Birthed in Love

Like many American families, we enjoy the tradition of hanging our stockings on the mantle over the fireplace. When our children became adults, we modified our tradition a bit to begin including their spouses. Every family members’ stocking now hangs under their baby picture. This year we have a new stocking to hang for our little Annabelle. But her picture is a little different; it's a sonogram. You see, Annabelle hasn't been born yet, she's due February 2, 2013.

Despite the fact that she hasn't yet arrived, Annabelle is very much with us, and she is very much a unique person to us. The other day, I was talking with my daughter, Joy, who is Annabelle's mother. She was telling me how she already “knows” Annabelle as an individual, and even though Annabelle has done nothing yet, Joy has fallen completely in love with her. Annabelle already occupies the hearts of both Joy and Kuoching, her husband.

The conversation reminded me of the anticipation and joy that my wife, Sue, and I shared as we waited for the birth of each of our children. And I thought back to that first Christmas and tried to imagine the excitement that Mary and Joseph shared as they waited for the birth of Jesus. How did Mary experience the personhood of God within her? We know His presence was there, for when Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth who was also pregnant, the baby in Elizabeth's womb, the future John the Baptist, leapt for joy at experiencing Jesus in Mary's womb.

We know that God was overjoyed at the birth of His Son, Jesus, for He sent a host of angels to give the birth announcement. But I think that Father God's joy on that first Christmas was also in anticipation of the future births of a whole family of sons and daughters.

We are told in Psalm 139:13–14 a, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” And again in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.”

Did you know that you were on God's mind and heart before you were ever born? That He had a plan and a wonderful destiny for you even as you were being conceived and formed before birth? Before you had ever done one thing, Father God was completely in love with you.  No matter what your personal circumstances, you were anticipated; you were wanted; you were birthed in love. God meant for you to come into being, and to be here now.

Why not make this Christmas the most unique one of your life by saying “yes” to the love of your Heavenly Father? Let God spiritually birth you in love and welcome you to His forever family. He is a Father you can completely trust.

Come join us this Sunday for a special Christmas celebration at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. I will be completing the series on “Mary's Faith.”

Pastor Che

The Perfect Gift

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, we are now in the frenetic homestretch to Christmas, and the search for “the perfect gift.” You know the one I'm talking about. It may be for your spouse, child, parent, fiancé or friend, but you want to get them something that they really like, something that expresses how much they mean to you.

Of course, Madison Avenue and a host of retailers are only too eager to be of help in your decision-making, pitching everything from Mercedes to the latest tech toys to this season's new perfume. They flood television commercials, online pop-ups and billboards with pictures of overjoyed Christmas recipients of their products. They make it look like finding the perfect gift is the easiest thing you can do.

Personally, I've learned after years of varying success, that I can't always identify the perfect gift. For instance, it's taken time, but I know when it comes to my wife, Sue, that I'm far more likely to hit upon the perfect gift if its sentimental, rather than clothes or perfume. This knowledge has come only through experience, and unfortunately more than a few disappointing Christmas gifts.

As a parent, the perfect gift for me was watching my children's excitement as they opened that special present which contained the toy they wanted most. We always tried to capture the moment on camera, and now that our children are grown, those memories are priceless. Now I get to share those precious moments with grandkids.

Every year as we gather around the tree surrounded by presents and full of anticipation, I am reminded that the most perfect gift will never appear under the Christmas tree. It's actually an ancient gift, given 2000 years ago, but still continues giving today. It is the gift Father God presented on the very first Christmas, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. It was a gift that cost Him everything, but He spared no expense, for we mean that much to Him.

In giving His Son, Father God wanted us to be assured that He loves us so much that He would never deny us any good thing. Scripture states it plainly in Romans 8:32, “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?”

Have you ever wondered what is the perfect gift you can give to God? After all, He's “the Guy with everything,” right? Actually, you have something to give that He desires so very much. Like any loving parent, Father God wants to see our joy as we accept His gift and allow Him to give us all the blessings He desires to pour out upon us.

This Christmas, give the perfect gift to the One who deserves it most. Give yourself, your heart and your loving trust to Father God. Put a smile on His face and let Him show you how very much you mean to Him.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM for a special worship and Christmas service. We are continuing our present series, “A Faith Filled Christmas.” We will look again at “Mary's Faith, Part II,” and see how this young woman presented her perfect gift to God.

