jesus my reward

it's biblical to enjoy the fruits of your labor - i believe it is b/c of this premise (and that we be rich in good deeds) that "it's ok" for Christians to be rich.

i still think it IS ok, but nowadays i've been feeling that for the Christian, it's NOT ok to make materialistic things be his reward. the bmw, the big house, the stable and abundant income shouldn't be his reward or the prize he seeks to acquire.

Jesus should be his reward. Jesus should be his prize, the goal of his life..

this wasn't my thought even until a year ago; a year ago my prayer was "Lord, I'll do anything for you as long as I have a stable income so that my family wouldn't have to struggle financially and can enjoy abundance."

i don't know what happend int he past year, but i am so glad and thankful that God has fixed my eyes upon himself, revealing himself as my reward, himself as my prize and goal of my life.

hs friends

i've been getting closer w/ my high school friends nowadays, which i am grateful for..

just spending time, having bible study, hikes, praying together for meals, talkin' about deep / spiritual stuff and such.

Thank you Lord.

quoting scripture

today, a dear dongseng who knows less scripture than me quoted scripture to encourage me.

i liked it.

it reminded me how i can be so full of head knowledge but not enough love and faith in the word of God.

when Jesus touched the leper

Jesus healed the sick in many different ways during his stay on the earth. some he told to go wash, some he just spoke to, some he used clay he made w/ his own saliva and dirt.

-i don't think it's a coincidence that Jesus touched the leper to heal him. Surely, he could've spoken the word, and the leper would've been healed.

the leper was "unclean" according to jewish traditions - never to be touched, but to be isolated from society and even their very family. because of this skin disease, the leper was robbed of the reception, or even the giving of any physical affection. the leper was physically exiled, emotionally void of love and affection, and hurting in the soul.

Jesus did not have to touch the leper to heal him. by his mere will, this leper could be healed. but by touching this leper, Jesus showed him affection. Affection that the leper was totally void of. and by receiving this affection that he had never received, something changed in the man's thought, and in his very soul.

his emotions of love and affection had been restored, and the hurting in his soul instantly stopped and began to heal.

so - we see that when Jesus healed the physical body, he not only healed the physical, but the spiritual and emotional.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

hebrews 4:15

what happens to unregenerate "Christians"?

.. man i've had too much theological reading today;

pure gold

하나님은 나를 비싼 금으로 만들기 위해 계속 refine 하시는거야!
(translation : God's refining me in order make me more a valuable gold! sorry for the korean, some feelings/thoughts can best / only be expressed in korean for me..)