Olive United Methodist Church

Is the Creed Mandatory for Worship?

2010-07-11T21:33:12-04:00

Is the Creed Mandatory for Worship?
Luke 10:25-28 (July 7, 2010)

In Mark 1:21-26, one day Jesus went to the town of Capernaum. On the Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority, quite unlike the teachers of religious law. Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit screamed out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!” Jesus cut him short and ordered, “Be quiet! Come out of him!” At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion and then came out of him.

The evil spirit knew who Jesus was. With his own lips, he confessed Jesus as the Holy One, sent by God. However, even though he knew and confessed that, he didn’t live in accordance with his knowledge and confession.

In Matthew 8:28-32, Jesus arrived on the other side of the lake, in the region of the Gadarenes and two men who were possessed by evil spirits met him. They lived in a cemetery and were so violent that no one could go through that area. When they saw Jesus, they began screaming at him, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?” There happened to be a large herd of pigs feeding in the distance. So the evil spirits begged, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.” “Go!” Jesus commanded them. So they came out of the men and entered the pigs, and the whole herd plunged down the steep hillside into the lake and drowned in the water.

The two evil spirits knew who Jesus was. They knew their condemned destiny at the appointed time, but they didn’t repent nor come to Jesus.

From these two stories we can learn that the knowledge we have doesn’t bring us to salvation and that the faith we possess doesn’t guarantee us our salvation, either. If we know, we have to live in accordance with the knowledge. If we have faith, we have to live in accordance with the faith. Therefore, James the Elder says in James 2:19, 20, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?”

At every Sunday service, we read the Apostles’ Creed or similar ones. Of course, the Apostles’ Creed and other creeds are important. Indeed, the creeds are the best statement which we can learn about God and build up the right relationship with him.

Moreover, the creeds were created by those church leaders who had seriously thought in order to keep the church from all sorts of heretic teachings. Therefore, we should value the creeds more and read to memorize them at best. If possible, we should read and memorize them until we can come to complete understanding of God and get ready to live in accordance with them.

According to the Catholic Church tradition, the Apostles’ Creed was made by the Twelve Apostles in AD 55. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Peter began writing the first phrase, and all other eleven Apostles added after, one by one. However, in reality, it took quite long years for the Creed to be completed. A historical document gives us a hint that there was a creed, used at the baptismal ceremony in AD 200s. Perhaps it became the source of the Apostles’ Creed. After that, the phrase, “he descended into hell,” was added in AD 360; in addition, “the holy Catholic Church” in AD 650 and “the communion of saints” after AD 650. Considering these factors, we can agree that the Apostles’ Creed was not made by the Twelve Apostles nor used in worship service by the Early Christians.

But those churches which don’t use the Apostles’ Creed in worship are frequently misunderstood by some Christians, esp. by conservative Christians. Therefore, most churches regard the Creed to be mandatory for worship. However, the Baptists who want to be faithful only to the teaching of the Bible don’t use it in their worship. They don’t want to give absolute authorization to any other than the Bible. It think, we have to learn this attitude from them.

This is what I believe regarding to the Apostles’ Creed in worship. If our reading of the Creed is merely a ritual practice, we better remove it out of our worship service. We shouldn’t fall into the error of making a meaningless or false confession before
God. In Exodus 20:7, Jehovah God commanded his people, “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” As you know, this is the third out of the Ten Commandments.

In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus tells us about the teaching of the Final Judgment:

But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.”

Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?” And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!”

Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, “Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.”

Then they will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?” And he will answer, “I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.” And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life. (LNT)

If we look at his teaching with a close look, we can find that there is no comment of Jesus about the reading of creeds in worship.
Perhaps some of us may want to say to the Judge at the Last Judgment, “O Lord, I kept the faith. I believed everything that the creeds taught me, every single bit of it, word by word.” The question our Lord is concerned with is not “how well did you read it in worship?” but “how did you live in accordance with it?”

In Luke 10:25-28, one day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The man answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus answered, “You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live!”

As the final word for today, I will say this. The essential purpose of the creed is practical. It means, if we don’t mean it or don’t follow it, we better remove it from our worship. We shouldn’t play the hypocrite before God in worship. We should confess anything that doesn’t contain our heart for him, and that we don’t promise to obey in our holy worship and in front of the Holy One. “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.” (Exodus 20:7) I will repeat it once again: The importance of knowing, reading or memorizing the creed is not to keep it in accordance with the worship ritual but to live in accordance with it in life. So when we read the Apostles’ Creed in worship, let us do our best to understand about God and make a true confession of him. Therefore, whenever we read a creed in worship, we have to give our heart to each word and to each sentence in it. So this time let us read the Creed slowly and make it our true confession of God.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

July 11, 2010

2010-07-10T13:23:18-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Nele La’ulu, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Florence Roidriguez, our troops overseas and everyone affected by the natural disasters.

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES:
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY - 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline.

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays

* REV YI will be on vacation from 12 to 18 July. Rev. Kim will conduct worship services and be available to members of the congregation.

* CHURCH PICNIC – 10:00 a.m. 25 July at Kaiaka Beach Park, 66-449 Haleiwa Road. The Men’s group is in charge of the games, dessert and fruit will be furnished by the English Group, meat and rice by the Korean group and fried chicken, noodles and water. by the Samoan group. Anyone desiring baptism, contact Rev. Yi. There is no lifeguard at the beach.

* A MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 1 AUGUST AT 1:00 P.M. TO PRESENT IDEAS FOR UPGRADING THE SANCTUARY AND PARSONAGE. MEMBERS ARE URGED TO BE PRESENT AS THE CHURCH OFFICERS NEED YOUR INPUT/FEEDBACK FOR THIS PROJECT.

* MAHALO: To all who are recycling cans and bottles for the youth. Please remove the tops and rinse the cans.
To Pastor Randy, Youth Director, Teachers, etc. for the Vacation Bible School.
To Henry Chun for the donation of a Baldwin Piano.

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* TODAY’S HOSTESSES: Barbara Kim and Patsy Park.
* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Felila Faletoi and Freda Tua’au

* TODAY’S FLOWERS: Faafetai Jennings.
* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Korean group.

There Is a Prophet in Israel

2010-07-04T13:00:58-04:00

There Is a Prophet in Israel
2 King 5:1-8 (July 4, 2010. Independence Sunday)

Naaman was captain of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man with his king, and highly respected, for he brought victory to Aram so often. However, even though he was a valiant warrior in battlefield, he suffered from a serious illness which was leprosy. It proves that no one is ever free from any problems.

Once he had captured a little girl from the land of Israel and sent her to wait on his wife. One of those days the Hebrew girl came to her mistress to tell, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (vs 3) So the wife relayed the news to her husband. Naaman went in to inform his king the tempting news from his wife. Then the king replied, “By all means. I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” (vs 5)

Naaman departed and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand shekels of gold and ten changes of clothes. Arriving at Samaria, he handed the letter over to the king of Israel. The letter said, “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” (vs 6) When the king of Israel read it, he didn’t know what to do but tore his clothes and cried out, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!” (vs 7)

We can understand his frustration and anger when he read the letter from the king of Aram. Indeed, to the Samaritan king, the letter was to find the cause of trouble for the Aramean king to attack Israel once again. Israel was suffering after a severe loss to the Aramean army not too long ago. Therefore, the king of Israel was greatly distressed by the news, got upset and tore his clothes in a fury.

On the other hand, when Elisha heard that the king tore his clothes, he sent word to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. (vs 8)

I saw the different responses between the king of Israel and the Prophet Elisha to the troublesome news delivered by the Aramean king.
First of all, the king of Israel didn’t know what to do with the imminent news of danger and exploded his frustration and anger to his subjects. By the way, what did the subjects do wrong to the king? They did nothing wrong. I feel so sorry for the poor guys. On the other hand, however, Elisha who heard that the king had torn his clothes reacted differently. He didn’t worry nor get upset. Rather he tried to understand the situation more clearly. He found out that the letter from the king of Aram was far away from a declaration of war but was a stately request to cure the leprosy of Naaman with God’s help.

The difference between the king of Israel and the Prophet Elisha was the ability to understand the given situation and find the cause and the solution of the situation. The first got overpowered by the given situation, frustrated and upset, but the latter stayed calm and searched the real intention of the words that the king of Aram sent.

A man of prayer doesn’t get overpowered by the given situation. God grants him wisdom to comprehend the situation thoroughly. I believe that prayer opens our eyes to see things clearer and better. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you don’t get agitated or come to a conclusion in a hurry. Take time to pray. Take more time if the situation seems worse.

After having examined the situation thoroughly, Elisha, a man of prayer, sent word to his king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” (vs 8) In consideration of the phrase - “he will know that there is a prophet in Israel,” the pronoun “he” indicates “Naaman” or “the king of Aram.” But I think it could indicate the king of Israel as well. So I will interpret that phrase as follows: “My King, why did you tear your clothes? Why don’t you send to me your problem, Naaman, the leper? Why don’t you remember there is a prophet praying to God for the King and for Israel?”

