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May 30, 2021

"Facing Suffering as Christians"(Job 42:1-7)

 Job 42:1-7

 

The story Job has a questionable happy ending. The loss of his sons and daughters seems too much to be ever compensated. Yet, Job still praises God, and he gains some new insights into suffering and the nature of God. The first insight is that God is far more powerful than we can imagine.

 

Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said: “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me. “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? “Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set bars and doors, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed’?

Job 38:1-11 ESV

 

God takes care of all these things and suffering is inevitable. One decision cannot change everything. Our suffering might bring relief to someone else, but the reality is that God is beyond our understanding. His greatness is much more than we can comprehend. When our prayers are unanswered, we should be open minded and not limit God in our plans. Rather we should try to find out what God’s plans are for us in His kingdom.

 

‘Hear, and I will speak; I will question you, and you make it known to me.’

Job 42:4 ESV

 

The second insight is that we need to listen to God and not the other way around. God does not always answer our prayer the way we always think. God's plan for us is not always what we think it should be. God wants us to know him. It is our unanswered prayers which are affirmations to God's plan. We should trust and leave up our destination to Him.

 

The third insight of Job is we need to experience God.

 

I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes.”

Job 42:5-6 ESV

 

Job may have heard if God and even understood the theology of God, but Job had not experienced God. We need to experience God through direct experience in order to know him. God is a divine being, but we still have the responsibility to know God and to experience God. Jesus taught us to pray to God to know him through the experience of depending of God daily.

 

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread,

Matthew 6:9-11 ESV

 

Job knows God and has a relationship with God.

“Remember: who that was innocent ever perished? Or where were the upright cut off? As I have seen, those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same.

Job 4:7-8 ESV

 

Job is honest with God and tells him what he really thinks. It is this genuine relationship with God which makes his complaint not a sin. The same cannot be said about his friends who do not know God.

 

“Behold, God will not reject a blameless man, nor take the hand of evildoers.

Job 8:20 ESV

 

Job's friends may know Levitical and Deuteronomic laws, but they do not know God.

 

God demands our absolute devotion and obedience, but he is also merciful and loving towards us. The duality of God can he confounding to us because of our black and white thinking towards God. Yet, in God’s profound wisdom which transcends our collective wisdom over the ages, we are at best left speechless when trying to explain why God lets events happen the way they do. Sometimes, all we can say is, “I don’t know.”

 

Worship Songs



One Way
 

May 23, 2021

"Candidates for Failure"(Deuteronomy 1:1-8)

 Deuteronomy 1:1-8

 The Israelites were almost at the promised land in Canna. The journey by foot should only had taken 11 days, but instead it took 40 years. The fact was that the Israelites still did not fully trust God and were not permitted to enter the promised land. Despite several miracles, providence and fulfilled prophecies, the people murmured every time there was a problem. It was the same when the Israelite scouts went in.

 Where are we going up? Our brothers have made our hearts melt, saying, “The people are greater and taller than we. The cities are great and fortified up to heaven. And besides, we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.”

Deuteronomy 1:28 ESV

 The fear was not just caused by the serious threats that they faced. It was their hearts.

 Yet in spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your God,

Deuteronomy 1:32 ESV

 

There are three types of people.

1.       Those who are without plans.

2.       Those who make foolish plan.

3.       Those who make wise plans.

We want to be like the third kind of person who seeks God to make wise plans.

 We also need to be aware that our success and failure on different goals may make us candidates for failure.

1.       Failing to succeed on the right thing.

2.       Succeeding on the wrong thing

3.       Failing on what God wants me to do.

4.       Succeeding on what God wants you to do.

 

Here are two type of candidates who will fail in the kingdom of God.

 

 Candidate 1

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So, whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:13-17 ESV

 James warns us of making plans especially for our own gain and profit since it does not include God. We should put God first in our plans.

 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV

 We need to ask what the will of God is in our life. By seeking God first, we will find the will of God.

