Following His lead

Love is not doing the bare minimum, it’s not an obligation. What is the nature of love? Love is learning to make the dreams of the one you love come true.

David Hamilton is our speaker this week, talking to us about Missions.
David has been in the mission field for over 30 years, and has traveled to more than 180 countries. went around the world (in mileages) a hundred times. He is also in YWAM leadership role.

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Here's a short summary of today's lecture.

- Love is not doing the bare minimum, it’s not an obligation. What is the nature of love? Love is learning to make the dreams of the one you love come true. You live for the other!
 Do we follow the great commission because the opposite is disobedience? Are we doing it as a task to be accomplished?   Sometimes we say “I will go IF He calls me”, if He doesn’t, I’m OK because He didn’t call me.
 We’ve also heard of the saying “God ddoesn't want our ability, He wants our availability” It’s a bad statement, because availability is not Love. it’s our bare minimum. It’s not enough.
Do we want to make God’s dream true? at any cost? If we do then we can say “I love you God!”
- The great commission is not a task to accomplish, it’s how we romance God.
Before waiting for the orders from God (out of obligation, like God should i do this? or that?) surprise God.

Is the Earth the result of an incredible sequence of sheer luck? or is it the result of delicate design by a Supreme Being?

last week we had Peter Yoon, a professor who is a physicist from MIT (now teaching at Maryland Univ) talk about God and science.

He asked the fundamental question.
Is the Earth/Life the result of an incredible sequence of sheer luck? or is it the result of delicate design by a Supreme Being?  

Let’s look at it this way, let’s say your playing poker and you get a royal straight flush. and then you get a royal straight flush again, and again, and again... 1000 times in a row. was that sheer luck? or by design?  
 
Let’s say you have a monkey in front of a typewriter. and the monkey types randomly. What are the chances that by typing randomly that monkey will write up Romeo & Juliet? could that happen through sheer luck? or by design?
 
Peter Yoon went over many instances of space and nature where it just couldn't be that life was created by sheer luck. 
Below are just a few of the "just right" one in a billionth chances of a galactic event to happen. 

Earth’s molten metallic core produces a magnetic field, that protects the earth from the radiation explosion of the Sun. Without the protective magnetic field no life can exist, since every living being on earth would die of cancer. Of the 4 rocky inner planets, only Earth has molten core.
 
- Without the moon, no life on earth can exist. (this was discovered 10 years ago). The rotation of the moon around the earth keeps the earth rotation from spinning out of control (like a top spinning out of control). The gravitational pull of the earth keeps the earth and moon in check.

- The habitual zone : If our solar system was in the middle of the milky way, no life exist because the gamma rays would be too harmful for life to survive.  If the solar system was too far from the milky way, there would not be enough chemicals to produce life (life on earth are carbon beings), Thus earth is in a slice of rotation that only life can survive on.

- The sun was much hotter a billion years ago, and at that time mars was in the habitual zone.

- The sun is “just the right” size to emit light to bring life to earth.
- Earth is at “just the right” distance to the sun for sustain a 4 seasonal tilt and rotation for day and night. If the earth were closer, earth would not rotate because of the gravitational pull of the sun would create a tidal lock (one face of the planet continues to face the sun)

- 95% of the stars in the milky way are smaller than our sun. 


- 5% of the sun-like stars in our galaxy, not all of them have planets. 

- Planets with elliptic orbits cannot sustain life.

- Without Jupiter, there would be no water on earth. Jupiter also has to be at just the right distance, and just the right size, or there would be too much water, or too little water on earth.

- Quotes : Most of the Universe if too cold, too hot, too dense, too vacuous, too dark, too bright, or not composed of the right elements to support life... Earth is unique in both it’s physical properties and it’s proven ability to sustain life “ Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, Rare Earth.

- Quotes : If some god-like being could be given the opportunity to plan a sequence of events with the express goal of duplicating our “garden of eden” that power would face a formidable task. With the best intentions, but limited by natural laws and materials, it is unlikely that Earth could ever be truly replicated. Too many processes in its formation involved sheer luck. Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, Rare Earth.

