Kairo Taiwan Team '08

So this is our team for this year. Please pray for us! We will be heading out for Kaohsiung, Taiwan on June 30th until Aug 7th. The Lord has allowed us to continue building our relationship with Chia Cheng Church in Kaohsiung. We will be hosting an English camp called JOME (Jesus <3's ME), hoping to share the gospel with the kids who come. We also hope to share Christ with the local university students who will be helping us teach English.

Please join us in prayer! You can pray for:
1. God to provide the rest of our financial support. We are still short of raising our funds.
2. For 70 kids to register for JOME. So far 3 have signed up :)
3. For Team unity and peace... that we would not let Satan divide!
4. For deeper MERCY and COMPASSION for the lost.

Hopefully I'll be able to keep y'all updated through this blog while we're in Taiwan. Praise the Lord for you support!

In the Pic from Top Left to Right: Joe Kam, Julian Kwon, Mike Lertchivikul, Greg Mah,
Cindy Sham, Emily Yang, Debra Chang, Jamie Wen, Christine Lam (not pictured, we'll get one up though.)

Spiritual-eyes: Seeing God in Court

So I was on the phone trying to set up a court date to fight off $270 worth of STUPID traffic tickets. We were up surfing at San Onofre, and this officer gives me TWO tickets at once:
1. "Failing to Signal". Failing to SIGNAL! Is that even a law? I seriously thought signaling was just courtesy.
2. Going 35mph on a 25mph street. But come on, who actually drives 25mph? That's unrealistic. Everyone does 35.

And so as I'm waiting for the teleprompt to get me to a live person to schedule a date where I can go and fight my case, I'm thinking of what I can say to the Judge that will get me off the hook. Then I come across some unfortunate realizations.

I broke the law. Bottom line. Whether I was going 35 or 135, the law is 25, and I transgressed. And in the "failing to signal" case, can't I just tell the judge I didn't know? Plead with him to let me go since no one ever told me that failing to signal is against the law? I asked my lawyer friend if this would fly, and he said to me, "Greg, ignorance is inexusable. Whether you know it or not, the law is there, and the law stands."

I broke the law. The only way i can go free is if somehow the judge finds it in himself to have mercy on me. To have pity on me and show some compassion. But if he doesn't, he has every right to make me pay the penalty. I'm guilty. It's a hard reality.

But what's $270? It's a WHOLE lot I tell you! But the truth is, it's not the end of the world. I'll get over it. More serious than $270 is the fact that we all stand as sinners, every one of us. We're guilty of breaking God's law, the standard that He's set. Our penalty is eternal conscious torment while we are physically and spiritually separated from God.

Whether we've broke God's law just once, or once a day for everyday of our life, the fact is, we broke it. We're guilty. And we can't plead ignorance, because whether or not we know what God's Law says, whether or not we've ever read His word, the Law stands. And we've transgressed.

The ONLY way that we can go free is if somehow the Great Judge finds it in himself to have mercy on us. To have pity on us and show us compassion. Bit if He doesn't, He has every right to make us pay the penalty.

But here's the FANTASTIC news. He has found it in Himself to be merciful. He does have pity on us. He has shown us compassion. The Judge Himself, Jesus Christ the Son of God, steps down from His position, pays the penalty for our guilt and serves the sentence. Christ did this for us when He died for us, bearing the weight of our sin and the wrath of His Father. But He was made alive and exalted back to His rightful place as Judge and King. And He says that if we would believe that He paid for our crime, that the penalty has been paid, we will be freed. Let go. Forgiven.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Paul, Romans 3:23-24

What stumbles you?

I'll be preaching this Sunday at Kairo on stumbling blocks in the Church. The Church in Corinth struggled with eating meat designated for pagan worship. Some Christians were cool with it, some were stumbled by it.

I was wondering what things Christians do that stumble you, cause you to sin, or compromise your faith? All input is much warmly welcomed, whether you are a Christian or not...I'd appreciate your $0.02. Email me at gregmah@gmail.com. Thanks!

OMG, your boy is FAMOUS!!!

Earlier I posted a video clip of Lyricks and Manifest, two gifted Christian rappers. I randomly stumbled over a video of ME at a live concert that they put on at The Well, a ministry in Gardena. If you look closely in the video at 1:18, you can see yo' boy athletically snatch the T-shirt that Manifest throws out to the crowd, wrestling off four other young girls desperate for a piece of Manifest. Just to help you out, I'm the black figure in the lower right hand of the video, and the four young girls that I pwn are the other black figures among the black figures. Enjoy. And God Bless.

Love goes round

Last night I was able to speak at UCR's AACF. SUPER blessed. God was doing some pretty sweet things.

One thing that blessed me was a sister I met afterward. Before the message, we prayed that God would speak to anyone who was in need of the message of forgiveness. I spoke on Matthew 18, the parable of the unmerciful servant. After the sermon, a sister came up to me and shared what was going on her life. She had JUST (hours earlier) arrived from the Midwest in the midst of tests and deadlines for her doctorate program. Even still, she just had to spontaneously get away, partly because of an overwhelming situation where six people were affected by a wrong she had committed. So she flew out to CA.

When she came up to me, she started off by saying "Now I know exactly why God had me come out here". It was a message of forgiveness she needed to hear. God was reminding her of the riches of God's mercy and forgiveness through Christ on the cross.

I noticed something in the message yesterday that I didn't explicitly say, but it's so clear. When God's love and forgiveness comes down to us, it causes us to love and forgive others. When we love by forgiving others, love and praise goes back up to God. Now THAT's a beautiful cycle.

Obsessession...

I think I'm obsessed..

