Archive

Wei Chen

12.16 || Where is the Hope?

Today’s Bible verse is Mark 1:1 - The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

So, what is the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God? John 3:16 is probably the most quoted bible verse to answer the question: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

This is really the good news because it tells Christians the place where our journey in this world will be led to – death is no longer the end but a gate into an everlasting life with Jesus. Some Christians may ask “how about now?” The life in this world is still full of challenges: pressure from schools and workplaces, relationship issues, financial stress, etc..

Today we are facing two pandemics in our history: a biological one from Covid-19 and a spiritual one from Sin. Where is the good news? Do we still have hope?

Yes, there is a good news for all Christ’s followers, and yes, we still have hope. There are many bible verses teaching us about suffering, but this is the passage in John 14:16-18 that gives me the greatest comfort/hope:

16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 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. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

We are individually called by God to be His followers; we will also be individually suffering for God in this world for good purposes - to build up godly characters and to show others who Jesus is. In Ephesians 2:10, it says “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Most importantly, we are not alone when we suffer. The Holy Spirit, promised in John 14:16-18, is with us. May the following prayer from Paul also be our daily prayer to God:

17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in His holy people, 19 and His incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 He exerted when He raised Christ from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (Ephesians 1:17-21)

Suffering can be blessings in disguise if we put our hope in the right place.

Sandy Chong

12.07 || 0 out of 5 stars

Is it just human nature to complain and grumble at problems?

Numbers 14:2-3 records “And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, ‘Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?’”

Recently I find myself drowning in the complaints of others. Everyone vents to me at home, leaving me stressed and exhausted. How am I supposed to process all the thoughts and negative emotions at once and still functionally carry out my daily work and tasks? It’s one thing to have a true complaint, but it’s another to nitpick about every little minor inconvenience.

I can’t imagine what Moses felt, let alone how God felt when Israel complained that they wanted to go back to Egypt. The amount of time, effort, and obedience that was spent in leaving Egypt, teaching about holiness in the wilderness, learning the heart of God, and experiencing miracle after miracle. They were saved from their life as slaves and yet Israel wanted to go back. The news that the promised land was inhabited by the Nephilim was so terrifying that suddenly life in Egypt wasn’t looking so bad, at least there was meat and no one feared they would die the next day.

We fear what we can’t control, so maybe that's what Israel felt. Under their grumbles was actually fear because of the lack of trust in God.

I wonder how God feels when we complain about things, especially about the slightest thing.

I think there’s a fine line between being vulnerable and honest with our feelings to God, verses being short tempered, blaming God for all our problems, and making a fuss out of everything.

Have we forgotten the grace God has shown us?

Are we ungrateful?

Impatient?

Too narrow minded?

Do we trust that God is truly bigger than any problem or circumstance we face?

Do we really want to do things God’s way, or do we only want to follow our own way?

Converge Member

12.17 || Joy Invincible

[Chorus]

Hallelujah, nevertheless

Was the song the pain couldn't destroy

Hallelujah, nevertheless

You're my joy invincible

Joy invincible, joy

Joy invincible, joy invincible, joy

Joy invincible, joy invincible

[Verse 2]

Tears were in my eyes when the phone rings

If only life didn't need us to be this brave

But we don't live in the world of if only's

Stretched tight in between our birth and our graves

[Bridge]

Open your eyes

Look to the skies

We are the children of the promise

Hold to what's real

Everything heals

We are the children of the promise

Open your heart

Look for the sparks

We are the children of the promise

Love is your place

Feel the light on your face

We are the children of the promise

Galatians 5:22,

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness,”

James 1:2,

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face
trials of many kinds,”

Converge Member

12.14 || Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy)

This devotion is actually for the Shane & Shane song since I have been listening to it a lot for the past few months. (I love their music, go check it out!) Even though life has been getting pretty overwhelming and busy, this song always makes me feel at peace, since "surely goodness, surely mercy [will be] right beside me all my days." As I think about the upcoming future and my transition into a sense of greater independence, I find solace in the fact that I will always have God to rely on. So I pray for myself and everyone else - just to take a breath, to give our fears and hopes to God, and be at peace.

Converge Member

12.02 || Hebrews 6:15

Hebrews 6:15, NLT: "Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised."

