Some of you might have thought that my wife and I are expecting another child from the heading. Sorry if you thought that! On Thursday, God blessed my brother’s family with a beautiful daughter Sophia! What a great joy she brought to not only her parents but to everyone who have been praying for them. For the last couple years, my brother and his wife have been trying without any positive results but God gave them a special gift as they have been patiently waiting on God for His perfect timing. It was a fresh reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness. Before the name “Sophia” was given to the baby, she was called “웃음” (means Laughter in Korean). It’s a great Korean tradition that I should’ve followed with my own kids because I used to refer the baby as “it” at times, especially when I didn’t know the gender. I really liked the name “laughter” because it reminded me of Isaac from the bible, the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and Sara. I hope and pray that that Sophia will grow up to be a special child that brings much needed laughter and joy to this world that’s filled with anger and bitterness.
I believe I have never held an infant baby other than my own because I usually don’t feel comfortable and awkward holding an infant in my arms. However, it was different this time around because Sophia is my first niece. I was actually looking forward to seeing her born and holding her in my arms. I kept on thinking about how it would feel when I actually see her in person. It was indeed a different feeling than when I held Reina and Ryan for the first time when they were born. It was more of an overwhelming appreciation for such a special gift that the whole family was waiting for over the years. Looking back on how my own kids were born just as my wife and I have planned out, I definitely took God’s grace for granted for such amazing blessings in my life. Or maybe I was too young to comprehend the full spectrum of God’s blessings but now I do. My wife and I are truly blessed beyond measures to be able to raise two beautiful kids that God placed under our care.
This whole process of Sophia being born reminded me of two important lessons. First, I was reminded of “Pray Until Something Happens (P.U.S.H.)” slogan. God challenged my lack of faith and endurance when it comes to prayer and petition. I, too often, give up on praying for certain things because of delayed response or no answer from God. I need to learn from my parents’ generation where they held onto a tree and prayed until the tree was literally uprooted from the ground. What a determination and a pure desperation they had. Some people may call them fanatics but I just love and appreciate their hunger for God and want to be more like them. 
And secondly, I was reminded of the joy of a new life being born. It says in Luke 15:10 that there is a great rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents and comes to know Jesus Christ. Just like the birth of Sophia brought so much joy to my family, the heaven rejoices over people being saved. And that’s what the body of Christ, the church family, needs to devote more of our time and resources. So instead of focusing so much on our needs and wants, we need to turn our attention what God wants to do through us. I am thoroughly convinced that we can find the joy in our lives, the ministries we serve in, and in our families if we partake in the Kingdom business of bringing people to Christ. I pray and hope that our will be a church that brings many new lives into the family of believers. 

From Pastor Brian’s Heart
July 20, 2014

Hurry up!  Have these words ever driven your life?   Many parents say it quite often every morning at home for getting their children ready for school.  I often find myself hurrying from one place to the next - always with my eye on the clock – sometimes only to end up behind an old couple leisurely driving 20 miles an hour on a single lane street, and find myself murmuring loudly “Come on, hurry up!”, but more than once I thanked them for saving me from getting ticketed by the police who was waiting at the very next corner of that street.
We’re living in a fast paced world.  The world desires instant response; fast food restaurant, speedy oil change, instant coffee, and etc.  Nowadays with ever growing internet access such as instant messaging, texting, Facebook, and others the world is ever so close to each other.  Information is flowing at lightning speed.
But on the contrary, there are also drawbacks that come with this fast paced lifestyle, and one that really stands out is a lack of patience.  People are definitely becoming less patient these days.  Most of us don’t have much trouble getting ready to meet the urgent needs of life.  But, how many of us are good at waiting?
We often try to look for a short cut in order to get things done quicker.  We, even as believers, get frustrated unless we are constantly moving ahead, and sometimes we try to compromise the way we do God’s ministry for the sake of getting things done.  We just don’t want to wait.
Speaking of being in a hurry, the Israelites felt the same way after they came out of Egypt.  There was no doubt the Israelites wanted to march right into Canaan as quickly as possible. They just experienced incredible power and the wonders of God that devastated the Egyptians, and they walked right through the Red Sea as God parted the sea.  They wanted to go all the way.  Their confidence level was at its highest!  But God wanted them to go slowly. Why? God wanted to teach them that there were other more important things that they needed to learn than just quickly conquering the Promised Land.
You have probably had experiences when God was being silent on your prayer for a lengthy time. You wonder whether God has heard your prayer, and didn’t understand what was going on.  Where are you God?  Well…  God may have wanted you to learn to wait on the Lord and be patient.  Why?  God may have wanted to teach you there were more important things that you needed to know.
James 5:7-8 says, “Be patient, brothers, until the Lord’s coming.  See how farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm.”  God wants you to know who is in control.  God is the one who makes the rain come. God wants to get rid of your self-reliance. You can’t make rain come.  Also, God wants to increase your confidence and faith through more discipline and training, and it takes time.  Your confidence and faith cannot grow overnight.  Also, God doesn’t want anyone to be left behind.  If you go to too fast, not everyone can keep up with you.
God often remains silent because He wants to usher you into a new experience with Him which you have never previously experienced in your life.  Do you really want to experience God’s presence in your life?  Then, learning to wait on the Lord and being patient is a must.  God knows you the best, and He knows exactly what, when and how things need to be done for your life.

From Pastor Neil’s Heart
July 13, 2014