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I have been rereading The Autobiography of George Müller (which I would highly recommend), and here is a quote from the book that made me reflect today:

Often the work of the Lord itself may tempt us away from communion with Him. A full schedule of preaching, counseling, and traveling can erode the strength of the mightiest servant of the Lord. Public prayer will never make up for closet communion.

As it happened, I was reading this while commuting to my church for the noon prayer set at the Prayer Room, where we gather for corporate prayer. It made me pause and ask myself: Have I prioritized quiet moments with God behind closed doors as much as the opportunities to worship and serve Him publicly?

May God continue to teach me, like Mary, to choose the better portion: to sit at His feet (Luke 10:42).

Gossiping under the guise of a prayer request. I’ve been pondering that today. When I share something as a prayer request, especially on behalf of other people, am I genuinely seeking godly counsel and prayer, or do I simply want the opportunity to talk about someone else’s situation? Have I ever used a prayer request as an excuse to share unnecessary details that are neither edifying nor mine to disclose? Have I ever used a prayer request as a channel to express my frustrations or subtly influence how others perceive the person I’m praying for?

Ephesians 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

May I seek to build others up through every word that comes out of my mouth. May God continue to examine my heart and purify my motives. May I never turn something as sacred as a prayer request into an opportunity to sin with my words.

Today’s sermon at Church of the City was about the different seasons of life, using the changing seasons of the year as an analogy for the seasons we go through. I would like to focus on winter because I feel that it is the season I am currently in, although perhaps nearing its end, as I can already see spring approaching.

In winter, we rest and are pruned, much like a tree “rests” by entering a deep, sleep-like state during the colder months. Winter is also a good time to prune trees because it is easier to see their branching structure without the leaves getting in the way. Additionally, pruning is less stressful for a tree when it is dormant, and there are fewer pests associated with pruning cuts during this time. In this sense, winter pruning is for the good of the tree.

So, what does the Bible say about resting and being pruned?

Rest

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Pruning

John 15:2

Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

My notes for myself are these: First, I can only find rest in God alone. Second, when God prunes me, removes something from my life, or convicts me to let go of something, I can trust that He does so because He cares for me and is at work in my life. He wants me to bear even more fruit than I am producing right now, and hence the pruning.

Therefore, it is important to receive His pruning instead of trying to resist or escape it. It is part of His work in preparing me for what comes next, just as winter prepares a tree for the growth of spring.

Notes from a sermon by David Nasser at Lakepointe Church, compiled from mostly direct quotes taken from different parts of the sermon.

Cultural Christianity has taken the most radical message ever preached and reduced it. We’ve simmered it down to a self-improvement program in an effort to be user-friendly. It has turned the message of the cross into upgrading life. We’ve turned Christianity into an upgrade; we’ve reduced it to self-improvement. We’ve turned it into a user-friendly message instead of a message of crucifixion. We’ve turned it into cleaning up instead of giving up our best life now, instead of the crucified life.

And when Jesus showed up 2,000 years ago, when Jesus came on the scene, He had one call. It was a call to die. And it offended religious people more than anybody else because it threatened to put them out of business. You want to really hack off people with a call-to-die message? Preach it to the church. The lost world isn’t afraid of it. They know there’s something broken. It offends the religious more than anybody else because it threatens to put them out of business.

But Jesus made it clear over and over again: Don’t add me to your agenda. Make me your life. Deny yourself, pick up the cross daily, and follow me.

The best thing I can do for myself is to get over myself. Get over my pride, my self-sufficiency, my need for control, my stubborn need to do it my way, my own selfish ambitions, my own selfish obsessions, my own need for protection, my own preferences, my tribe, my opinion, and my self-centered world.

And so we soften it, we sanitize it, we repackage it, we domesticate it, we compromise it. And frankly, we do what we can to reduce the Gospel to an accessory. It doesn’t become the mainframe; it just becomes one more add-on to everything else about who we are.

1. Get Over Yourself

The crucified life begins with this reality: It’s done. It’s finished.

Jesus gave His all, so why would He want only some of you? The audacity of a God who would want all of you is only going to make sense when you understand that. Jesus never asked any of us to do anything that He Himself didn’t model and exemplify.