During my meditation on today’s text last week, what Elisha delivered to the king of Israel got my special attention and made me agree that the word must be for President Obama and for all the leaders of this nation in a critical moment like this. It speaks, “Why are you so confused? Don’t you remember there are the people of prayer in this nation? Why don’t you share your worries with them? Why don’t you bring your concerns to God in prayer? Don’t you know God is your God?”

Nowadays whenever I see the President and the leaders of this country, they are always distressed in anxiety. I know there are so many disasters happening to put more stresses on them every day. There are thousands of problems that make them frustrated nowadays, but I will point out only a few:

First, it is the devastating and still unresolved gulf oil spill crisis. The oil spill has continuously spilled since April 20 in the Gulf of Mexico and already caused serious disasters to vast areas around the gulf. We cannot ignore the damages that fishermen, seafood workers, sea-creatures and birds in the Gulf of Mexico are going through now. According to energy analysts, the oil spill could ultimately push oil prices higher and drive the globe to another oil shock crisis. Therefore, BP and the Obama administration faced mounting complaints.

Second, it is the whole complexion of a long war in Afghanistan. The deadline that President Obama had promised to withdraw the American soldiers is approaching but there is no clear indication of the end of the war. So there is a great concern that the American army and the alliance could pull out their military, being defeated, from Afghanistan.

Third, it is the global economic crisis and the US jobless rate. The global economy hasn’t vividly improved so that the jobless rate of the US has hardly dropped. As a result, the amount of unemployment insurance to the unemployed has been climbing up, so now the reserved fund in the Labor Department is about to hit the bottom. To make things worse, getting emergency benefits dropped after Congress failed to act on extending the legislation recently.

Fourth, it is the anti-illegal immigration law and the administration’s likely lawsuit against it. Dealing with the 11 million illegal immigrants is not a new but on-going problem for this country. President Obama renewed his push for U.S. immigration reform on last Thursday, but his voice beat only the air. It seems that his reform policy on this issue has no chance to pass in Congress. Contrary to his wish, the anti-illegal immigration law is getting more support from the public. The Arizona’s and the Nebraska’s tough anti-illegal immigration laws proved it.

Because of so many hard issues, President Obama has lost his popularity and the approval rating from the public has significantly dropped. Therefore, there is a serious concern among the Democrats that they would hand the power back over to the Republicans in the following elections. If the Democrats lose the elections, President Obama will lose his political ally and face more difficulties in running the government.

Nowadays whenever I see the President on TV, he looks overstressed. I can understand why. Old problems are hardly resolved but new ones constantly are adding up, so he must be more and more frustrated and tired. As a result, he becomes intolerant and often expresses his frustration and anger to the political opponents. Just like the king of Israel in today’s text.

I know all the problems in this country are not solely of President Obama or of the leaders of this nation. They are ours. We all are responsible. Therefore, we better stop blaming others but kneel down before God for this nation. I really hope President Obama and all the people lower themselves before the Almighty and seek his help for peace and welfare of this nation and of the world. I hope that the President stops splitting this nation because of his political ideologies but urge the people of this nation to come together and pray to God with one heart. I am waiting that the President will issue a presidential declaration of a special day of prayer for the nation. I am waiting. I am waiting.

However, despite my prayer, it seems that he doesn’t see the value in seeking God’s special assistance regarding the current problematic issues. Former presidents have often called the nation to prayer when it was necessary. Actually in April of last year, President Obama declared, “We do not consider ourselves a Christian nation.” But whatever he said, the fact is that 62% of Americans still consider the country as a Christian nation.

This is what I pray: “God, help our President be humble to kneel down before you for the sake of this country and for the sake of all the people in this nation just as the Prophet Samuel was a long time ago!” When Samuel was in his office, he never forgot to pray during and after his regime: “As for me, I will certainly not sin against the LORD by ending my prayers for you. And I will continue to teach you what is good and right.” (2 Sam 12:23. NLT)

I believe, if the President of America and his people come together in prayer, God is willing to deliver this nation from all sorts of troubles we face now.

Last, I will conclude today’s message by reading the prayer of King Solomon at the consecration service of the Jerusalem Temple:
If there is a famine in the land or a plague or crop disease or attacks of locusts or caterpillars, or if your people's enemies are in the land besieging their towns - whatever disaster or disease there is - and if your people Israel pray about their troubles, raising their hands toward this Temple, then hear from heaven where you live, and forgive. Give your people what their actions deserve, for you alone know each human heart. (2 Kings 8:37-39. NLT)

Open Your Ears to Non-Believers

2010-06-27T13:16:40-04:00

Open Your Ears to Non-Believers
Luke 9:51-56 (June 27, 2010)

As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. But the people of the village did not welcome him. When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

According to Mark 3:13-19, Jesus went up into a mountain and called to him whose he wanted. He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (vss 16-19. NIV)

You can see that Jesus gave the nickname, “Boanerges (sons of thunder),” to the two brothers-James and John. Their hot temper resembled thunder so he called them “sons of thunder.” Even today’s text proves they had a really bad temper. When the Samaritan villagers didn’t welcome Jesus, they got angry and suggested to him to bring fire down from heaven to destroy them. Of course, it was regretful for the Samaritans to reject Jesus who was the God-Sent-One and was respected by many. However, it was not necessary for the two brothers to command fire to come down from heaven and destroy them all.
During my meditation on today’s text and especially on the words of the two disciples, James and John, I thought I’ve often thrown the same curse to non-believers. Of course, I haven’t said it to them directly but I have it in my mind.

When we go to non-believers to share the Good News, they close their ears to our message and hurt our feelings. In fact, we don’t preach to them for ourselves but for themselves, but still they are not willing to heed us. In many cases they tend to mock us. When we give them evangelism flyers, they put it into trash can immediately in order to inflict humiliation upon us. When we are humiliated in such a way, we feel disgraced and get upset. And we want to pay back to them just as the sons of Zebedee did to the Samaritan villagers.

However, what we have to pay attention to is the reaction of Jesus to the two angry disciples of his. “But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went to another village.” (vss 55, 56. NIV) First of all, Jesus turned himself about to them, looked upon them with a stern countenance, and harshly spoke to them. He reproved them for their intemperate zeal, anger, and desire of revenge.

The Korean Bible, NIV and many other translations don’t have but KJV and Webster and YLT have the following phrase in between verses 55 and 56: “and [he] said, ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’” This phrase means that the two disciples didn’t consider that the will of God was not to destroy sinners, but to give them space to repent, and that he might save them unto eternal life.

After having rebuked the two disciples, Jesus stopped going into that village but went to another village. He didn’t want to use violence or conflict to cross through Samaria.

Then what was the reason for the Samaritan villagers to reject Jesus? Was it because of the bad blood between the Samaritans and the Jews throughout history? It could be one reason. We know the animosity between the Samaritans and the Jews throughout their long history.

However, today’s text gives an important hint for the reason the Samaritans didn’t accept Jesus. [B]ut they did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem” (53b). It is quite interesting, isn’t it? They rejected Jesus because he didn’t come to Samaria to stay with them but tried to cut his way to Jerusalem in order to arrive in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration on time. As you may know, Passover celebration was a big religious event for the Jews but not for the Samaritans. The Jews despised the Samaritans and didn’t allow them to join. Therefore, the Samaritans were not happy that Jesus intended to make his way through their city for someone’s festival.

What if the sons of Zebedee knew what the Samaritans had in their minds? What if they understood it, wouldn’t they have reacted to the Samaritans differently? If they knew it, they must have done their best to help the villagers to see the real intention of Jesus.

We need to give our ears to others. We Christians need to open our ears to non-believers more and more. But regretfully we don’t have patience to listen to the people outside but are in a hurry to judge them. We are busy judging especially those who have different faiths. We have to remember that once we were unbelievers. Therefore, we should not judge others for their unbelief or their other faiths but feel sorry for them not to hear the Good News yet or feel sorry for their unbelief after they have heard it.

Do you know outside people are throwing this question to us? “Why do Christians hate us so much?” Do you think it is nonsense? Of course, we want to claim we have never hated them, but that’s what they feel about us. Then some of us may say, “That’s their problem.” Hmm. You could be right. However, we have to realize we are not free from the responsibility for their misconception of us.

When John Shore was preparing his book (“I’m OK – You’re Not: The Message We’re Sending Nonbelievers and Why We Should Stop”), he posted a notice on Craigslist sites asking non-Christians to send him any short personal statement that they would like Christians to read. He got so many responses from non-Christians but I will introduce to you only a few from those responses.

