KCT - Grace Abounding

Magnifying God

2006-05-30T00:14:00.000-04:00

Psalm 34:3 says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!” Yes, how worthy God is of our worship and praise. God is worthy to be magnified for His greatness and goodness. However, how we magnify God is very important. It is the difference between idolatry and true worship.

The Idolatry of Magnifying God with a Microscope - A microscope, with its powerful magnifying lens, can make the tiniest objects clearly visible to the human eye. A microscope takes something small, really small, and makes it big to the eyes. This is good for science but it is not good when it comes to the worship of God. In some worship services or Christian events I’ve been to, the praise leader or the pastor tries to stir up the crowd (congregation) to get them engaged. It’s evident that the crowd is bored or unresponsive yet after some prodding the crowd plays along and even claps and sings loudly. When this happens, I wonder if this is truly glorifying to God. Of course God deserves our loudest praise and exaltation. Yet if we focus on God in worship but we really don’t think much of him at other times, we are merely trying to make God look big when he is really small in our lives. This, my friends, is idolatry. God is not a small thing to put under the microscope to take a closer look for an hour or so, and then he goes back to being small again in our lives. A long, long time ago in my youth group days, we use to sing a silly song that was theologically terrible. It went like this: “If I had a white little box, I put Jesus in. Take him out, kiss, kiss, kiss, and put him back again.” The song continued with punching Satan in a black box. We sang this song because someone thought it was cute, however, what a terrible vision of Jesus who is put in a little box to take out to kiss when we feel like it. Thank God that there are not too many songs like this. However, I would guess that many people treat Jesus in this very way on Sunday morning. Take Jesus out for an hour and kiss him and put him back again. Is this magnifying God? There is another way to magnify God.

Magnifying God with a Telescope – A telescope, with its powerful magnifying lens, makes more visible objects that are tiny in our sight but are in fact huge. A telescope takes something huge, really huge, but is far away, and brings it “closer” to our sight through magnification. In our analogy with worship, magnifying God like a telescope would be to bring the great and awesome God closer to us so that we can marvel at his greatness and awesomeness. There are many times God seems as far away to us as the stars in the sky. Like the stars, God seems, at times, distant and even small to us. But when we are lead in worship to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to see that Lord is God, we are called to take a closer look at the God who is BIG. See him for who he really is – our Great God, worthy of our loudest praise and wholehearted/whole-life devotion. This is to magnify God with a telescope.

How is your vision of God? Do you see God in the Word? Do you see God in Christ Jesus our Lord? Is God small in your eyes? Take a look at his Word. Read passages like Isaiah 6:1-8 where the great and merciful God manifests himself to the people. Also, as I mentioned a silly praise song before, here a good one: “My God is so BIG, so STRONG and so MIGHTY, there’s nothing my God can not do…” Yes, God is BIG, STRONG, and MIGHTY… and HOLY and MERCIFUL and GOOD. SO GOOD. God is SO good.

As Psalm 34:3 says, “Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together!”

Can It Get Any Worse Than This? A Meditation on Lamentations

2006-05-25T03:27:00.000-04:00

Are you in a situation that seems really bad? Does the world seem like it is falling apart?

Has something terrible happened to someone you love? What do you do when you feel like it can’t get any worse than this?

Anyone who is asking these kinds of questions don’t need pat answers, they need a caring person who will listen and they need to hear from God. And God’s word speaks to this kind of person.

In the book of Lamentations, a short book sandwiched between two huge prophetic books of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, there are five chapters which are five poems. These poems are not love poems; they are laments, as the title makes clear. A lament is like a complaint but it is not the whining complaint of a spoil brat, it is an anguished expression of deep sadness and trouble lifted up to God.

The first two verses of the book begin, “How lonely sits the city that was full of people! How like a widow has she become, she who was great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a slave. She weeps bitterly in the night, with tears on her cheeks, among all her lovers she has none to comfort her; all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they have become her enemies.” (Lam. 1:1-2 ESV).

This sad tale is about Israel after the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Israel has been idolatrous, like an adulterous woman, and has reaped the judgment of God. “Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow, which was brought upon me, which the LORD inflicted on the day of his fierce anger” (Lam.1:12). “My eyes are spent with weeping, my stomach churns; my bile is poured out to the ground because of the destruction of the daughters of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city” (Lam. 2:11). Can it get any worse than this? Yes it can. “Look, O LORD, and see! With whom have you dealt thus? Should women eat the fruit of their womb, the children of their tender care? Should priest and prophet be killed in the sanctuary of the Lord?” (Lam. 2:20). That’s about as bad as it gets, women eating their children (most likely those who have died due to starvation), not to mention spiritual leaders being killed in the house of worship.

Chapter 3 continues, “my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, ‘My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD” (Lam. 3:18) All hope seems lost.

Why is this book in the Bible? Because it is an expression of the depths of human sin, depravity and suffering; but not only that, it is an expression of hope in the midst of the most tragic situation. There is a ray of light that breaks through the darkness. In Lam. 3::21-24, there is an amazing turnabout. “BUT this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning, great is your faithfulness. ‘The LORD is my portion,’ says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.”

How can this be? How can someone say this in the midst of such tragedy? How can God bring hope when he has brought such suffering? How can God turn punishment into hope? Well, the promise of this book is not only looking back to what God has done for them in the past, but prophetically looking forward into the future when the suffering of an innocent person, the God-man, Jesus Christ, turns to hope for the world. Jesus Christ suffered the anguish of the wrath of God, the wrath that we deserved. The suffering Lamentations talks about is only the tip of the iceberg of suffering Jesus endured. Jesus’ suffering was not only physical but also spiritual. The expressions of being forsaken by God in Lamentations are what Jesus experienced but in a greater measure.

Lamentations points to Christ in 3:58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge my cause.” The wrong was done to Jesus so that he could redeem our lives for His glory. This is the great mercy and the steadfast love of God. Do you believe it? Are you hoping in it? When hopelessness bites at your heel, remember Lamentations. Remember chapter 3 verse 21 “BUT THIS I CALL TO MIND, AND THEREFORE I HAVE HOPE.”

33 - What is historic biblical Christianity?

2006-04-21T00:28:00.000-04:00

In an online discussion with a friend I was asked the question “How would YOU define “historic biblical Christianity”?

This question can be asked as an inquirer seeking an answer (as this person does) or like a skeptic in response to a profession of faith in historic biblical Christianity, “Well, what is historic biblical Christianity?” and then walks away like Pontus Pilate (“What is truth?” John 18:38) assuming that there is no answer or that there are too many answers and none can be trusted.

Is there an answer? I believe so. Many have said it much better than I can but since I was asked, “How would YOU define…,” I will humbly attempt to give my answer.

What is historic biblical Christianity?

First, historic biblical Christianity is CHRISTianity – a belief system, a worldview, a life-view that is centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. Who was Jesus Christ? Was he fully God? Was he fully man? What is his relationship to the Father and the Holy Spirit? What did he come to do? What did he teach? What was the significance of his death? Did he rise from the death? Where is he now? Will he come again? What is your response to the person and work of Christ? These are some of the critical questions that define Christianity. Someone will say, aren’t there different answers to these questions? Yes, and some of the contemporary answers (or re-discoveries) are really far out (like the Gnosticism of the Da Vinci Code or the Gospel of Judas). This is why there needs to be qualifying adjectives like true Christianity or biblical Christianity to set it apart from other ways of answering these questions concerning Christ.

Second, historic biblical Christianity is Biblical. The answers to the questions concerning Christ are to be drawn from the Bible – the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament. These books are not mere human works “sanctified” by the human institution of the church, it is the revelation of God through man – “The Bible is God’s Word!” The Bible is authoritative, infallible, without error, and our ultimate standard for faith and practice. The authority of the Bible comes not from the authority of the church but the authority of God. God has spoken in His Word. “Thus says the LORD” or like phrases occur over 3,000 times in the Bible. Bible authenticates itself by its message and the power of the Holy Spirit who testifies in our hearts as we read, “This is My Word.”

The Bible says that Jesus is “the Christ”- the Anointed One - the fulfillment of the Old Testament (Matthew 1:1, 5:17; Luke 24:25-27). The Bible says that Jesus came (and was sent by the Father) to save his people (Jews and Gentiles) from their sins (Matthew 1:21; John 1:29; John 3:16). The Bible says Jesus, the Word, was in the beginning with God and was God (John 1:1). Jesus was distinct from God yet equal with God in essence, power and glory. Jesus was fully God and fully man (1 Timothy 2:5, Philippians 2:5-11). The Bible says Jesus died to save sinners (1 Timothy 1:15; Romans 5:8). The Bible says that we must repent of our sins and believe in Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be saved (Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38, Romans 10:9). The Bible says that our repentance and faith are gifts of God by grace (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8). There is much more to say concerning the Biblical faith in Christ. I have only scratched the surface.

Third, historic biblical Christianity is historic. The Bible says in Jude 3 “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (See also Galatians 1:6-9 and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8). Notice the terms “our common salvation” and “faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” These terms express a body of belief concerning salvation that was in agreement among the early Christians, defended against early false teachers, and passed on to the future generations. This is the Biblical testimony being preserved and passed on through history. The historic creeds like the Apostles’ Creed and Nicene Creed historically defined biblical Christianity against those who were positing beliefs that were a distortion of the Bible’s teaching. The historic controversies were not about who won and lost the theological power struggle, it was the historic struggle for the preservation of Biblical teaching. I stand with Athanasius (defender of the Trinity) and against Arius (who said Jesus was like God but not God). I stand with Augustine (who believed in original sin and salvation by God’s sovereign grace) and against Pelagius (who believed man had the moral free will to do what God commanded). I stand with the Protestant Reformation in its recovery of biblical authority and the doctrine of justification by faith alone. I stand with the Westminster Confession of Faith in its articulation of biblical Christianity. I stand with confessing evangelicals today who believe the Gospel that God saves sinners by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone according to the Scripture alone, all to the glory of God alone.

It is a shame that many who say that they are Christians today don’t know their Bibles and don’t know their history. It is somewhat understandable in light of the attack on historic biblical Christianity from the modernists and the postmodernists. The modernists, for over a century, have worked at deconstructing the Bible. Now the postmodernists are working at deconstructing the history of Christianity. What we need today is a recovery of historic biblical Christianity; for that, I will labor and stand firm

32 - The Irony of Good Friday

2006-04-13T11:20:00.000-04:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 32
April 14, 2006

The Irony of Good Friday
by Pastor Billy Park

If you did not know, Good Friday is the Friday before Easter Sunday. It is the day that Jesus was crucified. Have you ever wondered why they call the day that Jesus died, “Good Friday?” Why call it “good” when on this very day, the Son of God was betrayed, beaten, mocked, crucified and died? How can this day be so good when it looked so bad? The answer to this question lies in what I call “the irony of the Bible.”

