear and read and see all I want about the food and how delicious it is, but in the end they are just words and pictures that I can't experience for myself.
The Bible is the same. If I tell you all the goodness and power in the stories of the Bible but you don't experience it, then its just another history lecture. Then the Bible is nothing more than a book of the experiences of people in the past. But God is the same from beginning to end. He doesn't change and His love and presence does not change either. You need to get out of just knowing and teaching people theology and history. It's time to ask for heaven to come down so that the presence and power of God can fall on those you encounter, that they may experience the transforming power of the Love of Jesus Christ.
Stop giving history lectures and theology to the lost and broken. Start giving the Love of Jesus and the presence of the God of Heaven and of earth! "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another." As the bride of Jesus and the host of the Holy Spirit, you constantly owe others the everlasting Love of your Savior and God. God's love is not meant to be a lake that is stopped inside of you by theology and wisdom. It is meant to be a river that flows from you that is supported by the wisdom and knowledge of the Truth but is to be pushed to fall upon and to consume others through the power of the Kingdom of God! "For the Kingdom of heaven is not of talk. It is of power!"
We need theology, we need bible studies, we need to memorize scriptures, we need to understand the stories and the Truth of His word. But if we say we have the best armor, the longest firing range, the best radar detection, the finest and most advance technology, and the best firing capabilities...but we have not left the docks, nor the barracks, nor the runway, nor fired a single shot while two kingdoms are at war...we might as well live in a military museum so people can just see the descriptions of us but not see us in real action...
Yes, we need the bible and the scriptures to present the gospel. But when he is alone and we don't comfort him, when she needs forgiveness but we are too stubborn to forgive, when he is in need of money but we are too worried that he might be trying to cheat us, when she falls in this world and we gossip about her faults, when he is drunk with alcohol and sex but we are to clouded by our judgment and view him as insignificant, when she rejects us and we become prideful and say "whatever it's your loss"...how much more different are we than the pharisees? Than this world? Than the person we were before we were kissed by Jesus and hugged by His Spirit?
Ask God to fill you with His presence, that when you love, not just teach and share, that His power and transforming Love can touch their hearts, that they can experience the same God that changed your life forever!
God release your kingdom realities upon my brother and sister right now. That they can feel your touch and empower them with courage and boldness to take your amazing Love to those they encounter everyday. Father, I ask for your favor to be upon those who read this. Bide any complacent and hardened hearts, any pride, jealousy, or anger in Jesus' name. And I loose peace and joy that comes from Your Son, I release blessing on them and boldness and strength to overcome their fears and worries in Jesus' name. Father hear my invitation to invade this place. Hear my call for revival. God, my God...come and show us just how beautiful and good You are!
But then a thought came to me. Even if I took some pictures of my meal and showed it on facebook, people still wouldn't experience what I cooked. It's like when I watch the food channel or the travel channel, where they show like deep fried food, and steaks, and seafood, and how to make this and that. And I'm always saying to the tv, "Oh my God that looks so good!" But it in the end all I see are colored pixels on a screen or a colored picture in a cookbook. I can hear and read and see all I want about the food and how delicious it is, but in the end they are just words and pictures that I can't experience for myself.
The Bible is the same. If I tell you all the goodness and power in the stories of the Bible but you don't experience it, then its just another history lecture. Then the Bible is nothing more than a book of the experiences of people in the past. But God is the same from beginning to end. He doesn't change and His love and presence does not change either. You need to get out of just knowing and teaching people theology and history. It's time to ask for heaven to come down so that the presence and power of God can fall on those you encounter, that they may experience the transforming power of the Love of Jesus Christ.
Stop giving history lectures and theology to the lost and broken. Start giving the Love of Jesus and the presence of the God of Heaven and of earth! "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another." As the bride of Jesus and the host of the Holy Spirit, you constantly owe others the everlasting Love of your Savior and God. God's love is not meant to be a lake that is stopped inside of you by theology and wisdom. It is meant to be a river that flows from you that is supported by the wisdom and knowledge of the Truth but is to be pushed to fall upon and to consume others through the power of the Kingdom of God! "For the Kingdom of heaven is not of talk. It is of power!"
We need theology, we need bible studies, we need to memorize scriptures, we need to understand the stories and the Truth of His word. But if we say we have the best armor, the longest firing range, the best radar detection, the finest and most advance technology, and the best firing capabilities...but we have not left the docks, nor the barracks, nor the runway, nor fired a single shot while two kingdoms are at war...we might as well live in a military museum so people can just see the descriptions of us but not see us in real action...
Yes, we need the bible and the scriptures to present the gospel. But when he is alone and we don't comfort him, when she needs forgiveness but we are too stubborn to forgive, when he is in need of money but we are too worried that he might be trying to cheat us, when she falls in this world and we gossip about her faults, when he is drunk with alcohol and sex but we are to clouded by our judgment and view him as insignificant, when she rejects us and we become prideful and say "whatever it's your loss"...how much more different are we than the pharisees? Than this world? Than the person we were before we were kissed by Jesus and hugged by His Spirit?
Ask God to fill you with His presence, that when you love, not just teach and share, that His power and transforming Love can touch their hearts, that they can experience the same God that changed your life forever!