"The main thing that baffles and angers me about Christians is how they can understand so little about human nature that when, in their fervor to convert another person, they tell that person (as they inevitably do, in one way or another), 'You're bad, and wrong, and evil,' they actually expect that person to agree with them. It pretty much guarantees that virtually the only people Christians can ever realistically hope to convert are those with tragically low self-esteem."-- E.S., Denver

"I feel that Christians have got it all wrong; it seems to me that they've created the very thing Jesus was against: Separatism."-- T. O., Denver

"Christians seem to have lost their focus on Jesus' core message: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and love your neighbor as you love yourself.'"-- R.M., Tacoma, WA

"I have no problem whatsoever with God or Jesus - only Christians. It's been my experience that most Christians are belligerent, disdainful and pushy." -- D.B., Atlanta
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-shore/listen-up-evangelicals-wh_b_491058.html

We know the believers in the Early Church were respected by the people outside and nicknamed “Christians” who looked like Christ.

But regretfully many of unchurched Americans consider us judgmental, hypocritical, anti-homosexual, too political, insensitive and boring. What bad images they have against us! Many of those outside of the church have no problem whatsoever with the Bible and God but they don’t like those who call themselves Christians. Why? The biggest reason for them to dislike us is the condemnation that we Christians throw upon them. Do you know what scripture verse is the most favorite for unchurched people to tell us? It is Matt. 7:1 – “Judge not, lest you be judged.”

As a matter of fact, we Christians are not narrow-minded. We are not those who always judge others. Our love is greater than those of any others. Our ears are always open to anyone. Our hearts are always open to everyone. Aren’t we? We respect anyone and accept everyone in the love of God and of Jesus. We don’t judge but forgive because we are not judged but loved and forgiven by God first. Don’t you think so?

Jesus told us, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Christianity is not a hate religion but a love religion. We have to sell this positive brand of us to the world. We have to help the people in the world to understand us in a proper manner. Then how? Most of all, we have to stop judging but heed the people outside. We have to listen to them, to their voices, to their anger and to their petitions to us. Why? If we do, in return, they will listen to us. Amen?

June 27, 2010

2010-06-26T16:39:07-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Nele La’ulu, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Pastor Randy’s mother, the family of the late Stanley Yuh, our troops overseas and everyone affected by the natural disasters.

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES:
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY - 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline.

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays

* THE HYANGPEERI PERFORMANCE (Professor Ho Suk Kim) – 7:00 p.m., 30 June at OUMC.

* ONGGIJANGI (Korean Praise Team) - 7:00 p.m., 7 July.

* VBS – 8 to 10 July. They need your prayers and support.

* REV YI will be on vacation from 12 to 18 July. Rev.

* Kim will conduct worship services and be available to members of the congregation.

* CHURCH PICNIC – 25 July at Kaiaka Beach Park. Anyone desiring baptism contact Rev. Yi.

* A MEETING WILL BE HELD ON 1 AUGUST AT 1:00 P.M. TO PRESENT IDEAS FOR UPGRADFING THE SANCTUARY. MEMBERS ARE URGED TO BE PRESENT AS THE CHURCH OFFICERS NEED YOUR INPUT/FEEDBACK FOR THIS PROJECT.

* MAHALO: To all who are recycling cans and bottles for the youth. Please remove the tops and rinse the cans.To Pastor Randy, Youth Director, Teachers, etc. for the Youth retreat at Kaaawa

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* TODAY’S HOSTESSES: Mary Nelson and Faafetai Jennings.
* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Rosalie Yuh and Myung Junkman.

* TODAY’S FLOWERS: Korean group.
* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Korean group.

June 6, 2010

2010-06-08T15:33:29-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments and fellowship on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Edna Ohm, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, , Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Pastor Randy’s mother, Stanley Yuh, our troops overseas, and everyone affected by the natural disasters

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY – 9:00- 10:30 a.m. Tuesdays. led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 P.M. Tuesdays.

* VBS PREPARATION MEETING 1:00 p.m. TODAY.

* BAZAAR MEETING – 7:00 P.M. , 11 June.

* TRUSTEE BOARD MEETING – 12:00 noon , 13 June

* PARSONAGE WEEDING – 9:00A.M. 19 June. Come and bring your weeder.

* Father’s Day will be celebrated at Olive with a combined service (10:00 a.m.) on 13 June.
Rev. Yi, Pastor Leui, Pastor Randy, Lopi, Jr. and members of the Samoan group will leave for Annual Conference on 16 June. Rev. Yi will return on 21 June.

* OLIVE has been asked to contribute items and /or cash to the Korea International Agency that is operating a hospital in Afghanistan. POC is Henry Lee.

* THE MEN’S GROUP is collecting canned goods every week to be distributed to the needy.

* THE YOUTH are collecting cans. Please remove caps and rinse containers.

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* THIS WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Rose Lee and Tia Tyrell.
* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Catherine Yamashiro and Barbara Kim.

* THIS WEEK’S FLOWERS: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lee.
* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Mi Ja Moriyama.

A Liar vs A True Prophet

2010-06-08T15:23:30-04:00

A Liar vs A True Prophet
Galatians 1:11-24 (June 6, 2010)

Today’s text gives a strong hint that the Apostle Paul was faced with dangerous challenges by some people who were called the Judaizers. They were Christians but sill rooted their faith into Judaism at the same time. The accusations that the Judaizers put Paul in trouble were: First of all, the apostolic legitimacy of Paul was in question. His apostleship was not approved by any authority but self-appointed. He was not sent by the apostolic church, Jerusalem Church. His gospel was different from that of the apostolic teachings. Simply put, he was a heresy to be expelled out of the church.

If I were faced with such accusations, how should I respond? If you were faced with those false lies, how should you respond? If we are put in such an unfortunate circumstance, it should cause a lot of pain to us. It is not pleasant to become an object of gossip. Definitely it hurts our feelings and pride.

Of course, Paul was not with Jesus when Jesus was delivering the Good News in Galilee and Judea. He was not among the twelve apostles whom Jesus chose from his followers. Rather Paul was the one who persecuted Jesus by arresting the believers of Jesus and putting them in prison. “You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion and how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. I was far ahead of my fellow Jews in my zeal for the traditions of my ancestors.” (vss 13, 14. NLT)

But when he was on the way to arrest the Christians in Damascus and bring them to Jerusalem in chains, he met the Risen Lord who appointed him to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

For reference, “apostle” means “the one who is sent out.” In Hebrews 3:1, even Jesus was called the apostle. “Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (NIV) He was called the apostle because he was sent out by God to the world as the Messiah.

In this sense, Paul’s apostleship was legitimated because he was sent out to the Gentles by the Risen Lord himself. So Paul cried out this way: “But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles.” (Gal. 1:15. NLT) He claimed his apostleship was granted not by men but by God the Father and Jesus the Risen Lord.

He didn’t seek the approval of his apostleship from the authorities in Jerusalem because he had no doubt that his apostleship was legitimated by God and Jesus Christ. Rather he wanted to stress his difference or independence from the Jerusalem authorities.

But even before I was born, God chose me and called me by his marvelous grace. Then it pleased him to reveal his Son to me so that I would proclaim the Good News about Jesus to the Gentiles. When this happened, I did not rush out to consult with any human being. Nor did I go up to Jerusalem to consult with those who were apostles before I was. Instead, I went away into Arabia, and later I returned to the city of Damascus. (vss 15-17. NLT)

According to Acts 9, after his conversion, Paul preached the Gospel in Damascus a few days, went up to Jerusalem and spent some days with the apostles and the disciples in Jerusalem to have fellowship and spread the Gospel together.

However, unlike the record of Luke in Acts 9, in today’s text (vss 15-17), Paul underscored he never went up to Jerusalem right after his conversion. If I were Paul, I would like to agree with the record of Luke in Acts 9 in order to use the fellowship account with the great apostles in Jerusalem as a means to justify my apostolic legitimacy.

However, Paul was different. Contrary to Luke’s account, he claimed that without any consultation with the Jerusalem authorities, he went to Arabia right after he had seen the Risen Lord on the way to Damascus. And after his return from Arabia, he didn’t go to Jerusalem but to Damascus again and then visited Jerusalem a few days. But still he didn’t agree that he met other apostles there except Peter and James. “Then three years later I went to Jerusalem to get to know Peter, and I stayed with him for fifteen days. The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother.” (vss. 18, 19. NLT)

He knew the record of Luke could benefit him to resolve the apostolic legitimacy issue. However, he didn’t want to resolve that matter in such a way. If God approved him as an apostle, if Jesus the Christ approved him as an apostle, that was all he needed. He didn’t need human approval or recognition. That is what we need to learn from Paul.