Irony is defined as “a) a use of words to express the opposite of what one really means; b) a result or ending which is just the opposite of what was expected.” In the Bible you will find many uses of irony such as the following:

A Christian is strongest when he is weak, and he is weakest when he considers himself strong (1 Corinthians 1:25, 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10)
Glory is known in suffering, and when we suffer we especially realize God’s power (Luke 24:26; Romans 8:17; Ephesians 3:13; Philippians 3:10; 2 Timothy 1:8; 1 Peter 5:1, 10)
When we are poor we are actually rich, and when we trust in our riches we are actually poor. (Matthew 5:3; 2 Corinthians 6:10; James 2:5; Revelation 3:17)
We have to lose our lives to find it and if we try to find our lives we lose it. (Matthew 16:24, 25)
When we “die” to ourselves, it is then that we truly “live in Christ,” and if we “live” for ourselves, we are truly spiritually dead. (Romans 8:13)
It is in giving that we receive the most blessing. (Acts 20:35)
A leader must be a servant of all (Matthew 20:26; 23:11)
If you want to be exalted, you must humble yourself (Luke 14:11, 18:14)

The first shall be last and the last shall be first. (Mark 9:35; 10:31)

As you can see, there are many ironies in the Bible. This is because God loves to turn the tables on the wisdom and power of this world so that His glory may be revealed (1 Cor. 1:27-31).

How does the irony of the Bible explain why we should call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday?” The answer is simple: because we should never look at the Friday of Jesus’ death without looking at the Sunday of Jesus’ resurrection. We should look at the crucifixion in the light of the redemptive plan of God. When we do this, we see that it is truly good that Christ our Savior died for us to save us from our sin. Good Friday is good because it is the day that Christ was offered as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Those people who saw Christ crucified thought He was defeated. They did not realize that the humiliation of the cross was actually the climax of God’s redemptive plan in history. Ironically, Jesus’ crown of thorns turned out to be a crown of glory.

Jesus’ death was all according to God’s plan. Even though the crucifixion seemed like a victory for the powers of darkness, God was still in control. In the Bible, God has a way of turning the tables on evil. Remember Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and then thrown into prison for resisting Potiphar’s wife? How would you feel if you were Joseph? Probably, you would feel abandoned by God. However, God used, even designed, Joseph’s suffering and hardship to put him in a position to save many lives. He was able to interpret pharaoh’s dream and then become prime minister of Egypt. Remember what Joseph said to his brothers who feared he would take revenge for the evil they had done to him? Joseph said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today” (Genesis 50:20 ESV).

Just as God turned Joseph’s suffering and hardship into the saving of many lives, God turned the evil of the cross into the good of saving many souls. God turned what looked like defeat into victory. It was all according to God’s perfect plan. God has a plan for all creation and it is a “good, pleasing and perfect” plan (Romans 12:2 NIV). No matter how dark the situation looks, we can trust that God is in control.

This irony of Good Friday is that the cross which was a horrible way of execution turned out to be the cherished symbol of the Christian faith. The terrible cross became the wondrous cross. The humiliation of Christ became our salvation. The shame became our glory. Let us thank God for Good Friday.

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My riches gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast
Save in the cross of Christ my God;
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to his blood.
(Isaac Watts)

31 - GUEST WRITER: Rev. David Lee

2006-04-09T02:49:00.000-04:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 31
By guest writer, Rev. David D. Lee
April 10, 2006

A Living God

A friend of mine had an interesting life when we were back in high school. Most of his days were spent in front of a television or playing computer games. He did not go out much. He did not interact with people much. He did not do much of anything really. Some of us might call that the dream life while others might call that no life at all.

How do you define life? Do you think of your life as exciting or fulfilling? I think one of the reasons why movies and television are so popular is because we like to escape our lives and enjoy the story of some other people’s lives instead. Though those stories and movies and shows present a very interesting and exciting life, we encounter a problem when the story or movie or show ends. We have to come back to earth and back to our normal everyday lives.

I like watching movies and sometimes I walk out wondering what would happen if that story somehow intersected with my life and became real. We look for adventure, romance, excitement, and fulfillment. But we know the stories are just stories.

But with the Bible, the stories are more than just stories. What happened in the Bible, the story of Jesus Christ who died and came back to life two thousand years ago is supposed to have a very deep and exciting impact on who we are today. There is adventure, romance, excitement, and fulfillment that we are to experience today by what we read in the Good Book. How is this possible? How can something that happened so long ago still impact us today?

Jesus Christ is alive. Because He is alive, He is still working in our lives and in this world today. He was not simply a teacher who shared some lessons long ago, leaving it up to us to find meaning in them for today and to apply them. God said: “I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Hebrews 8:10 ESV). It is something that God does and is doing today. Jesus is alive, He defeated death, and through the Holy Spirit is helping us to know we are alive with Him. The question is whether or not we experience this reality daily.

I read the story of a ninety-four-year-old man who was pronounced dead at a hospital but started breathing again as he was being transported to the funeral home. They rushed him back to the hospital to check him out. Then he died again four hours later.

That story may describe what many of us experience as our life with Jesus Christ. We go to a retreat or participate in some sort of worship service to recommit ourselves to Christ, and then a few hours, days, or weeks later end up living as if that commitment never occurred.

God has much more in store for us. After Jesus came back to life, He appeared to His disciples: “To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3 ESV). It was during these days that Jesus confirmed lessons He had taught them before His death. During this time He showed them He was truly alive, so much so that Thomas and others could have touched His body had they wanted to do so.

And after He showed how truly alive He was and is, He told them to wait for the Spirit to come. The Spirit has come to us, all of us who believe in Jesus Christ. And so we come to know that we can walk in this life that God has given to us through His Son Jesus Christ.

This week, as we reflect on the last week of Jesus life before the cross, remember that Jesus suffered to pay for our sins, and He died a real death. But also remember that He was resurrected. So as we died to sin in Him, so also we are raised to a very real life in Him. He makes us really alive in Jesus Christ.

30 - G-R-A-C-E

2006-04-04T16:25:00.000-04:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 30
April 4, 2006

G-R-A-C-E
by Pastor Billy Park

This is the third of a series of articles that I will write on helpful acrostics or acronyms.

This article is called “Grace Abounding” for many reasons. One of them is that a right understanding of the Grace of God is central in the Christian Life. The Christian life is not one of moral obligation or indulging in our freedoms, but a life of grace – grace received and grace abounding in our lives by the working of the Holy Spirit.

But what is grace anyway? Theologians usually say it is “unmerited favor” – God’s favor upon those who do not deserve it. Grace is a gift that is freely given but at a great cost. The following acronym helps to understand Grace:

God’s
Riches
At
Christ’s
Expense

What are that riches that God has given? It is the spiritual blessings that accompany salvation: 1) Grace in election – God has freely chosen us before the foundations of the world; 2) Grace in effectual calling, regeneration, and faith – God by His grace works in the life of His chosen ones to inwardly and outwardly called them to Himself by the proclamation of the Gospel, by giving them a new heart, and by the gift of faith; 3) Grace in justification, adoption, and sanctification – God by His grace declares and credits righteousness those who have a living faith in Christ, He grants them the right to become children of God, and He works in them by grace to conform them to the image of Jesus Christ; and 4) Grace in glorification – by Grace we will one day be with God in heaven, without sin, without condemnation, free to serve, worship and enjoy our Gracious God forever and ever.

These spiritual riches are in Christ alone and because of Christ alone. God’s riches in salvation are at a great cost – the cost that we did not pay. The cost was paid at the cross of Christ.
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain;
He washed it white as snow.

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. That is G-R-A-C-E. Do you know His grace? Do you live by His grace? Are you looking in faith to Jesus Christ for your salvation or are you living by your own strengthen and ability? Is your spiritual life going through the ups and downs of your own moral performance or are you resting and trusting in the certainty that Jesus died for sinners like you and He interceding on your behalf even today to bring to completion what He has began in you.

I hope and pray that God’s grace would abound in you richly to the glory of God.

NOTE: This article, as well as previous articles for this column, Grace Abounding, can be found at http://www.kct-ga.blogspot.com/.

29 - The Four P's of Ministry

2006-03-28T01:27:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 29
March 27, 2006

The Four P’s of Ministry
by Pastor Billy Park

This is the second of a series of articles that I will write on helpful acrostics or acronyms.

I learn this one from Mark Dever in his book, The Deliberate Church. The four P’s are for pastors, so please give this article to your pastor. It will also be helpful for you to understand what is at the heart of pastoral ministry.

The heart of the pastoral ministry is to preach, pray, develop personal relationships and be patient.

Preaching – Mark Dever says in his book that he’d be happy to see every aspect of his public ministry failed if it needed to… expect for the preaching of God’s Word. God’s Word has always been God’s chosen instrument to create, convict, convert, and conform His people. From the first pronouncement of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15, to the call and promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, to the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, to the reform under Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23, to the revival under Nehemiah and Ezra, to the dry bones coming to life in Ezekiel 37, to the New Testament preaching of the gospel by the Apostles, it was God’s Word that was the instrument to create His people. God’s Word is His supernatural power to accomplish His supernatural work in His people. That is why preaching of God’s Word is primary and not innovative programs or contemporary styles of worship or anything else. The pastor needs to put his best effort in faithful preaching of God’s Word. The pastor’s role is to the feed the sheep and not to amuse the goats. What the sheep need is God’s Word. Encourage your pastor by thanking him for laboring at the preaching of God’s Word.

Praying – In Acts 6, the apostles selected deacons to help with the ministry of mercy so that they could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer and preaching are integrally inter-twined. Faithful preaching of God’s Word cannot be done without prayerful study. B.B. Warfield, the great old-Princeton theologian, was once confronted by someone who said, “Ten minutes on my knees is more valuable than ten hours studying theology!” Warfield responded, “What! More than ten hours of studying theology on your knees?” Praying, studying, preparing a message cannot be separated. But we are not only to be praying for the message, but praying for the people. The pastor needs to spend quality time praying for the maturity of the members, the conversion of those outside the faith, the mission of the church, and for himself and his family.

Personal Relationships – The pastor should be intentional about developing relationships with the people in his church and with people in his community. It has been said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Patience – Lastly, the pastor, as all Christians, need to be patient. Spiritual growth in people does not usually happen over night. The pastor should measure time in light of eternity, and measure success in light of faithfulness to God’s Word rather than on numbers (nickels and noses).

As I review this list, I am convicted that I have not always lived up to these four P’s. However, I repent and turn to God and ask Him to instill these four P’s in my ministry. pray that I will be faithful to preach God’s Word, to pray for God’s people, to love people, and to be patience to wait for God’s timing and God’s results. I hope your pastor will pursue these four P’s as well. Pray for your pastor today.

28 - Praying I-O-U-s

2006-03-22T16:31:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 28
March 20, 2006

PRAYING I-O-U-s
by Pastor Billy Park

This is the first of a series of articles that I will write on helpful acrostics or acronyms. If you don’t know what that is, you’ll soon figure it out, if you read on.

