a NEW year, a NEW chapter

Don't be afraid of tomorrow. God is already there.

get a little UNCOMFORTABLE

INVISIBLE CHILDREN
(click if you dare or care)

blog volcano is about to ERUPT

wow i have sooo much i want to blog about
i'll wait til the new year
and then the blog volcano will erupt

hold your horses :)

COINCIDENCE? i think not...

Seriously, let me just being by saying God works all things together for good to those who love Him.

My story begins on the 3rd day of UR--on Wednesday morning my Dad called me but I just stared at my phone and didn't pick up. He left me a voicemail so I decided to listen to it just in case it was an emergency. My Dad says, "Hey I found this drug rehab center in Tecate, Mexico. Let's sleep in San Diego Thursday night and head over there on Friday. Call me A.S.A.P. if you want to go." My immediate reaction: Pshh heck no! I went to SkiDazzle just for a Big Bear lift ticket and it expires Friday. No way, I want to snowboard.~ And I refused to give him a call back. So I sit down for the morning sermon, and guess what it's on? Missions. Haha are you serious? Oh my gosh Pastor Richard's sermon convicted me. Everyone deserves the gospel. It made me realize what was truly important, and I had a heart to go spread the love of Christ. Coincidence? I think not...

I called my Dad after service and told him, "Hey pick me up from San Diego. Let's do this." On Thursday night we ended up staying at the Hilton hotel at Del Mar Heights in San Diego. Around dinner time we got hungry so we went driving around the Del Mar Racetrack area to find a place to eat. Then as we're driving through this plaza, we spot this white guy/asian girl couple through the windows. And we both thought, hell no-- can that be Uncle Jerry and Aunt YooSoon? We went inside and surprise! Haha out of all the restaurants in San Diego at that same hour, what are the odds? And it gets even better-- my cousin's boyfriend Rich was there with them asking for the blessing to marry their daughter Connie (my cousin). Haha he must've thought our family is crazy, but nevertheless he showed us the ring and we had a nice conversation. Wow what are the chances that we meet on those terms? I'm hoping that our growing family will become a Christ-loving bunch :) Coincidence? I think not...

The next morning we head over to Tecate, Mexico, and Pastor Roberto was waiting for us at the border. My Dad met him on Thanksgiving weekend when he drove by himself to Mexico looking for new ministry opportunities. He asked where the most crime-infested area of Tecate was, and then he found a couple churches in that area. By God's will, he ended up finding Pastor Roberto. It just so happens that both Pastor Robert and my Dad have a heart for drug rehab ministry because they were both drug addicts before meeting Jesus. Haha imagine what Roberto thought when a random Korean guy showed up at his door. But anyways... Coincidence? I think not...

Pastor Roberto knew a drug rehab center so we drove about an hour away to the place. When we arrived there, all the drug rehab interns had gone somewhere to work for the day. The only people remaining was one leader, and a young drug addict named Manuel. Manuel had been hooked on Methamphetamines since he was 8-years old. He came to the rehab center about 2 weeks ago and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Amen! And ever since then, he has broke the chains of drug addiction. However, on this particular morning, he didn't follow the other interns because he was angry about something in the morning. Everyone left except the leader and Manuel. Without any prior contact, we popped up and my Dad shared the gospel/practical experience with the young believer. Manuel (a brand new believer recovering from drugs) was tremendously blessed by the advice, testimony, and gospel that we shared with him. We gave him his first Bible and he accepted with tears of joy. Coincidence, I think not...

Afterwards, my Dad and I attended the Friday night service at Pastor Roberto's church. I shared an encouraging word, and my Dad shared his testimony. While he was sharing the gospel and testimony, there were a few that just broke out in tears. I really believe God wanted those particular guys attending the service to hear the message and touch them. Even if it was through some random Korean guy who speaks Spanish who found a random church in a random district of a random city. Coincidence? I think not...

It may not seem like much, but take a closer look at things. Everything happens for a reason. [Romans 8:28]

I was sleeping when my Dad was driving. When I woke up I said, "Am I in Utah or Mexico?"

The Son is beautiful.

Drug addiction? Slavery to sin? Victory is through Christ and in Him alone. Ask any of them.

