Day7

So I headed up to the Tri-cities this weekend and I must say, it was so relieving. It has been so long since Iv'e been there that I forgot how calm and chill it was. With Seattle being all hectic, it was nice to just kick back and spend some time with my parents and friends. Well, anyway, today I went to church not expecting anything because it was a KM service with English subs and usually I can't seem to pay attention but the message he gave just caught my attention. And so today I will hold off on Proverbs until tomorrow and discuss the passage spoken today.

Radical Love

Rev. Kwon Young Ko

Mark 1:40-45

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I'm pretty sure people have heard this passage so many time but it's about the man with leprosy. He approaches Jesus and asks him if he is willing to make him clean. Then Jesus knowing that the man has leprosy reaches out his hand and touches him. The man was instantly cleansed of his disease from that moment. Back then people that had leprosy were considered unclean so everywhere they went they had to cover themselves with ragged clothes and shout "unclean." And of course, everyone that heard and saw the lepers, the "clean" would ostracise these people. I'm sure nobody even came close to them just because of this incurable disease that they had.

In reality we tend to ostracise certain groups of people, whether based on there marginal status in life or if they don't fit in our comfort zones, the same way the "clean" would ostracise the lepers. And who's to say that we are the "clean" ones? In God's point of view we are probably not any different than the lepers. We all have this incurable disease that we call sin. No matter how much we try to find a cure we won't be able to. We will always be unclean. This disease called sin will keep eating away at our skins until the day we die. The only way to fight this disease is to come forth and ask God just like the leper. Yes, we ask ourselves all the time why we help these people that always get under our skins or ignore/belittle our advices, but the plain simple answer is so that we can show them love like how Jesus showed his radical love to us. It was because of his grace that we were all saved regardless of how we all behaved. So as a servant of God we must continue to show his blessings and grace that he showed to us unto others. 

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He said it better than that but it went something like that.

-Man, I don't know why but this sermon got me thinking. I don't actually think I have a problem excluding people but I do have problems not really caring. Either way both are bad. I know people that are excluded or ostracised because of certain reasons but I don't think much of it because it has nothing to do with me. I got to start showing some love and start caring more. It may not have nothing to do with me but what if it was me in that certain persons shoes? If I want to grow spiritually I have to start showing the radical love that Jesus showed to us. 

Day6

Proverbs 6

1-5

My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor,...Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.

-I have this problem with just blurting out things that just isn't appropriate. 

9

How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?

-My entire life I feel like I have been asleep and still haven't woken up yet. There are so many things to be done in life and yet I still continue to take it easy. I feel like there is this other me inside me that wants to come out and be free but the current me won't let it because it has been in charge this entire time...I don't know..

Prayer

-Dear God, I ask for humbleness and wisdom. I am struggling with a lot of commitment issues and just my spirituality. It's pathetic how I have all this time to glorify you and yet I choose to do these other useless things instead. I ask that you forgive my lack of commitment, effort, and selfishness. I pray that you will awaken my heart from this slumber that I have been in. I thank you for everything you have done and in Jesus name I pray. -amen 

Day5

Proverbs 5

This chapter talks about avoiding adultery.

21

For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.

-This verse basically summed up everything for me in this chapter. This chapter basically said to avoid adulteresses and the consequences of mingling with them. What is crazy is that I know that the Lord sees everything people do and yet I continue to disappoint him every time. I'm trying to change but I can't seem to completely change..

Prayer

-Dear God, I have read your teachings about adultery and it is something I struggle with all the time. I pray that you may just give me the wisdom to drive out this sin and the knowledge to do what's right. Help me have the discipline to avoid the ways of temptation. -amen

Day4

Proverbs 4

This passage talks about the superiority of wisdom. It also talks about the good and evil.

6-7

Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.

-I am still in the trying to understand wisdom. What does it mean to have wisdom? Knowledge? What does it mean to have knowledge? How does one know that their own knowledge is right? The only place I feel like I can get true wisdom and knowledge is from the bible. But how do you get wisdom? By reading the bible? Yea I'm going in circles.

10-11

Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths.

-So this verse just answered my question for above. Haha 

13-17

Hold on to instruction, do not let it go;...Do not set foot on the path of the wicked...They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence.

-So for me it's always a struggle to hold onto the instructions taught in the bible. I'm always caught between the good and bad paths.

20-23

My son, pay attention to what I say...guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.

-I want to be able to feel that life he is talking about and the health of the body. I just struggle with temptation. Temptation is a strong p.o.s. that always gets the best of me. I feel mentally weak.

24-27

Put away perversity from your mouth...Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

-Man. This is probably the toughest one. I feel like I struggle with this the most and it's the corrupt talking and attitude. It has stuck with me so long that its become a habit that at times I don't even realize half the stuff that's being said.

Prayer

-Dear God, I just thank you for giving me strength. Strength is something that I needed most so far this week. There were so many new things that I have started that it all has been wearing me out. The only reason why I continue to persevere is because of your support God. I thank you so much for that. I have got the feeling that the path to gaining wisdom is staying true to you and following your instructions. This is something I struggle with so much. Please drive out these temptations that are causing so much problems in me. And I just pray that you may just block the negative paths that delay me from moving forward towards the right path. I thank you for the perseverence and I pray that your words will continue to soak in me and that it will change my heart of apathy and hate to a heart of desire and love. -amen

Day3

Proverbs 3

This chapter describes the further benefits of wisdom

3

Let love and faithfulness never leave you: bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

-Listening to this I realized that I have to be a more loveable person. I may receive love from others but it's rare that I would give or show love back. To much receiving and not many giving.

