Would You Improv For God?

Are you one of the 5 Million + viewers who have checked out the 'Frozen Grand Central Station' You Tube video?

If you have seen it, you probably had some of the same reactions as I did. It's both fascinating and freaky weird as you see 200 improv actors simultaneously freeze in place at one of the busiest places on planet earth. They are 'frozen' in mid-step, picking up papers, and all of them have obviously been trained well to stay as motionless as possible.

I'm sure the stunt brought mixed reviews. You could see that some were annoyed (i.e., those with little to no sense of humor) - and others were probably convinced the aliens had finally landed and commenced with their global body snatching plan (i.e., those with way too much free time).

Would you ever do something like that? I think I might enjoy being part of a harmless public stunt - except of course in Grand Central Station, where I'm pretty sure you'd get your wallet or purse stolen if you froze for even 5 seconds.

It seems to me that most people just go about the daily grind with little outside thought until something creative and radical happens. It also seems to me that this is true in a spiritual sense with your friends who don't know Christ as well. Sure, maybe you've had a few 'talks' about God, but after a while it gets in a rut, and you never seem to get beyond a certain point - right?

Ah - but this video gives me an idea that just might help you in this area. No, freezing in place in a crowded public area is not what I had in mind, but doing something creative and radical for God publicly in front of your friends is one of the best 'rut killers' around. For most people these days, the God talk tends to remain just that...talk...that is until it's backed up with radical action.

And it's not like this is a new plan or anything. It's actually one of the primary strategies that people in the Bible have used for centuries. Here's a short list:

Noah - built a gihugical boat. How is that radical? Well, since it had probably never rained or flooded before, the entire population of the world thought Noah was one French fry short of a Happy Meal. But aren't you glad he went ahead with his public project? Yep, he saved civilization.

Joseph - dared to tell the Pharaoh of Egypt that he could interpret dreams. If he blew it, he'd be toast inside a few seconds. But he went ahead with the triple dog dare, and - oh yes, saved civilization.

Daniel - threw open the shutters of his home and prayed to the God that was despised by the all his neighbors - even though it could bring him the death penalty. And it did. Only instead of death, he gained some new furry friends in the lion's den.

I could go on and on - but do you know who completed the most radical and life changing public act of all time? You guessed it - God Himself. He was so desperate and crazy in love with the people of planet earth that He came down here wrapped in flesh. He lived a perfect public (and private) life, led a miraculous public ministry (can you say feeding 5000 folks from 5 loaves of bread and two sardines?), and of course, He died one of the most cruel - and public- deaths that you could ever imagine. Oh yeah, then He came back from the grave and appeared in public to over 500 people in 40 days.

Talk about a radical and creative way to get people's attention for God!

And it worked. Now it's your turn. Auction off your iPod to give money to the poor, skip a movie and volunteer at a homeless shelter. Start a public blog that does nothing but investigate the claims of Jesus. Pass out pro-life flyers near an abortion clinic. Use your imagination - but keep it completely motivated by this message:

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

Freezing in Grand Central Station is cool - but even cooler would be to do something that caught the attention of people around you and turned it - not to You Tube...but to the God who wants an eternal relationship with them.

Head: What you need to know about this truth

People who don't have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ need to see radical and creative evidence of vital and authentic Christianity.

Heart: What you need to feel about this truth

Simple question: If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough physical evidence to convict you? If not - perhaps it's time for a heart check and a lifestyle shift.

Hands: What you need to do about this truth

Write down a few ideas you have about radical and creative ways to show the world that you are a Christian, then get together with your youth leader and youth group to discuss how you could put those ideas into action.
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The above article came from www.dare2share.org

Fools For God's Kingdom

Yesterday afternoon I prayed before I went on campus invasion.

I saw a vision of myself tossing fistfuls of heart-shaped seeds into the soil here and there. Then gigantic trees, enormous flowers, and other exotic plants started to sprout from the ground with astonishing speed, turning the barren land into an abundant garden.

A garden of God's love.

I was so excited.

And so I left my dorm and walked towards the main campus. Before I even left the residential area I met my friend Mary.

"Hey Alice, going to class?" she asked
"No...um...just, taking a walk" I answered

So Mary decided to come along. I didn't have the courage to tell her I was on a mission to pray for strangers. She would think I'm a religious nut, a freak! I thought to myself.

We went to Starbucks, got drinks, then went on a walk at Mesa Court (a really nice residential place with lots of artsy stuff, picnic areas, etc.)

Wait, what are you doing Alice? You're suppose to do campus invasion!...Never mind, then at least use this time to share your testimony with Mary!

But in the end, after all the internal struggle, I didn't share anything about Jesus or how He changed my life to Mary.

Afterwards, exhausted and frustrated, I sat down in my room and remembered what Jaeson Ma said during the Supernatural On Campus Conference:

"The Lord gave me the words, 'Killed In Action'. He killed my reputation, pride, and desire to be respected by Christians on that campus...We have no reputation when we go out to evangelize, we are fools for God's kingdom!"