Have you come to the end of yourself? Or is Jesus just an accessory? Have you brought your life to Him and said, “I am done”? The greatest thing one can do for oneself is to get over oneself.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

2. The Daily Death

Will you let Jesus wash your feet?

God has already washed us. That’s called salvation. Hence, we don’t need another shower, but we do need to wash our feet because our feet are going to get dirty living in this world.

The process of sanctification involves daily death.

John 13:10

Jesus said to him, ‘The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.’

Today, I participated in an evangelism outreach organized by New York Will Be Saved at Washington Square Park. My partner for the day was Simone, who also moved to New York from Georgia earlier this year.

It’s been a little over two months since I moved to NYC, and I’m realizing more and more that it’s no coincidence I’m here. God is moving, revival is stirring, and the Christians I’ve met here are on fire! God is sending laborers to New York City!

Simone and I got to pray for a couple of people. One highlight was praying for a college student who had just moved to NYC from Dallas to study menswear design at the Fashion Institute of Technology. His prayer request was simple: safety for the community, given everything happening in the city this weekend. We prayed not only for that, but also for his studies and for him to find good friends and communities that would encourage him along the way. He gave us both a warm hug at the end.

I’m grateful for everyone we got to pray with, everyone who heard more about Jesus, the believers we had the opportunity to encourage and who encouraged us in return, and even those who rejected us.

Now that I think about it, God has really grown me in evangelism since I moved to NYC. I would say that approaching strangers in public is not something that comes naturally to me, but I do feel an increasing sense of urgency and a growing conviction of the need to share the Gospel with those who are lost. Jesus reminds us that the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few (Matthew 9:37).

Interestingly, I’ve also noticed a change of heart within me. In the past, especially when I was still a newer believer, I remember feeling secondhand embarrassment when I heard the Gospel being preached publicly. I don’t exactly understand why. Perhaps it was because I felt that faith should be a personal matter, something you keep to yourself. But more recently, I’ve realized that I no longer feel as ashamed of the Gospel as I once did. I’ve come to understand more deeply that the Gospel really is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). It is the best news, and it is worth proclaiming.

I just finished rereading the book of Genesis, the first book you come across when you open the Bible. It contains the story of Joseph. If you’re not familiar with his story, here’s an oversimplified version.

Joseph was the son of Jacob (who was the son of Isaac and the grandson of Abraham) and was highly favored by his father among his siblings. The favoritism, along with Joseph bluntly telling his brothers about his dreams in which they would bow down to him, fueled their resentment. Eventually, his brothers plotted to kill him but changed their minds and sold him as a slave to a group of merchants heading to Egypt. They then lied to Jacob, telling him that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal.

And somehow, Joseph ended up becoming the second most powerful man in Egypt (but not before being thrown into prison after his master’s wife falsely accused him). God revealed to Pharaoh, through dreams interpreted by Joseph, that there would be seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine. Under Joseph’s oversight, Egypt stored 20% of its harvest during the seven years of abundance to prepare for the famine.

When the famine finally arrived and struck Canaan as well, Joseph’s brothers travelled to Egypt to buy food. Joseph recognized them, but they didn’t recognize him. He used this opportunity to test whether they had truly regretted their past actions and changed their ways before eventually revealing his identity. Rather than seeking revenge (he could have easily enslaved them or had them killed), Joseph forgave them, embraced them, and invited them to move to Egypt with their father, Jacob, and the rest of their family. He promised to provide for them during the remaining years of famine.

This whole story serves as another reminder of the radical forgiveness that I am learning to grow in. And guess what? Joseph had not one, but two opportunities to take revenge on his brothers. The first was when they came to Egypt to buy food. The second came years later, after their father, Jacob, had died. Fearing that Joseph might finally take revenge now that their father was no longer around, they offered themselves as his servants.

But once again, Joseph reassured them not to be afraid and promised to continue providing for them and their families.

There is so much to learn from this story. May God grant me a forgiving heart like Joseph’s and, most importantly, a heart that trusts that He can redeem even the sins committed against us and bring good out of evil.

