Outcomes…come what may

There is nothing we can do with the outcomes that fall shortly after our decisions.  Our decisions are based on our better or lack of judgment.  It’s funny to me the way things fall into place exactly the way God wants them.  It’s hard to be patient, not to jump, not to go quickly.

just something I wrote on my spare time.

“Oh the thought that lingers on,
that presses upon my chest.
It clouds my mind and everything so,
it starts to cause my heart’s direst.

‘Let Go!’ He yells trying to calm my fears,
it did not work at least not now, not yet.
Fear of death, fear of life is very common,
but fear of God is where we must be set.

‘There’s no need to worry
He is here and so is she,
why are you afraid,’ He said,
maybe it’s suppose to be.

Fear rolled down my face
not knowing what to do,
‘Just accept it’ I thought
For He is the God of truth.

Lead me astray you have not done
make me stumble you have not.
My Lord My God you are so good,
doing things you never should.

Thank you God for the things,
you have done for me,
Abba, Father, have your way
So that all other may start to see.”

Fish Bowl Friendship

Before you read this just know that these are just my views, feel free to disagree.

This has been something on my heart for the past few weeks and I’ve shared this with a lot of my closest friends.  One of the biggest things I’ve seen with so many friendships I have are merely based on small talk.  Just passing by someone I don’t know very well asking, “How are you?” I expect an answer non-other than, “I’m doing well.”  It wasn’t until a friend asked me that very question that I was taken back.  “Hey Josh, how are you doing?” he asked.  I replied, “I’m doing fine.”  “How are you really doing?”  I was so taken back I answered honestly I was not doing very well.  I’m not one to wear my emotions for everyone to see so I can collect empathy.  I catch myself so much asking that question to other people and expecting a genuine and sincere answer knowing that that person will not answer that way.  It’s difficult to have a friendship with many people that thrive on many levels.  I don’t think it’s healthy to have that with everyone (I’ll explain that later).

Here at Moody it’s not expected but an unwritten rule that if you are stuggling with something that you share it with people around you so they can pray for you and help you with this situation.  It’s a fantastic thing to do but is it really essential?  There are some people here who think it is because it brings in corporate prayer and encourages Christians.  That’s true but to how many people do you reveal your pains and hardships too?  Too many people you run the risk of becoming a empathy mongral and just hungry for more.  If you ask for too little you could run in danger of holding on too much emotion.  It may cause you to have anything from mental instability, lack of concetration, or anger issues.

These are all random things so don’t expect a central theme.

Along the lines of the second paragraph everyone needs to know their limitations.  I’ve really been pushing myself on all aspects this semester and everything is starting to catch up to me.  First of all I’m taking 22 credits and it’s manageable but it’s starting to pile little by little and on occation it seems unbearable.  It’s hard to maintain relationships with the kids back home at youth group while trying to manage relationships with kids at my church in Chicago.  I’m listening to this song by David Crowder and it says, “Oh God, where are you now? Oh Lord save me some how. Oh, God, hold me now.  Oh God, touch me now. There is no other man who can save the day.”  In the hardest times of my life God is always there and soverign and just.  It’s amazing to see His plan fall into place when confusion over runs your thoughts.  Life choices that come into play….death.  What can you do if death looms around the corner?  What is there to help if your life choices could affect the outcome of your life?  Is that not true with all choices?

Just know that the supreme, all-knowing God, the triune God, omnipotent, loving, God the Father who sent his perfect Son to come live as a human, die for us and rise again on the third day to become a living sarifice for us and defeat sin, yes that God has something great in store for all of us. We may not see it, may not want it, may not embrace it, but it IS there and waiting for us to accept what God uses us for, to glorify HIM.

I’m sitting here at work and I just started to realize how busy next semester is going to be.

Sys. Theo II
Spanish II
Youth Discipleship and Leadership
Internship Class
Group Dynamics
Psalms
Camp Planning and Administration

20 Hours + Volleyball everyday.  Should make for an interesting semester.

Life flows despite what we do; like a river it’s course is charted but is open to the unexpected.  Like a paddle our lives are guided but not set in stone.  The adventures in life will not be plotted or planned.  There is no going back and no point in leaving a trail of breadcrumbs.  The plans of life, whatever they may be, will be altered and fitted accordingly.  Humility, humbleness, and faithfulness will guide the way for a sincere and intentional path.

