The Impact Of Being Chosen

I've been dwelling a lot on the attitudes and actions of the disciples as I've studied Mark and am now exploring the book of Luke. What I love about Jesus is that he is a dreamer, he is constantly releasing potential in others that they would have never seen in themselves. The disciples go on this incredible journey that will change their lives forever, they witness miracles and learn what it is to be a true follower of Christ. This wasn't always easy for them though! Along the journey Jesus begins to expose the pride and self-righteous attitudes in the disciples and make them realize they are very much like the Pharisees who they dispise. Their heart is in the right place but they are blinded to their own sin. They think that following Jesus automatically makes them better than everyone else. Jesus is putting them through a training ground into their own souls because he wants them to confront the sin and become conscious of it. What really strikes me was, as he was "grooming" and exposing the disciples he, all of the sudden tells them to go on a journey by themselves. Without him!? Jesus made it clear that these men were filthy, filled with pride and self-righteousness and not worthy of sharing the gospel. They would misinterpret the message, wouldn't they? But Jesus sends them out regardless, showing them that he doesn't expect perfection but is more concerned with the quality of their hearts. This truth rocked me to the core... God has been putting me through some major changes in my life and is exposing the pride, selfish, and judgemental attitudes that is in my own heart, but like the disciples, he still uses me to show his love to the world. My actions often speak contrary to what I'm really about but my heart maintains the same position; I want to be changed by Jesus like the disciples, they couldn't go back to their old lives fishing for trout, they knew that their journey with Jesus would make an impact in the world. After the death of Jesus, the disciples continued on in the ministry, flipped the world upside down and later died as martyrs for Christ. All because of that one day when Jesus showed them a dream.

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it" Mark 8:34

Please continue to pray for energy, diligence, and fresh insight

I thank God for Lakeside and pray that Gods dream would reach its full potential through the church, the hope of the world...

In the service of Jesus Christ
-Jer

Titus and Ephesians

The past week we've covered the books of Titus and Ephesians. Its very interesting to understand the historical background of the churches at that time. The Ephesians were dominated by the worshipping of multiple different idol gods who they had to constantly do things in order to appease them. Their gods were not for them, they were against them which made the gospel of Jesus seem very foreign and unfamiliar to them when it was preached. The repeated theme in the book of Ephesians was grace but what stood out to me the most was Paul's prayers to the church where is asks God to "flood their hearts with light so that you can know and understand the hope to which he has called you". (Ephesians 1:17-23) I can really sense the passion in Paul when he speaks to these churches. Sometimes I feel so excited about what God has done and is doing in my life that I cant express it, Paul's expression of love for God is reflected by his lifestyle. This is what he was trying to communicate to the church in Ephesus. If you've allowed the grace of God to impact your life the fruit will come through your lifestyle.

...Yes i shaved my head. It was spontaneous but really nice on those sweaty hot days of humidity.

So i passed by this shop after school one day and bought this white shirt with a Chinese symbol on it hoping that it didn't mean anything bad. Later I ask my Chinese friend who speaks English what the symbol means and it turns out it means "evil"...excellent! wont be wearing that shirt anymore...

Tomorrow we start the book of Mark so please pray for new revelation.

In the service of Jesus Christ

-Jer

Galatians!

Overall this past week has been mostly devoted to the book of Galatians, learning the historical context of the scripture, observing the text verse by verse, interpreting what it meant to the original readers, and how I can personally apply the principles to my present day life. The main idea of the book is how the Galatians were so caught up in legalism that it took their eyes of God and distanced themselves from him. They were defining their relationship with God as something they had to achieve in order to be declared righteous in his sight when they had already been declared righteous when they first embraced the gospel. I have learnt so much from this book alone and have already noticed the fruit of it being realized in my own life. Sometimes i think i need to 'do' more in order to be accepted by God. I have to read my bible for a certain amount of time and pray for a certain amount of time every day or else God wont bless me. This is legalism and it will only distance me from God. I think about this school and how i could so easily get wrapped up in knowing the bible that i never let it into my heart. One of the things our school leader said to us on the first day was if we were here only to get head knowledge of the bible we we're here for the wrong reason. The bible is a great if it used for the right purpose. The next 9 months is an opportunity to expand my capacity for loving God and loving other people. If I don't do this, my time here will be a waste. 97% of people in Taiwan don't know Jesus so i want to be intentional about being a light here. "To whom much is given, much is received".

