Devotional Time with God

I have aging parents.  I have thought about what to do or say to them when it’s time for them to meet Jesus.  As a follower of Jesus, and as a believer, I shall not fear death because I’m precious to God.  Dying is not an easy subject to comprehend, but it’s inevitable and I must be able to deal with it.    When people are dying and they’re not a believer, they will go through the five stages of grief:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

I have to be able to help them deal with it.  With God’s help, I can comfort those who are dying.

Confront my own fears.  I have to be strong and have already accepted the fact that death is coming for me, too.  When I’m at peace with it, I’ll be able to help others as well.

Offer my physical presence.  They don’t like to die alone.  My precious gift to them is my time - just be there.

Minister with practical assistance.  While I’m with them, I can help doing small things like bringing a meal, listen to or talk with them.

Fortify them with emotional support.  A practical way is to pray their concerns to God.  If they’re worried about their something, bring it up to God.  Pray for them, always.

Open them up with care.  If they have questions that are tough to answer, mirror their question and rephrase it, such as “What does dying mean to you?”  Give them a choice to continue dealing with their emotions.

Remember the family has needs too.  Their loved ones are still alive and may require assistance.  I have to be there for them too.

Turn them to Jesus.  The most important task a believer must do is spread the Good News, even at their death beds.  It’s the time to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, so they can be saved and be with Him.

So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

2 Corinthians 4:18

One of most the intense moral, political, and legal issue is California’s Proposition 8: Banning Same-Sex Marriage. It hits closer to home.  My opinion on Proposition 8 is not about discrimination, but rather the twisted lies and deceit set forth by the people who are against it.

I support Proposition 8.

It’s not about hate of fellow human beings. It’s not about the tax breaks. It’s not about denying health care access to anyone.

It is about moral standards set by God.

The bible says marriage is for a man and woman, sacred, and must be protected. It also says that homosexuality lifestyle is a sin. As a Christian, I have to abide by what the bible says because it is God’s word.

It is about my parental rights.

I don’t want my daughter to be forced to learn about homosexuality at an early age. My wife and I will decide when she’s old enough to understand and form her own opinion on the subject. The State’s public school system must not force the idea that same-sex parents is acceptable. Anyone who is religious clearly disagrees. Just as the atheists are against at the idea of the Lord’s Prayer in our schools, we want our rights to go against any immoral teachings. As parents, we decide what’s right for our child’s education. We should not have to go to jail because we protested against the public school’s enforcement of same-sex marriage education, like they did to David Parker in Lexington, Massachusetts.

It is about democracy.

America’s forefathers were Christians, and they set the principles and ethics for this country in a constitution based on God. They made this country great. In year 2000, the people clearly voted against same-sex marriage. However, it saddens me to learn the about judges who decided to overturn this democratic outcome. Here we are now, in 2008, again with the people voted against same-sex marriage. This is America: We Vote - for the good of the many, not the few. The people has clearly spoken.  We don’t use scare tactics and hide behind “civil rights” arguments. Bill Daily’s comment on Louis Gray’s blog has pretty much echoed my conclusion: It turns out the church and its members’ rights are the one being cast aside.

I’ve known many people who are gay. They’re nice and loving people, just like me. What is different is their lifestyle, and that’s the only thing I don’t agree with. However, that doesn’t stop me from caring or talking with them. Most of my church-going and Bible-believing friends have the same view. People may argue that the church should not force their views on every one else, but it also applies to everyone else not forcing the issue on the church and its members. The definition of marriage between man and woman have not changed for thousands of years. Why should 2% of the world population suddenly make it mandatory for that to change?

Proposition 8 is about the people’s rights, and that means for BOTH SIDES have to be respected. Children must not be the pawn of this argument. Democracy must still be used before we make any big changes to system. Being informed is required for everyone, avoiding finger pointing and lies. All it takes is a little civility, and treat each with respect and dignity.

God, I pray that you will give us, the patience and grace to handle this issue.  Give us the abundance of love for each other, that we don’t simply get angry at each other.  Rather, we want to be able to agree to disagree, and decide on the matter in a democratic and civilized way.  Let your will be done, Lord.  Amen.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 5:1-2

In order to love, it takes more than work.  It takes sacrifice.  Love is everything, but me.  Love is not selfish.  In fact, to love, it takes the following sacrifices:

• My Time
• My Superficiality
• My Agenda
• My Pride

When I love someone, I have to ask myself, do I give them my full attention?  Do I carve out the best of my time for them?  Love means I have to make the quality time.  In order to love, I must also dig deep below the surface, not just the usual “How are you?” and move on.  Stop and listen, make the time to get to know others.  Listen to their worries, concerns, and stories.  It’s not about me and my agenda.  Most of all, I must let go of my pride by not being judgemental and full of criticsm.

