LOVED yesterday’s QT. i never realized that QT on only five verses could be so intense and encouraging. God’s faithfulness and love is overwhelming~ ♥
conformity, or defiance.
studying about conformity for my social psyc class.
unpopular opinion, any dissent from the social norm, is disliked and frowned upon. it takes that much more courage and assurance in one’s belief to resist the pressure to conform and stand for that belief. in fact, there is an interesting phenomenon known as the “minority slowness effect,” which notes that people are slower to state minority opinions when asked.
Christianity and the gospel are increasingly becoming “unpopular opinions” these days, especially in the younger generation, which is quite disheartening as the younger generation will be the future leaders of this world. Christianity is seen as “uncool” and “old-fashioned,” and my Tumblr dashboard is filled with posts that are clearly deviant from the Bible. a majority of “Christians” who grow up in the church end up leaving the church once they enter college, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to share the gospel or even discuss anything remotely related to Christianity with them.
the “minority slowness effect” haunts me every time i want to share the gospel or talk about Jesus. worried that others will judge me as close-minded and stuck-up, i usually refrain from talking about anything Christianity, unless i am surrounded by other Christians. it is significantly more challenging to stand alone in an unpopular conviction than to have at least one ally who does not conform to the majority, and i’ve been hiding behind my other Christian friends to avoid standing up for my faith by myself.
but i will no longer conform to the society’s expectations of me. i will no longer fear being judged or labeled by others for my faith. i want to be like Peter and Paul, who stood boldly before the persecution by the society and preached the gospel to the Jews and the Gentiles. when i feel afraid to resist the pressure to conform and need an ally who will stand with me, God will always be there to be my strength to stand strong and to be my ally.
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” - Romans 12:2a.
i will no longer conform to this world, Lord. i will be defiant for You.
Date a Girl Who Loves Jesus
By Ashley MacKenzie
(A response to “Date a Girl Who Reads” and other parodies.)Date a girl who loves Jesus. Date a girl who would rather stay at home reading Scripture on a Friday night than be out partying with a group of friends. She has issues with space because her shelves are overflowing with the works of Lewis, Edwards, Spurgeon, Piper and more. Date a girl who spends her money on others instead of clothes and other frivolous things.
Find a girl who’s passionate about the Gospel. You’ll know that she is because she will always have her Bible in her bag and she’s always read to help others. She’s the one lovingly giving up her spare time to spend it with those in need, the one who lets out a silent but compassion-filled cry for the state of the world and all of His people. You see that girl sitting and talking by herself, looking sort of out-of-place, and admiring her surroundings? That’s her. She can’t resist taking time out of her day to talk to God and thank Him for His blessings.
And boy, is she ever thankful.
She’s the one who’s got that look on her face when she’s in worship, that look that shows you can tell where her focus is in that moment. Eyes closed and hands raised, or perhaps she is sitting in stillness and silence. Either way, you can see a light in her that isn’t like anything you’ve ever seen. She’s the one who isn’t afraid to fall to her knees or dance in the joy of the LORD.
She’s in it, she’s in love with Love Himself.
This girl has some serious self-respect; she doesn’t parade around announcing her flaws in hopes of reassurance or compliments. She knows that she was created in His image and no matter what society says; she is beautiful. She doesn’t need anyone to remind her. She knows how intricately created she is, placing her self-worth in Christ and Christ alone.
A girl who loves the LORD isn’t going to be caught up in pointless things. She doesn’t flip through the channels of the TV searching for the latest soap opera. She doesn’t mindlessly watch trashy movies, lusting over the lead actor. She isn’t flipping through the pages of a unrealistic romance novel, hoping and wishing that it comes to life. She’s studying and learning. She’s thinking and engaging with the world around her. She’s reading His Word and applying it to her life and how she interacts with others. This girl isn’t wasting her God-given gifts on the world and it’s pleasures, she’s using them toward the advancement of His Kingdom, all for the Glory of the LORD.
