Note 17: The Parable of the Lost Sheep

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.” Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. (Luke 15:4-7 ESV)

Note #16: Through Christ…

Through Christ, I am dead to sin (Romans 6: 11).

Through Christ, I am spiritually alive (Romans 6: 11; 1 Corinthians 15: 22).

Through Christ, I am forgiven (Colossians 2: 13; 1 John 2: 12).

Through Christ, I am declared righteous (1 Corinthians 1: 30; 2 Corinthians 5: 21).

Through Christ, I am a child of God (Romans 8: 16; Philippians 2: 15).

Through Christ, I am God’s possession (Titus 2: 14).

Through Christ, I am an heir of God (Romans 8: 17).

Through Christ, I am blessed with all spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1: 3).

Through Christ, I am a citizen of heaven (Philippians 3: 20).

Through Christ, I am free from the law (Romans 8: 2).

Through Christ, I am crucified with him (Galatians 2: 20).

Through Christ, I am free from the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5: 24).

Through Christ, I am declared blameless and innocent (Philippians 2: 15).

Through Christ, I am a light in the world (Matthew 5: 14– 15; Philippians 2: 15).

Through Christ, I am victorious over Satan (Luke 10: 19).

Through Christ, I am cleansed from sin (1 John 1: 7).

Through Christ, I am set free in Christ from the power of sin (Colossians 2: 11– 15).

Through Christ, I am secure in him (1 Peter 1: 3– 5).

Through Christ, I am at peace with God (Romans 5: 1; Philippians 4: 6– 9).

Through Christ, I am loved by God (1 John 4: 10).

Quick Note to Seniors

I am convicted to say this to you guys.  I pray that you will humbly listen… rather read this post.  I say the following in the most loving way.

You are most likely thinking: YOLO.  Senior year comes once.  It’s about to all end so let me just chillax and enjoy it.  I DESERVE to enjoy and have fun the last few months.  I worked SO hard…I deserve a break before I start full-time work.

Brothers and sisters.  I caution you to this thinking.  You don’t deserve anything.  There is no ‘rest’ and ‘break’ in your spiritual life.  Just because you serve as a small group leader or ministry leader does NOT mean you are spiritually there enough to chillax.  If you do, you are in for a rude awakening.  There is SO much of God to know and for God to reveal…. don’t cut it short.  Thinking you “deserve” to relax will NOT make you desperate and hungry for God.  If you feel that you aren’t connecting with God…be desperate.  Finishing Cornell does not entitle you to anything.  Really.  You did not endure that much suffering.  (complaining to one another does not help the situation)  The all-nighters and bad prelim grades….it’s insignificant.  I assure you of that.  God wants your heart and wants to continually transform you.  God favors the humble.  Keep working God’s field.

There is a difference between fellowship and fun.  Dont confuse the two and use them interchangeably or just stick “fellowship” anywhere.  Take FULL advantage of true fellowship because what you have is SO precious.  I’m being dead serious.  Ask any Cornellian who graduated…they will agree with me.  It’s the one thing I miss.

You dont want to have regrets.  I regret many things such as not investing in non-core members, having so much pride as a senior, etc.  There is so much God’s work to be done here on this Earth.  So ready yourselves by sharpening your swords and strengthening your shields… not laying around and being lazy and slow.

Enjoy the last few months in the Lord.  I assure you…if you do…you will NOT go through a spiritual “dump” post-college as many rumors say.  They are rumors.  God blesses and convicts you in different ways post-college.

Love you all.  See you soon.

In Him, 

Matt

Note #15: I’m An Unloving Jerk

I have a confession.

Man…. i don’t know how to love.  I have been convicted of this one friend back in high school.  She was so nice to me… very friendly… Christian.  She helped me get an internship.  And she would always make conversations with me.  

But me…. my god.  Now looking back at it, my thoughts disgust me.  In my mind, she wasnt “cool” enough.  Actually, people thought she was “weird.”  And I was like “there is NO way I can associate myself to her.  I can’t get too close to her cause it will affect my social status.”  It will affect ME.  Selfish…. self-centered thoughts.  

God convicted me and reminded me of her as I was praying.  God loves sinners like us…LOSERS like us…OUTCASTS like us…UGLY people like us.  But yet, HE LOVES US ANYWAY.  Who are we to cast judgement on others?  Who are we to ignore others?  Why does someone always need to “entertain” us?  Why are we so superficial and get bored of people so easily?  

