As you know, Il has a grandmother who is 97 years old. On Sunday her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren gathered around her bed and had a family service presided by Rev. Yang who called the service,” going home service.” She is going home at last. Her journey on this earth has almost come to an end. It’s time for her to go home where her Savior has been preparing the place for her. She will dwell the place eternally with her lover. Eternal life with Christ is far better than “happy ever after” story. How can an unbeliever make a sense out of death as a celebration of new beginning? How can an unbeliever find hope in his last breath?
Without Jesus, no celebration of new beginning nor hope! By believing his death and resurrection, believing Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and loving Jesus by obeying his command, we too become heirs and inherit the Kingdom of God. Jesus knows our journey on this earth is bumpy and restless. Jesus promised his disciples as well as all his children Holy Spirit, our counselor, to guide us through the journey. Moreover Jesus gives peace. Jesus said that peace that he gives is peace that this world can not understand. His peace calms our hearts in the middle of storm. His peace restores order in the midst of chaos.
As I was reading today’s message, I was overwhelmed by such blessing and privilege that we as children of God are granted with. It is very God that opens our eyes to see Him and hearts to know Him. I am full of gratitude and thankfulness that God opens my eyes to see who He is. It is my prayer as well as yours that the greatest thing in our lives is to know Him and love Him more and more each day until our father calls us home to be with Him forever.

** While I was writing the post, I got a call from my mother-in-law that our grandmother has passed and be with the Lord. If you could, please pray for our family. I will appreciate your prayers.

what pleases the Lord exceedingly

she did what she could. (Mark 14:8)

the passage today is about the woman who anoints Jesus by pouring very expensive perfume on His head.

i can't think of many times in the gospels that Jesus commends someone as highly as He commends this woman.

i suppose it was because her action was such a pure, unabashed, extravagant expression of love and gratitude toward Him.

in luke's account of this incident, we are told a few more details about this woman. she "had lived a sinful life" (luke 7:37) . . ."and as she stood behind Him at His feet weeping, she began to wet His feet with her tears." (luke 7:38).

this kind of honest outpouring of love and devotion is always deeply offensive and embarrassing to hypocrites or to those who are nominally in the faith.

this is evidenced by the comments of some of those who witnessed the scene: "'why this waste of perfume? it could have been sold for more than a year's wages and the money given to the poor. ' and they rebuked her harshly."

in other words, they try to demean this poor woman's humility and adoration towards Jesus by their supposed concern for the poor. after all, don't they know best what this woman should do with her money?

i suppose profound and deeply felt displays of love can only really be understood by those who have profoundly and deeply loved themselves. who can fully put into words what it is like to be truly forgiven, to be so completely loved and accepted; the wonders of redeeming love and grace?

well, this woman knew, and "she did what she could" about it. Jesus ardently defends her because He was so moved and, in a sense, ministered to, by the outpouring of this woman's love.

i can't help thinking of all the times in the scriptures that Jesus tried to tell His disciples that He would be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law to be crucified, "but they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it." (mark 9:32).

Jesus must have felt very alone and friendless even among His disciples as He faced imminent death in jerusalem. who can know the extent to which Jesus dreaded "the baptism He was about to undertake"?

and yet this woman somehow understood.

she was, maybe, the only one who did, and in Jesus's words "poured perfume on [His] body beforehand to prepare for [His] burial".

somehow she knew and "she did what she could". her act of extravagant love prepared Jesus for what was coming and must have comforted Him beyond measure.

and Jesus commends her, not for the gesture that she made, but because she loved Him with her whole heart, which was, to Him, "a beautiful thing".

there is a time to do the ministry of the Lord (giving to the poor) which is very important, but most essential of all, is genuine, heartfelt love for the Lord. this is, in the end, the thing that really counts and the true measure of our faith.

i suppose on that last day, that all our acts of service on behalf of the Lord will be measured not by the service itself, but by the love for Jesus that prompted it.

"wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her". this woman is the standard-bearer of "what pleases the Lord exceedingly".

"more love to Thee, O Christ".

The Little Apocalypse

I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
Mark 13:30

It certainly seems like the end is near when we are constantly surrounded by news of "the rise of false messiahs, wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines." One by one, things written in the bible are coming true. As time progresses the world is running out of excuses to deny the truthfulness of the bible. It merely has to accept that the end is coming and with everything that's written in the bible. That's scary.
Today, it's getting harder and harder to believe the gospel and have faith in Jesus Christ in this world and believers are being challenged more than ever with everything that the world has. If anything, we are lead into accepting the mediocrity and post-modernism of thinking even when it comes to our faith and dedication to God.
I know I'm not in any position to challenge any of you guys, but I'm definitely experiencing the challenge day by day and it's gotta be time for the believers to re-proclaim the victory that Jesus has already won. When do you think it's your time?

Error of the Sadducees

Jesus replied, " You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." Matthew 22:29

The Sadducees attempt to ask Jesus a trick question of the seven brothers and one wife scenario to try to affirm their position that there was no resurrection or the afterlife. Christ quickly points out the error of their assumption that the Kingdom of heaven would equate to things of the present age.

Upon initial reading I equated the Sadducees with today's aetheists. The ones that argue against the resurrection or the afterlife today. I found myself shaking my head as I read the passage thinking..."Wow...the NERVE!" But upon reflection, I realize the Sadducees do not just represent those "other people" but that I may have more in common with them than I thought...

• My faith is easily stumped when things don't go my way.
  
