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

You Have Our Attention, Lord

Our friends lost their house
The co-worker lost her job
The couple next door lost their retirement
It seems that everyone is losing their footing
This scares us. This bailout with billions.
These rumblings of depression.
These headlines: ominous, thunderous -
“Going Broke!” “Going Down!” “Going Under!” “What's Next?”

What is next?

We’re listening. And we’re admitting: You were right.
You told us this would happen.

You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money.
Greed will break your heart, You warned.
Money will love you and leave you.
Don’t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain.
You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped.

We were wrong to spend what we didn’t have.
Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor.
Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn’t. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it

We’re listening. And we’re praying.
Could you make something good out of this mess?

Of course You can. You always have.
You led slaves out of slavery,
Built temples out of ruins,
Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine.

This disorder awaits your order. So do we.

Through Christ,
Amen

God will always give what is right to His people who cry to Him night and day, and He will not be slow to answer them. (Luke 18:7 NCV)

~Max Lucado

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

Freebies!!!

I just LOVE free stuff... who doesn't??? Here's a list of links for free stuff... some are great for sermon series, other for media, and a few will require some digging for some nuggets. All in all, they will empower your ministry and save your money in the long run!

http://vineresources.com/swag
http://www.muddyrivermedia.org/
http://www.openresources.org/
http://open.lifechurch.tv/
http://www.simplyyouthministry.com/freebies.html
http://content.simplyyouthministry.com/ffa08/
http://www.crazychurch.com/
http://www.newspringonline.com/
http://www.pastor2youth.com/
http://www.thesource4ym.com/
http://www.youthministry.com/?q=freebie-library/popularity/
http://www.youthspecialties.com/freeresources/articles/
http://www.dare2share.org/
http://timschmoyer.com/category/friday-freebie/
http://studentministryresources.com/

Enjoy the dibs... share any free links you frequent in the comments section!

Credits goes to www.youthministrygeek.com!

Pro-Life, Pro-Woman - FRC Publication

I received this e-mail this morning from Family Research Council (www.frc.org), and wanted to share this with you. This article reports what the American Psychological Association (APA) won't reveal about the psychological effect abortion has on women. Also, check out the links at the bottom of this e-mail for more information - all fascinating!

"Abortion has more than its share of moral complexities, but a panel of experts at FRC headquarters today showed that it poses an especially dangerous threat to women's mental health. To a capacity crowd, experts and clinicians did what the American Psychological Association refused to do in its latest report on abortion and mental health: told the truth-the whole truth-about the relationship between abortion and depression, anxiety disorders, suicide, and substance abuse. The prevalence of these symptoms among the 30 million women who have had the procedure is climbing at an alarming rate. While the research has yet to give pro-abortion leaders pause, the American people are taking the harmful effects of abortion very seriously. In a blockbuster poll released at today's lecture, the Elliot Institute found that 85 percent of American adults believe that "significant emotional problems" after an abortion are "common" or "very common." Only 15 percent of the people surveyed believe that abortion generally makes women's lives better. Seventy-one percent of participants across the ideological spectrum said that conducting research on these post-abortion complications should be a moderate to high priority. David Reardon, director of the Elliot Institute, hinted at the policy implications of the study. "Politicians who ignore the issue of post-abortion complications are ignoring an important concern of the American people." Of equal concern to pro-lifers is that millions of these women are suffering at the hands of government-funded organizations like Planned Parenthood. The public is ready to address this problem. Is Congress?"

Additional Resources
2008 Post Abortion Awareness Poll Survey Summary [PDF]
Post-abortion Mental Health Effects, Awareness, and Politics

Post your thoughts based on what you have already read, if you feel inclined to do so.

Potpourri of quotes

On economy...

“Lots of other places—from Britain to Australia—took a hit in 1929 but, alas, they lacked an FDR to keep it going till the end of the Thirties. That’s why in other countries they refer to it as ‘the Depression,’ but only in the U.S. is it ‘Great’.” —Mark Steyn

Here is some funny newspaper headlines:

Cheer Up, Everyone!: “Poll: 60% Say Depression ‘Likely”’ —CNNMoney.com

“Issue of Depression Addressed on Campus” —Spectator (University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire)

“Male Depression: Why It’s Undiagnosed and What It Looks Like” —Beliefnet.com

“Is Depression Robbing Kids’ Happiness?” —IBNLive.com (India)

“Depression: Does It Cause Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)?” —wddty.com

“Depression Can Be Funny Too” —Navigator News (Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL)

~****~

On politics...

“Obama has shown that he is a man of limited experience, questionable convictions, deeply troubling associations (Jeremiah Wright, William Ayers, Tony Rezko) and an alarming lack of self-definition—do you really know who he is and what he believes?” —Charles Krauthammer

“Obama could have allied himself with all sorts of other people. But, time and again, he allied himself with people who openly expressed their hatred of America. No amount of flags on his campaign platforms this election year can change that.” —Thomas Sowell

“The short memories of the American voters is what keeps our politicians in office.” —Will Rogers

Some plainly nonsensical quotes from Obama, the demo-gogues, and the Left...

“I believe this is a final verdict on the failed economic policies of the last eight years, strongly promoted by President Bush and supported by Sen. McCain, that essentially said that we should strip away regulations, consumer protections, let the market run wild, and prosperity would rain down on all of us.” —Socialist Barack Obama in Tuesday’s debate, trashing what we like to call “capitalism”

“You have to wonder about what John McCain and his running mate, what their priorities are for America. Privatizing Social Security, gutting Medicare, deregulating healthcare is not putting your country first, it’s putting a radical, misguided, reckless ideology ahead of the interests of your country.” —Barack Obama

Off the deep end: “[Republicans] get to take things out on poor people. Let’s be honest: The fact that some of the poor people are black doesn’t hurt them either, from their standpoint. This is an effort, I believe, to appeal to a kind of anger in people.” —Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)

Revising history: “We kicked—along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon.” —Joe Biden in Thursday’s vice-presidential debate **“Biden said the strangest and most ill-informed thing I have ever heard about Lebanon in my life. Nobody has ever kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon. Not the United States. Not France. Not Israel. And not the Lebanese. Nobody. Joe Biden has literally no idea what he is talking about.” —Michael Totten*

Take your own advice: “The truth matters.” —Joe Biden

Non Compos Mentis: “You know, the one thing that really gets to me, which I don’t think many people are discussing, but to me sounds like a little bit of a contradiction is being pro-life yet being pro-hunting—unless you are assuming that animals are not alive. That’s such a huge contradiction to me on the McCain-Palin thing. It just doesn’t fit in my book.” —supermodel Mayra Veronica

From WAY out in left field: “I’m also worried since it’s October that George Bush will do one of three things: Either find bin Laden, who’ve they’ve had somewhere for eight months waiting to bring out... at the ranch... Or, you know, let’s start a war with Iran. That’s always a possibility. And here’s the third thing and I don’t know much about the Bible and I’m not a big rapture guy but I believe George Bush is, and what better way, if your polls are so bad, than to go out by pushing the button and destroying all life on Earth?” —Hollywood producer and director Barry Sonnenfeld

The creme du de coup...