Support me to go to Nigeria please!

Joshua Park

3911 Bay Hill Court

Fairfax, VA 22033

Hello!

I hope you are enjoying life and all is well. As for me, I could never be better. I am finishing my second year at Moody Bible Institute (MBI) in Chicago, IL. I currently work as a Student Assistant in the Alumni Student Center in the Student Programs department, it is located on campus. My classes and professors here are second to none and the education I am receiving is very beneficial to my growth to becoming a youth pastor. While at MBI I have been apart of the Men’s Volleyball Team. Our focus as a team has been winning. We strive to have victory beyond the scoreboard.

This summer I have the opportunity to do exactly that. I will be traveling with a Christian volleyball team sponsored by Athletes in Action (AIA), the athletic ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC). We will be traveling to Nigeria to work with AIA/CCC in-country staff to play volleyball, spread the word of Christ, and encourage those who are already believers. We are going to do all of this through conversations, clinics and games.

My goals for the summer are to mature my relationship with God and spread the Gospel to those who have never heard it. In doing so I will be able to do God’s work as I play the sport I love. The trip will be a long and hard adventure that is sure to bring blessings to the players, coaches, and citizens of Nigeria.

This team would not be able to be together if it were not for individuals such as you. All who are interested are willing to invest in our ministry become not only supporters but teammates as well. Each member of the team is asked to raise $4,000, which is a portion of the team’s goal. All funds must be turned in by July 7th in order for our team to report to training camp in Ohio.

Would your prayerfully consider giving $50, $100, $250 or another amount to help meet this goal? Your donation will help the message of Christ be reached throughout Nigeria as we compete and share His love.

I have enclosed a self-addressed, return envelope for your response. Please make checks payable to ATHLETES IN ACTION or CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST, and PLEASE DO NOT WRITE MY NAME IN THE MEMO LINE OF THE CHECK PER IRS & NCAA GUIDELINES. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call me at (703) 389-1191.

Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Joshua Park

driftwood

Like most things in life our career goals depend on one thing, God.  Questions instantaneously come up where, oh where, God do you want me to go?  What do you want me to do?  What is my life calling?  As for me, I see myself working with street kids in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and going to Anchorage to serve God working with youth.  Do you see the next question?  When?  In which order do you want me to go to these places and what specifically do you want me to do there? Questions upon questions come up as our main question should not be where, when, should I…the main question should be how.  “How will I serve You, O God, How will I serve?”

Here at school I contemplate whether to take time off and start to venture off a career in music.  “God I can see myself working with music.”  But does God?  Sometimes I’ll honestly pray to help sing well or play like the next Jimi Hendrix.  Funny prayer yeah?  At least it’s honest.  It’s what I think.  I forget that having a career in music in not important it’s having a relationship with the Lord.  I don’t know if you’ve ever heard Chris Tomlin, Shane and Shane, Bebo Norman, David Crowder, etc.  speak but they all speak with incredible humbleness.  They know God has blessed them, will bless them everyday, and forever to come.  They all give God the praise.  They don’t pray, I think, “Give me the strength to write the best album to become the most amazing guitarist.”  For me, I feel more appropriate to pray, “let me be humble, no matter what.”

There’s an opportunity that popped up this summer and next.  I’m going to Nigeria with Athletes in Action.  There we’ll be playing the likes of their national team, holding camps, and advancing the Gospel to the unreached people groups.  The summer of ’09 I may have the opportunity to serve with the Hillsong Church Youth Group.  At first I was more excited that I could be at the same church with Joel Houston and Marty Sampson;  what i failed to realize is that it’s just a youth group.  Wait a minute, just a youth group?  This youth group has young people that have committed their lives to God, bringing their friends to church so they can hear a message and possibly the gospel, and the best part is, they’re youth!  Nothing gets me more excited then seeing young people on fire for Christ and living their lives as Holy men and women of God.  All of these plans are very raw so please pray for this because I’d love to serve God anywhere.

The point of this blog, which is not connected in any way shape or form, is to pray.  Pray no matter how small it is.  Your family may be experiencing death, cancer, trauma, your friends may start drinking, smoking pot, doing drugs, your sibling may be falling away from the Lord or does not know Him, regardless pray.  The biggest thing, I repeat, THE biggest misconception is that we can only pray to God if it’s a big issue.  Pfffft. Where did you hear that?  God wants you to pray about that and little things as well.  Your house may have caught fire or it may just be you found a splinter and it hurts, it could be a car accident that caused hospitalization or a bee stung you and you think it’s annoying, there could be a hurricane or there could be a fly in your soup.  Pray, ask, receive.

