Your Kingdom Come…

What is the kingdom?  The kingdom is where Christ has authority.  It is where God reigns.  Where there is no death nor mourning nor crying nor pain (Rev 21:4).  It is where sin and evil are destroyed and where there is life, love, joy, and peace.  This is the kingdom.  In Luke 17:21 Jesus says, “The kingdom of God is within you.”  What we must realize as Christians is that Christ Jesus lives within us.  His power, His grace, His joy, His love, His goodness… all within us.  It is when we pray, “Your kingdom come!” that we are basically praying, “Jesus, reign in me!  Reign all around me!  Take authority!!!”  Its when we humble ourselves before God, submit to Him, and let Him take over us that His kingdom is revealed.  That is when salvation, healing, and deliverance become common. 

Matthew 10:7-8 – As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons.  Freely you have received, freely give.

Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

Welcome to the Baby Room

In the past 3 months or so we have received 4 new babies all less then one year old.  Madness I tells you!  Here are pictures of them along with Jina (our 2 and a half year old).  Our three year olds, Kee Baek and Jung Ho, have been staying in different dorm rooms with the older kids for the time being.  Please pray that our orphanage may be able to hire two more dorm mothers to help in the baby room.  Please pray for God’s peace and blessings to fill the place.  Thank you!

Hyun Woo… our newest arrival… sleepy, but not yet asleep

Young Ho

Hee Sung… I love his hair, its always puffed out 

Sung Joon

Sun Ah

Jina (and my camera cord… woops)

One more of Young Ho

On an extra note… I purchased a 95 Hyundai Sonata this week.  Now I finally have a car here in Korea.  Praise God!!!    Here are Soo Yun and Eun Ji posing with my car before we went for a little drive.  They said I’m a good driver.  And then they began talking about the other good drivers at our home, which turned out to be every single worker… except one dorm mother.  They both agreed she isn’t that good.  I now know not to ride with her. 

God bless!

Its a Spiritual WALK, not a Spiritual Run

While I was in America visiting different college fellowships, there was a struggle that I found common among a number of the students, especially those who were really hungry for God:  A desire to grow as fast as possible and be used by God immediately.  I was encouraged by the zeal and hunger from such students, especially the 1st years.  But as I prayed for them, I felt God telling me to pray that they “slow down and enjoy Him.”  I think most of our generation wants to experience the miraculous.  We want the amazing testimonies.  But as I pray I feel God telling me, “What I treasure is YOU.  What I want most is to be with you, to have a close relationship with you.  The works don’t impress me or excite me.  It is when a son or daughter of mine seeks me daily and wants to be with me, that is when I am most pleased.” 

While talking with a friend who has been struggling with trying to grow and serve and please God as much as possible , I got an image in my mind of a father walking hand in hand with his two year old daughter on a beach.  The father was looking down at his daughter, full of love for her and enjoying the moment so much.  But the daughter then tried to run ahead.  She wanted to speed up the moment and get through to the next memory, the next level of growth.  As she ran she soon stumbled and fell.  The father walked forward, picked her up, and helped her getting walking again.  He knew the right pace for her… a slow, steady pace.  And more than anything, he wanted to treasure the moment with her. 

I felt God wanting the same with us.  What He treasures most is our relationship with Him… seeking Him in His Word and in prayer daily.  He wants to enjoy us and He wants us to enjoy Him.  And its as we are faithful in walking with Him and growing closer in His love that the good fruit, the blessings, and even the miracles and amazing testimonies, simply come naturally.  God is good! 

Jeremiah 31:3 – I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. 

Early tomorrow morning I will be returning to Korea.  My time here in America has truly been blessed and I don’t think I could have asked for anything more.  Before I get to wedding pictures I wanted to post the chorus of the song that has ministered to me the most while I have been traveling here in America, particularly this clip of it (the chorus of believers worshipping and then the spontaneous praise that follows).  Here is the chorus, first in Spanish…

No hay nadie como tu, solo Cristo 
Moriste por mi­ en la cruz
Viviré para alabar

There is no one else for me, none but Jesus
Crucified to set me free
Now I live to bring him praise

God is good!   Now for the wedding pictures…

My younger sister Laura at our house before the wedding

With Laura and my older sister Katie

With my bro-in-law Todd after we decorated the wedding car (an old mercedes benz, so weren’t going to mess it up)

Laura and Andy

Laura with her bridesmaids

With Hong… we took the same picture 9 years ago when my old sister got married… we haven’t changed much at all

Laura and Andy by the Potomac River before the reception (at Mount Vernon)

The full wedding party

Laura with the bridesmaids

Andy with his groomsmen

Laura and Andy

With my Uncle Paul and cousins Antoine and Jessi… they make me look really white…

My mom, Uncle Fred, Grandma, and Uncle Paul

With bro-in-law Todd and sister Katie (the next day)

God is good!  It has been raining the past few days, but there was a pause in the storms Saturday afternoon and evening during the wedding and afterwards.  The sky was beautiful and there were many more great pictures taken. 

I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning and arriving Wednesday afternoon in Korea.  God bless!

This past week I attended a Wizards playoff game with Hong and then went to NYC for the first time to visit Jane and speak at her church.  Although the Wizards stunk it up, I still had a good time.  As for NYC, I really enjoyed being able to see and pray with old friends.  Here are some pictures from both…

Somehow I managed to run into these guys before the game… I had hoped to see them, so this was a blessing for me… Suk Jin, Derrick, Hoy, Minah, and Wooj

Candid shot

With Hong before the game

In New York at Jane’s apartment for lunch (Alexis, Jane, Peter, and me)

Jane before running a half-marathon… she did really well!

A bunch of us had dinner together after the late church service on Sunday

With Bo and Peter

With past JSEMers (church in Korea)… Pearl, Jane Kim, Nikki, and Jane Oh

With Jane in Times Square before getting on my bus to return to Northern Virginia

The lyrics to the song “Second Chance”

This past weekend I visited OiCF at VCU Friday night, then went to UVA on Saturday for the Frisbee tournament and then spoke on Sunday at GCF church.  I enjoyed both visits a lot.  I want to encourage the students at both schools to keep faithful in your quiet times and wait for the Lord.  He has big plans for you guys. 

At VCU with Diana and her fiance TaRan… its a nice ring, but the picture is too small to see it…

With Myung, Joe, and Steve

With Charlie, David, and Wanji

With Allen and Sarah

On Saturday I went to UVA for the Ultimate Frisbee tournament… both Tech teams made it to the finals so we just goofed around during the final and decided to share the trophy.  Here are all the Tech peoples, I played with the maroon team…

 With John, Simon, and Sam

With Pastor IJ and his wife Aileen after I spoke at GCF church on Sunday

Estin, Evelyn, Aileen, Hanah and Jee