I learn this one from John Piper and I have found it helpful in my prayer life and I hope it will help you.

What do you do during times when you don’t feel like reading God’s Word or feel like praying? Do you just say, “I don’t feel like praying today” and just give in. Or do you pray to God to change your heart. How do you pray when you don’t feel like praying? Try praying the I-O-U-s. These are all from the Bible, from the Psalms.

I - “Incline my heart to your testimonies and not to selfish gain.” Psalm 119:32

O - “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” Psalm 119:18

U - “Unite my heart to fear your name.” Psalm 86:11

S – “Satisfy [me] in the morning with your steadfast love, that [I] may rejoice and be glad all [my] days.” Psalm 90:14

The following is an example of how I pray using this acrostic:

“Lord, you know how dry I feel today and how my mind is wandering as I sit hear to read your Word. I need you. INCLINE my heart to your Word and not to my own selfish purposes. OPEN my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in your Word. UNITE my heart that I may not have a divided heart or be double-minded. May I have a whole-hearted, single-minded devotion to you. And Lord, SATISFY me today with your steadfast love that I may rejoice in you today so that by my satisfaction and joy in you, I would show how great you are and glorify you. In Jesus name I pray.”

This acrostic is a helpful means to keep your mind focused. However, you should not just mechanically go through these prayers as if this is some magically formula or incantation. It’s not magic, it is the Word of God and we make the prayers of the Bible our own prayers. What makes the prayer powerful is not the acrostic but the Holy Spirit who works in and by the Word. Since the Holy Spirit is the real author of the Bible, the usual way that the Holy Spirit works in our lives is through the Word of God. He opens our eyes and our hearts to the message of the Bible and empowers our praying.

The next time you sit or kneel to have your “Quiet Time”, try beginning with the I-O-U-s prayer. “Incline my heart and mind, Open my eyes, Unite my heart, and Satisfy my soul.”

May the Lord hear your prayer and give you grace to see His glory in the Word of God.

27 - The Importance of Reading

2006-03-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 27
March 13, 2006

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING
by Pastor Billy Park

I have three young children who love to read and to be read to. It is a credit to my wife, Gloria, who has instilled this love of reading. I must brag a little about my children. They are far ahead in their abilities in reading. My 7 year old son was tested in school to read at a 6th grade level. My 5 year old daughter is also a proficient reader. When I read a children’s book to her she is not looking at the pictures but following the words. I know this because when I misread a word, she is quick as lightning to correct me. My wife and I do not have a rigorous academic plan for our kids. It’s quite simple – read lots of books, limit television and computer games, and pray for and love our kids.

Reading is not only important for academic achievement but it is vital in our spiritual lives. One experienced pastor said, “I have yet to meet a leader who is growing in personal passion for God and godliness, and effectiveness in pastoral ministry and preaching, who doesn’t have a voracious appetite for reading.” We should not neglect the other spiritual disciplines that you could probably say the same things about – prayer, worship, fasting, witnessing, etc. However, I think this pastor is correct in highlight the importance of reading.

If reading is so important in our spiritual lives, why is it so hard for people to find the time to read? Technology has been both a friend and foe to reading. Technology has been a friend to reading in that it has made available a vast amount of good reading quickly and easily available to us through the internet (reading online as well as reviewing and order countless number of books). However, technology has also been the greatest foe of reading.

On the one hand, advances in filming, graphics, and gaming has made the visual the dominant force over the literary. Why take the trouble to read through a book when you can just watch the movie? Watching something takes no brain power. In fact it might even sap your brain power. In contrast, reading engages the mind by its very nature. You cannot be reading without mental effort. Well, let me qualify that, reading the sports pages or the comics or People magazine is not the same as reading a good book.

That brings me to other way that technology is a great foe to reading. Technology has allowed for so much information to be published, printed in hardback, paper back, magazines of all kinds, every kind of websites with every kind of opinions, worldviews and perspectives on truth and reality. There is so much information that truth itself seemed drown in a world of spin.

Yes, the information revolution is daunting with the overwhelming piles of information, especially false information. If you were hungry and went to a food court that you knew that half of the food had some poison in it, it would be hard for you take anything to eat. Much of the secular and some broadly Christian book distributors are actually like that. However, there are many good places where much more discernment is exercised in what is made available. Two places where I buy my Christian books are: www.monergismbooks.com and www.wtsbooks.com.

I’ll close with a quote from Charles Spurgeon on the importance of reading:

“The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains, proves that he has no brains of his own. Brethren, what is true of ministers is true of all our people. YOU need to read. Renounce as much as you will all light literature, but study as much as possible sound theological works, especially the Puritan writers, and expositions of the Bible. We are quite persuaded that the best way for you to be spending your leisure, is to be either reading or praying. You may get much instruction from books which afterwards you may use as a true weapon in your Lord and Master's service.”

26 - GUEST WRITER - Rev. David D. Lee

2006-03-22T16:28:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 26 - GUEST WRITER
March 3, 2006

A REAL GOD
Rev. David D. Lee, EM Pastor of New Church of Atlanta

On one Sunday back in high school, I remember sitting with a friend on the trunk of my parents’ car outside church. This classmate of mine turned to me and, tilting his head toward the church building, said, “This is not a real church.”

From our perspective at that time, we felt like our church was more a social gathering than a place to encounter God. It was a place where parents could come and compare how their children were doing in school and where we students could come and compare what movies and music others were into. We played sports. We told jokes. We suffered comparisons to other kids who were getting into great colleges. That was about it.

Looking back I know that many of those people inside the church building did have faith in God. But there just was not a whole lot of meeting God for us at church.

It is easy for us to get distracted by so many other concerns that we lose sight of God. You may get more excited about cars or sports or music or clothes than you do about going to church. But it seems like there is supposed to be more. And it is not just because you, your friends, and your family spend hours each Sunday at church. If you think about it, church is supposed to be about worshipping in the presence of Almighty God. That, I suppose, it about as big as it can get.

I read the story of the Israelites in Exodus and Numbers as they left Egypt and were traveling through the wilderness. God was right there with them the whole way.

In Exodus 13, verses 21 and 22, the Bible says, “The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” The repetition is for added emphasis. God was present with them guiding the whole way.

Despite this very visible (and very strange and fantastic) representation of God in front of them, the people complained. They complained about food, yet God provided manna and quail for them to eat every day. They complained of thirst, and God provided them water, even gushing in waves out of rocks. They complained of Moses’ leadership, and God showed them that He really was the leader for them. They complained about nearly everything they could think to complain about.

But God was with them through every sign and provision. In Deuteronomy 8, Moses reflects with the people: “Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years.” Truly, they did not live on bread alone but on every word of provision and lovingkindness that flowed from the mouth of their Lord.

I think about those people and their blindness to the blessings of a real God and I think of myself as well. We have so many marks of God’s provision for us, so many evidences of His love for us. Food and water so abundant that we waste without thought. Clothing and health. Family and friends. And above all these blessings, the very words that proceeded from the mouth of God – the Bible which tells us about Jesus Christ, the ultimate provision for us, the bread of life, the living water, the light and our life.

We have been given life, and life abundant. Yet so often, we are blind to these blessings, and blind to the real God who is right in front of us, able to lead us every step of the way in which we ought to go. God is with us and we can have a real relationship with Him.

My prayer is that we do not take any blessing for granted. Rather, each blessing ought to become for us another way for us to recognize God’s presence, and another opportunity to encounter God in thanksgiving for His providence and praise of His grace to us. He is right here in front of us. Let us meet Him.

25 - GUEST WRITER - Eddie Lim

2006-03-22T16:25:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 25 GUEST WRITER
February 27, 2006

THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL
by Eddie Lim, youth pastor at Siloam Korean Church in Atlanta, GA

Roses and chocolates, poems and songs. Candlelight dinners and gifts, cards and candies. On the 14th of February couples all across the United States and the rest of the world spent the day and evening together to celebrate their love. Through all sorts of means, people expressed their love. It’s a great day to celebrate love, especially if you have someone to share that love with. Unfortunately, it’s a sad day for many singles who could only wish for Mr. Perfect or Mrs. Right. In the mist of flower grams, red roses and extravagant meals, people forget the greatest love that was expressed in the greatest of ways.
The book of Romans tells us in the eight verse of the fifth chapter that “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (ESV).” Many of us are familiar with this particular verse but we fail to realize the significance of it. It says that Christ died for us while we were still sinners, meaning that God sacrificed His son for His enemies. We were enemies of God when He sent Jesus to die on the cross. But to have an even deeper understanding of God’s priceless gift of love we need to understand a couple of things about Jesus’ death.
When God first instructed Moses to build the tabernacle we see that God’s purpose behind was not primarily so we could come to Him but so that He may dwell with us (Exodus 25:8). But we are sinners and would fall dead in God’s presence. So by His grace, God allows His people to approach His throne through sacrifices of animals. As the blood of these animals was poured out, all of Israel was to learn how God would eventually settle the problem of sin. But in the sacrifice of Jesus, God does an amazing thing by providing the pure and spotless Lamb instead of requiring a sacrifice from sinners. Secondly, in order to understand the fullness of God’s demonstration of love for us, we need to fully understand what Jesus did on the cross. Yes, he died for our sins but the question to ask is how. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane on the night he was to be arrested, he prayed asking God to take the cup away from him but not according to his own will but according to God’s will. He prayed this prayer three times and was in much distress to the point that Scripture tells us that blood came out as sweat. We need to understand that Jesus wasn’t so distressed about the physical pain but instead he was distressed about having to bear the full wrath of God, His own Father. He had to bear that wrath because God love us so much that instead of releasing His wrath upon us, He released it upon His own son. God killed Jesus so that we may live. This is how God showed His love for us.
Yet, many Christians question the love of God and wonder if God really loves them. So many times I’ve heard people ask, “If God is so loving then why does He allow certain things happen to me?” For those who may have spent Valentine’s Day alone and without a significant other I hope you realize that there’s a love greater than any human love, a love that is perfect. God doesn’t need to shower us with flowers and chocolates and cards. He expressed His love for us in the greatest way that could ever be imagined. God bless!

24 - The Good Life

2006-03-22T16:24:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 24
Feb. 20, 2006

THE GOOD LIFE
by Pastor Billy

What do you think of when you think of “the good life?”

You might either think of a person who DOES GOOD THINGS in life or a person who HAS and ENJOYS GOOD THINGS in life.

On the one hand, the person who does good things lives morally. This person tries to do good to others and strives to be a good person. This person has a strong sense of duty to family, church and community. However, sometimes this person finds no joy in the duty and feels obligated to do the things they do. This person lives a life of moralistic obligation. This person tries to please others but often feels “burnt out” in doing good because they are doing it without a true purpose or a clear vision of why they are doing what they are doing. This person is spiritually lost.

