Absolute Surrender

Note 17: The Parable of the Lost Sheep

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 22:47:50 -0400

“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...

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 15:17:34 -0500

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

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 22:30:11 -0500

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

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 21:24:49 -0500

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

Sat, 19 Jan 2013 22:04:33 -0500

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.

Nice skyhigh view. We are really small in comparison to God.

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:18:58 -0500

Nice skyhigh view. We are really small in comparison to God.

This is Absolutely Amazing - Early Merry Christmas!

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:21:00 -0500

This is Absolutely Amazing - Early Merry Christmas!:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUFzC6_fp8

Watch!

Note #13: Help me God

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 01:41:51 -0500

Many times… It’s hard to trust that prayers are heard.

Note #12: Hurricane Sandy

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 23:44:00 -0400

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

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:00:24 -0400

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?

Note #10: Discipleship

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:50:00 -0400

“Obedience delay is the start of unfaithfulness.”

Note #9: Our Contribution to God

Sat, 29 Sep 2012 17:30:57 -0400

“So faith is a gift that God gives to us that then enables us to believe in Christ and be saved. It is not something we give to God or something we even have in and of ourselves. If the Bible is accurate in its description of our sinful condition, it would be impossible for something as precious and beautiful as saving faith to arise from our own sinful hearts. The only way we can believe is if God gives us the ability.

So what do we contribute? Only our sin. Only our need. Everything else comes from Jesus by the goodness of God.

For Of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. -Romans 11:36”

Jason A. Van Bemmel

Note #8: PR

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 21:59:05 -0400

It’s interesting that this came up as I am struggling with this and this is my PR. From Crazy Love…a book that’s been on hold for couple months now.

If you merely pretend that you enjoy God or love Him, He knows. You cant fool Him; dont even try.

Instead tell Him how you feel. Tell Him that He isn’t the most important thing in this life to you, and that you’re sorry for that. Tell Him that you’ve been lukewarm, that you’ve chosen other things over Him time and again. Tell Him that you want Him to change you, that you long to genuinely enjoy Him. Tell Him how you want to experience true satisfaction and pleasure and joy in your relationship with Him. Tell Him you want to love Him more than anything on this earth. Tell Him you want to treasure the kingdom of heaven so much that you’d willingly sell everything in order to get it. Tell Him what you like about Him, what you appreciate, and what brings you joy.

Jesus, I need to give myself up. I am not strong enough to love you and walk with you on my own. I can’t do it, and I need you. I need you deeply and desperately. I believe You are worth it, that You are better than anything else I could have in this life or the next. I want You. And when I don’t, I want to want you. Be all in me. Take all of me. Have your way with me.

Note #7: We Are Too Quick To Judge

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:35:59 -0400

“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.” Romans 2

We are too quick to judge. We are too quick to criticize others and gossip about one’s wrongdoing. But we also practice the same sins that we condemn in others. We are all sinners. We are prideful. We don’t want to see it in ourselves.

Let’s ask God for humility. We need God to convict us continually. By judging others, that’s how bitterness begins.

Note #6: Black and White

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 21:48:33 -0400

John 3:16. We all know it. Maybe we heard it too many times to the point where we don’t react to it.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believesin him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This verse can mean nothing to you. Or it can mean the whole world to you and change your life. Which is it for you?

Note #5: Why God?

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:58:32 -0400

Why God do I keep forgetting your promises…your truth…who you are? Even after you show me that you are REAL, SOVEREIGN, and ALIVE? Even after you pour so much grace on me.

Please God…I beg you. Help me not to forget. Help me look at You ALWAYS and never myself. Remind me.

Note #4: You can't take it with you.

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 22:51:00 -0400

You cant take your degrees with you, your education, your nobel prize.

You cant take your fame, success, popularity with you.

You can’t take your family/kids with you.

You can’t take your cars, ipod, iphones, laptops, materialistic things with you.

You can’t take your flesh and body with you.

Things will fade away. And you cant bring worldly, earthly things into heaven.

God calls us to lay our idols down NOW. God calls us to confess, repent our idols NOW.

Not 5 minutes later. Don’t read another tumblr post or go on facebook. Those are all distractions so that we will FORGET the grace of God and who He is. But you must NOW go to God.

Jesus Christ loves you.

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 22:46:08 -0400

Yes He does.

"There is no right understanding of yourself until you understand yourself in light of who God is...."

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:09:11 -0400

““There is no right understanding of yourself until you understand yourself in light of who God is. Pride, arrogance, haughtiness, boastfulness is what happens when you compare yourself to others. Humility, conviction, repentance is what happens when you compare yourself to this love.””

- Mark Driscoll, “It’s All About Jesus: Humility”

Note #3: This is Our God

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 22:06:55 -0400

Freely you gave it all for us
Surrendered your life upon that cross
Great is your love
Poured out for all
This is our God