Sometimes it is hard to be patient and wait for things to come. We live in a world today where we expect everything instantly. It has developed into a phenomenon known as instant gratification. Take a look around you, there are so many examples of this such as fast fashion and fast food. I personally have indulged in this lifestyle, always on the go and I don't enjoy delays in my plans. This verse has reminded me of the value of patience and how it is something that everyone should practice. Good things come in time and will not always occur at the snap of a finger. A lot of my mind has been consumed with my future and this verse has reminded me that I should take a minute and slow down to appreciate what surrounds me.

Jeff Ng

12.04 || God With Us

This morning I have to drop my dad off at Straub Medical Center for a heart procedure. It is not a major surgery when he had a triple bypass 20+ years ago. But he has been having irregular heart beat for a few years now and this time is to get that fixed. With many hospital stays that my dad had been to, we would walk him into the hospital and stay with him until they wheel him into the OR and wait for him to come out. When he awaked, he would see us there. Because of Covid, none of these are going to happen. It is a simple drop off and pick up when he is done. He does have to stay overnight for observation and tomorrow we will get him but he is on his own this time.

I can see the nervousness and constantly reminding himself that God’s peace is with him. Maybe that’s for all of us too. When the simple human rights are taken away by the rules and regulations, we feel trapped. I know we can be angry at what is going on but then what’s the point to get mad.

God’s promises are so simple. He has already said many times that He is with us, He loves us, He will provide for us and on and on. Many verses from different places in the Bible just pop into my head. Why do I need to get angry or worried or upset? I don’t. I see the beauty of His loving kindness embraces us when we need Him.

Even though my dad has to be without us this time, I truly believe God is there to comfort him and give him His peace. And this is not only for him but for all of us.

As we enter into this year 2020 Advent season. I believe it is a very different from before. Doesn't matter how it looks like, we know God is with us. No matter what.

Isaiah 41:10

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Luann Yoshida

12.19 || Mark 8:4-8

Mark 8:4-8

4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” 5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. 8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

Jesus was concerned about the crowd of people who were with him for three days. They were so devoted to following Him, that they were willing to go without food just to be in His presence. He knew that if they were sent away hungry, some would faint from weakness and some had long journeys ahead to return home. Jesus had compassion on them.

Though the disciples had witnessed Jesus performing countless miracles during the time they spent with him, they were still unsure and uncertain of what Jesus was capable of doing and the power He possessed. They witnessed Jesus healing people from illnesses to evil spirits, they even witnessed Jesus walking on water and Lazarus being raised from the dead. In fact, they had already seen Jesus feed the 5,000 people, earlier. Regardless, they still questioned how they could possibly feed the crowd of 4,000 with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.

God has carried me out of many “valleys”. He has provided all that I need and blessed me with more than I ever imagined. Yet, when times are difficult and I’m faced with a challenge, I take it into my own hands and do it “my way”, instead of leaving it at His feet, assured that He will take care of it in His own perfect way and and in His perfect time. There is no need for doubt or uncertainty. God CAN and WILL feed the 4,000 every time.

Converge Member

12.12 || Romans 5:3-4

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4

As finals week approaches, I reflect on my first semester as a college student taking online classes in the middle of a pandemic-ridden, tumultuous year. I must say, that this year has taken a toll on my wellbeing. Every few days my mother sends me bible verses for me to read through my phone text messages, and this one has recently stuck with me. This week has been a very tough one with finals coming up and other things affecting my wellbeing, but as I read this I know to 'rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perserverance'. These are very reassuring words for me to hear. I should know that trudging through these hardships will build my character.

Converge Member

12.21 || always remember

During tough times, always remember to put your trust in God.

Converge Member

12.03 || Reading Plan

During the difficult times, do we turn to God for help? Or do we try to solve the problem on our first?

Converge Member

12.01 || Mercy Forgetfulness || Ephesians 4:32, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Response to https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/13312/day/4

I have been trying to be more intentional about practicing gratitude. The Bible has many, many popular verses about giving thanks and rejoicing. As usual, God is way ahead of us because studies have shown the various emotional, social, career, health, and personality benefits that result from being grateful. Apps like “Calm” and “Headspace,” which encourage gratitude and mental wellness through meditations, have millions of downloads and gained an even larger audience when the pandemic hit. Practicing gratitude is a feel-good buzzword at this point, but what does it really mean and why is it important?

