Archive for the 'The Driver Seat' Category

Quick Thought: Prayer

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jimmy
on April 8, 2010
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PRAYER: Prayer is spending one-on-one time with God.  Some people are using the word “encounter” to describe the dynamic, two-way, personal interaction that God desires to have with us in prayer.  It is true that prayer is partly discipline.  But, if that’s all it is and never goes beyond that, then it’s like a mechanical marriage that looks good on the outside but has nothing on the inside.  The discipline aspect of prayer should only serve the passion and intimacy of prayer – it should never ever replace it nor ever be the focus or goal.  It should not “rule” us.  It is the thing that serves not the thing to be served.  Jesus said that there is joy in prayer [Isaiah 56:7]. Our lives of prayer should be joyful.  It’s like spending time with your favorite loved one and being loved on by the one you are jealous for.

Check It: What is prayer to you?  What is your prayer life like?  Is it obligation and/or guilt driven?  Or is it joy driven?  If it’s time to upgrade your prayer life then start asking God to help you discover the reason and source of the joy that is “inexpressible and filled with glory” which he desire for your life!  A good place to start might be 1 Peter 1:8!

Quick Thought: Eternal Life

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jimmy
on March 18, 2010
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ETERNAL LIFE: John 3:16 says that those who believe in Christ will have “eternal life.”  What is “eternal life”?  It’s this: “The life of abundant joy and immeasurable blessing in the presence of God forever. Those who “believe in” Christ have that “eternal life” and already experience its blessings in this present time, not yet fully, but in some significant measure.” [excerpt from The ESV Bible Study Notes]  Now THAT’S awesome!!

Check It: Do you believe in Jesus and trust Him alone for the forgiveness and deliverance from all the penalties of your sin?  If so, then do you realize you can experience the “eternal life” now and not just “in heaven”?  If you don’t, you need to recognize that is exactly what God wants for you today.  “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”

Our Worth

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on March 18, 2010
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I saw this statement earlier today: “My worth to God in public is what I am in private.”  With all due respect, since I am not exactly sure where the person was originally intending with this statement,  I whole-heartedly disagree with this statement with every fiber of my being. Our worth [or value] to God is based on nothing (absolutely nothing!) else than the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to pay what we could not pay for our sin, to forever take away our filthy unrighteousness, and in exchange, to give us His own righteousness as our worth/value.

But, perhaps you will say that such saying like this motivates you to live more godly in your private life. True, it might motivate you.  But, it won’t change you.  God’s Word is very clear that it is only the Holy Spirit that can change you inside out in a way that is truly befitting of God’s heart for the kind of holiness he desires from us.  Anything else is a change on the surface at best.  So if there is any motivation I can give you, then I would say:  Be convicted by the Holy Spirit,  “run” to the Holy Spirit for help,  surrender and rely on the Holy Spirit and enjoy the Holy Spirit.

Joy out of repentance based on the lavish grace of the Cross, trust and dependency on the Holy Spirit, and hope in Christ. These are the sources of true transformation and holiness.  The Gospel is consisted of these; our worth is consisted of these.  It is not our efforts, our good works or our motivational talk that determines how much we are worth to God, but Jesus and Jesus alone.

Here is what the Bible says is the worth of everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ through grace alone:

John 15:15 - We are His friends
John 1:12 - We are His children
Romans 8:17 - We are fellow heirs with Christ
Jude 1:1 – We are His beloved
Revelation 21:2 – We are the “Bride of Christ”

As Apostle Paul declared in 1 Corinthians 15:10,

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me.

Amen and amen.

Quick Thought: Power to Live like Jesus

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jimmy
on March 15, 2010
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Power to Live like Jesus: In Galatians 4:15, Paul tells some Christians that their problem was a lack of “feeling blessed.”  Some translations put it as “joy” instead of “blessing.”  In context, Apostle Paul is saying, “When you felt blessed and had joy, you lived like Jesus beyond human will or capacity.”  It’s time we discover what “feeling blessed” is, save it from all warped selfish ideas attached to it, and realize the pure divine blessed “inexpressible joy full of glory” [1 Peter 1:8] that God intended to unleash into our lives – through the cross & resurrection – partly as a source of unprecedented power to live radically like Jesus, for Jesus, close to Jesus.

Check it: What is your idea of “feeling blessed”?  Is it self-centered or Christ-centered?  Or on the flip side, are you so religious that you think that any kind of “feeling blessed” is carnal?  Feel blessed God’s way and may your life be radically transformed!

Quick Thought: Maturity

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jimmy
on March 14, 2010
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True maturity: Jesus went to the cross “for the joy” [Hebrews 12:2]  Obedience without joy?  You’re a servant. [John 15:15]  With joy?  You are a “friend of the bridegroom.” [John 3:29]

Check it: Is your idea of maturity one of “obedience to God” and “being a good person” as the ultimate end goal?  Or, is it to be absolutely, crazy in love with God and so obey “for the joy”?  [John 14:15] There is a huge difference.

the answer is Jesus

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jimmy
on January 28, 2010
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I thought this was pretty funny. I was watching a webcast of a church service where a pastor was interviewing a girl in front of a congregation as the girl was giving a testimony of having some bumps on her body being miraculously healed.  She said that after receiving prayer, she went home and discovered that two out of three of her bumps were gone.

The pastor then asked: How did you know they were gone?

The girl: Because, when I checked, two of them were gone.

The pastor: Where did the bumps go?

The girl: Uh, um…to…Jesus?

