After a long summer break, the kids finally went back to school this week! I’m so happy that Reina started her first Kindergarten class and Ryan started Preschool. But now, the kids have to be dropped off at two different locations at two different times so I have to make sure to manage my time well. I can’t imagine what your mornings are like for those of you with more kids. Perhaps things will get easier and become more natural as I get used to it but for now, I am running up and down the stairs getting kids ready and making sure I’m not leaving anything behind, especially their lunches.
When I put up a couple pictures of my kids’ first day of school on facebook, some of you made a comment that Reina’s lunch bag is big. It’s because we take our meals very seriously. A lunch bag is all Ryan takes to his school. That explains everything right? I must share a painful story to get my point across here. When I was in elementary school, I cried so bitterly during lunchtime because for some reason, on that particular day, I couldn’t open my lunch bag zipper and I was too shy to ask anyone for help. I don’t remember whether I was eventually able to open it or not, but one thing I vividly remember is that I ran into the bathroom and cried. My parents told me that I came home crying that day. So my wife and I want to make sure our kids don’t have to go through anything like that. haha.
In fact, my wife told Reina to ask her teacher to heat up her lunch if we pack something that needs to be microwaved. And of course, Reina wasn’t too thrilled to hear that because she got my genes of being all shy. So my wife and I decided to heat things up in the morning and pack them in a thermal lunch jar to make sure Reina doesn’t skip her lunch because she’s too shy to ask her teacher to heat up her lunch. On the other hand, we have no worries for Ryan. His teacher told me the first day that Ryan kept on asking, “Is it lunch time yet?”  Doesn’t that sound like something that I would say? Ryan certainly got my genes of eating!
I would like to share an important lesson that I learned with other parents. When my family was having dinner together, I asked Reina and Ryan to pray before their meal. And to my surprise, Reina responded by saying “we don’t do that anymore.” So I told her to pray even when her friends don’t pray but I knew in my heart that it wasn’t going to be that simple for Reina to sing the song like she used to sing at Fellowship Christian School before their meal times. And if Reina has a hard time asking the teacher to heat up her lunch, she certainly will not be able to sing the long “God our Father” song before she takes her meal in front of her classmates. This was one of those “wake up” moments for me. It hit me so hard that Reina is now in a public school where prayer, worship, stories of God is not a norm anymore. I should have prepared her better by teaching her how to do a simple prayer before her meals. Not only that, I really need to buckle up and pray for her to be strong in her faith and to live out a life of worship even at a young age. God has been challenging me for a while to set aside time for a family worship where our kids are saturated with the Word of God and learn the life of worship from the family setting. I know that the Sunday worship and a bible class once a week on a Sunday morning for a couple hours will not be enough for our kids to keep their faith in this world. God really convicted me to take family worship more seriously and practice doing it more consistently.
Dear fellow parents, it’s time to wake up! It’s time to pray for our families and our kids. More than worrying about what activities and programs we can provide for our kids to develop their talents and gifts, we need to teach and guide them a life of worship and living out His Word. And that has to start from our homes. As the apostle Paul said in Romans 12:2, the transformation by the renewing of the mind has to become our priority so that our families will not conform to the pattern of this world.

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
August 31, 2014

I enjoy watching and participating in baptism.  It’s always a wonderful experience for me which never gets tired.  As people get ready to get baptized, they look nervous, but also excited at the same time.  Their family members and friends are there to support them and share that very special moment in their walk with Jesus.  After they make their public confession of faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and get immersed in the water as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, their countenance looks so joyful and peaceful coming up out of the water.  Not only do the people who get baptized experience joy, but also family members and friends who are witnessing the baptism experience the same joy as well.
What’s the meaning of baptism?  It's important to understand that baptism does not guarantee anyone a ticket to heaven.  Salvation comes only through the acceptance of Jesus Christ as the personal Lord and the Savior.  There's nothing we can do to earn it.  Unless true conversion comes first, then baptism is just a meaningless ceremony.  Then how is it related our salvation?   It's not something we must do in order to be saved, but it's something we do because we are saved.   There will probably be people in heaven who were never baptized because of various reasons.  The Bible mentions the thief on the cross was saved without getting baptized because Jesus promised Him eternal life.  The thief never had an opportunity to get baptized.
Oftentimes, we emphasize too much the outward act of baptism.  Yes, it is a command of Jesus Christ to the church and to the new believers.  When Saul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Jesus commanded Saul through Ananias, “Get up, be baptized.”  Also, it is a public declaration of our relationship to Jesus Christ.
But it's the inward change that we truly need to focus on.  Titus 3:5-6 says, “He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because His mercy.  He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  This "washing" is what baptism represents.  Jesus washes us from our sin.  But the next statement is more important.  As we’re washed by Jesus through baptism, our mind is also being renewed by the Holy Spirit!
Last Sunday, we baptized three of our beloved people, Justine, Kibaek and Melissa.  I could tell Melissa was feeling nervous as she stood on the stage sharing her testimony in front of many people, including her family members and friends.  But at the same time I was in awe of how deeply I could feel God’s presence within her in response to her recommitment to God.  Justine had to wait for her baptism for a long time because we had cancelled the last two scheduled baptisms.  We really felt so bad about that. But she was determined and persevered. I couldn’t hold my tears just watching her.  She was sobbing profusely and streams of tears were flowing from her eyes.  Her tears were not from sadness or stress.  Rather her tears were the songs of joy that come from the heart of God.  When I saw Kibaek’s joyful and smiley face as he came out the water, I knew in my heart that only Jesus can give anyone that kind of joyful and smiley face.
Some people might think baptism is nothing more than a public display of someone’s commitment to God: they get immersed in the water and then it’s over. However, when you’re the one getting baptized, it’s much more than that. It’s the moment of the tenderness touch of God’s fingers on the person who are getting baptized. It is an emotional time, and you’ll never forget how the mighty power of the Holy Spirit’s presence can touch not only the person who is getting baptized but also the people who are participating in it.  Have you yet to be baptized? What’s stopping you from getting baptized now?

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
August 24, 2014