Pst Kong daily devotion - 29 Sep

Posted on: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Posted at: 5:20 PM
Posted by: Yi Ren...
<Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. Psalm 112:4

People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Consider the case of Jesus Christ. He was the most forceful and demanding teacher who ever lived. He was the one who taught that even one’s closest family members must give way to our absolute loyalty to Him, and that a true disciple must be willing to “bear his cross” for the Master (Matt. 10:34-39). In view of such rigorous requirements, how does one account for Jesus’ amazing popularity? There can be only one answer—compassion. It was Jesus’ tremendous compassion for people that made Him an extremely attractive person. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infi rmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (KJV).

Jesus doesn’t just feel sympathy for the broken, He empathizes with us. In Mark 1:40, a leper kneeled before Him and begged, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Jesus, “moved with compassion,” responded, “I am willing; be cleansed.” What is amazing here is the fact that while Jesus could have just spoken a word of healing over the leper, He went one step further. He stretched out His hand to touch him (1:41). For a Jew to touch a leper was absolutely unthinkable. But such was Jesus’ compassion for the sick and rejected.

In another occasion, when Jesus heard the news that His cousin John the Baptist had been killed, He took His disciples apart into a remote area near Bethsaida. But the multitudes followed Him. When Jesus saw them tailing Him, He “was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd” (6:34). So Jesus began to teach them heavenly truths and feed them food. Think about it. The Lord set aside His own grief to minister to these people who so desperately needed direction in their lives!

“Does Jesus care, when my heart is pained, too deeply for mirth and song? When the burdens press and the cares distress, as the day grows weary and long?” The answer is a resounding, “Yes! He does!” When we are affl icted with disease and pain, He cares. When wegrieve the loss of dear ones, He cares. When we are confused, desperately needing leadership, He has compassion for us. When we are mistreated, He feels for us. When we dredge ourselves into the mire of sin, He grieves over that disaster. When, in hardness of heart, we even hatefully oppose Him, He continues to feel for us. No wonder the “goodness of God” leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4)! May we all say, “I will show compassion to others, because my Jesus fi rst showed compassion to me” (1 John 4:19p).

Forwarded Christian E-mails - Part1

Posted on: Friday, September 18, 2009
Posted at: 11:37 PM
Posted by: Yi Ren...
Why is it so hard to tell the truth but yet so easy to tell a lie?
Why are we so sleepy in church but right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up?
Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff?
Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one?
Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e- mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones?
Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?


There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak...'I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, 'What you got there, son?' 'Just some old birds,' came the reply.
'What are you gonna do with them?' I asked.
'Take 'em home and have fun with 'em,' he answered 'I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time' 'But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?'
'Oh, I got some cats,' said the little boy. 'They like birds. I'll take 'em to them.'
The pastor was silent for a moment. 'How much do you want for those birds, son?'
'Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!'
'How much?' the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, '$10?'
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. 'Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!'
'What are you going to do with them?' Jesus asked.
Satan replied, 'Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!'
'And what will you do when you get done with them?' Jesus asked. 'Oh, I'll kill 'em,' Satan glared proudly. 'How much do you want for them?' Jesus asked .
'Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!'
'How much?' He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, 'All your blood, tears and your life.'
Jesus said, 'Done!'
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.

Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell?
Isn't it funny how someone can say 'I believe in God' but still follow Satan, who, by the way, also 'believes' in God.
Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing?
Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them?
Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me?




She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room. She said: 'How is my little boy ? Is he going to be all right ? When can I see him ?'

The surgeon said, 'I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it.'

Sally said, 'Why do little children get cancer ? Doesn't God care any more ? Where were you, God, when my son needed you ?'

The surgeon asked, 'Would you like some time alone with your son ? One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university.'

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to son. She ran her fingers lovingly through hi s thick red curly hair. 'Would you like a lock of his hair ?' the nurse asked.

Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, 'It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else. 'I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will he lp some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom.' She went on, 'My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could.'

Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending m ost of the last six months there. She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car.

The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house. She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them. She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.

It was around midnight wh en Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter. The letter said :

'Dear Mom, I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say 'I Love You' . I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with. But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a neat place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I got here and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything. The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD ! And guess what, Mom ? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important. That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't al lowed. Well, you know what Mom ? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him ?' 'God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool ? I have to give God His pen back now. He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery ! How about that ?

Signed with Love from God, Jesus & Me.

Feel the Holy Spirit work in your life for doing what you know God loves 'When you're down to nothing, God is up to something.'

The Presence Of God - daily devotion from Pst Kong

Posted on: Monday, September 7, 2009
Posted at: 6:19 PM
Posted by: Yi Ren...
Posted: 04 Sep 2009 09:00 AM PDT

Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11

Psalm 51 is a psalm of David written when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. It is a record of the tear-stained testimony of his brokenness before God. His repentance did not stem from the fear of punishment or concern of future success. He repented for having violated God Himself—His Person and His nature. He was deeply concerned about the presence of God in his life. David understood that sin can grieve the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30-31), and when that happens, the tangible manifested presence of God can be lifted from his life.

Samson was the strongest man in the Bible. With his bare hands, he tore a lion apart. He carried the doors of the gate of the city on his shoulders up a hill and single-handedly defeated the armies of the Philistines. He was a man full of the power and the presence of God. However, Samson was complacent in his walk with God and gave himself over to the lust of his flesh. Samson indulged so much in sin that he took the presence of God for granted. As a result, the LORD departed from him and he didn’t even know it (Judg. 16:20).

David, on the other hand, treasured his relationship with God with his whole heart. What can we learn from David about keeping the presence of God in our lives everyday?

(1) Develop a strong and intense desire for God. David was a man with a strong thirst for God. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God” (Ps. 42:1-2). “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Hunger and thirst are strong desires. God is not going to show up if you are not desperate enough to meet Him.

(2) You’ve got to be dissatisfied in your spirit. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). To be “poor in spirit” means you are dissatisfied in the spirit. You do not have enough of God. You empty your pride and self-importance in exchange for all of Him. Make a decision today that you will never take God’s presence for granted. Pray to God once again to renew your love for Him. If you have lost your passion for His presence because of your busyness, you can refocus your affection on Him again. Ask God to come into your life and fill you with His presence once again.