Jay Leno: The [second presidential] debate took place in Nashville, Tennessee, which is perfect—the economy right now is kind of like a bad country song: “I lost my girl; I lost my house...” ... The debate was held in “town-hall” style, which means instead of ignoring the moderator’s questions, the candidates could ignore the voters directly. ... [Congress] passed their $800 billion bailout bill [Friday]. Although some senators who voted for it are now very upset. They thought they were giving themselves a pay raise. ... Congress keeps saying that not only are taxpayers going to get back the $800 billion, oh, they’re going to make money on the deal too. Yeah, yeah. See, now you know where the ‘con’ in congressman comes from. ... The Labor Department has announced that 159,000 people lost their jobs last month. Worst job loss in five years. Here’s the ironic part—all 435 members of Congress still have their jobs. ... The stock market’s so bad now that at closing time, instead of a bell, they play taps.

~All credit goes to the 08-41 edition of Chronicles from The Patriot Post (http://patriotpost.us)

Free Market Status: Dead

The bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, an international banker with a famous reputation, and the acquisition of Merrill Lynch - my internship site this past summer - by Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) only added to the list of victims of the sub-prime mortgage crisis that has plagued the Wall Street for the past year. Before that, Bear Stearns, a well-reputed investment banker, was merged rather forcibly by the government with JPMorgan Chase & Company (NYSE: JPM). Our most-wonderful government decided that intervention was in the best interest of our economy's health by taking over Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Finally, as the creme du de coup, the government decided to bailout America Insurance Group (AIG) with a $85 billion loan... directly from the taxpayers' pocket (read: every single one of us who earn a dime). This past week alone has been a tough week for the stock market, and it leaves people like myself wondering what will happen in the future with our economy.

As a Management major with a finance concentration and a minor in Economics - hence the reason this topic interests me so much - I have learned one principle that generally is a bad news for the market: big government. When the government decides to grow and expand through control and bureaucracy, that is when the market, our so-called free market, suffers from the strangling hold of the "Big Brother." The bailout of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is our most recent evidence of government intervention in the capitalistic market. Instead of letting businesses collapse and fail (this is rather painful, but necessary, for the proper operations of a capitalistic economy), the government thinks that they know the answer to every problem, every crisis, and tells us, "We are here to save the day!" I beg to differ.

In fact, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, along with President Bush, has just announced a possible plan for the government to "buy up bad mortgages and other toxic debts," all while using "a 'significant amount of taxpayers' money.'" This proposed governmental intervention will be - read this carefully - "the biggest proposed government intervention in financial markets since the Great Depression." Read more about the government's lifeline to rescue the financial market.

The free market, I fear, might already be dead. Read U.S. Senator Bunning's statement if you think I'm overreacting.

Your thoughts on what's happening in the economy are welcomed.

Pray for Sara Palin's Church

I received this e-mail message from a dear friend of mine today, and wanted to share it with you, since some of the readers are Christians and have great interest in politics. It is important for us to pray for our politicians, especially Sarah Palin, who is being unfairly attacked by the liberal media for non-essential reasons. This e-mail message reminded me that Sarah's life is not only influenced by her choice - the people who knows her at some level will be questioned by the media with a goal of finding subtle mistakes, if any, that might influence Sarah's shot at her VP bid during this election season. Moreover, if there is any flaws found within the church that she attended, the very vitality of the Body of Christ will be affected in that community.

---

Greetings to all!

Our pastor here in Bigfork, Montana, Hal Curtis, is friends with the pastor of Sarah Palin's pastor in Wasilla, Alaska. His name is David Pepper and the church is Full Gospel Church of Wasilla, AK.

Three days before Gov. Palin was announced by John McCain as his choice for VP, she came before her pastor to be anointed and prayed over for service to God. She didn't tell the church what was going on....just that she needed their prayer support. During the mere days since the announcement, the pastor and the church have been bombarded with questions from the media. They are trying to get the word out to Christians all over the nation to pray for God's protection of Sarah Palin and of their church. They suspect that the treatment of Jeremiah Wright will pale in comparison to what is coming their way as a conservative Christian body.

When the little Down's Syndrome baby of Todd and Sarah Palin was dedicated a few months ago, their statement to the congregation was 'This little boy is my pro-life statement.' According to David Pepper, Todd and Sarah are very strong in their faith in Jesus Christ and believe God has put them in this position to serve Him.

Let's remember to pray for Gov. Palin and her family as they walk through this very trying time! Thank you so much!

Vicky Creamer

p.s. Please pass this request on to other prayer warriors!

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?

DFYouth Ministry Logo Unveiled!

For the past few months, I have been working in a cooperative effort with a church member who happens to work as a graphic designer to develop a new logo for Deaf Fellowship Youth Ministry (DFYouth Ministry). Last night, I added some finishing touch to the logo, and, with excitement and enthusiasm, unveiled our official logo to the church family.

I'm really thrilled to have this project completed because it will allow people to associate our ministry with an image when we do our outreach activities (just like what other ministries do - DeafTeen Quest(r), Focus on the Family, etc.). There are a few subtle messages embedded in the logo that will be clear upon explanation. First, perhaps my favorite feature of the logo, there is a cross with a "I-Love-You" hand sign on the top of the mountain, signifying the unconditional, eternal Love Christ had for us when He died on the cross for our sake. Second, the three crosses on the mountain should remind us who Christ died with - sinners - and the location of His death - the Calvary. Third, the mountain, hopefully, will remind everyone to keep their gaze fixed upward toward Christ. In addition, the mountain also represents the arduous journey that every Christian who profess Christ as their personal savior, Lord, and the King of their lives will make in their lifetime as they pursue to be more like Christ (sanctify themselves). Finally, the arch tells us that with Christ's death, there's Hope in the world (just like the Bible, "His mercies are new every morning") - hence the likeliness of a sun that rises every morning.

This logo is loaded with meaning, I know, but all relevant to the Christian faith! I hope you enjoyed the DFYouth Ministry's logo design, and that you are inspired to embody an unique logo into your own ministries!

Reclaim the Prize: The Call to Overcome our Sex-Saturated Culture

Disclaimer: the ladies that I currently work with in youth ministry are those who I place high respect for their personal conduct and moral standards. As a result of my respect for them, I feel free to talk about this, and am open to any opposing point of views here. I am just speaking here as a youth leader involved in youth ministry concerned with the changing set of values in our culture that impacts not only Deaf teen ministry, but teen ministries everywhere. This article is also written out of my concern for the general welfare of our adolescence.

