By: Victoria Han, former Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: Matthew 6:25-34
Technically I’m a biological failure. Oh, I’ve had a bit of success in school. I’ve managed to worm my way into college. I don’t drink or do drugs. I don’t face severe depression nor am I on any medication for any reason. I’ve never gotten a ticket for driving which is more than most licensed people can say. I suppose one of the worst things I’ve done in my life is the occasional failure to pay my library fines. However, in the unfeeling eyes of biology, I am a failure because I have not reproduced and have thus failed to secure any future bloodlines. Suffice to say that as of now, I will soon cease to exist entirely.
The drive to reproduce is so ingrained into us that society’s expectation for many of us is to marry and have children. The “happily ever after” is the white strapless dress, the tiered cake, and the beautiful moment of “I do.” Of course the next logical step is the baby (or babies as the case may be). Some couples may wait for a few years while some may get to it right away. However in our society, a childless couple is either pitied or held as an anomaly. After all, isn’t the “American Dream” the quaint house and the white picket fence holding children playing on the lawn?
As I’ve slowly grown up and gone through youth group, I’ve seen the pressure put onto Ben in his BA (“before Annie”) days by the numerous adults in the church. From the hinting jokes to the outright questions of “Ben, when are you getting married?” there was always an underlying pressure for Ben to find a wife. While Ben has found one of the most incredible woman in the world and has successfully made her his wife, his journey of faith to get there was a long one.
Faith is defined as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Heb 11:1). I feel faith is one of the hardest things to have, especially in such a self-reliant society. Raised by parents who wanted me to major in something that would earn me money, I often wondered why I couldn’t simply major in something that didn’t guarantee a comfortable salary and instead rely on God to provide for me. After all, didn’t God promise that he would look after us in the passage we’ve read for today?
Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness. While I was arguing semantics with my parents for the sake of being a rebellious child, I often lost my focus on what mattered. People often say that “God has a plan for us” and for awhile, I thought it meant that God has planned my life for me and that I would eventually meander my way into where He wanted me to be when He wanted me to be there. However, I don’t think this is the case. God has provided us with free will and choice. I think as long as we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, all else by default will fall into place, no matter which path we choose. “Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld.” (2 Chr. 20:20)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Loving the Downtrodden
By: Stephanie Cheng, former Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: Luke 19: 1-9
As I begin to write this devotional, I’m finding it very hard to choose what to write about. Ben was the one who was leading prayer when I realized that Jesus had died on the cross for me and made the decision to give my life for Him. Ben was the one who encouraged my involvement in the youth group and outreach to my friends and families. Ben was also the one who baptized me last year. But, the one thing about Ben that sticks out to me the most is his compassion. During his time at WCAC, he would invest his time and prayers for each and everyone one of us. Ben realized the potential in all of us and would become involved in our lives not simply because he is called to but because he cares.
I remember last year on a ridiculously cold day, a few of us went to Chicago to hand out sandwiches to homeless people. After giving someone a sandwich, we would ask them if there was anything they would like us to pray for. We would then pray for them. But Ben took it one step further. With each person, he would talk to them, getting to know them. Ben’s compassion carries over from the people he has formed relationships with to these strangers that he probably will never see again.
This reminds me of the parable in Luke 19: 1-9. Similarly, to how Jesus sought out Zacchaeus who everyone else viewed as an outcast, Ben sought to form relationships with these downtrodden people. Ben too, saw beyond the superficial and societal labels, and saw these people through God’s eyes. We should follow this example that Ben has set for us. I encourage you to try this out next time you see someone. Don’t start judging them by worldly standards and their appearances. But, instead see them for the person that God sees them as and loves.
Read: Luke 19: 1-9
As I begin to write this devotional, I’m finding it very hard to choose what to write about. Ben was the one who was leading prayer when I realized that Jesus had died on the cross for me and made the decision to give my life for Him. Ben was the one who encouraged my involvement in the youth group and outreach to my friends and families. Ben was also the one who baptized me last year. But, the one thing about Ben that sticks out to me the most is his compassion. During his time at WCAC, he would invest his time and prayers for each and everyone one of us. Ben realized the potential in all of us and would become involved in our lives not simply because he is called to but because he cares.
I remember last year on a ridiculously cold day, a few of us went to Chicago to hand out sandwiches to homeless people. After giving someone a sandwich, we would ask them if there was anything they would like us to pray for. We would then pray for them. But Ben took it one step further. With each person, he would talk to them, getting to know them. Ben’s compassion carries over from the people he has formed relationships with to these strangers that he probably will never see again.
This reminds me of the parable in Luke 19: 1-9. Similarly, to how Jesus sought out Zacchaeus who everyone else viewed as an outcast, Ben sought to form relationships with these downtrodden people. Ben too, saw beyond the superficial and societal labels, and saw these people through God’s eyes. We should follow this example that Ben has set for us. I encourage you to try this out next time you see someone. Don’t start judging them by worldly standards and their appearances. But, instead see them for the person that God sees them as and loves.
The Art of Rebuking
By: Priscilla Liu, former Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-2
While I was in youth group, I was (in)famous for three major things: invading people’s personal space, being super touchy all the time and being the one always cracking down on people to make sure they were getting work done. If you need a clearer idea, go to. Some underclassmen made a video about it this past summer for Senior Celebration. Even though people love to make fun of me because of it, at the moment, it was not that pleasant...for me or for the people I was trying to keep “in line.”
When I called people out on wasting time, not being productive and not taking initiative to do their jobs, I knew that I was doing what was necessary to make sure Youth Group events were planned and logistics were figured out. But most of the time, I was not communicating it in a way that was encouraging and loving toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. In these verses, Paul calls Timothy to “correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction,” something I started to learn after Pastor Ben continually encouraged me to continue rebuking (because it is valuable and needed in the church) but in love. He always emphasized the last two words because that is the most important part.
In the years I was in youth group, Pastor Ben has shown me what it looks like to minister, encourage, teach, have fun and discipline in love. His gentleness and patience toward everyone in the youth group through all circumstances has been a phenomenal example for me, and I hope that it will continue to impact the youth group and leadership even after he leaves.
Read: 2 Timothy 4:1-2
While I was in youth group, I was (in)famous for three major things: invading people’s personal space, being super touchy all the time and being the one always cracking down on people to make sure they were getting work done. If you need a clearer idea, go to
When I called people out on wasting time, not being productive and not taking initiative to do their jobs, I knew that I was doing what was necessary to make sure Youth Group events were planned and logistics were figured out. But most of the time, I was not communicating it in a way that was encouraging and loving toward my brothers and sisters in Christ. In these verses, Paul calls Timothy to “correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction,” something I started to learn after Pastor Ben continually encouraged me to continue rebuking (because it is valuable and needed in the church) but in love. He always emphasized the last two words because that is the most important part.
In the years I was in youth group, Pastor Ben has shown me what it looks like to minister, encourage, teach, have fun and discipline in love. His gentleness and patience toward everyone in the youth group through all circumstances has been a phenomenal example for me, and I hope that it will continue to impact the youth group and leadership even after he leaves.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The Virtues of God’s Chosen People
By: Nichole Stratton, former Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: Colossians 3:12
In this passage, Paul is imploring the church in Colossae to treat each other the way children of God should and exhibit the kind of love and care for one another that God shows to us. Paul served as a messenger of God for the people of Colossae, and while we can still read what he wrote today, I think that Pastor Ben has served as an excellent real-life role model for the youth at WCAC. Because even though his actions outside of work (the church) were honorable, I think we could see Ben’s true commitment to being a servant of Christ through how he treated everyone in church on a daily/weekly basis. He certainly showed a great amount of patience in dealing with a group of roughly 50 kids every Saturday night. And when he asked us to leave after youth group was over so he could go home, or every time he asked us to clean something up, or write something for the youth group, he would exhibit enormous patience in receiving our cooperation.