Only I can determine the depth of my relationship with others.  With God’s help, He’ll give me the strength to love sacrificially.

At Saddleback Church, we’re starting a new series called 40 Days of Love.  It’s a study of how we, as Christians, must learn to love, in any situation, at any time.  Key verse is:

Let everything you do, be done in love.

1 Corinthians 16:14

The bible says, EVERYTHING.  In any event.  With anyone.  Even when I don’t feel like it.   In fact, when I’m not feeling particularly loving is when I’m suppose to ask God for guidance and correction.  God loves me for who I am.  He loves everybody, even the ones who have gone astray.  God is love and He makes me as His image, so it’s only natural that I’m also loving.  The practice of love is to prepare for heaven.

So why is it sometimes difficult for me to love others?  My ego and pride have a lot to do with it.  People have a tendency to be un-loving.  That’s the problem.  What must I do to overcome this?  First I have to know what love is.

1. Love is a choice and commitment.
2. Love is action, not just emotion.
3. Love is a skill I can learn.

Knowing this, then I must become good with love and improve my relationship with others.  It can be done.

1. I must commit to growing spiritually.  Maturity is key.
2. I can learn from how Jesus loves.  He’s the perfect role model for love.
3. I must practice the skill.   It’s not easy, but I can try, daily.
4. I have to develop the habit.   In this 40 days study, I can learn to be good in love.
5. I must trust God to help.  God’s love is abundant and everlasting, and I must let His love flow through me.

I’m ready, God, to love this world and all of its shortcomings.   Please help me!

I pray that your love will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation - the righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ, for this will bring much glory and praise to God.

Phillipians 1:9-11

I’ve often wondered, how many times have I ever been in control of my mind?  What have I been thinking?  Why do I think the way I do?  It’s often an instinct and purely involuntary.  It’s also not pretty.  With the images I see on TV, the words I hear on the radio, and the actions I observe on others, my mind can go wild.  The world is too quick to feed me with the wrong ideas.  People are just too eager to get into their vices, and bring others along with them.   The mind is the start of guilty pleasures.

A guilty pleasure is often used to described liking something that’s negative.  My example would be enjoying a bad movie, looking at dirty pictures, or listening to gossips.  All devoid of value.  This is the easiest way the devil gets to me.  With the Internet, where sinful materials become so much easier to obtain, it’s so easy to stumble this way.  When my mind is polluted, that’s when I do things wrong.

I need my mind to resolve conflicts, make decisions, get creative, and plan for the future.   I must guard myself against all evil thoughts.  I shall not let my guilty pleasures get the best out of me.

But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

Galatians 5:5-6

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

This world is blessed by God when I have two of the most famous figures of God’s army, Greg Laurie and Steven Curtis Chapman to help minister me and find my way around this world.   I listen to Steven’s wonderful music, and have enjoyed his tunes and lyrics.  I also listened to Pastor Greg’s messages through his Harvest church in Riverside and on-line.  I regularly listen to them on my long commute to/from work.  They’re both wonderful witnesses of God.  They have touched my heart and ministered to me several times.  God spoke to me through them.

This year, God has called two of their children back to heaven.  Maria Sue Chapman and Christopher Laurie have died, both in car accidents. The loss is devastating for both parents, family, and others.  My heart sank when I heard the news.  I can’t imagine the grief they’ve gone through.  Maybe one day I’ll understand, but right now I can only try to reflect on why this is happening.

Both Greg and Steven are loyal servants of God.  My natural human reaction is to cry out to God and ask why is it happening to them?   Why them?  Haven’t they done a lot of good for you?  Haven’t they been faithful to you?  Why bring this catastrophe upon them?

While listening to Pastor Don McClure’s preaching on The Necessity of Trials, the answer came to me.  Both Greg and Steven are still human. They’re still the same in God’s eyes.  They will still be tested, just like the rest of us.  God has blessed them tremendously.  God created their children.  Now, God wanted them back.   God pulls and shakes us, sometimes violently, to help us grow and learn of His reality.  God has a plan for all of this.   Glory will come out of all this because God is about all that, and more.  It’s much too easy to glorify God when we’re happy and in abundance.   It’s up to us to show His glory, especially during the times of pains and trouble.