-----

Known simply as "The Kiss," Madonna and Brittany Spears participated in an open-mouthed expression of affection on Music Television (MTV), and people say, "Oh, that's just a kiss... that means nothing."

Perfume and make-up ads (such as one to the left) are notorious for showing expression-less faces of young women or women barely dressed posed in a sensuous way that causes women to think, "Oh, this perfume will make men want me. I want to be sexy - ONLY those perfumes and make-ups can do it."

Advertisements by jean companies, especially designer ones, often show a girl and boy rolling half-naked in the ebbing flows of the ocean in passionate embrace. Simple observers will think, "Oh, it is normal to feel that way, especially when wearing that pair of jeans. There's nothing wrong with an expression of love."

Liquor ads, such as those by Budweiser and Miller Lite, often show girls with little clothing being showcased with a bottle. Sex sells, indeed, especially when it comes to beer commercials.

The above examples are just a cursory glance of what our society throws at us on a daily basis, let it be on television, magazine, or billboards. However, I must mention this as well: our teenagers see those images, and more, on a daily basis just like we did. They are led to believe in those messages shown by the media to be the truth.

And they are nothing but lies. Plain and simple.

Today in my Psychology of Adolescence, we watched a video based on the book, Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls, written by Mary Pipher, an adolescent psychologist/therapist. After a bit of research on this book from Amazon.com, I must admit that it was published quite a while ago - 1994. However, much of the information covered in the film was relevant to the predicament faced by our adolescent, especially those of the female sex.

While I watched the video, I became infuriated when I saw a parade of images featuring girls in suggestive clothing peppered with sex-charged comments on magazine covers, in addition to many video clips of 5'11"-and-110-pounds-girls-with-pearly-white-teeth seem happy to hop in a bed with a well-tanned and muscular guy. As many are aware of, the girls are being pressurized to bring the waist line of their jeans lower, their shirt sleeves must be made of as little fabric as possible, their shirt neck line brought down to a revealing cleavage, and the boundaries of what defines an underwear and a pair of shorts become blurred.

The media has sexualized our culture so much that it begins to negatively influence our teenagers and disturbs people like myself who work with the youth, if not only the parents. They continue to bombard our youth with images that only entails them to lower their moral standards, become more "loose" and risky in their behavior, make poor decisions, and succumb to peer pressure that the society puts on them. Interestingly enough, the video pointed out (paraphrased):

The more girls spend their time consuming media, the more likely it is for them to engage in risky behavior (such as alcohol, drugs, sex, to name a few).

Here's a very shocking statistic that I found online that I thought should be shared. Although this does not explicitly state how the media influences our teenagers, the end results of such an influence, among other factors, are startling:

Every day in America, 1,106 teenagers have abortions; 1,295 teenagers give birth; and 7,742 teens become sexually active. (Source: Children's Defense Fund)

Moreover, the level of peer pressure is so great that they are expected to conform with the physical beauty portrayed in the media, and will be ridiculed by their peers for not wearing designer jeans or even the right hair style. If they do not par up to the society's expectations of what beauty is defined as, they are sucked in the morass of depression, eating disorders, and thoughts, if not the deed, of suicide. Even more sadly,

Every day in America, 6 teenagers commit suicide. (Source: Children's Defense Fund)

If this statistic is correct, let's put things in perspective: 42 teens die on a weekly basis, 180 monthly, and 2,190 yearly! If this doesn't cause you to boil with righteous indignation, it should!

The girls are not the only victims here to the influence of the media; our guys are beset with the incessant bombardment of negative influence that gives rise to a whole horde of destructive behaviors. Our men are taught to treat women like objects, something to be exploited. Pornography, sexual addiction, and disrespect runs rampant in the male portion of our society. Women, according to the media, are something that is ready to obey whatever men bid them to do. A terrible thing to say, indeed, but that's what many psychologists and counselors, less youth workers, have observed over the recent decades.

In summation: our adolescence are lacking a sense of self-identity and self-worth. Without those attributes, our adolescents are stuck in a great emotional turmoil; a sense of hopelessness and despair; and may even be forced to compromise their moral standards for temporal happiness.

As a youth worker involved with Deaf teenagers, it is easy for me to say, "All the talk about how much the media influences our students - they don't apply to our teenagers because the research is mainly aimed at those who can hear." However, this line of thinking is flawed because Deaf people are very visual (their brains, according to research, will compensate one's visual abilities to compensate for the unused auditory part of the brain - interesting!) and do readily obtain information. And that made me wonder (and I ask you this question too): how can we effectively minister to our students in this sex-saturated culture?

First, we need to love our students unconditionally, just like God loves us. Our students need to know that they are loved just the way they are. They do not need to be skinny, beautiful, or even a blonde! They need to know that regardless of their race, sex, national origin, sex, and religious beliefs, they are loved! They need to know that they are valued for who they are, not for what the society tells them to be!

Second, our students need to be given a safe, nurturing place where they can freely express their feelings, thoughts, and troubles to a group of believers who will support and encourage them to be the men/women that God intends them to be. This is the key to build a community of believers that truly reflects His Church.

Finally, in order to know how to effectively minister to our teenagers, let them be Deaf or hearing, we must be knowledgeable about our culture's current trends and inclinations by staying up-to-date. We need to know the major movers and pushers in the media that potentially can shape our teenagers' lives, and offer a counter response to them.

There is another important lesson worthy of note that I have  learned: the parents of our youth, not their friends or even us, are the primary youth workers. They interact with their children all the time, both inside and outside their homes, and imparts the most influence on their lives. Youth workers (such as myself) only have a secondary role in teenagers' lives, and we can help our parents do a better job by keeping them up-to-date with the youth culture's ever-shifting landscape. Quite a challenging task, I must admit, but a honorable one nonetheless. I consider it a great honor when the parents of our youth entrusts their lives in our hands and empowers us to help their teenagers mature to become godly people.

Above all things, no matter what happens, no matter how bad things might seem to get, let it be with our media or culture, Jesus reminds us:

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33 NIV)

Regardless of what message our media feeds our teenagers, what our culture forces our kids, I challenge you: be a revolutionary and overcome our culture with the message of Hope! Help our teenagers reclaim the prize stolen under our teenagers' noses: the sense of and the pride for selfhood. Once done that, also remind them that the God of redeeming love and grace can heal and restore them from the hurts inflicted by our culture, and usher them into a lifestyle characterized by His Love.

