A Reflection on the 40-Days

As my family and I are getting ready for the Miracle Sunday Offering and the Pledge service tomorrow, I couldn’t help but to feel this sense of gratitude in my heart. It is amazing that our whole church went through 40 days of reading the Bible together, as well as spending time in prayer for the Destiny Campaign.

When I thoroughly think through what we are trying to do as a church, I am just speechless. We are not a church with a lot of well-established adults who have made their fortune and fame. Instead, we are a church with a lot of college students (who have little resources), single adults (just starting off in their careers) and young families (navigating through their tight budgets).

How in the world are we going to raise $1.7 million and even shooting for $2.2 million with renovation cost? It seems like such an incredible feat that unless God is in it, it is doomed to fail. This is what we are banking on. We believe that God is in it and that God is with us. This is why we can respond in faith.

I believe these past 40 days have been journey of faith. Now, as we a day away from reaching the next step in our destiny, I am confident that the people of God will respond by faith to the challenge that is before us.

I just praise God for His Faithfulness to our church for the last 11+ years and it is His Faithfulness that will carry us through the future. What an incredible ride!

Day 40 - 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

"You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion"
- 2 Corinthians 9:11a

I'm really thankful for this promise from God, as well as the challenge it comes with. There have been many times in my life when I've felt unable to be generous, whether because I was looking for a job and didn't have much money, because I was too busy to stop and care for someone, or because I felt tired and overwhelmed. In all of these circumstances and more, God has always challenged me not with what I have to give, but with what He has provided for me to be a blessing.

I felt like God was challenging me with this last night. I had been wanting to get together with a close friend for a couple of months, but because of my schedule I hadn't been able to find a time. It was his birthday yesterday, and he was having a birthday party last night that he wanted me to come to. The only problem was that my evening was pretty busy and I wasn't available until later at night. At 10:30PM I had to make the decision of whether or not to go. All kinds of reasons not to go floated through my mind: "It's 30 minutes away and it's already late!" "You've been sick all week and you need to sleep!" "You need to wake up for morning prayer tomorrow!" But even with those reasons, I felt like the Holy Spirit was urging me to go, so I went. I ended up hanging out with my friend for almost an hour; he was thankful that I came, but I can't point to a specific moment when I shared the gospel or God used me to bless him in some substantial way. However, as I was driving home, I couldn't help but feel that I had pleased God with the decision to go, and I ended up singing praise songs during my 30 minute drive back to my apartment.

So what does this have to do with what Paul is saying here? I saw a few of these truths play out in my life last night:

1. I made the decision to go in my own heart (not under compulsion), and I was able to do so cheerfully
   
2. Though I was tired, God gave me the strength to be able to go and be a blessing to people
3. God gave me the grace to sow generously, and now I'll trust that He will allow me to reap generously in the future.
4. While I had gone specifically to bless my friend, I was also able to reconnect with some other friends and find more avenues to spend time with them soon (maybe this is an added blessing I reaped from the night)

It's easy to rationalize and find reasons not to be generous, but if we never step out in faith and trust these promises (and challenges) that God gives us, we will never have the privilege of being used by Him to be a blessing, and we will never have the joy of living in obedience to His will. This is something that I hope all of us will be able to experience.

And this is the challenge before us for this weekend. As we finish off the 40 Days to Destiny today and look ahead to Sunday's offering and pledge for the Destiny Campaign, will we listen to the Holy Spirit speaking in our hearts and obey His call to give cheerfully, or will we find reasons to keep what God has provided for ourselves? Additionally, God will provide many open doors for us to serve and give in the near future, and we need to continue to grow spiritually so that we will be able to rise to the challenge and give ourselves generously to His work as He moves our church forward.

Lastly, Paul exclaims, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Our generous giving to God's work is not our gift to Him, it is His gift to us. I pray that as we give on Sunday, and in the future, that we will be able to praise God for the gift He has given us.

Day 39 - Mark 12:41-44

Verses 43-44 in the NLT read like this, "Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on." This really challenged me as I thought about the whole concept of giving. On one level, our bottomline amount is not what necessarily matters to God. In the narrative, many rich people gave large amounts of money for their offering to God. In the previous section, Jesus warns against the religious who are outwardly pious, but then cheat widows out of their property. I think the gospel writer Mark is making a connection here. What matters is consistency in our lives. Generosity should overflow in every area of our lives, not excluding our finances.

However, the most challenging thing about this passage is that it DOES challenge my bottomline giving. But not in the way I would expect. It's not the amount that matters, but the proportion. The rich gave only a "tiny part" of their surplus. They had plenty left over to use for themselves. Perhaps, it was used in a manner inconsistent with their "offering" to God. The poor widow gave 100% of what she had. What she gave came out of what she was living on. Just imagine that... What she gave cut into her way of life. She had to live differently. It wasn't much monetarily, but according to Jesus, it was more than what the rich gave. How incredible is that! In God's eyes, we can give more than all the billionaire philanthropists in the world. God's scales are weighed differently. As I've been praying about this Destiny Campaign, I'm challenged to give sacrificially. Different sums, equal sacrifice. This is the kind of giving that is generous in God's eyes.

Day 38 - Malachi 3:6-12

As some might already know, I'm a big sports fan. One of the great subplots in sports is the "comeback": players who return to the sport and perform heroically. The most dramatic comeback in my lifetime was in 1995 when Michael Jordan returned to the NBA after a short-term stint in retirement. I literally jumped up and down for joy when I heard the news.

"Return to me and I will return to you."
"How shall we return?"

So how do Christians make a comeback? It's interesting that the starting point for answering that question is the UNCHANGING CHARACTER OF GOD. That's good to know, since I always seem to be changing: older, slower, flabbier...fickle, compromising, calloused. Thank God that because of his great love we are not consumed!

Then in verses 8-12, the Lord says the comeback starts with a return to OBEDIENCE. He says that the reason they have been under such dire conditions ("cursed") is because they have not been honoring God with their tithes for the temple. If you were there for ACCESS last Friday, it's sort of the same situation where they had committed to contribute to the running of the temple, but they weren't being faithful to it. When we're not living in obedience to God's will, it not only stinks but it also is futile.

But when obedience is combined with its symbiotic partner, FAITH, we are on the road to blessings. It might be immediate or it might be the future reward we will receive in eternity, but it will come. Jesus Christ our Savior went to the cross to offer forgiveness when we fail to obey. And he also opened the door for us to experience every spiritual blessing in HIm. He changes us to want to obey him and enables us to do it too!

Day 37 - Proverbs 30:7-9

This prayer lifted up by Agur to the Lord is really wise and full of integrity. It's not a selfish prayer that we often lift up. I can sense that Agur really loves the Lord as he asks God to not refuse him before he dies. He knows life without God is meaningless and not having a relationship with God is the most devastating place to be especially when you're close to death. He also understands how this world is so wicked and full of lies that can draw him away from the Lord. I can see that his most sincere request is to be with God in a close relationship. Now he lifts up a humble request to God to give him just enough. How many of us can lift up this kind of prayer? I always ask God to give me more and never ask to give me less. Agur really understands the human nature. When we get too much, we get greedy and easily forget about God whether it's money or power. When we don't receive, we forget to depend on God and take things into our control that might lead us to sin and fall. He asks for just enough. In that sense, he can always remember God's faithfulness, always depend on God and always keep close to the Lord. Wow, what a prayer! I pray that I can lift up a humble prayer like Agur.

As the Miracle Sunday is coming up this weekend, I hope our church can lift up a prayer like Agur. That we will raise just enough to remember God's faithfulness and to continue to depend on God for the future. I pray that our church will always remember to stay close to God during this campaign and that we will experience God's provision as we depend on Him daily.

Day 36 - Psalm 126

I love this Psalm because it's a song of celebration for what God has done. You can sense the air of celebration and joy as "the LORD brought back the captives to Zion." I'm sure that anyone would want to be part of a party like this.

