by Sam | Jun 24, 2015 | Inspiration, Reflection
I have heard it said that God takes a long time to act suddenly. In my own experiences and when I read Scripture, I see this to be very true. Especially in the life of Abraham. He first encounters God at the age of 75, but doesn’t see the promise fulfilled until it seems impossible 25 years later. Can you imagine that? Waiting on God for 25 years! Through that process, Abraham makes mistakes, yet God’s faithfulness shines through. In the Kingdom of God there are no “late bloomers”. Only those who have experienced God’s perfect timing. Here are some thoughts and observations on the process of promises… God is not just interested in our 100+ years of life here on earth. The Bible says that this life is but a mist that comes and goes. God is more interested in preparing us for eternity. In the grand scheme of things, what is 100 years compared to a thousand? Compared to a million? Therefore He is preparing us for the long haul. He is the God of process! It is imperative that we say yes to God. When it comes to God’s promise to us, there is His part, and then there is ours. Wisdom is knowing which is ours! Abraham confused the two and ended up with an illegitimate son. Our best will always produce an Ishmael. God’s best will always produce an Isaac. Therefore our part is to trust, yield, and to continually say “yes”. His part is to fulfill His word in His way and His timing. While saying “yes” to God is vital, my “yes”...
by Sam | Jun 15, 2015 | Reflection
“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. — Luke 6:32-36 If I only love those who love me, am I really loving? If I am only kind and generous to those I have an affinity for, am I really kind and generous? Lest I believe that I am really generous because of how lavishly I give to people I enjoy giving to, I have to come back to the words of Christ. Lest I believe that I truly am a lover of people simply because I love my friends and family, I need the sober awakening of His words. His words are not a harsh rebuke, as much as it’s a reflection of who He is. Jesus is not speaking against loving those who love us nor being a good friend to people we like, but it’s a call deeper. A call that ultimately challenges us to be more like Him. Even the greatest exploits for...
by Sam | Jun 11, 2015 | Events
UPDATED: Version 3.0 // Wednesday August 11, 2015 Version 2.0 // Monday July 13, 2015 Summer is finally underway! And for this year, we have something special planned called “Pursuit Summer Thursdays.” Starting next week (6/18) until the end of August, every Thursday we will be gathering together. Each week we will be doing something different, but with the same heart to pursue after God and His Kingdom for our region. Whether it be to soak in His presence, worship together, or go out into the streets, we want this summer to be one where we seek after what matters most! It will be a great time in community where we will be stretched, encouraged, and equipped to live out the best that God has for us together. So come join us this summer in our pursuit of more of God and in making Him known. Here is an outline of what we have scheduled. June 18 – Compelled by Love (Heidi Baker documentary) June 25 – Worship Gathering (worship – Josh Lim / preaching – Koob Vang) *** Friday June 26 – FRONTIER Night: The Yoon Family *** July 2 – Soaking July 9 – Cancelled July 16 – Treasure Hunting July 23 – *** Away at Retreat *** July 30 – WA1 Banquet August 6 – Worship Nite w/ Currency Red August 13 – Holy Spirit (documentary) August 20 – *** Away at Retreat *** August 27 – *** No Meeting *** September 3 – Finale: Worship Night Make sure to follow us online on social media to stay up to date with all of these dates and more. Bring a friend! It’s going to be a...
by Sam | May 28, 2015 | Frontier
In this edition of Frontier, we have two amazing young men who have given a year of their lives to serve in the Ivory Coast. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. They have battled malaria, sickness, and many other trials, but have continued to seek after God and serve His people. Check out their stories and what they have been up to this past year. 1) Share with us who you are and what you do. DK: My name is Daniel Kim and I graduated from Rutgers University in May of 2014. Upon graduation, I worked at an outsourcing company as a salesman, and did pretty well for myself. I was relieved to have a job at all right after graduating, and considered myself extremely blessed. After working there for about 3 months, a series of “signs” and God’s voice led me to my decision to become a missionary. — JK: Hello, I’m Josh Kim and I’m a 2nd generation Korean-American born and raised in Jersey. Currently, I’m serving as a year-long missionary in Ivory Coast, Africa with my good friend, Daniel Kim. We’ve been serving with Abidjan International Ministry (AIM), a non-governmental organization part of Korean Abidjan Presbyterian Church (KAPC) here in Ivory Coast. We’ve been specifically helping out with one of AIM’s recent project known as Empowerment Center for Children and Youth (ECCY). ECCY’s goal is to empower Ivorian children and youth and their futures through nutritional, medical, educational, and social assistance. In this francophone country, learning English is considered really important in advancing in school and life so our main responsibility has been teaching English to...
