Hi Team Chill :)
Just some reflections from my morning Bible reading:
"And the Lord said to Moses, “Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, ‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’” And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.”
(Exodus 32:7-10)
Out of His great love, God called the Israelites His people, He bore them on eagle's wings and brought them to Himself (Ex 19:4), He did so much for them- He rescued them from Egypt with a mighty hand and took care of every single problem they encountered on their journey (letting them safely cross the Red Sea, providing them sufficient food and water in the most miraculous ways). God does just as much for us today- calling us His own people not for any reason that we makes us deserving of it and taking care of the problems we encounter on our journey too. What God asks in return is very simple- our loyalty and that we love Him with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our strength (Deut 6:5). This made me think of some lyrics from a choir piece called "My God, You Are So Wonderful":
"Who am I, Lord, to love You so, as mighty as You are? Yet You have turned to ask of me the love of my poor heart."
We are so insignificant yet it is because God loves us that our loyalty and our hearts matter to Him, and it is because He loves us that it hurts Him when our hearts begin to turn elsewhere. So even though it may require us to give up time spent on other things or to deny our own desires, let us show God our love and loyalty by putting Him first, by saving the best parts of our day (not the leftovers) to spend quality time with Him, by observing the Sabbath day with a quiet and joyful heart of worship, and by striving to obey His commandments in our everyday lives; to love God because He first loved us.
Hope you all had a lovely week and that you have a delightful and restful Sabbath tonight and tomorrow!
God bless,
Abigail
Friday, November 17, 2017
Sunday, October 29, 2017
Skies & Sunsets
I love to take pictures of the sky (a pretty well-known fact about myself). Yesterday, I saw a breathtaking sunset on the way home from church and this is the thought that came into mind:
When all we can see is the never-ending busyness of our schedules and unfinished projects, our faithful God gives us good reason to look up -
To set our eyes on what is bigger than the lists, decisions, and deadlines,
To gaze on the daily but never-duplicated beauty He paints across the sky, as a tiny glimpse into His extravagance,
To witness the moment each day when our Father reminds us:
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3)
The hope we have is: yes, the everyday mundaneness and to-do list can be never-ending but so is the grace of God, making it always possible for us to press on with grateful praise for everyday faithfulness.
It's going to be a grueling week ahead and I'm struggling in preparation for my very challenging midterm on Tuesday, so may God give me the strength to do my best and trust in God through the rough patches of the week and for the peace to let go of what I cannot control and let God.
Today, I have been listening to this hymn recording on repeat. "His Promise to Me" is one of my absolute favorite hymns and reminds me that God will be enough, no matter what we may face in the days ahead. This recording was sung by my project team at this year's MMP and as I listened to it, a flood of memories came rushing back and the nostalgia is definitely back.
The one thing that popped into my mind was how one of the team leads would always remind us at the start of every project session - "We must not forget why we are doing this. I know it can get tiring to sing the whole day, but we know that we have this mission so that when people listen to these recordings they can be touched and strengthened by the amazing love of God that shines through every word we sing." I myself feel so blessed to have these recordings to listen to when I'm feeling weak and in need of comfort and hope. I am so grateful that we have music as a tool to rejoice in the presence of our Lord, to experience heaven on earth as well as within our hearts, and to transform ourselves from a people of constant complaint to a people of powerful praise.
Here's to a new week! Let's do this - God's got our back. :)
When all we can see is the never-ending busyness of our schedules and unfinished projects, our faithful God gives us good reason to look up -
To set our eyes on what is bigger than the lists, decisions, and deadlines,
To gaze on the daily but never-duplicated beauty He paints across the sky, as a tiny glimpse into His extravagance,
To witness the moment each day when our Father reminds us:
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord's name is to be praised. (Psalm 113:3)
The hope we have is: yes, the everyday mundaneness and to-do list can be never-ending but so is the grace of God, making it always possible for us to press on with grateful praise for everyday faithfulness.
It's going to be a grueling week ahead and I'm struggling in preparation for my very challenging midterm on Tuesday, so may God give me the strength to do my best and trust in God through the rough patches of the week and for the peace to let go of what I cannot control and let God.
