Mar. 16. 2023
Review of our Salvation
When I was a child, my parents used to fight constantly. After each argument, my mother would grab me and tell me that if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be living with my dad. This caused me a great deal of stress and anxiety, which persisted until my parents divorced when I was 23 years old.
During my younger years, I even thought that my mother would be better off without me. However, after I met Jesus and he transformed my life, my mother's words took on a different meaning for me. Even though she said those words in a negative way, to her, I was her reason for living. I learned that Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross because of me, and that he chose to sacrifice himself to save me from my sins. After I realized this, Jesus became my reason for living.
Because of Jesus, I wanted to know him more, and because of his love, I decided to become a pastor, and I started studying. In the same way that God was the reason for the prophets' ministry and their lives, God is also the reason for our lives. The power of God's Word drives us forward and motivates us. Without God's Word, just as the prophets couldn't do their work, we can't carry out our own work and live our lives to the fullest.
God loved the world and the people he created, and we are the reason for this love.
That's why he sent his Son to die for us, so that we wouldn't have to suffer the consequences of our sins and be separated from God forever. Jesus' sacrifice and love made it possible for us to be reconciled with God and have eternal life through him. Thanks to Jesus Christ, we can be with God forever.
"Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you."
(1 Peter 1:10, NKJV)
The salvation that the prophets studied and meditated on, which Peter talks about, is all about Jesus Christ, the Messiah that God has prepared for us. Through his Word, God made Jesus the reason for our salvation, and he has saved the world so that we can be with God forever through his love.
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." (John 3:16-17, The Message Bible)
In Christ,
Frankie Kim, Lead pastor
Mar. 09. 2023
I recently moved into a new home and I noticed that the water wasn't very good. I started investigating and realized that the water heater wasn't working properly. While replacing it, I also realized that I needed a water softener because the water in my new home had a really bad smell that just wouldn't go away, even after I took a shower. I ended up replacing the water heater and I am installing a new water softener today, but then I noticed that the drain water pipe wasn't working properly. So I decided to call a plumber to take care of it. Hopefully everything will be completed soon and I'll finally be able to enjoy good, clean water in my new home!
While I was replacing some water-related parts, I started to think about what it really means for us as Christians and where our water comes from. The Bible talks about the significance of water and even mentions odour.
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13, NIV)
"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Cor 2:15, NKJV)
So, have you ever thought about the smell of the water we have, or the water we come across? The Bible actually talks about this. It says that if we dig a well without relying on God, it's considered a sin, and the water we get from it has a rotten smell. But the good news is that we can make it smell good, and that's through Jesus Christ. When we abide in Jesus Christ, and live our lives around Him, we will smell good - the aroma of Jesus Christ. This fragrance will waft to those who don't yet believe, and it can lead them to remember and follow Jesus.
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37-38, NKJV)
In Christ,
Frankie Kim, Lead pastor
Mar. 02. 2023
As I reflect on my childhood memories of church I remember it as a sacred and holy place where I believed God resided. I thought it was not a place for sinners, only the righteous. However, an incident occurred when I was playing in the church chapel with a friend, and we were scolded harshly by a church elder for desecrating God's temple. This incident had a profound impact on my friend, who never returned to church again.
As I pursued my calling to become a pastor, I studied ecclesiology and learned that if the church were only for the righteous, it would disappear. Even those who follow Jesus Christ are not without sin, and it is because of our sinfulness that we come to church. Jesus came to earth to be with sinners, and he did not come to call the righteous but the sinners.
Unfortunately, the perception of the church as a religious organization focused on increasing numbers has led to declining attendance, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the church is not about numbers; it is a place where we gather to worship and exalt Jesus because of who he is and what he has done for us. We come to church because we love Jesus, and we need him.
The church is the body of Jesus, and we must live our lives according to his name. Let us not forget Jesus and let us live our lives in a way that reflects his love and grace. When we do this, the name of Jesus will spread throughout the earth, and the church will continue to be a place where sinners can find hope and salvation.
