Gethsemane

The cross of the Son

The only One

The cross of the Son

The righteous One

The cross of the Son

The holy One

The sinless One

The beautiful One

Jesus Messiah Christ

The Bearer of good news

Repent and draw near for the Kingdom is at hand

He bowed down in the garden to pray

He stood before the threshold of eternity looking onto his destiny

Asking the Father about the garden of Eden

In the garden of Gethsemane

Jesus stood there between the two

Between two gardens

The second Adam

Seeking to undo the evil of the former with the suffering of the latter

He took the pain of Adam's curse

He became the curse

Jesus

The just One

The innocent One

The shameless One

Lamb of God

King of kings

Lord of lords

Humbled as a man

Praying through bloodied sweat

Asking the Father if there might be another way

Let this cup pass from me

Father if there's another way let it be that way

It's too much to bear

The weight of the curse

And we feel it

We feel it everyday

We get used to it

Sometimes we welcome it

It comforts us

And then it wrecks us

Pain sin hurt heartache

The curse of the law

The sting of death

Who can bear just a portion of it

Who could bear the whole of it

Who could become it and bear the fullness of its wrath

Only the Son of God

The I AM

The Beginning and the End

The Word

The Bread of Life

The Living Water

The Resurrection and the Life

He that would die and yet never die

The Holy One of Israel

The Redeemer of the world

In the garden of Gethsemane He said those words that changed everything

Words that echoed through time

Words that forever took away all excuses and all delays

Jesus

He said

Not My will but Your will be done

With betrayal on the way

Murder torture suffering rejection desolation isolation

Jesus said not My will but Yours be done

And we say we want to follow but will we follow through to the shedding of blood

Hebrews 12 4 In striving against sin ye have not yet resisted unto bloodshed

The curse of the garden of Eden is swept away in the sacrifice of the garden of Gethsemane

Cover yourself with His blood

Don't look back to the gardens

Look forward to the new heaven and new earth

Behold He is making all things new

Thank Him for the garden

Live in the Kingdom

A Handful of Turtles

A handful of turtles. Every one looks the same. The same color and shape. The same size and weight. Just pick one you like, they're all the same anyway. They'll live and die just the same. They'll eat the same food and grow all the same. In a handful of turtles, there's not one more special or unique.

And how afraid was I that the world is just like this. That everything can be reduced to a handful of turtles, all identical, only of value as long as they live. And when I look at the crowds, I wonder the same. Are we just a handful of people?

Am I just another code of DNA strung together? In the end, does any of it even matter? Can there be meaning to our sacrifices? Are there rewards for things done in secret?

It's not always easy to know what the right thing to do is. Most of the time, we feel most at peace when we follow the crowds. It's a fearful thing to find yourself alone somewhere, lost and helpless.

There's a temptation to just be a handful of turtles. Maybe it won't count for anything in the end, but we can find comfort in the here and now. It's a servant mentality. We're slaves to our circumstances, so we choose to live the best we can with what we have.

It wasn't the road Jesus walked on. Far from being just one of a handful of turtles, He was called a King from birth. His life fulfilled countless prophecies showing how unique and valuable His life is. He was filled with the Holy Ghost, blessing every tiny turtle He came across. His life spoke truth to the crowds.

You're valuable. Receive your healing.
You're chosen. Be free from evil.
You're blessed. Receive the good news.
You're forgiven. Receive the blood of the new covenant.
You're family. Enter into your rest.

What happened after a handful of turtles crossed paths with the savior King? The church. A group of wondering sheep without a shepherd transformed into an army equipped with authority, power, and boldness to overcome every kind of evil, even meaninglessness.

Maybe you're still wondering around like a lost sheep, like a handful of turtles, but you've been lied to. There is meaning in the cross of Christ. All who come are transformed into sons of the living God.

A handful of sons.
Everyone is precious to the Father.

Travel

PengHu 澎湖

Being an islander for a week.

Life on the island.

Seafood. Beaches. Sun.

Newness becoming familiar.

Travel. Language. Culture.

Strangeness. Questions. Exhausted.

A new world opened up.

New friends. Lots of faces.

Discovering new ways of life.

Taking lots of pictures.

Putting your body through a rough beating to experience a rare beauty God created.

There's something totally unique about extended travel by yourself.

Surviving off a small bag of things and relying on everyone around you.

