I love to build. What I build is the church. I love to think about how to build the church, get strategies from God, bring right people together, and execute and finally see the building rise. There is great joy in building. And what I build is the Kingdom of God!
However, God reminds me there is something more important than building even the church. That is the heart. At the bottom, is my heart growing? Is my love for God growing? Is my heart-connection with God growing stronger? Or is my heart neglected by the excitement of building something, even the church? Heart matters far more. If my heart is neglected because of ministries, at the end I lose. My focus must always be to grow my heart.
If you are like me, you enjoy building something, whether it is a house, a company, or a ministry. But God says, "Grow your heart." Grow your heart toward Him. Develop a bigger love for the Father and the Son. Grow a bigger heart for people. If we build the largest company/church, and lose a heart of tender compassion for another person, we would have lost, not gain. We, human beings, live from the heart. If our heart dies, we die.
I am praying especially for a heart for the lost. "Lord, impart your compassion for the spiritually lost on my heart. Let my heart be broken by their spiritual lostness." It is not "Lord, let the church grow," but "Let my heart grow." Let us pray that God would grow our hearts. Your prayer may be about growing your heart toward God, or your family, or the poor. May we become people of the biggest hearts.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
For Your Eyes Only
Would you like to be great?
The phrase "a man after [God's] own heart" which refers to King David is a for every follower of Christ, but many people do not know the context in which this phrase was spoken. This phrase was first spoken by Prophet Samuel to King Saul, whom David later replaced: "Your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." (1 Samuel 13:14)
What was Saul's problem that he would be rejected? Essentially Saul cared more about what people thought about him than what God thought about him. He craved for people's praise more than God's praise. He wanted to look great in people's eyes than in God's eyes. That was it. In the scenario that precedes the judgment just mentioned, Saul does not fully obey God's specific command to destroy the enemies. He reserves the best animals so that he can look generous to his generals, and he does not kill the enemy king because he wants to feel magnanimous. Generosity and magnanimity are wonderful characteristics, but not when God has specifically ordered the opposite. Saul was great in the eyes of people, and he wanted to keep his image. That was his downfall.
Even after the judgment, Saul tragically seeks people's praise. He asks Samuel, "Fine with the judgment, but right now, please come and acknowledge me before the people so that they would think greatly of me."
In the mean time, David is a nobody. He is a teenage boy who has no status, no recognition. His own father thinks little of him. But David loves God. While no one sees, he plays his hand harp, and makes songs to God--something a boy who cares about others' recognition would not do. People's praise counted nothing for him. And thus he was chosen.
We do so many things to look before others. Much of our pursuit--clothes, cars, house, jobs, or even spouses and kids--is about looking good to others. God calls all that abominable.
Care not for what other people think. That will be a shackle that binds you. Care for God's eyes only. You will be set free from so many things that holds you. You will be able to make significant differences eternally. You will be great truly, in His eyes.
The phrase "a man after [God's] own heart" which refers to King David is a for every follower of Christ, but many people do not know the context in which this phrase was spoken. This phrase was first spoken by Prophet Samuel to King Saul, whom David later replaced: "Your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command." (1 Samuel 13:14)
What was Saul's problem that he would be rejected? Essentially Saul cared more about what people thought about him than what God thought about him. He craved for people's praise more than God's praise. He wanted to look great in people's eyes than in God's eyes. That was it. In the scenario that precedes the judgment just mentioned, Saul does not fully obey God's specific command to destroy the enemies. He reserves the best animals so that he can look generous to his generals, and he does not kill the enemy king because he wants to feel magnanimous. Generosity and magnanimity are wonderful characteristics, but not when God has specifically ordered the opposite. Saul was great in the eyes of people, and he wanted to keep his image. That was his downfall.
Even after the judgment, Saul tragically seeks people's praise. He asks Samuel, "Fine with the judgment, but right now, please come and acknowledge me before the people so that they would think greatly of me."
In the mean time, David is a nobody. He is a teenage boy who has no status, no recognition. His own father thinks little of him. But David loves God. While no one sees, he plays his hand harp, and makes songs to God--something a boy who cares about others' recognition would not do. People's praise counted nothing for him. And thus he was chosen.
We do so many things to look before others. Much of our pursuit--clothes, cars, house, jobs, or even spouses and kids--is about looking good to others. God calls all that abominable.
Care not for what other people think. That will be a shackle that binds you. Care for God's eyes only. You will be set free from so many things that holds you. You will be able to make significant differences eternally. You will be great truly, in His eyes.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Myanmar and My Checkbook
Myanmar happened. But my heart was not moved. One of the disadvantages of information world is that we get information-overload. We hear the bad news from all over the world ALL THE TIME. The effects are: despair (it's too much) and debilitation (does what we do make any difference?). Besides, Myanmar was far away.