One thing I realized, however, is that not everyone will get to join in this kind of celebration. And why is that? Verse 5 states, "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy." Sometimes the greatest experiences in life only come with a high price. Our natural human tendency is to avoid having to give up anything and to try to get a free ride, and if we stick with the status quo and what is easiest for us, we may never see some of the miraculous things that the Israelites saw in their history. I pray that all of us at HMCC will be willing to "sow in tears" so that we can experience all that God has in store for us.

Day 35 - 2 Corinthians 8:1-15

There are many amazing things that Paul mentions in this passage that challenges me on this topic of giving. Joy, sacrifice, privilege are words that I think exmplified the way that the people gave. But what really struck me is Paul's exhortation that as they grow in the areas of faith, love, and entusiasm, that they would also grow in their gracious acts of giving.

This past year I've been working for the university in an office that aims to bring alumni back to Ann Arbor to remember, relive and experience their time here. But in that aim, the school hopes that alumni will also see the vision and the needs of the university and thus give. Although the University of Michigan is a secular institution, it astounds me how much it reflects some of the things that Paul spoke of here in 2 Corinthians. The University expects our alumni to excel in their careers and in areas of expertise in the world, but at the same time, they also expect alumni to give back. They don't view it as a separate entity, but all as one. They also understand that not everyone can give a large amount. But even the small donations are seen as valuable because they add up together to build a greater fund.

It makes me wonder, if people can give so much to a place like the U-M for an insitution that one day will fade away, how much more for the Living Christ. I hope that giving to this campaign is more than just a short time calling, but something we learn to do because it's just a part of growing in our faith and love for the Lord. Sometimes while working at my office, it saddens me as to how well the university is able to insprie people to give back so generously. I hope that our church is able to be a testimony that others can be inspried by as they see God work in and through us.

Paul says in vs 9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich". I pray as these 40 Days of Destiny are coming to a close, our eyes are fixed on Christ and that He is the motivation for why we give.

Day 34 - Exodus 19

"You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation..." v. 6

Exactly three months after the Israelites left Egypt (v.1), "on that very day," God speaks to Moses and tells him that Israel is to be this kingdom of priests and a holy nation. What an amazing promise that God is making to the Israelites. Imagine being a refugee nation as the Israelites were. They had lived under slavery and oppression under the Egyptians, were miraculously delivered through signs and wonders and now three months after they had fled, God is giving this rag tag group of people an identity - and not just any identity. God desires for the Israelites to be his "treasured possession" (v.5). Later, Peter says something very similar about our identity as children of God, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare praises to him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (I Peter 1:9). Again, what an amazing connection to make! We as followers of Christ, bear that identity as a chosen people, a holy nation and people belonging to God.

The word "holy" really stands out to me from both of these passages. In order to be this treasured possession and a people that is distinct from the rest, we are to emulate and live out this incredible character trait of God, we are to be holy. In Exodus, God tells Moses to strictly warn the people to remain at a certain distance from the mountain in which he is going to descend upon and deliver His commandments to Moses. Afterwards, God says to Moses, "put limits arond the mountain and set it apart as holy" v.23. This is one theme we see throughout scripture, God is so holy that even the things He touches and consecrates, becomes holy and set apart. Holiness and sin or any kind of darkness or unrighteousness simply cannot mix. Thankfully, through Jesus' work on the Cross we have full access to His presence, even though we are unrighteouss and tainted with sin. We can confidently enter into the Holy of Holies because Christ's righteousness itself covers us.

So what does this mean for me personally? My identity as a child of God and follower of Christ must have that distinction of holiness to it. God wants me to be set apart and bear witness to His character as being His treasured possession, a priest and part of a holy people. I have to ask myself whether I am merely blending into the pattern and behavior of the rest of the world, or whether I am living a distinctly holy life, set apart for His purposes, consecrated for His purposes. Most often, it is easier to go along with the flow. This passage is a reminder to hear God's resounding call to be like Him - consecrated and set apart.

Day 33 - Acts 4:23-37

"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness." - Acts 4:29

This is the kind of heart that I think we need more of in our church. The amazing thing about the disciples' prayer is that while they acknowledge the circumstances they are in, they never ask God to remove the challenges that they faced. All they ask for is "great boldness" in proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I'm challenged by this in my own prayers; am I just praying for relief from the struggles I face each day, or am I asking for the power to overcome them? A question came to my mind: what would glorify God more, if His children faced no problems at all in this life, or if they were consistently able to overcome against incredible odds? It seems like the answer is pretty clear, and God gave us passages like this to show how He empowers His people to do extraordinary things.

One other thing I noticed here was God's immediate answer to the believers' prayer. It made me wonder if my prayers often go unanswered because I am not praying the things that are on God's heart (although there could be many other reasons for God not to immediately answer prayer, as well). However, when His people pray for boldness to share the gospel, how could He not answer right away? We need to know God's heart more in order to pray for, and then receive, the Hoy Spirit's power in our lives.

Lastly, we see another glimpse of the early church community at the end of this passage. It seems that one of its strongest distinctive marks was the generosity of the people. This was the fruit of the Spirit's work in their lives, and I believe that as we grow more and experience God each day we will demonstrate this kind of generosity towards one another and the work God has called us to do.

Day 32 - James 2:1-13

I recently came back from a service project to Louisiana with HMCC of Chicago. Throughout our trip, we went through the book of James together. One of the things that struck me about James is its practical relevance to everyday life. "Love your neighbor as yourself." The real question behind that command is, "Who is my neighbor?" This is the question that Jesus answered in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10).

Our neighbors are not the few we choose to be neighbors to, but all who God brings our way. As I thought about my own life and our church community, I asked myself the same question in a different way. "Do I make space for others in my life?" This is what James rebukes the church in Jerusalem about in vv. 1-4. There were "good seats" saved for the privileged. The rest were made to sit on the floor. I wonder how this plays out in my own life. There are some that are worth my time and others that I'd rather ignore. As I thought about our church community, I wondered how we could use our "space" to love our neighbors and minister to all.

This is one of the things that excites me about the Destiny Campaign. I believe it will open up opportunities for us to bring the door of the church to our neighbors on campus and in our community. I pray that we will heed James' warning about our own tendency to choose favorites.

Day 31 - Matthew 5:1-16

I've picked up a lot of pretty bad habits over the years: biting my nails, taking long naps, and eating fast food late at night are among them. However, one of the best spiritual habits I picked up in my life is Scripture memorization. I always considered myself as a prototypical negative by-products of the "TV generation": sit-com style humor and a mind that was made out of mush. I just saturated my brain with garbage and developed a passive thought process.

As the Lord was challenging me to renew my mind and change my heart, I got into memorizing chunks of Scripture, and Matthew 5:1-16 was one of them. As Jesus' words washed over my mind, I realized that his paradigm for living as his follower was so different than mine.

Blessed are the poor in spirit...
Blessed are those who mourn...
Blessed are the meek...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
Blessed are the merciful...
Blessed are the pure in heart...
Blessed are the peacemakers...
Blessed are those who are persecuted...

Jesus himself epitomized this way of living. He completely accomplished this through Calvary and flipped upside down every human strategy for "winning friends and influencing people." But the more and more I've walked with God, the more I realize his words are so true. By living out Jesus' words here, we can direct people's attention to the reality of God and his grace in the world.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. - Matthew 5:16 (ESV)

Day 30 - Philippians 2:12-18

- Do nothing out of selfish ambition.
check
- Attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.
check
- Do everything without complaining or arguing
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If it was only that easy!
NOTHING out of selfish ambition? The SAME attitude as Christ? EVERYTHING without complaining? It sounds impossible to me. I think within the first five minutes of my morning I've already fallen short in two of them. So how are we to hope to be like-minded and humble children of God that shine like starts in the universe when so easily we are marred by our failings?

"continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."

This one phrase gives me all the hope I need. First, I realize that even though I have already been granted positional salvation that promises me eternity with God, I still have salvation being worked out in all parts of me--from my heart to my mind. My attitude is daily being renewed towards humility. The motives of my heart are continually being tested for greater holiness. My will is constantly challenged with surrender and sacrifice. Of course there are times when I take two steps forward and one step back (or three or four). But no matter how many times my heart, mind or will have failed, I can hope in God who is working in me to will and act according to His good purpose. The same power that raised Christ from the dead and brought me into salvation years ago is the same power that is in work in me in this very moment today.

Therefore I can have hope that I can shine like a star in the universe if I allow Him to work in me.

Day 29 - Hosea 11:1-9

I love reading some of the prophetic books because they teach us so much about God and His people. Hosea describes our relationship in this passage as a Father raising a child, and it made me think of my relationship with my parents when I was growing up. I'm really thankful for my parents, and they showed a lot of love to my sister and I. As I grew up, however, I hit those difficult teenage years and suddenly I wasn't very interested in spending time with my parents or listening to what they had to say. I'm sure it was incredibly frustrating for them, but I was determined to go my own way.

It seems like this is what happened with God and His people when He says, "But the more I called Israel, the further they went from me." We can see here both God's wrath at the people who rebelled against Him, and His mercy for the children that He raised and loved so much. And it remains true of us today: people will always be fickle, hard-hearted, and rebellious. God, however, will always remain merciful when He calls for His people to return to Him.

Some of us may be going through different struggles and trials right now. I've been talking to quite a few people who are feeling physically, emotionally, or spiritually drained during this busy time. When we're feeling these things, it's easy to retreat from God and try to escape from our problems, but it's in these situations that God most wants us to turn to Him. He is the patient Father waiting for His children to return to Him so that He can renew and restore our hearts.

Day 28 - Romans 3:9-31

This weekend I went home for a funeral. I've begun to notice something about funerals. At a funeral, people come out and share about all the wonderful things people did. You begin to learn how people affected the lives of others. The little things that people do, end up really impacting people’s lives. It's sad that we don't find out about these things until our funeral, and we’re not even alive to hear them.

 

But the one thing this passage helped me realize is that no matter how many people share nice things about you, no matter how many great things you've done, or how many people you affected for Christ, we're still constrained by verse 23 which states 'all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.'

 

No matter how many nice things I've done or will do, I cannot escape the fact that I am a sinner and fall short of the glory of God. Even if 100’s of people come up at my funeral and share how nice of a guy I was, I still fall short of the glory of God.

 

But the story never ends there with God, and we can rejoice that He sent His only Son, Jesus so that we can be justified by our faith in Him, and Him alone. That instead of boasting in our good deeds that served man, we can boast in the fact that Jesus Christ saved us from our sins!

 

My hope and prayer is that whenever my life ends and I have my funeral, that people will come up and not boast in my good deeds, but in the fact that we have a Savior who rescued us from our sins and has given us eternal life in Heaven.

Day 27 – Isaiah 55

This passage of God's grace and hope was spoken to the Israelites during a destitute time in their history. It's the desert times that seem to highlight how poor and thirsty we really are. Matthew 5:3 says "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Praise God that he shows us grace by reminding us that seeking Him can only bring the blessed life hinted at in vv. 12-13. When hard times come, I tend to try to better things by my own means instead of putting my hope in the Lord. How many times have I talked to others first for counsel, tried to manage the problem but ended up making things worse, acquired things that would merely dull the discomfort, or perpetuated mistakes by not praying or meditating upon scripture? The words are very clear that his ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Continuing in my own means would only lengthen the dissatisfaction.

Day 26 - Luke 23:26-43

On Easter Sunday, I was talking with some people and we ended up discussing some of the musicals that we had seen. It was interesting to hear where people had seen them and which ones they enjoyed the most. After that conversation, I think I'm going to try to see The Lion King and Wicked some day.

For myself, I've always been a fan of Les Miserables, which I saw for the first time in London with some friends in high school. It takes a lot to make me cry, but there's something about the story of Jean Valjean that makes it hard to keep my eyes dry. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the story begins with Jean Valjean stealing bread for his family and then spending the next 19 years in jail. When he is released a Bishop takes him in, but then Valjean steals some silver from the bishop and runs away in the night. Valjean is caught by the police and brought to the Bishop, but instead of accusing him of the theft, the Bishop tells the police that the silver was a gift and gives Valjean two more candlesticks, as well. (There's much more to the story, but that's all I'll go into now.)

When I read today's passage about the crucifixion, this story came to mind again. One of the robbers being crucified with Jesus said, "we are punished justly ... But this man has done nothing wrong" and "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." This man, like Valjean, was guilty of a crime and deserved punishment. Although Jesus was also being punished, it was not for his own sins, but for the sins of others. He took the punishment upon himself, so that while that criminal by his side would still suffer death in this world, he would "be with [Jesus] in paradise." Instead of accusing the criminal of his wrongdoings, he offered him eternal life.

There was one more thing that the Bishop told Jean Valjean before they parted ways. He told him to become an honest man and help other people. This seems like the only proper response when a person has received grace: to give grace to others. The criminals crucified with Jesus did not have much chance to respond to the grace that Jesus offered to them, but we do. As we look upon the cross and realize that our punishment has been paid for and our sins are forgiven, how will we respond? I pray that we will be able to live out the full life that Christ came to offer us, and that we will respond to the grace we've received with grace given to others.

Day 25 – Isaiah 61

The Gospel of Luke tells us that after Jesus was tempted in the desert for 40 days, He returned to start His ministry in Galilee. He began by teaching the people in the synagogues, and the people responded warmly to Him. He then returns to Nazareth – His home town – and enters to synagogue on the day of worship to teach the people. And when the scroll of Isaiah was handed to him, he reads Isaiah 61:1-2 and declares that what was written in Isaiah has now been fulfilled in Him – that He was the living fulfillment of God’s promise to His people. And once again, the people were amazed at what He was saying.

Even today, people are still being amazed by the words of Jesus. The words that I read in Isaiah 61 are more than just words of promise. They are promises that were fulfilled in Christ. They are more than just words of hope and grace. Rather, they are hope and grace and mercy and righteousness that became a reality through the life of Christ. That’s awesome.

As I was reflecting on these verses, I couldn't help but to think of the old hymn that talks about our hope that is built on Christ and Christ alone. It goes something like this:

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Day 24 - Psalm 116:1-19

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. - Psalm 116:1


That's a picture of the sister in our small group who was baptized this past Saturday. It was awesome to listen to her testimony and to meet many of the people whom God had used to plant the seeds of the gospel into her heart over the past five years.

I guess I'm still glowing from this past weekend...the conviction that the Lord has laid prominently in my heart is the amazing truth that Jesus Christ sought us out, saved us, and continues to carry us through our journeys on earth. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power that transforms sinners into the redeemed people of God; and this reality is what ought to compel us to share it with others...and as it transforms our friends and family members and even strangers around us...and as we see Jesus' work in others, it reinforces even further the power of the gospel...and it goes on and on, fueling this passion even hotter.

This psalm is a heartfelt response to the Lord's grace and salvation in this person's life. A noticed a couple of things from this psalm. First, it's very personal. His experience before salvation is very clearly described (see v. 3) and his experience of the Lord delivering him is dramatic (see vv. 4-5). His words emote passion! Second, it is communicative. He's testifying to the saving work of the Lord in his life so that others might know too. He stands before the people to offer sacrifices of praise and vows of commitment to the Lord (see vv. 17-19).

How can I repay the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. - Psalm 116:12-13


I'll end this post with a testimony from Stephen Suryo, a brother in Christ who was a part of HMCC several years ago. He now lives in Singapore, working as an Information Technology Consultant. That's him in the picture with Jackson Ye (a current HMCC member). It's another story of God saving him and still working through him.