Today, I have been listening to this hymn recording on repeat. "His Promise to Me" is one of my absolute favorite hymns and reminds me that God will be enough, no matter what we may face in the days ahead. This recording was sung by my project team at this year's MMP and as I listened to it, a flood of memories came rushing back and the nostalgia is definitely back.
The one thing that popped into my mind was how one of the team leads would always remind us at the start of every project session - "We must not forget why we are doing this. I know it can get tiring to sing the whole day, but we know that we have this mission so that when people listen to these recordings they can be touched and strengthened by the amazing love of God that shines through every word we sing." I myself feel so blessed to have these recordings to listen to when I'm feeling weak and in need of comfort and hope. I am so grateful that we have music as a tool to rejoice in the presence of our Lord, to experience heaven on earth as well as within our hearts, and to transform ourselves from a people of constant complaint to a people of powerful praise.
Here's to a new week! Let's do this - God's got our back. :)
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
I Will Be With You
Hi Team Chill!
"I Will Be With You" (based on Haggai 1:13) was the title of a sermon from ESSC in Chicago that moved me to tears. In the midst of stressful assignments and much time away from home in Houston, this phrase comforted me beyond any other words I could have asked to hear—surely it is our greatest strength and peace to know that God is dwelling beside us, loving us, and guiding us no matter where we go or what we do. I have seen in so many ways how God has been with me these past 6.5 weeks while in college, and my life has really been like a counselor's sharing from NYTS: even on the days I did not think much about God, He reached out to me.
Below are simply just some of the blessings I have experienced from Him this past month and a half since moving to Chicago :)
Single in A Double
I did not know that having no roommate in a room with two beds, two desks, and two closets all in almost double the space of a single would be such a great blessing. The probability of all this happening was so unlikely, and I am reminded of God's love to me each time I enter my room and am able to pray, to store my things wherever I want, and to have quiet time. While some might feel that this living situation could be quite lonely, I have learned that time alone is time to truly experience God and to feel His presence; it's almost all as if God is my own roommate, keeping me company through all the times I feel lonely.
A Beautiful Campus
The view every time I walk out of my dorm, bike by the music building, or run by the lake always astounds me—the skyline of Chicago, the rays cast by the sun, and the shimmering blue water of the lake are unbelievably beautiful. I have realized that God has put me here in this gorgeous place to continually remind me of His goodness and greatness; all I must do is look out the window.
Good Friends
Without a doubt, God knows what I need. I have shared with all of you my fear of loneliness, but from the very first day since arriving here, He has given me such good friends who ask me to eat with them or to hang out in my room every day. Although my friends here are not in church, I can feel God's love to me through them all the time; such good friends as these can only be given by God, for "every good gift...is from above" (Jas 1:17).
Always the Right Timing
God has shown over and over how He is control of my time. For example, today I planned to remotely join Houston RE prayer at 9:30 PM, and while before I wasn't sure if I could finish my math homework today, I finished right at 9:29. This also happened last week with a Chicago youth prayer, when I finished my homework 9:59 when prayer was at 10 PM. There was also a time when I planned to return something to Amazon, and I could not find a UPS dropoff station. It just so happened that right at the moment I crossed the street to continue looking for a station, I saw a UPS truck driving by and rolling to a stop about 100 feet away, and because there was much traffic at the time, the driver was not driving especially quickly. I was able to simply give my box to the driver because UPS trucks often have their right hand-side doors wide open—it was all so easy, and all I could think was "Thank God, thank God." Lastly, in the beginning of the quarter registering for classes was stressful—I was trying to enter the only section of math that worked with my schedule, but it was already full. However, on the very last day registering for classes was allowed, I went up to the office for math and they gave me a 4-number code that resolved it all: I was able to register for that class in under 5 seconds so easily. The perfection found in all this timing testifies of God's guidance and presence, always at the right time.