Pastor Che

The Promise Keeper

Jonathan was a seasoned veteran, having been in numerous missions behind enemy lines. But this encounter would be different. This is what they had been planning and strategizing for years: the ultimate invasion campaign. All the battles of the past were just the prelude to this place and this moment.

Jonathan marveled at the brilliance and integrity of the Leader. Through what many would consider multiple discouragements, the Leader never wavered, never lost sight of his intention, always confident of ultimate victory. The Leader was admired by all the troops, and they would do anything for him.

What Jonathan couldn't figure out was why the Leader would spend so much time and energy, sparing no expense, to repeatedly help this group of people. They certainly weren't loyal to him, and there was no way they could ever repay the Leader for all he had done. In fact, they often took the Leader’s efforts on their behalf for granted.

As he looked back on it, there was a well-ingrained pattern. The Leader had promised to assist and protect these people, and even though they never took their agreement with him seriously, the Leader never went back on his word to them. These people would get in a crisis, send pleas for assistance, and the Leader would always respond and meet their need. These people would be grateful, but only for short time, rapidly becoming indifferent, and often even resentful or insulting. After a while, their poor choices would get them in another bad situation and they would appeal to the Leader again for help.

Jonathan remembered the time he shared his observations with Daniel, the battalion commander and one of the fiercest combatants on the battlefield. “These people don't deserve the Leader’s time. They don't appreciate what the Leader does for them. Why doesn't he just shake them off and let them go?”

Daniel's answer was swift. “He wants these people to trust him and believe his word. He never breaks a promise to anyone.”

“But just look at all the energy and resources he's wasting on them,” Jonathan countered. “Think of all the times we've brought provisions to them, food and water in covert operations, assisting them in battle so they could overthrow their oppressors. What tribute has the Leader ever gotten from them for all his efforts?”

Daniel's eyes softened, as he put his hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “You forget Jonathan, they are his estranged family. The Leader is a promise keeper, and as a Father, he will never go back on his word to his children. Never!”

So now they stood shoulder to shoulder, a mighty invasion force waiting for the signal. The first phase of the invasion campaign, a covert operation, had been successfully completed several months earlier. The ultimate secret weapon was planted behind enemy lines, and this was the moment to reveal it.

As they marched in unison, their feet crossed the time-space dimension, and brilliant light pierced through the curtain of darkness. Immediately they all raised the triumphant invasion announcement: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to the people on whom His favor rests.”

All Father God's promises culminate in the secret weapon of His Son, Jesus Christ, coming to Earth and being born as one of us. Christmas is the time we remember that our Father God is the eternal Promise Keeper. He has never broken His word to us, and He wants us to believe and trust Him. (Psalm 145:13; Hebrews 6:18)

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. We are beginning a new series: “A Faith Filled Christmas.” We will be discussing how believing God's promises builds faith in our relationship with Him. Our topic this week will be: “Mary's Faith, Part I.”

Pastor Che

Guess Who's Coming to Thanksgiving Dinner?

This will definitely not be our typical Thanksgiving. Oh, the family will gather as usual, and there will be turkey and all the traditional trimmings. And since I am Korean, someone will most certainly bring kimchi, and hopefully my favorite noodle dish, jap chae. My daughters, Joy and Mary, will hang around expectantly while I carve the turkey, waiting for the wishbone that they always break to see who gets their wish. And Maddie, our huge English mastiff will, of course, try to make a stealth raid on the table once it's filled with food.

We'll take some time to sit down together, and give everyone an opportunity to share what they are thankful for this year. My 18-month-old grandson and a granddaughter on the way will top my list. Before dinner is ready, we'll watch some football on TV, and after dinner we will either go to a movie (whatever's being currently released) or watch a movie together at home. Then we'll have a second round of turkey and trimmings, before dividing the abundant leftovers into portions for everyone to take home.

But this year, there will be no “guess who's coming to Thanksgiving dinner.” Being pastors, my wife and I normally open our home and abundant Thanksgiving feast to our church members who have nowhere to go. They may be singles or students living far away from family, or members who have no family, or perhaps no means to furnish their own Thanksgiving meal. We never know exactly who will appear on our doorstep prior to dinner, but almost everyone brings something, and the table always overflows with more than enough food.