If you end up dating her, consider yourself blessed because you know God gave her to you. The LORD has selected her especially for you and prepared the both of you for each other. She’s not the kind of girl who pines for the next guy to come into her life. No, she is patient. She waits upon the LORD and His timing. She does not complain or become anxious, for she knows that Christ is her focus above all things.
Pray for her. Pray with her.
This is one of the greatest gifts you can offer her. Read the Bible with her. Tell her about the things God is doing in your life. She cares, and she loves to hear them. Teach her with the wisdom of Solomon, lead her like Moses with a faith like Abraham. She will search you to see if you have David’s heart for God. But most of all, you must love her with the Love of Christ Himself because a girl who loves Jesus is very special. She is bold like Esther, hospitable like Lydia, submissive like Mary and she consistently thrives to align her life with the very words found in Proverbs 31. Scripture is her daily bread, and she grows off of God’s consistent grace and compassion.
Date a girl who loves Jesus more than she will ever love you. Date a girl who acknowledges her God-given mission in life and the priority it has over all things. Know that God has placed you by her side for a reason; you’re in this together and God has plans for the both of you. You’re in good hands as long as you stay within the center of God’s will. This girl will keep you on the Holy path, and trusts you will be honest with you when you are struggling…because she always will. Date a girl who loves Jesus because He loves you, and He just wants the best for you.
Or better yet, marry a girl who loves Jesus.
(via euihwanp)
identity.
in my social psych class yesterday, we learned about an experiment in which an elementary school class was split into two groups—blue eyes and brown eyes—and was told that the blue-eyed group was the superior group with more benefits. it took the class only a few minutes to register and process that stereotype and put it into action, and by the end of the day the blue-eyed kids were discriminating the brown-eyed kids and mocking them for being brown-eyed. learning about this experiment, i realized how easily persuaded we are by the society’s standards and stereotypes and how easily we feed into whatever the society tells us about ourselves.
God has been speaking to me about humility a lot for the past week or so, and i’ve learned that there is a huge difference between knowing one’s own unworthiness and feeling worthless. we are all unworthy before God, but He has placed His worth in us through Jesus Christ, and so we are never worthless.
i’ve been letting others and the society and Satan identify me for too long. so easily persuaded into feeling worthless and unappreciated and unloved for too long. but my identity in Christ is so much greater than any false identity the society tries to place on me. i am a child of God. i am His beloved. i am able because He is able.
Ephesians 4:1-6.
community: a group of individuals sharing a common interest or goal.
- personal sanctification (1-2).
- humility: knowing one’s own unworthiness.
- gentleness: keeping one’s power under control as a result of humility.
- patience: long suffering; only possible through humility and gentleness.
- forbearing love: Agape love; unconditional, unquestioned, and sometimes unreciprocated love.
- in a unified community (3).
- personal sanctification displayed and proven only in a community.
- diligently preserving the unity of the Spirit.
- alert and quick at mending broken fences.
- for the Great Commission (4-6).
- one body, one Spirit, one faith, one calling, one God.
- soonjangship, or disciple making, is a lifelong calling.
“I therefore, a prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” - Acts 4:1-3.
Stephen.
“They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;…” - Acts 6:5.
wow, what a description! to be known as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”… after i read this verse, i began to think about what i am or would be known for. the basics: i’m the tall, fobby Korean kid who is always laughing or smiling. i’m also the super young sophomore who should be a freshman. in KCCC, i’m probably known as USC praise leader or that tall guy in Hosanna. or the tall guy who blocked the projector with his hands during praise at Gethsemane, HAHAHA (oops. >.<). back in Las Vegas, i’m known as “PK,” which has become a proper noun for me since 2004. some people somehow relate me to dancing, for which i wish i could live up to that relation. i’m pretty sure some people think that i’m obnoxious and annoying, while others may think that i’m shy and awkward. these descriptions about me are all external and somewhat superficial.