• I justify things in an earthly "practical" way when one of God's commands is just too hard to follow.
• I tend to see things through earthly lenses instead of relying on scripture and believing in God's power in many facets of my own life.

I was challenged from today's passage. If I am so different from the Sadducees and believe without a shadow of a doubt in the resurrection and the afterlife, then I should be living my life very differently. I should be living for eternity and not for the things of this world.

The Parable of the Tenant

The parable of the tenant is a reminder to us all that God expects us to live fruitful lives and that he'll be looking for that when our time on this earth is over. (vv. 34, 41). I take this to mean that God has blessed us and given each of us certain previleges and responsibilities while we are on earth and that we are to utilize our gifts and resources to helping others and to bring glory to God. God has invested in us and expects to see results. The religious leaders failed to produce fruits and Jesus promised that they will meet a wretched end (v. 41). This danger still remains today, as we in the church are given our previleges and responsibities. What have we done, with the lives we've been given? What have we done with the resources God has given us? What can we show to Jesus that our lives are more fruitful than that of the Pharisees? Are we faithful and fruitful?

Posted by Pastor James

The Cleansing of the Temple

He [Jesus] said, "Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations?' But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

Mark 11:17

Apparently the above verse and those pertaining to "The Cleansing of the Temple" have been a popular subject for many biblical studies and heated debates resulting from their contrasting views. After reading some of those, I feel less certain about the true meaning/purpose of this passage, as is often the case when one does not have the command of the full context.

So I will keep to the more obvious reflections.

Our passage in Mark chapter 11 features dramatic, action packed events. Christ, the gentle and compassionate One, shows his other side at last! Using the Mr. Stott's words, "the commercialism of the sanctuary of God" and "the gross exploitation of poor pilgrims" precipitate his anger and we have the glimpse of "the wrath of the lamb."

I applaud at Jesus' reaction at the temple court because I am quick to judge the villains and jump on the bandwagon of the righteous. It's 시원해!
Until... I revisit the wrath of the lamb.
I too have desecrated the house of prayer both literally and symbolically. I too deserve and fear that judgement sure to come my way.

Now I come to Mr. Stott's last remark: "It is only after we have seen the tears in his eyes that we are ready to see the whip in his hand."

Mr. Stott's remark refers to Luke's account of The Good News and not Mark's. Luke 19:39, 40 describes the Jesus' confrontation with pharisees during the "Triumphal Entry"and Luke 19:41-44 draws Jesus, overcome with emotion just prior to the events at the Temple court.

At the top of the hill overlooking Jerusalem, Jesus looked over the city.
And he wept.

Was it the profound disappointment at the blindness of pharisees? Was it the eventual outcome of his people who did not recognize "the time of God's coming?" Was it the cost of the sins of his people - the price He has to pay on the cross.

Humanity of Jesus Christ depicted in today's verses moves my heart.
I wonder if this may be the beauty of Jesus Christ Rev. Bill Radford referred to in yesterday's sermon.

Have a great week everyone!

Stott makes a strong statement by saying that Christians "are called to a radical nonconformity to tradition and convention in order to honor the supremacy of Scripture and the lordship of Jesus Christ". Yet, I can' t help but to think that traditions were originally set up for a good purpose. Certain ceremonies, holidays and events are practiced and commemorated to benefit the present and future generation with the great principles handed down from the past. Wedding ceremonies, the season of lent, and even the holy communion are just a few examples. I think that tradition do have a part in Christian life but Stott is right in saying that they are not to replace or even overshadow honoring the "supremacy of Scripture and the lordship of Jesus Christ".
When I think about the pharisees and their traditions, it makes me think back to Adam and Eve and how they tried to cover up themselves with fig leaves. Both parties being afraid of exposure tried to cover themselves with false securities. The pharisees may have had greater insights as to the holiness of God than Christians do in this present age. However, they failed to please God because they did not have faith in what God revealed through the holy scripture. They failed to see and understand the truth of God behind the laws and traditions which God had ordained and saw only the tradition themselves and depended on their own abilities to adhere to them. Instead of using those tradition to remember certain qualities of God and use them to draw nearer to Him, the pharisees used tradition to cover up their short comings. I do believe that they knew and understood God as holy and perfect and knew they had to conform to his holiness but their fatal mistake was to believe that holiness and righteousness can be attained by their own efforts instead of depending on God's sufficient grace.
Another oversight of the pharisees was the security they placed on their ability to keep the laws and traditions. And upon this false security they also built up pride and self righteousness. The pharisees are not the only ones guilty of this-so am I. The tradition or practice of attending Sunday worship service is one example I'll use for myself perhaps you may be able to think of others. Not that I'm perfect in coming to church on time every Sunday, but just even the practice of coming gives me a certain level of security. My heart may be in the wrong place and I may have missed the point of coming to church to worship God, their is a sense of security, familiarity, a sense of satisfaction of having done what I should have done on a Sunday morning-outwardly at least. Like I said, this is just one area of my life where a certain religious practice gives off a sense of security and satisfaction all the while I fail to meet God where I truly ought to- on my knees both literally and spiritually. It makes me re-examine where my heart is what-ever I do. My first reaction to this realization was anxiety and insecurity at my lack of faith and faithfulness in acknowledging what is right and actually doing it. But I am encouraged to remember God's grace and love. And I have to remember that as I spend more quality time in prayer and reading Scripture, that it won't be so much of my own efforts that will make me more like Christ but it will be the work of the Holy Spirit.