A Week Without God

Imagine if there was no God... no hope, no love, no grace, no mercy. Nothingness will reign in our world. Hopelessness and Despair will be our parasites and leave us to be hollow shells of our unique selves. And the days of our weeks would be called:

Mournday

Tearsday

Wasteday

Thirstyday

Fightday

Shatterday

Sinday

(Got this from an e-mail forward, and wanted to share it)

Help My Unbelief - Friday Fragments

I digested this wonderful devotional this evening from Dan Wolgemuth, the president of Youth For Christ - USA, in his "Friday Fragments" weekly newsletter. Enjoy the thought-provoking read!

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Did God actually say… ~ Genesis 3:1

These words, whispered from the craftiest of all creatures, have cascaded through history and into the most intimate and difficult situations that any human being faces.  The shadows of doubt darken the brilliance of God’s promises and commands in a way that dilutes my heart. 

Even this morning, as I was reading through the record of Jesus’ encounter with the father of a son who was consumed by a destructive spirit, I tripped across a word, a single three-letter word, that triggered the very lie that Satan introduced in Genesis. 

All things are possible for one who believes. ~ Mark 9:23

ALL!  You can’t be serious.  This must be one of those classic times when the English language simply does an injustice to the original Greek. 

Like a sprinter out of the starting blocks I raced to my Strong’s Concordance to do a word search.  And as I landed on Strong’s number 3956, I discovered something stunning and amazing… all means all.

Then again… like the same sprinter who is involved in a relay, I handed my doubt off to another companion, to rationalization, to the dismissive excuse of culture or context, to whatever would help me attempt to reconcile the personal promise of Jesus against the present reality of my own experience. 

I chased this doubt across other references in the New Testament only to find an exit ramp into the words of Paul in the book of Romans.  Specifically, the words in the 8th chapter that say: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” 

This proved even more disturbing.  This gave the potent lie of Satan additional dark black soil in which to plant his “Did God really say” lies.  Did God really mean “all things” in this context as well? 

Once again, the dash for evidence, once again, Strong’s 3956.  Once again, all means all.

“All things are possible…”
“…all things work together…”

Let there be no doubt, God, the only God.  The great I AM, has declared, and He has not stuttered, that All means All. 

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said. “I believe; help my unbelief.” ~ Mark 9:24

Even while we hear the whispered hissing tones of the evil lies that invade our soul, may we have the courage to proclaim… “Yes, God did really say that all means all.” 

Help my unbelief.

Christian Counselor fired for her beliefs

While I was checking my e-mail today, I ran into an article by www.onenewsnow.com and couldn't believe what I was reading. Amuse yourselves with the article, and share your thoughts.

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=182208

McCain - The Lesser of Two Evils?

Conservatives hate McCain. I was recently reading a somewhat-sarcastic column by Ann Coulter, a well-reputed Conservative, and she hit many good points about McCain's positions.

I won't beat around the bush here, because it will serve no good to do this, so I will get to the point here. The majority of conservative Republicans don't trust McCain because he is a liberal Republican.

I trust God fully that He will lead us through the next four years (or even eight, if no solid candidate comes forth that generates excitement for the Conservatives and the liberal candidate/president gets booted), but I sometime wonder what the future holds for this country, and for religious freedom in America. I know that my citizenship resides in heaven alone, but I can't help but wonder what America's future will look like for my descendants.

"Oh, this country will still be a Christian one, even with a Democrat president," you may refute. But I have to question that as well...

Will the citizens' freedom of speech be censored through the passage of an ENDA-like legislation (Employee Non-Discrimination Act)? If such a legislation is passed, all non-profit organizations, especially Christian ones and those who holds similar values, will have to hire people whose actions does not match with the Bible's teachings. Or suppose an employee does not agree with one's lifestyle and refuses to hire him/her/it (given that he/she is a transgender, hence the "it"). Shocker here: he could be arrested on the grounds of "discrimination."

Have you visited McCain's campaign website yet? While he does highlight some of the key issues that voters should be concerned about, he's missing several crucial issues that matters to the followers of Jesus/Christians: the sanctity of marriage, importance of families, freedom of speech and freedom to worship El Shaddai, to name a few. On religious matters, McCain has gone as far to label some key religious leaders as "agents of intolerance" in 2000. No wonder Dr. Dobson, a renowned advocate for the stability of American families and founder of the Focus on Family organization domiciled in Colorado Springs, has not endorsed him thus far - perhaps because Dr. Dobson identifies himself with the agents of intolerance?

McCain's history with legislation votes lean toward the Leftists. If he is elected as our president, I would not be surprised if he decides to impose nonsensical taxes such as "windfall" profits on oil companies, ultimately making us pay more at our gas stations. In addition, he will oppose any further legislation for drillings on only 0.01 percent of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) with fears of its caribou population being driven to extinction. A liberal acting like a Republican in disguise, indeed.

The future of the 2008 election season, with McCain courting for Conservatives' votes, is looking bleak. I will still vote, but it will boil down to choosing the lesser of the two evils: Obama or McCain. No matter what I choose, the dilemma remains: both of those choices are, figuratively speaking, still evil.

And I won't get started on Obama...

"On That Day..." - WaveSTAFF (formerly NewSTAFF) Insight #2

"Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Jeremiah 31:31-33 (ESV)

God was given many chances to leave (and even destroy) us because we were unfaithful to Him. But He never did. It brings to mind a book in the Bible that talks about God's love for His people, Israel: Hosea. In this book, God commands Hosea to be married to an adulterer, who has openly committed adultery and is not sorry about it. Even with Hosea's ardent passion for his wife, she continues to lie in bed with other men. How horrible is that for a marriage, even by today's standards!?

God humbled Hosea in the very beginning: "Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord" (Hosea 1:2). This was difficult for Hosea to accept, and it would be for me. Confession time: if I was Hosea, I would not have listened to God and, instead, chosen a chaste woman. But what happens here? Hosea follows God and marries a prostitute! The level of commitment that God asks of Hosea is incredible, if not mind boggling. However, God is trying to reveal something about His nature that is guaranteed to challenge us in our daily walk with Christ.

No matter how many different gods of this world we have slept with (money, sex, greed, lust, to name a few), God will remain faithful to His promiscuous wife (read: us), even at a great cost. On that day, as was prophesied by Jeremiah, while people, from the past to the present and to the future, continue to wallow and enjoy their adulterous relationships, God demonstrated His love in this manner: He sent His ONLY son to die on the cross for our sake. God did this because He loves us so much, and His love cannot be measured. It extends as far as East is from the West, and He zealously desires us to give Him our all in all.

At the very hour of our belief, the Mosaic Law ordained by God on stone tablets is permanently engraved in our hearts, actively working through our lives by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The God of Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, and Moses is now our personal Father, and we are His adopted children. Just like Hosea, He has forgiven us for all of our iniquities, and remembers them no longer. How amazing is His grace!

