Dare to Not Compromise

Daniel 6:1-28 tells the story of how Daniel did not compromise his faith despite the king's decree that have anyone found praying to anyone else besides the king would be put to death. Yet despite this decree, "three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God." In the amazing story of devotion and deliverance, there are three things we can learn from Daniel's willing act not to compromise his faith.

1. Daniel's divine distinction - In v3 the bible states "Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom." Furthermore, in v5 even his enemies proclaim "Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God." There was no evidence of corruption.
2. Daniel's deliberate devotion - In v10 we hear about the decree which condemned anyone found praying to God. Yet despite this we see that Daniel immediately got on his knees and began to pray. Despite the imminent threat on his life, he did nothing different. Moments of trial doesn't give integrity, it proves integrity and in his moment of trial, Daniel chose not to compromise.
3. Daniel's demonstrative deliverance - At the end of this chapter we see Daniel being thrown into the lions den, but God delivers him from danger. Despite spending the whole night in den of starving lions, not a hair on his body was harmed. God honored Daniel by saving him and made Daniel's life a testimony to Himself. Once you begin to compromise, your testimony is dead. By compromising you did not prove that God is faithful.

So how does one avoid compromise?

1. Keep a higher standard - Make God's word your standard. There is the no higher standard. The Lord gave us the Word so we may know what is right and showed us what it means to be righteous in His eyes. It is impossible to know God without studying the Word.
2. Form a Godly habit - Daniel prayed 3 times a day, every day. Daniel was in such a habit of praying throughout his life, that during times of great trials, it was only natural for him to get on his knees and pray.
3. Obey without delay - There are moments when the Holy Spirit will urge you to do something, but when you hesitate to carry out the Lord's wishes, you are in essence disobeying Him. For the Lord may ask you to help Him, but he will never force you. Every opportunity is a chance to help glorify the Lord. If you turn down His offer, then He will always find someone else to carry out His will.

Compromise has a become a populate ideal in our mainstream culture. We are taught that it's okay to compromise our principles. Yet compromise itself is not a bad things. However, if used in the wrong context can be an extremely deadly thorn in one's spiritual walk with God. Compromise is a deliberate choice to sin, to cave under the pressure for the sake of comfort and ease, when our devotion is challenged.

--from Nakwon EM October 28th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Thank God for GPS........ (get it? God Positioning System?........... .. .. .... bah nevermind..... )

Test of Trust

Job 1:1-5 chronicles the story of an amazing man who was "blameless and upright" in God's eyes. It goes on to describe how God allowed Satan to systematically pick apart his life to the point where Job begins to curse his fate. In the end when God reveals Himself to Job, he comes to terms with his situation and acknowledges the Lord. The book of Job paints a beautiful picture of a man, despite the amazing hardship, kept his faith with God. However, there's another lesson here that's hidden between the lines. No one will ever question Job's faith or the his morality, yet there was one thing he did lacked, trust.

Trust is a simple yet powerful principle and there three characters that are relevent to every Christian.

1. Trust reveal fear - Job had fear in his life. In 1:5, it mentions how Job would sacrifice burnt offerings for his children in fear that they might have done something to offend the Lord. In 3:25 Job even confesses "What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me." Fear stems from that one does not have trust in God. Do you have trust that God is in control? Do you really believe no matter how dire the situation may be, God only has the best interest in mind? When you lack that trust, then you heart become a vessel to be filled with doubt which will ultimately lead to fear.
2. Trust rests in relationship - There is no doubt that Job had faith in God. Even during his ordeal, he never once denied the existence of the Lord. Furthermore, this man's faith was so strong that the bible itself describes him as "blameless and upright." Yet God was not after this man's faith. What God was interested in was his trust. Because it is impossible to have a relationship with God without trust, and God wanted to have a relationship with Job.
3. Trust redefines belief and blessings - Blessings that come from trusting God will be far greater than blessings you receive from mere faith. Gifts you receive from God with any prior trust in Him, will ultimately come to possess you. For we are children of sin and our nature will always draw us back to our pride.

That is why faith alone is not enough. It must be coupled with trust in God for it to be meaningful. Faith will come with the Word, but if you yearn to have a relationship with the Lord, then there is only one way, trust. Without it, your faith will always be shaky.

--from Nakwon EM October 21th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Donkey + Lion = Anti-christ????????????

Zaya ya

just testing it out guys.

Spiritual Attack

The moment you've decided to follow Christ and declare Jesus is your savior, is the moment Satan will begin to attack you. Beneath the veil of reality of our mundane everyday lives, is a spiritual war going on between God and the devil for your soul. Some may dismiss it and others may all together think it's ludicrous, but whether we acknowledge it or not, we are under constant spiritual attack.

There are distinct moments in you life where the devil will try to attack you.

1. Growing spiritually - Are you a nominal Christian? Do you live with a lukewarm faith? Despite what you may believe, the devil is not interested in you. Actually, he's quite content with where you are in your life. It's when you decide to take significant steps towards the Lord will he try to do everything in his power to dissuade you.
2. Invading enemy territory - There are two things that threaten Satan's work, evangelizing and interceding. Maybe he will try to stop you by finding people to ridicule you. Or maybe he will plant thoughts of laziness and complenceny to deter you from praying for others.
3. Exposing enemy schemes - Testimony is a powerful tool. It's one thing to hear or listen to accounts of spiritual attacks from books or TV. However, it's completely different when you hear about it from a fellow peer or family member. The devil will try to find ways to discredit you.
4. Repenting of sin
5. Being prepared for God's work

The devil will have many ways of deterring you from doing God's work. Genesis 3:17 chronicles the story about how the serpent tricked Eve into disobeying God and eating from the Tree of Knowledge. If you read the verses carefully you'll see how Satan will make you question God's authority. First, he will try to make you question God's word. In verse 1 he asks Eve ""Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" Then he will try and deny His words. In verse 4, after Eve has done explaining that she will die if she ate the fruit, the serpent tells her "You will not surely die." Finally the devil will try to change God's word.

