Abraham Lee, Jessica Matchett and Joanne Yoo waking up the whole dorm last Thursday at 11:30pm with firecrackers and "Happy Birthday". You guys really are TOO sweet and I praise God for your caring hearts and acts of love!

From last Thursday...every year I'm surprised that ANYONE remembers my birthday! It was a wonderful day with many gifts, cards, emails and love shown from many people (near and far!) and I'm thankful to God for another year of life!

My T.A. (Teaching Assistant) for this semester, Seong-Hee. She was one of my A+ Grammar Practice students last semester. This is her last semester at Handong and she only has one course! She truly loves Christ and went to Russia on a mission trip this summer. So far, she's been a real help!

The D.L.E. warmly welcomes Louise to our department!!! May God bless you as you serve Him here, Louise!

The GREAT "I AM"!!!

Our pastor, is taking us through a series of "I AM" sermons at SIBC (Seoul International Baptist Church). Christians should automatically recognize the "I AM statements" as referring to the times Jesus made it very clear that He was not just a "good man" or "holy prophet" but was indeed making it quite clear that He was claiming to be God Almighty.
-I AM the bread of life (that came down from heaven) (John 6:25-59)
-I AM the light of the world (John 8:12)
-before Abraham was, I AM! (John 8:48-59)
-I AM the gate to heaven (John 10:7-10)
-I AM the good shepherd (John 10:11-18)
-I AM the resurrection and the life (John 11:25-26)
-I AM the vine... (John 15:5)
-I AM the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Last Sunday (August 28th) the sermon was on John 8:31-59 - "before Abraham was, I AM!"
It is important when reading the "I AM" statements by Jesus to recognize that Jesus was directly referring to the name of God Almighty from Exodus Chapter 3 when Moses spoke to God in the burning bush.
"Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you," and they ask me, "What is his name?" Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: "I AM has sent me to you." God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, "The LORD, the God of your fathers - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob - has sent me to you." This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." (Exodus 3:13-15)
(On a personal note, I find it very sad that Catholics and other "Orthodox churches" aren't able to make the spiritual connection with this idea and that therefore Jesus could just as easily said, "before Mary was, I AM!" instead of focusing on "The Mother of God"...)

This Sunday, Tim preached on John 8:12 - "I AM the light of the world..."
"When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
The main points of the sermon were that:
1) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see God; and
2) When you follow Jesus, you clearly see yourself
Jesus' main point was that He was one with the Father.
Do we really need Jesus to know the Father?
Romans 1 says that creation gives evidence of God BUT...it is incomplete.
We needed someone to tell us about God and His true nature/character.
The prophets spoke of a just God and a coming judgment on deserving sinners. If that is your full revelation of God you will be likely to be the type of person who blows up abortion clinics and rides airplanes into buildings!
Jesus came to declare/show the true nature of God.
We cannot rely on our own intelligence to find God.
To see God, we must have light - Jesus is the light!
"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, and through whom He made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Do not make the eternal mistake of thinking that Jesus was just a man!
"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation." (Colossians 1:15)
"Being in the form of God..." (Philippians 2:6)
Jesus is God and became like us. In Jesus alone do we see that God is love. We desperately need this FULL revelation of the Living God!
"Phillip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us." Jesus answered, "Don't you know me, Phillip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father?" Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing His work." (John 14:8-10)
Jesus did not leave us with the option of seeing Him as "a nice guy who did some nice things". You either believe His words or you call him a liar....
You have 2 choices: You can follow (step into the light) or CHOOSE to stay in darkness...
"Most people are open to God through suffering. Because hell is a real place of eternal suffering, it is a loving God that allows suffering in our lives now in order to bring us to Him."

Welcome to Korea, Kerey!!! Kerey Smith, a colleague of So-Yeon at a small language institute in Seoul, has been in South Korea one week now! (Fresh off the plane!) Good to have you in church on Sunday, brother!

One of my favorite SIBC families: Shane (who works for GM), Laura, Ian and Eric. Thanks for having me over for lunch after church on Sunday, guys!!! A real great time of fellowship!

Romans: Good News For Today's World
(Bible Study Handout prepared by Glenn Creech)

Introduction:
-Discuss which over-the-counter pain reliever(s) you use for headaches and fever. Why?
-No pain reliever will work for everybody all of the time. Some pain relievers may work for some people sometimes.
-Paul's message in his letter to Roman Christians....
The gospel of Christ is for all people all of the time.
-For people rooted in the religious system of Old Testament Israel.
-For people with no religious roots at all.

