healed.

Acts 3 (NASB)

Healing the Lame Beggar

 ¹ Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour, the hour of prayer. ² And a man who had been lame from his mother’s womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple. ³ When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he began asking to receive alms. ⁴ But Peter, along with John, fixed his gaze on him and said, “Look at us!” ⁵ And he began to give them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!” ⁷ And seizing him by the right hand, he raised him up; and immediately his feet and his ankles were strengthened. ⁸ With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God; ¹⁰ and they were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter’s Second Sermon

 ¹¹ While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. ¹² But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³ The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him.¹⁴ But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. ¹⁶ And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all.

This morning in Sunday school we were studying Acts 3:1-13 together. Then a thought came to mind and I realized something new. I love it when the Lord speaks to me "new truths" from seemingly "familiar" passages. It's refreshing and inspiring. I hope you'd be encouraged as well.

If you take a read from Acts 3:1-13, there are different things we can take away from this passage, especially the boldness of Peter and the power of the name of Christ and of the Spirit. But what stuck out to me is what I've highlighted in the passage above. I was struck by the response of the lame beggar.

In class today, we were discussing about "sharing the gospel" with our friends. We were sharing our past experiences. For myself in the past, a lot of "sharing the gospel" was more academic than anything. Not to say that I, or any of my fellow brothers and sisters were not sincere and did not have the right intentions. But like most of us were saying, "sharing the gospel" often turns into some sort of an academic exercise, or a prideful argument of some sort.

Then I read the passage again and something "new" hit me. Our Sunday school leader ask who do we think the lame beggar represent, and this came to mind.

I am the lame beggar, or at least I should behave like the lame beggar.

This man was healed. And what was the first thing that he did? He went into the temple, walking, leaping, praising the Lord. He was healed and he overcame what was crippling him in life, quite literally. But right after he was healed, he immediately gave all the glory back to the One who healed him. He wasted no time, he went right into the temple and praised the Healer Himself. And through this experience, everyone who used to bothered by this lame beggar at the Beautiful Gate is wondering what on earth happened. And through this experience, Peter "shared the gospel" with them.

So what so significant about his response?

So often "sharing the gospel" becomes proving something to someone. Yes, that's true to a certain extent, don't get me wrong. But I think this lame beggar taught me something "new" and "fresh" about sharing the Good News.

The Good News reminds me that I'm healed, and it has the power to continue to heal. And that's what's exciting and attractive and beautiful about the redemption story.

It's easy for us, as Christians, to try and "convince" people to believe what we believe in. But most people aren't interested in Church because they think that we have it "all together". We all seem to have life together anyway, so what's the point? They don't feel like they're "good enough", or the need to be "good enough". But the more I looked into this passage today, the more I am reminded that it's not about being good enough, but quite the contrary.

The fact is, we're never good enough. We are broken, and we long to be healed.

And that's it. That rang a bell for me. Why are we trying so hard to "prove" Christ? Don't get me wrong, there's still beauty in defending your faith (apologetics) and the academic side of things. But for me, personally, I think i need to get out of that mindset. Most people in my life are not interested in being proved something. But rather, what's attractive is my weaknesses and my brokeness. What's important, I think, is that we can relate. I am not saint. I, also, am a sinner, who has been redeemed by the Man Himself. Read the highlight passage again.

The crowd wondered what happened because they saw the lame beggar walking, leaping and praising the Lord. Isn't that what it's all about? It's not about proving something. It's about allowing the world to see how the Man has healed us. We were and we are broken, but He has healed us and will continue to heal us. And I think that's what's attractive and that's what people are interested in. I want people to know that I actually don't have it altogether. I, too, struggle with life. But the Lord has healed me of much and that's what I want the world to know. I don't feel the need to prove to you anything, but I feel compelled to share that the Lord has redeemed me and restored much to my life. And it's not over, because "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:16, NASB). I am convinced that people are interested in our weaknesses, because then they can relate. Then they will know that they "have a chance" as well. We are not a group of "elite", but instead, we were blind but now we see; we were lame but now we can walk, leap and praise the Lord.

Remember that you've been healed. Don't dwell on the past and in sin and allow the enemy to have a foothold. Remember that Christ has died to redeem you and I back to Himself. Remember that the Dunamis (power) of the Spirit has healed and will continue to heal you and I. Finally, don't forget to get up, walk, leap and praise the Lord.

the Lin-sanity.

It's everywhere.