Another reason for Paul not to seek human approval was that he knew ① that the Gospel revealed to him was different from the Gospel given to the Jerusalem apostles, and ② that the targets he was sent to were different from those whom other apostles were called to. What I mean is that Paul was sent to the Gentiles but not to the Jews. Therefore, the Gospel he had to deliver to the Gentile world must be different from that the Jerusalem authorities delivered to Jerusalem and Judea. Of course, the fundamental teachings of the Gospel must be the same regardless who the targets are. However, the methods of its deliverance must be various and its emphasis must be different as well. Therefore, Paul who was sent to the Gentles didn’t have to have an approval from the church authorities in Jerusalem.

For your reference, here’s the attitude of Paul as an evangelist:

Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Cor. 9:19-23. NLT)

Now we live in a world of competing truths. Because of the freedom of religion, we can’t despise or interfere with the different truths in other religions. No longer can we claim, “Quran or Death!” or “Bible or Death!” We can’t intimidate other religious peoples to receive what we hold on to by using violence. What we can do is we have to root our faith deeper in the teaching of our religion and then respond to the different teachings of other religions. Meanwhile, we can’t ignore what we are commanded by our Master, “Be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) That is what we are called to. Then how can we be witnesses of Jesus and his Gospel to the people who live in a world of competing truths?

First of all, we should be convinced that the Gospel we received is based on divine authority and initiative. The Apostle Paul could overcome all kinds of false accusations with his unshakable confidence that the Gospel he held on to was revealed to him by God himself. Yes. Our Gospel doesn’t originate from human wisdom or myth. It is what God revealed to his prophets, what Jesus God’s Son completed and entrusted and what the Holy Spirit has guaranteed until now.

If you are not still confident of the Gospel, read the Bible over and over until you have the confidence. You can’t have the confidence unless you fully understand it. Therefore, open the Bible and read it every day. Do not read it here and there. Read it from the beginning to the end, and then repeat it over and over. Do your best to participate in the Bible studies so that you can increase your understanding of the Bible deeper and wider. Be more diligent to participate in prayer meetings or small group meetings. If you don’t have a heart for the Word, you can’t be confident of the truth; and if you are not confident of it, you can’t share it with others. Therefore, let the Gospel be clear to you before you share it with others!

Second, we have to be convinced that we are called to be witnesses of Jesus and his Gospel. If we are not convinced with our call, we can’t be faithful to it. How can we waste our time, talent and possession to the call, if we are not fully convinced with it, if our heart is not inspired? Regardless what his opponents said, Paul was confident of his apostleship to the Gentiles and his confidence made him fearlessly and powerfully open his mouth to all the people he met. Dear bothers and sisters, are you convinced that you are called to be a witness of Jesus and his Gospel? Are you? If you are, what are you doing now as a witness of Jesus?

Third, we should create our personal testimony that we can confidently share with others. Of course, we can say, “The Bible tells about salvation such and such way.” However, here’s a better way. If we share our personal testimony that contains the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ, it is much more persuasive to the audience. The Apostle Paul didn’t want to repeat the same message that other apostles had proclaimed in Jerusalem and Judea. He was not afraid of using his own intellect, thoughts and experiences in his preaching to the Gentiles. His influence has been so great until now. His many letters in the New Testament have been a guide for our spiritual journey.

Dear brothers and sisters, don’t get satisfied with what you hear from others. Don’t get satisfied to repeat what others have told you. We have to create our own testimony which can be a great tool to persuade those who live in a world of competing truths.

Lastly, share your personal testimony with others. Don’t ever say you will do it sooner or later. We have to do it right now. Go to the place where you can share your testimony: bible study, class meeting, prayer meeting, street evangelism, personal meeting with friends, business place and so on. Don’t close up your mouth but open it wide! If you open your mouth again and again, gradually you will be more natural and confident to share the Gospel with others. Amen?

Leaving for Our Good

2010-06-01T15:47:50-04:00

Leaving for Our Good
John 16:12-15 (May 30, 2010. Trinity Sunday & Memorial Sunday)

There is a military family who will leave us this week due to the job transfer to Florida. Since the member who will move out has been diligently serving in the Korean Praise Team, the Team offered a small farewell party for her last Sunday afternoon. While sharing goodies, a team member said, “I really wish she doesn’t go away but stays with us forever. . . .”

There was a firefight in Wanat, Afghanistan, on July 13, 2008 that took away the lives of nine American soldiers and caused more than two dozen soldiers wounded. Captain Jason Bogar was among those killed that day. He had a good habit to write a journal and in his journal he wrote the following a few days prior to his death.

21 June 2008

We took indirect fires two days in a row. It’s just a matter of time that the guy slips up and is killed. I just pray that no friendlys are hit before we kill him. . . . It’s a little village in between where I am now and [where] I was for the first 6 months. . . . There is also Icom chat from Taliban that they have built up fighting positions and are just waiting for us. I think that we will see some pretty heavy fighting while we are out there.

TO MY FAMILY

I feel my days are numbered so I want to say all this while I still can. I pray to god no-one will ever have to read this but as death is all around me if it falls upon me you will understand my recent feelings on this madness we call life.

My views and outlook on life seems to be drastically changing recently. As many of you saw before I left when I quit drinking, I was just starting to live my life. Never have I felt as strong as I do about what I am doing here in Afghanistan is the right thing to be doing and is understood and accepted by god. As a result of that death is easier to accept.

. . . . . .

Being back here in Afghanistan is exactly [where] I was supposed to be and where I wanted to be. I feel I’m doing more good over here than I was as an electrician. I knew exactly what I was doing when I re-enlisted Infantry I’m just sorry that you all have to suffer for it now.

For me to prepare myself to take life without hesitation has been a very difficult thing to do. To take away another woman’s son, husband, man’s son, brother has always bothered me but through my eyes is understood by my god and I am forgiven. For the man that took my life more than likely for all he has known his whole life he feels the exact same way I do when he killed me.

. . . . . .

Know that you all are the reason I am here and to give my life for that is nothing to me. My love for every-one of you is what drives me and brings me comfort under stressful situations.

Carise (The name of Bogar’s sister), let your child know of me and that even though I was never able to see he/she grow I love them more than they could imagine.

(http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/04/eveningnews/main5362370.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody)

By the way, when Captain Bogar was killed, he was 25.

As a matter of fact, no one would like to say goodbye to his or her loved one. It is not easy to send away the one who we’ve dearly loved. Therefore, all we want is to have them stay with us forever.

John 16, today’s text, mentions about what Jesus told his disciples at the night before his death. In his speech, he mentioned he would leave them soon. When the disciples heard the news from him, they didn’t know what to say. “But now I am going away to the One who sent me, and not one of you is asking where I am going.” (John 16:5. NLT) When we hear something really shocking, our lips just get closed up. Perhaps that’s the situation the disciples were in that night. Indeed, the disciples were greatly influenced by Jesus so that they couldn’t imagine a future without him. They couldn’t imagine it and they didn’t want to think of it. So when they heard about the shocking news from their Master, they didn’t know what to say but remained in a deadly silence.

Today is Trinity Sunday and Memorial Sunday as well. So it was not easy for me to prepare a sermon that could preach for two big occasions in a short period of time. However, with the inspiration from the Holy Spirit I could find a common lesson for these two Sundays and will share it with you this morning.

According to today’s text, when the disciples heard the shocking news from Jesus, no one would ask where he was going. Instead, all of them grieved because of what they’d heard from him (vs 6). Understanding the uneasy feeling of the disciples, Jesus told them the following: “But in fact, it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Advocate won’t come. If I do go away, then I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment.” (John 16:7, 8. NLT) Of course, “he,” mentioned in this passage, refers to the Holy Spirit. Jesus knew that, even though his sudden leaving would be sad and difficult for the disciples, it would be better for them eventually.

In order to comprehend the true meaning of Jesus’ words to the disciples, we better understand the nature of the Triune God working together for the salvation of humanity. In the last sermon, I introduced to you the concept of the Trinity: “Three Persons but One Substance.” Do you still remember what I shared with you last week? If you already forgot it, read it from the church website once more. (http://english.oliveumc.org/bd_sun/3290)

In the Bible, each person of the Triune God was assigned to work for a certain era. In the Old Testament, God the Father worked so hard to deliver his people; in the New Testament, God the Son preached the Good News of the Kingdom of God and completed the salvific work for all humanity at once on the Cross; and after the Ascension of Jesus Christ, God the Spirit with the disciples of Jesus is spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner on earth. It is just like the marathon relay contest: The first runner holding the baton runs at best and delivers it to the next runner.