Oh Boy Ahoy

This semester has been great academically but spiritually has been tough. Throughout the past few weeks friends and family have come up in our volleyball prayer time being diagnosed with cancer, people not knowing what to do after school, barely being able to make ends meat etc.  It’s hard to see how God can do this to us.  We always have this mentality that we are invincible and nothing will ever be able to harm me.

It’s hard to stay comforted in times of death, trial and tribulation.  It’s hard to know people go to hell and have to suffer for eternity because they did not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.

“HOW DO PEOPLE SUFFER FOR ETERNITY IF YOU ARE A LOVING GOD!!?????!!”

We have to know that God is soverign and just and we have to trust God in everything that He does.

It’s hard but know God is awesome even through the hard times.

One Question?

Why does God love us>?

this is MY story…things i struggle with

Since I’ve come to Moody, I have realized a few things that trample on my heart: I see the Bible as a text book and Satan has, what seems to be, a strong foothold in my life.

John 8:12-

12 When Jesus spoke agin to the people he said, ” I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
13The Pharisees challenged him, “Here you are, appearing as your own witness; your testimony is not valid.”
14-18Jesus answered, “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.  But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.  You judge by human standards; I pass judgment on no one.  But if I do judge, my decisions are right, because I am not alone.  I stand with the Father, who sent me.  In your own Law it is written that the testimony of two men is valid.  I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father who sent me.”

Here God the Son tells Pharisees that they are wrong in what they are doing and that God the Father is with Him.   In my own personal life I see myself like the Pharisees.  Just studying the Bible in most of my classes is a real responsibility.  It is a responsibility because if you do not read the Bible for your own growth in Spirit, you might as well throw in the towel.  It is so amazing to see students here aspiring to go to the Middle East to Teach English as a Second Language (TESOL) or go to Africa to translate the Bible from English to Kwangju.   Even for me I came here thinking I am going to go to Anchorage and Brazil to serve God.  Anchorage to serve a Korean church, if that is where God wants me, and Brazil to work with street kids in Rio.  Knowing this why do I and other students here not study the word on my own as much as I need to?

Right here right now I challenge myself and whoever reads this to become a humble believer in and follower of Christ.  Read the Word of God with excitement knowing the end of time is filled with a 1,000 Reign of Christ and the defeat of Satan.  Pray with a heart that is so humbled, knowing Jesus was crucified and suffered for all my sins, who then rose from the dead to defeat them.  I hope that whomever is reading this will pray along with me that we may able to live a life worthy of praise.  I hope that our blessings will be showered upon us at the Bema Seat Judgment and not burnt up in from of us.  I pray that we all realize that we are not members of a church but members of             THE church.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead.

He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

*catholic  = The Church           Catholic  =  Roman Catholic Church

 

 I am just rambling on right now.  It’s always tough that your life ahead is filled with trials, suffering, and possibly death through the hands of men.  But I am encouraged by this verse.  Even though I feel sometimes God asking me, “Knowing that you might go to prison, be beaten, tortured and killed, will you still serve Me?”  I want to respond,
“Yes Lord.”  Sometimes in my head i think, “ah crap, death? really?”  in Paul’s first letter to the Church of Corinth he says this, [15:54b-58] “”Death has been swallowed up in the victory? [this is quoting Isaiah 25:8] Where, O death, is your sting?” [Hosea 13:14].  “The Sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give youselves, fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

 

It’s tough being at Moody Bible Institute.  It is refreshing knowing we all want to serve God.

It’s tough being a follower of Christ.  It is a blessing knowing He died for us.

 It’s tough knowing we will all die someday.  It is a FACT that “death lost it’s sting!“

Church and its Doctrines 2

here are the notes from one of my classes, we talked about Eschatology

December 10, 2007
Church and its Doctrines
Litfin
Lecture 38: The Eternal State

Overview:
-The Intermediate State
-The Destiny of the Unredeemed
-The Destiny of the Redeemed

What is Hell?
-Not something we should ever treat casually in language or thought.
-Not something we should viciously relish as the “just deserts” of evildoers.
-The real, tragic, and just consequence of sin; and also a spur to evangelism.