I think oftentimes this patience was taken advantage of, but I think that ultimately, Ben gave us space in completing our tasks to teach us that we should do inconvenient things for others; that we should want to sacrifice our time to be more like the Savior who sacrificed everything for us. Pastor Ben sacrificed so much for us, but– learning from Jesus– did so humbly. In all the time, effort, and money he spent on WCAC’s youth group, he never once mentioned what he was giving up. He admitted his mistakes to his students– like how at one point he was impatient to meet a future wife, and how he felt he wasn’t friendly enough towards strangers– and made it so that we knew he wasn’t perfect, but that he was trying to make himself the best he could be.
He made himself approachable and made it clear that he cared about us– our walks with Christ, our families, and our school lives. Before I was baptized, Ben asked me if we could meet and talk about my life. I was inspired by the compassion he had for family members I told him about, the patience he had to listen to basically my whole life story, and the kindness he had to pray for me.
One of Ben’s best qualities, though, is his ability to forgive– he always maintained a caring relationship with every student, no matter if they had turned something in way past a deadline, were sleeping during Sunday School, or didn’t clean what he had asked them to clean. Just as Paul instructed, Ben forgave whatever grievances he had against us, and I think there’s something to be learned from that. And over all these virtues, I see Ben’s capacity for love as the greatest, and the love he shows for Annie, Emmaus, his parents, and the rest of the congregation is a great example for all of us. Let us not forget what a huge blessing Ben Tzeng has been for us, and let us pray for his successful continuation of God’s work in St. Louis.
Read: Colossians 3:12
In this passage, Paul is imploring the church in Colossae to treat each other the way children of God should and exhibit the kind of love and care for one another that God shows to us. Paul served as a messenger of God for the people of Colossae, and while we can still read what he wrote today, I think that Pastor Ben has served as an excellent real-life role model for the youth at WCAC. Because even though his actions outside of work (the church) were honorable, I think we could see Ben’s true commitment to being a servant of Christ through how he treated everyone in church on a daily/weekly basis. He certainly showed a great amount of patience in dealing with a group of roughly 50 kids every Saturday night. And when he asked us to leave after youth group was over so he could go home, or every time he asked us to clean something up, or write something for the youth group, he would exhibit enormous patience in receiving our cooperation.
I think oftentimes this patience was taken advantage of, but I think that ultimately, Ben gave us space in completing our tasks to teach us that we should do inconvenient things for others; that we should want to sacrifice our time to be more like the Savior who sacrificed everything for us. Pastor Ben sacrificed so much for us, but– learning from Jesus– did so humbly. In all the time, effort, and money he spent on WCAC’s youth group, he never once mentioned what he was giving up. He admitted his mistakes to his students– like how at one point he was impatient to meet a future wife, and how he felt he wasn’t friendly enough towards strangers– and made it so that we knew he wasn’t perfect, but that he was trying to make himself the best he could be.
He made himself approachable and made it clear that he cared about us– our walks with Christ, our families, and our school lives. Before I was baptized, Ben asked me if we could meet and talk about my life. I was inspired by the compassion he had for family members I told him about, the patience he had to listen to basically my whole life story, and the kindness he had to pray for me.
One of Ben’s best qualities, though, is his ability to forgive– he always maintained a caring relationship with every student, no matter if they had turned something in way past a deadline, were sleeping during Sunday School, or didn’t clean what he had asked them to clean. Just as Paul instructed, Ben forgave whatever grievances he had against us, and I think there’s something to be learned from that. And over all these virtues, I see Ben’s capacity for love as the greatest, and the love he shows for Annie, Emmaus, his parents, and the rest of the congregation is a great example for all of us. Let us not forget what a huge blessing Ben Tzeng has been for us, and let us pray for his successful continuation of God’s work in St. Louis.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Trust and Faith in Him Alone
By: Ariel Fang, former Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: Jeremiah 17:7
This is a story on how God used Ben to teach me the importance of trust and faith in your leaders and ultimately in Him alone.
I remember feeling incredibly frustrated while my parents lectured me on how so-and-so youth group event clashed with some other group’s event or how the planning of some youth group thing was atrocious and we should not be allowed to do such thing ever again. Then they would tell me to go tell Ben. And then it sucked more. I felt that I needed to “fix” the youth group program so I wouldn’t have to deal with anymore uncomfortable car rides home on Sunday. And justified my frustration by agreeing with my parent’s perspective.
So when I finally joined Doulos I knew that the perfect opportunity to subtly complain had arrived. But no matter how I phrased my (parents’) discontent with how youth group was run, Ben would always stand firm with how things were going to happen. The conversations usually went something like this:
“Hey Ben, I think we should check to see whether or not we’ll be in the other service’s program tonight. We should work something so we don’t bother them.”
“Yea, but they should know that youth group always have this space every Saturday, and if they have a problem they should talk to me.”
“Oh…okay…”
And that would basically settle it. Now, this is not to say that my parents suddenly were happy with how things were run in youth group. Nor is this story meant to portray my parents in a habitually angry light (because they are awesome). But through these attempts to “fix” youth group I came to see something very simple. I was putting my parent’s desires above that of furthering the kingdom of God. I was taught to trust Ben; that even though youth group events may not be the most well planned that I needed to understand that he knows what to do. Most importantly though I was taught through Ben’s actions that it was not a perfect youth group event that is considered a successful event. But rather youth group was most successful when the leaders trusted in God and were faithful to His will. I'm not saying that Ben is 100% like Jesus; that would be crazy-talk. But rather, we should not only trust the Lord but also trust our leaders to be in-line with the Lord as well. If we do not have confidence in the leaders that God has placed in our lives are we really faithful in God?
Read: Jeremiah 17:7
This is a story on how God used Ben to teach me the importance of trust and faith in your leaders and ultimately in Him alone.
I remember feeling incredibly frustrated while my parents lectured me on how so-and-so youth group event clashed with some other group’s event or how the planning of some youth group thing was atrocious and we should not be allowed to do such thing ever again. Then they would tell me to go tell Ben. And then it sucked more. I felt that I needed to “fix” the youth group program so I wouldn’t have to deal with anymore uncomfortable car rides home on Sunday. And justified my frustration by agreeing with my parent’s perspective.
So when I finally joined Doulos I knew that the perfect opportunity to subtly complain had arrived. But no matter how I phrased my (parents’) discontent with how youth group was run, Ben would always stand firm with how things were going to happen. The conversations usually went something like this:
“Hey Ben, I think we should check to see whether or not we’ll be in the other service’s program tonight. We should work something so we don’t bother them.”
“Yea, but they should know that youth group always have this space every Saturday, and if they have a problem they should talk to me.”
“Oh…okay…”
And that would basically settle it. Now, this is not to say that my parents suddenly were happy with how things were run in youth group. Nor is this story meant to portray my parents in a habitually angry light (because they are awesome). But through these attempts to “fix” youth group I came to see something very simple. I was putting my parent’s desires above that of furthering the kingdom of God. I was taught to trust Ben; that even though youth group events may not be the most well planned that I needed to understand that he knows what to do. Most importantly though I was taught through Ben’s actions that it was not a perfect youth group event that is considered a successful event. But rather youth group was most successful when the leaders trusted in God and were faithful to His will. I'm not saying that Ben is 100% like Jesus; that would be crazy-talk. But rather, we should not only trust the Lord but also trust our leaders to be in-line with the Lord as well. If we do not have confidence in the leaders that God has placed in our lives are we really faithful in God?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Being Emo and Keeping it Real
By Peter Huang, former Doulos (Class 2008)
Read: Psalm 27 (then read it again)
I never realized how amazing the psalms were until I thought about them in terms of music. For me, music is not simply aural pitches arranged in an organized manner. Rather, it can be corridor into someone’s soul or liberation from one’s mind. I find the greatest music ever written to be drawn out of a composer’s heart; from the very depths of his/her emotions.
