In only a handful of days the Easter event will be upon us. Easter is the centerpiece of the Christian faith. Interestingly enough, when Paul wrote to what was possibly the most jacked-up church in all of history (the Corinthian church), he said that the cross of Christ was of first importance. That in the death of Christ we have a Savior who died for our sins.
Why is this of first importance…?
Read more at Pastor Dave’s blog here.
You can check out Pastor Dave’s blog. It has been updated and he’s looking for comments and feedback.
to that end you can email me at pr.daveshaw@gmail.com or leave a comment at my new blog http://expatpastor.wordpress.com
God bless.
Pastor Dave
this is for US citizens in the bucheon area…
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The Korean Ministry of Justice announced that as of December 15, 2007, foreigners will have to submit medical and criminal background checks when applying for a visa to become a foreign language teacher in South Korea. The U.S. Embassy cannot provide a background check or fingerprinting service, and we cannot notarize, certify, or verify the authenticity of background checks or diplomas.
As we understand the new requirements, E-2 visa applicants who are U.S. citizens can obtain the necessary criminal background check either by submitting their fingerprints to the FBI or by applying for a local police check where they last resided in the U.S. Procedures for obtaining criminal background checks in the U.S. are explained on our website at http://www.asktheconsul.org/E2ec07.htm. Local police stations in the Republic of Korea are able to take fingerprints that can be sent to the FBI for a background check. U.S. Embassies are, unfortunately, prohibited from taking fingerprints for these purposes.
Regrettably, the Korea Immigration Service (KIS) has placed incorrect information on its website concerning services U.S. embassies can and cannot perform. As of this writing the “New Release: Mandatory Requirements of Criminal Background Check and Health Certificate” on the KIS website contains incorrect information about the length of time it can take to get a criminal records check in the U.S. and also states erroneously that the U.S. Embassy can notarize or certify background checks. We have asked that the incorrect information be removed from the KIS website and we regret any inconvenience or misunderstanding that has resulted from their explanation of our services.
As we receive updated information on the Korean visa requirements, we will post it on our website. The U.S. Embassy website will also continue to be the best source of information about the services that we are able to provide under U.S. law and regulation. If you have further questions, we suggest that you contact the office responsible for the new requirements, the Korea Immigration Service, Border Control Division, at 500-9116, 500-9117, or 500-9118, or consult their website at http://seoul.immigration.go.kr/HP/IMM80/index.do or the Ministry of Justice website (in Korean only) at
http://moj.korea.kr/moj/jsp/moj1_branch.jsp?_action=news_view&_property=p_sec_1&_id=155250149.
Dumping Ground
“In a place where even people are considered refuse, no one would listen to the educated, accomplished pastor. Until he became one of them.”
Click on the link and read the whole story. It’s amazing!
this is a remarkable article about a man who lived the Bible literally for one year. read an interview here… comments welcome.
by Sarah Wright
Dave mentioned at one of the Sunday morning meetings Paul’s words about giving our bodies as a living sacrifice and worshiping wholly, and then it came up in our women’s Bible study last week. I’m sorry, but I can’t remember the exact verses. I think it is in
Romans, though. Anyways, these words came into my head:
“Wholly Yours – A Living Sacrifice”
I give You my eyes
that I might see Your beauty.
I give you my arms
that they might rise to praise You.
I give You my legs
that they might stand before You.
I give You my heart
that it might be made joyful.I give You my ears
that they might hear Your words.
I give you my shoulders
that they might bow before You.
I give You my feet
that they might go where You lead.
I give You my spirit
that it might be made humble.I give You my hands
that they might show Your mercy.
I give you my back
that it might support another.
I give You my tongue
that it might be a tree of life.
I give You my self
that I might be wholly Yours.
After today’s Women’s Bible Study, I researched just this question. After all, God is infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, creator of the universe. What can I, a broken sinner, do to bring glory to Him? The whole concept made no sense. One might as well ask a drop of rainwater (acid rain at that) to glorify the Atlantic Ocean.
