Progressive Sanctification

This morning I read Romans 1-6.

Some verses I took note on. I will do the SOAP thing that my friends have suggested me to try out.

S-Scripture

O-Observation

A-Application

P-Prayer

S: “I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong-that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. -Romans 1:11-12

O: This is Paul writing to Rome. He is longing to visit Rome. He wants everyone to be MUTUALLY encouraged through each other’s faith.

A: It’s such a blessing to be able to do Bible study with friends. It’s hard to find friends who are even willing to. But I’m thankful that I do. It’s been a very refreshing and joyful experience hearing how God has been faithful in the lives of others. It allows me to not lose hope in my own life because of the stories of my friends. I realized that we are all so different in the way we pray, approach God, and read the Word. Verses that stand out to me, don’t stand out to my friends and vice versa. I learn from them and they learn from me. It’s a mutual thing. It’s not about me. This faith in Christ is meant to be shared through friendships and I think that makes a huge difference. When I am not able to pray for myself or for anything, it’s a huge encouragement when others pray on behalf of me. I recently hanged out with a couple of friends and we went to K-town. We were having a conversation in the car. I shared them about 5 types of friends which I learned from a Sunday service back in Santa Cruz.

1) Name dropping friends - This is where you know the person’s name and you who they are. I guess not really friends, but nevertheless it’s name dropping friends.

2) Acquaintances - Not really your friends, but you know acquaintances. You sort of hang out with them or the same area in school. Or sometimes you hang out with them cause of a friend.

3) Social Friends - Friends you hang out and play with. Nothing more and nothing less.

4) Good Friends - Maybe you shared a secret or two with this friend because you trust. You guys have deep conversations and all.

5) Best Friends - Best friends are like Good friends, but in much deeper level. A friendship rooted in Christ.

A friendship rooted in Christ is a world’s difference from a friendship rooted in hanging out, gossip, and just having fun.

P: Holy Spirit, bless my friendships and relationships centered in Christ and those that are not. I pray that whoever and whenever I share conversation and have fellowship I pray that it will be of You. Allow me to a be friend to everyone I meet, as you were a Friend to me first. Amen.

S: “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” -Romans 6:1-2

O: Paul is saying that we should not go on sinning just because God is graceful all the time. As reborn Christians, we cannot live in sin anymore but in the Light.

A: I think most Christians know that they should not abuse the grace and kindness of God and go on sinning and doing whatever they want. Despite knowing this, we still do. I think the reason is because the way we view sin is totally different from the way Jesus views it. A friend recently told me that Jesus does not send people to Hell. Jesus sends SIN to hell and people because they are holding on to that sin. That’s how much Jesus hates and despises sin. Do we hate sin? Do we really hate sin? I ask myself… Sure, I hate the sin when someone murders, cheats on their spouse, wrongly accuses someone, etc. But I often find myself justifying my own sins. I think I am growing too comfortable with sin, and it should not be that way. The reality is that as humans, it is inevitable that we are going to fail. We are going to mess up and sin and go against the Spirit. But I believe the important thing we should realize is Romans 2:4-5.

“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.”

God’s kindness leads us to repentance.

P: Lord, I know I don’t see sin the same way as You. But I pray that You will give me Your eyes to see. Even when I fail you, I pray that my heart will always run back to you. I pray that I will always have a repentant heart. Let me not be prideful, but create me in a humble heart. Let me not take Grace as an excuse to sinning, but let me be constantly changed and molded by Your Grace. Amen.

I just had to share this…

This is from Philip Yancey’s Prayer. This blew my mind.

“Conversation can be a prayer. Think of the Samaritan woman at the well, talking with Jesus about water and mountains and Jerusalem-wasn’t that a prayer? I like to think of my conversations with people as prayer. I speak to Jesus within a person. I ask, Lord, let this lunch or tea or whatever be a prayer. When I read the Bible, that’s a prayer. I don’t read Psalm 73, I pray Psalm 73. I willing refer my actions to God, and in so doing they become a prayer.

” “Hows your prayer life?’ people sometimes ask. For a Christian, how does that question differ from ‘How’s your life?’ Our problem is that we separate, we compartmentalize.

“I’m a painter. I pray as I paint, and my painting becomes a kind of prayer. If someone asks me for help in prayer, I tell them to find what they most enjoy and do that, only do it for the glory of God. For you it may be writing or climbing a mountain. For me, it’s painting. Start with what really energizes you and touches your heart: flowers, music, hiking, birds, gardening, whatever. Ask God to remind you, as you do it, that you’re doing it for him.

“Sometimes I pause in the midst of my painting and give God five minutes, or more. Sometimes I don’t -the whole afternoon of painting becomes a prayer. And often as I’m doing what I enjoy, specific requests come to mind. My friends studying in England. A missionary in China. I never make a list of what to pray for. I pray instantly, as soon as something comes to mind, and I trust God to bring it to mind.