I was not actually aware of the Destiny Campaign till the day I received a Facebook invitation to join the “40 Days to Destiny” group (the power of Facebook! Ha!). As I was watching at the video and listening to P. Seth’s sermon, I was greatly reminded of God’s faithfulness to HMCC over the past few years and to me personally during my stay in the States. Participating in the Destiny Campaign thousands of miles away from Ann Arbor has indeed been very exciting and refreshing at the same time!

One of the most memorable locations for me was Medical Science Auditorium (we used to hold Sunday Celebration here during Spring/Summer semester). There I attended HMCC gathering for the very first time through the invitation of friends. I remember clearly I was very moved by the worship songs that I actually never heard before as well as the wonderful passion that the people had for God. I left the service knowing that I needed something big and eternal in life (Ecclesiastes 3:11). To cut a very long story short, I accepted Christ in the Fall of 1999 and got baptized the following semester. Praise God!

Being in Singapore now and having been here for almost two years have somehow allowed me to establish greater and stronger networks with other HMCC international students who are also now back in Asia. Some of us still have constant communications with each other despite the fact that we are no longer in Ann Arbor and are located in different countries in Asia. It’s been very great! We are praying for HMCC and we are looking forward to seeing God’s power manifested through this church.

And you know what? I want to see more! Let's pray that as we move forward in our church's vision, we all witness the power of the gospel more in our lives!

Day 23 - John 13:1-20

I confess, my first instinct when I read this passage was, "Oh, this is the Easter story. We just celebrated; this whole 'Last-Supper, Jesus-tells-disciples-He's-gonna-die, and-then-He-dies, and-then rises-again schpeel' ... it's old news now."

I also confess that I'm feeling the 'morning-after-Christmas-blues' or the 'morning-after-birthday-blues' - when this one day that you anticipate for so long comes and goes, and suddenly there's nothing to look forward to.

As I caught myself reacting like this to the reading today, I realized how sad it was that I was treating the truth of Jesus's immense sacrifice like a one-day high. Although we do set aside Lent, Passion Week, and Easter as a special time to focus on the cross, the reality is that I should renew my awe of Jesus and refocus on the cross every day.

In the same way, with the 40 Days to Destiny, I hope that I won't wake up on the 41st day thinking, "The 40 Days are over. Now what?" As we've been hearing in our various gatherings, this 40 days is a time for our church to be strengthened and to grow spiritually. The whole Destiny Campaign which will launch on April 13th needs to be grounded on, and driven by, our spiritual growth. I'm praying for myself and our church that there will be no such thing as 'the-morning-after-Destiny-blues.'

Day 22 - 1 Timothy 1:12-17

What a great Easter weekend we had in our church! Slowly, the testimonies are coming out about how people responded to God’s message of His transformative power. For this, we give God all the glory.

It is hard to believe that we are a little past the half way point for this 40-Days to Destiny Campaign. The first week we focused on God’s glory. In the second week, we reflected on God’s faithfulness. Then, this past week we examined God’s purposes. This week we are going to give attention to God’s grace.

This passage in 1 Timothy is one of my favorites. I don’t know about you, but I love stories. It helps me to connect with people, and it even helps me to see how God has been working in people’s lives.

In every story there is a past, present and a future. In some ways, our Christian journey can be broken up into these three sections. This is what the Apostle Paul lays it out for us.

Paul describes his life before committing to Christ. But in spite of his past lifestyle God has pour out HHHhHvgdis grace in abundance. The word, “abundance” is a powerful word. In the Greek it means “increase.” God’s grace is increasing in our lives. This is why he stated to the people of Rome, “But where sin increased, grace increased all the more” (Ro 5:20). God’s grace will never run out! God will give us all the grace we need to love Him and to obey Him. Paul reminds the people of Corinth of this fact as he states, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work” (2 Co 9:8).

Now, Paul is even looking into the future where he will be a testimony of God’s “unlimited patience” for those people who will believe in the future. This is why he ends with a doxology in verse 17. One day when we are gathered around the throne of God, we will sin no more. Our praises and worship to God will be a testimony of His grace throughout our lifetime here on earth.

Let’s pray for more of His grace, as we go through the last 20 days of this journey.

Day 21- Revelations 7:9-17

Wow! What an amazing picture. I cannot even begin to fathom what this must look like with my very own eyes. But the Word of God is true, and this is the hope that we have. In vs. 9 it says,

"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

When I read this, I felt like, "Well then, we better get moving! There's still much work to be done!" Reading this only stirred my heart more--to see the Church rise and keep preaching the gospel until we have fulfillled the will of the Lord.

But then I find myself in busy weeks such as these, and see my heart grow old and slow down in its zeal. There are more projects to deal with at work, multiple meetings to attend to throughout the week, presentations to get ready for, etc. I know what needs to get done, but instead of being full of joy and being wholly available for whatever the Lord asks of me, I more often find myself feeling tired, frustrated, and a bit "dizzy" from all the running around in trying to keep up with things.

However when I read vs. 14-17, I am fully humbled. For those who have gone through suffering, pain, hardships, and persevered through for the sake of the gospel, they will ultimately receive their rest from the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes! I realize I have nothing to complain about. What can compare to the suffering Christ had gone through for us? And He did so because He loved us. He loved us first!

As Easter has arrived today, may we reflect and give thanks to our God who loved us and gave His life for us! As it says in Hebrews 12:1-2:

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Day 20 - John 20-1-23

As I first read through the passage, there was one thing that stood out to me It was contained in verses 18-19:

“Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her. On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!”

Now I might be wrong, but if Mary came and told the disciples that she has seen the Lord, shouldn’t the disciples be more excited and not in fear in their homes. It wasn’t until Jesus came to them, and met them did the disciples change their attitude.

I noticed the same thing in John 1 when Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael were told about Jesus for the first time, they didn’t respond or believe until they encountered Jesus in a personal way. That was when their lives were transformed.

Now I am sure we’re reading this thinking, and praying for our friends and family to encounter Jesus in a personal way, especially people we’re inviting out this Sunday.  This is important and I can’t wait to hear how God moves this weekend!

But I was convicted that I need to take a step back and encounter Jesus in a personal way again. Somewhere along the way, it’s easy to get focused on other people so much, that we fail to remember that we need to encounter and reencounter Jesus personally every day.

My prayer, first for myself, and then for each of us is that we will take the time this Passion weekend, and even every day afterwards to encounter the Risen Christ again personally. Let Him touch our lives again and again so that we can be like Mary and run around sharing that ‘He is Risen!’ I pray you all have a great Easter and can’t wait to hear testimonies of what Jesus has done and continues to do in the lives of people!

Day 19 - Luke 23:26-56

I've been doing a lot of reflection this week as we've been preparing for Good Friday and Easter, both on my own life and what I see going on in the lives of people around me. I feel a great sense of joy and thankfulness when I look at what God has been doing, but at the same time He has been reminding me that we are all broken people. In our human condition, we will all face various levels of bondage to sin, family struggles, unmet expectations, shame, addiction, fear, doubt, and guilt, and we will no doubt hurt, and be hurt by, others along the way. I'm experiencing some of these things right now, and many others have shared their own burdens with me this week.

And today, a very significant day in our Christian faith, we look once again to the cross that Christ bore for us. We've been sharing a lot recently about inviting our friends to Easter and trying to be a witness to our campus and community, but today I am reminded that the gospel is not just for those who do not know Christ; it's for us. It's because of the gospel that Paul could say that we are:

"known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything." - 2 Corinthians 6:9-10

Even in our greatest weaknesses and struggles with sin, we can rejoice in God's unfailing love. And, as we read today, that love came at the price of Jesus Christ's death on the cross. "The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5b).

It's going to be a great weekend. I pray that all of us will be able to experience the redemption, hope, healing, and joy that can be found in no one but Christ.

