Hungry

"Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your..."

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 09:16:02 -0800

“Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

- Colossians 3:2-3, ESV

"A mature Christian is easily edified."

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 21:59:17 -0800

“A mature Christian is easily edified.”

- Dr. Harold M. Best

Merry Christmas everyone! “For unto us a child is born, ...

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:08:41 -0800

Merry Christmas everyone!

“For unto us a child is born,
unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder:
and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace”
- Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)

Matt Redman - Never Once

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:02:46 -0700

Matt Redman - Never Once

"Fear plays an interesting role in our lives. How dare we let it motivate us? How dare we let it into..."

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 14:51:15 -0700

“Fear plays an interesting role in our lives. How dare we let it motivate us? How dare we let it into our decision-making, into our livelihoods, into our relationships? It’s funny, isn’t it, we take a day a year to dress up in costume and celebrate fear?”

- Robert California, The Office

YAY PASTOR MIKE!!!

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 13:25:10 -0700

YAY PASTOR MIKE!!!

iamjoshkim: We need to be “Christians who have a concern for justice in the world but who grounded...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 10:30:16 -0700

iamjoshkim:

We need to be “Christians who have a concern for justice in the world but who grounded it in the nature of God rather than in their own subjective feelings(Timothy Keller).”

We need to care about the oppression in the world but we need not make social justice replacement of our gospel of Jesus Christ.

BUTT PIMPLE

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:44:36 -0700

BUTT PIMPLE

Sunset over Berkeley

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:45:38 -0700

Sunset over Berkeley

At what point does "I'm busy" become nothing more than an excuse?

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:17:00 -0700

What if God said “I’m busy” whenever we cry out to Him? Jesus was extremely busy, yet He was never too busy. The Bible is full of stories of Jesus being interrupted in all sorts of different situations. Still, Jesus always took the time to minister to those who needed Him the most.

I’m definitely guilty of saying “I’m busy” because I need to do something “important” instead of spending that time ministering to those around me. It’s so easy to prioritize what I want to do instead of what God wants to do. How many of us do exactly that? Feel free to call me out whenever you hear me use “I’m busy” as an excuse. In fact, please do. I’ll be forever grateful.

timtimedin: From First Baptist Orlando church’s Aug 7, 2011...

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 23:09:52 -0700

timtimedin:

From First Baptist Orlando church’s Aug 7, 2011 service: “Sometimes when we worship, we don’t really mean it. This is what it would look like if we were to sing what we really meant…” (found via /r/christianity)

"Fill Your Mouth With Life, Not Death Jon Bloom A lot is at stake in what we say today. “Death and..."

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 10:04:32 -0700

“

Fill Your Mouth With Life, Not Death

Jon Bloom

A lot is at stake in what we say today. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21).

In literate societies, tongues include hands that write, type, paint, or sign.

Words Cause Death

People die because of something said. Tongues can be weapons of mass destruction, launching holocausts and wars. Tongues can also be the death of marriages, families, friendships, churches, careers, hopes, understanding, reputations, missionary efforts, and governments.

Words Give Life

But people also live because of something said. The tongue can be “a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). Tongues reconcile peoples and make peace. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Tongues can make marriages sweet, families strong, and churches healthy. Tongues can give hope to the despairing, advance understanding, and spread the gospel.

So what will come out of your mouth today, death or life? “Sword thrusts” or “healing” (Proverbs 12:18)?

What Fills Your Heart?

It will all depend on what’s filling your heart. Jesus said, “… out of the abundance of the heart [the] mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). A critical heart produces a critical tongue. A self-righteous heart produces a judgmental tongue. A bitter heart produces an acerbic tongue. An ungrateful heart produces a grumbling tongue.

But a loving heart produces a gracious tongue. A faithful heart produces a truthful tongue. A peaceful heart produces a reconciling tongue. A trusting heart produces an encouraging tongue.

So fill your heart with grace by soaking in your Bible. Soak in Matthew 5, or Romans 12, or 1 Corinthians 13, or Philippians 2. And be very careful taking in the words of death in the newspaper, on the radio, the TV, or the blog.

And pray: “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!” (Psalm 41:3)

The world is full of words of death. “The whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19) who “was a murderer from the beginning… and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Let us not join him in his “restless evil” (James 3:8).

For “we are from God” (1 John 15:19), and we believe in his Son, Jesus, “the Word” (John 1:1), “the truth and the life” (John 14:6), and who alone has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). Let us join him in speaking these.

Today

Today, make your mouth “a fountain of life” (Proverbs 10:11). Be “slow to speak” in general (James 1:19). Encourage more than you critique. Seek opportunities to speak kind, tenderhearted words (Ephesians 4:32). Say something affectionate to a loved one at an unexpected time. Seek to only speak words that are “good for building up,” that “give grace to those who hear” (Ephesians 4:29).

Be a person whose mouth is full of life.

“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up” (Acts 20:32).

”

- http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/fill-your-mouth-with-life-not-death

"Spirit of the living God fall fresh again Come search our hearts and purify our lives We need Your..."