The workload has been overwhelming at times, I've never had to think this hard in my life but am looking forward to the challenge. Also, I've had the opportunity to lead worship for our school so I'm excited to get involved with that. It was awesome, there was a Fijian guy who played the piano, a guy from New York who played his acoustic and a guy from Taiwan who sung with us all representing 4 different countries worshiping God in harmony, it was a beautiful thing.

Tomorrow we're starting the book of Titus, so we'll see what that brings.

Thank you for prayers.

In the service of Jesus Christ

-Jer

My roomies

An older lady from the community donated this couch to us. Its so nice we thought we would make a video of us with it...and a couple hundred pictures...These are the kinds of things we've been doing with our free time before school starts on Monday. Enjoy.

Bring on the New!

I have arrived, settled and have met some of the amazing students who i will be journeying with for this season of my life. So far I've been spending most of my time with my roommates exploring the city and taking in the dynamics of the culture. There is so much to see and do in Taipei, I walk around and my eyes are seeing things they have never seen before, the unique architecture, the frantic traffic (I've never been so afraid of scooters..), shops that sell each organ of an animal separately (i found a good pizza place...heh), but most of all the beauty in the Taiwanese people. From what I've observed, I've found them to be very hard-working, dedicating themselves to the perfection of whatever they pursue. Everyone has a job to do and they do it well, from the lady who sweeps the streets and picks up garbage to the street vendors selling their product. Often times we just sit and watch them, how they interact and carry themselves is very interesting.... Overall, my first impression has been a positive one and strangely enough, it already feels like home here.
There's something liberating about walking into a new season of life knowing that you are in the very place that God has appointed and called you to be. I have realized that change, like pruning a tree, is a necessary step to stimulate growth and enter into new facets of your potential. My heart is pounding with excitement and expectation for what God is going to accomplish through this school but I also realize the equal effort on my part to commit to discipline if i want to get every ounce of meat out of this opportunity so please pray that I will be diligent in this pursuit.
I'm incredibly blessed to have all of you back in Canada supporting me. Whoever is reading this right now, thank you so much for your investment in my life and contribution to the 'bigger picture'.

In the service of Jesus Christ

Jer-

Leaving on a jet plane!

Lakeside Community Church Blessing

Heavenly Father,

Your Son spoke the words, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it", and we as a family want to pray a blessing over Jeremy this morning as he goes to Taiwan to study your word in depth for the next 9 months. We pray that your word would be a lamp to his feet and a light for his path. We pray that Jeremy would be a blessed man as he does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers, but that his delight would be in your law oh Lord, and that on your word he would meditate day and night. We pray that Jeremy would be like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither, that whatever he does would prosper.
Father in your word the question is asked "How can a young man keep his way pure?" and in your great love you gave the answer: by living according to your word. Jesus give Jeremy the strength to live according to your word, give him the desire to seek you with all his heart and do not let him stray from your commands. Help him Father to hide your word in his heart that he might not sin against you.
And Father as we send him we know that he’ll have opportunities to share your hope and your love with people on the other side of the world. We commit to remembering him in our prayers, and we want to pray for him what Paul asked for prayer about, we pray that whenever Jeremy opens his mouth, words will be given to him so that he fearlessly makes known the mystery of the gospel, we pray that he will declare it fearlessly as he should. We pray that he would be prepared to give answers for the hope that he has, we pray that his life would be a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to you.
We ask God that you will give him the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that he may know you better. We pray that the eyes of his heart may be enlightened in order that he may know the hope to which you have called him, the riches of your glorious inheritance in the saints, and that he would know your incomparably great power for us who believe. The same power which you exerted in Christ when you raised him from the dead.
And Father, we pray that out of your glorious riches you may strengthen Jeremy with power through your Spirit in his inner being, that Christ may dwell in his heart through faith. And we pray that he, being rooted and established in love, may have the power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that he may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!

Amen.