On the other hand, the person who has and enjoys good things lives comfortably and pleasurably. This person’s goal is to have a good time and live a comfortable life. Fun and excitement is what this person lives for. This person works to accumulate things that he thinks would make him happy. However, the more he has, the more he wants. He is never satisfied, often bored, and sometimes lonely. This person is living a life of materialistic indulgence. This person tries to please himself but often struggles with a feeling of emptiness and loneliness. This person is spiritually lost.

Thankfully, there is another way besides moralistic obligation and materialistic indulgence. This way is the way of the Gospel. It is only in the Gospel that one can lead a life that is truly good.

The true good life in the Gospel is four things: a life of grace, a life of godliness, a life of generosity, and a life of good relationships.

The true good life is a life of grace. It is a gift of God, just like our salvation. We cannot live a good life on our own; it is by the power of God. It is by grace we have been saved, and it is by grace that we live a life pleasing to God.

The true good life is a life of godliness. No one is good but God. By God’s grace, we grow in godliness. God is love, so by His Spirit working in us, we love both friend and foe. God is just, so by His Spirit, we strive for justice in our lives; God is holy, so by His Spirit, we strive for personal holiness and integrity.

The true good life is a life of generosity. The one who has received much grace is expected to give grace – not out of moralistic obligation but because of the overflow of the Spirit in our lives. Gratitude and generosity are the marks of someone who has received the grace of God. Our generosity with our time, talent and treasure toward those in need and toward the work and mission of God, shows where our heart is.

Finally, the true good life is a life of good relationships. We were created to love people and use things, not the other way around. We were made for meaningful relationships – with God, with family, with friends. A life of grace, godliness, and generosity fosters deep meaningful relationships with those around us.

This is the good life. This is what God in Christ is calling us to live - a life of grace, a life of godliness, a life of generosity, and a life of good relationships.

23 - The Paradox of the Christian Faith and Life

2006-03-22T16:23:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING – 23
Feb. 13, 2006

THE PARADOX OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND LIFE
by Pastor Billy Park

The Christian life is one of paradox. A paradox is a seeming contradiction, but it is not a contradiction. A contradiction is logically irresolvable, but a paradox is not against logic but one that baffles simple logic. For instance, why do Christians call the day that an innocent and righteous man, whom they call Master, was unjustly executed in one of the most brutal forms of execution (crucifixion), Good Friday? Why do Christians believe that you have to be weak in order to be strong; poor in spirit in order to be rich in the things of God and humble in order to be exalted? This is the paradox of the Christian faith and life.

At my church, I am preaching through the gospel of John and I have noticed that there is a paradox in the way John presents the life and teaching of Jesus. Jesus and the author of John make the most generous offer to anyone who would receive it. John 1:12, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 6:35, “Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 7:37-38, “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” These are only a few of the places in the Gospel of John where the most generous offer known to man is presented. This is the free offer of the gospel made to anyone and everyone without any human distinction. “Whoever” includes people of all races, social classes, physical and mental abilities, age, gender, etc. There is no human distinction, though there is a divine distinction (namely, God’s election). A great evangelist during Great Awakening, George Whitefield, believed in the doctrine of divine election and the free offer of the gospel. He knew theologically that no one can come to God unless God has chosen him and draws him (John 6:44), but we cannot know until a person truly comes to Christ, whether they are chosen or not. Whitefield said, “And since we know not who are elect and who reprobate, we are to preach promiscuously to all.” Promiscuously preach the gospel. That is what Whitefield did and that is what we are to do as well. Share the gospel to everyone.

I mentioned that there was a paradox in John. That paradox is not only in that fact of divine election and the necessity of human response to the free offer of the gospel, but also in that the “generous offer” of the Gospel is also, at the same time, the “divisive demand” of the Gospel. The generosity of the offer of salvation in Christ demands a response to the offer. There is no neutrality. You either, believe and accept the offer, or you do not believe and turn away. You cannot be neutral when it comes to Jesus Christ. You are either with him or against him.

How about you? Have you heard the generous free offer of the Gospel? If you believe and receive Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be saved, that is, made right with God, forgiven of your sins, given a new heart in the Spirit, adopted as a child of God, and have the gift of eternal life? Sounds too good to be true, but it is true because God promised it in His Word. This is the generous and free offer of the Gospel that demands your allegiance and faith. You cannot be neutral. Believe it and live in light of the Gospel of Grace in Christ.

22 - Tears of Love and Joy

2006-03-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING – 22
Feb. 7, 2006

TEARS OF LOVE AND JOY
by Pastor Billy Park

One of the great privileges of a pastor is that you get to play a significant part of the most significant moments in life: baptizing an infant, officiating a wedding, and presiding over a funeral. The beginning of life, the joining together of a new family, the end of life, these are all part of the great privilege of a minister.

This past week, the mother of two of our church members passed away after struggling with liver cancer for the past 8 months. Though, I did not officiate the funeral (my father did), I got to observe and visit with the family during the last days when the mother was in the hospital and the hospice. It was both saddening and a joy to be present with the family.

It was sad because someone was dying and their loved ones were in tears. Yet these tears were tears born out of love for their wife and mother. The tears testified to the love that this family had shared for the many years they had together. By God’s grace, the whole family was able to gather together to spend a few quality days with the mother before she passed away. The tears were tears of love.

The tears were also tears of hope. The family was a strong Christian family and held strongly to their faith in Christ during this “walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” You might think that being a Christian who believes in heaven, you shouldn’t cry. However, it is a true Christian who can truly weep freely because the Christian knows that there will come a day when there will be no more tears. God will wipe them away. Christians cry and have the hope of salvation. Non-believers might be afraid to cry lest they think that the tears will never stop.

It was a privilege for me to see in this Christian family a great love for one another and a great hope of their mother’s salvation and for their own. A life lived without faith, hope and love is truly empty, but a life of faith, hope and love in Christ is the solid bedrock that will get us through any situation in life and in death.

May you and your family also know this love and hope in Jesus Christ. If not, start praying for your family and ask God to open their hearts to the Lord.

If you have any questions or prayer requests, please don’t hesitate to write to me. May God be with you today and always.

21 - Jesus Christ: The Food that Satisfies

2006-03-22T16:21:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 21
January 30, 2006

JESUS CHRIST: THE FOOD THAT SATISFIES
by Pastor Billy Park

In John 6 there is an account of Jesus feeding the 5,000. This story is the only miracle of Jesus, beside the resurrection, that is recorded in all four Gospel accounts. This story is important because of what it tells us about Jesus.

First, it tells us that Jesus cares about our physical need. What can be a more basic need than our need for food? Well, we need water and air, but beside that, food is essential for our survival. Food is a basic necessity of life. But it is more than a necessity; it is a basic enjoyment of life. There are few greater joys in life than to eat a good meal together with people you love and respect. Jesus met the needs of the 5,000 plus people by multiplying the 5 loaves and 2 fish so that everyone had their fill. They were nourished and they were satisfied.

Jesus does not ignore our physical needs. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray for “daily bread.” However, the story of the feeding of the 5,000 is not just about or even mainly about Jesus meeting physical needs. In John 6:27, Jesus says, “Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you.” He continues in verses 33 and 35, “For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world,” “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.”

Jesus cares about our spiritual need. He himself is the spiritual food that satisfies us. Just as physical food nourishes and satisfies us, Jesus, the spiritual bread of life, nourishes and satisfies us.

How do we eat of Jesus, the bread of life and our spiritual food? We eat the spiritual food of Jesus in the Word. 1 Peter 2:1 says, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation – if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” Not only are we to drink the milk of the Word but the meat of the Word as well. What does the Word teach us mainly? It teaches us who Jesus is and what he has done for us. So to feed on the Word is the feed on Jesus if you are looking for him in the Word. Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Another place that you eat of Jesus, the bread of life, is at the Communion Table. The Lord’s Supper with the bread and wine (or grape juice) represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. When we partake of the Lord’s Supper by faith, the spiritual presence of Jesus is really there. I’m a Presbyterian minister so I don’t believe that the bread is the actual body of Jesus as the Catholics believe. Presbyterians put it this way, “though Christ is not physically present in these elements, we believe he is spiritually present.” The Lord’s Supper, when properly administered, is where we meet Christ and partake of him. We not only remember what he has done for us, we eat the bread that nourishes us spiritually. We drink the cup that brings mercy and blessing at the Lord’s Table.

Jesus is the bread of life. The bread of life nourishes and satisfies those who partake of it. Are you malnourished spiritually? Are you dissatisfied about your life? Then what are you doing about the bread of life? Are you like a hungry person who does not know where to find food? Look to Christ in the Word and look to Christ at the Lord’s Table. Taste and see that the Lord is good and you will be filled and satisfied.

20 - Be Imitators of God: A Call to a Life of Wisdom

2006-03-22T16:20:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 20
January 23, 2006

BE IMITATORS OF GOD: A CALL TO A LIFE OF WISDOM
by Pastor Billy Park

When you think about teenagers, the word “wisdom” is not usually the first thing you associate with youth. Come to think of it, when you think about our contemporary culture, young and old, “foolishness” might be a better word to describe it than “wisdom.” Youth especially like to live on the edge and test limits. The last thing they want to hear is “Be careful.” But that is what God in His Word tells us, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” (Ephesians 5:15).

Young people, listen to this: “Be careful.” Be careful how you live in this world. This world is not your playground. There are many spiritual dangers. This warning is not to instill fear but wisdom. Don’t be afraid, but be wise. Youth is not made for mistakes, but for heroism – to use our energy and time for the glory of God and for the good of mankind.

What is the way of wisdom that God calls us to in Ephesians 5? It begins with living the life of love and the life of holiness as I have talked about in my previous articles. But in Ephesians 5:16, the way of wisdom includes the proper use of time: “making the best use of time, because the days are evil.” The phrase “days are evil” refers to the pervasiveness of sin in our society. This means that if you don’t think carefully how you use your time and just go with the flow, it will lead you away from godliness into sin. We need to “redeem the time”, which means to buy back the time to make the most of every moment for the service of Christ.

How are you using your time? How many hours do you spend playing video games or just vegging out or hanging out without a purpose? These things are not bad in itself, when limited, but when they become the pattern of your life, this is a great sin. You might say, “I’m not doing anything bad.” But what GOOD are you doing or not doing? The Bible says, if you know the good you out to do and don’t do it, you are sinning (James 4:17).

How should we spend our time that would lead us to wisdom? We should spend our time on the things that help us gain an understanding into the Will of God (Ephesians 5:17). We need to understand the Bible, which is God’s revealed Will. We also need to understand and practice prayer, which is the key to our communication with God. Also, cultivating friendships with people who will help us grow in our understanding of God and His purposes.

Are you living a life of wisdom or a life of foolishness? The life of wisdom is a life marked by the Spirit of God because the Spirit of God is the Spirit of Wisdom. Don’t be a fool and don’t be a “wise guy” (thinking you know it all when you don’t) be wise in the Lord. Humble yourself before God for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10) and He will teach you of His ways and lead you on the path of righteousness, truth and wisdom. May the Lord bless you and keep you in His Will.