Church and Family Away from Home
Before coming to Chicago, one of my biggest stresses was how I would get to and from church. However, when my first weekend in Chicago came around, transportation worked out so smoothly that there was no denying God's providence through it all. Every week since the first weekend a brother has picked me up from my dorm on Friday, a family has let me stay at their house Friday night and taken me to church the next day, and another sister takes me back to my dorm on Saturday. The family I stay with weekly on Friday nights is like my family away from home. They give me such good food, make my bed so warm and comfy, and show me overall so much love by letting me stay at their house. The first time I entered their home I was almost crying—their house reminds me so much of my home in Houston that I couldn't help but think God has provided all this for me to reassure me in my homesickness. Through all of this I have learned that as long as we have the desire to seek God, He will provide us with the rest, and we will always, always be made strong in our weaknesses through His sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9).
I hope that sharing the blessings I have received compels all of you to reflect upon how God has been with you also, because He has promised us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). For as long as God is with us, what else do we need?
God bless,
Sophia
"I Will Be With You" (based on Haggai 1:13) was the title of a sermon from ESSC in Chicago that moved me to tears. In the midst of stressful assignments and much time away from home in Houston, this phrase comforted me beyond any other words I could have asked to hear—surely it is our greatest strength and peace to know that God is dwelling beside us, loving us, and guiding us no matter where we go or what we do. I have seen in so many ways how God has been with me these past 6.5 weeks while in college, and my life has really been like a counselor's sharing from NYTS: even on the days I did not think much about God, He reached out to me.
Below are simply just some of the blessings I have experienced from Him this past month and a half since moving to Chicago :)
Single in A Double
I did not know that having no roommate in a room with two beds, two desks, and two closets all in almost double the space of a single would be such a great blessing. The probability of all this happening was so unlikely, and I am reminded of God's love to me each time I enter my room and am able to pray, to store my things wherever I want, and to have quiet time. While some might feel that this living situation could be quite lonely, I have learned that time alone is time to truly experience God and to feel His presence; it's almost all as if God is my own roommate, keeping me company through all the times I feel lonely.
A Beautiful Campus
The view every time I walk out of my dorm, bike by the music building, or run by the lake always astounds me—the skyline of Chicago, the rays cast by the sun, and the shimmering blue water of the lake are unbelievably beautiful. I have realized that God has put me here in this gorgeous place to continually remind me of His goodness and greatness; all I must do is look out the window.
Good Friends
Without a doubt, God knows what I need. I have shared with all of you my fear of loneliness, but from the very first day since arriving here, He has given me such good friends who ask me to eat with them or to hang out in my room every day. Although my friends here are not in church, I can feel God's love to me through them all the time; such good friends as these can only be given by God, for "every good gift...is from above" (Jas 1:17).
Always the Right Timing
God has shown over and over how He is control of my time. For example, today I planned to remotely join Houston RE prayer at 9:30 PM, and while before I wasn't sure if I could finish my math homework today, I finished right at 9:29. This also happened last week with a Chicago youth prayer, when I finished my homework 9:59 when prayer was at 10 PM. There was also a time when I planned to return something to Amazon, and I could not find a UPS dropoff station. It just so happened that right at the moment I crossed the street to continue looking for a station, I saw a UPS truck driving by and rolling to a stop about 100 feet away, and because there was much traffic at the time, the driver was not driving especially quickly. I was able to simply give my box to the driver because UPS trucks often have their right hand-side doors wide open—it was all so easy, and all I could think was "Thank God, thank God." Lastly, in the beginning of the quarter registering for classes was stressful—I was trying to enter the only section of math that worked with my schedule, but it was already full. However, on the very last day registering for classes was allowed, I went up to the office for math and they gave me a 4-number code that resolved it all: I was able to register for that class in under 5 seconds so easily. The perfection found in all this timing testifies of God's guidance and presence, always at the right time.
Church and Family Away from Home
Before coming to Chicago, one of my biggest stresses was how I would get to and from church. However, when my first weekend in Chicago came around, transportation worked out so smoothly that there was no denying God's providence through it all. Every week since the first weekend a brother has picked me up from my dorm on Friday, a family has let me stay at their house Friday night and taken me to church the next day, and another sister takes me back to my dorm on Saturday. The family I stay with weekly on Friday nights is like my family away from home. They give me such good food, make my bed so warm and comfy, and show me overall so much love by letting me stay at their house. The first time I entered their home I was almost crying—their house reminds me so much of my home in Houston that I couldn't help but think God has provided all this for me to reassure me in my homesickness. Through all of this I have learned that as long as we have the desire to seek God, He will provide us with the rest, and we will always, always be made strong in our weaknesses through His sufficient grace (2 Cor. 12:9).