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 00:27:26 -0700

“Spirit of the living God fall fresh again
Come search our hearts and purify our lives
We need Your perfect love, we need Your discipline
We’re lost unless You guide us with Your light”

- Starfield - Reign In Us

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked..."

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:16:00 -0700

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

- Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV)

"What Do You Daydream About? Ed Welch I had a basketball backboard in my backyard when I was..."

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:51:51 -0700

“

What Do You Daydream About?

Ed Welch

I had a basketball backboard in my backyard when I was growing up—home-made but sturdy. It played like the real thing, maybe just a little more forgiving, though it was hard to dribble on a court of dirt and random tufts of grass. In that backyard arena, I won hundreds of high school, college and professional championships. The fans, especially the girls, were stunned. They had no idea that low-key, mild-mannered me was the “Can’t Miss Kid” who carried my teammates, my school, and my city to greatness.

Innocuous daydreams perhaps. Every child probably had some version of those daydreams. We chalk them up to immaturity. But once we hit our late teens, our daydreams and imaginations are worth more serious consideration.

The Lord Knows (and cares)

The Lord knows our innermost thoughts and imaginations, and he cares about them. They are by no means innocuous. He has compassion on us when we are fearful, he somehow perseveres with us when our thoughts are arrogant, and because of the world’s actions and imaginations, he will come in judgment.

And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. (1 Chron. 28:9)

And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. (Is.66:18)

Ah, to have “a willing mind” and increasingly pure imaginations.

How to Redirect Daydreams

If we are to grow in such things there are three steps.

We must believe that God knows our imaginations.
We must examine our own daydreams and imaginations.
We must aspire for greater daydreams.

First, we must believe that God knows our hearts and imaginations. We would think that this is self-evident, but the nature of sin is that we hide in the darkness and actually believe God can’t see us there. So this first step is a challenging one. It is worth a year of sermons in itself.

Second, we must examine our own imaginations. This, of course, could get ugly. There are the dreams of greatness and adulation: Oscars, Pulitzers, Nobel Prizes, MVPs, world championships and an envious amount of money. There are the sexual imaginations that blatantly run outside of God-given boundaries. There are the angry imaginations that want revenge and sinful versions of justice. For example, I remember a woman who once volunteered, proudly so, that she imagined everyone who ever wronged her forming an endless line, each begging forgiveness, while she sat on something that looked peculiarly like a throne.

Where do our minds roam when someone else is preaching or talking? Where do our imaginations go when we are bored? Do our daydreams identify us as Christians?

Here is a practical goal: when someone asks, “What are you thinking about right now?” we are happy to answer honestly, and our answer is edifying.

Third, we aspire for greater daydreams. For example, my wife occasionally dreams about having more money; she dreams of all the ways she could give it away. My father-in-law is in Stage IV cancer. Whenever I speak with him he is meditating on a different passage of Scripture or a song such as “Make Me a Blessing.” He is daydreaming about ways he can bless his family.

They put me to shame.

Some Better Daydreams

Here are some “better” daydreaming possibilities.

The mighty acts of the Lord
The law of the Lord
The meaning of the cross of Jesus
Some encouraging words for a downcast person
A prayer of blessing for a friend
The hope of sinlessness
Ways to love someone in your church or community, especially someone who tends to be marginalized.

So, what are you daydreaming about?

”

- http://www.ccef.org/blog/what-do-you-daydream-about

Sausage Egg McPasta Soup harharhar (Taken with instagram)

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 19:12:55 -0700

Sausage Egg McPasta Soup harharhar (Taken with instagram)

Great Conversation.

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 21:01:05 -0700

You say: It’s impossible.
God says: All things are possible. (Luke 18:27)
You say: I’m too tired.
God says: I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)
You say: Nobody really loves me.
God says: I love you. (John 3:16 & John 13:34)
You say: I can’t go on.
God says: My grace is sufficient. (II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalms 91:15)
You say: I can’t figure things out.
God says: I will direct your steps. (Proverbs 3:5-6)
You say: I can’t do it.
God says: You can do all things. (Philippians 4:13)
You say: I’m not able.
God says: I am able. (II Corinthians 9:8)
You say: It’s not worth it.
God says: It will be worth it. (Romans 8:28)
You say: I can’t forgive myself.
God says: I FORGIVE YOU. (I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)
You say: I can’t manage.
God says: I will supply all your needs. (Philippians 4:19)
You say: I’m afraid.
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear. (II Timothy 1:7)
You say: I’m always worried and frustrated.
God says: Cast all your cares on ME. (I Peter 5:7)
You say: I don’t have enough faith.
God says: I’ve given everyone a measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)
You say: I’m not smart enough.
God says: I give you wisdom. (I Corinthians 1:30)
You say: I feel all alone.
God says: I will never leave you or forsake you. (Hebrews 13:5)

"A friend and I once ate a 9 pound lobster on Martha’s Vineyard. It was the size of a small dog and..."