There are no colors in the House of God.

puritan FELLOWSHIP

"One single coal is apt to die, but many coals put together keep in the heat. Christians by their heavenly talk may ‘blow up’ one another’s grace into a flame." [Thomas Watson]

why is that book even in the BIBLE?

One of my new favorite books is Song of Solomon. I just finished the last sermon of the 10-week series by Pastor Mark Driscoll, and wow it's been an eye-opening journey. To be honest, I'm pretty excited to be in a God-exalting relationship. I'm going to listen to it again when I date, and then one more time when I get married!

I think people have a misconception of the book though, and are even ashamed to talk about it. I think pastors are too afraid to preach it sometimes because it's "too X-rated" or "too inappropriate for church. That's bullcrap. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness [2 Timothy 3:16]. That includes the Song of songs. I hate when Christians make a laughingstock out of the Bible, taking verses out of context like "your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies....blablabla", and then joke around about it. Ooh my gosh sex and naked people! Grow up, and read the book in context. It's about the most beautiful gift God has given us to enjoy-- marriage. It is meant to be supremely God-glorifying, and I'm really looking forward to it!

-Am I ready to get married? No.
-Am I ready to date? Probably not.
-But you know what? I'm just trusting in God. He knows better than I do when I'll be ready. And I'll tell you what, when that time comes I'm going to love the girl like Christ loves the church (which is a lot).

For anyone who is about to be in a relationship, or is already in one:

The Peasant Princess Series by Pastor Mark Driscoll

don't WORRY

If God brings me to it, He'll bring me through it. :)

it's time for CHANGE

I hate the person I'm becoming.

The paradox is, I don't want to change. Either I'm too scared, it's too hard, or I'm just too comfortable with who I am right now.

LORD SAVE ME.

i need a HIGHER view of God [john 3:30]

He must increase
He must increase
He must increase
He must increase
He must increase
but I must decrease
but I must decrease
but I must decrease
but I must decrease
but I must decrease

a rotten SEED

I read an article and learned a little biology today:

"Yet before this force of life can be released, the hard outer shell must be broken down, allowing moisture and other nutrients into the heart of the seed. In a sense, the seed must decay before it begins to live and grow."

Giant Sequoia trees, apple trees, dandelions--every plant starts off as a seed. But before it can sprout, the seed itself must die. The seed shell rots, and that is when life truly begins for a plant.

It reminds me of my own spritual life. I had to die to myself before life truly began. "Whoever seeks to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." [Luke 17:33] And when I finally died to myself and surrendered to the One, God allowed me to blossom by the power of His grace. First my prideful shell decayed. Then I drank the Living Water of the gospel. And lastly I got my daily Sonlight. Now it's the season to start bearing them fruits! :)

If you haven't done so already, I urge you to give up everything and take up that cross-- it's infinitely worth it. Only God can make something dead into something alive.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise

spring up before all nations.

[Isaiah 61:11]

JAMES 1:19

"let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak"

Yet I'm a person who is slow to hear, quick to speak.


Just something to reflect on and work on for this week.

the one who never SLEEPS

I've been really busy these days. I've been pulling all-nighters (or nights with 2-3 hrs of sleep). And it's taking a toll on my body. I am falling asleep in class, and even when I am awake I am in zombie mode. My immune system is running at approximately 15%, and I am constantly tired due to sleep deprivation.

So it makes me wonder, why in the world did God create our bodies with a need for sleep? Why did he create us in a way where we need to be knocked out for 1/3 of our days?

As CJ Mahaney puts it, sleep reminds us that we are weak. We are not self-sufficient. We are dependent creatures. We are not God. There is only One who "will neither slumber nor sleep" [Psalms 121:4]. It's humbling to know that there is only One who never grows tired nor weary. Even a young man like myself is nowhere close in comparison to God. It brings me to my knees.

But even when I do sleep (which seems like it's not that often these days), I am humbled when I open my eyes in the morning. Is it the sunlight that wakes me up? My annoying alarm clock? My other alarm clock? My roommate? Chemical hormones in my body? Nope. It is GOD who sustains me and gets me through the night, and it's also God that lets me arise in the morning. I am unconscious but my heart still beats and my lungs still breathe--yet even that I know is sustained by my Creator. Who can go to sleep tonight and be 100% sure he will wake up in the morning. Not a single person. It is by God's will and power that we see another day. So once again, it humbly brings me to my knees.