Conclusion : Nature reveals the existance of the Creator/Designer who is above and beyond nature. Also, Hugh Ross listed 75 conditions in the universe needed to produce life. each condition is one in a billion “just right” chance. and with 75 in a row? (and that's just what the human race has discovered) it's clear out impossible that another planet in the universe could exist that could sustain life. We are living in just the right time, just the right place, just the right condition for life to exist. We are living in THE ONLY single garden of eden in the whole universe.

If Jesus were alive today, he'd probably be the best filmaker ever, because he is the greatest storyteller.

Jaeson Ma is in the house this week. And what a week it was! He exploded as a speaker, with energy and passion in the hippiest way. 

A pastor and a rapper. He challenged us in so many ways. We had the screening of his movie 1040movie which is a documentary about what God is doing in Asia right now. It will blow your mind. Jaeson also has his own entertainment  company adventures.tv 
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Some interested statistics. 
- Currently there are about 200 indigenious tribes unreached with the gospel right now. Statistics show they will all be reached within the next 18 months. 
- There have been prophecies that North Korea will open up within the next 18 months as well.
- I'm hearing prophesies from here and there that Jesus will come back in today's younger generations lifetime. (so my generation or my daughter's generation)

Great quotes from Jaeson
- Intimacy with God is the birthplace of miracles
- The day God stops using you is the day you stopped seeking God. 
- What we can do without, we can live without. 
- God doesn't create accidents, He creates destiny. 
- It's not visitation, it's habitation of God in my life. 
- When you hang out with Jesus, you become like Jesus. 
- The presence of the Lord is the greatest evangelical tool you will ever have. 
- Waiting on the Lord is the ultimate act of faith. you lay down all your plans and your thoughts. 
- Know God like a wife and husband have sex. the ultimate intimate act of affection. 
- If God is the best thing ever. better than sex, better than drugs, better than anything. you can wait. 
- You have to pray it out before you walk it out. 
- When evangelizing, do fun things with people, and pray for the power of God to show up. 
- Earth is a 70 year internship before Jesus comes

Eric Fish also spoke about the student church movement. Very radical following the basic commands of Jesus in planting churches. The most radical thinking was allowing just Christians to babtize new born Christians they just converted!  (where in a traditional church this is done only by the pastor)

Great quotes from Eric Fish
- The best evangelists i've seen were just new born Christians
- Jesus loves to show up at parties. 
- Christians go to heaven, disciples change the world. 
- Everything God made on the earth multiplies. 

The basic commands of Jesus. (the commands we are called to obey)
1. Repent, Believe & receive the Holy Spirit
2. Be baptized. (Proof of our faith confession)
3. Love God, Love family, love neighbors, love enemies (Forgive)
4. Celebrate the Lord's supper (Gather) 
5. Pray daily (and meditate on the Word)
6. Give generously 
7. Make disciples. 

Jiseong is intimate with God.

Jiseong asked me today, before going to bed, "What is that funny language you talk when you pray during the gatherings?"

"It's called praying in tongues, and it's the language God gives us to speak in the Holy Spirit! Some people understand what they are praying and some don't. It's a gift from God"
"Can I pray like that too?"  Jiseong asks. "Of course you can!" I answered. 

Then Jiseong laid down on his bed and was quiet for awhile. I thought he was going to sleep. then I asked, "Do you want to ask God for this gift?"
and Jiseong answered, "I already did! and God said YES!"  I was amazed!

"Did you hear God's voice?" i asked, and Jiseong said, "No, but he showed me a picture of the letters YES"

Incredible.

Best birthday ever! turned 40 and learned about my original design (what God had in mind when he created me)

Yesterday was my 40th birthday. What a milestone! Moses was 40 when he smote an Egyptian and left a life of luxury in Egypt and desert life started. 

 
This week was a spectacular week about freedom, and the speaker was Brian Brennt, who was the senior pastor of New Song Church in Tacoma, WA. (which is now City Central Chruch)
I and my family were prayed for by Kitsy & Cathy from the Tacoma team, and here's what God had in mind when He created me!
( BTW Kitsy and Cathy were amazing!)
 