So what defense do we have against these spiritual attacks? In Ephesians 6:16 Peter says to "take up the shield of faith." However, what exactly does he mean when he says "shield of faith?" To have a shield of faith requires you to have confidence in God.

1. Confidence in His Promises - Satan will try to tell you that the troubles you are going through are too much for you to handle. However, the Lord will tell you that no matter how dire the situation may appear, He will never throw something at you that you can't handle. Trust that the Lord will get you through the storm.
2. Confidence in His Power - Satan will try to diminish your faith in what the Holy Spirit is trying to achieve in your life. Believe in His power and you will witness a level of sanctification that can only come from His power.
3. Confidence in His Program - God has an amazing plan for you. It is not by chance that God went out of his way to save you. The devil will try everything to make you doubt His plan.

When Jesus spent 40 days in the desert being tempted by the devil, he used the Word to overcome His trials. You can not overcome temptation if you do not know the bible. Take heed to the pending attacks and take up your shield of faith. Because whether or not you acknowledge it, there is a spiritual war going on for you soul, and the only thing that will save you will be your faith.

--from Nakwon EM October 14th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

cough medicine or exorcism?

Salvation that Works

In Philippians 2:12-18, Paul gives a commentary about what it means to achieve salvation as a Christian.

1. Command (v12) - We are given a command to "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling." However, aren't we taught that we are saved by grace? After all if we are already saved, then what is there to work out? This command is addressed more specifically to Christians.
2. Empowerment (v13) - We are given empowerment "to act according to his good purpose." One can not truly claimed to be saved and not act accordingly. We are all called upon to follow a higher path and it is this day-by-day sanctification that we must uphold to finish our part that God has called us to do. However, even though the Lord has given us the strength to carry out his will, it is still up to us to uphold it.
3. Method (v14) - "Do everything without complaining or arguing." Sometimes as we are going through our struggles we begin to compare our lives with others. After all, it only seems natural to question why one person must go through hardships while other don't. Why must some endure incredible hardships while others seem to breeze through life without a care. Yet no matter how hard you ask God, he will only tell you about your life. The concern of other people affairs is between them and God. Ultimately, what God is asking is to trust in Him.
4. Result (v15-16) - The result of salvation will lead to four things. Sanctification ("become blameless and pure"), consecration ("children of God without fault"), demonstration ("in which you shine like stars in the universe") and instruction ("as you hold out the word of life"). Through our salvation we must reach to become blameless and pure. A change in belief is nothing with out a change in behavior. Will your life as a Christian be a shining example for others or will you become a hypocrite that will taint the Lord's name?
5. Illustration (v17) - Paul provides this beautiful analogy to describe what it means to achieve salvation. Like the final cup of wine that it poured out onto a burnt offering, it completes the sacrifice and as the wine mixes with the burning meat, it will saturate the air with a sweet and pleasing aroma.
6. Joy (v18) - The final result is mutual joy. The only thing more beautiful than your own salvation is the salvation of your peers.

Do you live your life stressed out wondering what your purpose in life is? If so maybe should read these verses more carefully. Believe that one day God will explain everything that concerns you. Until then follow your faith without arguing or blame.

Pastor Ruben summarized it best (this week's guest speaker at TSC). A microphone will do what it was made to do without ever question it's purpose in life. We've all been designed to worship the Lord. If only we are willing to humble ourselves and step down from our own pedestal, maybe one day God reveal to us our purpose, and you find yourself lifted up high by God's hand.

--from Nakwon EM October 7th 2007 Sunday Worship Service
*To listen to this sermon in its entirety, please contact James Kim

Are you going to talk about the parrot? - JH

confession of faith

Faith is God-initiated, God-empowered and God-centered.

Faith remains a poetic concept, a beautiful idea until I am found struggling amidst a violent storm that threatens my peace.

Faith is strengthened only during the storm. It is then that faith is either purified or proven a lie, a shallow idealism quick to crumble into shattered despair around me.

Faith has nothing to do with emotions; it is all in the will—a willful, stubborn choice to trust God even though all hell screams into my fragile mind: “Impossible!”

Nonchalance, a mimic of trust, and carefree heartless attitude toward circumstances that do not directly concern me often masquerade as faith and can often be mistaken for faith. It may fool everyone except God. I say: “Oh, God will help him. He’s faithful. No worries!” When truthfully, that simple and seemingly faith-based declaration has provided no more than an excuse for neglect and laziness, unwilling to commit to uphold a struggling brother or brother in a storm.

Faith counters doubt, unbelief and crippling fear that pushes God outside my line of spiritual vision.

Faith rekindles a dying spark of trust, renews fledgling hope, and refreshes thirsty soul so parched that it has forgotten the memory of sweetness of satisfaction in Christ.

Faith allows me to feel that warm embrace which will be made real on that Day when I stand before my Savior and King.