Jinha Kim

Broken Cisterns

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 1 comments

Where do you go to de-stress?

Maybe you exercise, eat, watch TV, play games, call a friend, or listen to music.  At the end of the activity, do you feel refreshed?  Do you feel re-energised for the rest of the day/week?

I don’t know about you, but I often find myself feeling drained rather than rested in my efforts to unwind.  It isn’t until I come to God and His principles of re-creation that I find satiation for my thirsty soul and weary body.

But why is that so hard to do, despite our knowledge of its worth?

Jeremiah records the heartbroken lament of a God abandoned by His people.  One particular imagery really hit home for me:

“My people have committed two sins:
They have forsaken me,
    the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
    broken cisterns that cannot hold water” (Jeremiah 2:13, NIV).

Broken Cisterns.  Hand-made containers that are supposed to retain water but are leaking.  Drip.  Drip.  Drip.

A leaky faucet can drive one crazy.  The so-called Chinese water torture works just one drip at a time.

Perhaps it is time to come to the Spring of Living Water and spend a quiet, reflective time counting our blessings…. or bursting into song and praise, making joyful noise…. or sharing the Word with others.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
    come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
    come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
    without money and without cost.
2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
    and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
    and you will delight in the richest of fare.
3 Give ear and come to me;
    listen, that you may live….

6 Seek the Lord while he may be found;
    call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
    and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them,
    and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.
12 You will go out in joy
    and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills
    will burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
    will clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper,
    and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.
This will be for the Lord’s renown,
    for an everlasting sign,
    that will endure forever.”

Isaiah 55

I’m tired of broken cisterns.  I long for wholeness that only comes from the Master Potter.

 

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Selah – Thoughts of a Cute Mute

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

I have laryngitis; for several days, I could barely whisper.

I remember losing my voice once before during my last year at Uni.  A friend of mine cheekily called me a “cute mute.”

While I am hardly “cute” anymore, after 10 years and a baby, I have definitely been mute for the past two days.

It has made me a lot more reflective about the power of speech.

Being a literary person as well as a leisurely talker, I enjoy my words.  I like making conversation and sharing my thoughts freely.  It’s quite satisfying to be able to express myself.

So while I have been frustrated at my inability to talk, I have been surprisingly aware of my ability to listen.  It turns out that it simply takes being silent a bit longer than usual to hear a whole lot more.

As I shared in my sermon on Saturday (Mercy and Truth Kiss: The Meaning of Moses’ Mistake), I was quite reckless with my words a week ago, when we were having a miserable time in New Zealand.

This week, because each word has been quite painful to pronounce, I have been a lot more careful.  As a result, I have chosen my words more wisely.  My silence has also given the men of my house (my husband, my son, my father-in-law), occasion to talk more about what’s on their minds.  My muteness has given me insight into their needs and concerns.

The Bible has wise words to live by – James says, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.  Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can sae you.  Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says. . . Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless” (James 1:19-22, 26).

I may not be a cute mute, or even an acute mute, but I have experienced the power of silence in communication.  Just as the rest notes in a musical score provide the harmony and balance needed for a great song, pauses in life to truly listen to the other person are necessary for a good relationship.

Perhaps that’s what God, too, desires from us at this moment – to pause, to listen, to be silent.

Selah is a Hebrew word used 74 times, mainly in Psalms.  No one knows precisely what it means, but some believe it is either a liturgico-musical mark meaning “stop and listen,” or an indication of a musical interlude.

Perhaps it’s a good time to be mute – Selah.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Good News for Marriage

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

Have you heard that 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce, and that Christians are just as likely to divorce as non-believers?  Talk about discouraging statistics.

The good news for marriage this week is that Shaunti Feldhahn, a Harvard-trained researcher and author, has discovered that those statistics were based on projections of divorce rates in the 1970s and not based on actual numbers.