In this psalm, King David cries out to God from his very core. His feelings involve: a confidence in God (v. 1-3), delighted meditation (v. 4-6), fearful desire for God (v. 7-12), and renewed confidence in God (v. 13-14). It is through this journey of realization that David comes to the ultimate conclusion of “…seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
But how does this relate to us? Hopefully, you do not have evil men trying to devour your flesh and I never heard anyone say, “My enemies and foes will stumble and fall.” What I have gained from this passage is an understanding that being real with God involves being true to our emotions. This idea was hard for me to grasp especially growing up in the Asian culture where I always thought it was normal to hide my emotions. I sometimes thought it was a weakness if someone was depressed, agitated, or even joyous. But God did not make us robots. He did not intend for us to put on a fake image. He wants all of us in our entirety; the good, the bad, and the ugly. How are we to really know God’s goodness if we hide our true feelings from God?
I find Pastor Ben a good example of keeping it real. He has been in a position where being a good leader can be mixed up with looking good; where emotions are sometimes judged as weaknesses, Pastor Ben has always been genuine with the Youth Group. I remember going with a group to Taiwan for a short term mission trip summer 2008. We were going to teach English and hold a Vacation Bible School for children. Prior to leaving, we all felt prepared and we expected to have a great time. However, our first day teaching did not go as planned for a lot of us including Pastor Ben. As we gathered to meet at the end of the day, Ben did not hide anything from the group. He did not pretend that the day went well and that he was “happy”. Instead, he brought himself before God with all his emotions and sought His goodness. Observing Ben’s example, the rest of the group did the same. I believe that this is one of the most important aspects of a holy leader: that he/she can humble themselves and “wait for the Lord.”
Friends, being real with God involves being true to our emotions. At the same time we must not let our emotions control us. Rather, we must lay them before God and be confident in his goodness.
Take some time to reflect on your emotional state. What are you feeling? Exhausted? Agitated? Worried? Are there any feelings you are hiding from God? An exercise that may be helpful is writing a letter God. Honestly tell Him how you are feeling and why you are feeling this way.
Read: Psalm 27 (then read it again)
I never realized how amazing the psalms were until I thought about them in terms of music. For me, music is not simply aural pitches arranged in an organized manner. Rather, it can be corridor into someone’s soul or liberation from one’s mind. I find the greatest music ever written to be drawn out of a composer’s heart; from the very depths of his/her emotions.
In this psalm, King David cries out to God from his very core. His feelings involve: a confidence in God (v. 1-3), delighted meditation (v. 4-6), fearful desire for God (v. 7-12), and renewed confidence in God (v. 13-14). It is through this journey of realization that David comes to the ultimate conclusion of “…seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
But how does this relate to us? Hopefully, you do not have evil men trying to devour your flesh and I never heard anyone say, “My enemies and foes will stumble and fall.” What I have gained from this passage is an understanding that being real with God involves being true to our emotions. This idea was hard for me to grasp especially growing up in the Asian culture where I always thought it was normal to hide my emotions. I sometimes thought it was a weakness if someone was depressed, agitated, or even joyous. But God did not make us robots. He did not intend for us to put on a fake image. He wants all of us in our entirety; the good, the bad, and the ugly. How are we to really know God’s goodness if we hide our true feelings from God?
I find Pastor Ben a good example of keeping it real. He has been in a position where being a good leader can be mixed up with looking good; where emotions are sometimes judged as weaknesses, Pastor Ben has always been genuine with the Youth Group. I remember going with a group to Taiwan for a short term mission trip summer 2008. We were going to teach English and hold a Vacation Bible School for children. Prior to leaving, we all felt prepared and we expected to have a great time. However, our first day teaching did not go as planned for a lot of us including Pastor Ben. As we gathered to meet at the end of the day, Ben did not hide anything from the group. He did not pretend that the day went well and that he was “happy”. Instead, he brought himself before God with all his emotions and sought His goodness. Observing Ben’s example, the rest of the group did the same. I believe that this is one of the most important aspects of a holy leader: that he/she can humble themselves and “wait for the Lord.”
Friends, being real with God involves being true to our emotions. At the same time we must not let our emotions control us. Rather, we must lay them before God and be confident in his goodness.
Take some time to reflect on your emotional state. What are you feeling? Exhausted? Agitated? Worried? Are there any feelings you are hiding from God? An exercise that may be helpful is writing a letter God. Honestly tell Him how you are feeling and why you are feeling this way.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Biblical Relationships
By: Joshua Chang, former YG Doulos member (Class of 2010)
Read: 2 Corinthians 6: 13-15
We were guys and we were stupid. Girls are so complicated and hard to figure out. We had questions for our discipleship leader such as how we should be gentlemen or if we should even date. Of course, Ben did not always have the answers we were looking for. But we still received some great wisdom from him.
What is dating? Dating in my eyes is intentionally spending time with somebody. The general consensus of what dating means is something that happens between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. So let’s broaden our view of dating. We can date our parents and we can date our friends. We can also be dating by spending time with a group of friends. Then you would say, that’s just spending time with a group of friends. I would say yes, but there was the intention of growing closer together. Friends cannot grow closer together without spending significant time together. So, the basis of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship should have a basis of a friendship first. That is me saying don’t go through to the advanced stuff before you have covered the basics. It is the same for anything such as learning an instrument or a sport. You learn the basics first before going on to advanced techniques. In the sense of advice, do not become boyfriend-girlfriend unless you have already spent enough time in group settings as well as private settings.
All that stuff was like, “Yeah, I knew that.” But I want to emphasize the most important part of having a relationship with the opposite gender. This is the focus of your relationship. First of all, I’m safely assuming that all of are planning to or are in a serious relationship with a Christian. It’s not wise if you aren’t or weren’t planning on it. Ask Ben or Jon. The best explanation that I can give you is that a believer and a non-believer are not supposed to be yoked together. More times than not, we end up compromising our beliefs and morals. If you are in a relationship with a Christian, that’s great. The only thing I would make sure is that God is in the center of your relationship. Well, God should be the center of everything we do and think. But God should most importantly be in the center of all the relationships that we have and make. If he isn’t your sole focus while you are in the relationship, you are making that person more important than God.
My point is this: being in a relationship is not for everybody. People become ready at different times, and both sides of the relationship must be ready when the relationship begins. Your expectations should be the same. Most importantly, your relationship should not distract you from worshipping God. This was one of many important things that Ben had taught me (Meaning he taught me a lot more than just about dating). He was a great example of a normal guy living a godly life, which has inspired me.
Read: 2 Corinthians 6: 13-15
We were guys and we were stupid. Girls are so complicated and hard to figure out. We had questions for our discipleship leader such as how we should be gentlemen or if we should even date. Of course, Ben did not always have the answers we were looking for. But we still received some great wisdom from him.
What is dating? Dating in my eyes is intentionally spending time with somebody. The general consensus of what dating means is something that happens between a boyfriend and a girlfriend. So let’s broaden our view of dating. We can date our parents and we can date our friends. We can also be dating by spending time with a group of friends. Then you would say, that’s just spending time with a group of friends. I would say yes, but there was the intention of growing closer together. Friends cannot grow closer together without spending significant time together. So, the basis of a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship should have a basis of a friendship first. That is me saying don’t go through to the advanced stuff before you have covered the basics. It is the same for anything such as learning an instrument or a sport. You learn the basics first before going on to advanced techniques. In the sense of advice, do not become boyfriend-girlfriend unless you have already spent enough time in group settings as well as private settings.
