a Letter from a humble servant of Jesus Christ and a friend of mine to me in the Military

Mike,

It's so good to hear from you, my brother. We've all been praying for you at The Mission, and so has our family since you've been away.

As a friend, and as a pastor, I have to encourage you to do your best to walk with integrity while you are serving in the military. I know you would rather be anywhere else, doing anything else, than to be there.

But, I am reminded of Paul the Apostle's letter to those who were followers of Jesus yet were slaves to Roman or Jewish Masters. He urged them to serve their master as though they were serving Jesus Himself. Even though they might be beaten for doing good, Paul encouraged them to continue to serve their masters, not run away, not demand better treatment, but simply to stay and to serve and even to endure hardship and abuse, for the cause of being an example of a Godly man or woman who loves and follows Jesus.

Read Ephesians 6:5-8- "Slaves obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them, not to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does, whether he is slave or free."

1 Timothy 6:1- "All who under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God's name and our teaching may not be slandered."

1 Peter 2:18-"Servants be submissive to your Masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor,if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if, when you do what is right and suffer for it, you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."

*So, Mike, I want to encourage you to be honest with your commanders, and your leaders in the Army. Even if it means you might have to stay their longer. Do not bear false witness in order to get what you want, but be willing to let the Lord have His way and His will in things.

It makes me sad, honestly, that you're away, and that this has been so difficult for you. I am sure if I were in your shoes I'd be begging God to get me out. But be careful to let God do what He wants, on His terms and in His time. Don't step in and try to trick people into doing what you think is right.

Trust God.

I think that God does have a purpose for your being there, Mike. But if you miss it you will be the one who is the worse off for it.

Don't miss the chance to be used by God, even in a dark or violent place. He can protect you and He is able to see you through anything, no matter what.

We love you, Mike. We pray that you would be lifted up and encouraged in your faith to see what God is doing and saying to you while you are there.

Peace,

Keith

Winner or Loser VS Rich or Poor = Live a Life

An article from New York Times HERE

The funny thing is that I was reading my Pastor Paul Martin's Blog. I found this article that he was talking about. Man, after I read about the article, I really don't know what to say.

I started to think that Wasn't Jesus a loser in front of everyone (world) 2000 years ago when he got crucified? Well, guess what, He turned the world upside down. In heavenly view, He is the winner but in front of world, He might seen as a loser.I guess that Mr. Osteen looks like a winner in front of everyone in the world. I don't know what God thinks about himself. Hopefully he knows what he is doing. All I know is that a christian life is not an easy road to walk but with His grace, we can carry the cross. It is a life-changing journey and it's against our "old self and flesh."

Bible says that we do 1/10 offerings. For instance, I got a paid check today and dedicated 1/10 of my paid check to God. Of course, I am gonna make the offering to the church. From other people experiences, the more you offer, somehow God bless you in "many" different ways BUT it doesn't necessarily mean "Money." Keep it mind that we do offerings because God said so: Malachi Chapter 3. Don't rob God. There was a few of examples like Abraham: 2nd half of Genesis 14, Genesis 28:22, Deuteronomy 14:22 & chapter 26, Hebrews 7. Just read the Malachi, it's true that God will pour out so much blessings (Malachi 3:10).

Remember that God bless us in "many different ways" so that we can bless and pour our portion to others too.


in Christ,

-Mike

Dive Into the Blindness

Saturday, Pastor Keith, Mike, Mikala, others and me went to the city of Costa Mesa to join other church to minister to prostitutes. Like Jesus 2000 years ago, we would like to care about those people because they are poor in spirit.

Praise the Lord that we did not meet "a lot" of them but few. From them, we found out that most of them do this type business for their children and their tuition. We did not even know about it until we talked to them.

How fortunate that we graduate from college even government and parents were supporting our tuition...?


in Christ,
-Mike

Millions

There was a movie called Millions. It was a British movie in 2005.

Tonight, we went to Hooper's house to chill out.
This movie was really really GOOD.

I won't tell the whole movie but it's a very good inspirational movie. The movie really reminded me of What Jesus said in Matthrew 18:2-6,

2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

Jesus said, Only people whose mind like kid(simple) can easily go to Kingdom of Heaven.