Lord please forgive my pride, once again I forgot that I was supposed to carry my cross and follow You at all costs (even if it meant having Mary think I'm weird or being rejected by strangers)

God! Love means giving without holding back! Jesus Your love was so strong that no amount of suffering could stop You! Lord please help me to love like You do!

I have got to realize that it is normal and expected to be persecuted and hated by all men if I were to share the gospel. I'm not even hated and already I'm scared. Jesus You loved, You healed, You taught, You saved, You gave Your all! God help me to follow You to the end, help me to be bold in loving Your people and telling them about Your Son, Jesus Christ.

"I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak..." (Ezekiel 34: 16)

It's ALL ABOUT HIS LOVE!!

After writing class I went back to my dorm and started to pray for my school.

The small room was stuffy and my stomach was growling, but once I opened my mouth to praise Him, everything else melted away and it was just me and God.

As I paced back and forth, I saw the scripture I posted on my wall:

Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
When He saw the crowds, He had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
(Matthew9:35~36)

And my heart started pounding; I mean, the Almighty came down Himself to heal His people and tell them of the good news. Jesus was filled with love and compassion when He looked at His people; His heart was moved when He saw how harassed and helpless His beloved children were!

Lord please let me see what You see and feel what You feel! Fill me with Your compassion, that I'll have the boldness to pray for strangers, to release Your power of healing, of signs and wonders in my school!...God, it's ALL ABOUT YOUR LOVE!...Jesus, it's ALL ABOUT YOUR LOVE for Your children!...Lord let Your love flow in this place, let Your love sweep across the whole campus that the roots of darkness, the roots of spiritual strongholds will be dug out and burnt!

We need Your love so much God! We need Your salvation, Jesus! Lord let me be a channel of love, that I'll love Your people!

It is time to start a Love Movement, in our schools, workplaces, and families! Because it is not about us, but ALL ABOUT HIS LOVE!

Is God Cruel?

When I read Joshuah 6~10, I was shocked by all the bloody and violent wars, the way Joshuah slaughtered the people young and old, stoned a sinner along with his wife and children to death, hung the dead bodies of the kings he killed, etc. It was scary, cruel, and disturbing.

"How could You be so cruel Lord? You don't even spare the widowed, the elderly, or the young. Why should that sinner's innocent children and wife suffer such a torturous death? If that's what people who disobey You deserve, then no one on this earth can escape Your wrath. Would You have slaughtered me as well for my sins?"

At first I thought it was so wrong and savage and @#@$% for God to just kill and kill in the Old Testament, but then I remembered that God is the One who gave life, and He has every right to take it away.

Then I realized just how patient and merciful God has been with the world today. I mean, in the Old Testament, people get killed for the "smallest" sins. Yet right now the earth is covered with sins: child prostitution, abortion, idol worship, and things that should have caused God to wipe out the entire human race. The Old Testament showed me just how horrid and unacceptable sin is to God.

Lord You are just and right in all You do, I praise You for Jesus Christ, for Your mercy, Your grace, and Your salvation. Lord bless America, have mercy on this nation, and turn her around from sin. Jesus may You use Your people to shine the light of Christ's love onto America, and to bring more souls to salvation.

Like Pastor Kong Hee said, "How do we push back the darkness? By taking cities for God; whenever one soul gets saved, that city gets a little brighter". Lord I pray that Your love will chase away the darkness one soul at a time, one city at a time, one region at a time.

"I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." (John12:46)

A Lesson For A Control Freak

Ha ha! I am BACK! I haven't blogged for almost TWO months, bad Alice.

But God is good (changing the subject), and here's what's been going on:

The Lord has been shaping me, renewing me, and teaching me. He taught me that I had been self-centered in the past, always praying for what I want and not what He wants.

I want to be mature, I want to love more, I want to have the strength to go on, I want to be more diligent, I want to be closer to You, I want to feel Your love, I want to ace that midterm, I want my Dad to be saved...

Me, me, me, me, me, it was all about my desires. I was unwilling to listen to God, unwilling to let Him be the Lord in my life. I mean praying about those things are good, but my prayers lacked a very important thing: listening to Jesus. I wanted to control my own life instead of letting God take control.

The Lord reminded me to once again pray for His guidance, for His will, for His plans for me and to listen to Him.

I have sort of treated Jesus like a genie, whom I can pray to for my wishes to come true. It's time to stop all that nonsense and to let Jesus be the Lord in my life again.

Father what do You want to do in my life this year? What do you want to do in my school? What do you want me to do in Impact, in seven eleven?

Thank You Jesus, for being such a good leader of air-head followers like me! God You are good! You are always GOOD!

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me. You right hand will hold me fast." (Psalms139: 9~10)