Remember. The next time you pull an all-nighter, it is a God-glorifying activity. So pull them more often! And if you happen to go to sleep, it is still God-glorifying because He alone is the One who awakens and lets us live.

Blessed by His Grace.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

[Isaiah 40:28-31]

ALEXANDER the great

Alexander the Great was one of the most successful military commanders of all time and is presumed undefeated in battle. By the time of his death, he had conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks.

One day a cowardly soldier caught running from battle was brought into the tent of Alexander the Great:

"Soldier, what's your name?" demanded Alexander the Great.
"Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great repeated the question: "What is your name?"
"My name is Alexander, sir," the soldier repeated.

A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, "What is your name?"
A third time the soldier meekly said, "My name is Alexander, sir."

Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. "Soldier," he said with intensity, "either change your name or change your conduct."

[Rebuke to MYSELF]

Don't call yourself a Christian if:
1) You only act like one on Sunday, but live otherwise from Monday through Saturday.
2) You are ashamed of the gospel of Christ.
3) You you are continuously stumbling others, and God forbid, bringing them into sin as well.
4) You refuse to share the "good news" with those around you.
5) You hate more than you love.
6) You don't take up your cross daily.
7) You are your own god.

I'm not saying you have to be perfect to call yourself a Christian. But I am saying, you MUST put all of your heart into loving and living for God. Of course I'm a sinner! And I don't hide that fact, I only boast in my weakness--because His power is made perfect in weakness.

However, it's a whole different thing to publicly declare yourself as a Christian but live otherwise because that is putting to shame the name of Christ. Believe it or not, fake hypocritical Christianity is visible to others--and it leaves a false impression in the minds of unbelievers, which takes so much more work to reverse.

So if you don't feel like being a Christian, then don't call yourself one. Change your name or change your conduct. Just don't spit on the name of Christ. On the other hand, if you're going to call yourself a Christian, then live as if it means everything.

NUCLEAR BOMB for christ

I was walking around campus today, and I got sad thinking about all the unsaved out there. So many people don't know Christ, so many people are going to hell. That depresses me...

This might sound silly, but I just want to be a nuclear bomb for Christ. I would give up my life right now and blow up for God. I could knock down walls, burn up evil, and radiate people with God's love. And then fade from my earthly existence.

If there was such a thing, I would become that bomb, go to the middle of BruinWalk tomorrow, and detonate. Leave my impact for Christ and then go to heaven.

But I guess that's what this life is. Around 60-80 years is nothing-- A vapor in the wind, a wave tossed in the ocean. It's so short that in the larger context of eternity, you're more fleeting than a bomb.

So are you going to be a grenade or a nuke for Christ? We'll see at the end of your life.

-FULLY

Consider the sentence:

Thankfully, I'm alive after the car accident.

or

Hopefully, I will marry a godly wife in the future.

I use them so many times per day, but have you ever noticed that these words say THANKFULLY, and HOPEFULLY?

Fully in what, or who?
In God! Duh.


So let it be a reminder to you next time. For example:

Thank fully in God, I'm alive after the car accident.

or

Hope fully in God, I will marry a godly wife in the future.

Next time you say those words, remember to thank God fully, and hope fully in God. Or whatever word ends with -fully, you know who it fully goes to.

Just thought that was cool.



p.s. - Say what you mean, and mean what you say.

SIN can be a good thing

So I wonder sometimes, why does God still allow me to sin?

Well, today I realized...

1) Every time I sin, it brings me back to the cross and onto my knees.
2) It humbles me because it reminds my prideful self that I can't beat sin out of my own will and strength.
3) It makes me dependent on God's power for victory, because apart from Christ I can do nothing.
4) It shows me how amazing the grace of God is, to save a sinner like me.

It's in the darkest of hours when you see the beauty of the stars. Oh how much more beautiful is grace in times of sin! It's after I sin when I feel nearest to God. Funny, I guess a little sin can be a good thing... sometimes. Haha.

being a MAN

Society tells me that to be a man, you have to be a certain way. Then as a Christian I feel like a man is supposed to be something else. And lastly, I have my own definitions of what manly is. I try combining everything, but I think I'm confused.


What does it mean to be a true man?
I'm not sure. All I know is, I want to have the reputation of being...