I hope that sharing the blessings I have received compels all of you to reflect upon how God has been with you also, because He has promised us, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Heb. 13:5). For as long as God is with us, what else do we need?
God bless,
Sophia
Psalm of Devotion
Hi Everyone!
Praise and thank God for the encouraging posts! It really brightens my day and strengthens my faith to read these. Hope everyone is doing well and is pressing onward in their post-NYTS goals!
Yesterday was an opportunity to learn how to choose joy. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my 12 hour days of work and class back to back and by the end of it, I usually don't feel so well physically (It makes me appreciate what nurses do and anyone who has to work 12 hour shifts). But surely, by God's grace, we can get through the most brutal and exhausting of days.
Psalm 139 has been on my mind lately and I happened to come across this song inspired by this passage. May these words be our source of comfort, reminding us that even when our strength runs out, God's strength goes on.
Lord, You have searched me,
Father, You know me.
Your Spirit knows when I rest or rise,
My every care is known,
I never walk alone,
I cannot wander from Your eyes.
Where can I hide from Your Spirit?
I am surrounded by Your boundless grace.
Where can I go?
If I ride the wings of dawn,
You are my Morning Song.
I rest secure in Your embrace.
You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine.
Lord, You created me in my mother's womb,
You knit me with infinite care.
In such amazing ways, You crafted me for praise.
You gave me love and life to share.
Come now, and search me Lord, I surrender all.
Come and speak to me Your perfect Word and love.
Look deep within my heart, and let the healing start,
Raise me to higher things above!
You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine.
Praise and thank God for the encouraging posts! It really brightens my day and strengthens my faith to read these. Hope everyone is doing well and is pressing onward in their post-NYTS goals!
Yesterday was an opportunity to learn how to choose joy. Tuesdays and Thursdays are my 12 hour days of work and class back to back and by the end of it, I usually don't feel so well physically (It makes me appreciate what nurses do and anyone who has to work 12 hour shifts). But surely, by God's grace, we can get through the most brutal and exhausting of days.
Psalm 139 has been on my mind lately and I happened to come across this song inspired by this passage. May these words be our source of comfort, reminding us that even when our strength runs out, God's strength goes on.
Lord, You have searched me,
Father, You know me.
Your Spirit knows when I rest or rise,
My every care is known,
I never walk alone,
I cannot wander from Your eyes.
Where can I hide from Your Spirit?
I am surrounded by Your boundless grace.
Where can I go?
If I ride the wings of dawn,
You are my Morning Song.
I rest secure in Your embrace.
You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine.
Lord, You created me in my mother's womb,
You knit me with infinite care.
In such amazing ways, You crafted me for praise.
You gave me love and life to share.
Come now, and search me Lord, I surrender all.
Come and speak to me Your perfect Word and love.
Look deep within my heart, and let the healing start,
Raise me to higher things above!
You are my Maker, You are Creator.
You spoke the Word and there was life!
You are my Maker, my Keeper and Sustainer.
I am Your design, formed by Your love divine.
Lord, I am Yours, and You are mine.
What we must buy from God
I'm not very good at writing but I just really enjoyed all the sharings and reflections everyone's posted and I thought I'd share what I learned from my bible reading. Hopefully our awesome team can keep all these sharing/reflections going!
- - - - - - -
“And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God's creation. “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.
I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see." (Revelations 3:14-18)
- - - - - - -
Here Jesus is furious at the church of Laodicea for being lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, and wants to spit them out. They say that they are rich, but they are in fact poor. They say that they have need of nothing, but they are naked, They say that they have prospered, but they are pitiable.
At first, it may just seem like they are materially wealthy and have lots of possession but have no faith towards God. But I think their situation is actually slightly different -- I think that they actually still worship God, pray to God, and do everything that a church does, however, inwardly, they do not really feel the need for God and thus the works they do are just out of doing things for the sake of doing it, or "self-justification".