I just came back from lunch. You know it's crossed over to obsession when you're thinking about surf and accidentally scoop your rice into your coffee mug. No joke. All day I dream about surf. When I close my eyes, it's sick, all I see are waves. I know, lame. When I'm at work, all I can think about his hitting the waves. When I wake up, I check the surf report. When I get to work, I check the surf report. When I get home, check the report. This is seriously getting out of hand... but seriously though, when I think about surfing, I get all warm and fuzzy inside. It's definitely crossed over into obsession.

I was thinking last night, I wonder if anyone feels like this about Jesus. How come I've never felt this warm and fuzzy thing for my Lord? I started praying, that if this kind of obsession for God was what he desired of me, that he'd fill me with that passion. That my energy for surf would be greater for the Lord. That I would yearn for Him, and that the thought of helping the lost find Jesus would be my eager desire.

I know, this all sounds cheesy. But seriously, that Christ would be my Magnificent Obsession...

The Gift

I'm sure you've seen these guys... but I got to see them live this past weekend for a Missions fundraising concert. My respect has gone through the roof for these guys. Their transparency and love for God is crazy. Be blessed.

Jesus got my back

I had a pretty traumatizing incident in my sleep back in high school.

Not all incidents that happen at night are necessarily spiritual…this was definitely spiritual.

For the longest time, I’d be scared to sleep on my back. I found testimonies online of people who had the same creepy experience, down to details of what they saw. There were eerie sketches posted of the same freaky things I saw that night. Most of the cases occurred when the people were sleeping on their back. I was sleeping on my back that night.

I was reading Luke 11 today, where Jesus had just cast out a demon from a man. Check this out, he goes, “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come to you.”

The FINGER of God!!! His finger. How awesome is HE?! By his finger, he flicks out demons! They got nothing on Him.

I think of Colossians 2:15, where it says that Christ disarmed the powers and authorities (agents of Satan), and “made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the Cross.” It’s this picture that the readers were familiar with- a Roman general, after having victory in battle and having captured the enemy, would parade the chained and naked prisoner through town as the people danced in the victory of the king.

Dang. My Jesus is Mighty.

I’m sleeping on my back tonight. Bring it.

A Woman of God

I'm sure many of you sisters are praying that God would provide you with a good, godly man, who loves the Lord and His word. I just wanted to encourage you to wait upon the Lord, and in His time, he will bless you beyond what you can imagine. In the meantime, seek to be that woman who will bless the socks off of your future man. I know some guy is praying that God will prepare himself for you too.

Here is a video of a man I truly admire and respect. He is SO wise. I hope this may help you to know what godly men pursue.

Don't just sit there, get up and DANCE!

Most Christians take joy in death.

A few years ago, I remember sharing Jesus with a coworker. I was attempting to give her good reason to believe in Jesus: Bibilical proof, historical evidence, personal experiences, life testimony...

NOTHING moved her. She wouldn't budge for Jesus.

But by the end of the conversation, she does say one thing that startled me. "Greg, there's something about Christians that I notice... you guys are happy when people die."

Sweet, she thinks we're sick and insensitive.

"And I admire that. I want that. I want to find joy and peace when people I love die."

That's true! Isn't it? Christians are filled with peace when other Christians die. Sure, it's sad, and we mourn, but ultimately we are able to say, "Praise the Lord!" "He's in a better place now." "She's gone home to be with Jesus." I've often talked with brothers about how our funerals are going to be parties. No one wearing black will be allowed admission. White apparel will do. Hawaiian shirts and sandals recommended. Apple bottom jeans and the boots with the fur...I guess. My funeral will be a homecoming party. Cause I'm comin' home, baby. DJ's. Strobe lights. Dance flo' and mo'.

But come to think about it, Christians: DEATH IS NOT A GOOD THING. God never intended it to be. Death is the result of sin. Death was introduced by the cunning temptation of Satan. Death is the power of the Evil one (Heb 2:14).

It's the RESURRECTION that's a good thing. 'Cause in resurrection, death is conquered. In resurrection, death is overcome. In resurrection, death is no more. Because of Resurrection, we can rejoice and be glad...even when Christians die.

Christians love to just sit at the Cross, where Christ died, and worship. We love to fix our heart and mind on the atoning sacrifice of Christ, when his blood was shed.

But don't just sit there, get up and dance! Jump and rejoice at the empty tomb. It's EMPTY. He is Risen!

"Where, oh death, is your victory? Where, oh death, is your sting?" (1 Cor 15:55)

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9)

He is Risen, and so will we! Get up and DANCE!

...to fall in Love.

Ok.

So I was praying this morning over the Easter Sermon coming up this Sunday. I was asking God how I should deliver the message... should I share the gospel and target unbelievers? Should I encourage the believers with hope? should I give them logical reason for the Resurrection? SO many ways to go about it.

Answer: Help people fall in love with Jesus.

Man, isn't that it?! Isn't that the question I ought to ask myself in everything I do for the Lord? Not WWJD, but AIHPTFILWJ? Am I Helping People To Fall In Love With Jesus? I mean, yeah, talking theology gives me tingling sensations and teaching about the implications of the Greek cognate of hagiois and hagiazo give me an overwhelming sense of pleasure, but AIHPTFILWJ? AIREALLYHPTFILWJ?

I've often said in my sermons that "theology" is useless if it's not changing the way we live. It should be causing us to Love Jesus with crazy passion.

So that's it. My new defined passion in life... to help people fall in love with Jesus. Mikey's been telling me start a blog for so long, but I've put it off. But I figure, hey, this may be another one way I can give people Jesus... to talk about ridiculously amazing things He does in my life.

So here we go Mikey, I'm gonna give 'em Jesus.