I find myself on this "bandwagon" as well. But that's not because he's Asian. I mean, that's cool and all. And it's not even just the fact that this is an "underdog" story. I think it's because through all of this, I've learned some things about the Mastermind behind all of this.

This is not an another entry praising some athletic icon. There are plenty of those out there nowadays. But I'd like to share some things I've learned from this incredible story thus far.

Through the on-going Lin-sanity, I've learned that...

His timing is perfect. Recently I heard a sermon by Christine Caine from the Hillsong Church in Australia. She was preaching at the Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. One thing that stuck out for me was "embrace your place". She was reminding the church to embrace where the Lord has brought us and what He has us doing right here, right now. I think of Jeremy Lin and his career. He's been waived by two teams and was on the verge of losing his job again. But his time came. Some how the Knicks were desperate enough to resort to their fourth-string point guard. Yet they went on a 7-game winning streak. Most of those games without two of the best players on the team. It's really hard to believe that His timing is perfect. We want things "here" and "now". We want things our way. I often wonder why the Lord has me where I'm at right now doing exactly what I'm doing right now. I often wonder when He'd move me from "here" to "there" so I can start doing "that" instead of "this". But I must embrace my place.

I'm reminded of Joseph from the bible. After he was sold to Egypt, he became a slave for one of the officials (which turned out to be a blessing and a "curse" for Joseph). He was then framed for something he didn't do. In fact, he was punished for being righteous. I can't imagine what was going through his mind while he was in jail for a few years. But my guess is it'd be something along the lines of "God, I was living for you and this is what I get?"

It makes me wonder if Jeremy Lin ever thought that.

I certainly think about that all the time.

But Joseph's time came, eventually. He didn't give up. He stuck around. He eventually saved his family and the country from a famine that lasted 7 years.

It's hard work. When coaches from present and the past are being interviewed about Jeremy Lin, they all praise him for his work ethics. I think that's really cool and it's such a great reminder. Whether we're being "called upon" or not, and while we're "embracing our place", it's important that we stay "in shape" and are "game-ready" all the time. Because who knows when your opportunity will come? It reminds me in my own life that while I'm learning to embrace my place during this season of my life, I must also learn to be diligent. Embracing one's place isn't a passive thing. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I've listened to quite a few sermons in the past few weeks about joy. Joy is not a product of circumstances. In fact, it's quite the contrary. Joy is about the internal, not the external. Joy is a state of mind we choose to be in. And the joy of the Lord is our strength.

I'm reminded of Daniel and his fellow brothers in the bible. One thing that I've learned that sticks out to me about Daniel and his friends is that they excelled in a foreign land and foreign culture. They thrived. They didn't just survive under the Babylonian rule. They thrived in "that" culture. Sometimes when we read the bible, it's easy to skim through the "tough times" for these bible characters because we know the "end" to their stories. But think about this, it takes time to learn a language and to adapt to a new culture. But yet it is written that Daniel and the boys excelled in that foreign culture. It's hard work.

I'm learning that whatever season I'm going through, whether I'm "on the bench" or playing "as a starter", I must work hard. I must remain "in shape". Because who knows when the Coach will put me "in the game".

He uses "unlikely", imperfect people. This is a no-brainer. This is also a big reason why this Lin-derella story is the "best seller" right now. Everybody loves these "underdog" stories. Who doesn't? It gives us a sense of hope. He's living out dreams for a lot of people who are "underdogs" in their own lives. Lin was not drafted. He was waived by two teams. He signed onto the Knicks because they needed someone to fill the bench. He basically just wasn't supposed to be "good".

There are so many biblical examples. I'm reminded of King David and his anointing as a king. The prophet Samuel went to David's house too look for the next king of Israel. He went through all of the brothers of David and was like "that's not it". He then found this shepherd boy and said "it's him". I'm sure his brothers were like "are you serious?" This shepherd boy then defeated Goliath and eventually went on to become the king of Israel. That's not the entire story, he then committed adultery and plotted a murder. Yet he's still known as the "man of God's own heart". I'm reminded of Abraham, who lied a few times and tried to have a kid on his own. He "jumped the gun" and tried to fulfill what the Lord has promised on His own. Yet the Lord kept His promise and blessed Abraham and His descendants. He's known for his "faith" and being the "father of all nations". I'm reminded of Moses who led the Israelites out of slavery. He told the Lord he couldn't do it because he's not good at speaking. But the Lord said just tell them "I am" and that He'd provide him with help (i.e. Aaron). That last example is awesome. I love what the Lord says to Moses. Just tell them "I am" and that's good enough.