A man of his word, and a man of His Word.



p.s. - Maybe I'll just be a ggang-pae for Christ

this is why I love the PURITANS

The queen of Sheba had heard much of Solomon, and framed many great thoughts of his magnificence in her mind thereupon; but when she came and saw his glory, she was forced to confess that the one half of the truth had not been told her. We may suppose that we have attained here great knowledge, clear and high thoughts of God; but, alas! when he shall bring us into his presence we shall cry out, "We never knew him as he is; the thousandth part of his glory, and perfection, and blessedness, never entered into our hearts."

Thoughts from John Owen

The Mortification of Sin

for to me, to LIVE is Christ and to die is gain. [philippians 1:21]

So my friends have been hootin' and hollerin' about going to the doctor to go and get my heart checked out. I finally surrendered and I went today, and I got a blood test, EKG test, urine test, X-Ray, every test you can imagine. And after about 4 hours of testing, they couldn't find anything wrong with me. Nothing. The doctor tells me, "Well, looks like everything is normal. You can go home now you're totally fine." Wooo~ **Breathing out a sigh of relief** I guess it was too early for me to call the "die is gain" part. I'm still in the "LIVE is CHRIST" era. Hehe :)

Geez I got all freaked out this past weekend for nothing. But maybe it was God's way of waking me up from my spiritual slumber. Looking back on it now, He works all things together for good. What a wonderful experience that was, now I know how the psalmist must've felt:

"Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
[Psalm 73:25-26]


No reserves 'til the day I die. All out baby.

what's the condition of your HEART?

For the past week or so my heart has been doing this weird thing-- Every once in a while it beats hard and fast for a moment, and I just sort of freeze. When it happens I can't breathe for like 1-2 seconds either.

I'm a really healthy guy, or atleast I think I am, so at first it kind of freaked me out. Then to add unto my woes, my genius friend David Park (B.A. in B.S.) thought he could diagnose it by my brief description of it: "Oh my God you have a heart rhythm disorder, it's called disrhythmia. We spent a whole week studying it at EMT class. The next thing that's gonna happen is a heart attack, and a lot of people die from it."

Yea thanks for the encouragement. Makes me feel like a champ!
NOT! You freakin' shekki.

So I was like alright.... I guess it's JESUS TIME (aka "time to die") real soon. And all these thoughts began flooding my head. I still need to graduate. I still haven't got married. Who will take care of my family and friends? But you know what else I thought? The worst thing that could ever happen to you is actually the best thing that could ever happen to you! You die? Pshhh! That's tight!! You get to be with the LORD!! The Apostle Paul sums it up short and sweet: "To live is Christ and to die is gain."

But then again, I love what R.C. Sproul says--"I'm not scared of death at all, but I am scared of dying." Dang me too! At the cross, death has lost its sting, so I don't fear it. But freak! I'm hella scared of the way I'm going to die, whether it's from a freak snowboard accident or a painful heart attack. It would be nice if I could die in my sleep like that couple in The Notebook...

I'm not trying to be emo or anything, but honestly I'm totally fine with whatever God decides to do with my life. He gives. He takes away. I admire Job, who says "though He slay me, I will hope in Him." Or another great example (from Shane&Shane): King Nebuchadnezzar wants to put Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into a furnace for not bowing down to a false god. They reply "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if He does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up." (Daniel 3:17-18) He certainly can rescue us. But even if God doesn't deliver me out of that fiery furnace, I will still praise Him. If I live, then praise God. If I die, then I ask not why, but why not. His grace is sufficient for me, and His love is already more than I deserve.

So today was an interesting day-- the slightest possibility of death, and fancying the thought of dying. It makes you think. Gives you a little reality check, a humble slice of perspective. Things like money, girls, church, school assignments, etc., just fades away in importance. The only thing that matters, and ever will, is Christ. So if you're alive, then to live is Christ. Remember that.

What's the condition of your soul's heart? If you died tomorrow, would you be ready? Would you still praise Him? Think about it.




P.S. - For those of you worried for me, don't worry. I checked WebMd.com and it says heart rhythm disorders are not threatening at all and sometimes it happens to healthy people. :D Atleast it made me examine my real heart.

