I was much encouraged by my visit to San Diego last weekend. The CEC church is a great church where God is blessing the congregation with some great leadership, be it Mandarin, Cantonese or English speaking.
I loved seeing how the Senior Pastor taught in English. But more so, that the entire church is being influenced greatly by the pastor’s heart. I loved listening to the Cantonese pastor’s wife talk humbly about grace and true guilt and false guilt. I loved seeing a Chinese American church having small groups to discuss the topic of : Life’s Healing Choices. God is at work! After seeing this, I am more excited than ever before about what we are seeking to do in Epic National. We are all seeking to do what is best in shepherding our people and in shepherding some of the Asian American cultural realities. It makes me want to partner more with the various AA churches. I am very humble by how God is choosing to work in our generation. Very FUN!
Monthly Archives: November 2009
What it means to have faith….
In chatting with my ministry sponsors and supporters recently, I have been hit with how faith is a very mysterious thing. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and yet, unseen. That is what we know from the Word of God. But really what does that mean? I think faith is very much an intangible and yet, very tangible thing that we must nourish.
In trusting God for my own financial situations and life, I have learned over and over again how we so often trust other things without realizing it. “Afaith” (I made up a word?): faith that is not typical of what it is and yet, seems more neutral. I believe “afaith” creeps into our souls very very easily and without much fight from us.
I have seen how faith must be nurtured, planted and built up like our muscles. I have learned that in order for me to grow in my faith, I must be diligent and diligent in grace and truth to live that kind of faith.
Even when I don’t like something, I must pursue and pursue. This is also very true when we think of the spiritual realm; that those who desire to live godly lives will be persecuted by the Enemy of our souls.
My growth lesson is that I tend to want to give up too soon whenever I find resistance. I almost always want to defer to others to do the calling or job rather than rolling up my sleeves and going after it all with God. I am learning that to practice faith, I must build up my endurance muscle. I had thought I was good at this. I think I have been good enough; but not quite the extent.
The Lord is teaching me that I cannot live my life with good enough. But that he desires for me to be vigilant about preserving and keeping my faith in Him. He wants me to overcome with faith in Him even when many obstacles are found.
This is the work of the Holy Spirit to continue to trust Him for our lives like that. To let Him give us faith while we are persistent to keeping faith in Him.
This is what it means to have faith in Him and with Him. I have many lessons to learn……