Problem with Christianity

There is no doubt in my mind that the reputation of Christianity in the U.S. is at it's all time low.
There are too many in-house arguments.  What should be the strength of Christianity with various denominations and thoughts, has now become a hindrance.  Atheism is growing rapidly as well as other religions but it is very difficult to find a voice, a unified voice of Christians in the U.S.
Where are the likes of Billy Graham, C.S. Lewis, Jonathan Edwards and such? 
One of the problem, I believe, is that the loudest voice in Christianity just happens to be the fundamentalists whose theology is outdated. 
We need to listen to the voice of those who are fed up with Christianity and learn to share the gospel in an effective way.  There are many opposition to Christianity on the internet and I listen to many of them.  The one I enjoy listening to is Pat Condell.

http://youtu.be/Jk4AJ1BgQX8

He makes many valid points, and we need to reach out people like Pat who, I believe, have been misinformed about Christianity.
Spread the gospel.  It is all about Jesus and Him crucified.

It seems he did it again.  Another good attack on organized religion

http://youtu.be/Dvmrfa8tIAI

Mother's Day at HeavenBound 2012

Video was filmed and edited by Jordan Choh
http://youtu.be/dlhATvCGYgU

Easter Sunday 2012

We had a great Easter Sunday celebration.
We have so many kids at our church now.  What a blessing.

Happy Mind, Happy Life

Who doesn't want a happy life?

How is your mindset these days? Would you say that it is healthy and happy, or unhealthy and miserable? We all desire HAPPINESS in our lives. No one wants to live in a life of fear, sadness, and disappointments, but how can we be happy? Abraham Lincoln said, "People are about as happy as they make up their mind to be." So let us be determined and set our minds to be happy! There is a saying, "Where the mind goes, man follows." See the power of our mindset?!

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A Happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." If our spirit is broken, then we need to check into the condition of our mind and heart! When we have a broken spirit, it can lead to depression. Be very careful and don't allow that to happen! Remembering back when I had my concussion from my bicycle accident, it brought a lot of sadness which lead to depression. In the early months of having to deal with the loss of my energy and feeling incapable of just living a normal day to day life in health, the enemy used my mind to feel defeated in many ways. After 4 months into this depressed state, I chose to rise up and fight the negative mindset every way possible! I proactively filled up my mind and heart with happy and good things! I listened to good music and watched good movies, read good books, stayed connected to God, enjoyed His beautiful nature, and ate delicious food, etc... I needed to deplete all the negativity's that crept up inside of me and actively restore it with everything good! I now choose to protect and wisely use up my time and energy on good and edifying ways. I've learned to say, "no," on senseless things that can hurt and drain out my energy.  Dr. Wayne Dyer says, "Do not give into resistance and say, "I can't do this, it's never worked before, having fears, worries and anxieties. Instead, HAPPINESS is something you DECIDE AHEAD OF TIME! When you change the way you look at things, they will change. You create that world inside your mind.

Instead, CONNECT with God, He is our source!" When God's power is placed and activating in you by always connecting with Him, amazing things happens! Ephesians 4:23 says, "And be CONSTANTLY renewed in the spirit of your mind (having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude)." See, we need to have a fresh mental attitude every single day! Otherwise, when we let down our guard, the enemy is right there waiting to attack our minds in a negative way. He knows our weak areas and knows very well how to strategically and deceptively bring us down and discouraged. It is inevitable that we will be dealing with many kinds of life issues in all seasons of our lives. It is how we deal and respond to them by having a right attitude and a good mind seeing them through God's perspective by our faith that will lead us towards a place of peace and joy. It's our choice! Proverbs 4:27 says, "Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life." It is our job to protect our heart and keep our mind set on good things above! Also, Philippians 4:8 says, "Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS." That is the antidote on a healthy and a happy mind! It cannot get anymore clearer than that!

With God on our side, we are truly more than conquerors! Dr. Bruce Lipton says, "ninety five-ninety nine percent of our subconscious mind is much more powerful than our conscience mind." We need to actively erase all the negative words and thoughts from our past that was placed into our subconscious minds and purposefully place and fill up good things in order to move past our limitations. People that are not in their right mindset behave in a manner that can be destructive to all. We must be responsible and tap into our source of connecting with God each and every day and train our minds on good things above! In time, the effects of that habit will create in you the life you desire, full of joy and blessedness! We get to choose what kind of a life we want to live in! We must fight the good fight of faith and believe with God all things are possible in and through Him!