Lots of questions.

Always looking for opportunities to bless others.

Not just to pay back the help they gave, but to show them the hope that's in you.

And of course, sharing your testimony.

Your story.

Your life, perspective, values.

How long can you continue traveling?

My first year traveling, I was trying to go home after the first day.

The second year, it took a couple days before I was breaking down.

But this year, there are only moments when I miss home.

But when I talk to friends, I'm okay to keep going again.

I need others.

That's always going to be true.

But this is the longest vacation I've ever taken.

I'm tired, but I don't want to stop, because I know I'll be back at work again soon and wishing I was here.

I'll forget how tired I was and only remember all the good times I had here.

It's not over, but I feel it coming to a close.

What an amazing experience.

I'm so blessed to just see half of it.

And I've seen so much already.

Our God is so glorious. Awesome. Powerful. Life. Love. Hope.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God of love. Warrior. Alpha and Omega.

The God who chose me.

因為你是不平凡的人,所以要走不平凡的路。

The world is full of wonders untold if we only step out beyond what we think is possible and walk into the unknown.



The Cost of Learning English; The Joy of Enduring to the End

In this present time, people are absolutely obsessed with studying English, and I cannot be in the least upset by this, for it is the means by which I support myself. As I meet new people, they often ask me if I can help them learn English. Sometimes they ask very subtly, mentioning it in passing. Other times they are very direct, but not committed, demanding in a joking manner that I teach them English. And finally there are those who are direct and committed, willing to pay money and set up a schedule and plan for study.

For those who are committed and willing to learn, I lay out what it takes to study a language. I tell them the methods, sacrifice, and perseverance necessary to learn to fluency, and one by one, I see them drop out. When they realize the cost to learn English (not monetary, but sacrificial), they turn back. This is why I earn my living from children, for they have no choice but to learn, forced as they are by their parents.

Sometime later, I will inevitably hear back from these people who wanted to study English. Suddenly, a need has arisen in their life and they have to travel abroad, or their job requires language skills, or they need to communicate with foreigners for whatever reason. At this time, they will contact me again, asking me to teach them and that they are in desperate need. Of course by this time, it is too late. If they had stayed the course when they first felt a desire to learn (even if there wasn't urgent need at that time), they would be ready now when they need it.

This situation is true for humanity beyond just learning a language. For almost anything you can think of, people have had desires to fulfill dreams that have evaporated when confronted with the reality of what it would take to materialize their dream. The most heart-breaking example is the decision to follow Jesus.

Even when Jesus was ministering to Israel, many came to Him expressing their heart-felt desire to follow His teachings because they wanted the abundant life that He possessed and was offering to others. Tragically, when Jesus presented to them the cost of following Him, many of those same people turned back, unable to make the sacrifices necessary to continue until the end.

There were many reasons for them doing so. Some couldn't part with family, some with money, and some with their own pride and traditions. I can see these same reasons being used to hold people back from following Jesus even today. When people are interested in Jesus and want the abundant life He offers, I also spell out the costs of following Him first, otherwise they may wait a long time before confronted with the realities of walking in Jesus' steps.

And then, in like manner to those who wanted to learn English, some of those people will turn back and it will be a while before hearing from them once again. When I do hear back from them, there will be some kind of problem they are facing, and they are all out of worldly solutions. They need Jesus, they need the life He offers to overcome and be free. If they would have said yes before, made the necessary sacrifices, then they would have overcome the problem before it even came.

But now, they're desperate and hopeless, without power. They are dissatisfied that my message for them at that time is the same as it was at first. Repent, follow Jesus, and receive the Holy Spirit. It's that simple. Even when all seems hopeless, it's not too late. There is still an opportunity to turn away from our own sinful desires and place all our hope in the risen Christ.

For any who are in similar situations or know someone in such a circumstance as this, the answer to their hopelessness is trusting in Jesus. This is the only way to overcome. Whether learning a language or following Jesus, you have to count the cost, then be willing to sell everything you have to pay the price, for there can be no greater reward than the one who endures to the end and can hear those blessed words from the Savior.

"Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your Lord." Matthew 25:23

The Concrete Wars

Skyscrapers.

Garbage littering the streets.

Smog filling the air.

Cars and buses honking.

Not a tree or blade of grass in sight.

And not the slightest sign of a single person.