by Sam | Apr 17, 2015 | Reflection
Yesterday was quite a hectic day at work! It started off earlier than usual because we had to go to a big event in Brooklyn. So we left from Jersey City at 6:30AM to go and set up. Yet while we were driving through Chinatown, we hit a huge pothole in the middle of the street. We immediately knew that something was wrong. Then the low tire pressure signal started going off on the dashboard. The tire was most likely flat… So I jumped out of the passenger’s seat, to go see what the damage was. To my surprise both the front and rear tires were not only flat, but the rims were cracked as well. We immediately pulled over onto a quiet street trying to figure out how to deal with this crisis. We called a tow truck for this car and a taxi for my co-worker so that she could take the equipment and go set-up. Our other co-workers came in their vehicle to take as much equipment as well. So now I am left alone to get this car back to New Jersey. About an hour later, the tow truck finally came, we got the disabled vehicle onto the flatbed, and we started making the journey back. While sitting in the front, I started talking to the mechanic who came to the rescue. I listened to his story, and we immediately kicked it off because he was a current Queens native who missed living in his hometown in northern New Jersey (I know what that’s like since I am a Jersey outsider at my home church in Queens!). He...
by Sam | Apr 9, 2015 | Events, Testimony
“Words are not adequate enough to explain all the feelings that I was experiencing during the Redeem Women’s Conference. In the midst of tears, there was also great joy and a renewed sense of hope. I felt like God gave me a glimpse of His heart for His beloved daughters and my heart just wanted to explode because of the overwhelming love that He has for each one of them. I want my sisters to hold on tightly to the Truth that God spoke into your lives that weekend. Remember who He says you are. It’s funny how God works. I said yes to this conference because I wanted my sisters to know His heart for them but I also walked away with the reminder of God’s heart for me. My heart is full! I am so humbled and honored to have been part of His Kingdom work.” – Eugenia Ko “I knew so little about my own shame and how much control it had over my faith. After hearing testimonies from the Bible as well as other young women, I learned that my shame had built walls from accepting the Lord’s love for me. Knowing and establishing my identity as a daughter of Christ, brings hope and freedom, and everyday I must fight to choose to live in that freedom because hope does not put us to shame.” – Ellen K. “I honestly didn’t know what to expect when going into the women’s conference. But, what God shows me again and again is that even though we may never know what He has planned for us, He does all things...
by Sam | Mar 26, 2015 | Inspiration, Reflection
In one of the most exciting and competitive NBA seasons of late, the Golden State Warriors have the best record this year. They are a fun team to watch on both ends of the court. Offensively and defensively, this team has excelled and their team chemistry has been noted throughout the media. While superstar Steph Curry might grab most of the headlines, what stands out the most to me is that they are led by a first year coach in Steve Kerr. It is remarkable what Coach Kerr has done, and is rightfully one of the leading candidates to be coach of the year. He took an already good team, and took them to the next level in just his first year of coaching ever! The Warriors aren’t just the best team in the league this season, but statistically, one for the ages. How does a rookie coach succeed so quickly? While there are many reasons, I think one thing that can’t be overlooked is the fact that while as a player himself, Kerr, played for 2 of the greatest head coaches of all-time. Under the tutelage of Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr won multiple championships, first with the Chicago Bulls and then with San Antonio Spurs. Kerr also played with some of the best players ever in Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Tim Duncan to just name a few. One cannot be around excellence and hard work, and not learn the ins and outs of the game. I am sure as a player, Steve Kerr saw how the best did it day after day. Who we surround ourselves with affects us...
