Number One Priority

“You must love the students… that’s what matters the most in youth ministry!”

That’s the common statement I face with parents and church leaders in youth ministry. This is one of the major struggles I face – what is the most important priority in a youth ministry? Loving our students unconditionally? Being there for the parents (and making them happy)? Keeping a open communication channel with the church leaders about our activities?

Sure all are important in youth ministry, but are any of them my number one priority?

Jesus faced similar questions when standing before an expert of the Law. Seeking information on how to inherit eternal life, Jesus gave him an uncluttered and succulent answer:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind”; and “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Luke 10:27).

Jesus stresses the importance of one’s relationship with God above loving or serving others; this principle applies to everyone, youth ministry or not. If anyone reverses this order, it can have a devastating effect on one’s spiritual life.

Loving God might not be difficult if done so in a static environment; it can become quite challenging when pressures of life and conflicting expectations takes hold in our lives. I’m guilty of this because it is easy to serve others under the guise of “I’m loving others because I want to show my love of God.” While there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with this, I find it easy to push aside my personal spiritual growth and time with the Lord when things get busy. In fact, I do this so often that I find myself burnt out and exhausted, wondering what happened.

Doug Fields explains it clearly:

“Failure to see the difference between loving God (focusing on him) and loving others (doing ministry) can result in a ministry-focused life rather than a God-focused life” (Youth Leader Training on the Go).

I preach to my ministry colleagues that the greatest aim for a youth worker – no matter what happens – is to pursue and love God. Once this is achieved, people can reveal God’s love clearly by serving others.

The Potter Works Only with Soft Clay!

It has been a while since I updated this blog the last time, and many events has transpired in my life. However, I came across this delicious piece that I couldn’t resist sharing with you from a special edition of the Gospel for Asia News Magazine. This piece was written by K.P. Yohannan, the Editor-in-Chief. Enjoy, and be refreshed!

When I was a boy, growing up in India, I often went to a potter’s house near my high school. I was fascinated to watch him make clay vessels. During those visits, I never saw the potter take a hardened lump of clay and put it on his wheel to make something out of it. He, just like every other potter in the world, used only soft and tender clay to work with. So does God!

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that God is like a potter and His people are the clay He wants to form into a beautiful vessel. In order to accomplish this, God looks for soft and pliable hearts.

Man measures the quality and usefulness of a person by his education, ability and expertise. Yet God determines his true value by the condition of his heart: “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

What happens if the Clay Is Hard?

If the clay is hard, the potter will spend days pouring water on it and pounding it thoroughly until it becomes soft. It took God 20 long years of “pouring and pounding” until Jacob’s heart became soft enough. Moses needed 40 years of desert life to become the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3) who could lead Israel out of Egypt.

The Bible warns us not to harden our hearts: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15).

It is possible for us as believers to have a tender heart for a season, but then when God speaks to us about an issue, to choose not to humble ourselves but rather to harden our hearts. This is not a good place for us to be, because the Bible declares: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

The Lord will not let us go. He will allow circumstances to pound us so our hearts will once again become soft and pliable. The people of Israel are the perfect example of this. Just think of how many times God allowed them to face famines, hardships, oppression, defeat, and captivity in order to soften their hearts and help them return to Him!

What Causes Our Hearts to Become Hard?

Being poisoned by negative talk. One person in a church or ministry is dissatisfied, bitter, critical and unwilling to change. He starts to talk negatively and poisons others. Soon the atmosphere of love among the brothers and sisters is replaced by disunity, anger and hardness of heart toward each other and the Lord.

An elevated view of ourselves. We feel important because we do something significant for God’s Kingdom, and we don’t recognize that our hearts is filled with pride, arrogance and an exalted view of ourselves. Often the symptoms don’t show up until years later when our heart is no longer soft in the Potter’s hand.

Rebellion. Any form of rebellion is like a tiny seed that, if not dealt with, will grow and eventually harden our heart and bring destruction. It begins with a tiny issue or a thought like this one: “Who does he think he is to tell me what to do? My life is none of his business!” – and it ultimately ends in death.

What Should We Do to Keep Our Hearts Soft?

Don’t take God’s grace for granted. Grace is given to those who are humble, not to those who are right or feel indispensable.