5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all yours ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

-There are so many times that I trust my understandings over God's. Actually, all the time. Where I am right now just shows that I have been trusting the wrong.

9

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;

-My family always used to teach me(still do) to give 15% or so of my earnings in a week to God. I haven't ever kept up with those teachings and I always ignored it. It just shows the lack of knowledge and maturity that I had. Crazy how at times when I don't have money I would still give to my friends but never to God. So many things I lack.

13-18

Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding,...those who lay hold of her will be blessed.

-These verses were a little complicating. I get the feeling that he is trying to say find a wise and understanding woman that is a servant of God? Maybe not..

21-24

My son, preserve sound judgement and discernment,...they will be life for you,...when you life down, your sleep will be sweet.

-More verses I didn't get but it seems like the Lord is telling me to make the right judgments. 

Prayer

-Dear God, I come to you as a sinner that has already made so many mistakes in one day and yet you still give me your love that strengthens me. I pray that you may just open up my heart so that I may show more love to the people that have given me so much. And yet even as I feel like I have done so much for others, I cannot recall a single thing I have ever done for you. It is you that should be getting all the glory and love. Please give me the will to change my old ways to new beginnings, new beginnings that will show love, faith, and compassion to the people around me but most importantly to you. -amen

Day2

Proverbs 2

This chapter basically describes the benefits of accepting the Lord's words of wisdom and the consequences of rejecting his words. 

1-5

My son, if you accept my words..then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

-So the fear of the Lord that I seeked was just a couple verses away. I'm starting to get curious about how this quiet time with God will turn out.

7-8

He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.

-So I find this very disheartening because all this time I thought that I have been putting my faith in God but I wasn't putting my faith in God, I basically was just using him. He has continued to do so much but all I have been doing was just sitting back and chilling. It's time that I pick myself up and truly put my faith in God. This entire time he was doing his part and I wasn't doing mine.

12-19

Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse...It will save you also from the adulteress....None who go to her return or attain the paths of life.

-I must say that there is a lot more meaning to the word wisdom than I had thought. I feel like this time of reading the scripture is actually turning my view of life in different perspectives and I feel a different kind of knowledge being made in me. But back to the verse, I feel like this passage relates a lot to me and it makes me sad to think of the direction that I was headed. 

Prayer

-Dear God, First and foremost I thank you for the continuing support you have given me. It has allowed me to reach day 2 with you. I pray for your continuing support. I cry out for understanding and insight so that I may continue to grow in my faith . No matter where I may end up in the future I know that you will continue to protect and keep me upright as long as I put my true faith in you. Please continue to provide in me your wisdom so that I may avoid the ways of the wicked and walk in the ways of the faithful and righteous. -amen

Day1

Proverbs 1

This was the first chapter I have read and quiet timed sincerely. And I must say the message started off strong.

1:7
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
-What a strong verse. I can honestly say that I have never in my entire life have ever really feared the Lord, which in turn may be the result of the lack of knowledge and direction in my life. I also lack discipline in my life.

1:8

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.

-I have to admit I have heard this verse so many times and have disobeyed it countless times. I have been trying my best to change the past relationships with my parents but it just doesn't seem to work out. Maybe I am not really trying the best to change. I can't figure it out.

1:10

My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them.

-This really gets me all the time. I give in to temptation almost all the time and at the same time I feel like I am the sinner doing the enticing at times.

1:22

"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

-This verse was an eye opener. At this point in my life everything I did I wanted to keep it simple and easy. I have done NOTHING to change and go in the right moral direction. Spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, etc. I have been constantly running away from the path that God wants me to take all because of my simple foolish ways. 

1:25-33

since you ignored all my advice and would not accept my rebuke......but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm."

-This passage was by far what stuck out to me most in this chapter. It basically struck me pretty hard because I have been ignoring everything the passage says. I have rejected and have wanted my own foolish fake knowledge. This whole time I have been ignoring everything and yet I have wondered why my prayers were not working. It is the consequences of my actions. 

Prayer

Lord I come to you as a mindless sinner. I have sinned countless times, ignored your teachings many times, and have been running away. I pray first and foremost that you will instill the fear of your wrath Lord so that I may know the true knowledge of life. Dispose of my foolish ways so that I may take the moral direction away from evil. Help me clean out all the useless junk from the past so that I may start a new disciplined way of obeying your teachings. Help me resist the temptations of this world and please forgive the sins I have committed. I thank you and I pray that you will continue to protect and give your people your everlasting love. -amen

Here on out

So I haven't been on here in a while but i'm finally back.

I feel like I started the New Years off the wrong way so it's time to get back on track with life physically and spiritually.

So to begin with, I have started reading the bible daily and doing some quiet time and the goal is to blog daily about a verse and my thoughts. I pray that I will have the commitment to continue this as long as I can. 

I have also started the P90x program just to see the end results. lol Goal here is to just stay healthy, reduce fast food intake, and feel goooooood.

I'm also heading to Seoul real soon and am excited to see how that experience will turn out.

Navy is put on hold for now but it is something that I am still thinking hard about to this day.

Work-wise, lets just be patient Dj.

Now....lets get it!!