but am i known as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”? most likely not.
so what about Stephen made him known as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”? after reading Acts 6 and 7 (the only two chapters in the Bible where Stephen is present, i believe), i found that the one most defining characteristic about Stephen was his boldness (i bolded the “boldness,” haha.) in the gospel and in Jesus Christ. as he “was doing great wonders and signs among the people,” he was “full of grace and power” (Acts 6:8), so much that even those who opposed him “could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10). even when he was falsely accused of blasphemy, he was not afraid to stand before the Sanhedrin and rebuke its members for “always resist[ing] the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:51). when he spoke, he was “full of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 7:55) and spoke with the guidance of the Spirit.
dang, that boldness to stand before a huge group of non-believers and declare the authority of Jesus Christ, that boldness that only comes from the Holy Spirit, that boldness that comes not just from the Holy Spirit but from being FULL of the Holy Spirit.
often times, i find myself shying away from speaking up about my belief even with some of my close friends. while i was reading the Bible today, my roommate came back from class, and when he asked me what i was doing, i unconsciously started thinking of alternative answers in my head before admitting that i was reading the Bible, as if it were something to be ashamed of in front of my non-Christian roommate. the only times i went witnessing on campus were when i was obligated to go witnessing due to YBSJ training. even though my Father is the Creator, Sustainer, and Savior of all creation, i still lack boldness in proclaiming my faith in Him. no matter how hard i try to be more like Stephen, i inevitably fail due to my lack of confidence and faith.
on Sunday, Pastor Moses said during Bible study that comparing ourselves to the amazing, faithful people in the Bible would simply be frustrating and discouraging if it weren’t for Jesus Christ. knowing that it was through Jesus Christ that the people in the Bible were able to demonstrate their faith and knowing that through Jesus Christ we can be like the people in the Bible—that is one of the greatest importances about the centrality of Jesus Christ in the Bible. when i heard this, i immediately thought back to Stephen. being known as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit”—that seemingly impossible task now became possible through Jesus Christ.
now, i’m not saying that i want to be bold in my faith only to be known by others as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” but, DANG, how awesome would it be to be known as that! it would mean that more than anything else in my life—physical appearance, personality, education, titles, responsibilities, etc.—being filled with the Holy Spirit would be the defining characterstic of my life, that Christ will be displayed in my life. this is possible only through Jesus Christ, and i need more and more of Him every day to achieve this goal; so, i am going to seek Him more, spend more time with Him through His Word and prayer, and be empowered by His Spirit to be bold in my faith. i want to live a life that is BOLD. i want to have a faith that can move mountains and be so filled with the Holy Spirit that my face will be “like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). and, after a lifetime of boldness in Christ, i hope that my tombstone will read:
“Eui Hwan Park, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”
steadfast.
this morning, i had QT on Psalm 138. the general theme of the passage, and the intended “lesson” from the QT book, was about giving thanks and praise to God for answering our prayer and delivering us from our enemies. as i was meditating upon this passage, however, a certain verse, or a certain phrase, rather, stood out to me. verse 2 said, “I…will praise your name for your love and your faithfulness…” i re-read the phrase “your love and your faithfulness” many times, just simply thanking God for His love and His faithfulness, as the psalmist King David did in this passage. when i read the passage again in ESV, i noticed that the ESV included the word “steadfast.”
“I…give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,…” (Psalm 138:2).
His steadfast love and His faithfulness… the one added word suddenly challenged me in a completely different way. i looked up the definition of the word “steadfast,” and i quote Merriam-Webster:
1 a : firmly fixed in place : immovable b : not subject to change <the steadfast doctrine of original sin — Ellen Glasgow>2 : firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal <her followers have remained steadfast>God’s love toward me is certainly immovable and is not subject to change. just last week at Open Chapel we sang about how “[His] love never fails.”
but is my faith steadfast in return for His steadfast love? is my faith firmly fixed, immovable, and not subject to change? yes, my faith in God as my Father and Jesus as my Savior is steadfast; however, so many times i lack faith and have doubts when it comes to my daily life. i worry that God won’t provide. i worry that i will fail God and others in my life somehow. i worry that people don’t like me or are annoyed with me. i worry that i present myself wrongly to others. i worry that i won’t get the grades i want to get. i worry that someone is somehow mad at me. i worry that my future will be unstable and uncertain. i worry that i won’t be able to go through a hardship and be victorious in the end.