Day 18 – Matthew 6:25-34

I decided to read these verses in the Message translation, and here is what it says:

“If you decide to live for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don’t fuss about what’s on the table at mealtimes of whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you have on your body………What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving. People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes (The Message)”

I have read these verses before. But for some reason, when I was reading them in The Message translation, couple of things really stood out for me:

1) I need to relax. I need to not worry and be so preoccupied with getting things that I don’t need so that I can respond to God’s giving

2) I need to daily steep myself in God – His reality, His initiative and His provisions

3) I need to give my full attention to what God is doing right now, through my life, in our church, what He’s doing around me, and not be so worried and preoccupied about what might or might not happen tomorrow

I have decided to live for God, and I need to live a life that is centered on God-worship. The challenge for me is to see if my words of worship really match up against my life of worship. I guess that is a challenge for all of us.

Day 17 - 1 Peter 1:3-9

Is it worth it? This is a question I get asked a lot (directly or indirectly) when I talk to church members as they go through difficulties. That's what I also ask myself when going through similar situations. I think it's a pretty valid question. The apostle Peter answers this same question in today's Bible reading.

For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. (1 Peter 1:4)

I asked this question a lot when I was a college student- but it wasn't about faith, it was about school. My major was engineering and I was one of those students who had to study twice as hard to get mostly B's (with occasional C's and A's sprinkled in). There would always be that time during the semester when I was toiling all night with a problem set or computer program or class project that I would ask myself if it was worth it. I'm guessing many of you are able to empathize with me on this one.

That's what makes graduation day so special. I was relieved when I finished my last ever final exam, but I had goosebumps as I walked through Assembly Hall in cap and gown that spring day in May 1998. Because after many late nights walking home from the engineering library, panicked studying for exams, and sleepless nights doing homework, I made it to the end goal of college and it was worth it.

Peter describes our journey with Jesus Christ the same way- only like one million times the magnitude! He says that the trials we face are to test our faith: "It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold- and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold" (v. 7). I think if we really understood this- that our faith is one of the most important things in our lives and that it gets strengthened when put through the "fires" of life- then we would joyfully persevere through them. And finally on that final day when we see Jesus face to face, we will be able to say, "It was worth it."

You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy with a glorious,inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

Destiny Campaign Logo Contest Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in the logo contest and submitted designs! We are excited to reveal the official Destiny Campaign logo, submitted by Sung Bum Park, of Ann Arbor, Michigan.Let's continue to pray for the campaign during this 40 Days. It's been a blessing so far, and God has much more in store for us.

Day 16 - 2 Samuel 7

As I deal with 3-6 year olds everyday at school, God often teaches me lessons through them. Yesterday, I had to discipline one of the children because he was not treating the school materials properly. I gave him a long lecture about how children in other countries don't even get to have nice materials like we do because they can't afford to have such a nice school like ours. I'm not sure if he understood, so I told him that I will send all the toys and materials in our school to children who can appreciate them more in other countries if he mistreats them again. Then he apologized and walked away. As I was watching him walk away, a thought came through my mind. He doesn't really understand this because he grew up lacking nothing. He doesn't have to worry about the next meal he needs to eat. He doesn't have to worry about losing his parents to Aids epidemic. He doesn't have to hope to be picked for a sponsorship to go to school out of thousands of other kids in his village. He doesn't know how to be grateful because he doesn't know how privileged he is to be born in the states, into a nice family who can afford a nice private school that has plenty of materials and resources.

As I read this passage, I know David is not like my student. What struck me is the beginning of God's promise and the beginning of David's response. In verse 8, before God reveals all the wonderful promises, He starts off by reminding David that God chose David to lead His people when he was just a shepherd boy. Then after hearing the overwhelming promises of God, David responds by acknowledging God's grace. "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family that you have brought me this far?" That is a genuine response to God as he really understands how privileged he is.

Throughout David's prayer, I can sense how grateful David is and how he truly means when he praises God for His sovereignty. I look back at my life and think about how God has blessed me thus far. Like my student, I didn't have to face much hardships growing up that many other children face today in other side of the world. Though I didn't have control over my birth and the conditions that I grew up in because of God's sovereignty, I forget how privileged I am to have everything that I have and who I have become today. But I also learned that out of the chosen, God blesses those who respond to him with thankfulness and honor. In light of the passion week as well as the applications from this past Sunday's message, I want to be like king David and say, "Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, that you have saved me by dying on the cross and have blessed me beyond what I deserve?"

Day 15 - Genesis 15

We are starting off the 3^rd week of our 40-Days to Destiny. This week we are focusing on God’s Purposes. It is helpful to get the macro picture of God’s heart for the world as we start reading from Genesis 15.

As I was reading this passage today, I was struck, not only by God’s initiation of His covenant with His people, but also about how God used Abram’s senses to speak to him. Abram hears God through a vision as Abram is given a promise (v. 1). He also sees the vision of the stars and the promise of his offspring. In v. 7 God uses Abram’s memory to remind him of God’s faithfulness. Then in v. 17, we notice that “a smoking firepot with a blazing torch” appeared in between the sacrificial offering, which probably caused Abram to smell the burning fire.

It is pretty incredible how God uses our senses and our memory to increase our faith. God wanted Abram to trust in Him. In fact, v. 6 says, “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” With each promises, Abram needed the faith to believe that God would do what He said He would do. God somehow appeared or spoke to Abram using the senses so that he can step out in faith.

I was thinking about my life and how on a daily basis God uses all my senses to speak to me. Sometimes I am so self-focused that I am not able to “see,” “hear,” “smell,” “taste” and “feel” what God is trying to do. It is my prayer throughout this week, especially since it is Passion Week that I will be able to experience more of God’s Presence.

Day 14 - Habakkuk 3

Growing up in Illinois gave me the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Center Museum in Wheaton, IL. Half of the museum is a testament of God's grace and faithfulness in Billy Graham's life and how he has been used by God. But it was the first half of the museum that really caught my attention. Through pictures and stories, the museum displayed God's faithfulness and power here in the United States. Maybe these names don't ring a bell, but I learned about people like George Whitefield, D.L. Moody, and Billy Sunday who God used to bring about revivals here in the United States. I was in complete awe that God had done such amazing things here in the United States. I could only wonder if God would do anything like that again.

This chapter is a prayer after Habakkuk realizes in a series of dialogues with God that God does sees the sins and injustices they faced and that He will bring a greater judgment as they wait on God's faithfulness. Habakkuk responds by professing that he has heard of what God has done in the past and to do it once again in his time. And then Habakkuk describes in the present God's power and might. And even when it does not seem that God is at work, "yet" he will rejoice in the Lord and wait for what the future holds because it is the Lord who saves.

If I had to make this prayer personal... I think of my junior high days when I first committed my life to Christ. One of my first tests of faith was when my family had just moved into our own house after years of struggling financially. It was a home we felt like God had given to us. Soon later, we were in a difficult financial situation again and facing the possibility of losing our home. I remember praying and thinking how will God help us. I can look back now and tell you of God's faithfulness to my family and how His ways have been so good. When I go through difficult times now, I still look back to this time because it reminds me of what God has done and helps me to see who God is in all His power and authority and helps me to wait on Him.

When I think about these 40 Days of Destiny and what God is leading us to do, I can only imagine that there will be times that are difficult and will require sacrifice. This chapter reminds me to make it my prayer that we remember what God has done in the past in our church, the lives of people who have gone through it, and those who are currently in it. And because we serve a powerful and mighty God, we can continue to wait on Him and His faithfulness and expect that He will continue to bring even greater testimonies in our days now.

At the same time though, I hope that what God is doing in our church is even bigger than just our church or even our campus. I pray that the very testimonies of what God has done here in the United States in the past would be renewed again in our time. I looked up the Billy Graham Center Museum and found it interesting that the quote Billy Graham gives says, "This museum will point us to the past so we can learn from those who have gone before. It will cause us to rejoice in the present to see what God is doing today. And it will challenge us for the future to know Christ and to make Him known to the ends of the earth."