Being lukewarm, the church in Laodicea is still functioning and is still operating, but Jesus is not satisfied, and later tells them that they need to be more zealous. However, this church is merely "cruising" through each Sabbath, just going through the motions, being neither zealous nor absent. And beyond church, into their daily lives, they feel it's okay if I don't "need" God, it's okay if I don't involve God in my daily life, to mix my faith into the different pieces of my life.
So do we say in our hearts "without Jesus we are nothing", or "without Jesus I can still get by"? Our actions can tell us whether or not we are lukewarm. Do we find that it is okay if we miss our daily time with God? Do we find that it's okay not to love our brothers and sisters? Do we find it okay to give excuses to do things at church if we have "higher priorities" in our regular lives?
And the reason I'm sharing this is because I feel like as I progress more and more into this working life, it's easier to feel like I don't lack anything when in fact I am sometimes struggling to find God's presence in my everyday life. After NYTS I made the determination that in every day, after work I'm going to pray first, and that prayer must be one where God truly satisfies me. But often times, even if I don't skip prayer, I go straight back to my media which is much more "easy" and "instantaneous" satisfaction. I sometimes wonder, after all the prayer that I did today, sometimes 30 minutes, sometimes 1 hour, why can't I even bring myself to put my bible reading reflection above another youtube video? I know what being lukewarm feels like, and it's very comfortable, a little too comfortable.
So if we are lukewarm, God counsels us to buy from Him gold refined by fire, white garments, and eye salve! Wait what? And Jesus just referred to them as poor, so how do they buy? Let's take a look at Isaiah 55, God tells this to the Israelites:
- - - - - - -
Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.
- - - - - - -
Even though the church of Laodicea is poor according to Jesus, but He actually gives them this hope in "buying" from God- that we don't need money, but the food is so abundant, and the water never ceases to flow. All we have to do is to listen and delight ourselves in the words of God and it will be given to us free of charge.
Therefore, the first step of "buying", is simply listening and then we just have to enjoy it! So often, I feel like we hear so much from sermons and all, but how often do we enjoy our Sabbaths? I think Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath, didn't give us Sabbath so that we could take a nap, daydream, or interrupt our school, it's so that we can delight in it :)
I also just realized that this topic is about what we must buy... and I haven't gotten to the gold, white garments, or eye salve. I'm so off topic :( But ... "to be continued!!" Haha please feel free to leave your thoughts and comments! :)
In Christ,
John
Friday, October 20, 2017
be thankful
Hi guys!
Whoo it's October already! Thank God :) Just wanted to share something I learned that's helped me through the recently busy times at school. I realize that it's during times like these that I start to complain more. Whether to others or within myself, I complain that I'm tired, that school is hard, that there's so much work to be done and not enough time to do it. But thank God, He's helped me realize that the things I feel like complaining about are actually things I should be thankful for through a related example in the Bible.
"Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them." (Exodus 2:23-25)
"Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” (Numbers 20:4-5)
Out of His great love and because He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God personally rescued the Israelites from the sorrows and cruel bondage they faced in Egypt. He saw the oppression of His people and heard their cry and delivered them. Yet as soon as they faced a problem such as the Egyptians pursuing them, having no bread or meat, lacking water, they would complain. They would complain why they were brought up out of Egypt as if they had completely forgotten how they had once cried out to God because of the suffering.
For me, I realize that I was once praying to God about guiding my path to college. I was also once praying that certain classes that I'm taking right now would open up after being filled and closed (and thank God they did!). Then how can I, similar to the Israelites, complain about the very things God graciously granted me after He heard my prayers? I am reminded that I should be thankful that I'm busy with school, that I do have a lot of work to do, because being in college and having tough courses are God's blessings to me too.
One of my goals for this semester and forward is to be always thanking God and remembering how He has provided for me. In every situation, I can choose to look for all the ways I wish my life could be better or for things I am discontent with or I can choose to look around at all the things God has already given me and trust that what He's given is already the best. Rather than groaning or complaining during slightly stressful times, I want to look back and remember how I'm only where I am today because God has led me this far, to not forget His goodness to me but to pass each day with a grateful and joyful heart and to truly say "Thank you, Lord, for everything."