Content of Romans
-Explanation of God's way to be saved
-We can be right with God through Jesus Christ
Our sin is contrasted to the gift of salvation through Christ

Purpose of Romans
-Paul wrote as a prelude to a visit in which he hoped to link up with Roman Christians for the purpose of sharing the gospel with everyone in that part of the world
-Paul wanted to share his belief that Jews and Gentiles alike needed the same Gospel.

Themes
-Everyone needs to be saved
-Benefits of salavation...blessings...peace with God...helping others know God's Grace
-Resources...we don't serve sin anymore...Holy Spirit leads us to be free to serve God
-The grandest presentation of Christian doctrine in Scripture.
-"Imputed" righteousness...put to your account
-Sanctification...God imparts His righteousness to us...develops holy character
-Just...justified...declared to be righteous by God
Paul had delivered an offering to the church in Jerusalem that was given by the church in Corinth. While in Corinth, he wrote the letter to the Roman church, about AD 56.
-Why Romans is so special...liberated minds...understanding of the essential Gospel of Christ...started spiritual revolutions.
Augustine - theologian...liberated after reading Romans
Martin Luther - scholar, reborn in peace, changed the face of Europe
John Wesley - no sense of assurance of his acceptability, Holy Spirit revivals
John Calvin - "When anyone gains a knowledge of this Epistle he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture."

Lesson 1: The Apostle's Attitude (Romans 1:1-17)
The wonderful good news of God...It's news I'm most proud to proclaim, this extraordinary Message of God's powerful plan to rescue everyone who trust Him, starting with Jews and then right on to everyone else! (Romans 1:16)

Stan: I'm so impressed with a church friend named Tom. I know that he gives lots of money to missions through our church. And, while riding in his car I saw a stack of gospel tracts on the console. I know that he gives them to people to meets in his job as a pharmaceutical sales rep. Once I asked him how he became so intentional about sharing. He simply stated that hearing the Gospel really changed his life and that he was convinced that it would make a difference in other people's lives as well.
From a personal experience, Tom was confident in the power of the Gospel.

Paul: God's power accompanies the good news of Christ.
What ways have you seen God's power when people are confronted with the message of Christ? __________________________

Paul's Realistic Appraisal of Himself (Romans 1:1-6)
Scripture notes:
-"a servant of Jesus Christ" - slave, obliged to serve Christ, gave up exclusive rights to his own life, bought with a price
-Self-centeredness causes us to compromise the potential for what we can accomplish for God.
-"called to be an apostle" - an apostle's responsibility? Founding churches were Christ was unknown.
-"Called" - selected, commissioned, given a task by God
Paul was a servant apostle - lived with the challenge of the tension between humility and authority.
"separated to the gospel of God" - set apart at birth to be a "gospel man of God"
No accident - heritage, education, personality, gifts, his years of brutal mistakes, Roman citizenship, Greek culture, Jewish training...all factors to perfectly equip Paul
Paul - a one-goal man...to take the ministry of grace to all nations

Paul's Deep-Rooted Appreciation of the Message (Romans 1:1-6)
Scripture Notes:
-Paul had an undying confidence in the validity and relevance of the message
-What is the motive of a sales person who convincingly promotes a product and the later goes to work for a competitor? _______________
Paul was unshakably loyal to the Gospel of God.
Paul was severely criticized by the Jews about the gospel message. He went to great pains to show that the message was "promised before by God's prophets in the Holy Scriptures."
Paul delighted in showing from the scriptures that God's dealings and promises all were "concerning His son, Jesus". And, that Jesus "was born of the seed of David". Jesus was not a mere man, not even a royal man. He was "declared to be the son of God."
He was "established with power according to the Spirit of Holiness by the resurrection from the dead".
Why is it important to be confident in the Gospel? __________

Paul's Warm-Hearted Interest in People (Romans 1:7-12)
Scripture Notes:
-Driven people tend to be unsociable, isolated, and aloof.
-Paul displayed great love for people, a must for a minister of Christ.
"Called to be saints" - Paul recognized that they too felt a sense of calling. They were the "beloved of God". He sensed that he should develop a deep relationship with those with whom he had so much in common.
"Your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world" - Paul loved to hear about the churches that were actively engaged in the propagation of the Gospel. The church at Rome was the topic of Roman conversations.
"In the will of God"
"That I may impart to you some spiritual gift" - a concrete manifestation of grace...the gift of the Spirit..."for the strengthening of the people".
Goal of ministry - to spiritually establish people...immeasurable improvement and spiritual activity.
"That is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." Paul's possible visit would result in blessing him as well.
Some ministers are careful to preserve an aura of detached sufficiency that leads people to believe that the blessings flow only one way. They are sadly mistaken.
There is always a mutuality of blessing among the people of God.