I've always wondered what it means to experience God.  If experience is the evidence or outcome of the culmination of our knowledge, awareness, insight, etc. into or about an object, by defintion, our experience of God would be very limited.  What do we really know about God?  Are we truly aware of His presence?  What insights do we have about who He really is?  Not much.  I say this because I believe that God is the god of the universe and I still don't know what the universe is outside our solar system.  Looking at this by pure logic, it makes no sense; how can an unfathomable, inexplicable God be experienced?
I'm an all or nothing type of guy.  If I can't have it all or make something work 100%, I'd rather have nothing.  Strange?  Maybe.  But that's how I view my relationship with God and the way I experience Him.  I hate the fact that right now our understanding of the world, of humanity, of God is incomplete.  Even our understanding of love, is imperfect or known "in part" (1 Corinthians 13).  If you're like me, I want the answers right now.  But the bible is clear, we just can't and it will never happen in our lifetime.  I guess that's where faith kicks in and the struggle with it.  It'll happen.  You'll find yourself questioning the goodness of God, maybe even the existence of God.  But, if I may, here is some good news.
It says in Genesis 1 that we are created in the "likeness" of God.  We don't have ALL His abilities and characteristics (then we'd be God) but you and I are created in His image nonetheless.  As vast are the different aspects of God, He created us in His image that we would reflect Him to be known in the world but also be made aware of Him in our lives, or in other words, experience Him.  ALL for us to enjoy and love Him that we may glorify Him.  He's given us unique quirks, niches, gifts, passions, or personalities (whatever makes you, YOU) as avenues to experiencing Him.  Let me give you a personal example.
I LOVE the city.  I love the fast-paced nature.  I love the plethora of cultures and ethnicities that reside in the city.  I love the diversity of amazing foods on every city block.  But more than that, I love the uniqueness of every individual that I walk by.  One of my favorite things to do is to roam the city with headphones on playing "God of the City" (just kidding.. but I like music).  The many times I’ve done this, I've experienced God in a way where I know He is saying "I want a moment with you... just you and me." He makes Himself known to me when I do this.  Why?  As I stated above, we are made in His likeness.  But have you seen how different the people around you look? Have you had a conversation with someone who is EXACTLY like you with your personality, passions, and physical appearance?  NO!  Every single, non-specific mold, person is precious in the eyes of God because He made them in His image.  We are more precious to Him than mountains, trees, oceans, or animals.  When I walk the city, I'm made aware of His HUGENESS but at the very same time His Emmanuel-ness, or intimacy.  I'm made aware that I belong to the human-race but I am His favorite child (as are YOU)
The city is one of the ways I experience God and I know He has created me to operate in this way.  There are other ways I experience God but this is one small example.  He is much bigger than you think but He wants you to experience Him on a very unique and personal level.  What ways has He given you to experience Him, or made Himself aware to you?  Nature-walks?  Reading a good book?  Coffee with a friend?  Let's not limit an experience with omnipresent, ominiscient, omnipotent God to our 12:00-1:30pm service.  He desires to be made known wherever you are, whoever you are, however you are doing.  Praying that you would have amazing times with the Lord this week.

From Pastor Keyoung’s Heart
November 3, 2013

Wow, what a weekend with Dr. Shamblin that was last week. He was soft-spoken and laid- back yet you could definitely sense his strong conviction in the truths he shared that had been drawn from years and years in the ministry. He had his own unique ability to establish trust and authority as a speaker in a relatively short time with us in order to confront us with true insight and wisdom about our life struggles even within our Christian faith.
I especially liked his perspectives in two areas of our lives we often times struggle to make sense of: One, the significance of being in a spiritual “wilderness”;  and two, does God’s timing for exercising our spiritual gifting first involve being in the wilderness? I particularly liked his comments about how we should anticipate and understand the ministry challenges of being “sent into a mess” or else we will risk becoming discouraged or confused, or we will rationalize or spiritualize it as an attack to be resisted. There are plenty of instances in the Bible of persecution and suffering for those who followed Christ. We have a tendency to prefer to believe God’s discipleship today does not include those same sacrifices, humility and denial of self.
I’ve never before ever heard anyone say that one’s journey into a barren wasteland is God’s way of discipling and maturing us. We seldom ever associate difficult challenging times of crisis as being God’s intended purpose but as Dr. Shamblin cautioned us, “do not cut short your wilderness time with God by rebuking the devil and blaming man for being in the desert.”
Our human nature causes us to blame others for our lot in life rather than stop and embrace the experience and consider how it may be God at work. As Dr. Shamblin noted, it’s only once we are broken to ourselves that true birthing springs forth from barrenness.
Dr. Shamblin was noticeably emotional when he was discussing spiritual giftings. He had mentioned how earlier in his ministry he was in such great demand (his speaking engagements were at one point booked 3 years in advance and he travelled 9 months out of the year). But he now seemed to be preaching from regret over how one can tread on one’s spiritual giftings without realizing how empty and short-sighted that can be when no real foundation has been laid to truly develop and shape those giftings for God’s further purpose. Dr. Shamblin commented he had seen it many times where people were impatient in the exercising of their gifts and resisted the thought of being placed in the wilderness by God in order to be shaped and molded by Him.
It occurred to me that there are times when our frustrations over our current life condition are a result of our resistance to God’s (tough love) discipleship and we only perpetuate that cycle by rebuking it as a spiritual battle. Hmmmm, makes me wanna go rethink a lot of stuff about myself. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
November 10, 2013