19 - Be Imitators of God: A Call to a Life of Holiness

2006-03-22T16:19:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 19
January 17, 2006

BE IMITATORS OF GOD: A CALL TO A LIFE OF HOLINESS
by Pastor Billy Park

“God is love” is a great statement of who God is, but if you isolate God’s love from His holiness, you do not have the God of the Bible. God’s love is a holy love. God forgives us of our sins so that we can be set free from the power of sin, not that we keep on sinning. God forgives us and calls us to holiness.

God is love, so we are called to live a life of love. God is holy, so we are called to live a life of holiness.

What does it mean to live a life of holiness? First of all, we must realize that the Christian is not justified (made right with God) because of his personal holiness. We are justified by faith in Christ alone. It is the holiness and the righteousness of Christ that saves us. Christians are declared holy by God because of what Jesus has done not because of what we have done or are going to do. This is the great doctrine of justification by faith. But there is more, the God who justified us in Christ is also the God who works in and through us for our sanctification by the Holy Spirit. We are not only declared holy in Christ, we are being made holy through the work of the Spirit in our lives. This is our sanctification in which we are overcoming the power of sin in our lives. This is an ongoing process through the life of the true believer. Finally, we will be set free from the very presence of sin in our lives when we die and are with God in heaven. This is our glorification when we will truly be holy.

In the ongoing process of sanctification, the Word of God exhorts us and the Spirit of God assists us. In Ephesians 5:3-4, the Apostle Paul mentions three big things and three little things that a believer must avoid in their pursuit of holiness. Holiness is more than merely avoiding sins, it is much more, but avoidance of sins is the basic prerequisite for holiness.

The three big things are sexual immorality, impurity, and covetousness. These are the sins of the body, the mind and the heart. Sexual immorality is more than bodily sin but I believe the bodily act is intended here. This includes adultery, pre-martial sex, homosexuality and the like. The next word, impurity, covers any thoughts, intents, desires, passions, or words which would be considered unclean, or in violation of righteousness. This includes lust, sexual fantasizing, etc. The third word is covetousness which is a getting to the heart of the matter. In our heart we desire something that does not rightly belong to us. We crave and say in our hearts, “I want it.” Then we give in to this craving and it becomes our master and idol. Covetousness can be a sexual desire for a person who is not your wife or husband or it can be greed for something that consumes your thoughts and passions – a car, a home, etc.

The three little things, as I call them, are not little in God’s eyes. I call them little because they seem like such little sins to us, but God has warned us against these things. The three little things in Ephesians 5:4 are: filthiness (or obscenity), foolish talk, and crude joking. Have you ever delighted in humor that harms another person? Good humor is a gift of God, but when our speaking dishonors God and disrespects people, we will have to answer to God. Matthew 12:36 says, “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.” Hear that again, “you will have to give an account for every careless word you speak.”

Holiness includes purity of our body, mind and heart; and our tongue as well. Thank goodness that God does not leave our holiness to ourselves, but the Holy Spirit helps us. We cannot live lives of holiness without the Spirit’s power in our lives; but in Him we are able day by day to walk in a manner that is pleasing to God.

18 - Be Imitators of God: A Call to a Life of Love

2006-03-22T16:17:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 18
January 10, 2006

BE IMITATORS OF GOD: A CALL TO A LIFE OF LOVE
by Pastor Billy Park

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

God, through the Apostle Paul, tells us to be imitators of God, as beloved children. God loves to have His children reflect who He is. God is love (1 John 4-7-8) so we are called to walk in love. The call to love takes on a very unique place in the New Testament. Jesus said in John 13:34-35 that he was giving a “new commandment” to love one another. The newness was not in the command to “love one another.” The Old Testament spoke about that as well. But the newness was in the demonstration of love in Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” The phrase “just as I have loved you” is what makes this a new commandment. The world had never seen a demonstration of love as Jesus showed on the cross of Christ. The Christian is to love as Christ loved us.

How did Christ love us? He loved us by forgiving us when we did not deserve it. Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Though we have wronged God and deserve just wrath and punishment, God, in His grace, chose to show love and kindness to His elect. He lavished on them, love and forgiven. And those who have become recipients of this mercy are to live consistently with what they have freely received. They are to live lives of forgiveness and love. This is exactly what the Bible says in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

There is more to love in Christ than forgiveness, but not less. Forgiveness is a key part of Christian love. Christians must beware of unforgiveness. Unforgiveness cannot be a part of a life which has been forgiven in Christ of sins against God. Someone said that “unforgiveness is the poison we drink thinking it will kill someone else.” This is all too true. Unforgiveness tries to punish others but it only punishes our own souls.

Has someone wronged you? Has a friend betrayed you? Has a parent let you down? What’s going on in your heart? Is there bitterness and unforgiveness in your heart? God is the God of justice and will not let injustice go unpunished forever. Let God be the judge and vindicator. We are not called to be a doormat but to be an instrument of grace to others. We are not to overlook sins, but to confront it with righteousness and love. Forgiveness is not for the weak-hearted, it is for those whose hearts has been transformed by the grace and power of God.

Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there someone you need to ask for forgiveness? Live a life of love today and forgive because God in Christ has forgiven and loved you.

17 - Be Imitators of God: A Call to a Life of Love, Holiness and Wisdom

2006-03-22T16:16:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 17
January 2, 2006

BE IMITATORS OF GOD: A CALL TO A LIFE OF LOVE, HOLINESS AND WISDOM
by Pastor Billy Park

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2

In Ephesians 5:1, Paul exhorts the Ephesians, and us, to “be imitators of God, as beloved children.” The phrase “as beloved children” is extremely important here. A child imitates their parents because they what to be like them and to please them. The parent loves the child, especially when they see in them a reflection of themselves. A beloved child imitates the parent in order to honor and please the parent. This is the way that we are to imitate God.

However, there is a wrong way to imitate God. That is, not as beloved children, but as rebels. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God. They were created to be like God as children of God, reflecting His character and being a witness of His grace. However they rebelled against God by eating of the forbidden fruit and listening to the Serpent who told them that they will be like God. They became imitators of God AS REBELS, trying to usurp (take what is not yours) the power and position of God.

We are called to be imitators of God as beloved children, not trying to be God, but reflecting Him. The beloved children are true believers in Christ, chosen by God by grace. They are loved by God in Christ. They are forgiven of their sins by God in Christ (Eph. 4:32). They are created by God in Christ for a purpose – to do good works for the glory of God (Eph. 2:10).

In Ephesians 5, Paul goes on to exhort the believers, the beloved children, how they are to live (walk) in Christ. Verse 2, tells us to “walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself for us”; verse 8 tells us to “walk as children of light” (that is, walk in holiness and truth); verse 15 tells us to “look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise.” In summary this is the Christian life – a live a love, holiness and wisdom.

We are called to love because God first loved us in Christ. We are called to holiness because God is holy. We are called to wisdom because God is wise.

Over the few weeks I will continue this discussion on what it means to live a life of love, of holiness, and of wisdom. Until next week, God’s grace and peace be with you.

16 - The Teaching of Jesus Christ (part 3)

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 16
December 25, 2005

THE TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST (PART 3)
by Pastor Billy Park

This article is the third and last part of my reflection on the teaching of Jesus.

The main theme of Jesus’ teaching is the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven. These terms are synonymous and used interchangeably in the Gospels. In the gospel of Matthew the term “kingdom of heaven” occurs 31 times and “kingdom of God” occurs 5 times. Here are a few of these verses: Matthew 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 6:33, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Matthew 13:24, “He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field…” Matthew 18:3-4, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

When Jesus talked about “the kingdom of heaven” he was not only talking about the future heaven, though that was in view as well. He was also referring to the present reign and rule of God in our lives. Jesus was not only showing us how we can get to heaven but how to live in this present life – a life that was fitting for people who lived with God as their Lord and Master. Are you seeking the kingdom of God – the reign and rule of God in your life?

Along with proclaiming the message of the “kingdom of heaven”, Jesus was constantly calling people to follow him (Matt. 8:22; 10:37-39; 12:30). Why was he calling attention to himself when his message was about the kingdom of God? Jesus pointed to God and to himself because Jesus was God – God, the Son. Jesus was the KING of the Kingdom. That is why Jesus commands allegiance to himself, even above family ties or national citizenship. Is Jesus the King of your life above all things?

Another aspect of Jesus teaching was his predictions about his own death, resurrection and ascension. (Mt. 16:27-28; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 25:31). This is one of the reasons why we can know that Jesus was not a crazy or crooked person, but the true Lord. He not only claimed to be Lord, he proved it but his miraculous power, his moral teachings, and fulfilling his prediction that he would rise again from the dead. Jesus has risen and has ascended into heaven and sits on the throne of God. Jesus will come again to judge the world. Jesus predicted the end time judgment in Matthew chapters 24 and 25.

Jesus is not only your King, He is your Judge. You will stand before Him one day. Those who trust in Him and obey Him have no need to fear. We stand in the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. However, those who rebel against the Lordship of Christ, either by willful rebellion or apathetic indifference, will find themselves trembling before the judgment seat of Christ. Which would you choose? Bow before the King of Kings and follow him. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

15 - The Teaching of Jesus Christ (part 2)

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 15
December 18, 2005

THE TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST (PART 2)
by Pastor Billy Park

Last week, I began a series on the teaching of Jesus and reflected on Jesus’ understanding of Scripture. Jesus knew Scripture, he fulfilled Scripture and he was the point of Scripture.
This week, I will discuss Jesus’ ethical and moral teaching. One of the verses that summarize Jesus teaching is Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” This verse is often referred to as “The Golden Rule” – do unto others, as you would have them do to you. Some have taken this verse and isolated it from other Scriptures thus making Jesus ONLY a good teacher of morals. According to Josh McDowell, the most quoted Bible verse today is Matthew 7:1, “Do not judge.” If you take these verses out of context, you can think of Jesus as a feel-good, tolerant-to-all-people-and-all-views type of person. Yet, the verse that follows the Golden Rule is “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many” (Matthew 7:13). And a few verses after “Do not judge,” Jesus says, “Do not give to dogs what is holy, and do not through your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” (Matthew 7:6). Jesus told us not to judge hypocritical; he did not mean that we should be undiscerning about that is good and right. Jesus was more than a tolerant feel-good teacher. He pointed the way to God and he pointed the way to himself.

In summarizing the Teaching of Jesus, I would say that he goes to “the heart of the matter.” Consider the following verses: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19). “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:35). “And he said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’” (Matthew 22:37).