May God continue to guide and bless you all:)
Whoo it's October already! Thank God :) Just wanted to share something I learned that's helped me through the recently busy times at school. I realize that it's during times like these that I start to complain more. Whether to others or within myself, I complain that I'm tired, that school is hard, that there's so much work to be done and not enough time to do it. But thank God, He's helped me realize that the things I feel like complaining about are actually things I should be thankful for through a related example in the Bible.
"Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them." (Exodus 2:23-25)
"Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our animals should die here? And why have you made us come up out of Egypt, to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates; nor is there any water to drink.” (Numbers 20:4-5)
Out of His great love and because He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God personally rescued the Israelites from the sorrows and cruel bondage they faced in Egypt. He saw the oppression of His people and heard their cry and delivered them. Yet as soon as they faced a problem such as the Egyptians pursuing them, having no bread or meat, lacking water, they would complain. They would complain why they were brought up out of Egypt as if they had completely forgotten how they had once cried out to God because of the suffering.
For me, I realize that I was once praying to God about guiding my path to college. I was also once praying that certain classes that I'm taking right now would open up after being filled and closed (and thank God they did!). Then how can I, similar to the Israelites, complain about the very things God graciously granted me after He heard my prayers? I am reminded that I should be thankful that I'm busy with school, that I do have a lot of work to do, because being in college and having tough courses are God's blessings to me too.
One of my goals for this semester and forward is to be always thanking God and remembering how He has provided for me. In every situation, I can choose to look for all the ways I wish my life could be better or for things I am discontent with or I can choose to look around at all the things God has already given me and trust that what He's given is already the best. Rather than groaning or complaining during slightly stressful times, I want to look back and remember how I'm only where I am today because God has led me this far, to not forget His goodness to me but to pass each day with a grateful and joyful heart and to truly say "Thank you, Lord, for everything."
May God continue to guide and bless you all:)
Sunday, October 1, 2017
Pre-Fall Quarter Fuel
Hello! :)
How is everyone doing? School started for me last week so it got super busy!
Praise and thank God for such a wonderful ESSC last weekend in Sac! I am especially grateful for the perfect timing of it all. It was the last weekend of summer before school starts so work is not too crazy (yet) as there are few students on campus this week, so I was able to get the day off on Friday and attend the whole day of ESSC. Since classes also have not started, it was a blessing to spend this quiet time with God free of distraction. I feel spiritually refreshed - feeling better about the upcoming school year and uncertain future plans and refueled with strength and motivation!
It felt like God was speaking to me directly through each sermon, testimony, hymn and choir presentation. God is truly so gracious. I am beginning to understand more and more all of the things God has done and continues to do for me - especially the still, small voice, food and water, and the power to pray. Reflecting on the grace upon grace received this weekend, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a sister a couple years ago (God reminded me of it in prayer because my actual memory sucks).
Even though we are just one out of billions of people, God cares whether or not we will be saved, whether or not we have the right motivation to serve, for He loves us to the end of eternity. Everything that happens to us: yesterday, today, five years ago, even tomorrow, He cares about. All our struggles, our pride, our pain, He cares about them all. He cares whether or not we bear His image and whether we will be saved. Not being saved hurts God the most.
From studying the parable of the sower this weekend, I was reminded that the four circumstances teach us many valuable lessons to better our servitude and adjust our heart of worship. From the seeds that lingered by the wayside, we know that we must truly listen whenever we hear the word of God through sermons and our personal Bible reading. Without genuine listening, how can we expect to be able to respond and bear fruit? From the seeds that landed in the rocky places, we are reminded that even if you have rooted yourself, this doesn't mean that you will always have root and bear good fruit, inspiring us to never stop reflecting and examining ourselves lest we fall. From the seeds that fell on thorny ground, we are prompted to ponder: Is there something in our lives that we love more than God? If there is, we serve God with no strength. To overcome weariness in servitude, we must stop and change our mindset; what can we sacrifice so that we will have more time for God? (For me, it would be less time watching Youtube among other time-wasters). Lastly, from the seeds sown on good ground, we realize that even though many serve God, not everyone bears fruit. Many different people in the Bible have prayed, offered sacrifices, and other things that seemed like it was done for God, but God was not pleased. Thus, we must learn to be after God's heart and follow His will in all that we do, from our prayers to our work for Him.
