Breathe on me, Breath of God!

“Breathe on me, Breath of God, fill me with life anew, that I may love what 

Thou dost love and do what Thou wouldst do” (UMH 420, Edwin Hatch, 1878).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

It is already the month of May as we prepare the summer season, the growing season! So how’s your summer preparation as you enjoy this season of new life? Actually, we are still celebrating the season of Jesus’ Resurrection preparing the season of Pentecost this month!

 

One day, I looked at a pot of Peace Lilies seated on the kitchen table, refreshing our eyes and lungs during those pandemic months. The pot looked too small for this growing plant. Too crowded! So I decided to repot them. Actually, this is the oldest house plant for us and we have never repotted it.

 

As I googled it, I found that my Peace Lilies will appreciate the fresh soil if I repot them annually. I have never thought about it in that way because we don’t change the soil for the hundred year old growing plants in the mountains or even for a thirty year old maple tree in our backyard. But anyway, I offered my Peace Lilies some fresh soil this spring, promising that I will do that for them each year!

 

It reminds me of the creation story in the bible.

 

“Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath 

of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person” (Genesis 2:7, NLT).

 

When God refreshed us after He formed us, He put the Spirit in us! Then we became alive! It means that we are spiritual beings!

 

After Jesus was crucified, all of his followers were spiritually down and empty like dead wood. They were confused; they were depressed; they were shocked; and they were in fear. But after Jesus was risen from the dead, he reformed his disciples’ lives, who were like dead wood as he stayed with them for forty days on earth. Then ten days after, Jesus filled their life with the Holy Spirit like in the creation story. It was the day of Pentecost, the birthday of the church, the body of Christ.

 

That is the reason why we are still here on earth as a church together, as a spiritually living being! Since then, the Holy Spirit continues to refresh us and renew us to grow into his likeness! How come?

 

“Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots 

will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong” (Ephesians 3:17, NLT).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, when our spiritual soil is refreshed by the Holy Spirit in this season, our roots will grow down into God’s love. It will keep us strong! Is this true to us all? 

 

Through this season, we will truly stretch out our roots deep down into God’s love so that God can keep us strong! Then, we will refresh the world with the power coming out of it. It is our call this month! 

 

Join us!

 

Grace and Peace, 

Pastor Kyochul

They Are Sweeter Than Honey!

 

“In the beginning the Word already existed. 

The Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, NLT).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

We feel like spring is really here! But I know some of you still doubt about it since we are in Wisconsin. It is true that the winter is jealous of warmness of this season, the blooming of the splendid colors, I means the flowers. So, from time to time, we might have snow in spring time, even in summer time! However, no one can stop the clock that God has set for us even in Wisconsin! In other words, the new season is here, definitely! 

 

However, it is not only the outside of our home but also the inside of our home, even inside of our heart in our life. Why? Because of the gift of Christ’s Resurrection. True spring begins with the power of Christ’s Resurrection as we overcome the human reality of the eternal darkness and coldness, I mean, the reality of sin and death through Christ Jesus.

 

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness

can never extinguish it” (John 1:5, NLT).

 

The darkness can never extinguish it, the light! You know whom we are talking about. It is Christ Jesus. And that is the reality of the eternal life, God’s new creation though Him, through the Word!

 

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul... they are sweeter 

than honey, even honey dripping from the comb” (Psalm 19:7a & 10b, NLT).

 

Can you imagine that “honey dripping from the comb.” For David, the Psalmist, the Word of God is sweeter than that honey dripping from the comb. However, when we open up our bible, most of us can fell asleep very easily. And we know that there are countless things sweeter than that. 

 

For some, a chocolate ice cream is sweeter than the Word of God; for some, gardening is sweeter than the Word of God; for some, shopping is sweeter than the Word of God; for some, a cold glass of beer might be sweeter than the Word of God. You name it-fishing, skiing, watching movies, playing computer games, etc. Because all those can make us feel good at the moment!

 

However, for David in the Old Testament time, the Word of God was sweeter than any other things. How come? Because he was able to find a treasure of heaven from the Word of God. It means he was able to enjoy the season of spring fully when God brought it through the Word of God!

 

So what if we can taste the Word of God as something sweeter than honey dripping from the comb so that we can delight in it and meditate on it day and night?

 

“They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. 

Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do” (Psalm 1:3, NLT).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it is about God’s creation and it is also about God’s salvation once we can taste that sweetness from the word of God, sweeter than honey. Would you like to taste the Word of God like David did? Then we know what we will happen. Like a trees planted along the riverbank...

 

So for the month of April, we will begin our new journey with our risen Lord to search for the treasure of heaven in our everyday life in the word of God, something sweeter than honey. We will taste that!

 

Join us!

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kyochul

Seek and You Will Find!

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock 

and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7, NIV).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

As we walk through the season of Lent this year, I remember our Lenten experience last year journeying with Jonah. After the second week, we closed everything down because of COVID 19. It was very weird feeling. We stop meeting for worship, fellowship and bible study. Because we did not know what to do and how to deal with the outbreak, we could not do anything. Even the whole nation was shut down in the name of the people’s safety. Our Lenten fellowship meal on that Wednesday was the last meal that we had together as a church if you remember. I miss it a lot though.

 

Now, a year passed. We know somewhat what to do and how to deal with this pandemic situation. Even though we still have to follow some inconvenient guidelines, we are able to find our life again. And we are now in the process of vaccination. It means the end of the COVID 19 pandemic is near!  

 

However, whatever happened in our life, continually, we worshiped God in spirit and truth regardless of its forms, means and styles because God is the center of our journey to the Kingdom, eternal. 