God release your kingdom realities upon my brother and sister right now. That they can feel your touch and empower them with courage and boldness to take your amazing Love to those they encounter everyday. Father, I ask for your favor to be upon those who read this. Bide any complacent and hardened hearts, any pride, jealousy, or anger in Jesus' name. And I loose peace and joy that comes from Your Son, I release blessing on them and boldness and strength to overcome their fears and worries in Jesus' name. Father hear my invitation to invade this place. Hear my call for revival. God, my God...come and show us just how beautiful and good You are!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
I asked You
I asked You for some water. You gave me the ocean.
I asked You for a light meal. You gave me a feast.
I asked You for a flashlight. You gave me the sun.
I asked You for a song. You gave me Heaven's symphony.
I asked You for a little strength. You gave me a faith that can move mountains.
I asked You for more time. You gave me eternity.
I asked You a simple question. You gave me 1,189 chapters in 66 books.
I asked You to protect me. You defeated satan.
I asked You to visit me. You sent ten angels to my room.
I asked You to come a bit closer. You came inside of me.
I asked You for a girl/boy. You gave me a bride/groom.
I asked You to accept my apology. You sacrificed Your son.
I asked You for the house keys. You gave me the keys to Heaven.
I asked You for a little more power. You gave me full authority over my enemies.
I asked You for life. You gave me Your life.
I asked You for some help. You gave me a miracle.
I asked You for a band-aid. You healed my iniquities.
I asked You... You gave me more...
I asked You for a light meal. You gave me a feast.
I asked You for a flashlight. You gave me the sun.
I asked You for a song. You gave me Heaven's symphony.
I asked You for a little strength. You gave me a faith that can move mountains.
I asked You for more time. You gave me eternity.
I asked You a simple question. You gave me 1,189 chapters in 66 books.
I asked You to protect me. You defeated satan.
I asked You to visit me. You sent ten angels to my room.
I asked You to come a bit closer. You came inside of me.
I asked You for a girl/boy. You gave me a bride/groom.
I asked You to accept my apology. You sacrificed Your son.
I asked You for the house keys. You gave me the keys to Heaven.
I asked You for a little more power. You gave me full authority over my enemies.
I asked You for life. You gave me Your life.
I asked You for some help. You gave me a miracle.
I asked You for a band-aid. You healed my iniquities.
I asked You... You gave me more...
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Wedding Day
At a wedding ceremony, the bride wears all white because it symbolizes purity. She would not wear other colors like black or gray or orange because other colors symbolize other things. Green can symbolize life and also greed. Black for evil or darkness. Red for love or lust. And of course there are weddings where people dress wildly and out of the ordinary like wearing rainbow colors or having a wedding underwater. But a bride generally wears white because of what it symbolizes--purity. It means that she has been pure till the day she becomes one with her groom. And she wouldn't wear a torn up or a dirtied gown. Nor would she wake up in the morning of the wedding day and go straight to the aisle without fixing her hair, putting on her makeup, and making sure she looks perfectly wonderful and beautiful for her groom.
You are Jesus' bride. And one day He will come back with all His glory and all the angels to be with His bride. But looking back at the year 2009, what color do you think your gown was. Was it wrinkled and dirtied with gossip, jealousy, and deceit? Did you wake up in the morning and spent so much of your time preparing for that moment when you will walk down the aisle, just as you would prepare and invest your entire life for eternity? Was your gown red with lust or green with greed?
When you accept Jesus into your life, God doesn't see you as a sinner anymore. Not saying that you don't fall into sin anymore, but that the blood of Jesus now covers you and God sees you as holy and set apart for His glory. Though we still make mistakes as Christians, God still forgives us and still sees us as His children.
I'm not saying we should stop watching movies, or hanging with our friends, or do homework. But if Jesus came back right now, do you want to be doing what you are doing now? In other words, is what you are doing bringing glory to God or taking glory away from Him? And are you living in expectancy and with great hope for the coming of your groom?
When Jesus comes back, I want Him to say to me, "Surprise! Our wedding is today! Wow you look so beautiful! I know you made mistakes and stumbled but you were still using your life and your heart in preparing for me!"
You are Jesus' bride. And one day He will come back with all His glory and all the angels to be with His bride. But looking back at the year 2009, what color do you think your gown was. Was it wrinkled and dirtied with gossip, jealousy, and deceit? Did you wake up in the morning and spent so much of your time preparing for that moment when you will walk down the aisle, just as you would prepare and invest your entire life for eternity? Was your gown red with lust or green with greed?
When you accept Jesus into your life, God doesn't see you as a sinner anymore. Not saying that you don't fall into sin anymore, but that the blood of Jesus now covers you and God sees you as holy and set apart for His glory. Though we still make mistakes as Christians, God still forgives us and still sees us as His children.
I'm not saying we should stop watching movies, or hanging with our friends, or do homework. But if Jesus came back right now, do you want to be doing what you are doing now? In other words, is what you are doing bringing glory to God or taking glory away from Him? And are you living in expectancy and with great hope for the coming of your groom?
When Jesus comes back, I want Him to say to me, "Surprise! Our wedding is today! Wow you look so beautiful! I know you made mistakes and stumbled but you were still using your life and your heart in preparing for me!"
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