My perception changed only when I received Eliza's email: that we can make a contribution through World Vision by making a few click on the computer. Here was a practical, easy way to make a difference. Now, I felt I had do something about it. Otherwise, I would feel guilty. If compassion would not do the job, let guilt have its way.
We are taking an offering for Myanmar this Sunday. Constant news of disaster can make us numb to the needs of the world. The only logical life response, I think, is to give up all things for the poor, as Jesus gave all things and became poor for us (2 Cor. 8:9). In not being able to do so, we close our hearts to the cry of the poor. We ignore the needs. We ought not. God will hold us guilty if we do.
I urge you to make a sacrificial giving. Giving must hurt. We must give until it hurts us. Do not transfer your regular offering to Myanmar; you will be cheating. Give until it hurts. Most of us can give $100, or even $1000 without hurting at all.
Jesus told us to invest into eternity. "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matt. 5:20). Will you have treasure in heaven when you get there?
I want our church to be a 51% church someday. 51% church is a church that gives 51% of its offering for missions (to the poor and for the gospel). We give currently about 39%. I hope we can make transition to give 51%. If our people would give proper tithe and offerings, we easily can. I hope you get rich, eternally.
My perception changed only when I received Eliza's email: that we can make a contribution through World Vision by making a few click on the computer. Here was a practical, easy way to make a difference. Now, I felt I had do something about it. Otherwise, I would feel guilty. If compassion would not do the job, let guilt have its way.
We are taking an offering for Myanmar this Sunday. Constant news of disaster can make us numb to the needs of the world. The only logical life response, I think, is to give up all things for the poor, as Jesus gave all things and became poor for us (2 Cor. 8:9). In not being able to do so, we close our hearts to the cry of the poor. We ignore the needs. We ought not. God will hold us guilty if we do.
I urge you to make a sacrificial giving. Giving must hurt. We must give until it hurts us. Do not transfer your regular offering to Myanmar; you will be cheating. Give until it hurts. Most of us can give $100, or even $1000 without hurting at all.
Jesus told us to invest into eternity. "Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven" (Matt. 5:20). Will you have treasure in heaven when you get there?
I want our church to be a 51% church someday. 51% church is a church that gives 51% of its offering for missions (to the poor and for the gospel). We give currently about 39%. I hope we can make transition to give 51%. If our people would give proper tithe and offerings, we easily can. I hope you get rich, eternally.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Beer, Wine and Spiritual Awakening
Last week I received an email from a JOY member. She said she was happy to hear me talk about "Reclaiming Friday Night for God." (For many Christians, Fri. had become a night of hanging out and even going out drinking We are reclaiming it as a night of worship and intercession.) She said she had been troubled by the worldly behavior of JOY members. One time, she mentioned, a TLC leader joked about a time when he/she was drunk. She was shocked.
The Bible says, "Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish. Let them drink...and remember their misery no more.... But it is not for kings." (Prov. 31:4-7) Drukenness is for those in pain, but not for those who have purpose. Further, 2 Timothy 2:2021 says, "In a large house there are articles ...some for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a person cleanses himself/herself from the latter, he/she will be an instrument for noble purposes...."
We are expecting a powerful work of God in our area. God is moving powerfully throughout our nation. For example, I went to Lakeland, FL last week and witnessed powerful healings. We are expecting a powerful work in our area also. We need to prepare it by holiness. Any revival of God was prepared by prayer and purity. It is that time.
I urge you:
1. Cleanse yourself of all worldliness.
2. If you see a brother/sister in sin, go and "gently restore" (Gal. 6:1). If you see a brother/sister in sin and walk away, you will share in the judgment of that sin because you did not warn him/her. It is like seeing a person walking toward a ditch and not warning him. We share in the blame. We live in a culture where everyone is to mind his/her own business, but that is not a biblical culture. You have a mandate to warn your brother/sister and gently restore the person. We are creating a new culture where we admonish and build each other in love.
The Bible says, "Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish. Let them drink...and remember their misery no more.... But it is not for kings." (Prov. 31:4-7) Drukenness is for those in pain, but not for those who have purpose. Further, 2 Timothy 2:2021 says, "In a large house there are articles ...some for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a person cleanses himself/herself from the latter, he/she will be an instrument for noble purposes...."
We are expecting a powerful work of God in our area. God is moving powerfully throughout our nation. For example, I went to Lakeland, FL last week and witnessed powerful healings. We are expecting a powerful work in our area also. We need to prepare it by holiness. Any revival of God was prepared by prayer and purity. It is that time.
I urge you:
1. Cleanse yourself of all worldliness.
2. If you see a brother/sister in sin, go and "gently restore" (Gal. 6:1). If you see a brother/sister in sin and walk away, you will share in the judgment of that sin because you did not warn him/her. It is like seeing a person walking toward a ditch and not warning him. We share in the blame. We live in a culture where everyone is to mind his/her own business, but that is not a biblical culture. You have a mandate to warn your brother/sister and gently restore the person. We are creating a new culture where we admonish and build each other in love.
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