You see, this year we’re moving right before Thanksgiving, and there will be plenty of boxes vying for space. So, we can only accommodate immediate and extended family. I will miss our church family members and the way the joy, and even the food seems to multiply with their presence. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect on our abundance and share it with others.

Typically, as people multiply on our doorstep, I imagine another day, 2000 years ago when Jesus hosted an impromptu dinner for 5000 men and their families. The people had been listening to Him teach for some time, and they were tired and hungry. Jesus turned to his disciples and in essence said, “Guess who's coming to dinner?” He asked them, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

The disciples must've thought He had lost his mind. They didn't have enough money to buy food for all these people! They scoured around and looked for food, but only found one boy's lunch of 2 fish and 5 small pieces of bread. Jesus didn't seem the least bit stressed for He knew the Father’s heart. He took the small lunch, and gave thanks to Father God, and told His disciples to distribute it to all the people. The food just kept coming until everyone had eaten, even had seconds, and were well satisfied. There was such an abundance of food that there were 12 baskets of leftovers! (John 6:1–11)

I love that story because it's so beautifully illustrates the abundant goodness of our Father God. With Him, it's never just barely get by.  No matter what we need, just like Thanksgiving, with Father God it's always abundance, more than enough! (2 Corinthians 4:15)

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. We are continuing our discussion on the goodness of God, completing our series, “Grateful for God's Goodness.” I will be speaking at both services. Happy Thanksgiving!

Pastor Che

Is Change the Only Constant?

My frustration was reaching the breaking point last night as I searched through the fourth box trying to find the other spatula. You see we’re currently in the middle of moving and half the kitchen is already packed up. And of course what you need is always packed, and when you search for it, it's always in the last box!

It seems like we've been moving forever. We are buying a new home and refinancing our current one. To make matters more complicated, my wife's parents have health conditions and are in the process of moving with us into the new home. One of my daughters, her husband and my 18-month-old grandson have moved into our current home, so there are two sets of boxes surrounding us, and that only adds to the confusion.

Even though our current change is a good thing, it’s still unsettling. Last night I found myself thinking, “Is all this hassle really worth it?” We tend to like things to remain constant. We are comfortable with the known and familiar.

A good example of this is the present head coach dilemma facing the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach Mike Brown was fired 2 weeks ago, and everyone was excited about the prospect of former coach Phil Jackson returning. But over the weekend the selection of Mike D'Antoni as head coach was announced, and that has Laker fans upset. Phil Jackson is familiar and highly successful, leading the Lakers to 5 NBA titles. Laker fans were comfortable with the idea of his return, and don't like the change.

I'm reminded of something my father used to tell me, “Change is the only constant.” As unsettling as change is, it keeps happening to us and we can't seem to avoid it or even slow it down. It can be a good thing like watching our children grow up, an unpleasant thing like watching ourselves age, or an expensive thing like trying to keep up with the latest technology. But one thing seems certain, change is inevitable, and sometimes it seems to happen so quickly that we find ourselves longing for something that's constant and unchanging.

But is change the only constant we can count on? Fortunately I know that it's not. Our Father God's presence and promises are eternal and unchanging. God is good and His goodness remains steady and constant. Psalm 136 tells us, “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.” He promises us that no matter what changes we go through, He does not change, and He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Malachi 3:6, Joshua 1:5)

It's great to have the assurance that when everything around us seems to be shaking and uncertain, God's goodness remains. No matter how frustrated or overwhelmed we may feel when confronted with major changes, we can rely on His goodness to provide us with guidance, comfort and strength. We only need to invite Him to partner with us in our life.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. Special guest speaker Randy Clark will speak on God's goodness and how to experience it in our lives every day, as we continue our series on “Grateful for the Goodness of God.”

Pastor Che

Good News in Bad Times

You might say it was bad times, even the worst of times. Due to massive public works projects, and military engagements in distant lands, the government was deeply in debt. We all knew what had to happen. It was inevitable that taxes would rise, and we all wondered how much this time.

We felt very disconnected from those who governed. It seems like an elite few at the top got all the benefits, while the rest of us paid their way. It didn't help either that the politicians didn't share our values or opinions on issues that were important to us. And over time we could see that the government was encroaching on our individual lives in an increasingly disruptive way.

Some of us were fortunate enough to be employed, even if it was in an underpaid, blue-collar, manual labor job. We were grateful for a steady income as many of our friends had been unemployed for a long time, and were having difficulty making ends meet.