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:57:29 -0700

“

A friend and I once ate a 9 pound lobster on Martha’s Vineyard. It was the size of a small dog and had claws the size of my head. Later that day, a group of us toured the island on scooters named “Cobras,” which immediately inspired us to pretend we were the Cobra Kai from The Karate Kid. We zipped around that island like 12 year olds, waving at guys on Harleys as if, despite the candy apple red paint and insanely small mopeds we were all on, we were part of a larger brotherhood of bikers. They did not wave back.

I was reminded of this moment a few weeks ago while going through some photos.

The design firm putting together the visual story for the Quitter Conference asked me to find some personal photos they could include in the presentation. I’ve never included visuals with any talks I’ve given so this is uncharted/awesome territory.

But as I flipped through photo albums representing the years 2000-2005, I kind of got sick to my stomach.

It felt like I was watching a slow failure parade stream by.

Looking at all the photos, I thought about all the bridges I had burned with my bad attitude. All the people I had hurt with my words. All the mistakes I had made. It wasn’t a photo album. It was more like a crime scene report of wasted years. I pulled out one photo of me that made the one I posted last week look kindhearted. I showed it to my wife. Her reaction was immediate and visceral, “Ugh, I want to punch that guy in the face, don’t you?”

I did. I really did, and lying in bed that night, I felt constricted by a comforter of shame. As I fell asleep, I started to have a dream about those photos.

I was in Venice, Italy (less you think I mean Venice Beach, California since I’m so muscular and prone to using outdoor gyms.)

I was crouched down behind a low stonewall, occasionally crawling up, lifting my head cautiously over the ledge, to peer out across the canal at a facing wall. I’m not sure what I was looking for, but when I sat back down behind the safety of the barrier, I saw someone else crouched near me.

I couldn’t make out his face, he was covered in too many shadows, but he was watching and waiting for something too. The next time I looked over the wall, I saw what it was we were both anticipating. An army had suddenly amassed across the canal. Without warning, they opened fire on the guy next to me. Machine gun after machine gun, wave after wave of firepower rained down on the guy next to me. They started using cannons and bazookas and surface-to-air missiles.

And I was happy.

I hated that guy for some reason. He was everything I didn’t want to be, everything I didn’t like about me. And I thought to myself, “This time, they will get him. This time, he’ll be killed. He’ll be gone forever.”

But as the smoke cleared and stray bullets continued to ricochet about the cobble stone streets, I saw him scurrying away. He hadn’t even been hit! I chased after him, but he was too fast. He was always jumping just one ledge ahead of me. His feet knew the streets better than mine. He wove through crowded marketplaces and eventually dove in a canal, swimming away. Unscathed. Unharmed. Undeterred.

The more I thought about that dream, the more it felt like how my life unfolds sometimes.

When I look at photos of me from the past, I see the shadowed figure hiding behind the wall. I know he’s elusive. I know he’s tricky. But maybe this time, I’ll be able to get rid of him.

If I write the right thing, maybe he’ll go away. If I say the right thing or read the right book or pray the right thing or talk to the right person, maybe a bullet will finally catch him.

But then I lie again. Then I get fearful again and lash out at somebody. Then I make a mistake. Then I fail again, and the me I don’t want to be flees through the city.

The progress I’ve made, the work I’ve done, the countless blogs I’ve written about how the old is gone and the new has come, feel for naught. He’s loose in the streets, and I feel too weak to keep fighting.

I tell God, “I’m sorry. I thought I had him beat this time. I really did. By now, I shouldn’t doubt you the way I do. I shouldn’t chase after the things I do. If I were a better Christian, I’d stop getting these simple, fundamental things so wrong. I might be the worst Christian ever. I’m sorry I keep messing life up.”

I expect him to give me a speech. A “Pick yourself up and chase him tomorrow. You’ve got to do better next time tiger” after-school-type moment. But that is not what I get. Instead, I get the Bible, and that messes everything up.

Here is what the Bible says about people like me, people who are continually messing up and having an impossible time being perfect:

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it (Paul’s thorn in the flesh) away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Can we please agree that is ridiculous? We serve a God, who when confronted with our continual weakness replies, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Have you ever messed up, have you ever stumbled back into a hole you’ve been in 19 times before, and upon hitting the bottom, thought to yourself, “When I fell, I landed on grace, and right now, in this moment, God’s power is being made perfect!”

I haven’t! I am a works-based assassin trying to kill the me I don’t want to be in the city of my life. But what if instead of taking out a gun, what if instead of grabbing a scalpel of effort every time I realize how weak I still am, I grabbed a banner?

A boastful banner like Paul grabbed in 2 Corinthians 12 that read:

“I am still weak! Grace is still sufficient! And God’s power is being made perfect right now!”

That’s where I’m headed in life.

More banners. Less guns.

More grace. Less works.

More boasting. Less hiding.

Want to come with me?

”

- Stuff Christians Like - “The chase.”

http://www.jonacuff.com/stuffchristianslike/2011/07/the-chase/

Engrish (Taken with Instagram at 山姆雷克)

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 00:44:21 -0700

Engrish (Taken with Instagram at 山姆雷克)

Taken with Instagram at 九族文化村

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 22:44:43 -0700

Taken with Instagram at 九族文化村