Psalm 138 says that “When I call, [He] answer[s]” (vs. 3) and that “[His] right hand delivers me” (vs. 7). so, what is there to worry about? why am i so worried even though i know that God’s steadfast love never fails? isn’t it selfish that i don’t give God my steadfast faith and trust in Him when He gives me His steadfast love and faithfulness ALWAYS? in the passage, not only does David fully trust in God’s deliverance, but he also “give[s] [Him] thanks…with [his] whole heart” (Psalm 138:1). and here i am not even appreciating God’s love and deliverance and taking them for granted, thinking that i rightfully deserve God’s love, when i fail to fully trust God with even the littlest things…
the one word “steadfast” convicted me so deeply to be steadfast in my faith. when God’s love toward me is steadfast and immovable, how can i give Him anything but the best, anything but the fullest? His steadfast love will deliver me whenever i call on His name, so there is no room in my heart for anything besides a steadfast faith. i will trust in Him steadfastly. i will serve Him steadfastly. i will love Him steadfastly.
“Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace—because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for in the LORD GOD you have an everlasting rock.” - Isaiah 26:3-4.
love letters.
i love cards. i love writing long, emotional, heartfelt cards, and i love receiving and reading them, too. cards make me feel loved and appreciated, like i’ve made a big enough impact in another person’s life for him or her to write me a card. as an insecure person who is constantly seeking public attention and approval, i feel content and satisfied about my social life whenever i read loving, encouraging cards.
last week was my birthday, and i received many birthday cards, some of them from people that i did not expect. reading them made me feel all warm and tingly inside, and i happily set them down in my pile of cards that i’ve received over the years. looking at the pile, i thought, “dang, i wish i had a pile of cards from God; cards that tell me how much He loves me, how proud He is of me, how much He blesses me, what His plans for my life are; love letters from God.”
and then it hit me, the entire Bible is a collection of love letters from God!
even though i grew up as a Christian (in a pastor’s family, as a matter of fact), i was never really into reading the Bible. i’ve always thought that the Bible was boring and hard to read, and i felt like i already knew everything i need to know about the Bible through the many years of Sunday school and its Bible stories. i knew that reading the Bible was key to spiritual maturity, but it has always been a challenge for me to pick up that big book and dive into it. even as a soonjang, i would teach my soonwons how to do QT and encourage them to read the Bible every day, but i always failed to read the Bible even every week, let alone every day. i was content with hearing sermons at church, Open Chapel, and Gethsemane and never took the time to personally study the Word.
through GKYM Vision Conference, however, God really convicted me to start reading the Bible every day, and not only to read it but also to study it. once i started reading and studying the Bible, i realized, “DANG, the Word is so interesting!” it took me almost 19 years to realize how enriching and exciting the Bible really is. what a fail, right?
since that realization, i’ve been trying to read and study the Word daily, even though there are still many days where i fail to do so. i’ve also started keeping a QT journal, so that i don’t just read a passage and forget about it the next day but really continue to apply everything that God teaches me in my life. looking back at the journal, i noticed that sometimes my notes are hard to follow and decided that i should create a blog where i reflect on my QTs in essay format (? hahaha) and also share with others what God has spoken to me.
SO, here is that blog. in this blog are my replies to the love letters from my Heavenly Father. i am not the best writer out there, and my notes are really nothing compared to God’s Word; however, i pray and hope that my replies to God’s love letters will be encouraging and blessing to whoever reads them. :)