How could I have done this to her?!  My high school self and even now…. I am disgusted by it.

Is there someone around you who doesn’t get enough attention and is always by themselves or is not cool enough or loud and fun enough?  Reach out to him/her.  You are denying them and not showing them God’s love when you very well can bring out the full potential in that person.  So after service, reach out to all people especially people who you are not close to.  They need someone to listen to them and give them attention.

Stop being so proud.  Love others as Jesus loves us.

This is a lesson to myself as well.  

Note #14: Confessions

Dear God,

I gotta be honest with you right now.  I’ve completely gone astray from you.  I was a Pharisee, complacent, a church-goer, rude, impatient, materialistic, lover of money, paranoid, hateful, unloving, selfish, proud, lustful…you name it.  I was all that.  I didn’t earnestly or honestly seek you.  I was faking it to everyone.  I didn’t feel a deep longing for you.  I felt myself becoming more comfortable with myself and my status in this world.  I pushed you away.  I didn’t trust you even though I said I trusted you.  If your agenda was not mine, I hated it.  Actually, your agenda didnt matter to me.

But God, I repent.  I truly do.  And God…help me to go deeper.  Help me to come back to you.  Thanks for waking me up.  For showing me that THIS WORLD CANT SAVE ME.  This world is broken.  All these talks about “freedom,”  ”justice,”… they are all fake.  There is no true freedom in this world.  It’s all a cover-up.  We all have selfish, money-loving motives. And life is such a vapor.  You just never know when that moment can come when it’s all over.

I know that you will bring me back to you cause that’s who you are and what you do.  You always accept us for who we are.  HOW?!  That doesnt make sense.  How do you ever not abandon us cause you are so frustrated with our pride and stubbornness?  How does the fact that we place other gods and idols before you not make you hate us?  Can there really be a God that is so full of love that He loves us no matter what?

Jesus… Jesus… Jesus.

All I want is you.  The ultimate giver of joy, happiness, and freedom.  God…. I need you to be my God and Savior…not myself.

Note #12: Hurricane Sandy

Driving post-Hurricane-Sandy was really eye-opening.  Pitch black.  No traffic lights (who knew traffic lights were so important!  without them, it causes so much traffic). No gas.  Seemed like a zombie apocalypse movie.  No hot shower.  No electricity.

Then you go to Palisades Park, Broad Ave.  The only street nearby that has electricity.  Every store is PACKED with people trying to charge their computers and phones.  We are so attached to our technology.

Lately, I’ve been struggling with materialism and just giving into my worldly desires.  I want this and I want that.  But there are people who are in need!  One of my co-workers’ home is in 6 ft of water and had to be rescued by a boat!  Literally, it’s like a third-world-country in New Jersey.  Seeing that, I was like “dang…I’m spoiled.”  Here I am playing on my phone, watching TV shows, while there are people around the world who live in darkness with no electricity, no clean water, with diseases and viruses with no access to medicine.  Reminded me of India.

So easy to lose sight here in America.  And so hard to fight it.  We know that we are privileged and we have a lot but it usually ends there.  Right?  It’s a constant battle…to remind myself that me myself will always be selfish and think about me-me-me.  But God calls us to go out and serve others in need as He was the greatest example of that.

We think about what degree to get, what promotion is next, what tech gadget we get next, jobs, internships, class, exams.  What do we have to do next to move up that ladder?  It’s all about OUR SELFISH BENEFIT AND GROWTH!  It blinds us from the truth and Jesus!  What happened to glorifying God and maximizing His glory?  We play “Christian” and usually over-credit ourselves in our Christian growth.  We rarely follow through with our convictions all the way but we easily go back to our way of serving ourselves.  I am guilty of all things written above.

But thank you Jesus that even in midst of my selfishness, you love me.  Thank you for showing me how to love.  Thank you for lifting me up even in my inadequacies.  Thank you Jesus for freeing me from legalism and the law and standards I make up for myself and that I fall short on.  Thank you Jesus for sustaining me and helping me persevere.

God…I want to deny myself and my desires to You.  I need You.  Use me.  Help me to serve and love others like You did.  May I not find contentment here on this Earth.  

Note #11: Do Not Worry or Be Anxious

Being anxious or worrying is because of failed self-reliance. 

God calls us to trust in Him completely.  What do we have to worry about when we have a sovereign God over this universe on our side?