All that stuff was like, “Yeah, I knew that.” But I want to emphasize the most important part of having a relationship with the opposite gender. This is the focus of your relationship. First of all, I’m safely assuming that all of are planning to or are in a serious relationship with a Christian. It’s not wise if you aren’t or weren’t planning on it. Ask Ben or Jon. The best explanation that I can give you is that a believer and a non-believer are not supposed to be yoked together. More times than not, we end up compromising our beliefs and morals. If you are in a relationship with a Christian, that’s great. The only thing I would make sure is that God is in the center of your relationship. Well, God should be the center of everything we do and think. But God should most importantly be in the center of all the relationships that we have and make. If he isn’t your sole focus while you are in the relationship, you are making that person more important than God.
My point is this: being in a relationship is not for everybody. People become ready at different times, and both sides of the relationship must be ready when the relationship begins. Your expectations should be the same. Most importantly, your relationship should not distract you from worshipping God. This was one of many important things that Ben had taught me (Meaning he taught me a lot more than just about dating). He was a great example of a normal guy living a godly life, which has inspired me.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
A Life of Humble Submission
By: Jeffrey Huang, former YG Doulos member (Class of 2010)
For the past seven years, Benjamin Tzeng has served as my youth group director, youth pastor, counselor, discipler, mentor, Bible study teacher, Bible Quizzing coach, friend, tennis hitting buddy, love guru, and much more. However, what I have concluded to be one of the most important lessons Ben has taught me was not one that was learned directly. If you ever had the honor of hearing Pastor Ben’s testimony, you would know that it is one of great submission to God.
I first found myself hearing Ben’s testimony at Teen Camp. Long story short, this is a guy who had it all and gave it all away to Jesus Christ. He had a prestigious electrical engineering degree from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and a lucrative consulting career at Accenture. But he left both to pursue God’s calling for him to serve in youth ministry. He trusted the health of his family, both the spiritual and physical aspects, into God’s hands, praying fervently that his sisters would come to Christ and that his dad would recover from his stroke. And while all of this was going on, he prayed patiently for nearly a decade after college for God to provide him with the right spouse, when ironically his friends thought he would be amongst the first to get married.
Read: James 4:1-12.
In high school, like many of my peers, I wanted to fit in. This desire to conform was publicly manifested in the clothes I wore, the catch phrases I threw around, and especially in having a girlfriend. I also found pride in my academic and athletic achievements. Those were the things that I based found my identity on. James warns us specifically against these mundane “needs” and their potential dangers. If you stop to think about it, James is absolutely right in the first verse. Why is there so much violence, jealousy, hatred, anger, etc. in the world? It all stems from worldly desires that we possess and that we quarrel over to an unfortunate extent.
I’m sure that you’ve at least once in your lifetime asked God for something you desperately wanted - perhaps an Xbox 360, a boy/girl friend, an A on a test, a car, you name it – and didn’t receive what you asked for. James says in v.3 that a reason God may not have given us these things is because we asked for them with the wrong intentions. When we try to satisfy our worldly needs by asking God to help, we are essentially treating him like a vending machine and we are taking our relationship with Him for granted. It’s pretty clear to God that when we selfishly request Him, who is supposed to be first in our lives, to give us what we want, we are putting our wants, our desires, and our plans before His.
What we cannot forget is that, as Christians, we are not of this world, nor do we have a place in it. Our home is with God in His heavenly kingdom. Our job here is merely to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom and to be a light to this world. James goes as far to say that if we embrace the values of this world, then we are showing hatred towards God and becoming His enemy. However, our God is a merciful god that never fails to show us grace. If we choose to submit ourselves to Him, however, we will find that He has more in store for us than we could have ever imagined. Our God loves us very dearly, and I’m sure He finds great joy in seeing us happy. However, He also knows and wants what’s best for each one of us. It’s difficult for us to surrender our individual needs for His ultimate plan, but if we choose to submit, it shows that we not only trust and have faith in Him, but also that we love Him. On top of that, if what we ask for aligns with his purpose for us and is not for our own personal pleasure, He has no problem in answering our prayers.
Knowing that we must submit ourselves to Christ, what does that look like in our lives? James says in v.8-9 that we must first do two things. First, we must purify ourselves from sin. This means that we must come before God, knowing that we are sinners and are completely helpless without Jesus, and repent. Remember, repenting doesn’t mean just saying sorry and then continuing on with our normal lifestyles. There must be a change from within – a change responsible by only the Holy Spirit, who gives us discernment in reading God’s word and directs us daily to live more fruitfully. Next, we must humble ourselves before God. We are lost and helpless sheep with Christ and so we must be willing to hand over 100% of our lives to Him, not just certain parts of it. To do this, we have to swallow our pride and accept that His way will always be better than ours.
Pastor Ben’s life is a clear reflection of this humble submission. It is truly amazing to see how God works in each person’s life, and I am positive that God has a plan that is just as awesome in store for you. All you have to do is submit and surrender control of your life over to God. Take your hand off the wheel and let him do the steering for you. After all, He knows the route better than you do.
For the past seven years, Benjamin Tzeng has served as my youth group director, youth pastor, counselor, discipler, mentor, Bible study teacher, Bible Quizzing coach, friend, tennis hitting buddy, love guru, and much more. However, what I have concluded to be one of the most important lessons Ben has taught me was not one that was learned directly. If you ever had the honor of hearing Pastor Ben’s testimony, you would know that it is one of great submission to God.
I first found myself hearing Ben’s testimony at Teen Camp. Long story short, this is a guy who had it all and gave it all away to Jesus Christ. He had a prestigious electrical engineering degree from the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), and a lucrative consulting career at Accenture. But he left both to pursue God’s calling for him to serve in youth ministry. He trusted the health of his family, both the spiritual and physical aspects, into God’s hands, praying fervently that his sisters would come to Christ and that his dad would recover from his stroke. And while all of this was going on, he prayed patiently for nearly a decade after college for God to provide him with the right spouse, when ironically his friends thought he would be amongst the first to get married.
Read: James 4:1-12.
In high school, like many of my peers, I wanted to fit in. This desire to conform was publicly manifested in the clothes I wore, the catch phrases I threw around, and especially in having a girlfriend. I also found pride in my academic and athletic achievements. Those were the things that I based found my identity on. James warns us specifically against these mundane “needs” and their potential dangers. If you stop to think about it, James is absolutely right in the first verse. Why is there so much violence, jealousy, hatred, anger, etc. in the world? It all stems from worldly desires that we possess and that we quarrel over to an unfortunate extent.
I’m sure that you’ve at least once in your lifetime asked God for something you desperately wanted - perhaps an Xbox 360, a boy/girl friend, an A on a test, a car, you name it – and didn’t receive what you asked for. James says in v.3 that a reason God may not have given us these things is because we asked for them with the wrong intentions. When we try to satisfy our worldly needs by asking God to help, we are essentially treating him like a vending machine and we are taking our relationship with Him for granted. It’s pretty clear to God that when we selfishly request Him, who is supposed to be first in our lives, to give us what we want, we are putting our wants, our desires, and our plans before His.
What we cannot forget is that, as Christians, we are not of this world, nor do we have a place in it. Our home is with God in His heavenly kingdom. Our job here is merely to be ambassadors of God’s kingdom and to be a light to this world. James goes as far to say that if we embrace the values of this world, then we are showing hatred towards God and becoming His enemy. However, our God is a merciful god that never fails to show us grace. If we choose to submit ourselves to Him, however, we will find that He has more in store for us than we could have ever imagined. Our God loves us very dearly, and I’m sure He finds great joy in seeing us happy. However, He also knows and wants what’s best for each one of us. It’s difficult for us to surrender our individual needs for His ultimate plan, but if we choose to submit, it shows that we not only trust and have faith in Him, but also that we love Him. On top of that, if what we ask for aligns with his purpose for us and is not for our own personal pleasure, He has no problem in answering our prayers.