by Sam | Mar 10, 2015 | Uncategorized
When a good girl goes bad, she rarely ever goes back. Despite her trying she can never really seem to get passed her past. Even her best just feels like “not good enough” as if she’s always stuck in last. She’s been through the fire & through the storms… Life has been rough, and her efforts are haunted by mistakes. Worst of all she has a heart plagued with hurts & regrets. There she is, hidden behind a smile that is fake. Just a wearisome soul longing for some rest. She is struggling to break free from the burdens of guilt & shame. Those chains & shackles weigh heavy as she feels the weight of all the blame. It’s true when they say that hurt people hurt others… Whether they be family, friends, sisters or brothers. The one who gets hurt most though is her. Inflicting herself like this is what she deserves… Lies & accusations abound as wounds continually infest. “This is your lot, your portion, your destiny,” they suggest. Some might just say, “Don’t become bad, just always be good.” But they haven’t been through what she’s been through nor have they stood where she’s stood. “What’s your problem? What’s wrong with you?” they wonder… But in a fallen world of the broken & jaded, it’s inevitable to be dragged under… From now on is it only darkness? Is this forever? Another tragedy that couldn’t be averted? A story of dreams of what was & full of what could have been? Another ending already written off… It’s over they say. She’s gone. She’s dead. There’s no coming back from...
by Sam | Mar 4, 2015 | Inspiration, Reflection
“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” — 1 Corinthians 13:13 What better feeling is there than love? It’s hard to think of one, if any. I mean love is one of those things that I can spend every minute thinking about. Past loves, loves that didn’t work, the loves that almost was, and the future loves that are to be. Admitted, I am a hopeless romantic, but if everyone is honest, love creeps into almost all fabric of life. The songs we listen to, the movies we watch, and the stories that grip us are saturated with love. Simply put, love is powerful. What other feeling can make us do the crazy things that love does? Yet the thing is, if love is only a feeling, it will always be dependent on our moods or circumstances because all feelings come and go. No matter how powerful, at the end of the day, feelings by nature oscillate. Then can something so fickle, be a virtue? If love only remains a feeling, then it can never be a virtue. Love as a choice, however, is a different story. All virtues must be fought for and lived out on purpose. Love is a virtue when we choose to love. Love is a virtue when we choose it in the face of difficulties, sacrifice, and pain. The same goes with faith and hope. It’s one thing to feel full of faith and hope, and another to choose to believe and hope against all unbelief, hopelessness, and despair. That’s what makes it truly faith, truly hope,...
by Sam | Feb 27, 2015 | Events, Guest Blogger
Koob Vang – “On Sunday night we are launching a worship time called Sunday Night Soak. Our HOPE is to open space and minister to God. We believe that when we attend to God, it allows us to step aside and give room for Him to move. Our goal is to simply bask in the presence of the Lord and wait upon him. Ministry is rough, hard, and sometimes very lonely. We’ve dedicated a safe place for ministers to be ministered. We believe as we cultivate revival in the Tri-state area, we as ministry leaders must be nurtured in God’s presence. We emphasize on ‘sabbath’: knowing that we need rest because only God can fulfill everything, ‘selah’: we need to simply soak and respond, and ‘shalom’: only through Christ we receive peace and wholeness.” — Samuel Cho – “Sunday night is unique time. You come back from church and somehow you are completely tired. You realize that the weekend is over and the long week is about to start. We already served the “Christian” duty at church in the day, and now all we can think of is the “real” life. It is the cycle of life and it always has been. What I want to pursue in this SNS is to change that. Sunday is the day of restoration and time of spiritual recharge. But many times at the end of Sunday, we are drained and emotionally tired. Can we have time just to soak in God’s presence? Just to sit down with God and rest. With worship without agenda and settings. Do whatever God makes us to do,...