This devotion hit the nail on the head for me. I definitely forget God’s mercy when I am caught up in the busyness of life. On days I barely have time to sleep or eat, the last thing I want to do is set aside time to reflect on all the blessings I have. That is selfishness speaking. In a lot of ways, being busy is selfishness speaking too. I am in control of how I choose to spend my time. If praising God for his mercies every day is not on my to do list every day, then I am not living as though this is something of value. But it is so valuable. As stated in the reading,

“When you remember mercy, you also remember that you simply did nothing whatsoever to earn that with which mercy has blessed you. When you remember mercy, you are humble, thankful, and tender. When you remember mercy, complaining gives way to gratitude and self-focused desire gives way to worship. But when you forget mercy, you proudly tell yourself that what you have is what you’ve achieved. When you forget mercy, you take credit for what only mercy could produce. When you forget mercy, you name yourself as righteous and deserving, and you live an entitled and demanding life.”

The reason I started to engage more actively in gratitude is because I started feeling controlled by my negative emotions a couple months ago. School was getting much more difficult, and I was becoming irritated with classmates and unnecessarily upset by little things. It was a surprisingly dramatic shift in my mood from when school first started. After taking a step back to acknowledge my emotions, I thought about what made me feel the way I did. The answer was embarrassingly quick: I felt entitled and deserving. At the beginning of the school year, I was excited to learn and make new friends. I was truly thankful for the people and opportunities in my life that helped me achieve one of my goals. Then, school started to feel like a chore and it seemed like other people were getting cooler opportunities than me.

When I realized how warped my perception had gotten, I wrote down 10 things I was thankful for that day. It helped remind me of what a privilege it is to be able to have the opportunity to attain higher education, how blessed I am to have loving family and friends, and how I do not deserve the grace God extends to me. The overflow of thanksgiving is apparent too. Although there are still moments of negativity, it is easier to spend hours studying or to choose kindness over sharp words. So, as the plaque in the prayer room (partially) says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Converge Member

12.08 || Genesis 1-5

I decided to read of the beginning of the Bible. The creation of man intrigues me and just mostly reviewed over the events of when Adam and Eve would be sent out of the Garden. I continued to read about Cain, Abel, and Seth, and found it amazing that the Bible was able to accurately identify their descendants as well as age of death, being well over the normal life span we know of today.

Kim Z

12.11 || Dry Bones, Come Alive

As we come closer to the end of 2020, I've been thinking a lot about how life is nowadays, how it might be in 2021, and how my faith relates to those. Especially as we are in the holiday season now, it's even easier to shrug everything off and act disinterested simply because it's so difficult to really engage when we can't see our loved ones face to face and everything is virtual. Maybe it's just me, but I feel like my "fire for Christ" seems to have diminished a bit, and listening to Lauren Daigle's song "Come Alive" reminded me that all I have to do is to call out to God and recalibrate my priorities and daily actions so that they point towards God fully. Without God, we really are nothing more than a bunch of dry bones, with no spirit or direction for life.

"But we know that You are God, Yours is the victory

We know there is more to come

That we may not see

So with the faith You've given us

We'll step into the valley unafraid

As we call out to dry bones, come alive, come alive."

Converge Member

12.09 || John 3:16

I think back to this line whenever I feel like losing hope to help carry myself forward.

Converge Member

12.18 || I Remember - Lauren Daigle

This devotion is about a song that popped up on my Spotify in the middle of doing homework. And while I've been so swamped with schoolwork, I felt such a strong call to write something. The past few weeks have been so stressful - especially this one - as I wait for decisions and both congratulate and comfort others. The one thing that has been anchoring me is truly my relationship with God - it's not always something that I think consciously of, but I always find myself turning to Christian music while I study, often feeling comforted, and I think Lauren puts it so perfectly:

"even when my own eyes could not see, You were there, always there for me."

So as we continue into the future, I pray for a sense of peace, something I've honestly been struggling to find. I think someday when we look back, we'll find that our lives have been carefully watched over by God. I just hope that I'll be able to appreciate His care in the moment and truly trust. And finally, I pray for joy and love for us all in this wonderful (albeit different) Christmas season.