“Spending time with God is what’s important. We spend the time anyway. Why not recognize that we spend it with God, and then act like it?”

Amazing stuff HUH?

In John 2:14-16, I discovered something crazy.

1) Jesus hates sin.

“In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get those out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”

I actually heard from my Pastor very briefly during a Friday night that Jesus made a whip, but I guess I did not take it seriously. I was reading this at Pinkberry a few weeks ago with Jason. And we were surprised. Jesus is so muh shee suh. He got a whip and was like BAM. Once we read this, Jason asked me, “How would you react if you saw people gambling for money at church? Would you act like Jesus did?” I don’t know if I would get a whip or any sort of weapon, but I would tell them to stop. But then again, I don’t think I would be as mad as Jesus was. I don’t think that I would make a scene and think that I am making a big deal out of it. That’s the thing that is bothering me the most. I do not hate sin as much as Jesus does. Sometimes, I tolerate my own sin and the sin of others when I should be rebuking and calling them out. If we hated sin like Jesus does, we would still sin. But the important thing is that we will always have a true genuine heart of repentance. I need that. Sometimes, I don’t even feel like I did something wrong, even when deep inside I know I did.

Lord, give me courage to stand for your Word. Give me your heart that absolutely hates sin with no exceptions.

2) Jesus wants us to recognize His voice.

The Shepherd and His Flock

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” – John 10:4-5

There are too many voices in the world today. The voices of our parents and friends. The voices of the media. The voices on the radio, on CNN, on a reality show, on magazines, journals. The voices of ourselves. The voice of Satan. The voice of God. Too many distractions. Sometimes, when you’re praying, you’re not even sure if the voice you hear is your conscience or God or Satan. That is precisely why we need to read the Word. We need to recognize God’s voice. We need to know God. We need to know who He is, and what He’s like inside and out. The only way is through the Word. Let’s READ!!!

3) Jesus knows how you feel.

“When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” – John 11:33

“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.” -John 11:38

Don’t ever, ever, ever, think that Jesus does not weep over your pains, sorrows, sadness, and hardships. Jesus knows how it feels when he was spat on the face, slapped, and humiliated in front of many people. He died on the cross and went through excruciating pain for you and I. He knows, He knows your heart. Be encouraged! Jesus is always there for you and I.

Lord, constantly remind me that I am always loved by you. That You always think of me.

This reminded me of lyrics. “You thought of me….Above all…” Amen..

“Jesus wept.” John 11:35

Who said true men don’t cry?

4) Jesus wants us to embrace His Will.

“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” – John12:28

Jesus could have commanded angels to save him from his death. But he chose not to. He knew there was a purpose and meaning to it all. I believe that in our prayers, we should always keep in mind His Will. If something meant to happen in accordance to God’s Will, we should learn to accept it and obey it. Because I believe that it is the good and perfect plan. We would be foolish to not listen to God. Jesus prayed often on the mountains, but in this verse, Jesus chose not to pray. But to obey.

Lord, give me an obedient heart to follow Your Will.

I learned:

1) I am extremely prideful and sinful.

2) I am to serve my brothers and sisters.

3) God loves me.

4) We are drenched in grace.

5) He uses the weak.

I started July 11 and today is August 3rd. That’s 24 days.

I’m not sure if the 21-day theory is legit…but I certainly feel the urge to do QTs everyday.

And if I don’t, I feel empty and I feel like I just need to.

Weird?

Try it yourself.

I’m off to retreat tonight.

Please pray for JSRYAC (Joo Sa Rang Youth and College).

Lord, reveal Yourself to me.

Tenth Avenue North – You Are More

There’s a girl in the corner
With tear stains on her eyes
From the places she’s wandered
And the shame she can’t hide

She says, “How did I get here?
I’m not who I once was.
And I’m crippled by the fear
That I’ve fallen too far to love”

But don’t you know who you are,
What’s been done for you?
Yeah don’t you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

Well she tries to believe it
That she’s been given new life
But she can’t shake the feeling
That it’s not true tonight

She knows all the answers
And she’s rehearsed all the lines
And so she’ll try to do better
But then she’s too weak to try

But don’t you know who you are?

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

‘Cause this is not about what you’ve done,
But what’s been done for you.
This is not about where you’ve been,
But where your brokenness brings you to

This is not about what you feel,
But what He felt to forgive you,
And what He felt to make you loved.

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

You are more than the choices that you’ve made,
You are more than the sum of your past mistakes,
You are more than the problems you create,
You’ve been remade.

You’ve been remade
You’ve been remade.
You’ve been remade.
You’ve been remade.

Pray for me. I don’t know what’s going on.