In this sense, Jesus Christ who diligently preached about the Good News of the Kingdom of God, atoned for all sins of humanity on the Cross and came back to life after three days in the tomb had to release the baton (assignment) to the next runner who was the Holy Spirit. It was what the Triune God had already planned together. The work of the Redemption and Reconciliation was assigned to Jesus, but the spreading the Gospel of his work was to the Holy Spirit and to his disciples. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8. NLT); “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.” (John 16:13, 14. NLT)

Therefore, even though it caused pain to the disciples, Jesus had to leave them now. If he didn’t go away, the Holy Spirit couldn’t come. His personal tie with the disciples couldn’t afford to ruin the big picture of the Trinity. Moreover, he knew the disciples would be comforted as soon as the Spirit fell on them. “I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn over what is going to happen to me, but the world will rejoice. You will grieve, but your grief will suddenly turn to wonderful joy.” (John 16:20. NLT)

The Book of Acts well describes how the disciples were comforted, how gladly they rejoiced and how powerfully they spread the Gospel of their Master after the Holy Spirit had come upon them. They were no longer tied to their past memories with Jesus but devoted themselves to spreading the Good News throughout the world with the Holy Spirit. If you want to know more about the reaction of the disciples to their commission after the infilling by the Spirit, open the Book of Acts this week. If you read 4 chapters a day, you can finish the entire book in a week. I’d like to strongly recommend you to do it.

Obviously from time to time the disciples had remembered Jesus after his Ascension, but it was not for them to remain in the good memories with him but to get more meanings out of what he had told and showed them by the guidance of the Holy Spirit in order that they could share them with the people in a perusable way. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.” (John 16:13. NLT)

Today is Trinity Sunday and Memorial Sunday as well. Therefore, I will finish my message by sharing with you some significances of Memorial Sunday.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day. It is a day for remembering those who were important to us. Especially it is a day for remembering those who sacrificed their lives for us in in Revolutionary War, Civil War, World War I & II, Korean War, Vietnamese War, and in the recent wars such as Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan Wars. Moreover, it will be a day for remembering those who lost their lives on duty to keep us from all kinds of terror and hazard.

However, we all also know it is not just a day for simply remembering their names. It is not just a day fasting and mourning for our losses, either. It is a day not only remembering their names but also remembering our vows and commitments to learning from their sacrifices and their pure ideologies. The English vocabulary, “remember,” is a perfect word to teach us what to do for this special day. “To remember means to re-member.” Therefore, when we think of those who lost their lives for us, we have to recall what they taught us through their own sacrifices and re-dedicate ourselves to their teachings in life at best.

No longer should we seek happiness and comfort for ourselves but for others. We will voluntarily give up our own happiness and comfort on behalf of others. We will stop hating or complaining but try to understand, love and reconcile with others and make a better world.

At the Last Supper, Jesus told his disciples, “There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.” (John 15:13, 14. NLT) We are not his friend for we are saying we love him. We are not his friend for we are still remembering the old days with him and cry. We are his friend for we are voluntarily sacrificing ourselves for him and for those whom he loves. In this sense, those who have given up their lives for us, for our independence, for our freedom and for the peace of the world, could be the true friends of his, don’t you think so?

May 30, 2010

2010-05-29T17:49:42-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Nele La’ulu, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Pastor Randy’s mother, Stanley Yuh, our troops overseas and everyone affected by the natural disasters.

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES:
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY - 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline.

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays

* ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD – 1:30 p.m. TODAY.

* SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE – 1:00 p.m. 6 June in the church office. APPLICATIONS – Deadline 31 May. POC is Patsy Park.

* MEMORIAL SERVICE for Rev. T. Samuel Lee 11:00 a.m. 5 June at Christ UMC.

* FATHER’S DAY FELLOWSHIP – 5:00 p.m.. 5 June at Pastor Randy’s.

* Father’s Day will be celebrated at Olive with a combined service (10:00 a.m.) on 13 June.

* Rev. Yi, Pastor Leui, Pastor Randy, Lopi Jr. and two members of the Samoan group will leave for Annual Conference on 16 June. Rev. Yi will return on 21 June.

* MAHALO: To the Brass Band for the Memorial Sunday music;
To the Men’s group for the new microwave in the church kitchen;
To all who are recycling cans and bottles for the youth. Please remove the tops and rinse the cans.

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* A community group is collecting items for a hospital in Afghanistan. POC is Henry Lee.

* TODAY’S HOSTESS: Sharon Cheu

* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Felila Faletoi and Freda Tua’au.

* TODAY’S FLOWERS: Korean group

* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lee.

May 23, 2010

2010-05-25T16:25:12-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Nele La’ulu, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Pastor Randy’s mother, Stanley Yuh, our troops overseas and everyone affected by the natural disasters.

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES:
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY - 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline.

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays

* BOARD OF TRUSTEES – 1:30 p.m. TODAY

* ADMINISTRTIVE BOARD – 1:30 p.m. 30 May.

* WALK TO EMMAUS FOR MEN – 27-30 May.

* SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS – Deadline 31 May. POC is Patsy Park.

* TO OUR GRADUATES; CONGRATULATIONS!! You have made it this far. Continue on your path to a higher education and may God bless you on your journey.

* MAHALO to all who are recycling cans and bottles for the youth. Please remove the tops and rinse the cans.

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* A community group is collecting items for a hospital in Afghanistan. POC is Henry Lee.

* TODAY’S HOSTESSES: Rosalie Yuh and Myung Junkman.
* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Sharon Cheu and Sun Cha O’Brien

* TODAY’S FLOWERS: Korean group.
* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Korean group.

Show Us the Holy Spirit!

2010-05-25T16:18:16-04:00

Show Us the Holy Spirit!
John 14:8-17 (May 23, 2010. Pentecost Sunday)

Today is Pentecost Sunday in which the Holy Spirit came down to the 120 people praying at the Upper Room of Mark and drove them out to the streets. The Disciples was greatly changed after his coming to them. They were no longer feared. Without fear, they met people on the streets and in the piazzas and preached to them what the Spirit asked them to speak in their own language and in other languages. So when the people who came from different places heard what the Disciples were speaking about in their own languages, they were completely amazed and said, “How can this be? Aren’t they all from Galilee?” The Apostles with the power of the Holy Spirit persuaded their audience. Actually when Peter preached, about three thousands of people received Jesus as their Savior and were baptized on that day. The Apostles continuously performed miraculous signs and wonders so that the people respected them in a deep sense of awe and fear.

Those who received the Word of God devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and to fellowship and to sharing in meals. They met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. You can find this story from Acts 2.

As a matter of fact, if anyone who believes in Jesus Christ and attends church for a while, he won’t deny the existence of the Holy Spirit. However, even though he doesn’t deny his existence, it doesn’t prove he has a complete understanding of the Spirit.

The reason for us to have a difficulty to understand the Spirit could be due to the lack of record of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Of course, I don’t mean the Apostles and the leaders of the Early Christian Church were short in understanding of the Holy Spirit. As a matter of fact, they knew him better than anyone else because they could learn about him through their own personal experiences with him every day. However, they didn’t pay attention to leave a lengthy writing about the Spirit. Why? It could be they were too busy. It could be they didn’t feel it was necessary for them to write down because it in those days they has a strong interaction with him.

For example, if you want to teach about an apple to a person who has never seen and tasted it before, how would you teach him about it? One good exercise is to bring an encyclopedia and open the page that describes about an apple just as follows:

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family (Rosaceae) and is a perennial. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are utilized by humans. The apple forms a tree that is small and deciduous, reaching 3 to 12 metres (9.8 to 39 ft) tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The leaves are alternately arranged simple ovals 5 to 12 cm long and 3–6 centimetres (1.2–2.4 in) broad on a 2 to 5 centimetres (0.79 to 2.0 in) petiole with an acute tip, serrated margin and a slightly downy underside. Blossoms are produced in spring simultaneously with the budding of the leaves. The flowers are white with a pink tinge that gradually fades, five petaled, and 2.5 to 3.5 centimetres (0.98 to 1.4 in) in diameter. The fruit matures in autumn, and is typically 5 to 9 centimetres (2.0 to 3.5 in) diameter. The center of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds. (Wikipedia Internet Dictionary)

However, a better way to teach is to show him an apple and let him taste it. I believe there is no other better way to teach him about an apple than this.

In this sense, the Apostles and the leaders of the Early Christian Church didn’t feel the need of a lengthy record of the Holy Spirit in detail. They could help the new believers to learn more about the Spirit just in the same way that they had experienced him every day of their lives.

However, the problem arose after they were gone. Since they didn’t leave detailed information about the Spirit, the next generations had different understandings of the Spirit based on their own experiences and traditions. Some believed in the existence of the Holy Spirit but believed him not as a God but as a mere assistant to God; some regarded him just as one of the angels from heaven.

When the Church was still in turmoil because of their various views of the Holy Spirit, Tertullian (so called “The Father of Latin Christianity,” 160-220 A.D) came out to speak and introduced to the Church the theological concept of the Trinity (Three Persons, One Substance). According to him, the Spirit was coordinated with the Father and the Son, and was joined with them in substance, coming from the Father through the Son in some way.