Sound familiar? It could be a description of what many people feel today in our culture, but actually it is a description of Israel's situation, dominated by Rome 2000 years ago. Times were tough and good news was scarce, but those blue-collar, manual laborers (better known to us as shepherds) were about to receive the greatest good news ever communicated.

Father God was getting ready to send His gift of salvation and peace to everyone on earth. We've all heard the story of the shepherds visited by angels who announced the birth of Jesus Christ. But do we really understand the gift Father God gave to us?

Salvation is more than a fire escape from hell, and peace is more than the cessation of war. In His infinite goodness, Father God wanted to restore to us everything we lost in the Garden of Eden when we disobeyed Him, and corruption of every kind began to dominate us. He gave us the gift of salvation and peace to offer us a full, unhindered relationship with Him, and wholeness and prosperity in every area of our lives.

This gift is independent of our circumstances and we can receive it even in bad times. Father God only asks that we trust and believe His word and promise, and continually seek Him with our whole heart. (Hebrews 11:6) He will do the rest.

The last few years have been difficult for many of us in different ways, and many people have become discouraged with unending bad times. We've just been through a prolonged campaign process that seems to have intensified negativity and divisions among us. The election results may have left you with a ray of hope, or extinguished what little hope you felt you had left.

Father God wants to shower you with His goodness that has nothing to do with who sits in the Oval Office, what’s the size of the national debt, or what's the current rate of unemployment.  His goodness is never depleted and never comes to an end. He wants you to experience the gift of His good news even in your bad times.

Come join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM.

Pastor Che

An Act of God?

Superstorm Sandy has dominated the news for nearly a week now. It is the worst hurricane to hit the northeastern coast in recorded history. Covering an area twice the size of Texas, it has affected 20 Northeastern states from North Carolina to Maine, and inland as far as Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan.

Recent statistics list at least 80 deaths and up to 8 million households, who may be without power a week or more. Sandy brought rainfall from 5 1/2 to 12 1/2 inches, snow in various states from 9 to 29 inches, and sustained winds of 40 to 65 mph with gusts up to 90 mph. Storm surges in various coastal towns ranged from 9 to 14 feet above normal, setting a record in New York City.

Forty-six miles of the New York subway still remain underwater. One community, Breezy Point in Queens, was especially hard-hit with over 100 homes lost to a raging fire. Estimates of the damage run as high as $25 billion dollars.

We frequently hear such natural disasters referred to as “acts of God.”  They are even referred to this way in many insurance documents. But is God behind such disasters? Some people even say that natural disasters are judgment from God. Is this God's intention toward us?

Most of us have at least heard of John 3:16 which tells us that God so loved the world that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to give us abundant life. But many of us are not aware of the verse that follows, John 3:17, which states: “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” Jesus said of Himself in John 12:47b: I did not come into the world to judge the world, but to save the world.”

Jesus demonstrated his attitude toward destructive storms one day when He was on the Sea of Galilee with His disciples. Galilee is a large lake, 64 square miles and violent storms can arise on it very quickly. They were going to the other side of the lake, and Jesus had fallen asleep in the bow, when a fierce storm arose and began battering the boat. Even though many of them were seasoned fisherman, the disciples became frightened and awakened Jesus with their fearful cries.

Jesus immediately stood up and commanded the wind and the waves to be still, and the storm immediately left. The disciples were in awe, wondering what kind of a person Jesus was! This was obviously a very memorable event as three out of the four Gospel writers recorded it. (Matthew 8:23–27, Mark 4:35–41, Luke 8:22–25)

The creation account in Genesis makes it clear that God created the natural world to function in perfect harmony, without violence or chaotic conditions. He also created human beings to have dominion over the natural world and to take care of it. Unfortunately, when we disobeyed God and sin and corruption entered our human nature, it also entered the natural world as well, bringing natural disasters with it.

In His love for us, Father God desires our good, not our harm or destruction. Superstorm Sandy is not an act of God, but God wants to comfort and heal all of those who have been devastated by Sandy's destruction. Let's share in His heart of goodness by praying for those who have been affected, and sending all the assistance we can.

Please join us this Sunday at 9:00 AM or 11:00 AM. We are beginning a new series, “Grateful for the Goodness of God,” and my son Gabriel will be speaking on “I Have a Good Father.”

Pastor Che