Do our teens realize the magnitude of His grace? When we reach out to our teenagers, do they see God as a distant, impersonal being, even as a judge? Or as someone who is jealous, passionate, full of adventure, and even righteously wrathful? Do they know that He actively pursues our hearts daily like a Shepherd who willingly abandons His flock to find a lost ewe?

As believers, we have been enshrined as ministers of the new covenant. Paul points out: we have been made "competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit" (2 Corinthians 3:6). God has empowered us through the Holy Spirit to do this: to bear a single message of never-ending hope: God is Love, and Love is God. Has every aspect of your lives illustrated this eternal Truth?

It's an Elephant... no, an Airplane... oh shoot! It's a Funnel Cloud in Hagerstown!

I was home on Monday night ironing a dress shirt for my internship when this happened. I live about twenty minutes east of Hagerstown, and a tornado almost touched down in downtown! If it did, it would have caused unimaginable destruction and possibly several tragic losses of life. Now, tornadoes are rare around here, but storms are plenty during hot summer months.

Read for yourself: http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=18801, and check out the video of the funnel cloud. Also make sure that you check out the slideshow of pictures from the storm.

I'm thanking God that He has protected the residents of Hagerstown through this harrowing experience! I will post a few pictures of the hail storm we had that evening.

Overcoming Barriers: A Profile on Christopher Coleman

"As he went along, he [Jesus] saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?'

'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.'"

~John 9:1-3

I ran into his story through one of my social network communities on LiveJournal, and was moved by his testimony. In retrospect, Christopher Coleman was pronounced dead for the first fifteen minutes of his life, and suffers from cerebral palsy. He was assumed to be severely retarded, and had little hope for a successful future as an individual. Only because of his mother's dedication to her son's welfare and relentless faith in Christ Jesus was he able to succeed in the latter part of his life. Christopher later admits that if it was not for his mother, he would not have met Christ and have his life's destiny fulfilled.

Think about this: just when we think we are disabled, God can still work in our lives! Never underestimate the power of God and what He can do for us!

http://www.christophercoleman.net/testimony.html

The Fellowship of the Unashamed

I got this story from my church's weekly newsletter written by our senior Pastor, and wanted to share this with you. This piece was written by an anonymous African pastor years ago, and is a classic! Enjoy.

I have Holy Spirit power. The decision has been made. I must go till He comes and work till He stops me. I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me – my banner will be clear!

Created for a Reason

I was born a perfectly normal, happy baby. I was my parents' second child. My parents were exceedingly proud of me, and was looking forward to see me grow up as godly child who fears Lord the God with my whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. My parents were blessed with a safe delivery and a healthy baby, because my sister, who happens to be four years older than me, had complications during her birth and ensuing illness that required a prolonged stay in the hospital following delivery. In the simplest sense, I was a healthy boy with a bright future.

Fast forward ten months later.

I was admitted in the hospital after my parents noticed a gray pallor on my face. They were greatly concerned with what I might have, not to mention what was happening to me. After an examination by my doctors, they approached my parents and said sternly:

"Your child has pneumococcal meningitis, and there is only 50-50 chance of him living through this disease. There is also a chance that your child will be permanently retarted and impaired for the remainder of his life, if he manages to live."

My parents' entire lives was changed by this news. Their worlds were turned upside-down. Just when they thought they would have a normal child, they had a child that was gravely ill. There was another infant in the hospital I was admitted to with this illness at around the same time, and she tragically passed away. I do not know exactly what went through my parents' minds, but every time they retold me this experience, it brings them a fresh stream of tears. I was lying in a plastic box in the hospital ward, moaning and groaning from the swelling in my brain caused by a spinal cord fluid buildup, all while my parents helplessly watched, forbidden to touch me. If the pressure in my skull were not relieved soon, hearts shattered in miniscule pieces and unimaginable, indescribable sorrow, in addition to a simple gravestone of an infant who has skimmed life, would be the remnant of an once-healthy infant.

Two weeks later, amidst my doctors' dire predictions of my survival, I was miraculously healed and could go back home. However, if my parents thought that the news about me obtaining this illness was the worst they ever received, my parents' hearts leapt in joy when they received this news that may seem paradoxical in nature:

"Your son is deaf."

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I have struggled with understanding why I became deaf when God created me first and foremost as an hearing person. Did he make a mistake in His design (I know this is not true because He's infinitely perfect), or did He do this to reveal or teach my parents something? I also wrestled with the notion that God seemed cruel to inflict this terrible illness upon me and endangered my life. Why would a good God do this to me? Why would He put my parents through this experience? Although the answers are beyond the scope of this discussion, if they can ever be answered, I can confidently say this before you with God as my witness: God allowed everything to happen for a reason. Yes, He is sovereign, but that doesn't mean that He controls EVERY single event in the world. He allowed me to contract this disease that made me deaf for a reason. He allowed my parents to endure the heartache of watching helplessly as their infant suffered for a reason. He determined that it was necessary for me to live for a reason.

If it was not for my "disability" (where it is oftentimes a blessing), I would not have met many wonderful people in my lives, begin my Christian journey when I was fifteen years old, traveled to many places across the United States with my school and DTQuest (www.dtquest.org), and be in a wonderful church family at Frederick Church of the Brethren Deaf Fellowship. Moreover, I do not know if I would even know Christ as my personal savior today! If I did not know Christ, I would not have met many wonderful people involved in the WaveSTAFF program (in retrospect, it is a Christian leadership training program for young adults in their twenties). I've been challenged, encouraged, and strengthened by their unconditional love toward me.

To list everything would be exhaustive. My point is this: just when I thought I have enough, Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider) pours out ten thousand times the amount of blessings in my life, literally drowning me! I cannot even begin to repay Him because if I tried to, I would fail miserably. The only sensible thing I could do is to accept it.

Although I may be disabled in the world's eyes, I am fearfully and wonderfully made in His image. God knew that I would be deaf. He knew that I would be born on a particular date, even down to the milliseconds, if not nanoseconds! He was gently watching over my parents during my birth, comforting and reassuring them during my illness, and continues to be faithful to us today. Nothing happens beyond His control. Everything happens for a reason. What may seem to be a terrible (and tragic) thing has turned out to be a life filled with many opportunities that continues to bewilder me.

Recently, I have caught myself grinning to myself when I watch children playing. It reminds me of how God created everything in the world the way it is. He created everything to glorify Him. He created everything because of His uncontainable Love. He created everything because He wants us to be in awe with wonder and amazement. That is why I praise Him continually for everything, even for my deafness. He knows everything that I will do in my life, down to my deepest, most intimate desires of my life.