In the movie, the 7 year old boy believed that God gave him the money and gave him the revelation to help the poor. The kid is sooo simple and he believed in God. I saw his faith and it brought him a lot of miracles.

Are you a kid?


in Christ,
-Mike

1st Intercession of Prayer

Tonight, our homegroup (small group) was talking about the spiritual discipline, The intercession of prayer. The topic is from the book, "Celebrating Spiritual Disciplines."

When Troy & Mikala were leading the discussion about the intercession of prayer, I felt that I saw two names on the ceiling tiles. It was blurring and I did not quite pay attention to discussion but I knew that Troy was talking about that compassion is the key to the intercession of prayer. Anyway, the names that I believed that I saw were Abraham & Lot.

I believed the Spirit led me to open the Bible. I opened it and flipped to Genesis Chapter 18. :
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1 The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day. 2 Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.

3 He said, "If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, [a] do not pass your servant by. 4 Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree. 5 Let me get you something to eat, so you can be refreshed and then go on your way—now that you have come to your servant." "Very well," they answered, "do as you say."

6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah. "Quick," he said, "get three seahs [b] of fine flour and knead it and bake some bread."

7 Then he ran to the herd and selected a choice, tender calf and gave it to a servant, who hurried to prepare it. 8 He then brought some curds and milk and the calf that had been prepared, and set these before them. While they ate, he stood near them under a tree.

9 "Where is your wife Sarah?" they asked him. "There, in the tent," he said.

10 Then the LORD [c] said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son." Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. 11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, "After I am worn out and my master [d] is old, will I now have this pleasure?"

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?' 14 Is anything too hard for the LORD ? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, "I did not laugh." But he said, "Yes, you did laugh."

16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17 Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18 Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19 For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."

20 Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21 that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."

22 The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD. [e] 23 Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare [f] the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge [g] of all the earth do right?"

26 The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake."

27 Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28 what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it."

29 Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it."

30 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

31 Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it."

32 Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it."

33 When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.
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The holy spirit was pointing the keywords to me and showing me the "1st" intercession of prayer. Those 3 visitors were the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They went to visit Abraham. Abraham saw them and immediately invited them over to his place. After God finished His promise to Abraham about his nation, the trinity looked down those two sin cities, Sodom and Gomorrah. God was deciding whether He wanted to Abraham to know His plan or not. Abraham stood in front of the Trinity even though they turned away and went forward to those two cities. Abraham knew God's heart and started to negotiate (bargain) with God because Lot and his family were living in Sodom.

Here, Abraham invited God into his place to have "fellowship" with Him. Sure, we can say that they were talking, communicating, and fellowshipping. What Abraham did was "praying." Prayer is the only way to communicate with God. The prayer has many forms of prayers. Anyway, in that time, God had doubt and had not decided whether He wanted to Abraham to know His plan for those two cities or not. God was so funny. He implied to Abraham about that He was about to destory the cities. God was waiting Abraham to "talk" to Him. He already knew that Lot was in one of cities and He wanted to rescue Lot but waiting for Abraham to "talk" to Him about it. Abraham knew God's heart and knew that one of his relative lived in Sodom. He started to have compassion and started his intercession of prayer for Lot.

Yes, compassion is the key. Here, obviously Abraham and Lot were relatives. Like us today, we are in one BIG family in Christ. We need to ask God to give us compassion so that we pray for one and others according to God's will.

After I saw this passage, I wasn't sure that I wanted to share because I did not want people to know that I talked non-sense. There was burden inside of me and wanted to share so bad. Somehow, Troy decided to let us practice quiet-time (meditate) for 1 minute. I asked God during the minute, "God, after 1 minute, if you let John Tomas laugh right after, then I know that you want me to share this passage. If so, do not let me have pride but build each one of us up in your way."

Hahah, John was laughing right after 1 minute because he was wondering around. People were sharing about how they felt about 1 minute quiet-time. I started to have headache and eyes hurt. I decided not to share this because I wanted to go home and rest. It was so weird that headache and eyes hurt were getting stronger and stronger. I felt that something tried to prevent me getting shared. Without any doubt, I shared this passage.

Everyone started to realize what is the intercession of prayer after I shared Abraham and Lot. Praise the Lord.


in Christ,
-Mike

Lead Us Up the Mountain

When I prepared worship for my Thursday smallgroup, I somehow played Matt Redman's song, Lead Us Up the Mountain.