In her recently released book, “The Good News About Marriage: Debunking Discouraging Myths about Marriage and Divorce,” Feldhahn shares results from an extensive eight-year study on marriage and divorce. Among other things, her research found:

  • The actual divorce rate has never gotten close to 50 percent.
  • Those who attend church regularly have a significantly lower divorce rate than those who don’t.
  • Most marriages are happy.
  • Simple changes make a big difference in most marriage problems.
  • Most remarriages succeed.

It’s time to stop the rumours and commit to a renewed look at the meaning of marriage as found in the Bible and in the lives of the couples we admire around us.

“But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.  Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:7-9, NKJV.

 

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

The Meaning of Misery

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

I have always loved Les Misérables – after all, I did study French literature.  But I first read it in English long before I could sing “Alouette.”  It was one of my mom’s favourite books so I read it partly out of curiosity, partly out of an ambitious desire to conquer the tome (the unabridged version is 1488 pages long – 202 pages longer than the complete Gutenberg Bible), and partly to understand the meaning of the title.

Les Misérables – a literal translation would be, “The Miserable Ones,” or the “The Wretched Ones.”  Who is Victor Hugo referring to?  Who are the miserable ones?

The most obvious answer is – the poor.  The masses in France that were driven to hunger and poverty during that time lived in a truly wretched reality that unfortunately still plays out in many parts of the world.

But are the rich exempt from misery?  No – heartless, they may be, but happy they are not.

How did Hugo define happiness? “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves–say rather, loved in spite of ourselves (p. 167).”

Misery, then, is living without that conviction that we are loved just as we are.  It’s the state of constant insecurity, of wanting approval and affirmation from others around us, even those we don’t particularly like or even know.  A mistake, a disappointment, a heartache can make our worlds come crashing down.

The poor and the disenfranchised know what misery feels like.  But so does anyone who has felt truly rejected, betrayed or abandoned.  Or anyone in soul turmoil wondering who we truly are, what we’re all about (like Javert).

It is to us wretched individuals that God says,

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:9-13, NIV).

“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.  So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.  In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:20-23, NIV).

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV).

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair” (Isaiah 61:1-3)

To all of us Les Misérables, Jesus offers the supreme happiness of being loved in spite of ourselves, a love tried and true, a love that overcomes the world and turns our mourning into dancing.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Sam and James’ Baptism

in Videos / Podcasts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

Did you miss Sam & James’ baptism?  Watch their testimonies & Baptism.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

A True Man

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

As a girl I had the wrong ideas of what an ideal man should say or do.  Blame it on the romantic comedies or misguided naiveté, I thought a true guy fought for the girl to the end, even if she pushed him away.

But as I grew into a woman, I realised that a true man is someone who respects the woman’s wishes, even if they are contrary to his desires.  If she says no, he should not push back.  If she is undecided about the relationship, he should step back and give her space to come to her own conclusions without pressure or invasion of boundaries.

That kind of respect requires strength of character – security in himself and God, that whatever happens is not going to be unbearable or unacceptable, but a stepping stone in the bigger picture.  It requires unselfishness and discipline, that he can limit himself from exerting his influence or strength manipulatively to coerce the woman into doing what he wants.

This is what true love looks like.

And the greater the love, the greater the respect – and the greater strength of character, unselfishness, and self-discipline needed to sustain that submission to the other person’s will.

So it is truly amazing that God, who we typically think of submitting to, submits to us and our decisions – even if they’re against His desires.  As much as He yearns for us to love Him back, He constrains Himself from doing too much – for example, I bet He wishes He could answer all our prayer requests – wouldn’t that wow us into worship?  Yet He does not want to manipulate us into wanting Him out of indebtedness alone.  What about if He manifested His glory, visibly and audibly?  Wouldn’t a herald of angels win us over?  But then would our response be infatuation or commitment?

We must seriously consider the fact that God, while being all-powerful, limits Himself and His powers for our sake – so that we can make our decisions without pressure and coercion.  He constrained His powers into the form of a human babe.  He constrained Himself into the life of an itinerant preacher. He constrained Himself on the cross, naked and burdened with the guilt of the world.  It wasn’t the nails that held Him there – it was His great love for us.  He won back our ability to choose.