Knowing that we must submit ourselves to Christ, what does that look like in our lives? James says in v.8-9 that we must first do two things. First, we must purify ourselves from sin. This means that we must come before God, knowing that we are sinners and are completely helpless without Jesus, and repent. Remember, repenting doesn’t mean just saying sorry and then continuing on with our normal lifestyles. There must be a change from within – a change responsible by only the Holy Spirit, who gives us discernment in reading God’s word and directs us daily to live more fruitfully. Next, we must humble ourselves before God. We are lost and helpless sheep with Christ and so we must be willing to hand over 100% of our lives to Him, not just certain parts of it. To do this, we have to swallow our pride and accept that His way will always be better than ours.
Pastor Ben’s life is a clear reflection of this humble submission. It is truly amazing to see how God works in each person’s life, and I am positive that God has a plan that is just as awesome in store for you. All you have to do is submit and surrender control of your life over to God. Take your hand off the wheel and let him do the steering for you. After all, He knows the route better than you do.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Diverting Our Eyes from the Past to the Future
By: Darren Kwee, former YG Doulos (Class of 2008)
Read: 1 Samuel 16
My time during Youth Group could be described with a single word: Sports. Upon my arrival to WCAC, I would always encounter youth playing basketball or badminton. When it was time to hang out or play in the field, we would set our teams and play football. During the Summer or Winter BDG Olympics, we would have a sense of pride in our Bible Discussion Groups as we competed against others. Like any team-selection protocol, it would involve assigning two captains for each team followed by taking turns choosing players for their respective teams.
Now, how do these captains choose the players for their team? Did they choose the players who were the looked as good as Stephen Norregaard? Did they choose the ones who dressed stylishly like Dustin Kwée? Did they choose the ones who were most popular with other kids in their class at school? No. They chose players with skill. Do they stack skilled players like Jonathan Mann? Sometimes. They chose players who could think quickly and make good decisions. They chose players that could get the job done when the game was on the line. None of the others mattered.
Yet, as assuring as the player-selection criteria may sound to you, they could potentially exclude participants like myself. I’ll admit – I wasn’t the best at football or basketball. I didn’t really fit in with the “popular” clique who would always stand in a circle during conversations, enjoying each other and laughing with one another. During sports competitions, I still vividly remember standing there and being afraid that I would be the last to be chosen – or that I would not be chosen at all. You see, I wasn’t the strongest. I wasn’t the fastest. I wasn’t the best. But I had a lot of heart, and I knew I would always try my hardest if someone had chosen me.
Now God had decided to choose a new king for Israel. He told Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse, because He had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be the next king of Israel. When Samuel arrived in Jerusalem, he went to Jesse's house and told him to bring his sons so that God could tell him which one He had chosen. As each of Jesse's sons passed by, God told Samuel that he was not the one. Samuel could not understand it. They were all such handsome men and very strong. Surely one of them must be the one. But God said to Samuel, "Don't consider his looks. I have rejected him. Man looks at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).
Has the Youth Group upheld that command of God? Not always. Yet amongst our failures, we are not alone. A flock is not without its leader. The WCAC Youth group is not without Benjamin Tzeng. During team selections, Ben would be one of the first to notice when the timid are tossed around from team to team. He was often among the people to call out uneven teams. In football games, when one team is lacking in skill, he would aid them with his presence. On Sunday services, he would aid the congregation in setting our true goals and remind us to stick to them even during the fog of distractions.
Yet, despite his capability to serve as a people’s advocate, he does not sit contently – he listens daily to God’s calling for his future. Should we, as friends and family of Ben Tzeng, dwell on his seemingly fitting role as the WCAC Youth Pastor? Just as God clearly sees David’s heart to serve as the King, He sees Ben Tzeng’s heart to serve as the English Pastor of the St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church. Let us not become like Samuel and set our eyes on what position our flesh deems to be fitting for our brother in Christ. Let us learn from Samuel’s mistake and clear our vision to see His ultimate plans. Let us “take the horn of oil and anoint him in the presence of his brothers” so that the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon Ben Tzeng (1 Samuel 16:13). Pray that God will divert our tendency to look back at Ben’s seemingly fitting past as our Youth Pastor and set our eyes solely on encouraging Ben for his new chapter as God’s humble servant. Pray for Ben’s ministry, that it will be fruitful and a pleasant offering to Him. I encourage you to keep Ben in your prayers, just as you have been in his for many years.
Read: 1 Samuel 16
My time during Youth Group could be described with a single word: Sports. Upon my arrival to WCAC, I would always encounter youth playing basketball or badminton. When it was time to hang out or play in the field, we would set our teams and play football. During the Summer or Winter BDG Olympics, we would have a sense of pride in our Bible Discussion Groups as we competed against others. Like any team-selection protocol, it would involve assigning two captains for each team followed by taking turns choosing players for their respective teams.
Now, how do these captains choose the players for their team? Did they choose the players who were the looked as good as Stephen Norregaard? Did they choose the ones who dressed stylishly like Dustin Kwée? Did they choose the ones who were most popular with other kids in their class at school? No. They chose players with skill. Do they stack skilled players like Jonathan Mann? Sometimes. They chose players who could think quickly and make good decisions. They chose players that could get the job done when the game was on the line. None of the others mattered.
Yet, as assuring as the player-selection criteria may sound to you, they could potentially exclude participants like myself. I’ll admit – I wasn’t the best at football or basketball. I didn’t really fit in with the “popular” clique who would always stand in a circle during conversations, enjoying each other and laughing with one another. During sports competitions, I still vividly remember standing there and being afraid that I would be the last to be chosen – or that I would not be chosen at all. You see, I wasn’t the strongest. I wasn’t the fastest. I wasn’t the best. But I had a lot of heart, and I knew I would always try my hardest if someone had chosen me.
Now God had decided to choose a new king for Israel. He told Samuel to go to Bethlehem to the house of Jesse, because He had chosen one of Jesse's sons to be the next king of Israel. When Samuel arrived in Jerusalem, he went to Jesse's house and told him to bring his sons so that God could tell him which one He had chosen. As each of Jesse's sons passed by, God told Samuel that he was not the one. Samuel could not understand it. They were all such handsome men and very strong. Surely one of them must be the one. But God said to Samuel, "Don't consider his looks. I have rejected him. Man looks at outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7).
Has the Youth Group upheld that command of God? Not always. Yet amongst our failures, we are not alone. A flock is not without its leader. The WCAC Youth group is not without Benjamin Tzeng. During team selections, Ben would be one of the first to notice when the timid are tossed around from team to team. He was often among the people to call out uneven teams. In football games, when one team is lacking in skill, he would aid them with his presence. On Sunday services, he would aid the congregation in setting our true goals and remind us to stick to them even during the fog of distractions.
Yet, despite his capability to serve as a people’s advocate, he does not sit contently – he listens daily to God’s calling for his future. Should we, as friends and family of Ben Tzeng, dwell on his seemingly fitting role as the WCAC Youth Pastor? Just as God clearly sees David’s heart to serve as the King, He sees Ben Tzeng’s heart to serve as the English Pastor of the St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church. Let us not become like Samuel and set our eyes on what position our flesh deems to be fitting for our brother in Christ. Let us learn from Samuel’s mistake and clear our vision to see His ultimate plans. Let us “take the horn of oil and anoint him in the presence of his brothers” so that the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon Ben Tzeng (1 Samuel 16:13). Pray that God will divert our tendency to look back at Ben’s seemingly fitting past as our Youth Pastor and set our eyes solely on encouraging Ben for his new chapter as God’s humble servant. Pray for Ben’s ministry, that it will be fruitful and a pleasant offering to Him. I encourage you to keep Ben in your prayers, just as you have been in his for many years.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Light of the World, Salt of the Earth
By: Alex Wang, former YG member (Class of 2010)
Read: Matthew 25:31-46
So Ben’s leaving. Obviously this is hard to grasp. What Ben has done for this Youth Group can’t really be summed up in one devotional. And I have to be honest here. By not being a full-time member of WCAC and not being able to go to YG on I have not been able to hear a lot of his messages. But despite that there is one thing about Ben that I have seen, and that his simply his love and willingness to serve one another. And that is what Christ has called us to do. He has called us to reach out to the broken, the lost, the lonely in this world. What comes to mind is the song “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes. The chorus goes along something like this:
We must go live to feed the hungry, stand beside the broken!