Day 13 - Hebrews 12:3-17

The author of Hebrews compares God's discipline in our lives to that of our earthly fathers' attempts at disciplining us. This is a striking reference for me personally, because my parents did a pretty good job of disciplining me as a child. Being godly parents, they allocated a wooden spatula as the "spanking spoon" and wrote bible verses about discipline on it with a red felt tip pen. They consistently followed the following format for their disciplinary procedure:

1. First, I had to commit some sort of repeated infringement on their rules.
2. Second, a warning was given indicating that I would be spanked that day at a certain time and place (never in public).
3. Third, I would agonizingly wait for the moment of truth, hoping that my good behavior until then would be enough to convince them that I didn't need the spanking.
4. Fourth, was the actual moment of truth, where you were asked whether or not you understood why you were about to be disciplined.
5. Fifth, was the inevitable tears of shame and humiliation that would follow the unfortunate confession.
6. Sixth, was the actual spanking on the hands, which for the most part was physically painless but nonetheless searing on the conscience and character.
7. Finally, the best part, was the embracing between parent and child. My dad/mom would hold me and wipe away my tears, reminding me how much they loved me.

Interestingly, by the time my parents hugged me, I had already forgotten the pain of being disciplined and felt an overwhelming sense of relief knowing that the lesson had been learned and that even at my most sinful moment, I was completely loved.

When I look back on my childhood, I can really understand my parent's attempts at disciplining me as being motivated by their love for me. This is something that is emphasized in this passage - "the Lord disciplines those he loves." It goes on to state that if we don't experience God's discipline then we are not really his children at all and that we are in fact illegitimate children. How true this is! Can you imagine disciplining a child that isn't your own? God disciplines us for the very reason that we are his children and that we bear His image and name. We belong to Him.

Now, in my adulthood I often think that I'm done with all that childish need for discipline in my life. While I may have graduated from my conflicted relationship with the "spanking spoon," I know that I still need God's divine discipline in my life. His discipline is an essential component to the development of my faith and my pursuit of Christ likeness. Most of all, when the initial sting of pain or disappointment is experienced, what I am left with, is an overwhelming understanding that out of His wisdom and grace, God is disciplining me because He loves me.

Day 12 - Joshua 1:1-9

I remember reading this passage when I first accepted Christ and thinking, "Ok, I guess I should be strong and courageous." It seemed to me like God was giving an instruction on a general character trait that we need as believers, and I didn't reflect on anything beyond that.

Today when I look at this passage I see something a bit different. Yes, it's important to be strong and courageous, but why? What was ahead of Joshua that he would need such courage and strength to lead the people of God forward? Looking farther ahead in the book of Joshua, we see many trials and difficulties that the Israelites went through, and these certainly required courage to endure, but again I find myself asking, "Why go through all of these things?"

I think the answer lies in a few words that God speaks here: "I will give you..." Joshua needed courage and strength in order to lead the people through these trials to receive God's promises. They could have remained wandering in the desert another 40 years or taken a path that seemed less difficult, and it wouldn't have required much courage. But when they looked at the difficult task of conquering the land that God had promised to them, they needed courage to believe and strength to act in order to receive what was promised.

God has given us many promises, whether in the Bible or impressions laid on our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It's easy to look at these and passively acknowledge what He has promised to us, but I think God is looking for something more. When God offered me the promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, what did I need to do to be saved? I had to step forward in faith and receive what was promised. It's the same way with many of the things God has promised to us.

So why do we need strength and courage? There are many challenges ahead of us in accomplishing God's purposes for our church and our lives, and nothing will be easily overcome. It's my prayer that we will courageously step out in faith to receive His promises for us, and in doing so we will see the power of God.

Day 11 - 1 John 1:5-10

One of the most difficult struggles in life is matching my actions with my words. The writer of 1 John points out this distinction between what we "say" on how we "walk." The key theme that holds these thoughts together is the idea of "fellowship" (vv. 6-7). If we say we have fellowship with God, but live contrary to God's truth then we are living in deceit.

I used to think of "fellowship" as the time after a church service or Bible study where you eat snacks and make small talk with one another. But over the years, I think the word has taken a turn in a direction away from the New Testament. I hope that's not the kind of "fellowship" we have with God. I think "fellowship" does refer to building relationships with one another but it also refers to what we share in common. As followers of Christ, we share common beliefs and a common mission. The readers of 1 John are called to join the fellowship of the apostles in their belief in Christ and in serving the mission of Christ (v. 3).

The sobering reality is that we fall short all the time and our actions do not match up with our words. There are moments when I'm very conscious of this. But the hardest part is to actually "confess" and name the sin. When I acknowledge my shortcomings in generalities, I actually feel like I'm not that bad. This is deceitful though (v. 8). When I can name the sin and look to Jesus for forgiveness, fellowship is restored and I can "walk in the light" (v. 7). I hunger for this kind of deeper fellowship with God and others.

Throughout this 40D2D, I believe it is a time to fellowship with God and one another as we are cleansed in areas of sin, both corporately and individually. I believe the grace of God will be sweeter as we look to Jesus for this cleansing. We can do this because he is "faithful and just to forgive" (v. 9).

Day 10 - Psalm 18

Nickey and I live across the street from a Blockbuster Video store and as I was walking past it last night, I noticed they put up the poster for the movie, "I Am Legend." Have you seen it?

This dude Robert Neville (played by Will Smith in the 2007 version) is apparently the last man in the world not infected by this virus that mutates people into man-hunting monsters. You might think he was at the end of his rope in the beginning of the movie: he lost his family, was living alone in the entire city of New York (except for his trusty dog), and slept in bath tub. But as the movie progresses, Neville really hits rock-bottom. He has to kill his own dog because it contracted the virus and the mutants track down where he hides out at night...



Now here's a guy whose situation was as bleak as it could get. While we might not experience something quite like this, there are definitely times in our lives that we will experience desperate situations when all we can do is cry out to God.

In my distress I called upon the Lord; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. - Ps 18:6

While I wouldn't ever wish this kind of calamity upon myself or another person, these situations create a special opportunity for us to experience God in ways we would never be able to otherwise. For me, 2001-02 was one of those seasons: I lost my job, 9-11 happened, I was getting demolished by the ministries I was involved in- I felt burned out and frustrated. But God carried me through it somehow and I can say that God never left me alone.

In today's situation that we are in as a church, I know there will be bumps along the Destiny Campaign. In fact, during the time that the Board was praying whether or not we should "go for it", the Lord led me to count the cost of what it might entail. My imagination went wild as I thought about the endless possibilities of "what could go wrong." But in the end, the Lord brought me to compare those hardships with the end- not just a building, but testimonies of how God protects, delivers, provides, rescues, understands, equips, saves...

The Lord lives, and blessed by my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation. - Ps 18:46

Day 9 - Luke 1:39-56

I remember my first attempt at writing a worship song. That experience was more difficult than trying to write a twenty five history research paper. My first hurdle was the difficulty of NOT writing mostly about my feelings. The first draft sounded more like a journal entry than a praise song! I then tried to put in more attributes of God to make it God-centered and began to fish for adjectives that came to mind. He is faithful. He is strong. Wait, that song already exists.

Looking back, I realize that experience was so difficult because my understanding of God’s attributes was so shallow. Attributing things like faithfulness and strength to Him was familiar, but they were never really my own words filled with my own convictions. I guess I hadn’t experienced enough of life to understand the depth and beauty of God’s attributes.

Mary’s song of praise is full of God’s attributes and works, but they are not rehearsed praise. They are words that came from the depth of her “soul” to glorify the Lord. She praises God not only for what He had done for her, but what He has been doing for all generations, and even how He was fulfilling his promise to Abraham. God’s faithfulness throughout history became much more personal and meaningful to Mary, who was told that she was going to give birth to the Messiah. She was experiencing a huge turning point in her life, and God’s faithfulness must have been treasured by her like never before.