Watch over your heart (Proverbs 4:23). Don’t keep company with those who spread negative talk, sow disunity or have a rebellious spirit. Love them and pray for them, but have no part with them. Believe me, you and I are not strong enough to withstand the poison they spread. It’s in the atmosphere, and we breathe it in whether we intend to or not.

Submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). Don’t fight for your rights. Be willing to give up something. Learn to let it be.

Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should (Romans 12:3). Remember that all the gifts, talents and ministry you have are given to you by the Lord. Nothing is of yourself. It’s all God’s grace.

Be careful from whom you receive your counsel. That’s especially important when you are disappointed because your expectations are not met. Don’t go to a brother or sister who is not mature in the Lord and who sympathizes and agrees with your complaints and tears. Instead, go to someone who is mature and who can help you see the hand of God and His purpose behind the things you face.

Repent and run to the cross. If need be, do this a thousand times a day to maintain the tenderness of your heart. Whenever you seek the limelight, want to take credit, get hurt or when your expectations are not fulfilled and your plan don’t work out, don’t fight; go to the cross.

God always seek to do one thing with us on the Potter’s wheel – not to make us more powerful and famous, but to make us more like HIs Son, the Lord Jesus.

www.gfa.org/5minutes

Seasons

Exultation. Despair. Triumph. Defeat. Contentment. Frustration. Pride. Disappointment.

I have experienced all of those emotions – plus many more – in the last three years since I became a youth worker. And thus is my story.

Often, I feel like waving a white flag because I was tired of ministry. I didn’t want to be around teenagers sometime because I’m selfish. I would rather to be narcissistic rather than a servant. Sometime I wonder aloud if God wants me in this position because my heart doesn’t feel wholly into it. My ardent love for God fades when I face tough times in my personal life and ministry. I impulsively cry out, “Why, God,” when things don’t go well. I yell at God when bad things happens, and argue with Him relentlessly to get things done my way (actually, what right do I have to argue with the King who can take my life at a moment’s notice?).

Sadly but true, I do get ashamed of the Gospel sometime – the very thing that should give me endless joy and passion to share with everyone. I hide it out of fear, discouragement, and a momentarily lack of hope. I even run away from the eternal wellspring of Life without realizing it.

It is during those times when I want to abandon the call God has given me – and even my faith. Essentially, the fire within my heart was a dying ember enclosed within the ashes of its former glory. I knew deep within me that my life belonged to the King of kings, but I felt abandoned. I knew that God is always there for me. He never forsook or abandoned me. Yet I try in vain to run away from God just like the prophet Jonah.

Unbeknownst to me, God allowed me to grow distant from Him so I develop a holy longing for His divine Presence.

Sooner than later, I realized how depraved and worthless I was before God. I become horrified of the amount of sin in my life. I cringe at things that I have done. That’s when I turn around and run into my Father’s arms. I enter into His loving Presence in repentance. I start to drink the nectar of Life that flows from Him. The dying embers deep within me are fanned and rejuvenated, transforming into an all-consuming fire.

While cognizant of and consumed by His blazing Love, it is when I am reminded of the call God has placed in my heart. It is when I rise up from the ashes and faithfully press forward. It is when I am reminded of the high cost of following Christ. It is when I am strengthened and encouraged to face the world again. It is when I am reminded of my youth’s faces, the precious gifts God has given to this world. It is when I gaze at the face of Christ and am satisfied.

Thus sums up the seasons, the ebbs and flows, the waxing and waning, of a youth worker’s life. Minus all the titles and privileges I have in my life, less all the accolades received, while standing in the presence of God I am merely a Man, a condemned criminal forgiven by the anointing and redeeming blood of Christ.

Essentially, I am a saint and a sinner, eternally a willing prisoner to His Love.

---

“Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

~Isaiah 40:27-31

Our Situation - from Ransomed Heart

Let me say this again: the story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it. I hope you are beginning to see that more clearly now. Otherwise, much of the Bible will not make sense to you. Much of your life will not make sense to you.

I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. (Isa. 45:2–3)

Doesn’t the language of the Bible sometimes sound . . . overblown? Really now—God is going to level mountains for us? We’d be happy if he just helped us get through the week. What’s all that about breaking down gates of bronze and cutting through bars of iron? I mean, it sounds heroic, but, well, who’s really in need of that? This isn’t ancient Samaria. We’d settle for a parking place at the mall.