I love it that Jeremy Lin is far from perfect. I love it that people are hung up on his turnovers-per-game. It reminds me that he's imperfect and his success is not really about him.

A friend of mine once shared that "God doesn't choose the "best" person, He chooses the "right" person for the job".

Nothing lasts forever. When the Knicks finally lost on Friday, I found myself disappointed. Yes, it's silly I know. But I was reminded that nothing will last. This whole Lin-sanity and this Lin-derella story will be overtaken by another "story" some time, some day. His surge in the NBA may or may not last. Even if he goes on and succeed in the league for a long time, the notoriety and the hype will eventually fade. Then what?

While I was watching the game this afternoon, Hubbie Brown made a great comment about Jeremy Lin. He commended him for bringing everything back to his peers, his family and his religion.

And that's it, we must embrace every single opportunity that the Lord has blessed us with to be His salt and light in the world. I love it. What gives me goosebumps about this whole Lin-sanity thing is what people say about him. People commend him for his hard work and for his humility. He's quietly becoming a role model for a lot of people, especially young people.

This Lin-sanity deal may or may not last. Actually, it won't last. One day it will fade and I'm sure Lin would agree. But while it last, I pray that he'd continue to be a light.

Perhaps that's true of you and I. The Lord has called us to wherever doing whatever. We must be good stewards and give it our all. Because really, nothing will last. But while it does, we must embrace and capitalize on all the opportunities the Lord has blessed us with to do His work.

All in all, for me, this whole Lin-sanity deal isn't about Jeremy Lin at all. Through all this insanity, I'm reminded that the Lord chooses to use whoever to do whatever, whenever and however He sees fit. We saw it in Tebow a few months ago in the sport of American football. We now see it in Jeremy Lin in the NBA.

But what about you and I? Let's face it. I'm no phenom in sports, in chiropody, in music or in whatever else that I do. And let's face it, most of you that are reading it aren't either. But my question and my challenge for all of us is this: How has the Lord blessed me?

Embrace your place, friends. Enjoy the season the Lord has placed you in. Even if that means to endure some of the circumstances you're in right now and choosing to be joyful. Because when Coach is ready, He will "move you". Or maybe He won't move you physically, but He will move you (as in He will overwhelm you with His presence and change your mind-set).

Lastly, let us remember that apart from Him, we are nothing!

The Lin-sanity is not about him, it's about Him. Keep playing hard, brother!

revisiting the ebenezers.

"i will tell everyone about Your righteousness. all day long i will proclaim You saving power, for i am overwhelmed by how much You have done for me" - psalm 71:15

facebook tells me last year today was my first day working at total foot care in ottawa. i can hardly believe it's been a year already. i had such a blessed year in ottawa. it was definitely one of the best decisions i've ever made in life. praise God for His faithfulness, providence and guidance. as i was reflecting on my year last year. i was reminded of a few things i'd like to share. before i started my rotation last year i wrote about raising ebenezer stones and remembering what the Lord has done (http://selaheto.xanga.com/732422137/here-i-raise-my-ebenezer/). that as pivotal in my experience as i was venturing off into a new environment, both physically, emotionally and spiritually - new way of living, new work environment, new study habits, new city, new church community etc. remember or revisiting the ebenezer stones in my life helped me through the season. it reminded me of how the Lord has been working in my life and that He is faithful, even when we are faithless. it reminds me that His plans for me are perfect and that His timing is perfect. it reminds me that He will always provide and deliver, even in my moments of doubt and fear.

today, i have decided to take a trip back. i want to remember how the Lord had blessed me and carried me through my time in ottawa. i needed this trip back as i'm about to begin a new chapter of my life with lots of changes.