The moral teachings of Jesus when taken seriously show us the sinfulness of our heart and show us our need for a savior. We cannot obey the heart of Jesus’ teaching without the heart of Jesus. Only when we come and follow him are we able to follow his teaching. When we receive and rest in Christ as our Savior and Lord, the commandments of Jesus do not become burdensome because Jesus, by the Spirit, helps us to carry the load. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” His burden is light not because his teaching is easy, but because he helps you carry the load. He helps you in times of temptation. He helps you to minister to the needy. He helps you to serve the Lord with gladness.

The moral teaching of Jesus points us to Jesus as our sole sufficiency before God. Let us trust in Christ alone for our salvation and let us obey Him who is our Lord and Savior.

14 - The Teaching of Jesus Christ (part 1)

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 14
December 11, 2005

THE TEACHING OF JESUS CHRIST(PART 1)
by Pastor Billy Park

Christians are disciples of Jesus Christ, who is Savior and Lord. Being a disciple means that we embrace who Jesus is and what he has done for us; but how about Jesus’ teaching? Can we say we are followers of Jesus Christ if we do not understand what he taught? But more than understanding his teaching, are we obeying – putting into practice his teaching? Jesus said, in the Great Commission, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:19-20). Obedience is not an option for the disciple of Jesus Christ; it is a key mark of the Christian disciple.

Over the next few weeks, I will be reflecting about the teaching of Jesus Christ, based on my study of the “red letters” (words of Jesus) in the Gospel of Matthew. In this first part, I want to discuss an important aspect of Jesus’ teaching – his understanding of Scripture.

First, Jesus knew Scripture. When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness in Matthew 4, Jesus responds, not by miracle or muscle, but with the Word of God. Three times he responded by saying, “It is written” (4:4, 7, 10). He quotes 3 verses in Deuteronomy. Also, in Matthew 21:13, as Jesus is cleansing the temple, he says, “It is written” and quotes Isaiah 56:7. Jesus quotes the Scriptures often and even quotes Psalm 22 on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” Whether in temptation, zeal, or anguish, Jesus has the Scriptures in his heart and mouth.

Second, Jesus fulfills Scripture. The first “red letter” words in the New Testament are Jesus’ words at his baptism: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). At the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, ““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5:17). And as Jesus is being betrayed and arrested, he says, “But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled” (Matt. 26:56). Jesus was conscious that in his life, teaching, death and resurrection, the Scriptures was being fulfilled.

Third, Jesus was the point of Scripture. He was what the Scripture was pointing to. In Luke 24:26, Jesus is speaking to two of his disciples after the resurrection, “Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” Luke explains in v. 27, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” All of the Old Testament Scriptures were about Jesus. Jesus continued in Luke 24:44, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Jesus not only knew Scripture, but fulfilled Scripture. In fact, he is the central point of Scripture. He is the central figure in the plan of Salvation. To take seriously, Jesus’ teaching means to take seriously Jesus’ view of Scripture. His view was that it all pointed to Him. Is Jesus the central figure in your life? Is your life pointing to Jesus? May God draw you by His grace to a closer walk of obedience to the Lord.

13 - Is it Okay to say Merry Christmas

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 13
December 4, 2005

IS IT OKAY TO SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS?
by Pastor Billy Park

For many years now, the secular progressives have been pushing for a secularization of the Christmas season and for the abolishing of anything religious in the public life of America. It’s become politically incorrect to say, “Merry Christmas” in public school or in the work place. You are supposed to say, “Happy Holidays.”

John Gibson, a news anchor with Fox News Channel, who has written a book called “The War on Christmas,” cites the following incidents:
• In Illinois, state government workers were forbidden from saying the words “Merry Christmas” while at work
• In Rhode Island, local officials banned Christians from participating in a public project to decorate the lawn of City Hall
• A New Jersey school banned even instrumental versions of traditional Christmas carols
• Arizona school officials ruled it unconstitutional for a student to make any reference to the religious history of Christmas in a class project

Many years, Christians and Americans, maybe out of politeness or out of apathy, have allowed secular progressives to steal Christmas from the public square. However, the tide is changing. The major of Boston, the speaker of the House of Congress and others have determined to call the Christmas tree by its proper name and not “Holiday Tree.” In a recent FoxNews poll, it is clear that the vast majority of people in America celebrate Christmas - 95%. 59% believe that Christianity is under attack in America. 42% feel that there is a “war on Christmas.” 44% are offended by changing the Christmas tree to “holiday tree.” Almost no one is offended by “Merry Christmas” but somehow a small minority of people has robbed the vast majority of the people in America from freely and publicly celebrating the most treasured holiday in the tradition of America.

According to the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), Americans have the freedom and the right to:
...sing Christmas carols at school
...pass out candy canes to classmates
...call it “Christmas vacation”
...sponsor a nativity scene on public property
...say “Merry Christmas”

On their website, www.saychristmas.org, ADF wants all Americans to know the Truth—that they have the freedom to celebrate Christmas publicly, joyfully, and without fear—for generations to come! It’s okay to say “Merry Christmas” in school, in public and at work.

For Christians, Christmas is more than a cultural or traditional holiday. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ who is the only savior for the world. We should not be ashamed to tell people of the good news of Jesus Christ. However we should do it with humility and respect.

Don’t let the secular Grinches rob you of Christmas. And don’t be a Scrooge and merely be critical of the secularization or the materialism of Christmas. Let’s enjoy and celebrate this Christmas by saying to our friends and to strangers “Merry Christmas.” If the say, “Happy Holiday,” ask them what holiday they are celebrating.

12 - A Life of Joy and Peace

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 12
November 28, 2005

A LIFE OF JOY AND PEACE
by Pastor Billy Park

Philippians 4:4-7 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

The great preacher, D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, wrote on Philippians 4:4, “It was their heritage as Christian people, and to Paul it was a tragedy that any Christian should be unhappy. Unhappiness was a denial of their profession of faith. They were missing something, they were being robbed of what is the most glorious thing about the faith, and so the Apostle could not leave it alone.”

Lloyd-Jones’ book on Philippians was aptly title: “The Life of Joy and Peace.” Our life in Christ through the Holy Spirit is the life of joy and peace. This is God’s will for you – JOY and PEACE in Christ.

How can you experience this joy and peace in our lives? Firstly, we must know that Joy and Peace are fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, PEACE, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; against such things there is no law.”). Joy and Peace comes from a living relationship with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:25 tells us to “walk by the Spirit.” This means that we should follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as He speaks and convicts our conscience in and through the Word and through prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 tells us, “Do not quench the Spirit” and Ephesians 4:30 exhorts us, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God.”

Are you obeying the Spirit’s leading as you read the Bible and pray to God? Are you exercising the God-given spiritual gifts to minister, serve, and love others? Are you walking in the Spirit? Or are rebelling against what God has clearly told you to do or not to do? The answer to these questions determines if you are living a life of joy and peace or a life of anxiety and discontentment. Joy and Peace comes from the Spirit of God.

Joy and Peace are cultivated by Prayer and Thanksgiving. That is why Paul says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God… will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” The Life of Joy and Peace is cultivated by prayer that is full of thanksgiving. Praying motivates thanksgiving. Thanksgiving motivates prayer. Prayer and Thanksgiving go together and it is the engine that produces Joy and Peace.

Are you in a spiritual muddle today? Are you living a life of simplicity in Christ. Are you simply obeying, simply trusting. Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to Trust and Obey.

May God fill your heart with Joy and Peace in Christ Jesus our Lord.

11 - A Life of Grace and Thanksgiving

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 11
November 21, 2005

A LIFE OF GRACE AND THANKSGIVING
by Pastor Billy Park

I am writing this article on the Monday before Thanksgiving, but you might be reading this the week or so after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is not only a time to stuff your face with good food and enjoy family get-togethers, but it is a time to remember what we should be doing all the time – giving thanks to God for all His goodness and blessings.

Thanksgiving is one of the great marks of the Christian life. In Colossians 3:15-17, Paul encourages Christians to be thankful three times. In verse 15, we are exhorted to “let the peace of Christ rule in our heart…and be thankful.” Thankfulness helps us keep the peace of Christ ruling in our hearts. Instead of grumbling about our situation or against someone who, in our minds or in reality, has wronged us, we are called to peace and thanksgiving.

In verse 16, we are directed to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thanksgiving in your hearts to God.” Thanksgiving overflows in our hearts as we meditate on and sing about “the word of Christ.” The word of Christ is the word about Christ, namely the goodnews about what Christ has done for us. This is the Gospel. As we think about the grace of God in Christ -- that Christ died for sinners, that in Christ we are justified before God, that in Christ we are received as children of God, that in Christ that we are being sanctified into the image of Christ, that in Christ we are assured of going to heaven not because of anything we have done, but because of what Christ has done – when we think about this amazing grace, we cannot help but be filled with thanksgiving to God.

In verse 17, Paul instructs us, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” To do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ means to do everything in light of or because of what Jesus has done for us and to do everything for the glory of his name. This is done not out of moralistic obligation trying to pay God back for his grace. We cannot repay God for his grace. When God gives His grace there is only one expectation – gratitude. That’s thanksgiving. The Christian life is a life of grace and a life of thanksgiving for the grace which we receive undeservingly.

How about you today? Are you thankful to God today? Or are you full of complaining, contentiousness, covetousness, and complacency? These are the opposite and the enemy of a life of thanksgiving. Think about the amazing grace in Jesus Christ. And be thankful for Him.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

10 - Joy: Is it in You?

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 10
November 11, 2005

JOY: IS IT IN YOU?
by Pastor Billy Park

The great exhortation to “Rejoice!” is often repeated in the Bible. The book of Psalms is filled with commands that tell us to rejoice (Psalms 2:11, 32:11, 64:10, 96:11, 97:1, 105:3, 118:24 just to name a few). In the New Testament, there are two particular passages that are quite well known: Philippians 4:4 “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say rejoice,” and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God will in Christ Jesus for you.”

I think the Bible tells us to rejoice so often because God knows how often we get bogged down with joylessness. God’s Word is meant to encourage us to look to Christ for there lays our joy.

How can we rejoice in the Lord when we don’t feel like it? Because true joy comes not from ourselves or our feelings but true joy comes from the Holy Spirit. Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Joy in the Lord or Joy in Christ comes from the Holy Spirit not from you.

How does this happen? The Holy Spirit’s role is to bring true conviction of sin (John 16:8) that brings godly repentance (2 Timothy 2:25). Before joy there is sorrow for sin and turning away from sin. Then, as the Spirit shows us our sins, He also opens our spiritual eyes (Ephesians 1:18) to see our great Savior, Jesus Christ. The Spirit desires to glory Jesus (John 16:14) by showing us what Christ has done for us. As people draw near to Jesus, the Spirit is not jealous, but is rejoicing. We draw near to Jesus by the Spirit and when we receive Christ by grace through faith, the Spirit dwells in our hearts and overflows with joy – joy of salvation and joy of being a child of God.

Joy is the possession of the Christian. Joy belongs to the Christian because the Christian belongs to Christ. In Christ there is fullness of Joy.