Mary’s song encourages me to treasure all the changes of life. When I respond to turning points with faith as Mary did, I will be able to see an attribute of God in a whole new light. And just like Mary’s supernatural encounter with Elizabeth and the already discerning baby in Elizabeth’s womb, God will send me encouragement and blessings with perfect timing in just the right way. As I know Him more, I will be able to say in my own heartfelt words, "There is no greater thing."

Day 8 - Nehemiah 9:1-38

We are starting off the 2nd week of the 40D2D (40-Days to Destiny). This week's theme is on God's Faithfulness. It was good being reminded of His Faithfulness through Nehemiah 9.

Do you remember as a kid the toy cars that would bump into the wall and then it would go in another direction (maybe some of you still secretly play with them now)? They were the coolest things because no matter what direction it was going in, as soon as it hit an object or a wall it would change directions.

This is kind of what I thought about when I read today's entry. I was drawn to the word, "but" all throughout this passage. As I was reading, I was reminded about how God did so many things for the Israelite people, "but." God had to discipline them through various trials and could have destroyed them, "but." When things were back to normal the Israelites went to back to their old ways and God could have turned away, "but."

Why is it that we continue to head into one direction "but" then end up in another direction?

In some ways for me it is my fickleness and cynicism. But I am thankful that God does not give up on me. He continues to show His love and His continual patience towards me. In a strange way, God allows me to bounce off the wall and change direction; and in a loving way brings me back to Him.

Day 7 - Colossians 1:15-20

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

When I was in grade school, I remember my teacher asking my fellow classmates and me this question. There were always a slew of responses. "An astronaut! A fire fighter!" some would cry. Others would state professions that were clearly influenced by their parents: "An accountant! An engineer!" But the most frequent response was, "I want to be president of the United States!"

As I look back, I think many who set the presidency as a career objective (including myself) did so because they were drawn to its position of power and control. (Now, I would never call out a child as being a power monger. All I am saying is that even children understand and recognize positions of power.) Indeed, the president of the United States has the ability to shape and make history. In this year's election, the next president's actions and policies will affect our lives for years and decades to come on the critical issues of foreign policy, health care, social security, the economy, and immigration.

But even the president of the United States, the person in charge of arguably the most powerful nation in the world, is subject to an even higher power: Jesus Christ. "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him" (Col 1:16).

Today's portion of Scripture clearly outlines who is in control. Though the president of the United States may have power in this world, he/she only has it because of Jesus Christ. For He is the "firstborn," "head," and "beginning." Everything in this world -- people, companies, organizations, governments -- are subject the the supremacy of Jesus Christ. There is none that compares or matches His greatness and majesty. Though the next president of the United States will soon take office come November, it is absolutely certain that Christ will still be seated on His throne in power.

As we have been journeying together during this 40-Days-to-Destiny period, I am recognizing more and more that the power of Christ goes beyond human comprehension and logic. A situation that once seemed impossible becomes possible when God shows up. A door that was entirely closed opens wide with only one explanation: God. And the reason for this?

"So that in everything He might have the supremacy" (Col 1:18).

We serve a great God who is deserving of all praise. And it is my sincere desire that as we get to know Chirst more, our response to my teacher's question will be not be the president, but rather: "I want to be more like Christ."

Day 6 – John 5:19-29

Many times we start off on endeavors that are on God's heart but we often lose focus of God's glory along the way. And if we continue in our passionate pursuit without this focus, it seems that the endeavor becomes more about ourselves than Him.

The "Jews" in the passage referred to the Jewish leaders. They passionately observed the Sabbath laws that represented what they thought were God's will. But Jesus was very clear in many passages throughout the Bible that they were more concerned about their own self-righteouness and glory than true righteousness before God and His glory. Comparing Jesus' ministry versus the Jewish leader's misguided endeavors, I noticed two things that relate to God's glory.

One, there was no fruit of life in their endeavors as in Jesus's works. As we read the passage as a third party observer and with the advantage of hindsight, it seems almost absurd to us that the Jewish leaders would object to Jesus healing a lame person. They were not only objecting to his physical healing, but in effect they were objecting to his life being restored spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and socially. Isn't this the type of fullness of life that God desires for us at least while on this earth, let alone our eternal life with Him? But even if we don't go to the extreme of objecting to good works, when we go about "God's work" without the proper focus, it seems to me that we are masking the life that could have been released for God's glory.

Two, they didn't exemplify God's character as Jesus did. In everything Jesus did, he was imitating God because he did what he saw God doing. With a task-oriented type-A personality, it will be a life-long challenge for me to not get focused soley on the result—to reflect Christ-likeness in the process along the way.

During these 40 days, I want to pay extra attention to being God-centered and how I reflect Christ-likeness in accomplishing what He has for me to do. I am hoping that it will spark a new level of genuine, theo-centric, and powerful ministry in my life. I hope the same for our church in all that God wants us to do. Because ultimately, it speaks to God's glory and He deserves to be represented rightly.

Day 5 - Ezekiel 1

A lot of times I find myself getting into things that are way over my head, and I'm left feeling overwhelmed, underequipped, and inexperienced. Sometimes I wonder how things are going to turn out, am I going to mess things up, or do I have what it takes? It's easy to think that giving up is the simplest answer, and that I should just bail out before things get too messy.

But then I read passages like Ezekiel 1. At first, I wasn't really sure what to make of the living creatures, the windstorm, etc., but taking a closer look I realized that these represent some of the most powerful forces of this world. The living creatures have the faces of men (made in the image of God), lions (the fiercest predators), oxen (the strongest laborers), and eagles (the kings of the air). Facing in each of the four directions, they watch over the whole earth with the eyes encircling their wheels. There is also imagery of fire, wind, water, and ice, demonstrating the power of God's creation.

These living creatures must have been awesome to see, but there's still something more. Above the creatures and all the forces of this world, we see the glory of God enthroned in brilliant light, radiant like a rainbow and full of fire. Ezekiel saw all the power of the world in the four living creatures, but it was when he saw the glory of the Lord that he fell face down.

Seeing all of this, I can't help but to marvel at the majesty of our God, and suddenly all of the difficult situations and my inadequacies seem like minor details. When I am serving a God who is so powerful, sovereign over all the world, how could I remain defeated by my self-centered weaknesses? How could I think of giving up and living for something more "ordinary" when I have seen the glory of the Lord who is worthy of my whole life? Ezekiel and the exiles may have faced some of the same doubts that I do, but I'm sure that when the Lord appeared to him he was left without any doubt of what he was called to do (read more in Ezekiel 2-3).

So where does that leave our church? I am often amazed at the calling God has given us: transforming lost people into Christ's disciples who will then transform the world. Transforming our campus and community here in Ann Arbor is no easy task, let alone transforming the world with so many nations left unreached, but I pray that as we discover more of who God is, He will give us confidence and faith to remain steadfast in our calling until we see the world reached for Jesus Christ.

Day 4 - Mark 8:27-38

These are very pivotal verses in the Gospel of Mark. Ever since Mark 1:17, when Jesus called Peter and Andrew to come and follow him, they have followed, observed, listened to and interacted with Him day and night. And now, this was “when the rubber meets the road” moment for the disciples. It was the moment in which they had to personally answer the question of who Jesus was for themselves.

“But what about you? Who do you say that I am?”

For me, this journey of 40D2D is about living out the question of who Jesus is in my life. It is not only a matter of answering the question, but living out the truth of who Jesus is through my life.

“You are the Christ.”

When the people were confused about who Jesus really was, Peter knew. He answers without hesitation that Jesus is Christ, the savior that they have been waiting for. But did Peter really know what he was saying? Because just a few verses later, he gets rebuked by Jesus for not “having in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Ouch.