During my worship, I had a thought with this song and the Book of Matthrew Chapter 5. Jesus took a lead of those people whoever followed him to the Mountain and taught them about Beattitudes. Beattitudes were/are the revelations from God. Like Keith Giles shared, Jesus really taught us to not to follow the stream of the world because of Kingdom of Heaven is not going to be like that and it's here NOW. The whole kingdom of heaven is the upside down of version of our real world today.

Upside Down?! What else can you imagine in Kingdom of Heaven that's totally opposite to the world that we lived in right now.


in Christ,
-Mike

Modeling

A friend of mine gave me a gift over X'mas (Christmas). I didn't rip off the gift-wrap until few weeks ago. When I saw the gift, I was laughing because I am too old for this. The gift was definitely for kids. He gave me a car model... a JDM car model. (Note: For those of you don't know about JDM, it stands for Japanese Domestic Market.) My friend knew that I love this kind of JDM car, Mazda RX7, and decided to buy it as my X'mas gift. I opened it up and I saw all little tiny separate parts from differnt parts of the car. There were pieces of different parts and a instruction manual to guide you how to put them together. After I read, I just left there and thought that I would give a try sometimes later.

God is so funny and interesting. Like Bible said, He tries to use our surroundings [things, people, ...etc.] talking to us. This past weekend was the weekend that I should go to my unit to drill but I couldn't go because my car is still in the bodyshop waiting to get repaired and re-painted. Before I went to Soul Survivor church for this past sunday service, I went online and checked to see any new job openings. I did submit couple re'sume' and started to think about the relationship between my age and the entry-level positions that I tried to apply. I couldn't believe that I am still at entry, FOB and recent college graduate level. I started to wonder why and I did some flash back starting from the time after I graduated. I got a techical support position in 2004 and got laid off after 3 months. Then, I spent 2 months to search for jobs and couldn't wait any longer. So, I prayed and felt that God was leading me to join US Army (I wasn't sure about it but had a strong feeling inside that I had to do it in order to move on my life.) After 7 months, I got another technical degree from US. Army School of Information Technology in Georgia. Then, I got a technical marketing position in a LCD monitor manufactor for 4 months and you know the story later on...

I realized that I spent the most of time in Army Training and I started to doubt, was this worth it?

is it worth it?
was it worth it?
will it worth it?

Pastor Marc, who is my spiritual my father and friend for long time, told me a story... a real-life story. The story reminded me and I would like to share with you.

A sister (I forgot the name but if I find out, I will update here) was a missionary. When she was young, her father taught her how to see things in different ways in order to decide things in her life. In her college year, she had a hard time to choose her major. One day, she asked her father about her major. She told her father about majoring in Business and Medicine. Her father asked her, "Which one is worth it for you to be? A Business man? or A doctor? Which one is worth the most value of your life?" After she was asked, she decided to go for Medicine.
She finally graduated and actively involved with mission ministry in the church. One time, God called her to go to Africa for a mission trip. She did go and tried to help natives by using her knownledge of medicine. As we know about the history of Africa, there was a lot of war going on there. By the time reaching the country that she went, all euro and americans left there because they heard rebels like to kill White. She asked God to give her direction and God told her to stay where she was.
Rebels came and conquered the land. They found her and captured her. They ripped her off completely naked and raped her in the end. She started to have doubt and asked God the same question that her father asked her long time ago, "Is it worth it?" God replied, "Am I worth it?" She realized that no matter what, it's all worth it for Jesus. In the end, she was rescued.

This story really encourged me. I know God uses Army Training to train me and shape me hard into the one that he wants me to be. He wanted to break me into pieces and put them together back by his own hand. It's all worth it.

Whatever that we do, is it worth it for Christ? Think about which one is but which one isn't. All I know is that as long as God makes us or calls us to do, it's all worth it.


in Christ,
-Mike

Lesson One

What kind of life do you expect to have? What is your assumption? What is your definition of a Christian life?

I don't know about you but I used to have this thought:
1.) I will partake the bread and wine for free every single Sunday service. (I was 8; was in Watchman Nee's and Witness Lee's ministry church at that time)
2.) God will bless me in everyway such as giving me a good job to make a lot of money, giving me a pretigeous&well-known university, 'A'sing all the time in university and giving me things that I want, etc.
3.) If I do everything like He said in the Bible, He would listen to me because I follow His commands. Plus, He loves me. He won't let me sufferring but to live a better life.