GOD IS LOVE, BUT LOVE IS NOT GOD.

meet your core -- my hopes for this year's KCM

Stephen Kim

Yo whatup this be the one and only Stephen Kim! Actually not really haha, there’s a lot of Stephen Kim’s so I had to make a nickname for myself when I came to college: ‘Stevo’. Well, that being said, let me tell you more about this mysterious Stevo Kim.

Right now, I am a third-year at the best school ever, UCLA! I used to be a BizEcon major with Accounting, but today I am a Communications major. Yes, it’s true…90% of my classmates are girls, but that’s not why I changed majors. I actually have no clue why I changed majors. What do I like to do in my spare time? My favorite things to do are fellowship, fellaship, and feelaship. You can guess for yourself what they each mean. I also enjoy basketball, fishing, snowboarding, and trying to be holy like Cho Yim.

I was saved July of 2006, after high school—and let me tell you, I’ve had the best times since! Today I am able to say, “I’m not scared of death at all, but I am scared of dying”. I have no fear of death because Christ my Savior took the place of all my sins and I know I will be glorifying Him forever in heaven. But heck! I’m a chicken. I’m scared how I’m going to die, whether it’s from a parachute malfunction or a freak swordfish accident while I’m fishing.

I love UCLA. I love KCM. I love my church. I love my friends. But I love them because Christ first loved me and He is the source of my joy. That being said, let’s rejoice and share in our Joy. My vision for this year is: FELLOWSHIP. To be honest I don’t fully understand what that word means. My prayers are that God will show us a fellowship like we’ve never seen experienced before. I want KCM to be the saltiest of salts, the brightest of lights, and the city upon the highest hill. I want skeptics and seekers to feel the warmth of Christ through our fellowship. And to believers I want us to provide accountability, encouragement, and the LOVE of CHRIST. C’mon. Where else can you get a group of students that will rejoice in spending the next billion years together praising our Great God? This year, let’s plant fellowship, water it, cultivate it, raise it, and eat it as a delicious fruit from God.

I thank God so much for our servant team. I’m blessed to be a part of this group, and I’m blessed that God even gave us a heart to serve His kingdom. I’m a sheep, you are a sheep. A sheep is a sheep-- whether a pastor or churchgoer, Korean or Mexican, a veteran believer or a new convert. At the end of day, all we have is Christ, and without our Great Shepherd we are all lost. Each one of us are that hundredth sheep, so let’s all rejoice that that we were found by The Shepherd.

Remember, prayers are like gasoline-- without it we can’t drive forward. So let’s prepare our hearts for this year and get pumped up! Let’s get this show on the road!

leave the 99, there's a LOST sheep out there

Coming back up to my room from class, I had to walk by our Hilltop Convenience Store. I pass by the store about 10 times a day, but something caught my eye this time. On the glass doors there were posted all these papers that read “LOST RING” printed out in like size 100 font.

At first I was like hmm… must’ve been a nice ring. Maybe Tiffany Co. I wonder if it’s gold or silver. Maybe her bf gave it to her for their anniversary but the ring size was too big so it just popped out somewhere. Then I realized, Oh my gosh I know how she feels!! She had lost her ring somewhere in the dorms and she made a crazy effort to find it… So badly that she went around all over the Hill and posted these LOST flyers everywhere!

I totally know what that feels like. When my doggy ran away, I chased her down and dragged her back into the house. When I lost my wallet, I drove 20 miles to Speedzone at 6 am the next morning and walked around the whole track with the janitors to look for it. Whenever I lose my keys or cell phone, my heart stops for a second and I look fervently for it. The best example is my old SAT teacher, who swallowed his golden crown because it came off his tooth. He collected his stinky poo-poo for a whole week and picked it apart in search of it. When he found it he was so joyful so he took it to the dentist and put it back in his tooth. We’ve all had our own stories of lost things, so you know what it feels like. I really empathized with how the girl felt, and suddenly I remembered the verse about the LOST COIN.


Luke 15:8-10
"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.'

Haha sounds like that girl, no?! But how infinitely times more important than a silly ring is a person who is LOST.