It totally reminded me of a story I heard that illustrated how kids in sunday school think that the answer to any question given in Sunday school is supposed to be “Jesus.”  A sunday school teacher was playing a game of “Who am I?”  She said to the class: “I like to climb tress, I like to eat nuts, I am brown, and I have a bushy tale…who am I?”  The teacher was stunned that there was a long period of silence until finally one little boy spoke up an said, “Well, I know the answer is supposed to be ‘Jesus’ but it sure sounds like a squirrel to me!”

365 Days of Love | Jan 27 | Happy Birthday Ruth!

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jimmy
on January 27, 2010
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Happy Birthday Ruth!

Thank you for all the years of love and friendship.  You have been such an important reason why I have been able to follow my calling and serve God as I do now.  Thank you for all the years of coordinating ministry for me and being such an awesome interpreter.  Thank you for being patient with me and being my friend and co-laborer in Christ despite all my faults.  I love and appreciate you.

I know that God has His hand upon your life and that He is directing your steps. I pray that during this new year of your of your life you will marvel and witness how God uses all things for your good and His glory!  I look forward to being a part of the coming revival in Taiwan together with you!

Your friend,

365 Days of Love | Jan 26 | Small Talk

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jimmy
on January 26, 2010
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Today, I wanted to share a great testimony I received last night. The timing was awesome since yesterday was the official start of doing the “365 Days of Love.”  About three ago, I was staying in Taipei with a friend.  Near my friend’s home was a breakfast shop. I enjoyed the food there so I ate there a few times during my short stay.

There were two young ladies who worked there and both were the daughters of the owners.  The girls pretty much run the whole thing now.  I eventually ended up getting to know them a little. In fact, one day, I ended up spending my entire afternoon there just hanging out, talking and sharing about ourselves. I really just felt God’s blessing on that time.  Through our time of hanging out, I found out that both the daughters were not Christian.

Then yesterday, the older daughter, “Claire” instant messaged me on Skype and said “Hi.” I had not heard from her since that time of hanging out a few months ago.  Right away she told me, “I want to share you a good thing~”

Claire: first my sister having a baby

Jimmy: oh wow! that is great news!

Claire: Yes a boy

Claire: second good thing is I want to believe in God

Jimmy: wow!! that is great news! very happy or you about these 2 great news!

Claire: Thank you ~ (smily face)

Claire: I try to do do this good thing, now I filled so many joy with my heart~

Jimmy: wow! that is great! how did this happen?

Claire: it’s amazing…every night I prayer…I feel satisfied and happy everyday. I have courage to face my life.

Claire: my type is too slow~

Jimmy: hahaha, don’t worry!

Claire: But I already to read Holy Bible every night. I want to receive baptism.

Claire: Every time I prayer I really want to cry, because I feel God love me and everyone. I feel my dreams will come true. I feel he loves me and my family. He gives me a lot. I really want to share my love for everyone. God, I really love you so much.

Jimmy: haha, I love God too!

Claire: Maybe I met you, and my friend tell me a good sign. God so great.

Jimmy: Yes! I think so!

Claire: Do you go eat dinner?

Jimmy: Haha, no, I did not eat dinner yet!

Claire: Just go eat dinner. Ok

Claire: Thank you so much to talk for me. Thank God let us meet.

Again, during the time I hung out with Claire, I just really felt God’s blessing on our time. But, I didn’t feel a leading or a need to initiate sharing the Gospel, even though we did talk about my faith a bit because they asked things to get to know me and were surprised to find out that I’m a pastor.  And yet, Claire felt, in hindsight, that God orchestrated our time together.

It’s truly amazing how God can use all the little things we do to love people – like hanging out and making “small talk” – and make the most unlikely, amazing things happen.

365 Days of Love | Jan 25 | A Cardboard Box

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jimmy
on January 25, 2010
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Today, I went and did some Costco shopping here in Taichung, Taiwan. I love Costco, don’t you?  I bought some stuff and went through the checkout when the clerk tries to ask me something in Mandarin.  Since I speak pretty much zero Mandarin, all I could do was say something in English so he could realize that I didn’t speak Mandarin.

After the clerk loaded up my cart, I headed out and then took an elevator down to the basement parking.  On my way down I looked into my cart and realized none of the stuff were boxed!  It then dawned on me what it was the clerk was trying to ask me:  if I wanted a box for the stuff I bought!  Well, it was too late to get a box since Costco was closed and I was one of the last customers to leave.

As I contemplated how I was going to carry all the stuff up to my friend’s apartment when I got there without a box, the elevator doors opened and then lo and behold, just a few feet in front of me on the ground, was one single cardboard box just big enough for all the stuff I had.

I immediately felt so thankful and just had a feeling God was showing me some love.

365 Days of Love | Jan 25 | Donation to Haiti

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jimmy
on January 25, 2010
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Today I made a donation to help support relief work in Haiti. I donated to an organization called “Churches Helping Churches.”  God’s answer to the continuation of his work on earth is the Church, and in no other time is God’s kingdom work of love, hope and healing needed more than in times like these.
It is with this firm conviction in God’s plan and strategy that the leaders of “Churches Helping Churches” write:
Both throughout history and following specific tragedies it is often the local church that cares for widows, orphans, and the poor. It is the church who performs the funerals, grief counseling and spiritual follow up with families of victims. Rebuilding local churches helps address the practical and spiritual needs of a country, one person, one neighborhood, and one community at a time.
“Churches Helping Churches” is being headed up by Pastor Mark Driscoll and Pastor James Macdonald.  I know and firmly believe every penny that is sent their way will be used in the spirit of bringing God the greatest glory possible through loving and serving Haiti as Christ would.
Please consider making a donation to “Churches Helping Churches” or to some other relief effort today.  No matter the amount or effort, great or small, the worst thing would be to do nothing at all, because we have an awesome God who can take the best we can give and multiply the blessings!