Most of us like to do casual outings, do
road trips, or go to one-time events with our families, friends, or co-workers.
I remember that I went to the restaurant(s) in Mission Bay with my family while
I was in Auckland, New Zealand, which was before I went to New York. I love
Mission Bay so much because of nice environment and food. However, I think
their restaurants are much more expensive than North Shore ones. Furthermore,
when I was in New York and became a true Christian and a follower of Jesus
Christ, I went to three retreats that
was organised by Promise International Fellowship, my home church. One was for
Promise College Fellowship, which was just for university students and university-aged
young adults, since the word ‘college’ means university in New Zealand. At that
time, I felt that I need to get out of the house or I need some fellowship with
the brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Andrew Kim spoke to me and the rest
of my car group members that retreats should be the place where we can seek God
intimately. Although I went to Promise College Fellowship retreat for rest and
fellowshipping with them, I want to thank Andrew for speaking and reminding me
that the main importance of going to retreats is to seek the Lord. Second
retreat, that was organised by the church, that I went to was the leadership
retreat. The leadership retreat was for the church leaders but is open to
anyone who has wanted to get more involved in Promise International Fellowship.
Funny thing was that my thought of the church’s name was similar to Richard
Aguilar’s one but his thought was better than mine. He told every member, who
went to the leadership retreat, that the word ‘Promise’ means that we are going
to Promise Land at the end of the age or the church should focus on the Kingdom
world; the word ‘International’ means it is for everyone, regardless of their
background, countries, and races; the word ‘Fellowship’ means to get together
with brothers and sisters in Christ. I just thought the word ‘Promise’ means
that we cannot lie or we cannot lie because the word of God says so. I was not
very spiritual-minded person at that time. Because of Richard Aguilar’s
interpretation of “Promise International Fellowship,” I was blessed to hear the
meaning of it. Last retreat that I went to was general Promise International
Fellowship retreat, which was open to anyone, who goes to PIF. The one-time
event that I can mostly remember was worship night with Chris Tomlin and Kari
Jobe. I did not know who Kari Jobe was until PIF dance team used her song for
some of their performances but I was very stocked to hear Chris Tomlin sing.
Therefore, I thank Maria for posting about it in Facebook and I thank Paul for
being a leader of inviting the church members to the event.
Long time ago, before Jesus Christ came
into this world, the law about the Most Holy Place was that only priests have
to go there for their or their people’s sins annually (Leviticus 16). Furthermore, only priests
was able to sacrifice animal offerings for their sins or sins of their people
in other times as well, as the book of Leviticus explains, and sins was only
able to be forgiven by God if there were animal sacrifices (Hebrews 9:22). I think the priests have got
much higher authority to talk with God than others and some people, even, still
believe that this is true. However, because God has loved his creations so much,
including people (Genesis 1), God sent His beloved Son, Jesus
Christ, into the world to crucify Himself for our sins—including sins that we
are going to make. This was done to restore everything back to Himself, which
means that the separation between us and God has been over and finished by the
blood of Jesus Christ (Matthew 27:50-54). In other words, God has
exchanged from eternal death to eternal life through faith In Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in
Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Jesus has declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one
who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by
believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26) Jesus Christ had to die for
our sins in the human form and there is a couple of reasons for this. He has
been the perfect image of God from the
beginning (John 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15) and He already knows every
sin that we are going to make since He knows everything. The main reason that
He has to appear in the human form probably is that He has not been able to
crucify Himself in the spiritual being, due to the fact that He is already
perfect at everything (Jeremiah 32:17; Romans 11:33-36). Furthermore, since there
is no more separation between us and God, we are able to pray and repent
directly to God if we sin accidentally (1 John 1:8-2:2).
It was necessary,
then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these
sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than
these. For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only
a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s
presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the
high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his
own. Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of
the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to
do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as people are destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to
take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin,
but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:23-28)
The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the
realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices
repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to
worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the
worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt
guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It
is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for
me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said,
‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—I have come to do your will, my
God.’”
First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin
offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were
offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do
your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will,
we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once
for all.
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties;
again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But
when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down
at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be
made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who
are being made holy.
The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the
Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their
minds.”
Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.”
And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer
necessary. (Hebrews 10:1-18)
Most of us think that
the house of God is every church around the world, so in order to worship Him,
we have to go to churches on Sundays since they are bodies of Jesus Christ. It
is right that the house of God is every church, which are bodies of Jesus, and
churches are best places to worship Him, but there are more than that. Every
thing that we do for the Lord’s sake is considered as part of worshiping Him (Romans 12:1-2). The main reasons for this
probably are that we are part of Jesus’ body (1 Corinthians 12:27) and part of the temple
of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16). This means that if
each follower of Jesus gather around together, we are actually being the church
of Jesus Christ. Why Jesus Christ said to Peter, “…I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys
of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:18-19) In addition to this, if
we are part of the body of Jesus Christ, then we are basically members of one
another (Romans 12:4-5). Therefore, churches are not
just for Sundays and places to worship God. Being the church of Jesus is meant
to happen throughout our daily lives. This does not mean that we must abandon
all other things and meet one another to be the church. I think not only
meeting up and fellowshipping one other, but when we are talking life and
encourage one another in Jesus Christ, we are being the church of Jesus Christ
as well. I like the description of ‘Windsor Park Young Adult Communities’
Facebook group, which says, “A Community
of people who by being Christ centred, journey through life, faith and doubt
together.” Nevertheless, fellowshipping each other and showing hospitality
to one another, if the schedules match, should be important, due to the fact
that we get more encouragement from others. I always remember my Thursday
home-group, that is organised by Hasler's, when I think of Hebrews 10:19-25. Although we are not
studying theology all the time or our studies is not based on Windsor Park, I really
feel that we are being the church of Jesus Christ, due to the fact that
everyone of us are seeking the Lord intimately and being the encouragement to
others. While I was at the home-group this past Thursday, I thought of Acts 2:42-47 as well because the main
content of Acts 2:42-47 is to fellowship with each
other I think. The word of God states that the church of Jesus Christ is the
bride of Christ. Because of this, I think of Revelation 21:1-7. Overall, I believe we
should be the church of Jesus Christ that is based on love and good deeds, Loving
one another is second greatest commandment of God (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30-31) and also is the fulfillment
of the law (Romans 13:8-10). Although we have been spiritually
saved through faith in Jesus Christ by the grace of God, deeds are much
important as faith (Ephesians 2:8-10). The main reason for this
is that faith without deeds is completely dead (James 2:14-26). In addition to this, every
follower of Jesus Christ have been made to be His light to the world (Matthew 5:14-16), due to the fact that all
of us have been created to be the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Moreover, 1 John 4:11-12 declares, “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we
also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one
another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” This is
because God is love and love comes from God (1 John 4:7-8).
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow
citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief
cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a
holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become
a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)