That’s a challenging response for all of us as well. What do we really mean when we declare Jesus to be Christ? Do we also have in mind the things of God, or do we have in mind the things of people in our understanding of who Christ is and the effect of that truth for our lives?

“You are the Christ” must be a declaration of orienting our lives around the truth of who Christ. How? “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” How will we follow Him this day? How will we reflect who Christ is in the decisions that we need to make, in our interactions with others, and in the way we spend our time, energy and resources? The challenge is to live out the truth of who Jesus is through our lives.

Day 3 - 2 Peter 1:16-21

The mindset that I find myself slipping into way too often is equating my identity as a Christian to trying really hard to follow rules, criteria, and principles alone. Now I don't think that this is completely off the mark. But the problem is that in distilling Christianity into a set of credal beliefs I ignore the truth that my devotion and allegiance is to a person: Jesus Christ himself.

That's what I was thinking about as I was reading today's 40D2D passage from Apostle Peter's letter. He clearly says that he doesn't follow cleverly packaged myths, but the majestic Savior himself, Jesus Christ. He was an EYEWITNESS of the fullness of God's glory encased in flesh and blood. Peter recalls the time that he, along with John and James, accompanied Jesus up to a mountain and Jesus "transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light" (Matthew 17:2). This was one of many formative experiences that Peter had with Jesus that made him totally convinced that Jesus was the Savior and Lord of the universe!

Interestingly, he also points to the Scriptures as the other reference point that he anchored his faith in Christ. In fact, Peter says that the Word of God offers even greater confidence in his commitment to follow Jesus. I guess that just goes to say that the way that we will learn about this person that we follow and entrust our lives to is through the Bible. Jesus becomes a true reality- not just his teachings, but Jesus himself- as we learn about him through his Word.

I can feel Peter's urgency in his words in the verse before: "And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things" (2 Peter 1:15). He was burdened that future generations would have these FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES OF THE GLORY OF JESUS in the same way that he did! In this season of our church and my own personal life, I am feeling a greater hunger for this as well. I want to bear witness to the greatness and goodness of Jesus Christ in my personal life as I get into the Word and seek him in prayer. I want to experience his constant presence and power as I continue his mission on this earth. And as we embark on this journey together as a church, I want our whole church to experience the glory of Jesus in a fresh and greater way!

Day 2 - 1 Kings 8:22-61

"Obey the LORD our God and follow his commands with all your heart, just as you are doing today" (v. 61, CEV). So much easier said than done! It's verses like this that pump me up to live for God - until two minutes later when I've already disobeyed.

Solomon's prayer in this passage is really interesting: he's praying in advance for all the future times that the people of Israel will struggle, sin, and face trials. I thought this was an odd time for this prayer - they should be celebrating because the Temple building project is done. But when they are at their high, Solomon acknowledges their weakness and need for God. He knows that Israel will never accomplish God's purposes without His presence and help.

As we head into the Destiny Campaign and all that God has in store for our church, my honest tendency is to fear the messiness - the challenges, complications, and failures that are inevitable with any meaningful step of faith. But I'm encouraged by Solomon's prayer because I'm reminded that God uses the most unlikely people and circumstances to do His work, since this brings Him so much glory.

I see that we are just as much a rag-tag team as the Israelites. I know I criticize them for being such brats in the desert, complaining about manna and water, but really, we're just like them. But God's so passionate for His glory that He used them anyway.

I love this part: "Foreigners will hear about you and your mighty power, and some of them will come to live among your people Israel. If any of them pray toward this temple, listen from your home in heaven and answer their prayers. Then everyone on earth will worship you, just like your people Israel, and they will know that I have built this temple to honor you" (vv. 41-43, CEV).

I can only imagine the 'foreigners' who will hear about God through us, 'live among' us, visit our place of worship, pray to God for the first time, hear His answer and receive the gift of eternal life. It really is amazing to think that we're part of the same mission as Solomon and the Israelites - spreading God's glory to all nations. What a privilege!

I also love how he closes - it's a prayer for our church as we embark on our journey of creating a place of worship for God: "May the LORD help us obey him and follow all the laws and teachings he gave our ancestors. I pray that the LORD our God will remember my prayer day and night. May he help everyone in Israel each day, in whatever way we need it. Then every nation will know that the LORD is the only true God" (vv. 58-60, CEV).

Day 1 - Psalm 145

It is exciting to start off the 40-Days to Destiny today. In the next 40 days we will have various people writing down some of their reflections on the specific passages that are designated for that particular day.

This morning I was reading Psalm 145 and verses 4 and 5 jumped out at me. The Psalmist, David writes, "One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works" (Ps 145:4-5).

There were some questions that ran through my mind:

1) What causes one generation to commend God's works to another?

2) Why is it important to share about what God did in one generation?

3) What would the previous generation say to the future generation?

The American Heritage Dictionary defines, "commend" as, "to represent as worthy, qualified, or desirable; to express approval of; praise; to commit to the care of another; entrust."

When you think about the history of the Israelite people, you will realize that they had a lot of reasons to give praise to God. But throughout their history, we notice that it was easy for them to forget and even go against some of the convictions that their forefathers had.

Maybe this is the reason why God told the Israelites, "These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates (Dt 6:6-9).

It reminds me of the importance of discipleship and carrying on a legacy for future generations. Therefore, when David used the word, "commend" he was discipling and transferring God's principles to the next generation. He wanted them to know the worthiness of God, how desirable He is and how well qualified God is to be entrusted with everything.

As I think about our 11 year history, I feel this tremendous burden to "commend" God's work to the younger generation. I want to proclaim the faithfulness of God for all these years. I want to express how God is so worthy of our praise. I want to share about all the incredible things that God did. I want to testify about the transformations that have occurred over the years.

Since the younger generation was not here at the start of the church, this is one way of helping them to see how great and awesome God is. Maybe this is the reason why David in this Psalm spends so much time just talking about who God is and what He has done. It is fascinating to see the God-centeredness of this Psalm with words like, "your," "his," "you," "the LORD," and "he."

As we start off this 40-Days to Destiny journey, it is my prayer that the older generation will be reminded about all that God has done in our lives and that the younger generation will learn and hear about the faithfulness of God to our church.

Therefore, it starts with me and I have to start "commending" God and His works to the people around me. I am longing to live and leave a legacy for the future generations.

40 Days to Destiny Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be an important day for our church as we start the "40 Days to Destiny". I hope that all of us can fully participate in this season of prayer and preparation. Here are some things that we have planned:

• Morning Prayer @ URC Building - We will be moving our morning prayer location to the basement of the URC building during this 40 days so that we can pray on-site for what God will do.
• Evening Prayer @ FCC Douglas Chapel (Monday-Thursday, 10-11PM) - If you need a place to pray in the evening either by yourself, with your LCG, or other groups of people, we will be opening up Douglas Chapel on the corner of E. William and State.
• Destiny Bible Reading Plan - We will focus on different passages of scripture during this 40 days to address specific areas that we need to grow in as a church. You can download a PDF of the bookmark at the Destiny website.

Let's give all that we can to the Lord during this next 40 Days to Destiny. I know He is faithful to answer our prayers lifted up in faith, so let's wait upon the great things that He will do.

Welcome

Welcome to the "40 Days to Destiny" Vision Journal! As our HMCC family looks ahead to the Destiny Campaign, we want to prepare in every way possible to follow God where He is leading us. Part of that involves constant communication and encouragement so that we can seek the Lord together during this next 40 days.

Starting on March 3, 2008, this blog will be updated daily with reflections, stories, and scripture to lead us in our prayers and get us ready for what is to come. The Destiny Campaign is not just about a building or fundraising; it's about moving together in faith towards the vision and destiny God has given us. We're looking forward to seeing what God will do.

You can find more information on the Transformation Vision website.