Other people believe that their god / goddness would give them a lot of blessing or what they want as long as they sacrifice a lot of goodies in the temple. It's more business-oriented.

I know that my God is not like that. Like Bible said, "God loves the world. He gives His only begotten Son." He loves us. He wants to give us the best. Sometimes, we do not think it's the best. It's so often that we complain like, "God, why this is happening? Why?" or "God, it's not fair!" instead of "God, What is meaning behind this? What do you want me to learn? What do you want me to experience?"

A long time ago, I was listening a message from a brother. His message was about experiencing God in a deeper level. I remembered that I disgreed and wanted to leave. The reason was that I believed that God has no authorities over us to control our life or whatever because we have free choices and free mind since He gave us that in Genesis. Then, I heard that the brother was saying something like this, "God, I am the one that you use your blood to trade. I am your servant and slave. Please show me what do you want me to do?"

Yes, we "did" have free choices and free mind before we were "saved" by Him or shall I say "before we are christians?" The brother shared a interested word analogy:

CHRISTIAN = Christ + I + Am + Nothing = CHRIST is in me I Am Nothing

In my opinion, a chritian life is just like ocean wave... just like Sine and Cosine graph in Math. Sometimes, we are up and sometimes we are down. Isn't it a unstable life? NO, not really. God just wants us to know Him more and to experience His Power to lift us up once we learn our "lesson" in front of Him so that we can share testimonies to others.

What is a lesson? God gives a lesson in our life? A lesson is a chance that God mold us into His desired shape. Sometimes, a lesson could be an opportunity to deal our "old self." Our self & body conflicts with Spirit. Sometimes, a lesson could be to let us experience His life 2000 years ago. Sometimes, a lesson could be the combination of those two above.

Few days ago, my younger brother, Jack, came back from Hawaii to visit us. He came back because He got 5 days off from his unit. (Note: He is a full-time student and soldier in U.S Army.) On the last day 5 hours before He left from Orange County, we both had quarrelsome to each other in Japanese Restaurant (Note: It's at Jeffrey off from I-5 in Irvine. It's called Tomikowa. <- Highly recommended.) Somehow he had his temper and raised up voice on me due to unknown reasons. I can tell that he did not want to leave us and did not want to leave Orange County. My mom was sitting next to him and told him that she recognized a friend sitting across our table. My brother finally changed his focus and told my mom to say "hello" to her friend but my mom refused. We realized that Mom's friend did not contact with her for a long time. Plus, Mom tried to greet her for a few times in other places but her friend pretended not knowing my mom or did some fake response. They were used to be good friends but her friend was very business-oriented somehow. Jack responded, "I wished that all people in Hawaii (including soldiers and officers in the unit) at least have that 'business-oriented' response to me." Then, he teared down.

I felt his implication 'cause I've been there. His implication reminded of my bootcamp about how Drill Sergeant treated me like a slave, pig, and even worst than low-level bio-being. And then, it reminded me of how my ex-gf abandoned me after I came back from army training. In addition, it reminded me of how my Youth Pastor refused to give me any opportunities to lead worship even though I knew it was my calling. (Note: He did not agree because he thought that I had no spiritual "inheritance" to pour out to those youth). Moreover, it reminded me of how my last manager treated me and laughed at me ironically because I gave him 2 week notice and I am a christian. Lastly, it related to my last "3 day" job in Raytheon and how they treated me as a foreigner.(Note: I got a secret level of security clearance through US Army. I am naturalized through army. Still, Raytheon thinks that I am not a US citizen and gave me a badge with the word, 'Foreign', on it and to have my co-worker to escort me in&out until they kicked me out after I worked there for 3 days and signed the offer).

All those things were happened within last 6 months. I was amazed how God brought me through all those things. I think that God wanted me to taste a little bit of His feeling that how He was abandoned and treated by His people right before He was crucified 2000 years ago. Through all those processes, I was changed and different than before even though I did not even know that until friends told me. Although it's painful to me, but I guess it's all worth it.

Now, I am waiting to see God to rain down on me.

So, what is your lesson this time?


in Christ,
-Mike