A few other highlights:
-The most powerful servitude is one that comes from a heart of gratitude.
-A good foundation and high elevation is essential in times of flood.
-Knowing the existence of God starts with your mind, then your words, then your heart, and through your actions. The actions you take are most important, declaring whether your knowledge of God is true and genuine.
-Do we really put Lord Jesus first in our life? It is only when we have God in mind for every move we make can we truly express our heartfelt thanksgiving and praise, walk worthy of our calling, and not take God's grace for granted.
There really are so many things I can do better for Christ. May we continue to press onward!
How is everyone doing? School started for me last week so it got super busy!
Praise and thank God for such a wonderful ESSC last weekend in Sac! I am especially grateful for the perfect timing of it all. It was the last weekend of summer before school starts so work is not too crazy (yet) as there are few students on campus this week, so I was able to get the day off on Friday and attend the whole day of ESSC. Since classes also have not started, it was a blessing to spend this quiet time with God free of distraction. I feel spiritually refreshed - feeling better about the upcoming school year and uncertain future plans and refueled with strength and motivation!
It felt like God was speaking to me directly through each sermon, testimony, hymn and choir presentation. God is truly so gracious. I am beginning to understand more and more all of the things God has done and continues to do for me - especially the still, small voice, food and water, and the power to pray. Reflecting on the grace upon grace received this weekend, I was reminded of a conversation I had with a sister a couple years ago (God reminded me of it in prayer because my actual memory sucks).
God does great things as we take each little step towards Him - He doesn’t just meet you halfway, He comes all the way to you. He wraps His hands around your heart and stays there until the heart warms up from being stone cold and start to beat again. With the analogy of pride as internal bleeding, God could really let us go on like that since He has already given us so much, more than we ever deserve. The pride would continue and we wouldn’t even know about it. God can let us go on like that, and one day it will kill us. But He doesn't.
Even though we are just one out of billions of people, God cares whether or not we will be saved, whether or not we have the right motivation to serve, for He loves us to the end of eternity. Everything that happens to us: yesterday, today, five years ago, even tomorrow, He cares about. All our struggles, our pride, our pain, He cares about them all. He cares whether or not we bear His image and whether we will be saved. Not being saved hurts God the most.
From studying the parable of the sower this weekend, I was reminded that the four circumstances teach us many valuable lessons to better our servitude and adjust our heart of worship. From the seeds that lingered by the wayside, we know that we must truly listen whenever we hear the word of God through sermons and our personal Bible reading. Without genuine listening, how can we expect to be able to respond and bear fruit? From the seeds that landed in the rocky places, we are reminded that even if you have rooted yourself, this doesn't mean that you will always have root and bear good fruit, inspiring us to never stop reflecting and examining ourselves lest we fall. From the seeds that fell on thorny ground, we are prompted to ponder: Is there something in our lives that we love more than God? If there is, we serve God with no strength. To overcome weariness in servitude, we must stop and change our mindset; what can we sacrifice so that we will have more time for God? (For me, it would be less time watching Youtube among other time-wasters). Lastly, from the seeds sown on good ground, we realize that even though many serve God, not everyone bears fruit. Many different people in the Bible have prayed, offered sacrifices, and other things that seemed like it was done for God, but God was not pleased. Thus, we must learn to be after God's heart and follow His will in all that we do, from our prayers to our work for Him.
A few other highlights:
-The most powerful servitude is one that comes from a heart of gratitude.
-A good foundation and high elevation is essential in times of flood.
-Knowing the existence of God starts with your mind, then your words, then your heart, and through your actions. The actions you take are most important, declaring whether your knowledge of God is true and genuine.
-Do we really put Lord Jesus first in our life? It is only when we have God in mind for every move we make can we truly express our heartfelt thanksgiving and praise, walk worthy of our calling, and not take God's grace for granted.
There really are so many things I can do better for Christ. May we continue to press onward!
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