How ironic that I go all out when I lose my wallet or my dog, but when it comes to those who are lost spiritually (and possibly eternally), I just ignore it. It’s like when I lose the TV remote control. Instead of looking for it, I just walk up to the TV to change the channel. I am so adamant about doing my own thing (which is watch TV) rather than taking the extra 1 minute to look for the controller. In the same, I am so consumed by my own “Christian” life that I often forget to share the love Christ first showed me. I frequently make more of an effort to live my Christian life in a self-centered way than to go out and look for and share the gospel with the lost. In Amazing Grace the lyrics say “I once was lost, but now am found”. Too many times I forget I WAS LOST TOO NOT EVEN TWO YEARS AGO! Oh the overwhelming joy I felt when I met Christ, and oh how quickly I have grown selfish and kept this love of Christ to myself!


This brings me to the parable in the same chapter 15:
“Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”


So where is all this going?....

Listen everybody, let me tell you what has been going on for the past 3 Fridays. Only 3 Fridays?! But it seems like it has been literally months. A small group of us have been going out on Friday afternoons to Santa Monica (3rd Street Promenade, the Pier, etc.) to meet people and share the love of Christ with them.


Week 1: The first week was kind of just get our feet wet. We split into groups and went different directions. Me, Daniel, Laura, and Angela did a homeless ministry. We felt the deep and heartbreaking spiritual needs for the homeless, but we realized, there’s pretty much nothing we could really do for them in the long-run except for prayer for God to have mercy. One particular man was named Ryan, a brother in Christ who just had a series of unfortunate events, and we talked for a while and gave him my Bible. At the same time, Jean and Jasmine’s groups met a disabled man named Derek. Sure they met lots of people, as we did also, but God introduced them to certain people that would began a much longer relationship.


Week 2: Jon Kang and I walked towards the pier and felt convicted to talk to this cholo looking guy! Haha talk about getting out of your bubble-- this is the meaning of “leaving the 99 to go after that one lost sheep”. So this guy David Anthony was shirtless, shaved head, tattoos everywhere, and to be honest I got a little scared at first. The first he said to us was “Are you those religious people? I’m a Satanist, I’m a bad person, get away from me!” Yet the tattoos on his arms were of the cross, and of Christ. Jon and I felt like he was that “sheep gone astray”, and contrary to his wishes we stayed. Oh how wonderful it turned out to be! We had an interesting two hour conversation with Dave Anthony. We shared pizza with Dave Anthony, but more importantly we shared the gospel. He knew the Bible pretty well, except somewhere in his life he was influenced by the world/satan and the Truth was twisted. Yet we had a great time which concluded with Jon and Dave trading a Bible for “River Runs Through It”. We agreed to meet the next week, and parted ways. Meanwhile, Jean, Jasmine, Christina, Shalom continued their relationship with the atheist Derek and other people they had met before.


Week 3: Jon and I came a little late and Dave had probably left by that time. So we just walked around the pier looking for him, shared the gospel in Spanish to Leo, and returned to where we had met Dave the week before to just pray. Then on the way back to Third Street, we saw a homeless man wearing chains all over his body and Tuba evangelizing to him. With so much symbolism, that’s an image I’ll never forget. Anyways, we get to our meeting spot, but the girls are nowhere to be found. So we walk to the McDonalds and the girls are sitting down talking with Stacy and Clark. Clark, an atheist, after hearing Jean and Jasmine singing “When the music fades”, started singing his own songs to God and making his own chords on the guitar! Shalom and Christina were talking to a fellow brother named Stacy. Out of nowhere, Derek (the man in the wheelchair), comes looking for the girls and joins the conversation as well. Meanwhile, me and Jon had no clue what was going on so we started walking to eat buffet. Jean comes running towards us with so much joy, and cries out “He’s about to accept Jesus and be saved!”. It was almost as if she was saying “Rejoice with me I have found the lost coin.” We told Jean “Then go back! Don’t worry about us omygosh!” The girls came about 30 min later to the buffet and told us everything that had happened. Just 3 weeks but the relationships and the way God is moving in those people were so amazing. We were all tremendously blessed, and then we prayed in the middle of the restaurant, with the girls crying and stuff. Hahaha. Good times, we have been just so tremendously blessed the past few weeks.



“And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'REJOICE WITH ME; I HAVE FOUND MY LOST COIN.' In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." (Luke 15:9-10)

In Greek, it is heureµka, heureµka—I have found, I have found. It is a declaration of rejoicing. And our outreach group knows, it is no joke, it is the greatest joy to see someone coming to Christ. The joy I feel through this is equal to, if not more than the joy I felt when I personally met Christ. Yes! To that extent!! So crazy!