it's amazing how quickly we forget what the Lord has done and how He's carried us through different seasons. i had such a blessed time in ottawa. i remember freaking out a little bit before i left for ottawa. or perhaps my freak out started when i was sitting in my then new room. but thinking back, why was i even worried? but that's me, prone to wander and prone to leave the God i love. God really blessed me during my season in ottawa. i had wonderful classmates and roommates that i could study and share life with. it was a really positive learning environment for all of us as we were able to study together, while enjoy life together as well. that was a huge blessing. we somehow lived in an area that was quite convenient for most things for the most part (at least for me it was). we literally had door-to-door busing services from home to our work place. how cool is that? and i lived approximately 5 minute bus ride away from my church. we didn't know that before we got the place. i found out after. and that turned out to be a huge blessing for me. i was able to play sports at church and get to know people. that really helped me transition into my life in ottawa. also, i was very encouraged by the ministry at the metropolitan bible church. and because i was away from my home church, i wasn't able to be a part of the worship ministry. that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. it was a good season of "rest" from being able to play on worship team. it refreshed me and helped me realize how much i enjoy and miss serving the Lord and the body of Christ through music. it rekindled a fire in my heart for musical worship. that also led to my summer experience at cti music ministries, but that's a different story for a different day. my work place was ideal. i enjoyed it thoroughly. it was a positive learning environment where our instructors, and even classmates, were able to encourage us and inspire us to be better. outside of work, we were able to bond as friends as well and that's a huge blessing. i even got to play soccer while i was in ottawa, which is a blessing that i didn't expect at all. but the Lord knew that i enjoy the sport and provided me with the opportunity to enjoy it.

why do we freak out? why do we doubt? God has proven to me over and over again that He's faithful. but i still manage to find ways to tell Him that He's not God-enough. i fear because i want to be in control of my life. and when i'm in control, i screw up. as i enter into a new season of life, it's important for me to remember my experiences in ottawa. it's good to flip back to my journal before i started working there and see how far the Lord has brought me. it's good to see that freaking out was unecessary, for the Lord was and is watching over me. He is good and He is faithful. in fact He's incapable of evil and faithlessness. eliot to, stop doubting and fearing. the Lord has delivered you multiple times.

the second thing i want to remember is something that i blogged about before - a sense of urgency (http://selaheto.xanga.com/745173152/finding-jerusalem/). i realized today how much i miss the staff that i was working with and the patients that i've worked with. i miss the silliness and the seriousness. i miss our intentional conversations. i miss them. and because of that, i was reminded that we need to live with a sense of urgency. i'm prone to dwelling in the past and looking ahead. i've talked about that many times now. instead of looking forward to something, which is not always a bad thing, i need to look to the "present". my time with my staff and patients was short. i only had 7 months to make an impact on their lives and allow them to speak into my life as well. for some patients, it was even shorter than that. we always live as if there's a "tomorrow". but who could guarantee that? i learned that lesson while i was working at total foot care, as you can read in the entry mentioned above. as i step into a new season i need to remember exactly this. i can't look back or look too far ahead. i need to look at what the Lord has given me "today", for He will provide our "daily bread". i need to live with a sense of urgency, for who knows many chances we get to love on people. indeed, we should "... choose this day whom you will serve..." (joshua 24:15). am i going to serve myself? or will i choose to embrace the Lord's heart and love on people? and will i choose to make eternal choices to glorify and worship my Creator?

so i challenge you, to remember what the Lord has done in your life, and to live with a sense of urgency.

thank You, for the lessons You've taught me. thank You for Your faithfulness.

happy anniversary, ottawa!

kayaking through life.

while i was in willmar, minnesota for three weeks, i had a chance to go kayaking with my wonderful host family. those of you that know me well know that i'm by no means a strong swimmer. so i knew from the beginning that it was going to be quite the adventure. up until this day, i still don't know what i agreed to go. in fact, i was so excited to go. but through this experience, God had shown me a thing or two about life. let me share my adventure with you.

i'm not sure if you know what kayaking entails. i actually had no idea how difficult it was going to be. i thought we were just going to kayak through some calm river. but i was wrong. when i saw my first rapid, i freaked out on the inside (freaking out on the outside would communicate weakness, so i didn't).

i also didn't realize how many rapids we were going to go through. i swear we kayaked for a good 4 hours (with 30 minutes of my host dad trying to rescue me from a tree, but that's another story). but as i was breaking through these waves,  i realized a few things: first of all, you must try to keep your kayak straight. anytime you get turned around and become parallel to the waves, you increase the risk of being overtaken by these vicious monsters. secondly, while you're going through the waves, you must stay calm and keep padding. not paddling will eventually send you the way that the waves are hitting, or even tip you over. finally, it's much safer to just break the waves directly, rather than trying to avoid them.

that was my eureka! moment.

the river we kayaked on was beautiful. there were many stretches of calm water where we could just chill out, stop padding, and enjoy the scenery (and it was a gorgeous day out as well) and each others' company. and then were are those moments when my the concentration of cortisol and adrenaline would increase exponential in my body.

isn't that what life is about?

first of all, there will be stretches in life where we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. and that also gives us time to marvel at the beauty of God's handiwork, both in the world and in our lives.