 

So how’s your journey beyond this COVID 19 challenge so far? Have you found any treasures of heaven during this time of isolation and uncertainty? And have you come closer to God much, breaking through this dark and heavy physical, mental and spiritual challenges? And what do you see now?

 

Many years ago, there was a man of God named Elisha. He was a prophet who brought a message of God to the people of Israel. During that time, Israel was struggling with Aramean. One day, the king of Aram wanted to destroy the Israel’s Army. However, by the advisement of Elisha, the king of Israel was able to avoid it. So the king of Aram sent his troops to eliminate. Elisha was trapped by the great army of Aram. What a scary moment?

 

When the servant of Elisha got up early in the morning and went outside as usual, he saw the enemy’s troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. He cried to Elisha, “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” How come? Elisha prayed, 

Open Our Eyes by W. C. MacFalane, Hour of Power Choir

 

“O God! Open his eyes and let him see!” (2 Kings 6:17, NLT).

 

Then what happened? God opened this young, scared servant’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. I mean the heaven’s army was with him, with Elisha. Of course, they had a happy ending later on.

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, life is like finding hidden objects in a picture, finding a treasure of heaven  even in a time of trouble. And through those treasures, we come much closer to God! We come much closer to the throne of His grace! So, would you like to see who is around us? 

 

Join me with Elisha for this amazing journey of prayer through this Lenten season!

 

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kyochul

 

Open Our Eyes by W. C. MacFalane, Dresden Church Gloria Choir

When he has tested me, I will come forth as gold!

 

“How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? 

How long will you hide your face from me?” (Psalm 13:1, NIV).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Time really flies. It feels like yesterday when I prepared the New Year’s Eve Covenant Service for the families last year. And now it is already February! However, has anything changed in your life so far? 

 

Not really! As we look around the world, we are still dealing with COVID 19. However, that is not all. The political and ideological divisions over the ever changing half-truths in our nation threw us into the pit of sharp pain in the darkness of uncertainty and fear. I mean, our burdens by the unseen enemies are getting heavier and we are mourning deeply everyday being isolated from each other.

 

In the midst of all those spiritual calamities, does anyone see hope?

 

I looked into the story of the Bible, the book of Hope, and found the most unfortunate person. His name is Job, a man of integrity. However, he suddenly lost everything-his family, his wealth, and his health without any reasons. When he grieved over his misfortune, his best friends, three of them, came over and challenged him with their bitter spiritual judgments. It was like hitting the open wounds before healing. He cried out to them, 

 

“But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, 

I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10, NIV). 

 

“I will come forth as gold!” Did it really happen to him? Sure enough, it happened! He came out as pure as gold later on! Everything was restored-his family, wealth, and health, even his relationship with his friends. However, he had to go through the door of much pain to see his human reality before it happened.

 

“My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you!” (Job 42:5, NIV).

 

Why was it so painful? Because he had to admit the fact that he had held the half-truths firmly before he began his real relationship with God in person as he was able to see him clearly. Then what did he do? He repented, of course! 

 

“Therefore, I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:5, NIV).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, where are you now as we enter into the month of February? Are you surrendering yourself to God and repenting in dust and ashes because you saw your reality of sin and death as you go through this pandemic?; or are you able to see God with your own eyes and begin your personal relationship with the Lord as you go through this pandemic?; or are you still holding onto the half-truths at such a time as this? 

 

If we surrender ourselves and repent in dust and ashes, the time is not far from us, the time when we come out as pure as gold like Job! Do we see that hope? 

 

Join me in this amazing divine comedy with the hope that God has showed us!

 

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Kyochul

 

Don't Cover Up the Truth!

“Don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying” (James 3:14b, NLT) 

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

How’s your first step into the New Year 2021 going? 

 

As we take this step, we are still celebrating the season of Christmas! And we will begin another season, Epiphany, in a few days with Wiseman who came from afar to give homage to the baby Jesus, a new born king of Israel, following the star. 

 

Those two seasons, Christmas and Epiphany, have one thing in common: The gift of God is for everyone but it was revealed by the few who were chosen or who were looking for something special, even from afar, when most of the people that were near did not care about it. The Bible calls them “the wise”. So now, as you enter into the New Year 2021, are you looking for something good, better, or special?

 

Like the time when Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a little over two thousand years ago, we went through quite some gloomy days dealing with COVID 19, the election and post-election turmoil, kidnapped by the law of the world, the power of social media, and abusive mass media. “Yes” became “no” and “no” became “yes”; “truth” became “lies” and “lies” became “truth”; “good” became “evil” and “evil” became “good”. In other words, we are not able to see the fact as it is now-the era of confusion and mistrust!

 

So, I might say we are looking for the truth or the era where we can see truth as truth and lies as lies. If the world becomes like that, the good ones, like the Wiseman, will love it; however, the evil ones, like the king Herod, will fear of it. 

 

“The star they had seen in the east guided them to Bethlehem. It went ahead of them 

and stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were 

filled with joy!” (Matthew 2:9-10, NLT).

 

We Tree Kings of Orient Are, Kings College Choir

Are we the wise ones or the unwise ones? I am pretty sure that if we follow the star and if we are filled with joy when we find the truth, we are the wise and good ones!

 

However, James urges us today, “prove it!” But how? “By living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom!” Then he continues, “The wisdom from above is first of all pure. it is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness” (James 3:17-18, NLT). But with warning, “Don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying” (3:14b, NLT). Sounds like that is how we follow the star in the time of confusion and mistrust!

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if we consider ourselves wise because we follow this star, is that a huge dream for us to dream for this year? Is that a problem with having a God sized dream? No! Not at all! So, for this New Year, we will continue to follow the star like the Wiseman from afar each day until we see the truth.

 

Join us! 

Pastor Kyochul