The Problem of Hell
-Why are some chosen for blessing and others are not?
-There are no easy answers.
-Our response?
                -Trust God’s sovereign mercy & justice.
                -Stand in awe before mystery.
                -Express gratitude to the God who saves.
                -Rejoice in our election and redemption
                -Evangelize the lost!

The Intermediate State
-What happens between death and resurrection?
-The question is not just idle speculation.  It carries profound pastoral implications
                -How should we comfort someone in grief?
                -Where are our loved ones right now?  
                -Are they re-united with other deceased believers
                -Are they with Jesus?
-The Scriptures do not offer extended treatment of the issue. 

Views of the Intermediate State:
Annihilationism
                -AKA “conditional immortality
                -The wicked cease to exist at some point after death.
                -Four arguments:
                                -Scriptures which speak of destruction, erg, Matthew 10:28, 2 Thess. 1:9, 2 Peter 3:7
                                -Inconsistency with God’s love.
                                -Disproportion between finite sins and infinite judgment of them.
                                 -The final end of the universe falls short of Christ’s victory

Soul Sleep
                -The soul exists in a dreamlike state until it is re-united with the body at its resurrection
                -Held by Anabaptist, Seventh Day Adventists, and JW’s.
                -The portrayal of death as “sleep” is common in the NT.
                -It is best to think of this as a figure of speech
                -The Bible depicts conscious, individual personality after death (Lazarus, thief on the cross, etc.)
Purgatory
                -Believers need further purification (unpleasant but necessary) before being ready to meet the                             Bridegroom.
                -Roman Catholicism teaches that most believes need to suffer after death so as to purge their                sins in preparation for joining with Christ.
                                -Matthew 12:32
                                -1 Cor. 3:15
Separate Destinies
                -Unbelievers go to “Hades”
                                -Luke 16:23
                                -2 Peter 2:4
                                -Revelation 20:14
                -Believers go to be with Christ
                                -Luke 16:22; 23:43
                                -2 Cor. 5:8
                                -Phil. 1:23; 21
                -The saved and unsaved go to separate destinies.

Did Jesus “Descend into Hell?”
-The early church emphasized Jesus’ triumphant victory over Satan.
 -The decent appears in 4^th century creeds
                                PowerPoint

The Eternal State of the Unredeemed:
-The word “hell” can refer to Hades or to Gehenna/the Lake of Fire
-Hades is the intermediate state; the Lake of Fire is eternal.
                -It is a real place
                -It is a place of separation from God
                -It is a place of unending torment.
                -It I a place we will never go!

The Eternal State of the Redeemed
New Heaven and New Earth
                -After the Millennium the present cosmos will be destroyed and a new one will be created.
                -Characteristics
                                -Unhindered fellowship with God
                                -No sin, sickness of death
                                                Power Point

What is “Heaven”?
-Not a remodeling project not simply a rehabilitation of this present world.
-Not a disembodied existence in which we float around with a halo & wings.  Heaven is not in the sky!
-We will be in bodies and will live with Christ in a New Earth.

Church and its Doctrines

I just got back from my class Church and its Doctrines with Dr. Litfin. We just got done talking about Eschatology (End Times). We were discussing the Three different stages of Judgment to come.

For Believers:
We need to know that we will be judged in all of our actions. I don’t think I can emphasize this point enough, Christians NEED to do good works. Whenever we here the term “good works” a red flag in our head goes up and we think to ourselves that’s only what Catholics believe. WRONG. Catholics believe that good works can grant you salvation. Salvation can not be received except by the Grace of God through Jesus Christ our Savior dieing for our sins and resurrecting from the dead. In doing so he defeated sin so we are no longer captive. That is the only salvation you can get.

However….after you are saved we are called to do good works. In the Bema Seat Judgment there our blessings from our actions on earth will either be awarded to us or burnt up.

I am not saying salvation is obtained through good works.
I am not saying good works is the key to salvation.

I am saying salvation calls us to do good works and that good works is essential for Christians to do.

Question of the Blog:
Who is Augustine of Hippo?

Yesterday’s Answer:
That God was there in the beginning before the earth was created.

“Praise be to God and the Glory and Honor to His name. Let me be like Christ, in every thought, action, and prayer. Help me to be more like you today Lord. Amen”

-Prayer of Sincerity and Humbleness