Everyone has disappeared, but the city still move along, just as busy, just as vibrant. The concrete landscape is filled with various species of structures, infrastructures, vehicles, metals, plastics, and trash.

They all move and grow, adapt and survive. The city works in harmony, expanding into more green territory, but refusing photosynthesis to invade beyond city borders.

A short while ago, the people were forced to leave in search of inhabitable environments. After they fled, the city was free to grow on its own. As it turns out, the structures were controlling the citizens, and not the other way around.

Who would choose to live in overcrowded spaces, broken-down and filthy? Who would choose to seek shelter indoors to find breathable air? Who would choose to uproot our sources of life to build lifeless cities that provide no essential necessities for survival?

The city has won, deceiving the masses and forcing them to flee, but they aren't finished yet. There's a planet to take over and it won't stop until every natural resource is used up.

The humans are still out there, though. They're waiting. They're debating. A battle is coming, and they have to make a choice. Will they unite together and fight? Will they take back the planet and a sustainable way of life? Will they end the tyranny of concrete?

The answer is obvious. They will choose to fight. There's no alternative.

Welcome to the Concrete Wars.

The Language of Heaven

Language is the pinnacle feature of every culture. That is why it is so important, vital, and essential that we speak in heavenly tongues. The kingdom of heaven is from above. We are strangers here and are told to be set apart from the world as holy.

Our true culture is from above. The kingdom of heaven has its own languages, customs, and values. Jesus exemplified them during His ministry. When we imitate Jesus, we are walking in kingdom culture. When we speak in tongues, we are communicating with heaven.

You can not be truly apart of another culture unless you can speak the language of that culture. When I first starting learning Chinese, I was so hesitant to use it. If I wanted to order a lunch box, I wasn't sure if they would understand me. To my amazement, once I said the right sounds, they immediately gave me the item I desired.

To them, it was just another customer ordering a lunch box, but to me, it was a revelation of the power of language. Once I speak forth the right words, I put things into motion and what I asked for comes to me. The good news of heaven is that angelic tongues work like this. These tongues are a gift of the Holy Spirit that bring us into heavenly realms and help us to pray when we don't know how to pray.

The Father desires to give us the Holy spirit. We just have to ask in faith and then start speaking out the gifts that belong to Him. When we communicate with heaven, then we pray the Lord's prayer - Your kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven. Whatever we bind on earth will be bound in heaven. And whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. This is the benefit and power of speaking in heavenly tongues. We speak the language of heaven, for we are of above, our true home with the Father.

Wise as Serpents, Innocent as Doves

Gullibility is laughed at.

No one wants to be labeled as gullible, but what does it mean to be gullible?

It means you're quick to trust.

You believe instantly without questioning it.

Gullibility can be very powerful.

If you read God's word as a gullible person, you will accept everything you read and you will trust in and believe all the promises and truths of scripture.

A gullible person has the opportunity for great faith, but there is also a danger of deceit.

Scripture warns us to test what we hear and cling to what is good.

We shouldn't believe everything, only that which is from God, as outlined in scripture.

In this sense, gullibility must be combined with prudence.

Gullibility is a sign of innocence. Prudence is a sign of wisdom. Combined together, you will be walking the life Jesus commanded us to - A life of faith in God alone.

Be ye as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).

If Faith Were Currency

If faith were currency instead of money, maybe it would be more like heaven here.

If faith were currency, you would work for more believing instead of more riches.

If faith were currency, the rich would walk in victory.

If faith were currency, more success would please the LORD.

If faith were currency, greed would be called perseverance.

Corruption would be called missions.

Usury would be called anointing.

Theft would be called healing.

Salaries would be answered prayers.

If faith were currency, you would give everything you had to please the LORD and you would work towards 100% freedom and wholeness in Jesus' name!

Living in the Apocalypse

Here is a great revelation we must always keep in mind. While here on the earth, Jesus was an apocalyptic preacher. He started His ministry calling on everyone to repent, then He started fulfilling all the law and the prophets. He was a miracle worker, revealing the time for God's kingdom had come.

He preached on the dangers of living unrighteously, noting the consequences, and shared exceptional stories of people who were ready for the end of the age. He described the coming judgement with stark warnings and examples. He prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem and the state of life in the end times.