As I mentioned above, when the Apostles established the church with the Holy Spirit, they didn’t focus on the theological issues. Therefore, in the beginning, there were many new theological opinions being developed and disappeared every day. It means that many important theological understandings including the Trinity and Christology were not settled. As there were various views of the Holy Spirit, there were many views of Christ as well. Some respected only the human character of Jesus; some only the divine character of him. Arius and his followers claimed that Jesus was the most perfect of creations but was a mere creation of God the Father. So they claimed he was a lesser entity than the Father. Of course, the different theological views could create dangerous heresies in the church.

Therefore, under Emperor Constantine I, the First Council of the Church was held in Nicaea (now known as İznik, in modern-day Turkey) in 325 A.D. and we call it “The First Council of Nicaea.” For your reference, this was the first general council in the history of the Church since the Apostolic Council of Jerusalem, which had established the conditions upon which Gentiles could join the Church (Acts 15).

The First Council of Nicaea in which many representatives came from various places was the first effort to attain consensus in the church. The main focus in the Council was laid on settlement of the Christological issue of the relationship of Jesus to God the Father. And this Council agreed and proclaimed what it believed to be the teachings of the Apostles regarding who Christ is: that “Christ is the one true God in deity with the Father.”

By the way, the Creed that was found at the First Council of Nicaea was as follows:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth]; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man; He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. And in the Holy Ghost. [But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]

This Creed was more developed in Constantinople in 381 A.D. and, along with the Apostles’ Creed, it has been loved by the Church throughout the years and often used in the church worship. By the way, the updated Creed in Constantinople came up with more explanation of the Holy Spirit:

And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.

In the Christianity history, unfortunately in many cases, those who have attempted to describe the Holy Spirit were misunderstood and condemned to be heretic.

As a matter of fact, the Holy Spirit is not an object or being for us to easily understand because he is a Spirit. Therefore, the early Eastern Orthodox teachers put it this way:

The 'face' of the Father is revealed by the Son; the 'face' of the Son is revealed by the Spirit.

When you read it, you have to be able to notice that there is no Person who reveals to us the 'face' of the Spirit.
But still we want to claim this way: “Show us the Holy Spirit! If you show us him, we will believe and will follow his direction.” Just as Philip insisted to Jesus in today’s text, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” (John 14:8)

In Antonie de Saint Exupery’s “The Little Prince,” the following story is recorded:

After some work with a colored pencil I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked like this:

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them. But they answered: “Frighten? Why should anyone be frightened by a hat?”

My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephants. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

As a matter of fact, children can believe without much explanation. They believe just as they hear. Are they too simple? Of course, they could be. However, once Jesus said this: “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.” (MT 18:3. NLT)

I have another good example telling us how simple the children can believe in the teaching they have.

There was a boy riding on his bike outside a church. The priest saw him and told him to come into the church and the boy said, “... But they’ll steal my bike.” The priest explained how the Holy Spirit would take care of it, so they went inside.

During the service, the priest showed the boy how to make the sign of the cross and told the boy to repeat it. So the boy repeated, “In the name of the Father, the Son. . . Amen.” The priest asked, “What about the Holy Spirit?” The boy replied, “He is outside taking care of my bike!”

(http://www.top20fun.com/funny_jokes/4976.html)

“Show us the Holy Ghost, then we will believe!” Anyway, I have to explain about the Holy Spirit to the grown-ups, then how? I wish I could say “This is the Holy Spirit!” by showing him to you, but unfortunately he is invisible and untouchable. Therefore, I have to find other ways to explain about him to convince you. If possible, it is better for me to speak to you with more explanations. To the grown-ups, the more is the better. However, because of the time limit, the examples (explanations) of the Holy Spirit that I will provide you will be very short and abstract.

The Bible tells

• The Holy Spirit is a living God.
• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.
• The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth.
• The Holy Spirit is the Comforter (Counselor).

The Bible speaks

• The Holy Spirit as water.
• The Holy Spirit as anointing.
• The Holy Spirit as fire.
• The Holy Spirit as cloud and light.
• The Holy Spirit as the dove.
• The Holy Spirit as wind.

The Bible tells

• The Holy Spirit convinces us both of our sinfulness of our actions.
• The Holy Spirit brings us to conversion.
• The Holy Spirit enables us to live the Christian life.
• The Holy Spirit mediates us to God and prays for us in trials.
• The Holy Spirit inspires us and helps us to understand the Scriptures.

According to the Bible, the Spirit of God was manifested in the Creation and still in our daily life journeys. By the way, the Holy Spirit is referred to in the Old Testament about 80 times and about 240 times in the New Testament.

Jesus promised to his disciples at the last supper, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever--the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16, 17. NIT)

Dear brothers and sisters, do you believe in the Holy Spirit? Do you know he is a living God? Do you believe he is with you and works in your life? Do you know his will that he wants you to join in the Great Commission that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is delivered to the ends of the world? If you know, what would you do? Will you work with him? Will you?

May 16, 2010

2010-05-18T13:59:07-04:00

* WE WELCOME OUR VISITORS - We are honored you have chosen to worship God with us today. Please join us for refreshments on the lanai after the service. May God bless you as you worship this morning.

* PRAY FOR OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Nancy Baker, Joan Peck, Fa’ae’e Metuli, Sarah Hahn, Loleni Tua’au, Ella Hong, Florendo Agcaoili, Diane Perez, Charles Schaeffer, Richard Kim, Nele La’ulu, Patsy Park, Dora Park, Eldon Kim, Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, Lesley Lee, Henry Lee, Jerry Tyrell, Fred Padrones, Sr., Pastor Randy’s mother, Stanley Yuh, our troops overseas and everyone affected by the natural disasters.

MEETINGS AND BIBLE CLASSES:
* ENGLISH BIBLE STUDY - 9:00 – 10:30 a.m., Tuesdays, led by Rev. Yi. The text is “Celebration of Discipline.

* CHOIR REHEARSAL – 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays

* BOARD OF TRUSTEES – 1:30 p.m. 23 May.

* ADMINISTRTIVE BOARD – 1:30 p.m. 30 May.

* WALK TO EMMAUS FOR MEN – 27-30 May.

* SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS – Deadline 31 May. POC is Patsy Park.

* TO OUR GRADUATES; CONGRATULATIONS!! You have made it this far. Please continue on your path to a higher education and may God bless you on your journey.

* MAHALO to all who are recycling cans and bottles for the youth. Please remove the tops and rinse the cans.

* THE CHURCH is continuing to request donations to the Van and Building Funds.

* OLIVE will serve lunch to the needy at Susannah Wesley Community Center 22 May beginning at 11:00 a.m. To raise funds for the project, they are selling The Cookie Lady Hawaii cookies at $7.00 a bag, 3 bags for $20.00 Please Kokua.

* A community group is collecting items for a hospital in Afghanistan. POC is Henry Lee.

* TODAY’S HOSTESSES: Betty Jane Chun and Rosalie Yuh.
* NEXT WEEK’S HOSTESSES: Rosalie Yuh and Myung Junkman.

* TODAY’S FLOWERS: Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lee..
* NEXT WEEK’S FLOWERS: Korean group.

After He Was Lifted

2010-05-18T13:56:25-04:00

After He Was Lifted
Luke 24:44-53; Acts 1:6-11 (May 16, 2010 Ascension Sunday)

After the resurrection, Jesus visited here and there to proclaim the Kingdom of God and finally summoned his disciples to Mt. Olive. He taught them the Scriptures that were written about the prophecies relating to the Messiah who would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. Moreover, he emphasized them to proclaim forgiveness of sins in the authority of his name to all the nations beginning in Jerusalem. And then he ascended into the sky while his followers were watching. After that moment Jesus was seen to the followers no longer. However, they still were staring at the sky where he disappeared.

I can understand why they kept watching the sky. They were buoyant with expectations before his ascension. They fluttered with a new future to build up with Jesus who conquered death and came back to life. “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?” (Acts 1:6. NLT) But their dream was broken in pieces along with his departure for heaven. So they were staring at the sky with great disappointment. You can understand how difficult it is when hope gets ruined, can’t you? The disciples were greatly frustrated. At that moment two angels appeared among the disciples who were vacantly gazing at the sky and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” (vs 11)

Of course, it is good that in life we look up to heaven. Heaven is the place where our Lord resides. It is the place where he is preparing a place for you and me. . . However, the real world where we belong and carry out our duties as Christians is the earth where we put our steps on.

One day Moses, who led the Israelites in the desert for 40 years, died in the land of Moab. When he died, God himself took care of burying Moses his faithful servant. So the Bible wrote about his burial as follows: “God buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth Peor. No one knows his burial site to this very day.” (Deut 34:6) Moses was 120 years old when he breathed his last breath on earth. However, his eyesight was still sharp. He could still walk with a spring in his step. He was still full of passion to take the Israelites to the Promised Land. However, his wish was not granted.