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This is one of my favorite verses/sections in the Bible, and it fits perfectly with what I have discussed above. I was moved by this passage found in Psalms 139, and it served as my source of inspiration for my testimony above. Moreover, I love this translation because it has a poetic quality to it (probably because I'm a fool for poems).

Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and rising up; you understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hands upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven,  You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with you.

~Psalms 139:1-18 (NKJV)

The Destructive Institution of Higher Education

Ever since I first stepped into high school as an exciting freshman, my mind was already set upon graduation. My only dream was to walk across the stage in my graduation gown and receive my diploma. If it is possible, I would love to be a graduation speaker (not necessarily a valectorian) encouraging my classmates to reach and seize their dreams on that very day. For me, that was simply illyric.

Graduation day came. It seemed as if I only took one step into high school and another out. My dream turned into reality. I walked across the stage with a diploma (in fact, two diplomas) in my hands across the stage, spoke to the multitudes in an auditorium, and bid farewell to the school that I called my second home for eighteen years. My life was at its pinnacle and I didn't want to descend that mountain, but the law of gravity conquers all and I as a slave obey: what goes up must come down.

After graduation, I was nervous to enter a whole new realm: college. I was excited at the same time. I was going to be challenged educationally and advance my knowledge to utilize in the future. I knew that what I would experience during the year will be a year of "firsts" and I looked forward to experiencing them. Moreover, I looked forward to getting over the first year with a big, fat, red button pin with bold white "FRESHMAN" word on it.

Today, that pin is long gone. I am a sophomore, the "wisest of the dumb" (Hint: study the root behind this word... this was a humorous phrase that I picked up in high school). Sitting here at home, my mind lingered to the past year and everything I went through, the victories and defeats I experienced, and the joys shared and sorrows endured. After playing with some pleasant memorie, a faint memory lingered in my mind and became stronger. Soon, the only thing I was thinking about was, prior to entering my first class, faithfully preparing myself for the upcoming spiritual warfare for my soul by reading David Wheaton's University of Destruction. This verse was the driving force behind my preparations.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

~1 John 5:4-5

Daniel, a Jewish boy, grew up in a privileged Jewish family in the middle Eastern town of Jerusalem. He was well-educated, good-looking, and socially adept. He had everything going for him. He even had a strong faith in God.

While he was a teenager, King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and, as a part of the takeover, Daniel and some of his teenage friends were taken away from their families and brought hundreds of miles northeast to the great city of Babylon to be servants in the king's palace.

To be a servant requires three years of intense training, not some apron and broom to sweep the floors. In another terms, an attempt was made to brainwash Daniel into Babylonian literature, culture, religion, and customs. First, Daniel's name, which meant "God is my judge," was changed to the Babylonian name Belteshazzar, which meant "Bel protect the king." Bel was the name of the supreme idol that was worshipped in the Babylonian Empire. Second, Daniel was being completely re-educated in culture and literature of Babylon. They were trying to eliminate the instructions he received before the capture because Judaism was contradictory to Babylonian pagan worship. In short words, King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to transform a godly Jewish boy into a pagan Babylonian.

It is easy to succumb to the pressure executed by Babylon, but what did Daniel do? In another terms, what was Daniel's mind-set while he was in Babylon going through a major transition from being a Jew to a Babylonian?

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank...

~Daniel 1:8

What did Daniel do? He "purposed in his heart," or committed to himself in his heart, that he will not fall under the influence of Babylon paganism by compromising his Judaism beliefs. He committed beforehand that he will remain steadfast in his faith and belief in God by "not defil[ing] himself." That allowed him to overcome the world and thrive as a servant of God later in his lifetime as an advisor to kings and a prophet. That is somebody that everybody could look upon as a role model in our lives, especially in the fallen state of the world spiraling toward destruction.

I do feel like Daniel. I feel like I am walking in his shoes. I feel like I am being indoctrinated in paganism ideology and lifestyle at my college. College is an enticing place for me to "come out of the closet" from the protection of my parents. I could easily find a girl and have prematerial sex at my own leisure. I could easily join a drinking party and have the most fun time of my lifetime. I could have literally "eat, drink, and be merry." Professors could have "brainwashed" me into believing that God is, in essence, false and I could have chosen to take the hook, bait, and the sinker. Living a sinful lifestyle is fun.

Instead of succumbing myself to the pressures of the fallen world, I committed myself to the same cause Daniel did; I have "purposed in [my] heart" that I shall NOT lower my moral standards. Instead of looking at debased and worthless idols of this world, I have fixed my eyes upwardly toward the prize: the glittering crown of life. I have a long race ahead of me. I have many obstacles to overcome. I shall attempt to not allow any iota of impure action, thoughts, words, or deeds to enter this holy temple (read: my body) consectrated for God alone for His glory. Even if I am pure before God's eyes, I do also realize that I will fall from time to time. I am still a human. I still live in flesh, not in spirit. When I fall, instead of groveling in the dust feeling sorry for myself, I shall rise as a battered but victorious man, stronger, bolder, and transformed. I have purposed in my heart to imitate Christ's loving attributes toward the most worst of the worst. Via Occam's razor, I shall be a Overcomer of this world through the power and grace of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ, the only true Messiah that had come and will come again in the future. Amen.

The Nature of Man

There is another world, another reality. A reality ruled by the omnipresent Darkness. The Vise tightens its iron grip while the mocking Clock ticks and mercilessly sparing no soul of the sad world from the endless pain. With each woeful lament, blood sprouts out of their never-healing scars. In my very own eyes, I see people suffering while retreating into the obsidian land. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

A long line stretches from one end to other as far as my eyes can see. People chained with a dull, heavy, grey chain at their ankle and forced to endure the Long March. Their faces, oh how so repulsive! Some distorted, some demonic, while other simply disfigured. Their nodding heads is impregnably veiled with sweat, dust, and tears. Those chains, oh how those hands digs and claws into their raw flesh! A great haze of grey dust under the lightless sky ascends to encompass them. The starless, murky canopy presses down as the silent chains rings in the Deep. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

“Run,” I cry in earnest, but they march blindly. “Flee,” I implore, but they crawl like thick molasses down a towering cliff that disappears into the grey fog. Even the stones’ terrible and woeful cries can be heard!