 

Candidate 2

 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’

Luke 12:16-20 ESV

 The rich man has so much that he no longer needs to worry and can now retire. However, God tells the rich man that it is time for him to die. The rich man does not seek God on how to use his wealth. This is his mistake. The rich man did not understand the sovereignty of God and focused on his pleasure.

 We live in a world that indulges in the self. Yet, we are called to be channels of blessings. As we give away, God will give.

 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 ESV

 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 ESV

 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23 ESV

 We need to know Jesus and accept Jesus as our savior. 

 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

Luke 15:7 ESV

 Jesus calls us to serve and make disciples.

 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

 Let us make our plans according to God’s will so that we would be candidates for success.




May 16, 2021

2021 May Event

















"Facing Marah"(Exodus 15:22-27)

 Exodus 15:22-27

After the Israelites escaped Egypt and the Pharaoh’s army, they were going through the desert and could not find any water. Three days before, they were singing praises to God for the great works He had done. Now, the Israelites turned to grumbling against God because they could not find water.

 

Arriving at Marah, the grace of God had lost its impact on the lives of the Israelites, and they were no longer engaging in praise or worship. Water is now what they desired most, but the Marah water was so bitter that it could not be drunk. Their focus has shifted from God’s grace to their need of water and then to their disappointment in not receiving immediately what they desired. These malcontents then blamed Moses and God.

 

Everyone will face hard times in their lives. As Christians, we, too, are going to face bitterness and sorrow. However, when we face bitter situations and sorrowful moments, we should be grateful that God has given us opportunities to sacrifice. We should remember God’s grace for us and focus on that with the understanding that as God has given to us, we can give back to God. We need also to remember that God is always with us.

 

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Exodus 13:22 ESV

 

God was always with them guiding them through the wilderness. Yet, even with God in front of them they could not see that God was rescuing them. So often God is working in our lives, but when we focus so much on the problems, we can convince ourselves that God is not there. God is with us and wants to save us. So much so that he sent His Son Jesus.

 

She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21 ESV

 

The Israelites turned to grumbling which made the problem seem bigger than God despite the fact they had just witnessed God humiliate the most powerful nation in the region as well as rescue them from slavery. When we face bitterness in our lives, we need to pray.

 

And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a log, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. There the Lord made for them a statute and a rule, and there he tested them,

Exodus 15:25 ESV

 

God could have told Moses to go to Elim, but instead God turned the bitter water into sweet water. This was done after Moses prayed to God, and God gave Moses’ instructions how to turn the bitter water sweet. In this way, the problem of bitterness was addressed and transformed into

 

We see this often in the Bible such as Hannah praying for a son. Hannah in her sorrow seeks God's help in consistent and fervent prayer.

 

God allows bad things to happen in our lives. He allows bitterness to happen, so we will grow closer to God and be used in his ministry. God wants to teach us how to pray and sometimes it is those sour moments that get our attention. Our earnest prayers can glorify God  which is better than just complaining and doing nothing else.

 

The truth is that we cannot escape or ignore bitterness in our lives, but if we face it with the Holy Spirit, we can turn the bitterness into sweetness. This will glorify God and be a testimony of His merciful character.



Worship Songs;
I Could Sing of Your Love Forever
Your Grace Is Enough
How He Loves

 

How He Loves

How He Loves

CCLI Song # 5032549 John Mark McMillan

Verse 1 
He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane 
I am a tree bending beneath   
The weight of His wind and mercy   
 

When all of a sudden I am unaware of   
These afflictions eclipsed by glory     
and I realize just how beautiful You are   
And how great Your affections are for me     
 

Pre-Chorus     
Oh how He loves us so    
Oh how He loves us    
How He loves us so(all)    
 

D.C     
 

Chorus    
(Yeah) He loves us    
Oh how He loves us    
Oh how He loves us    
Oh how He loves      
 

Verse 2     
We are His portion and He is our prize    
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes    
If grace is an ocean we're all sinking    
      