The Israelites lost their great leader, so they wept for him in the Plains of Moab thirty days. It seemed that the days of weeping and mourning for Moses continued because their sorrow for the loss was too deep. The empty space created by Moses’ death was too big. Therefore, they could do nothing except just sit down in the desert. They just wasted days by recalling their good days with Moses.

When the people of Israel were still looking back on the past, God spoke to Joshua, Moses’ assistant for 40 years: “Moses my servant is dead. Get going. Cross this Jordan River, you and all the people. Cross to the country I'm giving to the People of Israel. I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on--just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River--all the Hittite country--and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won't give up on you; I won’t leave you.” (Joshua 1:2-5) In summary it was what God said to Moses: “Joshua, as you know, my servant Moses is dead. Therefore, from today you shall stand up to lead my people to the Promised Land. I the Lord will be with you as I was with Moses.”

In fact, it was not Moses who led the Israelites in the desert for 40 years. Actually it was God himself. Moses was a mere messenger who delivered God’s directions to the Israelites. Therefore, practically their leader should be not Moses but God himself. But the Israelites gave their hearts to Moses, God’s messenger. They trusted in him more than in God. Therefore when Moses was dead, there was no the leader (the center) for the people in the desert.

Sometimes I see similar situations in today’s churches. When great pastors (or lay leaders) move to other ministry settings, the flock who trusted the leaders miss them so much. They don’t know how to settle down and they don’t know what to do next. Of course, I can understand their feelings and frustrations when they lose their great leaders. However, they shouldn’t plant their trust or faith in their leaders but only in Jesus Christ himself. Only God should be the leader (the center) for them.

The Israelites had to keep marching on to the Promised Land even though Moses was no longer with them. Even though Moses was not with them, God was with them. Even though Moses left them in the desert, God never left them alone. Therefore when God spoke to Joshua, he put a strong emphasis on this point, “In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you.”

Before Jesus went to heaven, he shared the last supper with his disciples and said, “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.” (LK 24:49. NLT); “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4, 5. LB) His point was that, after his departure to heaven, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God, should come and stay with them and help them in carrying out their duties. Therefore, the disciples should come out of their affection to Jesus as soon as he goes to heaven. They shouldn’t be tied up with Jesus but prepare for a new beginning with the new leader, the Holy Spirit.

It is not a right attitude to be a slave to the past. It is not a right attitude to be tied up with the person(s) who was good (or bad) to them in the past. Nobody will walk the path we should walk in place of us. It is the path we should walk. Perhaps someone could have helped us during our journeys before, but it is up to us to take care of it now. Here is another thing that we need to remember: we don’t have to worry about how to walk the path because the Holy Spirit will stay with us and guide us in our spiritual journey.

Once a eunuch of great authority under the queen of Ethiopia (the treasurer of Ethiopia), went to Jerusalem to worship God. He came all the way from Ethiopia to Jerusalem for worship! On the way home, in his carriage he was reading one of the papyruses he bought in Jerusalem. The papyrus spoke about the prophecies by Isaiah. But it was not easy for him to understand when he read. The most difficult part to understand was that “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. He was humiliated and received no justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” (vss 32, 33)

He read the same paragraph over and over but couldn’t come up with a proper interpretation for it. In his agony he heard a stranger shouting to him from the outside, “Do you understand what you are reading?” To the stranger he gave an honest rely, “How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?” And he begged the stranger whose name was Philip to come up into his carriage and sit with him. From Philip he learned about the prophecy he was reading and finally understood it was about the suffering of Jesus Christ and he received Jesus as his Savior. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch was baptized by Philip. As the baptism was done, suddenly Philip disappeared. He was taken away by the Holy Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, if you were the eunuch, how would you react to the sudden disappearance of Philip who helped you to understand God’s words and even baptized you? Would you not be embarrassed or upset? Would you not be seeking for Philip? Perhaps some of you would go back to Jerusalem to search for your good teacher. However, the eunuch didn’t behave like that. The Bible wrote, “The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.” He was not sorry or disappointed but he was still full of joy. Wow! How? It was because he was not led by Philip any longer but by the Spirit.

The Ethiopian eunuch was not led by a man but by the Spirit. It gives us a very important lesson for our spiritual pilgrimage. We should not rely on the lead by a man but by the Spirit. Of course, some men or women can help us in our pilgrimage, but still we need to depend upon the guidance of the Spirit alone. The people who help (or helped) us are merely a tool of the Spirit.

Two angels appeared and asked Jesus’ followers who were still staring at the sky. “Why do you stand here looking into the sky?” And then what was their response to the advice of the angels? According to Acts 1:12-14, they walked back to Jerusalem and went to the upstairs room where they were staying. All the apostles (except Judas Iscariot) and other male and female followers including Mary the mother of Jesus and the brothers of Jesus were there. They were 120 people. They stayed together and constantly prayed together. Why? For what? They prayed for the Spirit, the promised gift from God. They definitely needed the Spirit in order to become Jesus’ witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judaea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Without the power from the Spirit they couldn’t fulfill their duty as a witness of Jesus.

When I studied today’s scripture for this sermon, I couldn’t find any hint that the disciples of Jesus were bound up by the past after they had heard from the two angels. They didn’t sit down to talk about the good days with their Master who performed great miracles, told them great stories and taught them by showing good examples. Rather they knelt down and prayed together. In prayer they were waiting for their new leader, the Holy Spirit. They stood up as soon as they received the Holy Spirit. They couldn’t remain inside any longer. Rather they walked out and met the people. They healed the sick on the street. They testified Jesus as the Savoir to the public and brought them to Jesus. Hallelujah!

I believe Jesus purposely left his disciples for a while. It means that he should come back. However none of us knows when he will return. Therefore, we must be prepared for his return and behave as his disciple at every moment of our lives. In this way he will be delighted with us when he comes back.

Yes. It is certain that Jesus will return. So when he returns, what would he say to you and me, if he finds we are still vacantly staring at the sky (recalling the past), if he finds we are still asking others to take care of our duties for us? Do you think he will praise us by saying, “Did you love me that much?” or “Did you long for me that much?” I don’t think so. Rather he will say to us like this-“Why are you still standing here watching the sky?”

What Jesus wants from us (his church) is that we are diligently carrying out our duty in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Dear brothers and sisters, let us not stay in the past any longer. Rather let us focus on the future and create it better with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will definitely guide us to a bright future if we go with him. Amen?

Woman Is Weak, but Mother Is Strong

2010-05-09T09:20:30-04:00

Woman Is Weak, but Mother Is Strong
Mark 7:24-30 (May 9, 2010. Mother’s Sunday)

One day Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre to rest. He didn’t want to be bothered by anyone, so he informed no one where he was staying. But a woman found out where he was resting, and she fell at his feet. She was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, and had a daughter who was possessed by an evil spirit. So she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Jesus told her, “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.” But she answered, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Marveled at her answer, Jesus replied, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” And when she came home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was already gone.

During my meditation on today’s text last week, I remembered what Shakespeare said, “Woman is weak, but mother is strong.” The Syrian Phoenician woman proves his saying is true. As a woman she was weak, but as a mother she was strong. As a woman she couldn’t come to Jesus, but as a mother she came and fell at his feet. As a woman she couldn’t tolerate Jesus’ malicious tongue that was so prejudiced against the Gentiles, but as a mother she was patient and continued begging for her daughter. Yes. Definitely mother is strong.

When I was preparing this sermon, I found a meaningful poem about mother’s love from the internet and its title is “Woman and Mother.”

Woman is weak, but mother is strong.
Woman is pretty once she is young, but mother is beautiful endlessly.
Woman shows off her beauty, but mother lets the children show up.
Woman’s heart sways by the smell of flower, but mother’s never even by the strong winds.
Woman loves a baby for he is cute, but mother likes him for she loves him.
Woman can’t do many things, but mother can do all.
Woman is happy for she is loved, but mother is happy for she loves.
Woman breaks up when she doesn’t like, but mother lowers herself to be one with the children.
There are many women, but there is only one mother.

When I read this poem, I found no word was wrong. As it speaks, woman and mother are not the same. In my view, mother is evolved from woman. What I mean is that, when a child is conceived, the mother (or motherhood) is born at the same time.

Woman invests a lot to her beauty. But when she gets pregnant, her focus is dramatically shifted from herself to the baby in the womb. She forgets all the hard effort of her fitness in the past but is concerned for the health of the baby in her the most. Of course, she doesn’t mind to give up the beauty of her body.

The woman who is introduced in today’s text definitely had her pride. However, she didn’t leave the place when she was humiliated by Jesus. She begged him even harder, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” What did she mean? I think what she meant was “Lord, I don’t mind being humiliated as a dog. However, even though I look like a dog in your sight, please grant some crumbs of Thy grace for my poor daughter.”