All they do is march, march, march. Their feet drag on endlessly. Wiry and sharp trees droop on their head, clasping each ugly faces and set free thin streams of fresh blood to trickle down their faces. The red beady eye sits up high in the trees, staring with those never blinking eyes at the poor inhabitants of the world. This is the Nature of Man. All they do is march, march, march. March. March. March. Into the opaque eternity…In this world where happiness abounds, I see fresh wounds bleeding happily and freely. In this world where laughter is ubiquitous, I hear the omnipresent cries lingering from the gaping mouth of the Deep. In this world where every moment is treasured, I curse as the mocking Clock savors Men’s pains. On the fruitful trees that bloom every spring bringing life, Death’s fruits populate each dark limb. Where freedom is plentiful, the Dark, Cold, Grey Chains drags every free ankle. Clank. Clank. Clank. Onward they go toward the horizon like bellwethers obedient to the benevolent killers of the Deep.

This is the sinful Nature of Man.

“Depart, you angels! I am the Lamb and the Key. I shall stoop over every man, unlocking the yoked chains of slavery and proclaim every man a freeman. I alone hold the Key to the everlasting Light that shall never diminish; I am the Lamp that is set upon the highest hill, piercing the Deep. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am the last Lamb, the perfect sacrifice. The only thing I ask from you: come just as you are, shackled in the burdensome chains, filthy, weary, defeated; You shall be set free.”

XX Olympic Games

The twentieth Olympics Games began in Torino with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron with billions of people as witnesses. As 2,500 athletes marched around the stadium waving their home flags proudly with grinning faces, I could see how hard they all worked to reach the dream of their lives: going to the Olympics and bringing home a gold medal. Even we are captivated with our fantasies of being a part of the famed Olympics Games. I find myself imaging competing against other athletes around the world for the coveted middle spot of the podium with a glittering gold medal hanging around my neck. On that podium, I would be dubbed as the Strongest, Fastest, and the Best among the best of the world in an event. In a practical sense, I would be the King. That is the same thing that all athletes felt all the way back to the Greeks who first started the Games.

Olympics began in late nineteenth century with its roots originating from the Ancient Greece. In order to be successful in their competitions, athletes are required to devote hours of time in training and conditioning to bring themselves to the peak of their physical condition to be able to compete other athletes for the experience of being crowed with a laurel wreath awarded by the reigning king (or Caesar) as a reward for being the best of the best.

As the first day of the Games progressed, I could not help but watch how dedicated and focused those athletes were in reaching the podium. Even if it was not documented by the television, all athletes were nervous long before they compete. They will go through the routines many times down to every detail, practice for many hours every week, and diet to be able to experience fifteen minutes of fame. I admire them because of the sacrifice and devotion that they have to make for the past four years (or more) into intense training and conditioning to participate in the Games. In a sense, the athletes who compete at the Games are the apotheosis of athleticism, but they are still humans like us.

Their bodies will not last forever. They will become older and decide to retire from the Games to pursue their less extravagant lives. Their bodies will lose the skill to be dexterous and give way to age. They will die one day. With or without gold medals.

What if there was a gold medal that every athlete was guaranteed to receive in their lives only if they will devote their whole lives to it? What if there was a laurel crown waiting for them in the end that they will not lose if they preserved to the very end? What if their spot on the podium was already guaranteed and there is no silver and bronze medals to be issued? What if I said that this crown was available for us, not just for athletes of the world?

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." ~1 Corinthians 9:25

We, the Christians, have to commit ourselves to strict training just like the Olympian athletes do in a spiritual sense. EVERYBODY who competes in the games trains strictly to get a crown will be terribly disappointed. It won't last. It won't fulfill their hearts forever. It will disappear. It is perishable. On the other hand, Christians should and are commanded to spend their whole lives training themselves so that they will be able to receive the crown that will last forever when they die. Through our spiritual fitness, we will train ourselves to be “spirits of steel” through the learning of the Bible, suffering through trials and temptations, and with the fellowship of our fellow believers. "How do we train?" Paul explains this in one of his letters to Timothy:

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." ~1 Timothy 4:8

"Physical training has some value? Do you mean that it is worthless? How can we train to gain the crown of life?" Physical training has some value because, like I mentioned earlier, the body that we conditioned into will not last forever. Our muscles will become less rigid and stately. We will eventually succumb to our oldest enemies: age. So, therefore, physical training, even if it has some merit, is not worth spending a whole life to. It is worthless. Seems like all hope is lost? Should we just sit down and be a couch potato for our whole lives? By no means! How are we to gain the crown of life?

The crown of life lies into our devotion of becoming godlier. "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." My brothers and sisters, if we attempt to live a godly life, we will end our races with a glittering crown on our heads, adorned with treasures beyond our own wildest imaginations. We have to commit ourselves to strict training spiritually. We have to turn our lazy and fat lump of souls who is accustomed to conformable way of life in this world to strong and fit group capable of running the marathon of our lives. We have to challenge ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We have to be willing to take the extra step in faith when it seems like the future is black. We have to experience suffering and persecution in order to become spiritually strong. We have to hold fast to our Anchor when all hope seems to be lost.

Sounds tough? That is why it requires our whole life devoted to this type of training. We have to commit ourselves to this goal. If we do not stick to it, then all is lost.

I thought that a poem from my dear friend should be added so you can understand what it means to preserve through the race:

A baby's first cry pierced the jubilant air.

A gunshot sounded and reverberated through the air.

Smiles glowed from the beaming faces of the new parents
Clinging on to her father's steady hand
She took her first step of the countless to come.

The crowd roared as the runner took off
Shouting encouragements
She headed toward the long path of life.

Grains of time fell through the hourglass
With her budding teeth
Her jaws closed onto her first solid food.

The sneakers pounded the gravel rhythmically
Panting
Lessons of endurance echoed in her head.

Hormones raged

Mountains and valleys came

Dust collected on the Word
Superficial laughter of her friends echoed
A heart grew heavy.

Her body cried out
Deprived of her daily nourishment
A pair of legs grew weary.

Unable to piece together a shattered heart
With no methods that brought forth healing
She gave her heart to the only true Doctor in her life.

Crashing on the gravel-coated path
Blood flowed from her wounds and cried out
A strong, loving Hand lifted her up.

Singing with joy

Adrenaline coursing

Despair
She watched helplessly
Her friends indulging in the cheapened version of life.

Confusion
She watched helplessly
The other runners ran off the narrow track of life.

Her so-called friends jeered
Turned away and rejected
She trusted the One the world had murdered.

People from the sidelines flung stones
Battered and rejected
She kept her eyes on the Prize.

True Love came

Sunshine peeked through the clouds

Everlasting vows exchanged in ecstasy
First kiss as husband and wife
Two flesh became one.

A mate appeared
Forevermore running side by side
Two pairs of feet ran together as one.

Alone no more
True and steadfast lifelong friends
Laughter and love mingled.

A lonely path no more
Packs joined
Laughter and encouragement mingled.

Bringing forth new beginnings

Smiling as gunshots echoed in the faraway landscape

A stand of white hair appeared
She left it as it was
For she knew.