These are just a few testimonies and blessings we have from the past three weeks. This note does injustice to everything that went on. Feel free to ask Me, Jean, Jasmine, Shalom, Christina, Jon, Daniel, Tuba, anyone who's gone and get ready for an earful of tesimony/crazy stories/amazing blessings.

We only have about a month left of school, so I encourage all the KCM brothers and sisters to come out. Leave the 99, search for the lost! Get out of your bubble, and share your faith!

Just one last thing to add. Take note that in Luke 15:8 the lady "lights a lamp" in order to find the coin. Hmm.. I wonder what the lamp is? The WORD is a lamp unto my feet! Jesus says "I AM THE LIGHT...he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). So if we want to go out into the dark and find what's lost, we need THE light in order to even see them. Without it, we are lost also. So I urge you to grow in the Word and in Christ so that we may be able to have a brighter light, and with that brighter light we may see truly how many lost coins there are in the deep darkness! Grab your lamp, and let's go...

For from Him and through Him and to Him are everything. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" (Hebrews 4:12)

It takes a couple brothers to help use the Evangelism Cannon.

Starting always with prayer.

Daniel and Laura walking around 3rd street promenade.

Our group on Week 1, with pier in the background

Good times, so good times.

We figured out the bus was so cheap, only a quarter! So here we are waiting for the bus on Week 3.

jon hiding a concealed weapon, his bible

We pass by some beautiful views during the bus ride.

We look to the Everlasting, for it is completely through him and for him that we do this. There's a bright future out there in Santa Monica. Let's finish the good work that has started.

get up and WALK by the Spirit!

So our beauitful/wonderful outreach leader Jean suggested we talk about our spiritual lives, and share amongst ourselves! Just a little something...(Note from Stevo that finished writing, it's really long actually my bad-- outreach team i hope u read it tho).

Today I was walking back from class listening to a Francis Chan sermon and I wasn't really listening until he mentioned the FRUITS of the Spirit. And I was like "Oh shoot! We were talking about fruits like 2 nights ago!" Outreach group, remember the other night? I was like hey, what exactly is our fruits gonna look like when we bear fruits. Do we show our fruits through outreach? Is it going to show through giving? What is it gonna look like? And the Bible makes it exactly clear in Galations 5:22-23.

So I was like, wait a second... I wonder if the FRUIT from Galations 5 was even the same as the fruit from the Gospels. For example Matthew 7:16 (By their fruit you will recognize them) and John 15:8-16 (You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last). So I whipped out my Greek dictionary that I won in a white elephant gift exchange (which I never figured out how to use before) and I looked it up. Even though there's 3 different nouns for "fruit" in the Bible, the FRUIT in Galatians 5 is exactly the same as in Matthew and John-- KARPOS. It means the fruit of trees, fields, the earth, that which is produced by the inherent energy of a living organism. LIVING ORGANISM?? Shalom was talking the other night about "the VINE", which is JESUS!! So okay, we get fruits from living in Jesus. We grow spiritually in Him. But what ARE the fruits of the Spirit?? What do they look like, or what are they? Hold your horses.

I had to get the whole context of the passage, so I read Galatians 5:16-26, and it turned out to be awesome, as usual (the Word tends to be awesome).

Galatians 5:16-26 (NIV)
"So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

So here we go..
Verse 16 "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

LIVE BY THE SPIRIT- In Greek, translated is "keep on walking". MacArthur says its a "continuous actions, a habitual lifestyle". Not a one time act. The verb is a command, but also its not passive. It is something we have to pursue instead of doing nothing and saying "Holy Spirit! I have a porn/drug/alcohol problem. Fix it! And then just do nothing. Francis Chan says, "it's like buying a treadmill at Christmas, and saying why am i not losing weight?" Ha! 'Cause you need to get on it first and start walking!



Verse 17 "For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want."

SINFUL NATURE DESIRES- Or better known as, the FLESH. We CANNOT walk in the Spirit and walk in the Flesh at the same time. They're mutually exclusive. You can't be a UCLA fan and a USC fan at the same time. Sorry, bad example. You can't be sleeping and be awake at the same time. Or it can't be night and day. It's one or the other. As a Christian, the Spirit lives in me, but we're still in our humanness, so our flesh is still here. Stupid example, but I guess it's like a 900 lb. annoying fat guy you hate and can't push out of the house so you try to ignore him and just wait until you move out to your permanent mansion (when you die). Basically, you can't walk in the Spirit, and walk in the Flesh at the same time.