1. I am a Leader among leaders
2. Righteous before God. And have a heart like David
3. Strong capable, Steadfast - nothing phases me - in working with teams. all things roll off my back. 
4. Eyes to see and ears to hear - discernment of God's voice and quick to obey. 
5. I am a light house. - others drawn to me by my light. Lord calls me to be His beacon of light so strong, I guide men to his Kingdom.

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Today i finally met someone who died, went to heaven, met Jesus and came back to life to tell it as it is!

Riaya from Kazakhstan gave one of the most amazing testimonials i've ever heard about the living God. She's a student here at the University of Nations and she shared her incredible story with us today at our monday morning worship time. 
Riaya was born a muslim and when she was 10 years old, she experienced first hand war. She saw her whole neighborhood maimed by the effects of war. It was a risk to go out to the streets, but to get food at the only bread factory, people would wait in lines for days to get food, and would kill each other for food. Although she was a muslim, she never ever saw the muslim god alla answer her prayers. the muslim god is a god of punishment, and fear. distant and asks for sacrifice to get into heaven. So while she was waiting in line, instead of praying to alla, she called out to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (because she learned that He exists in the Toran, where her ancestor line comes from Isamiel (who believes in alla, the muslim god), the brother of Jacob in the Book of Genesis in the Holy Bible), and God really answered her prayer!

 

She met Jesus when a Korean mission came to Kazakhstan to teach Taekwondo for free. They talked to her about Jesus. Ria was a woman, where in the Muslim culture woman are looked down upon. And that He knows the number of hairs on her head. A personal God who is Love, and not a punisher, not a fearful God, but a God of love who wants a personal intimate relationship with her. and since Ria had seen so many lambs sacrificed for Muslim sacrifices, when she heard that Jesus was the lamb to die for her sins she instantly understood it. And decided to go to church. There she went to recieve a prayer and the pastor laid hands on her head, and she fell down and saw a vision of Jesus Christ on the cross and Jesus talked to her saying "Riaya you deserve to die, but I died instead of you, recieve my love, just receive it, i took your sins, i took your shame, i took the judgement and become my child by just believing in me!" 

 

Some time (maybe a few months? or year?) after that had happened, muslim bombers planted bombs in the church that Riaya went to, and Riaya was leaning next to the bomb when it went off, and died right there.  But she went to Heaven and met Jesus and Jesus said with the most gentle voice "welcome home Ria, i'm so happy to see you" and she could see Jesus looking into her and seeing her weakness but loving her for who she was and embracing her with His love. He was so beautiful, glorious, indescribable. Jesus then gave her a choice. would you like to go back or stay here with me? and Riaya anwered, "i lived a life.  i lived for my desires, my plans, it was all about me. but give me one more chance because it's all about you. and He said, alright Riaya, i will let you go. I will see you soon!" and Riaya came back to life. and Riaya felt in her spirit that she had unfinished business on earth. When she returned, her sister was praying for her on her side even though she had died, and God had moved her sister to pray for her. Her head was split open, and parts of her brain came out, and all her skin was burned and she had no skin left and she was blind. But God healed her completely, God is a resurrector, and she got her sight  back, her skin has no scars, but only the scar on her head, like the scars that Jesus has on his hands and ankle. Check out the pictures! she has skin like a baby! nothing about her suggests she had such an unrecoverable accident. 

So to make it short, Riaya is here on earth to tell people that Jesus is real, Heaven is real. and she has seen two visions from God, and one of them tells her that Jesus will come back in her generation. More than anything today while listening to Ria's testimony, although she is probably in her late 20s, i could see a 12 year old girl, filled with love, passion, and contagious energy that only shines with Jesus's love.

 

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Keauhou Honu Express Shuttle (or Trolley) Schedule as of May 16th, 2010

The Keauhou Honu Express Shuttle that runs along Alii Dr. is a good alternative to using a car to get around Kailua-Kona. It's a 5~10 minute walk from the University of Nations. The closest stop to the University of Nations is "Huggo's on the Rock" stop when going South, and "Coconut Grove" stop going north. The cost per passenger is $1.00. To get to the Children's beach, (or Kahaluu Beach Park) get off at "Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort"

The schedule you find on the web is currently outdated, and the only way to get the most recent schedule it to get the copy they give out on the trolley. I've attached the image of the most recent schedule (as of May 16th, 2010)

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Don't search for why God loves you, because you'll never find out why.