Life is precious.  Life is beautiful.  Life is worth living when God is with me. I can only imagine what life is like with God in heaven!  No more pain, no more suffering, no more evil.  Just pure goodness and glory of God.  It’s a better life up there in heaven.  It is just the beginning of eternity, and that is so comforting.

This song “With Hope” by Steven Curtis Chapman says it all.

This is not at all how
We thought it was supposed to be
We had so many plans for you
We had so many dreams
And now you’ve gone away
And left us with the memories of your smile
And nothing we can say
And nothing we can do
Can take away the pain
The pain of losing you, but …

We can cry with hope
We can say goodbye with hope
‘Cause we know our goodbye is not the end, oh no
And we can grieve with hope
‘Cause we believe with hope
(There’s a place by God’s grace)
There’s a place where we’ll see your face again
We’ll see your face again

And never have I known
Anything so hard to understand
And never have I questioned more
The wisdom of God’s plan
But through the cloud of tears
I see the Father’s smile and say well done
And I imagine you
Where you wanted most to be
Seeing all your dreams come true
‘Cause now you’re home
And now you’re free, and …

We have this hope as an anchor
‘Cause we believe that everything
God promised us is true, so …

So we can cry with hope
And say goodbye with hope

We wait with hope
And we ache with hope
We hold on with hope
We let go with hope

This is the age of a new medium: the internet.  We are now at the 2nd version.  Hence, it’s called Web 2.0.  It’s about blogging and social media.

I thank the Lord for the constant inspiration, even in this world of constant rebellion and cynicism towards God.  I still find a beauty and cohesiveness that can only be God’s work.

This short interview has been passed around in emails, and I just got it recently from a friend in Toronto.  I know this story very well and Pastor Rick had told it to the congregation several times before.  It’s still an inspirational message and it’s worth forwarding to everyone. 

Love & Blessings to you all. You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having ‘wealth’ from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, ‘Purpose Driven Life ‘ author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn’t going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you’re just coming out of one, or you’re getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort. God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that’s not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don’t believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it’s kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you’re going into self-centeredness,’which is my problem, my issues, my pain.’ But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don’t think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

1. First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.
2. Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
3. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
4. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God’s purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don’t get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn’t put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He’s more interested in what I am than what I do.

That’s why we’re called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.

Chapter 13-14

• God’s judgments was prophesied for the surrounding nation of Judah.
• Isaiah first prophesied on Babylon.
• God was coming to destroy Babylon is at hand.
• It was figuratively described as complete darkness, the earth shakes, and many will perish.
• The Medes would stir up against Babylon.
• The city of Babylon would end up like Soddom and Gomorrah: destroyed.
• The house of Jacob would resettle Israel again.
• Songs (Proverbs) would be sung to signal the end of Israel’s oppression by the Babylonians.
• The fall of Lucifer, king of Babylon, judged by God and his children slaughtered.
• Next, God would destroy Assyria.
• Judgment would come to Philistia (Philistine).
• In the midst of all this destruction, God provided refuge for His people in Zion.

Chapters 9-12

• The prophecy of a child, a son, a wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace, was offered to Israel. It was fulfilled by Jesus.
• The Son of God will govern in peace.
• Israel would fall because of its arrogance and pride. Not following God’s timing was one reason for the downfall.
• The chastening of Israel was brutal. Attacks would come from all sides, and cannibalism was rampant.
• Despite all that, the people of Israel would still not listen to God, continued to be corrupt, robbed from its people (especially the widows), and continued their sinful lives.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised.

Isaiah 10:4b

• Assyria was just part of God’s plan to shape Isreal. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, who so arrogantly confident defeating Israel was his own doing. When God was done with them, He would punish the king by letting Assyria be attacked and their kingdom plundered.
• The “remnants”, or God’s righteous few, would return to the land.
• God told His people in Zion and Jerusalem, not to be afraid. God offered His protection against the Assyrian army. God himself would cut down them down.

He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Isaiah 10:34

• The root of Jesse (David’s father) would bear fruit. From his branch there would be the messiah, and the spirit of the Lord will be upon Him. He will judge with righteousness and adorn with faithfulness.
• Peace will be in Israel.
• The prophecy described a little child leading the wolf and the lamb, signifying the hope of peace.
• Everyone will rally to the prophesied Messiah. God will also offer Him for the second time to Israel, referencing to Jesus 2nd coming.
• God’s people will praise the Lord, give thanks, make known He has done, and exalt His name.

Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2