An Abundance of Hope: His love is Furious

Wow! So much has happened since my last post. My bad... Yeah, that's code for, this is gonna be long. But there are pictures at the bottom!!

Enjoy.

As a quick recap, December was pretty good. I became a deacon at church which is cool! Christmas was spent with friends at church but I was pretty homesick this year while skyping with my family, but all in all it was a good month. January was pretty mild and then got super cold towards the end of the month. I spent lunar new year just hanging out with friends all around the city.

I bought a ticket home through a Korean travel agent that I had used once before. My youngest sister got married on February 18th and my plan was to tell my family I'd be home on February 14th, but I'd really be home on the 10th! I'm not a good secret keeper so the fact that I had made it up to three days before I was scheduled to leave and hadn't told anyone besides my ride from the airport that I was coming home early was impressive. However, three days before I left I got an email from the travel agent telling me that they were very sorry that they were going out of business and had not booked the flight that I had paid $1400 for a month ago. They said they would refund the money eventually, but that there was nothing they could do now. I was crushed. I sobbed and had no idea what I'd do, or how I'd come up with another $1400. After writing a desperate reply email to no avail, I broke silence and spilled my secret to my family and told them the whole situation and humbly asked for help with the cost of a new ticket. This was particularly difficult for me because I knew that they were paying for a wedding, and those things aren't cheap. But because my parents have learned the proper perspective of things, they encouraged me that it's just money and that it would work out. Not to mention the news of me coming home early overshadowed the circumstance I was currently in. Being home was incredible. I was able to reunite with so many people and also joyfully celebrate my sister and her husband. Shortly after I arrived in the States I learned that this travel agency was actually a scam and that they had previously scammed many foreigners out of thousands of dollars if not more and that yes, I could legally fight it, but it would be on principle alone, and I would most likely never see that money again. But as if God wasn't good enough He graciously led a beautiful couple to send me a check for the amount of the second ticket. I think in previous years this would have surprised me, but it doesn't. This is an example of the Body of Christ. This is it functioning in the way He designed it to. This is an overflow of His love. So while it doesn't surprise me, I am extremely thankful and blessed by this act of obedience.

Also in February the prayer ministry that I've been leading became an official ministry of my church. We are currently called, "Incurable Fanatics" this name came from a quote from an abolitionist during the African-Slave Trade in the 1700 and 1800s. His name is William Wilberforce and he said, "If to be feeling alive to the sufferings of my fellow creatures is to be a fanatic, I am one of the most incurable fanatics ever permitted to be at large." This inspired me. God's hand is all over this ministry. He is providing leaders, divine appointments, effective prayer, and awareness, and the movement is growing. I'm so excited to be a part of this work. It keeps me busy for sure but oh how sweet it is to be busy doing the Lord's work.

March has gone by in a blink. I've just returned from a church retreat that can only be described as a fierce out pouring of the Holy Spirit. As I reflected on these past few days and all that God did in me alone I realized that I can't possibly name all of the things that He did to transform me. But what I do know is that it is a beautiful and humbling thing to be called Christ's Ambassador and that this position should be taken on through the power that only He can give. Guys, I was shown what freedom means. Chains were broken and I feel even more equipped to lead the ministry I've been called to, because I have a clearer picture of what it means to be freed from slavery. God's perfect love has driven out fear. He's shown me the furious love He has for me. He's opened my eyes to see that I am a new creation. It has been true of me all this time, but it's like another veil has been lifted and I see more clearly. I've surrendered control and not only confessed, but repented and changed. And while the Lord was working on the transformation aspect the enemy began to creep in, but because I was in such deep communion with the Father, I saw it. It was the lie that this was a mountain top experience, it was the deception that I would quickly return to the bondage to sin that I had been freed from. But God wasted no time in speaking to my spirit that this was not so. He not only spoke to my heart, but he showed me in His Word which is truth that I am a new creation and that the old has gone. And He confirmed through my brothers and sisters that this is real and lasting. And the joy and peace that comes from it is overwhelming. I was flooded with love. I was able to verbally admit to things I had buried so deep and through that I can proclaim with great conviction that my God is so jealous for me, He craves intimacy with me. He not only loves me for who I am, but He enjoys me. It's a strange thing to go from knowing this truth to believing this truth. I get what David meant when he said that he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than to dwell in the tents of the wicked. My soul years, and faints for the courts of the Lord. Better is just one day in His courts than a thousand days anywhere else. Think about that. I would rather spend one day in the presence of the Living God than a thousand days in Hawaii, or Africa, or Korea or with my family, or my best friend or the husband that I long for. All of that combined still can't come close to one day with Jesus. Oh how He loves us.

A song that was especially moving to me was one that I had not heard before. It is called Furious and it is by Jeremy Riddle from Bethel Church in California. Check it out...

Furious

Nothing can tear us from
The grip of His mighty love
We’ve only glimpsed, His vast affection
Heard whispers of, His heart and passion
It’s pouring down…

His love is deep, His love is wide
And it covers us
His love is fierce, His love is strong
It is furious
His love is sweet, His love is wild
And its waking hearts to life

The Father loves and sends His son
The Son lays down His life for all
He lavishes His love upon us
He calls us now, His sons and daughters
He’s reaching out…

… and its waking hearts to life
He is waking hearts to life
He is waking hearts to life