Luke 1:37 says, "For with God nothing is ever impossible and no word from God shall be without power or impossible of fulfillment."  God desires for us His children, to live the good and abundant life! Today, let us envision our lives of good health and happiness and wait patiently with all enthusiasm that it will come to pass for us to enjoy! Life is good, so good! We start by creating that world inside our minds! Praise be to God, our Father!

Lisa Choh

Women's Meeting this Sunday

Women's meeting this Sunday after worship will go over Lisa's article 'Transformation Process'.
Hope many of you will be able to join the meeting.
Here's the article.

Transformation Process

There may be some of us who would like a transformation in our lives; whether it may be with our personalities, circumstances, thought life, character or Spirit etc.

One day I noticed the skin on my face was not like how it once was before and the skin had gotten to the point where I was dissatisfied with the way it looked and felt.  I love to be out in the sun and my freckles and sun spots were becoming more noticeable to me.  So I made a decision to get a ‘transformation package’ treatment for my face.

The laser used for this treatment was discomforting at the least and the extractions were painful, but I knew it needed to be done.  Boy, what we go through in the hope of renewed younger skin!  Much patience is involved with this process.  It takes a few weeks for the new skin to come out from underneath to the surface level, and in the meantime the freckles were enhanced and had spread out looking hideous and frightening.  Thank goodness for makeups that covered it!  I nearly scared one of my sons!  In due time, the old surface skin falls off while the new skin arises. 

This process of treatment for my face is like how God works in transforming us.  We must be patient, while day by day, God works behind the scenes to cleanse, rejuvenate and bring forth a fresh new Spirit within us to come alive!

At first, we may not like this process one bit with all the junk that arises to the surface, but we must be able to deal with it and bear the discomfort in order to allow God’s Spirit to flow in and through us.  Let us be willing to be a little uncomfortable for the sake of a renewed life.  Colossians 3:5, 7-10 says, “So kill the evil desire lurking in your members (those animal impulses and all that is earthly in you that is employed in sin); sexual vice, impurity, sensual appetites, unholy desires, and all greed and covertness, for that is idolatry.  Among whom you also once walked, when you were living in and addicted to (such practices).  But now put away and rid yourselves (completely) of all these things:  anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foul mouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips!  Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old (unregenerate) self with its evil practices.  And have clothed yourselves with the new (Spiritual self), which is (ever in the process of being) renewed and remolded into (fuller and more perfect knowledge upon) knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him who created it.”

Oh, what hope and joy will be ours when we are able to see some progress as time goes by.  When we believe and follow God and His words, the old ways and habits comes off naturally and the new radiant light shines forth!  Let us be encouraged to choose to have the desire to be transformed in the area that is greatly needed.  You will not regret it, but instead, feel free, alive, fresh and renewed as a child of God, living the good life in Him.  His beauty, His blessings, and His fulfillment will arise to the surface of your life and restore your health and glow.  Praise God! 

My husband is a pastor and he loves to talk to couples about marriage.  He told me about a couple who were to be married in a couple of months who never really had any problems until after they had a talk with my husband.  They started having doubts about themselves, about each other and began to think that they were not ready for a lifelong relationship in marriage.  My husband told them not to panic because this was the way God was removing their old single self in order for the new better self to emerge.  The process of shedding the old for the new was difficult, but within two weeks the process was complete.  They are in love and now living in a committed relationship in marriage.

I pray that we would have the key that will point us in the right direction to be transformed.  The key of a new heart!  Ezekiel 11:19 says, “And I will give them one heart (a new heart) and I will put a new Spirit within them; and I will take the stony (unnaturally hardened) heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh.  (Sensitive and responsive to the touch of their God.)”

Believing in Jesus’ death and resurrection for us will give us this new heart along with His Spirit to live inside of us.  The Spirit helps us, strengthens us, enables us to obey God’s word and to do His will. 

Let us pray to have a soft new heart today, to start our transformation process for a life of freedom, wholeness and victory!  It’ll be worth it!

Sermon- Jan 22nd 2012

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Sermon- Jan 15th 2012

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