We must go!
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing. Move us into action!
We must go!
God has called us to be salt of this earth. This doesn’t mean that we live entirely within our own cliques and bubbles; when someone is in need, God calls us to help. It goes along with the passage from Matthew 25:31-46. This passage ultimately sums it up. In verse 40 it says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (ESV). We glorify God by reaching out to those who might not have been as fortunate as us in Naperthrill, Wheaton or wherever we live. We can also bring up James 2:17, which states that “…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (ESV). Despite not being able to really talk with Ben that much or hear his speak many times, but what I have seen in him is just a loving heart and such a willingness to help others who are in need. I pray that we would follow in his footsteps.
Some people may say to themselves, “Man, this is tough! It’s tough to reach out to the newcomers. I’d much rather just hang out with people that I already know.” But this compassion and helping out that we talk about isn’t directed only at those who we don’t know. Christ showed unconditional love for EVERYONE, not just those who are strangers. When we think about it, sometimes the hardest people to love are those who we take for granted, like our parents. Personally, there are times where people close to me are not feeling their best, yet I choose to ignore them. I encourage you guys to truly love those who are close to you, who care about you through all times. Be an example, be a witness. Let your life speak out how much Christ has loved us, to those that we know and those that we have never met.
Heal my heart and make me clean, open up my eyes to the things unseen!
Show me how to love like You have loved me!
Break my heart for what breaks Yours; everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I go from earth into eternity!
- “Hosanna”, Hillsong United
Read: Matthew 25:31-46
So Ben’s leaving. Obviously this is hard to grasp. What Ben has done for this Youth Group can’t really be summed up in one devotional. And I have to be honest here. By not being a full-time member of WCAC and not being able to go to YG on I have not been able to hear a lot of his messages. But despite that there is one thing about Ben that I have seen, and that his simply his love and willingness to serve one another. And that is what Christ has called us to do. He has called us to reach out to the broken, the lost, the lonely in this world. What comes to mind is the song “God of Justice” by Tim Hughes. The chorus goes along something like this:
We must go live to feed the hungry, stand beside the broken!
We must go!
Stepping forward, keep us from just singing. Move us into action!
We must go!
God has called us to be salt of this earth. This doesn’t mean that we live entirely within our own cliques and bubbles; when someone is in need, God calls us to help. It goes along with the passage from Matthew 25:31-46. This passage ultimately sums it up. In verse 40 it says, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (ESV). We glorify God by reaching out to those who might not have been as fortunate as us in Naperthrill, Wheaton or wherever we live. We can also bring up James 2:17, which states that “…faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead” (ESV). Despite not being able to really talk with Ben that much or hear his speak many times, but what I have seen in him is just a loving heart and such a willingness to help others who are in need. I pray that we would follow in his footsteps.
Some people may say to themselves, “Man, this is tough! It’s tough to reach out to the newcomers. I’d much rather just hang out with people that I already know.” But this compassion and helping out that we talk about isn’t directed only at those who we don’t know. Christ showed unconditional love for EVERYONE, not just those who are strangers. When we think about it, sometimes the hardest people to love are those who we take for granted, like our parents. Personally, there are times where people close to me are not feeling their best, yet I choose to ignore them. I encourage you guys to truly love those who are close to you, who care about you through all times. Be an example, be a witness. Let your life speak out how much Christ has loved us, to those that we know and those that we have never met.
Heal my heart and make me clean, open up my eyes to the things unseen!
Show me how to love like You have loved me!
Break my heart for what breaks Yours; everything I am for Your kingdom’s cause
As I go from earth into eternity!
- “Hosanna”, Hillsong United
Friday, February 11, 2011
Obedience to God
By: Spencer Chang, former YG member (Class of 2004)
I am one of the few people who have had the pleasure of both serving with Ben and having him as a youth group leader. As Ben prepares to leave for St. Louis, I want to reflect on what I remember thinking about when he made the decision to do ministry full time.
One thing that sticks out in my mind was Ben’s decision to enter full time ministry. This is a vivid example to me (and certainly my first) of Godly obedience and faith, a characteristic and discipline that I often question in my own walk with Christ. While faith and obedience to God in your life might not lead to big decisions like Ben’s, the ability to listen, decide, and be obedient to God comes from a repeated history of obedience. Read these verses on obedience and reflect on your obedience to God.
Read: I Sam. 15:22, Deut. 11:13, I Pet. 1:2
Write down, three areas where your obedience is evident, and pray thanking God.
Write 3 areas where you are not obedient, and pray for discipline and help in trusting and following him.
I am one of the few people who have had the pleasure of both serving with Ben and having him as a youth group leader. As Ben prepares to leave for St. Louis, I want to reflect on what I remember thinking about when he made the decision to do ministry full time.
One thing that sticks out in my mind was Ben’s decision to enter full time ministry. This is a vivid example to me (and certainly my first) of Godly obedience and faith, a characteristic and discipline that I often question in my own walk with Christ. While faith and obedience to God in your life might not lead to big decisions like Ben’s, the ability to listen, decide, and be obedient to God comes from a repeated history of obedience. Read these verses on obedience and reflect on your obedience to God.
Read: I Sam. 15:22, Deut. 11:13, I Pet. 1:2
Write down, three areas where your obedience is evident, and pray thanking God.
Write 3 areas where you are not obedient, and pray for discipline and help in trusting and following him.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
True Commitment
By: Leslie Ng, former Doulos member (Class of 2003)
Read: Matthew 16:24
Pastor Ben's ministry among youth began in 1999 during my freshman year in high school. The Youth Director had just stepped down and although Pastor Ben was working a full-time job at that time, he and a few young adults that had grown up in the church took up the reins of leadership. Pastor Ben continued to serve as a youth counselor when the church hired a Youth Director the following year and even when his job required him to work in Houston, he still remained devoted to the youth ministry at WCAC, flying back and serving faithfully at Youth Group each weekend.
His job eventually called him to Hong Kong for an extended period of time. While there he quickly found an opportunity to be a part of the youth ministry at a church and became very actively involved there. After some time, he returned to the States. The Youth Director at that time was called away from WCAC and Pastor Ben again decided to step into the role as youth leader during my senior year of high school. He eventually quit his job to attend seminary and pursue a full-time calling to his ministry at WCAC, where he has served so faithfully for so many years.
It has truly been a blessing to see how the Lord has led Pastor Ben on this journey and a privilege to serve under his guidance during these past 11 years. Throughout these years at WCAC, Pastor Ben has especially challenged me with his example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus whose life is marked by his deep commitment to serving the Lord. Following God's call requires us to be committed to a lifetime of service and this is a commitment that requires sacrifice and surrender--the surrender of our time, our possessions, our comfort, our future plans and careers, and our pride, among all else.
Are you truly committed to following Jesus and serving the Lord? If not, what is preventing you from full commitment? What aspects in your life still need to be sacrificed and surrendered to the Lord? Reflect and ask God to help you surrender these things.
Read: Matthew 16:24
Pastor Ben's ministry among youth began in 1999 during my freshman year in high school. The Youth Director had just stepped down and although Pastor Ben was working a full-time job at that time, he and a few young adults that had grown up in the church took up the reins of leadership. Pastor Ben continued to serve as a youth counselor when the church hired a Youth Director the following year and even when his job required him to work in Houston, he still remained devoted to the youth ministry at WCAC, flying back and serving faithfully at Youth Group each weekend.