Genesis 50:15–21

When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Today, I went to the morning prayer set at Church of the City for the first time (guess I’m slowly entering my morning person era, haha). I arrived around 6:45 AM, so I was able to join the latter part of the 6 AM prayer set before staying for the next one at 7 AM. Today, we meditated on Isaiah 55, and as we contended for New York City in prayer, I wrote down this prayer in my notebook.

Isaiah 55:11

So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Lord Jesus,

Your Word commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. Yes, O Lord, we agree that Your Word shall not return to You empty. You have revealed to us that there will be a day when a great multitude that no one could number, from all tribes and peoples and languages, will stand before the throne and before the Lamb. I look forward to that day, O God!

Thank You, Father, that You choose to use unworthy servants like us to advance Your Kingdom. I pray that You will help us to obey You faithfully. Would You equip us with boldness and courage, O God? Not by might, nor by power, but by Your Spirit.

Show us, O God, where You are already at work and how we can partner with You here in New York City. Please increase my sensitivity to Your Spirit, O God. And would You purify my motives, O God? Please kill what is left of me. Decrease me, O God. I want You to receive all the glory, honor, and power, for You and You alone are worthy!

God never allows my faith to fail.

Just last night, I was feeling rather sorrowful and asked God to send His people to encourage my faith. Then, just today, I went to the prayer room at Church of the City and happened to meet the mother of one of my small group leaders. We ended up grabbing coffee together at a café in Columbus Circle.

She might not realize how much weight her words carried for me, but what she shared spoke directly to what has been on my heart and what I have been lifting up in prayer to God. I believe God spoke to me through her.

I may not be ready to share in detail what I have been wrestling with lately, but I don’t want to wait to testify to God’s faithfulness in answering my prayer for encouragement.

This experience also reminded me that my faith is not even my own. I cannot take credit for it, because I have come to learn that even faith itself is a gift from God. He is the one who sustains my faith and causes it to grow.

May He continue to increase my faith.

“It’s hard to give up something without the guarantee of something better.”

I was walking with my Bible study friends when one of them shared a line from a sermon she had heard. I thought it was so good that I had to ask her to repeat it so I could write it down.

Earlier this year, I decided to close my chapter in Baltimore and move to NYC without a job lined up or any certainty about what would come next. Certainly, there was no guarantee that the next chapter would be better. It was a bungee jump of faith and, frankly, the decision that required more courage than any other I have ever made.

Now, you might wonder: if it was a bungee jump of faith, what exactly was I trusting in?

I trust in this promise, as written in Romans 10:11:

Everyone who believes in Him will not be put to shame.

I am taking this promise at face value. I don’t know what lies ahead, but I trust that I serve a mighty God who will direct my steps.

And believing in this promise doesn’t mean I expect the next chapter to be better by the world’s standards. From a worldly perspective, “better” might mean greater prosperity, more favor, and so on. I’m not saying God won’t bless me in those ways. I’ve seen time and again how He delights in blessing His children. However, that’s not what I’m holding on to.

Honestly, I’m not concerned about being put to shame in this world, because I trust that I will not ultimately experience shame when the day of the Lord comes. To me, this promise is about trusting that whatever comes next, whether easy or difficult, will be used by God to conform me more and more to the image of Christ. I trust that, by faith, I am walking in what He has called me to do.

At the end of the day, I want to please God, not men. I’m okay with enduring shame from people, but I don’t want to stand ashamed before God when He returns.

Today’s sermon at my church reminded me that the Holy Spirit is not a “power” for us to use, but a Person who wants to work through us.

I liked a story the preacher shared about someone who once asked him if he had a gift of healing. He said, “Nope, but I know someone who does: Jesus.” And for reasons I don’t fully understand, God chooses to work through people like us, with all our weaknesses and flaws, as His earthen vessels.

The preacher also reminded us that the gifts belong to God and that we are simply stewards. Once again, I am reminded of just how much I need to learn to yield to God. If I am a steward and a vessel, then being filled with the Spirit means yielding more of myself to Him.

Lord, please help me to obey You. Teach me to surrender more of myself to You, not just 10%, 20%, or 30%, but all of myself, 100%! I offer my life to You as a living sacrifice. Hineni. Here I am. Send me!

May I learn to begin each day by saying yes in advance to whatever You want me to do, whoever You want me to talk to, and wherever You want me to go.