After Jesus suffered, died, and rose again, He commanded His disciples to be His witnesses, to tell all of the Christ and how He fulfilled all righteousness. He promised He would be with them until the very end of the age and at the end of the book of Revelation, a book about the apocalypse, He said, "Surely I come quickly!"

Many of our questions about how to live in this world are left unanswered in the New Testament. We want to be firmly planted somewhere and see a long future ahead of us. In contrast to this, the scriptures tell us we are living in the last days, the end is near, and Jesus is coming back quickly.

We know this is not our home and all things will be made new, but we still grab hold of this life with clenched fists. We cannot fathom Jesus' words that to gain your life is to lose it and to lose your life is to find it.

If you had this perspective in mind as you lived your life, how would you answer questions about family, marriage, calling, vocation, ministry, sexuality, ethics, morality, and death?

Maybe the reasons our biggest questions are left unanswered is we are asking futile questions. Would I tarry in sin if the end were tomorrow? Would I buy a house if an earthquake was to strike tomorrow? Would I plan an elaborate marriage if tomorrow there would be no marrying or giving away in marriage? Would I complain about my salary if money were to be abolished tomorrow? Would I give my body over to inward lusts if the judgment day were tomorrow? Would I continue in wickedness if today was my last chance to repent? And finally, would I preach the gospel with everyone I could if it was their last chance to repent?

Jesus gave an invitation. He said that whosoever would leave houses, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, wives, children, or lands for His sake and for the sake of the Gospel would receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life.

Let's answer all our questions with the resurrection. All things are new for those in Christ Jesus. And on the great and terrible day of the Lord, all things in this present place will be made new.

This is our hope. Romans 8:24 For we are saved by hope,  but hope that is seen is not hope. 25 But if we hope for that we see not, then we do with patience wait for it.

This is our faith. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This is our love. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:33 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love.

Romans 13:8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: For he that loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, though shalt not bear false witness, though shalt not covet, and if there by any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as yourself. 10 Love works no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 John 4:8 He that loves not knows not God, for God is love.

So how do we follow an apocalyptic preacher, Son of man, Son of God, Savior, Redeemer, Overcomer, Judge of the living and the dead, Lamb of God who was and is and is to come, Jesus the Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever? How do we follow that one, in light of the coming apocalypse?

We love. We tell the truth in love. We call others to repentance in love and with love. We honor our bodies for love. We go, into all the nations, bringing the love of the Gospel of peace in our hearts. We beseech the Lord to come quickly for He is love, and this world is desperate for Him.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!

Pleasure

Do you have to give up pleasure to follow Jesus?

Luke 9:23 tells us we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily to follow Jesus.

The cross is painful.

The cross is the weight of our sins.

The cross is death.

Following Jesus requires dying.

We die to self and live for Christ by whom we are rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13).

What do we find after we deny ourselves and pick up our crosses?

We become united with our savior, one with God.

Can there be a greater pleasure than being in the presence of the all-glorious, triumphant, eternal and living God?

And yet, we always feel it will be so difficult for non-Christians to accept the sacrifice it takes to follow Jesus.

You have to give up drunkenness, distasteful parties, and casual sleeping around, but this is only an issue in the wrong perspective.

Turning away from sin (as defined through the Word of God) is a far greater blessing than continuing to live in the trap that it is.

Living in sin may bring temporary pleasure, but those sinful desires will all lead to death.

God is not a God of the dead, but of the living (Mark 12:27).

Jesus wants you to find life and that abundantly (John 10:10), but there must first be a detachment to sin and the consequences attached to it.

After we die to self, the risen Lord lives within us (Galatians 2:20). The Holy Spirit fills us (Acts 1:5). We are new creations (2 Corinthians 5:17).

After we move into a glorious covenant with the living God, we receive pleasures that we never knew possible.

Following Jesus is not about forsaking pleasure. It's about finding joy in God who gives generously to all who ask.

My daily sacrifices to follow Jesus are not worth comparing to the eternal glory waiting to be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).

No, the challenge is not for those who live in sin, but those who have dedicated themselves to foreign gods, those who try to live good lives but can never be sure of their level of righteousness.

If only they could feel the glory of the true God, though, there would be no turning back to any idol, but we have to be the ones who must walk into the throne room of God first and receive the gift of the grace of His presence if we are to relay to others the goodness and the truth of our risen Lord.

We don't seek pleasure. We seek the Lord. And when we find Him, we'll never expect what will happen next.