Then why do Christians lose their joy sometimes? Well, it is not because we lose our salvation, but because we lose sight of who we are and who’s we are. We are children of God bought with the precious blood of Christ, not for anything we have done, but because of the great mercy of God in Christ. We belong to our Savior Jesus Christ who is Lord of the Universe and Lord of our Life.

The Apostle Paul was greatly challenged by persecution and problems from the world and from false “Christians,” however he did not let his problems rob him of his joy. He says, “…I will rejoice, and, yes, I will continue to rejoice.” (Philippians 1:18). I think he is saying, “Joy is my possession in Christ, and I am not going to let anything rob me of this joy. I am determined to rejoice. I have decided to rejoice.” You see, JOY is not only the possession of the Christian in Christ, but JOY must also be our determination and decision based on faith. Because we know God works all things for the good of those who love him and who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28) and because we know that God will not withhold anything truly good from us (Romans 8:32), we have confidence that no matter what the situation or problem that we face, we can REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS. AGAIN, I SAY IT, REJOICE.

REJOICE with me brothers and sisters in Christ. May God’s grace be with you.

9 - Staying Connected

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 9
November 4, 2005

STAYING CONNECTED
by Pastor Billy Park

Modern technology is quite amazing. We live in the time of “The Information Revolution” where our ability to disburse and access information is at the speed of our internet connection or cell phone connection. We can email, instant message, text message, send photos over cell phones, play games with strangers on the internet, etc, etc. Though we are so connected with hi-tech gadgets, we can still feel DISCONNECTED to the people around us. This time of year (mid-Fall) with the shortening of daylight and change of weather (and mid-terms for students) seem to bring about a greater tendency towards depression and isolation. My own experience over the years bears this out. How about you? Have you been feeling disconnected and downcast of heart? It’s odd that when we feel disconnected with people we draw away from people which cause a greater feeling of disconnection. Some of you might be feeling this way about your church and even your relationship to God. Do you feel disconnected with God or with your church?

Here are some scriptural suggestions:

1. Express your feelings to God in prayer (or journaling) – The Psalms are filled expressions of sorrow and struggle, but filled with faith and hope as well. “Why are you cast down, O my soul? … Hope in God, for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God” (Psalm 42:5, 11). Read Psalm 22-37.

2. Share your burdens with a friend and ask for prayer. (Gal. 6:2; Prov. 8:24)

3. Do not neglect the meeting together with other believers – church and small groups (Hebrews 10: 25). Don’t skip out on church or small group because you don’t feel like going or feel like it will not do any good. Give your brothers and sisters in Christ a chance to love and care for you. But more than the care of people, we need to be fed on God’s Word and worship before Him with the gathered people of God.

4. Reach out to others. Sometimes we get so focused on ourselves that our problems seems to grow bigger and bigger. We become self-absorbed – pitying ourselves and not able to see those in need around us. There is a famous prayer by Francis of Assisi which express the right kind of heart that a Christians should have. Let us have such a heart.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

(Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226)

8 - God's Holy Love

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 8
October 27, 2005

GOD'S HOLY LOVE
by Pastor Billy Park

John 3:16 is one of the great verses in the Bible. I’m sure you are familiar with it. It begins, “For God so loved the world…” The love of God is one of the great truths of the Bible. I cherish the biblical teaching of the love of God and so should we all. I long to share the truth of the love of God for sinners in Christ Jesus, especially to those who misunderstand God, thinking that He is a harsh judge and a dictator. However for some Christians the only doctrine of God that is preached to them is “God is love.” When “God loves you” is preached without its Scriptural context, the love of God becomes sentimental rather than biblical – God becomes sugar-coated. God never gets angry at sin or sinners. There is no judgment, no condemnation, and no wrath against sin or sinners to be rescued from. We are only rescued from our low self-esteem. The result is that there is no real sign of repentance or the fruit of obedience – basically there is no real faith.

To rightly understand the love of God, we need to see it in its Scriptural context. For instance, John 3:16 is talking about the love of God that saves those who believe in His Son from perishing. What does it mean to perish? It means to die and stand before the judgment seat of God – all who are sinners will be condemned to what they deserve – eternal punishment and separation from God – HELL. What hope does a sinner have before God – none except in Jesus Christ!!! John 3:14 refers to how Moses lifted up a bronze serpent in the wilderness and all who looked to it were cured of their deadly snake bites (Number 21:4-9). Why were the people bitten? Because they were grumbling rebels! Yet, God made a way to show mercy on them. God’s mercy is a holy mercy. God will not be mocked. Those who reject His mercy stand condemned (John 3:18) and under God’s wrath (John 3:36). Yet to those who receive His, God is gracious to save.

To understand the biblical doctrine of God’s love, we must understand that God’s love is God’s HOLY love. God’s holiness and His love cannot be separated and it is not separated at the greatest demonstration of His love – the cross of Christ. The Cross of Christ is God’s holy wrath against sin being poured out on His beloved Son – a demonstration of justice (Romans 3:26) and a demonstration of love (Romans 5:8). Perfect love and perfect justice comes together at the cross. God’s love was not free, it was costly – but it was not paid by you, but by the blood of Christ. You have been bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20).

What is the result of understanding God’s holy love? -- True repentance that turns from sin to our gracious Savior. A new desire to obey the one who died for us – not to pay him back (we could never do that) but because we love him. This is in fact the living faith in Jesus Christ. We are saved by faith alone but not by a faith that is alone. True faith is a repentant faith and a living faith that lives out what we believe.

May God give you grace to understand and embrace God’s holy love for sinners in Christ Jesus.

7 - Becoming Wise from Spending Time with Older People

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GRACE ABOUNDING - 7
October 20, 2005

BECOMING WISE FROM SPENDING TIME WITH OLDER PEOPLE
by Pastor Billy Park

The Bible says in Proverbs 13:20, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Older people are not always wise and younger people are not always foolish, but let me tell you, if you want to be wise in godliness rather than wise in worldliness, then you need to spend more time with older people, hear their stories and listen to their advice.

One of the greatest problems that young people face today is that they are so disconnected to the older generation and to the past. If you don’t learn from history, you will only repeat it – repeat the mistakes that is. Whether you are in your teens or in your forties like me, we all need people older than us to help us along the way. We need “elders” who can point the way and be our mentors. Sometimes our “elders” do not always give the wisest advice, but overall you are better off listening to a mature older person than to your own peers or your own sinful heart.

This week I spent a lot of time with “elders.” In the church I attend, our Session met this Sunday. I serve on the Session along with three Elders. They are three humble, mature and wise men who work together with me in shepherding the church and keep me accountable. On Tuesday, I attended our Presbytery meeting – where the “elders” of the regional church in our denomination meeting. Sometimes these meetings are long and boring, but there are always things I learn from listening to older and wiser men in the church – that is if I’m willing to listen. I also meet regularly with a older retired pastor who encourages, advises, and keeps me accountable in my walk with the Lord and in ministry.

Also, my parents have been a big influence on my life. Though we sometimes have communication and cultural barriers, I’ve really appreciated their counsel and advice to me.

I have not always been so open to the advice of my elders, but as I get older, I realize the mistakes I’ve made where due to not getting or not heeding the wise advice of my elders (older people). Following your heart is not good enough because our hearts are deceptive and our experiences short sighted. We do not see the history past and what lies ahead in the future. Older mentors are supposed to help you do that.

Do you have older people in your life who speak into your life? Do you listen to them? As I said before, not all older people are wise and not all younger people are fools, but take time to find older people in your life who speak humbly and confidently from the Word of God. See how they live out God’s Word and hear what they say about God’s Word. Walk with the wise old people and you will be wise. Don’t be wise in your own eyes or “wise in worldliness” (a wise guy). Talk with and listen to an older person today and become wiser.

6 - Giving Thanks in the Midst of Challenges

2006-03-22T15:45:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 6
October 14, 2005

GIVING THANKS IN THE MIDST OF CHALLENGES
by Pastor Billy Park

Grace and peace to you in Jesus Christ!

Have you given thanks to God today for creating you, sustaining you, and redeeming you? There is so much to give thanks for, even amidst suffering and tragedy. Consider our five senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. What would life be like if one of them was missing? How about two?

Helen Keller (1880-1968) was deaf and blind from a high fever when she was nineteen months old. The deaf blind child became a “terror” to her family through her violent tantrums over the next few years, yet with the help of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller became conscious of the “mystery of language” through touch at age 6. Anne would “spell” out words into Helen’s hand and she began to understand. Helen became so proficient that she became the first deaf blind person to enroll in an institute of higher learning and the first deaf blind person to earn a Bachelors of Arts degree. Helen graduated from Radcliffe College, the sister school to Harvard, in 1904. She became world renown -- traveling the world and meeting presidents and kings. Helen Keller’s achievements and impact on behalf of people with disabilities are truly remarkable.

Consider also, Joni Eareckson Tada, who became a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the neck down, from a diving accident in a shallow lake as a teenager. At first, Joni was desperately trying to make sense of the horrible turn of events, evening begging friends to assist her in suicide. However, God brought her out of her darkness and for the past 30 years she has been an incredible shining light for the gospel to all people, especially to people with disabilities. You can read about her and her ministry on http://www.joniandfriends.org/.

Give thanks and praise to God today for his wonderful work of creation. Thank God that you can see and hear and touch and smell and taste. Thank God that you can walk and use your hands. Thank God for a sane and intelligent mind.

Also, thank God for the trials that come our way. It is through them that God refines us and demonstrates his mercy in ways that cannot be demonstrated in any other way. How else can we explain the cross of Christ? Why does God the Father send His Son to suffer and be crucified? Could it be that there was no other way for God to demonstrate the depth of his love and justice? Yes, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). 1 Peter 1:6-7 tells us that our various trials come so that our faith may be proved genuine and result in praise to God. Are you going through trials? Is it proving the genuineness of your faith? If not, turn to the Lord in humbleness and ask Him to give you a new heart. Pray for a stronger back to carry the burdens rather than just asking for the burdens to go away.

May God sustain you and give you grace today to live for Him.