The runner saw the golden glow in the horizon
Ahead of her
And she knew.

Raspy air breathed out of her laboring lungs
A last breath- a flower wilted
Tears of grief fell.

Sweat pouring, eyes a-glowing
A last burst of energy- a ribbon broke
Tears of joy fell.

"Well done, my good and faithful servant!" The King of Kings proclaimed.

A glittering Crown of Life was placed upon her head.

She was finally Home.

~Jessica, 2006

Preserve to the very end of this race. Don't give up. Keep on running. Keep your eyes on the prize. Do not let anybody distract you from this finish line. It might seem tough at times, but nobody said that the training and race would be easy. The crown of life is promised to those who are faithful in their training and race. It is okay if you fall sometimes during the race, but what matters the most is that we all reach the finish line. There is a glittering crown of life waiting for us all at the end. We will be able to achieve our lifelong dreams: standing on the podium as a champion in this race of our lifetime. Paul speaks about reaching the finish line in joy:

"[...] I [Paul] have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~2 Timothy 4:7-8

Blessings!

Forgiveness and Grace

I got this story from JabezPosters.com today and was very inspired and felt that I should share it with you all because it mirrors God's love and forgiveness towards us.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given
a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he
could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to
dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let it
fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister
watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally
said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't
you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember, the duck?"

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said,
"I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." But Sally smiled and said,
"Well, that's all right, because Johnny told me he wanted to help." And she
whispered again, "Remember, the duck?"

So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally
couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed
the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You
see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love
you, I forgave you.

But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps
throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want you to know something.

The Lord Jesus Christ was standing at the window. And He saw the whole thing.
But because He loves you, He has forgiven you. Perhaps He's wondering how long
you'll let the enemy make a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that
He not only forgives, but He forgets.

God bless you all!

A Righteous God and A Savior

"[T]here is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.

'Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, "in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength."' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."

~Isaiah 45:21c-24 (NIV)

Today at my lunch break, I was continuing my study of Isaiah as a part of a one-year bible-reading plan (even if I'm behind by six months, but who says that I must read the entire Bible in a year?). When I read this passage, I felt that this is something that I had to write in the blog but this message might be offensive to you, but to me, this serves to be like "iron that sharpens another iron" (read: effective discipline) for us.

Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

~Isaiah 43:10b-11

I think that the brief passage clearly states what the world keeps on missing. Lord is the ONLY God of the universe. He is the only one who has existed from the very beginning of time and will last to the very moment when time stops. He is the Eternal God. He alone is worthy of being called "Lord." Unlike many idols (let it be wooden, stone, or things that will pass away such as money, power, fame, etc.) which are formed by Men, God is the living Father who created the world and cared about His people. In this book, Isaiah speaks bitterly against the folly of people making idols to suit their own desires, self-centered pride and egoistical ambitions:

"'To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weight out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.

'Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"

~Isaiah 46:5-10

I'm sure, by now, you must have noticed that there is repetitions of "I am God, and there is no other" and "there is none like me." It might be hard for you to accept that fact (but is accepted easily by the believers) and it is because you are "rebels" of God. Remember what He said in the first passage? All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. When a gift is willingfully offered to you is rejected, the giver would be greatly offended.

So is the case with God.

He could have easily cursed us with His great wrath and end the life that we know of at this moment. He had many chances to do that throughout the history because His chosen people continually to craft idols and rebel against God through their debauchery, lewdful actions, and profane mouths. Why didn't He blot His chosen people from his presence? If somebody spit you in the face and beaten you half to death, you would attempt to avenge them for their actions, right?

God, the most powerful being of the whole universe that holds life and death in His hands, chose not to do that just like he did not for the Israelites. Surely they were sent into exile at different periods of history for their rebellious actions, but God always graciously forgives them for their past sins and brings them back to His promised land.

That's called Grace. And Grace is what saves rebels like us. That is what He offers to us today through Jesus Christ's death on the cross two thousand years ago.

Don't continue to rebel against Him. Don't continue to live out your lives crafting various idols made out of gold or bronze. Don't worship any of your things that you own today (let it be money, personal property, or any other things that you hold dearly). Bow down before His mighty presence, confess with your lips that He is your savior and the Lord of your lives.

And that is when you will receive His Grace. That's a promise.

Remember... if you choose not to bow down before Him, you will fall to your knees one day in horror as you realize that He is God. That's the reason why my heart is heavy with this message because many of you readers do not know God personally and it is my desire for you to reconcile with Him.

Experiencing His Greatness

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighted the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weights the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.

To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

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 youths 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 40:12-31

My mind always tears apart after trying to absorb God's matchless greatness. Today, as I read this passage, my mind was literally blown to pieces. All mountains in this world is big by our own standards... and He is able to weight it on a scale? A nation (imagine Russia) is like a speck of fine dust? The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires?

What is so important about the forests of Lebanon?

This forest constituted mostly cedar trees and was situated along the Jordan River. They were so vast and so massive that the ancient world recognized that as magnificent trees and it was chiefly used for King Solomon's palace (the palace of Lebanon). Other than its vast size, it was also said to be the most beautiful piece of timber that one could find in the Ancient World. Imagine the trees in California. I could picture it similar to the forest of Lebanon.

The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires? There was many sacrifices going on in Israel (as a way of honoring God) and it was not enough for the altar of God! The size of this fire must be massive if all the cedar trees of Lebanon was put together to burn in honor of God... but it was not enough! What more could you ask for? Even all the trees of this world would not be enough for Him! His greatness extends ever further than this!

All dirt of this world contained within a basket! Picture this... you have this little basket of any size and all the dirt of this world fits perfectly in there with more to be added later on even if there is none left. If you tried to dig a 6 by 2 feet hole, you will be left with a big pile of dirt. When somebody is building a house, a massive pile of dirt will reside nearby and you would be amazed at the amount that came out of the ground. Imagine this! ALL dirt of this world fits comformably in a basket... a small wicket basket!

God once told Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the heaven. Have you ever attempted to count how many stars there are during the night? I tried once and failed miserably many times. What is amazing here is that God knows how many stars there are up there in the heaven and NOT ONE is missing! That blows my mind away!

That made me appreciate how powerful and great He is and made me thankful that he is a Sovereign God who holds everything under control. Nothing happens beyond his control or knowledge. Remember how Isaiah said that there is nothing that God does not know... he knows everything (in the past, present and into the infinity). He knows what will happen to each one of us (6 billion people on this insignificant world) and he has everything planned out perfectly for us. Everything happens for a reason and He knows that it will happen because He is a sovereign God!

Let everybody who agrees proclaim with a loud voice so that the whole world can hear us with a simple word, "Amen!" or "So be it!"