secondly, there will also be rapids that you'd have to face. most of the time, you can't avoid them and you shouldn't try. like i said before, we must keep our kayak (i.e. life) straight. we need to fix our eyes on Jesus and His promises in times of trouble. when we waver and when we turn, we increase our chance of being taken under. obviously this is an imperfect illustration because God is sovereign and all powerful. but bear with me. also, it's important to keep paddling in situations like that. so often in life when hard times hit, we'd rather just hide and stay stagnant. but i was reminded through this experience that i must keep paddling, while point straight ahead at Jesus.

thirdly, there will be times when the rapid will absolutely demolish you, either because you did something dumb (like holding onto a tree branch) or because of circumstances (couldn't turn fast enough and running into a tree). but praise God for giving us friends in our community that would pick us up and save you. again, this is an imperfect illustration. but from experience, i was so grateful that my host dad, tim, was a competent life-guard and a hydrophilic individual. he rescued me from a tree after like 30 minutes. also, there will always be people who have way more experience than you in kayaking/living life. i praise God for giving me the williams family to guide me through my kayaking experience.

finally, once you start, you must finish. once you got into the water, there's really no way to paddle back upstream and stop. there's no where for you to get up and get out. you must keep going. we're alive, and we must keep living and enjoying every single adventure in life, whether it's peaceful, calm and beautiful, or dreadful, dangerous and scary.

so i praise God for an insightful adventure with my awesome family in minnesota.

remember, once you start, you must finish. remember that there will be times when you cruise. there will also be time when you must keep padding through the waves by looking straight at Jesus. there will also be times when you fall, but there will be people to pick you up.

happy kayaking.

there's always gonna be another mountain.

my body has gotten so used to waking up early for work that i'm up already even though i don't have work. however, this is a great time for me to reflect on the past eight months and praise the Lord for His faithfulness. really, it's been nothing but awesome. the Lord has shown His faithfulness and providence time and time again. what a wonderful eight months it's been.

as i have now completed my final clinical rotation, it's time for me to finally "grow up" and be a part of the "real world". i have to admit, job hunting isn't the most exciting thing. in fact, it's quite nerve wracking. however, praise the Lord for the way that He's been changing my heart in the past month or so. He's given me incredible peace and rest in Him regarding this whole thing. let me share with you some inspirations.

eight months ago i shared about "raising your ebenezer" (http://selaheto.xanga.com/732422137/here-i-raise-my-ebenezer/). in case you haven't read it/aren't planning on reading it, it's essentially about placing "stones" or "memorials" of victory or how God has moved in your life. i was inspired by the Lord to "re-visit" some of my own "memorials" in the past and remember how He was faithful and provident, as usual. consequently, as we move into another season, we can be confident that He will deliver and provide for us again, just as He did in the past.

eight months later, here i am, standing at yet another crossroad of my life. like i said earlier, job hunting hasn't been the most exciting part of my year. i knew way ahead of time that i was going to dread it. as most of you know i don't really enjoy "uncertainty". apparently that's true for a lot of other people as well. regardless, i hate not knowing what's going to happen next.

there's always gonna be another mountain, always gonna wanna make it move... ain't about how fast i get there, ain't about what's waiting on the other side. it's the climb.

yes, i just quoted a miley cyrus song. to my defense i didn't even know it was her song when i first heard another cover of it on the x-factor. anyway, that's not the point of this entry. there's so much truth in those few lines in the song. and i think we can draw some encouragement and inspiration from them.

isn't it so true that there's always gonna be another mountain? like i was mentioning earlier, eight months ago i was faced with the uncertainty of moving ottawa and working in a new clinic for awhile. eight months later i am faced with the uncertaintly of employment. there are always things in life that we won't be certain about. and it will always feel like there's gonna be another mountain to climb. what if the goal of "climbing" is not to reach somewhere, but rather to enjoy the "climbing" itself.

for me, i believe that it is during these seasons of "climbing" that the Lord chooses to refine me. it is also a way for the Lord to remind me that i can't do things on my own. He has proven to me over and over again that He is faithful and He will provide. and those are my "memorials", my "ebenezers". and perhaps that's the point - "... that God, who began the good works within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again" - philippians 1:6

there's always gonna be another mountain and we'll always want to make it move. next time you reach another mountain, step back, take a deep breath, remember how the Lord has brought you through the last mountain, and then enjoy the rest of the climb.

ain't about how fast we get there or what's on the other side, it's about the climb.