5 - Oh to Be a Father Like That

2006-03-22T15:44:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 5
October 7, 2005

OH TO BE A FATHER LIKE THAT
by Pastor Billy Park

I was moved this week by reading a biographical sermon by John Piper of a great old missionary named John Paton (1824-1907). It’s important to learn the lessons from the great men and women of faith who experienced life and struggles like we never will, but the lessons are precious and shows the spiritual poverty of our day. Here’s an extended excerpt from the message by John Piper on John Paton’s relationship with his father:
The tribute Paton pays to his godly father is worth the price of the Autobiography, even if you don't read anything else. Maybe it's because I have a daughter and four sons, but I wept as I read this section, it filled me with such longing to be a father like this.
There was a small room, the "closet" where his father would go for prayer, as a rule after each meal. The eleven children knew it and they reverenced the spot and learned something profound about God. The impact on John Paton was immense.
Though everything else in religion were by some unthinkable catastrophe to be swept out of memory, were blotted from my understanding, my soul would wander back to those early scenes, and shut itself up once again in that Sanctuary Closet, and, hearing still the echoes of those cries to God, would hurl back all doubt with the victorious appeal, "He walked with God, why may not I?" (p. 8)
How much my father's prayers at this time impressed me I can never explain, nor could any stranger understand. When, on his knees and all of us kneeling around him in Family Worship, he poured out his whole soul with tears for the conversion of the Heathen world to the service of Jesus, and for every personal and domestic need, we all felt as if in the presence of the living Savior, and learned to know and love him as our Divine friend. (p. 21)
One scene best captures the depth of love between John and his father and the power of the impact on John's life of uncompromising courage and purity. The time came for the young Paton to leave home and go to Glasgow to attend divinity school and become a city missionary in his early twenties. From his hometown of Torthorwald to the train station at Kilmarnock was a forty-mile walk. Forty years later Paton wrote,
My dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way. His counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are fresh in my heart as if it had been but yesterday; and tears are on my cheeks as freely now as then, whenever memory steals me away to the scene. For the last half mile or so we walked on together in almost unbroken silence – my father, as was often his custom, carrying hat in hand, while his long flowing yellow hair (then yellow, but in later years white as snow) streamed like a girl's down his shoulders. His lips kept moving in silent prayers for me; and his tears fell fast when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speech was vain! We halted on reaching the appointed parting place; he grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence, and then solemnly and affectionately said: "God bless you, my son! Your father's God prosper you, and keep you from all evil!"
Unable to say more, his lips kept moving in silent prayer; in tears we embraced, and parted. I ran off as fast as I could; and, when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him – gazing after me. Waving my hat in adieu, I rounded the corner and out of sight in an instant. But my heart was too full and sore to carry me further, so I darted into the side of the road and wept for a time. Then, rising up cautiously, I climbed the dike to see if he yet stood where I had left him; and just at that moment I caught a glimpse of him climbing the dyke and looking out for me! He did not see me, and after he gazed eagerly in my direction for a while, he got down, set his face toward home, and began to return - his head still uncovered, and his heart, I felt sure, still rising in prayers for me. I watched through blinding tears, till his form faded from my gaze; and then, hastening on my way, vowed deeply and oft, by the help of God, to live and act so as never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as he had given me. (pp. 25-26)
The impact of his father's faith and prayer and love and discipline was immeasurable. So much more could be said.

4 - Serving is Success and Giving is Joy

2006-03-22T15:43:00.002-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 4
September 30, 2005

SERVING IS SUCCESS AND GIVING IS JOY
by Pastor Billy Park

There is a Korean American doctor in Tennessee who founded “The Free Clinic of America” in Knoxville. This clinic provides free health care for the working poor who do not have health insurance. The doctors, nurses, technicians and others all provide their service on a volunteer basis. Thousands of dollars of medical services and medicine are given without charge, as long as the patients can prove that they are legally employed and that they are poor.

I had a chance to meet with this doctor last week and hear his story. One of the statements that struck me was: “Success is serving.” He said that when he raised his kids, he carted them off to piano lessons, violin lessons, soccer practice, etc. He regrets that he never sent them to an orphanage or a nursing home. He said that he had the wrong view of success. Success is not about being number 1 or getting lots of stuff, but it is about serving others. “Success is serving.”

This is exactly what Jesus taught when he said, “but whoever would be great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26). In another words, “success is serving.” Also, in Acts 20:35, Jesus is quoted as teaching “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Not only is success serving, but giving is a blessing or giving is joy.

How different this is from how we normally think? We normally think “success is winning” or “joy is in receiving or getting.” This is not the way of Christ. When we seek to get, we often become selfish and ultimate unsatisfied. But when we give of ourselves, it is then that we are opened to the grace of God at work in us. We can experience more joy in serving others than in having many servants at our beck and call.

Is seeking to get “success” or “joy” wrong? No. Actually we should seek to get “success” and “joy” in the way that God wants us to – by serving and by giving of our time, talent and treasures.
What kind of success are you seeking? What kind of joy are you striving after? Go after God’s measure of success – serve and give – and you will find your joy there.

Amy Carmichael, a famous 19th century missionary to India, said “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” Let us learn to love by giving and serving others.

Let me close with the words to a kids’ song called “Magic Penny”:
Love is something if you give it away, give it away, give it away
Love is something if you give it away, you end up having more
It’s just like a magic penny, you hold on tight and you won’t have any
Lend it, spend it, and your have so many, they’ll roll all over the floor

May God give you grace to love and to give from the heart.

3 - What Does It Mean to Be American?

2006-03-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 3
September 22, 2005

WHAT DOES IT ME TO BE AN AMERICAN?
by Pastor Billy Park

This week I am attending a Korean American Forum in Atlanta where a group of distinguished Korean Americans are gathering to discuss how Korean Americans can become a more integral part of the American system. In preparation for this forum I have reflected about the question, “What does it mean to be an American?”

Of course there are many ways one can answer this question. One way to answer this question is by refusing to answer it: “There is no one way.” Americans comes in all shapes and sizes and colors and personalities. But that’s too easy. Is there something that makes someone say, “That’s to be an American?” I believe there is.

What follows are my observations and reflections on what it means to an American. I don’t mean to be exhaustive or to say that Americans are the only ones with these traits, but when I think of Americans, I think of these values.

First, to be an American is to “BE YOURSELF.” This is realism. Americans say things like: “Be true to yourself”, “You’ve got to believe in yourself”, “I just got to be me!” There is a negative side to this. Americans who pride themselves on being themselves are sometimes crass, uncultured, and thoughtless of others. However, the positive is that Americans value people who are unpretentious, authentic, and natural. Americans have a remarkable compassion for people who are different… sometimes.

Second, to be an American is to have a “can do” mentality. This is “Just do it” pragmatism. Americans don’t like people who say, “It can’t be done.” Americans put people on the moon, build bridges across wide expanses, keep launching the space shuttle, etc. When tragedy occurs, they blame, but they also look for solutions. Americans are innovators, creative minds who “never say die.” However, this “can do” mentality can lead to a pragmatism that is unreflective and sometimes uncaring of rules, morals, ethics and principles. Our abortion laws are case in point.

Thirdly, to be an American is to have “the American Spirit.” What is this? It is the spirit of the underdog. Remember the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” US Olympic hockey team who defeated the seemingly unbeatable Soviet Union. Remember the movie “Rudy” or the “Hoosiers.” These are about the triumph of the underdog against all odds. Americans love the comeback player of the year. They love people who don’t give up and win.

What does all this have to do with Christianity? Christ is the creator of all cultures and he reigns over all cultures. All cultures bear the image of the creator and thus are to be valued. All cultures bear the mark of the fall of mankind and thus sinful. Christ is the answer to the world of sin. So, as Christians, we believe Christ is above our culture, but also that Christ can transform our culture.

I believe the American spirit is resilient and compassionate toward people who are different because of its Christians roots. So we should appreciate the marks of common grace in our culture, but all the while being aware of our sinful tendencies. As Korean Americans, God has uniquely gifted us to see the positive and negatives of our two cultures and seek Christ to transform both cultures for the glory of His kingdom.

2 - John Bunyan

2006-03-22T15:41:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING - 2
September 15, 2005

JOHN BUNYAN
by Pastor Billy Park

In 1666, John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrims Progress, wrote his autobiography while he was in prison in England. He was imprisoned for refusing to stop preaching the gospel. His autobiography called “Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners” chronicles his spiritual journey from what one commentator referred to as “a profane life filled with cursing, blasphemy, and Sabbath desecration” to a new creation in Christ Jesus. Bunyan was an uneducated man who found grace or should I say was found by grace. He ended up writing at least 58 books; Pilgrims Progress was his most famous. Maybe you don’t know, but Pilgrims Progress is the 2nd best selling book of all times. The 1st is the Holy Bible.
Bunyan was like the Apostle Paul in that the older he got, the more he realized what a great sinner he was – the chief of sinners or foremost of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). His awareness of sin was only outdone by his awareness of God’s grace to him – grace abounding to the chief of sinners. The grace that Bunyan spoke about is not just grace for forgiveness but grace for obedience and godliness. Bunyan said in one of his writings:
“Run, John, Run, the Law demands
but gives neither feet nor hands
Far better news the Gospel brings
It bids us “Fly” and gives us wings”
Bunyan also knew his English Bible. He hid the Word in “his breast pocket” (in his heart) and drew it out when needed. Charles Spurgeon, the great 19th century preacher, said of Bunyan, “'Why, this man is a living Bible!' Prick him anywhere; and you will find that his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak with out quoting a text, for his soul is full of the Word of God."

May you also hide the Word in your heart and bleed Bible. May you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ which trains us renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and teaches us to live self-controlled godly lives (Titus 2:11-12). Yes, we are great sinners, but remember there is a great Savior who died for our sins and who rose again so that we can experience the newness of life in Him. Trust in Jesus and live by grace through faith in Him.

1- Who Are You?

2006-03-22T15:40:00.000-05:00

GRACE ABOUNDING – 1
September 8, 2005

WHO ARE YOU?
by Pastor Billy Park

I have been asked to write a weekly article for the Korean Christian Times and I am happy and honored to do it. Lord willing, I can produce something worth reading each week. Lord, help me!

A question runs through my mind: “Who are the readers?” or more directly “Who are you?” Are you young or old or in between? Are you “Koreanized” or “Americanized” or in between? Are you a devote Christian or are you lost or somewhere in between? Who are you? I would like to know. You can email me at pastorbilly@opendoorcc.com.

Who am I? I am a pastor. I am a husband. I am a father. Above all, I am a child of God saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

There was a time I did not know who I was. Was I Korean? I was born in Korea but came to the US in 1971 at the age of 7. Was I American? I was naturalized as a US Citizen in 1978, educated from 1st grade in the good old US of A. To tell you the truth, I neither felt like an American nor a Korean. I felt like I did not belong. So I tried to belong by conforming myself to the expectations of those around me. Since I did not know who I was, I tried to imitate what I saw around me. Basically, I did what Romans 12:2 warns against, I conformed to the pattern of this world.

Well, of course, God changed all that. I was changed by His grace during my senior year in college. He showed me that my effort to try to find myself by conforming myself to the world was actually loss (Phil. 3:7-8); it was only in losing myself in Christ was I truly to find myself (Matthew 16:25). That’s the irony of the Christian life. Losing is gaining. Losing yourself in Christ means gaining yourself in Christ. And that is far better.

Do you know who you are? Trust in Jesus Christ. Receive Him as your Lord and Savior and God will give you the right to be children of God (John 1:12) – children born not blood, nor any decision born out of human will, but children born of the Spirit, born of God (John 1:13). Are you a Christian, then thank God and embrace the glorious truth that you are a child of God saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone.

See you next week.