So Heaven meets earth    
Like a
sloppy wet (unforeseen) kiss    
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest    
and I don't have time to maintain these regrets    
When I think about the way
that    
 

Pre-Chorus    
Oh how He loves us so    
Oh how He loves us    
How He loves us so(all)      
 

Chorus      
(Yeah) He loves us    
Oh how He loves us    
Oh how He loves us    
Oh how He loves    
(REPEAT)   

HOW HE LOVES CHORDS by David Crowder*Band @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com

David Crowder Band - How He Loves (Lyrics And Chords)

John Mark McMillan - How He Loves - Lyric Video




주의 사랑
CCLI Song # 6358239
John Mark McMillan


Verse 1

주는 질투하네
감당할 수 없이 몰아치는
태풍 같은 주님의 사랑과 자비

내 주 영광 안에
나 조차도 모르게 내 고통은 사라지네
나는 아네 너무 아름다우신 주님
어찌 날 사랑하는지

오 주의 사랑 오 오 크신 사랑
주의 그 사랑
(X2)


Chorus

오 주 사랑 오 크신 사랑
오 크신 사랑 오 주 사랑

Verse 2

그 은혜로 이끌어 구원하네
주 우리 상급 우린 주의 기업
은혜의 바다 속에 빠져가네

저 하늘과 이 땅이 만나는 그 순간
나의 마음은 곧 변화되네
난 멈출 수 없네
주의 길을 따라 가리라 주께

Chorus

오 주 사랑 오 크신 사랑
오 크신 사랑 오 주 사랑
(REPEAT)


How He Loves 
 
주의 사랑 
 

  He is jealous for me 
  Loves like a hurricane 
  I am a tree bending beneath 
  The weight of His wind and mercy 
 
주는 질투하네 감당할 수 없이 몰아치는 
 
태풍 같은 주님의 사랑과 자비 

  When all of a sudden 
  I am unaware of these 
  Afflictions eclipsed by glory 
 
내 주 영광 안에 
 
나 조차도 모르게 내 고통은 사라지네 

  And I realize just how beautiful you are and 
  How great Your affections are for me 
 
나는 아네 너무 아름다우신 주님 
 
어찌 날 사랑하는지 
 

  Oh how He loves us so 
 
Oh how He loves us 
 
How He loves us so 
 
오 주의 사랑 오 오 크신 사랑 
 
주의 그 사랑 
 

  He is jealous for me 
  Loves like a hurricane 
  I am a tree bending beneath 
  The weight of His wind and mercy 
 
주는 질투하네 감당할 수 없이 몰아치는 
 
태풍 같은 주님의 사랑과 자비 

  When all of a sudden 
  I am unaware of these 
  Afflictions eclipsed by glory 
 
내 주 영광 안에 
 
나 조차도 모르게 내 고통은 사라지네 

  And I realize just how beautiful you are and 
  How great Your affections are for me 
 
나는 아네 너무 아름다우신 주님 
 
어찌 날 사랑하는지 
 

  Oh how He loves us so 
  Oh how He loves us
 
 
How He loves us so 
 
오 주의 사랑 오 오 크신 사랑 
 
주의 그 사랑 
 

  Yeah He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves
 
 
오 주 사랑 오 크신 사랑 
 
오 크신 사랑 오 주 사랑 
 

  We are His portion and 
  He is our prize 
  Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes 
  If grace is an ocean we're all sinking 
 
그 은혜로 이끌어 구원하네 
 
주 우리 상급 우린 주의 기업 
 
은혜의 바다 속에 빠져가네 

  So heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss  
  And my heart turns violently inside of my chest 
 
저 하늘과 이 땅이 만나는 그 순간 
 
나의 마음은 곧 변화되네 

  I don't have time to maintain these regrets 
  When I think about the way 
 
난 멈출 수 없네 
 
주의 길을 따라 가리라 주께 
 

  Yeah He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves Us 
  Oh, How He Loves
 
 
오 주 사랑 오 크신 사랑 
 
오 크신 사랑 오 주 사랑