If we are in an epic battle, then the language of the Bible fits perfectly. Things are not what they seem. We are at war. That war is against your heart, your glory. Once more, look at Isaiah 61:1:

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners.

(Waking the Dead , 149–50)

(www.ransomedheart.org)

Resolved by the grace of God

The 2009 crystal ball of the Times Square will fall in a little over twenty- four hours, and American citizens will say good bye to 2008 and ring in 2009. When we welcome the new year with party and fun, we also make personal resolutions to achieve in 2009.

I pledge to lose 15 pounds... I hope I will be able to eat less chocolate... I intend on developing a better relationship with my co-workers.

Don't get me wrong here - most of the resolutions we create are well-intentioned. It is great for people to establish a year-long manifestos to aim for, but is it biblical to make resolutions? In other words, does the Bible encourage us to make our own resolutions?

While reading Tabletalk, a publication of Ligonier Ministries and R.C. Sproul (a year-long subscription gift for Christmas from my parents), Burk Parsons does a super-b job of examining the theology of making resolutions and whether it is biblical-based. I was reminded (and surprised) with the references he provide in his essay.

Let's look at Daniel: "But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's foods or with the wine that he drank." (Daniel 1:8)

And Joseph: "And her [Mary's] husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly." (Matthew 1:19)

Even Paul made many resolutions (1 Corinthians 10:14-32; Colossians 3:12-17), but I'll cite one here from 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12: "To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ." 

Bottom line: the Bible not only gives us permission to make resolutions, but also gives us several examples of various godly men who resolved to live for Him in a particular manner for a particular reason.

Jonathan Edwards, a famous Puritan pastor and philosopher who lived during the eighteenth century in colonial America, made seventy resolutions in his so-called "Resolutions," and his work was commenced with a simple introduction:

Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ's sake.

Jonathan Edwards' simplicity impresses me because at a mere age of nineteen (only a few years younger than me), he already knew his weaknesses (do we?) and the destructive nature of his sins, so he made a simple resolution to glorify God and pursue holiness; we should draw from his example to make our own resolutions. First, he had to be reasonable when he makes his resolutions. Second, he needed God's help in keeping his resolutions because he was weak. Third, he had to humble himself and recognize that he cannot do it alone. Finally, his resolutions must be made for Christ's sake (or within God's will) so that He may be glorified. In essence, he is a young man pursuing the heart of God, and wants to glorify Him through every word, deed, and thought he makes - which includes his resolutions.

May we learn from Jonathan Edwards' simple words filled with wisdom on resolution-making for 2009 and beyond!

Prayer for the USA

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.  We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.  We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.  We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem.  We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.  We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.  We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. 

Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and Set us free. Amen!

~Billy Graham

Pearls Before Breakfast

I ran across this fascinating story of an acclaimed violist named John Bell who played in DC Metro at L'Enfant Plaza for free - all a part of an experiment by Washington Post to see if anyone appreciates music in midst of a rush hour traffic. Although this story is a bit long and is written like a novel, this is worth the read. Here's the link:

John Bell's performance at L'Enfant Plaza

This story reminded me of how people acted two thousand years ago during Christmas when Jesus - Israel's long-awaited Messiah - arrived as an infant. Only few people noticed; many probably walked past the stable because they were too busy. May we not become too busy and walk by Jesus' birthday without pausing and admiring the arrival of our King!

Render to Obama all things that are Obama's

"Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s." ~Matthew 22:21

Since Barack Hussein Obama was elected as a president, a friend of mine mentioned this verse to me, and I've been meditating on it for well over four days. To be honest, the election results was a bit disappointing for me because I wanted McCain to win, in addition to my distrust for Obama due to his questionable history and associations with a few radical individuals.

What exactly does "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," and what implications it has to my own spiritual life?

Jesus was discussing the importance of paying taxes to Caesar and giving God our "first fruits" in terms of time, talent, and treasure, but this verse also has an important degree to the current selection of the successor for President Bush.

Although Obama claimed that he would reduce taxes for 95% of the middle-class Americans who earns less than $250,000 per annum (that number has been muddied recently - $120,000 according to Gov. Richardson of New Mexico), I have a strong feeling that our taxes will be increased once Obama takes the presidency. And when taxes increases, people will be more tempted to evade taxes. When people evades taxes, the IRS will be hot on their tails to throw them in the slammer. You know, IRS probably would swallow the key and leave those people to rot until they pay their taxes.

"Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed." ~Romans 13:7

Render unto Caesar all the taxes.

Render unto Caesar all the revenue.

Render unto Caesar all respect.

Render unto Caesar all deserved honor.

Replace the term "Caesar" with "Obama," and you still have the same meaning within this context. Paul encourages us to pay all applicable taxes, report all revenues, give respect and honor to government officials. In fact, it was God who established the government to maintain law and order in this fallen world (Romans 13). God commands us to honor our governmental officials and follow the law of the land, as long as they do not violate God's commandments.

Many of you probably are disappointed with the results of the election, and wish that it would have turned out differently. I share the same sentiments with you, but the American people have spoken on November 4th, 2008. As God's people, we must pray for our nation and the president-elect so that he may successfully lead our nation. We will disagree with some of his decisions, and maybe even become angry with what he does. But do not lose hope, for God is in control here and He has our best interest in His mind.

Remember, my friends: our God is sovereign, and whatever happens in the future is a part of His plan. He will rise up godly and ungodly leaders to lead a nation (look at the Israeli kings throughout 1 and 2 Kings for evidence) in order to accomplish His divine purpose. Barack Hussein Obama was already predestinated by God to lead this nation, and we who profess Christ as our savior and lord of life must give Obama all respect and honor he deserves, and pay our taxes if he demands for money. The money we have are not ours, for they belong to God alone - he just "loaned" them to us to use for His kingdom.

Render unto Obama all things that are Obama's, and to God all things that are His. AMEN.

Fall into Grace

This weekend I got a new take on an old phrase. I had the privilege of being at a church that was born out of failure. Its pastor had a fall from grace forcing him to lose his high position as heir apparent to a 6,000-member congregation and requiring him to give back a very lucrative book deal, but out of the broken pieces of his life, a new thing has begun. I had the opportunity to participate in the new thing that now has gained a level of legitimacy as a new congregation about ready to move into its first building, and it was an eye-opener.

As a result of its unique beginning, this church has attracted people whose life histories have not exactly followed the good Christian housekeeping seal of approval. They are, many of them, rejects from other churches – dropouts due to their own falls from grace.

And as I pondered this, I wondered why it was the exception to the rule to have a church full of broken people. What are churches supposed to be anyway if not communities of those who need Jesus on a regular basis? Unfortunately in many places, church has become more like a group of people who are all fixed up instead of those who are broken. At least that's what we try to be… The First Church of All the Fixed Up People.

The problem with supposedly being fixed is that you have to do something with the knowledge that deep down inside, you know that you are not – that not everybody is telling the truth about themselves, yourself included, but because we are all "fixed," we can't face the truth. In this light, a fall isn't the worst thing that could happen. If it brings you in touch with the real truth about yourself, and a true understanding of God's grace because you need it so much, it could be the best thing that could ever happen to you.

All I can say is, the place where this pastor has fallen to is a much better place than where he was before he fell. And the more I think about this, the more I am convinced that we have the phrase all wrong. You don't fall from grace; you fall into grace. Grace is not up; grace is down. Grace is what you finally understand when you fall. In fact, until you're down and broken, you can't even know what grace is. Oh you may be able to define it, and illustrate it so that it sounds like you know what you're talking about, but you never know grace until it reaches you personally in the depths of your own brokenness. Thus a fall into grace is really a fall into your salvation.

Fall from grace? Impossible. Grace is already down. Grace is what catches you. You can't fall from grace because there's nowhere else to fall. You're already in the arms of God.

                                            ~John Fischer (emphasis mine)

DTQuest's 10/20 Monday Memo Devotional

Part II - Practical Application

"There is one body and one Spirit - just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call - one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:4-5)

Paul was explicitly clear about oneness (unity) - one body... one Spirit... one hope... one Lord... one faith... one baptism... one God and Father of all - so we cannot neglect the importance of being unified. What are some of the ways by which DTQ can work with church-based youth ministries? Here are some do-able and useful suggestions:

• Sign up for an account through National Network for Youth Ministries (if you have not done so already, here's the link: www.nnym.org) and join Deaf Teen Ministry affinity network (www.deafministry.org). Encourage the churches with Deaf ministry to join as well! This is one of the main tools I've used this as a youth worker to communicate with various ministries across this region, and this is also the main venue by which we plan our retreats, our second one coming up in January. Very beneficial if everyone's committed to it!
• Actively seek out churches with Deaf ministries. Look up on the yellow pages, Google them up, check out their websites, and even go up to Deaf people to see if they know any! The churches won't come to parachurch ministries for help (except for a few rare cases), so you will have to reach out to those people. Many churches are willing to collaborate with other ministries and missionary organizations because they want people to know Christ. So, be the initiator!
• Connect with Deaf ministry program leaders who are passionate about the youth, and tell them what your vision is all about. Maintaining a regular contact with the church about DTQuest events is also important. Encourage the churches to support your local YFC DTQuest chapter (like ours for YFC-CM DTQuest program) either financially or by providing the usage of facilities. Want to go an extra mile? Set aside an hour for each church every month to sit down and develop or maintain a relationship - a major plus!
• Communicate clearly, communicate well, and communicate often - the churches need to know what you are doing with your ministries! First, tell them your vision using crystal-clear terms! If the churches know exactly what you envision - clear communication - they will be more willing to lend a helping hand either financially or materially. Second, choose several vehicles of communication in order to maximize your message delivery to the churches. Use e-mail newsletters, written letters, catchy flyers, announcement boards, church brochures, a biplane with a sign trailing on its back on Sunday mornings - use whatever it requires for you to inform all the churches about your needs - thus communicating well! Finally, make a mental commitment to keep churches posted about how God has been working in your personal lives and ministries - hence communicating often. The church leadership will appreciate it and might even be willing to invest more into your ministries! All you have to do is tell! Ask, seek, and knock... sounds familiar?
• Pray - this is the most crucial aspect of all ministries! Pray that the One who promises unity will bring local churches together to be the brilliant light of the world. Pray that a true and lasting unity will permeate both your and the church ministries to be an excellent example to the world. Pray for His guidance and wisdom daily. Be honest about your needs. Samuel Chadwick writes: "The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying. He laughs at our toil, mocks our wisdom, but trembles when we pray." Never underestimate the power of a praying saint!

Of course, our ministries' context will differ from region to region, and from individual to individual. Those suggestions are meant to encourage you to seek support from a church (don't limit yourself to only one - be bold), and to give you some tools by which you can experience unity. A final word here: unity is not easy. That's why Jesus prayed for it before he died on the Cross. Paul knew the difficulty of this, and exhorts the early church to pursue this. But the good news is this: unity is made possible through the indwelling Holy Spirit that lives in each one of us! AMEN

DTQuest's 10/13 Monday Memo Devotional

"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20-23)

Jesus, in his famous prayer before he was arrested, prayed specifically for a lasting, unbreakable unity among all believers who profess Christ as Savior and Lord. Jesus knew that unity would not come naturally for humans. It is a great thing to actualize in principle, but it can only be achieved with the presence of Holy Spirit in our lives, bridging whatever our differences are to bring us together with a common mission.

As a friend of YFC DTQuest and a leader for a church-based youth ministry, I would like to delve into a question that has been asked by many of you: How can a DTQuest and church-based Deaf youth ministry work together to reach our teenagers for Christ?

First and foremost, all believers within DTQ and the Church (I am not referring the "Church" as an institution, but as a group of people who declared Christ at their savior and lord of their lives) must have a firm grasp on the core doctrines taught by Jesus Christ. Christ died for us because He loves us and wants us to be one with our Father. It is essential for all believers to believe that we are only saved only by Grace through Christ's death on the cross. That is the fundamental Truth we all must share to be able to reach our teenagers for Christ. If a church or a ministry doesn't share basic biblical truth about Jesus Christ, then unity will never be achieved.

Second, it is important to recognize that DTQuest is an "outreach arm" of the church. I won't deny that it is crucial for teenagers to be with a group of like-minded peers - one of the hallmarks of DTQuest's GROWgroups - but the Bible also teaches and shows us (most clearly in Acts) the important role of the church in the lives of all believers. Only in the context of a local church will people grow closer to Christ. Teenagers won't stay teenagers forever; there will come a time when teenagers will need to become plugged into a local Body of Christ.