His job eventually called him to Hong Kong for an extended period of time. While there he quickly found an opportunity to be a part of the youth ministry at a church and became very actively involved there. After some time, he returned to the States. The Youth Director at that time was called away from WCAC and Pastor Ben again decided to step into the role as youth leader during my senior year of high school. He eventually quit his job to attend seminary and pursue a full-time calling to his ministry at WCAC, where he has served so faithfully for so many years.
It has truly been a blessing to see how the Lord has led Pastor Ben on this journey and a privilege to serve under his guidance during these past 11 years. Throughout these years at WCAC, Pastor Ben has especially challenged me with his example of what it means to be a follower of Jesus whose life is marked by his deep commitment to serving the Lord. Following God's call requires us to be committed to a lifetime of service and this is a commitment that requires sacrifice and surrender--the surrender of our time, our possessions, our comfort, our future plans and careers, and our pride, among all else.
Are you truly committed to following Jesus and serving the Lord? If not, what is preventing you from full commitment? What aspects in your life still need to be sacrificed and surrendered to the Lord? Reflect and ask God to help you surrender these things.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Let the Gospel Sink In
By: Jack Xu, former YG member (Class of 2005)
Read Galatians 5
Introduction to Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians:
This letter was directed not to a church or a city, but to an entire region. It is evident that Paul has a history with this region, either planting the Christian movement, and/or helping it mature and grow. Recently, some false teachers have been leading the people astray. They stressed an observance for the Law of Moses with the help of Christ. They also were trying to undermine Paul’s authority in order to become more powerful themselves. Paul has harsh words for the false teachers. In verse 12, he says that he wishes the people who are preaching circumcision would not stop at circumcision, but continue on and emasculate (cut it off, mutilate) themselves. This is the seriousness of the heresy.
Reflections:
1) Romans 4:13 says, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” Even before the Law of Moses was given, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). In other words, righteousness was loaned to Abraham because he had faith. In his holy bank account, it read ‘righteous’. Verse 4 says that “you who are trying to be justified by the law have been aliened from Christ”. Maybe by doing this devotional you are one step closer to holiness… silly right? But we seriously do believe that our holy bank accounts are lacking in funds, and but depositing good works we can make it read ‘righteous’. What are you trying to deposit? What is your motivation?
2) Verse 6 says the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love! We feel like we can’t love all the time; we feel like we have to make up by doing more. Romans 3:24 says “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” If you have faith in Jesus Christ, you are now considered holy. Even during the times of your worst sin and depravity, at that very moment, God looks at you and considers you blameless. You were once a sinner that was saved by grace, and now you are a saint who struggles with sin. Realize the new life that you have with Christ Jesus and reflect on that.
3) In Romans 7:4 Paul says that we believed in Christ and died to the law, “that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” The end of Galatians 5 tells us that the fruits of the spirit have no law against them, that it is completely separate from the law. Fruits take time and grow, on plants that are well watered and in the light. Paul tells us that if we walk by the Spirit and keep close to God, we will be well watered and well lit. The truth is the more we let the message of the gospel sink in, the more we will walk by the Spirit. Remember the gospel and let it sink in. Take time to pray and to get closer to our God.
Read Galatians 5
Introduction to Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians:
This letter was directed not to a church or a city, but to an entire region. It is evident that Paul has a history with this region, either planting the Christian movement, and/or helping it mature and grow. Recently, some false teachers have been leading the people astray. They stressed an observance for the Law of Moses with the help of Christ. They also were trying to undermine Paul’s authority in order to become more powerful themselves. Paul has harsh words for the false teachers. In verse 12, he says that he wishes the people who are preaching circumcision would not stop at circumcision, but continue on and emasculate (cut it off, mutilate) themselves. This is the seriousness of the heresy.
Reflections:
1) Romans 4:13 says, “It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.” Even before the Law of Moses was given, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3). In other words, righteousness was loaned to Abraham because he had faith. In his holy bank account, it read ‘righteous’. Verse 4 says that “you who are trying to be justified by the law have been aliened from Christ”. Maybe by doing this devotional you are one step closer to holiness… silly right? But we seriously do believe that our holy bank accounts are lacking in funds, and but depositing good works we can make it read ‘righteous’. What are you trying to deposit? What is your motivation?
2) Verse 6 says the only thing that counts is faith, expressing itself through love! We feel like we can’t love all the time; we feel like we have to make up by doing more. Romans 3:24 says “all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” If you have faith in Jesus Christ, you are now considered holy. Even during the times of your worst sin and depravity, at that very moment, God looks at you and considers you blameless. You were once a sinner that was saved by grace, and now you are a saint who struggles with sin. Realize the new life that you have with Christ Jesus and reflect on that.
3) In Romans 7:4 Paul says that we believed in Christ and died to the law, “that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” The end of Galatians 5 tells us that the fruits of the spirit have no law against them, that it is completely separate from the law. Fruits take time and grow, on plants that are well watered and in the light. Paul tells us that if we walk by the Spirit and keep close to God, we will be well watered and well lit. The truth is the more we let the message of the gospel sink in, the more we will walk by the Spirit. Remember the gospel and let it sink in. Take time to pray and to get closer to our God.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Simply Gracious
By: Ezra Chang, former Doulos member (Class of 2006)
The question presented to me was this: "What has God taught you through Pastor Ben?" This is, thankfully, not the same question as "What have you learned from God through Pastor Ben?" Teaching is the transmission of knowledge, whereas learning is the reception and internalization of the same. The two do not necessarily come hand-in-hand; I need only look at my life to see that truth.
Ben has taught me much over the years; in fact, I've known him for eleven and a half years - fully half of my life. It's all still here, in my head; but you wouldn't know it, looking at my life. I remain a deeply flawed individual; I am undisciplined and lack self control, I am missing good judgment and say things I shouldn't, and to top it off I have a Baal-worshipper's knack for trying to straddle the fence when it comes my allegiance to Christ and the opposing inclination to serve myself to another helping of the world's pleasures. Within our culture, teachers are often judged based on their students. I implore you not to, in this case.
In my humble opinion, it is to Ben's credit that he has stayed with me, as well as others, seeing us as charges from God to lead along the path to righteousness. Even though most of the things he taught me, pursuant to that goal, haven't stuck, he
displayed the fruit of the Spirit in the way he continued to pour into us. Through his example, I understand a little bit more what it is to follow Christ. I have glimpsed a shadow of God's love in the way Ben goes out of his way to mentor us.
Ben has mirrored Christ in the way he extends grace to me, and it is this concept of grace that I am most taken with. Grace is a concept so foreign to me, yet is the one thing I need and want most. Even as I go through an extremely dry season of my life, thinking back on all those years brings to mind one of the first passages I ever memorized, even before I became a Christan, Romans 3:23. With some of the surrounding text, it reads:
"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption by Christ Jesus."
- Romans 3:21-24
The context to which this passage was directed was, partially, an incorrect understanding of salvation on the part of Jews in the Roman church. Paul needed to explain to them that they were no better than their non-Jewish brethren for all their rituals and the history those rituals supposedly represented. He makes clear that salvation comes not from our own actions, but from the sacrifice of Christ alone, given freely by God.
It is in this spirit (and in the Spirit) that I perceive Ben to have acted, in all our interactions. It is through grace that I must relearn to reinterpret my life right now, a lesson I have only recently perceived after so many years, and I am grateful to God for having taught it through Ben.
The question presented to me was this: "What has God taught you through Pastor Ben?" This is, thankfully, not the same question as "What have you learned from God through Pastor Ben?" Teaching is the transmission of knowledge, whereas learning is the reception and internalization of the same. The two do not necessarily come hand-in-hand; I need only look at my life to see that truth.