Sometimes I have thought, “Do the mothers really have pride in themselves?” Of course, I know women have pride in themselves. Actually their pride is so big. So mothers have their pride, too. However, mothers give up pride for the children’s benefits. They regard the benefits of their children prior to their own.

Mothers frequently say, “I will eat later,” “I am not hungry now.” Actually my wife often uses that kind of language. But do you truly believe they don’t eat because they are not hungry? They don’t eat at the same dining table for they worry the shortage of food for their children? Mothers eat the leftover after the children eat.

Let me give you another illustration. If there are five people in the house but there are only four pieces of pizza available, who will be the one not to touch the pizza? Of course, it will be the mother. And she will definitely say, “Today somehow I don’t feel to eat pizza, so you guys finish it.” But dear children, don’t get fooled by your mother! You better remember that, as much as you like pizza, so does your mother the same.

As I have observed my wife, I am frequently marveled at her ability to take care of all the housework by herself. As you know, housework is something that never ends: cleaning, meal, washing, children, and so on. It is not one person’s job. But the mother does all the work by herself. Nowadays many mothers work outside but still they hardly neglect the housework. So they make me come to this following conclusion: “Mothers must have a different watch from us.”

Milton Berle said, “If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?” Woman says “I can’t,” but mother says “I can do anything because I am a Mom.” If the traffic light doesn’t work at the busiest street because of power shortage, I believe the best traffic controllers will be any mom in the world. Through their daily housework, they are well trained to handle any given situations. They are “supermoms.”

There is a Jewish Proverb: “God could not be everywhere, so he created mothers.” I know it doesn’t sound correct theologically but at least we can understand its meaning.

Today is Mother’s Day. For all the hard works and all the sacrifices they have made for the children, I want to express my genuine thanks and gratitude to all the mothers who are sitting in this sanctuary and to all those who are outside and to all those who have already gone to God’s Kingdom. We can come to this place because you never give up but continuously encourage us and cheer us up when we are in trouble.

At the end, I will finish my word by quoting from Abraham Lincoln who said, “All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.”

The Power of Ignorance

2010-05-06T10:09:12-04:00

The Power of Ignorance
Acts 11:1-10 (May 2, 2010)

About two weeks ago I stopped by the Barnes and Noble Bookstore at Kahala Mall. I didn’t’ go there to buy a book for myself but for one of our church members who wanted to buy an electronic book reader. As we went inside, we directly headed to the counter in which the device, so called “Nook,” was displayed. I grabbed a salesperson who was about to pass by and asked him to explain about the gadget for the lady whom I took with me. I was checking books but still overhearing what he explained to her. I was satisfied with his explanation to her. After he finished talking, the member asked him, “Can I buy foreign language books with this device?” When he was asked the question, the salesperson was perplexed for a moment. He replied that according to his short knowledge it must be hard now. So I interrupted their conversation by pulling out my Nook from my pocket and opening one of the Korean books that were stored in it. When he saw the Korean book on the device, he stared at it with great awe. He confessed that he bought a Nook but his wife was using it at home. So he hadn’t tried to read a book other than English books. Actually, it is very natural that the person who speaks only English doesn’t have to look for the possibility to read a foreign language book with the gadget. The salesperson’s name was James, one of the general managers at the store. After a few words of conversation, we became acquainted and he suggested to buy us coffee at the Starbuck’s Coffee Shop inside of the bookstore. Always the smell and taste of Starbuck’s coffee is so great to me, but for that day it was much greater because it was free. It was sweeter than honey.

When we came out of the coffee shop and were about to exit from the store, I found a couple, in 50-60s, was asking a female salesperson about Nook at the display counter. At the end, they questioned whether they could read foreign language books with the device. At that time, the salesperson answered, “I am so sorry, but you can’t.” So the couple got disappointed and left the place. When I saw them leaving with great disappointment, my heart was broken for them. Therefore, I ran to the saleswoman and told her “Yes. They can read foreign language books with this magnificent machine by showing her my Nook that was still displaying a Korean book. So the lady’s eyes became big.

After I came out of the bookstore, the following thought came to my head: “Ignorance (or lack of knowledge) could kill a man.” If the salesperson had better knowledge of the device, she could help the couple to buy it. If she knew more about it, she could help them to read more books with it. However, she failed to help them to have it but to rob them of the opportunity to read more books with the great tool.

For reference, it is my strong recommendation for you: For yourself get one of the electronic readers - Nook, Kindle, Sony Reader or others. If your sight is getting dimmer, definitely you better get one for you! It contains so many great options that help you to read more and better - such as font control, font size control, dictionary, bookmark, and so on. However, I shouldn’t miss to say that for reading there is no better tool than a paper book because you can still smell the paper and enjoy turning over its pages.

If you look at today’s text, you can see the Apostle Peter who is in trouble. The believers are poking a finger at him and harshly criticizing him. But for what? What could Peter possibly have done wrong to them to be in this miserable situation? On the other hand, why did the believers get so upset with him? Verse 13 explains it as follows: “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” “Uncircumcised men” indicates “gentiles.” Peter fell into trouble because he ate with gentiles a few days ago. The ones who brought it into question were the circumcised believers. They were those who considered their circumcision as a special symbol, privilege and right. If we have to explain it in the church concept, we can match it with baptism. Therefore, those who were baptized criticized Peter for eating with the non-baptized people.

It seems that those accusers made an issue out of nothing. However, indeed, it could have been an issue in those days. In that time, the church was in the beginning stage of development and her theology was still not settled yet. It means that those Christians could still root their faith in the old Jewish tradition and its theology. As you may know, according to the Jewish tradition and teachings, Jews were not allowed to sit and eat with gentiles; so then who was Peter? He was not a mere believer but the leader of the church. So according to the old Jewish viewpoint he deserved to be criticized. However, they must have forgotten their Master and Lord who had loved to eat with the sinners and tax collectors when he was with them. Don’t you think so?

Ignorance was the cause of the criticism that the circumcised believers threw at Peter. They pointed their fingers at him because of it. They condemned their leader because of their short knowledge. Ignorance has the power to kill a man. However, please remember that ignorance is not something that is inexcusable but something that should be cured. If it is not cured, it could cause a lot of disaster not only to us but also to others. Dear brothers, try to learn more and more. Never stop learning from daily Bible reading and Bible studies.

Actually circumcision (baptism) is not a guarantee for our salvation. In Romans 2:28, 29, the Apostle Paul says as follows:

A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. (NIV)

He continues his saying in Romans 3:29, 30:

Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. (NIV)

Of course, we can’t say that circumcision is all useless. Indeed, there is a lot of benefits in it. The first and the most important is that the words of God were entrusted to those who were circumcised first.

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God. (Rom. 3:1, 2. NIV)

The lesson that today’s text offers to us is that if we don’t come to the true meaning of circumcision (baptism), our circumcision (baptism) could become a hinder to us. Because we are circumcised (baptized), we could become haughty and bluff out before the uncircumcised (unbaptized). This is the true meaning of circumcision (baptism): When we are circumcised (baptized), we swear to live according to the Word of God and spread it to the world through our full obedience to it.

If a man becomes arrogant, he becomes stiff-necked before God as well. How could it happen? In today’s text, Peter was praying and in a vision he saw something like a large sheet was coming down. In the sheet there were all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. And a voice was delivered to him, “Peter, get up; kill and eat them.” But he replied, “No, Lord, I haven’t eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean.” He expressed his opinion that he couldn’t obey God’s command. It could be understood in this way: “God, you have to respect all my hard effort to purify the body by avoiding all sorts of unclean things until now!” But God told him, “How dare you to say like that! Do not call something unclean if I have made it clean!” (Acts 11:9) This happened three times before the sheet was taken away. It indicates that the argument between Peter and God lasted for a while. Peter was so stubborn before God for he kept refusing God’s command over and over.

“The ripe wheat will bow its head more.” (A literal translation) It means that the wise become more humble. The more the wheat grows, the heavier it turns. Therefore, the wheat that is ripe naturally drops its head due to its weight. However, on the other hand, the wheat that doesn’t grow, never drops its head down because there is nothing inside. As a matter of fact, those who love to criticize others have hardly matured inside. They never know things completely, so they pretend to know everything by showing off and often times judge and condemn others by their own incomplete knowledge.

Ignorance makes a man arrogant and wounds others, but, on the other hand, true knowledge (understanding) helps him to be humble, generous and help others. In this sense, we, as Christians, should learn more and more. If we don’t, we could be stiff-necked people before God and judge and condemn others by our short knowledge.

Dear brothers and sisters, never try to disvalue the thoughts and understandings of others. If we are matured and if we are full of knowledge, we won’t insist on others but rather we will be willing to listen to them. Moreover, if we are matured and if we are full of understanding, we will be more humble before God. We will open our ears to him always. We will put our thought and knowledge under his Word. And we will be more courageous to change our own ways when he and his Word speak to us. Don’t you think so?