Verse 18 "But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law."

NOT UNDER LAW- Yes! Because we cannot live under the Law. Romans 7:5-6 says "For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter." Okay I don't even want to get into that actually. That's a whole note in itself, but basically, yea... the Law can only curse us because we can never live up to its perfect standard through our own works/merits. Law is not evil though, it shows us sin. Our flesh gets aroused by restrictions, because fleshly Stevo loves to go against God and do stuff thats forbidden. But through the grace of our Christ Jesus we are released and there is no condemnation.



Verses 19-21 "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God."

IMMORALITY- The greek word is porneia, where we get the word pornography. Refers to all illicit sexual activity, and remember? Jesus says even if you look at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. I'll be the first to admit, I am the chief of sinners in lust. I need Jesus.

...AND THE LIKE- Yea, I've blown every single one of them. It doesn't mean you do ALL these things.It's not an exhaustive list. It's just means in general, if you walk in this path, you are not going to heaven. Simple as that. Thank God He found me and I no longer am bound by the Law. Because I'd be dead meat right now!! But we live to Christ!


and finally we come to the FRUITS!
Verses 22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."

LOVE- First on the list! It's like that for a reason. The word is "agape", which in Greek is the strongest word for love, a full on devotion leading to self-sacrifice.

JOY- I realized I should be more joyful. I mean why not!! I've got eternal life awaiting me and it will be the greatest time ever worshipping and being with God. I'm saved from eternal wrath and judgement and punishment!! That's the greatest joy ever!

PEACE...SELF-CONTROL- Here's our answer. These are the fruits, the results of living in the Spirit. Jesus says, "by their fruit you will recognize them." Simple, if Stevo is bearing fruits, he's walking in the Spirit. If not, better watch out and walk the other direction, for I am walking in the dangerous road of the Flesh. I can't grow fruits on my own either. What if I was just a branch on the ground, can I grow fruits? Heck no! Probably only mold and bugs and stuff. But I must be ATTACHED/CONNECTED to the vine (JESUS) which will give me nourishment and allow me to bear fruits. And how will I keep myself in check? By my lil fruitys!



Verses 24-26 "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

CRUCIFIED- R.C. Sproul writes "For the people of Christ, the Cross broke the grip of the law and also the grip of the flesh. By faith they recognize the reality of their union with Christ in His death. So, too, they have been raised to new life in the Spirit of Christ and therefore WALK in the Spirit.

KEEP IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT- Stevo, you can't expect everything when doing nothing. Say I have a bicycle. I can't balance on it when I don't pedal. I can't ride it if I don't make the first push. But when I do, I will stay balanced and ride and the momentum of Christ will carry me weeee!! But the point is, I need to be pedaling, can't expect the bicycle to go forward when I do nothing.

WE LIVE BY THE SPIRIT, LET US KEEP IN STEP WITH THE SPIRIT- If we live by the spirit? To clarify John Piper says this means "that the Spirit of God creates something new; he takes out of us the heart of stone that rebels against God, and he puts into us a new heart which trusts God and follows his ways. Or to put it another way, the Holy Spirit establishes himself as the new ruling principle of our life." Sounds familiar. Does it ring true to your heart Christian? If it does, good. But so what? What's the next "step"?! He continues by saying to "Walk by the Spirit" means "do what you do each day by the Spirit; live your life in all its details from waking up in the morning until going to sleep at night by the enabling power of the Spirit. But what does that mean, practically speaking? How do we "walk by the Spirit"?" When I'm "walking by the Spirit", Stevo its never something I do in order to get the Spirit's help, but rather, just as the phrase implies, it is something i do BY the enablement of the Spirit.



No more just KNOWING the Word, right Jean?? Even the devils know the Bible. Gotta live it out! BY the enablement of the Spirit, I walk in the Spirit. Get up Lazarus! Get up all you paralyzed and lame and handicapped! Get up STEVO!! and WALK! Walk by the Spirit!

Dang this was so unorganized! Hope I didn't say anything too blasphemous. Rebuke/correct me if necessary.


Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and forever! Amen!

-Stevo