My seach brought me to this interesting article.
In the Hebrew, the word glorify is kabod; and in the Greek, it is doxazo. Interestingly enough, there are really two different aspects of this word:
First, to glorify means to shine, to demonstrate and to manifest the divine. (Exodus 16:7; 24:16) In other words, glory represents the Lord’s presence.
Quite a tall order. And it gets even more intense:
That glory also filled the tabernacle in the wilderness. Listen to Exodus 40:34-35: “Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.”
That leaves my head spinning. The same presence, the same glory, that left even Moses, who stood in the presence of God on Mt. Sinai, couldn’t enter into it, is to enter into us.
Glory, then, seems to be the vehicle that conveys and reveals the true presence of God. In Scripture, glory means possession of the character, beauty and majesty that belong to the Lord. It means an exact representation of His being. It means reflecting His presence, His essence, His Life and His Name. Thus, to glorify God is to manifest all that God is. It’s showing forth His Self and not our own. (John 14:13; 16:14) It’s His glory brought to light in us.
Go read the rest. I’ll be stewing on it for days.
HEBREWS 10:25 KJV
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
While the Bible does warn us, in the above verse, not to forsake meeting together with other believers, it never tells us how often we should meet. Neither does it say when or where we should meet.
When we meet together, God did not intend for it to be just a ritual, but something beneficial.
It should be a time of fellowship, learning, sharing, giving, receiving, and spiritual encouragement. A time to build one another up by what the other members of the body supply.
1 CORINTHIANS 14:26 KJV
26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
Although nothing is more important than receiving teaching to help us understand and act on God’s Word, that should not be the only reason we meet together.
When the Bible was written, the only way to hear anointed teaching of the Word was to physically gather together when a Bible teacher was present. But today we are not limited to a time or place, because of recorded media.
The reason for meeting together as believers is more than just to listen to someone else “preach” to you. You need to become involved.
A true “church meeting” does not require a large number of people. In fact, a smaller group is often best, as it is easier to share what you have and offer spiritual encouragement to others, as well as receive it yourself.
MATTHEW 18:20 KJV
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Even two believers discussing the Word during their lunch break is a valid expression of a “church meeting” according to this verse. Jesus promised us, as individual believers, He would never leave us. So, clearly this verse must mean Jesus expresses Himself in a special way, as members of His body meet together in His Name.
The New Testament refers often to believers meeting in their homes. There is no reason believers cannot meet anywhere: on a commute to work, at a restaurant, at an office, or even in a church building. The Bible sets no limitations.
Of course it is absolutely vital to regularly feed on teaching from God’s Word to stay built up spiritually. But today, that can be accomplished anywhere and anytime.
But too many believers stop with only being fed the Word. They never share and interact with others. So they don’t grow and develop as they should. You always learn better and receive more when you share what you have already received.
No one knows everything. But we all have something to contribute. You don’t have to be a super-saint to be involved with others. You can meet with another believer (or maybe a few others): a friend, neighbor, or family member. Just discuss the Word. Ask a question if you have one. Share an insight if you have one. Maybe pray for one another. Things like this are the reason to not forsake meeting together.
If your church-going is just a ritual, and all you get out of it is no more than what you could get at home, then changes need to be made. But please, do not fall into the trap of criticizing others for what they do, or do not do.
“In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again, and recieve you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”
John 14:2-3
There were times when these verses kept me breathing. Times when I clung to them to remember I have a home. That if all the world is crumbling around me, He is coming again. He will come to recieve me.
Being a lover of God also means making yourself a foreigner to this world. We wander this place, foriegn to everything. Even in the same towns were were born, we are never truly home. We never find where we belong and we are always looking for something more. Something that says, “This is your place here.”
So when I have those deep, longing feelings of being homesick, in Korea or the U.S. or any other country, I remember my room in my Father’s hosue is waiting for me. It is being prepared for me. So I can be thankful for the days that I feel foreign to every place and every person, because my days here are numbered, but my homecoming will be eternal.
J.B.