Ben has taught me much over the years; in fact, I've known him for eleven and a half years - fully half of my life. It's all still here, in my head; but you wouldn't know it, looking at my life. I remain a deeply flawed individual; I am undisciplined and lack self control, I am missing good judgment and say things I shouldn't, and to top it off I have a Baal-worshipper's knack for trying to straddle the fence when it comes my allegiance to Christ and the opposing inclination to serve myself to another helping of the world's pleasures. Within our culture, teachers are often judged based on their students. I implore you not to, in this case.
In my humble opinion, it is to Ben's credit that he has stayed with me, as well as others, seeing us as charges from God to lead along the path to righteousness. Even though most of the things he taught me, pursuant to that goal, haven't stuck, he
displayed the fruit of the Spirit in the way he continued to pour into us. Through his example, I understand a little bit more what it is to follow Christ. I have glimpsed a shadow of God's love in the way Ben goes out of his way to mentor us.
Ben has mirrored Christ in the way he extends grace to me, and it is this concept of grace that I am most taken with. Grace is a concept so foreign to me, yet is the one thing I need and want most. Even as I go through an extremely dry season of my life, thinking back on all those years brings to mind one of the first passages I ever memorized, even before I became a Christan, Romans 3:23. With some of the surrounding text, it reads:
"But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption by Christ Jesus."
- Romans 3:21-24
The context to which this passage was directed was, partially, an incorrect understanding of salvation on the part of Jews in the Roman church. Paul needed to explain to them that they were no better than their non-Jewish brethren for all their rituals and the history those rituals supposedly represented. He makes clear that salvation comes not from our own actions, but from the sacrifice of Christ alone, given freely by God.
It is in this spirit (and in the Spirit) that I perceive Ben to have acted, in all our interactions. It is through grace that I must relearn to reinterpret my life right now, a lesson I have only recently perceived after so many years, and I am grateful to God for having taught it through Ben.
Monday, February 7, 2011
A Daily Sacrifice
By: Becky Chen, former Doulos member (Class of 2005)
Read: Psalm 51: 16-17
This was a Psalm proclaimed by David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and was confronted by the prophet Nathan. I thought David's reaction to God was interesting after having committed such a great sin.
Often times in my own life, when I do something wrong, I want to immediately correct it. This applies to school work, spelling errors, even in relationships with family or friends. I don't know about you, but I'm a "doer" and I find that I always need something to do to feel better about situations I can't control.
From David's perspective, he obviously realizes there is nothing in his power (no donkey, chicken or cow) he can offer up to God that can please Him. However, David knows that God is only pleased by his broken spirit and contrite (repentant or remorseful) heart.
This is something I always need reminding of. Our God is not about empty sacrifices, but of sacrificing our will for the sake of His. When we are broken in spirit and come to Him with a repenting heart, it's an attitude of humility and acknowledging that God is able.
Hopefully this is an encouragement to you all. Let us come before our God daily sacrificing to him a broken spirit and contrite heart; always confessing that we are in need of Him in every hour.
Read: Psalm 51: 16-17
This was a Psalm proclaimed by David after he had committed adultery with Bathsheba and was confronted by the prophet Nathan. I thought David's reaction to God was interesting after having committed such a great sin.
Often times in my own life, when I do something wrong, I want to immediately correct it. This applies to school work, spelling errors, even in relationships with family or friends. I don't know about you, but I'm a "doer" and I find that I always need something to do to feel better about situations I can't control.
From David's perspective, he obviously realizes there is nothing in his power (no donkey, chicken or cow) he can offer up to God that can please Him. However, David knows that God is only pleased by his broken spirit and contrite (repentant or remorseful) heart.
This is something I always need reminding of. Our God is not about empty sacrifices, but of sacrificing our will for the sake of His. When we are broken in spirit and come to Him with a repenting heart, it's an attitude of humility and acknowledging that God is able.
Hopefully this is an encouragement to you all. Let us come before our God daily sacrificing to him a broken spirit and contrite heart; always confessing that we are in need of Him in every hour.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
February Special Devotional Series
Youth Group Devotionals
February Special Devotional Series
College and Career Group
Introduction to the February Special Devotional Series
A new year is always a harbinger of all things new. It brings new mercies and graces of God, but it also brings changes. Of course, within the life of WCAC, this year will be a year of great change. We speak, of course, of Pastor Ben’s new calling as the English Pastor of the St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church (SLCGC). Indeed, our loss will be to SLCGC’s great gain. Yet, we must always remember that the church never revolves around certain individuals. God’s church is always God-centered, not pastor-centered. WCAC will continue to move on and maintain her ministry to all people in the community with new people in leadership who will continue the story of how God continues to work through his people at the church.
Notwithstanding, Pastor Ben’s departure to his new calling will not feel good to all of us. For all of us he has been such a great blessing, a faithful pastor, and awesome friend. Many college and even post-college students still come to him for advice regularly. No doubt, Pastor Ben has been an indelible participant in so many of our lives, having witnessed during his tenure as Youth Director and then as Youth Pastor the graduation of 8 high school senior classes. As a possible testament to the efficacy of his ministry, many of those who have graduated are now serving in various capacities not just in our church, but in churches across the country and, in some cases, outside the country. Thus, we think it’d be especially fitting to commission a special devotional series in thanksgiving to what God has revealed about Himself through Ben.
This month’s devotional series, therefore, features many of us who have been with Pastor Ben in different seasons of his ministry life. It is important to remember, however, that the devotionals are not about Ben. They are not about how amazing Ben is – even though he is amazing. They are not about how important Ben is – even though he played important roles in our church and lives. They’re not even about Ben himself, even though it is a special devotional series in thanksgiving to his service. They’re about Christian truths that we read about in the Bible, which we have witnessed in Ben’s life and ministry. It is our hope that when you read the Scriptures, reflect on it, and see how it has been lived out in Ben’s life, you may be empowered to live the Scriptures out even more within your life, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Thus, we commend this month’s special devotional series to you.
With blessings,
The WCAC Youth Group Teaching Ministry
February Special Devotional Series
College and Career Group
Introduction to the February Special Devotional Series
A new year is always a harbinger of all things new. It brings new mercies and graces of God, but it also brings changes. Of course, within the life of WCAC, this year will be a year of great change. We speak, of course, of Pastor Ben’s new calling as the English Pastor of the St. Louis Chinese Gospel Church (SLCGC). Indeed, our loss will be to SLCGC’s great gain. Yet, we must always remember that the church never revolves around certain individuals. God’s church is always God-centered, not pastor-centered. WCAC will continue to move on and maintain her ministry to all people in the community with new people in leadership who will continue the story of how God continues to work through his people at the church.
Notwithstanding, Pastor Ben’s departure to his new calling will not feel good to all of us. For all of us he has been such a great blessing, a faithful pastor, and awesome friend. Many college and even post-college students still come to him for advice regularly. No doubt, Pastor Ben has been an indelible participant in so many of our lives, having witnessed during his tenure as Youth Director and then as Youth Pastor the graduation of 8 high school senior classes. As a possible testament to the efficacy of his ministry, many of those who have graduated are now serving in various capacities not just in our church, but in churches across the country and, in some cases, outside the country. Thus, we think it’d be especially fitting to commission a special devotional series in thanksgiving to what God has revealed about Himself through Ben.
This month’s devotional series, therefore, features many of us who have been with Pastor Ben in different seasons of his ministry life. It is important to remember, however, that the devotionals are not about Ben. They are not about how amazing Ben is – even though he is amazing. They are not about how important Ben is – even though he played important roles in our church and lives. They’re not even about Ben himself, even though it is a special devotional series in thanksgiving to his service. They’re about Christian truths that we read about in the Bible, which we have witnessed in Ben’s life and ministry. It is our hope that when you read the Scriptures, reflect on it, and see how it has been lived out in Ben’s life, you may be empowered to live the Scriptures out even more within your life, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Thus, we commend this month’s special devotional series to you.
With blessings,
The WCAC Youth Group Teaching Ministry
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