I finished the book of Mark and Luke, and now I’m about to start reading John. It’s weird to me. Whenever I read the Word now, its not out of guilt or obligation. I feel like I want to know God more and more. I want to spend time with Him in prayer and reading. Reading the Word has never been so sweet to me. It’s an indescribably great feeling , but at the same time I never felt like I was ever going to enjoy spending time with God. I will never underestimate the power of prayer. Anyways, here’s some things that I learned about Jesus these past weeks.

1) Jesus wants us to have Faith.

-”O unbelieving generation, ” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay up with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” -Mark 9:19

-”From childhood,” he answered. “It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” -Mark 9:21-23

-”Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. -Mark 10:52

-”Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:22-25

It may sound obvious to have Faith when it comes to Christianity. But I feel like we need to be constantly reminded and convicted by old truths. Do you have Faith in God? Do you have Faith in God in every aspect of your life? Relationships? Academics? Family problems? I recently talked to a friend about relationships with the opposite gender and marriage. He claimed that he just couldn’t have faith in God with his girl problems and his future regarding marriage. He says that the relationships with girls is just too personal to share with God. But there is nothing like that! God wants us to have Faith in every aspect of our lives.

In my case, my parents divorced when I was in the 3rd grade. My mom remarried again about 6 years ago and now I have a step dad that I’m not very close to. My parents fight very frequently and it seems like there is no hope. I often grow hopeless because it seems like they will never stop. I feel like I will never ever feel what it’s like to be in a family. I remember I went to Target with a friends to get a board game. I told my friend that I should get one for my family and I to play. I said that I always wanted to do that with my family. He told me that I was the first person to ever say something like that. I’m not asking for pity, but I ask God to give me Faith for my family. God takes care of us. He loves us too much. I recently read the book of Luke and it became a great encouragement to me.

-”I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.” -Luke 15:7

-”In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” -Luke 15:10

God and all of Heaven are cheering on for you and me. Let’s fight the good fight and take heart.

2) Jesus was indignant.

Indignant means to have a strong displeasure at something considered unjust, offensive, and insulting.

-”People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.” -Mark 10:13-16

We need to be indignant like Jesus towards sin. We need to take the Word like children, eager to learn, eager to ask questions, eager to know more. I think that as people grow older we tend to have this sense of independence where we think for ourselves. We use our own understanding and wisdom, thinking that it is supreme over all. We grow this sense of pride and confidence in ourselves. Even as we grow in age, we always need to have the heart of child. A child following Christ. Lord, let me receive the kingdom of God like a little child. Let me not grow arrogant.

3) Jesus was a servant to all.

-”Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.” -Mark 9:35

-”For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” -Mark 10:45

Am I serving my brothers and sisters? It’s sometimes really difficult to humble myself and serve others, especially when they are younger than me. But God has called me and you to serve, not to be served. It’s definitely hard to serve enemies, and people who are viewed as outcasts in society. Personally for me, I have a very quiet personality at first. I have a hard time loving people the first time I meet them because my personality is just like that. I realized I can be a very awkward person, but Lord I lift these things up to you. Lord, I don’t know if you want to change my personality, but I pray that you will give me Jesus in my heart so that through Him I will be able to love my brothers and sisters. Lord, give me a heart of servitude.

4) Jesus fights temptation through the Word.

-”The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’ ” Luke 4:3-4

-”The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been give to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’ ” -Luke 4:5-8

-”The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: ” ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will left you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ” Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’ “-Luke 4:9-12

Wow, pretty intense stuff going on. Jesus FIGHTS the devil through the Word and the devil left. “When the devil had finish all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.” -Luke 4:13

We, as Christians, need to equip ourselves with the Word so we can fight the good fight. We are called to fight against temptation and the devil, but we cannot do this unless we are ready. We need to constantly think about the Bible. The last time I actually memorized a Bible verse was at a Christian conference. We had to memorize a verse to eat dinner. But the point is, the Word is ESSENTIAL in our faith. I mean even Jesus quoted the Word. We need to know the Word inside and out. Lord, give me the desire to read your Word daily. May that fire never die. Lord, let me use your Word as a guidance and weapon in my life.

You know, I find it hilarious that the devil would offer Jesus the kingdoms of the world and authority over all of them. I’m pretty sure the devil knows that Jesus is the King of everything and that He has the ultimate authority. But why would the devil even bother to offer that to Jesus? But it’s a different case when that offer is given to humans. The kingdoms of the world and authority over all of them is definitely tempting to mankind. But we just need to be so rooted in the Word and have such a firm foundation that nothing can stumble us or tempt us. Lord, give me that foundation. A foundation that will never break.

Lord, I want to be more like You. Let me be a man after your heart. Give me faith, allow me to be indignant, give me a heart of servitude, and help me love Your Word more and more each day. Thank you, Jesus for being the ultimate role model. Amen.