So once again I fall in love with this True Man – who dies for His bride and submits to her.  And in love, I willingly submit in return.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Giving Our Children Back to God

in Sermons / Videos / Podcasts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

What is the purpose of a child dedication?  How did Jesus treat children?  Our guest speaker, Pastor Paul Kotanko, will be dedicating Micah and sharing the meaning of family.

Download the Discussion Questions here.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Second-Hand Jesus: When Religion Becomes Manipulative

in Sermons / Videos / Podcasts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

Many times, we try to change God with our goodness rather than beholding the goodness of God and allowing Him to change us. We set up standards for ourselves and others to follow in the name of religion.  How do we escape this cycle of manipulation? – Presented by Roy Kim

Download the Discussion Questions here.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Forecast: Victory

in Thoughts  by Jinha Kim 1 comments

Eight years is a long time to wait for victory.

I watched the State of Origin game tonight (I feel legitimately Aussie now) and was happy for NSW, who hadn’t won the series in 8 years.

How long are you willing to wait for a win?  How long are you willing to fight?

If it’s worth it, we say, we’re willing to clench our fists and keep running the race, no matter how many times we’re knocked down.

If it’s worth it.

Is God worth it?  

Maybe not.  Perhaps you’re too tired of the same old game of hide-n-seek with God, where it seems you’re always apart – either crouching behind shields of shame and doubt or searching for a Divinity that’s too silent and invisible. Perhaps you’re about to throw in the towel or already given up but just going through the motions in guilt-fuelled denial.

But what if the Israelites had stopped marching around Jericho after six times?  (Joshua 6)

What if Captain Naaman had only washed in the Jordan River six times? (2 Kings 5)

What if you had left Jerusalem before Resurrection morning? (Luke 24)

Imagine this scene: The sky is red – fiery red.  Smoke is still rising from the ashes of the stone altar Elijah had carefully rebuilt from the withered rubbles of Mount Carmel.  The ground is so dry that you can feel the sharp ridges of the cracks on the soles of your feet.  It has been three years since there was any rain.

While the air is still crackling from the fire and drought, Elijah says to Ahab, “There is the sound of a heavy rain.”

Where, Elijah?

There is but the sound of thirsty men panting for relief.

Elijah bends down to the ground and puts his face between his knees.

“Go and look toward the sea,” he tells his servant.

“There is nothing there.”

“Go back and look towards the sea.”

“There is nothing there.”

“Go back and look again.”

“There is nothing there.”

Seven times the servant looks.

Finally, he says, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.”

Suddenly, the sky grows black, the wind rises, and a heavy rain starts pouring down on the hungry land. (1 Kings 18:41-46)

Perhaps you’ve seen nothing yet.  Perhaps your soul is parched, lonely, and worn… you feel you’ve been fighting giants alone. But don’t give up now.  An outpouring of the Spirit is coming – Habakkuk 2:3  “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.”

That revelation of God will not be in the wind, or the earthquake, or the fire, but in the still, small voice that reminds you that you’re not alone; you’re in a team that fights in the multitudes.  (1 Kings 19:11-18) And that team, that God – will be worth struggling for.

So fight the good fight, finish the race, keep the faith (2 Timothy 4:7).

There is already a cloud in the horizon; God will come and flood our lives with the power of His grace.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

Second-Hand Jesus: The Unrighteous Cry

in Sermons / Videos / Podcasts  by Jinha Kim 0 comments

Many of us only know Jesus second-hand – from what others have told us or what we have picked up from media, culture, and our family background.  One of the common beliefs is that those who are “right” with God have special privileges, like having their prayers answered.  This idea is reinforced by texts like “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Proverbs 15:29).   But is that really how God treats the wicked?  Does He hear the unrighteous cry?  What does the Bible really say? Presented by Jinha Kim

Download the Discussion Questions here.

by: Jinha Kim

"But those who drink the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14