DTQuest is part of the fulfillment of the Great Commission that Jesus proclaimed in Matthew 28; the Church also has a commandment to encourage, support, and challenge all people to know God and to fall madly in love with their Creator. AMEN

An Enslaved Freedman

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among them are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." (Declaration of Independence, July 4th, 1776)

Hailed as one of the greatest philosophical documents ever written, Thomas Jefferson (along with the help from John Adams and Benjamin Franklin) wrote the Declaration of Independence and made a bold move against the British Empire to dissolve the colonies' relationship with the Crown. Colonists were fed up with paying taxes, dealing with ignorant Parliament who believes that England is entitled to world dominion, and religious intolerance - expressed through the now infamous Boston Tea Party and witnessed through the mass migration of Puritans. After the submission of this Declaration to the British Parliament, the American Revolution did not conclude until the Treaty of Paris was formally ratified and exchanged by the British and United States parties on May 12, 1784 in France. It required America eight additional years after the signing of the Declaration until she was fully emancipated from England. The effect of the Revolution can still be felt not only in America, but all over the world.

I am eternally thankful for the liberties I enjoy in America. We have achieved a great amount of equality in many ways, let it be racial, economical opportunity, and equal employment opportunity. We are allowed to practice whatever belief system we want to without being threatened by our government. We can bear arms in our houses and use it to defend ourselves against people who intend to do harm toward us. We do not have to fear any unwarranted searches and seizures of our personal property. An impartial jury, by principle, is guaranteed to any of us who have been accused of any wrongdoings, and we are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty. There are enumerated powers assigned separately for the federal and state governments; no single governmental agency in America has the right or power to usurp the powers reserved for a lesser government. You can say that I am free in America, and I won't deny that. There are many people in the world who are hungry, oppressed, and shackled in a society. I'm grateful for the utterly high price our soldiers who fought in all wars to defend our freedom and perished.

Yet the more I thought about my liberty, the more I realized that it was temporal, only to be enjoyed in this lifetime. Although it makes me feel elated to be blessed in such a way, I realized something crucial: I was still a miserable prisoner. After I take my last breath, what will my liberties meant to me? I cannot bring the freedom I have here into my death. I was still controlled by Death.

In other words, I was a prisoner of hate, greed, jealousy, lust, desires, fear, material items, and fruitless dreams. I was set on pursuing the American dream, to become wealthy and enjoy my life to its fullest. However, I finally realized something: no matter what I do, I cannot get rid of my nagging sense of despair and hopelessness. There was a void in my heart that I cannot fill by things found in this world; this hole, I realized later, was a God-sized one.

I am an enslaved freedman. Although free, my heart is held captive to a higher principle that is apart from this transient world. Just when I thought that the cold iron shackles of slavery would burden me when I sworn my allegiance to God, the freedom I found greeted me like a dear friend. I am not bound to any laws, but to the Law that is characterized by a mind-boggling Grace and unconditional Love. As a captive, I am free to shout. I am free to run. I am free to dance. I am free to live my life aiming to honor, praise, and glorify my King: Christ Jesus, my Lord, Savior, and Friend.

And here's why: my King laid down all the splendor and glory of his God-ship only to come here on Earth as a lowly human, a man who was tempted and tried in every possible way, yet never sinned. He was born under the law, lived for thirty-three years under the law, and died uneventfully under the law. My King was able to heal the sick, make the lame walk, restore the blind's sight, and make the dead walk again. He was arrested, accused and convicted; He suffered unimaginable agony and pain, all while hanging on an accursed tree, the cross, like a common criminal, as a completely innocent man. He did no crime, except for this: He brought forth true freedom into this world. He makes this freedom available to all who choose to believe, receive, and declare Him as their personal savior.

As I meditated on what Christ did, I am reminded that only true freedom can be found in Christ alone. No governments of this world can offer us this assertion. No kings that has lived, is living, and will come in the future can give people a 100% certainty on their freedom. Even the founding Fathers who boldly wrote the Declaration cannot - only Christ can. Apostle Paul sums it up:

"[W]here the Spirit of Lord is, there is liberty. " (2 Corinthians 3:17)

"For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord's freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave." (2 Corinthians 7:22)

I have sworn allegiance to my King, and a Declaration of Independence has already been written, ratified, and sealed with my name through the blood of Christ. Will I find your name among the signers?