Today we started this weeks lecture called Plumbline. A plumbline is an instrument used since ancient Egypt to construct a building. The plumbline is used to make sure the blocks are being properly and vertically stacked. This week we are going to use a spiritual plumbline to see what building blocks inside of us are crooked, and attempt to inner heal. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from today's first lecture. 

- People's biggest fear is people : of people's judgement and rejection. 

- The foundation of love : Matt 22:37~39 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  The foundation for this scripture is we have to love ourselves first.  If you don't love yourself, and you try to love others. we can say "I love you" in words or in actions, but we want love in return. and we cannot fill this hunger for love, and we seek others more and say we love you more, but inside we are saying "I want to be loved by you" therefore we need to love ourselves first. We are like a rechargeable car battery, only God can fill us with love and with that love we can have the energy to love others. people want to recharge themselves with power and they try to plug themselves into other people. to get recharged to get nourishment from others. we look for others to fulfil our nutrients and we plug into people we think can fulfil us. and when it falls short, we unplug ourselves and look for another person to plug into. God says "love Me" because He is the eternal power generator.  God doesn't need us. We need God, and our needs becomes God's need.

- A father's heart will ache if he finds his children do not love themselves. So is the same with God's heart. 

-  We can never do anything to gain God's love. Because we already have it ALL unconditionaly. We can only make God happier with faith, not actions. Faith that God loves me, and living in that faith and security. An example is a son trying to please his father every morning by shining his shoes. The first day when he shined his shoes, Dad gave his son a big smile. and the next day and so on. one day his son was not happy, and the dad was curious as to why. It was because the father did not smile after the son shined his shoes. The father was so hurt because his son needed to work to get his father's love. His father's smile. The father told his son that you don't have to work to get my smile. you always have it. you always have my love. never work to get my love, because you have it unconditionally.

- The reason God loves me is not inside of me. there is no reason. Don't search for why God loves you, because you'll never find out why. And that love will never diminish. we have no power to increase or decrease it. And if we do not receive it, God will be very sad. 

Christianity is exclusive. (John 14:6, Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.) Many people get ticked off by Christianity because Christians are so exclusive.  saying things like "ONLY through Jesus Christ" when other religions are open to other religions. But think about it. Relationships are all about exclusivity. Love by nature is exclusive. I love my wife. If I went around dating other women, my wife would kill me! intimate relationships, love relationships are supposed to be exclusive. Christianity is all about falling in love with Jesus. and discovering He loves us. that's why Christianity must be exclusive.

The story of Hakani

Hakani

In the picture is Hakani, Jiyeon's friend at the foundation school at YWAM. You can see her amazing story and cry for freedom and life here at this website

Hakani survived Infanticide from the Brazilian Indigenosu tribe when she was young. She was buried alive because her tribe thought she had no soul. Her parents commited suicide and then her grandfather. Her brother had the responsibilty to bury her alive, but then plucked from the grave at the last moment. She then was forced to live as a social outcast for three long years until sickness and neglect brought her once again to the doorway of death. Then saved miraculously by YWAM staff in Brazil. 

Last week the YWAM base showed the docudrama of Hakani. We were appalled at the cruelness of the tribes, committing infanticide because the child has a defect, or because the tribe doctor believes the child is the cause of bad fortune (bad crops, no rain etc...), now there is a movement to save and educate the tribes that these children have a future, through the story of Hakani. 
 
Jiyeon is so lucky to know Hakani. God bless Hakani, and we pray that many children are saved through the Hakani crusade. 

Our 070 Internet Phone works! 하와이에서 드뎌 070 인터넷 전화 됩니다.

The University of Nations IT Ministry department has finally gotten round to updating their router system and configuring it to support all theses Korean 070 Internet phones. So those in Korea and people in the US with Internet phones! you can call us! 070-7519-0360 

이제 드뎌 070 인터넷 전화기 됩니다. 전화 많이 주세요! 우리 인터넷 전화번호는 070-7519-0360 입니다. 
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