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” (Luke 5:32, NKJV)
Yours in Christ,
Frankie Kim
Feb. 23. 2023
Questions are important because they are a source of life. Another word for this is curiosity. When someone is curious, it means that he or she has a question about a thing or the world, and it becomes a resource to find a solution or an answer. A question can also become a motivation because people can be passionate when they want to find an answer to something. When I think of Christianity, it can begin with a question about God.
When I first met my wife, I couldn't stop asking questions because I wanted to know everything about her. We met every day after work for three months and eventually got married. Similarly, if we are interested in God, we can have questions and begin to study the Word of God. In the Bible, God says to Israel, "Come now, and let us reason together," says the LORD, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18, NKJV).
When God says "let us reason together," it means we should have questions and answers. God has many questions for us. If we are interested in knowing God, we can eagerly find an answer. However, if we are indifferent to God, we don't want to find an answer. Repentance means that once we were indifferent to God, but now we are interested in knowing Him. Once we were focused on our work, life, and desires, but now our focus is on God's work, a God-given life, and a God-created plan and desire.
Where are our minds and hearts? Let's put our hope in God. Let's change our desires to God's desires. Let's answer what God is doing with God-given questions. It is the faith we should have before God. With faith, we can have the right questions, and we can give the right answers to God.
God does not respond to what we do;
we respond to what God does.
(Rom 3:27, The Message)
Pastor Frankie Kim
Feb. 16. 2023
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (Psalm 34:8)
Do you like to eat food? I love food, especially hamburgers and sausages. When I decided to move to Canada, one of my dreams was to visit local restaurants in Canada for a nice hamburger and sausage. Of course, I moved to Canada to study theology and become a pastor :). Anyway, the reason I love hamburgers and sausages is because I tried the best hamburgers when I was a high school student in South Korea. Because I couldn't forget its taste, I wanted to visit local hamburger bars in Canada. Likewise, when I decided to study theology, it was because I had tasted the love of God from the Bible. The Bible completely changed my life. I didn't know Jesus until I was 22 years old. I didn't know how to live my life. However, when I met the Lord through the prayer meeting, I became interested in reading the Bible and I knew who Jesus was. Then I wanted to know more about Jesus. It led me to a Bible school to study the Bible. And now I'm a pastor in our church.
The writer of Psalm 34 says taste and see that the Lord is good. It's important because we can't change our lives if we don't taste God's goodness. Without the love of God, we cannot find God. I believe God has begun his new chapter at Yorkton Alliance Church. And God has invited us into His place so that we may taste and see His goodness. Let us join in worship to taste His goodness and mercy. Let's praise his glorious name to see his great work. God is always good, and we are in Him. Let us trust him and follow his righteous path. We will see and taste His love and goodness! Hallelujah!
Pastor Frankie Kim
Feb.09.2023
What makes us live What is our identity in God?
These questions have been my motivation since I decided to follow Jesus. I believe in Jesus and he in me. And when I accepted Him as my Savior, Jesus led me on His way with the Holy Spirit. However, I have faced many trials and temptations every day. Also, I have a lot of guilt in my life, even though I'm His child because of Jesus. Looking at my life through my eyes it seemed like a failure, but God tells me I'm not a failure. Instead, he said that he lives in me since he saved me through his son Jesus Christ. It gave me the answer to the first question I have: What makes us live? It is Jesus Christ, our Lord. Besides, it's the grace of God. I won't be able to live without God's love and grace, but God's grace covers me, I could overcome my struggles and I could stand before God. It conveys my identity.
I am Korean and immigrant in Canada. Being Korean, I enjoy Korean culture and food in my daily life. That's because Korean is my identity. Now I have a new identity in Jesus. It's a Kingdom citizenship. If I get citizenship of the kingdom of God, I should enjoy its culture and food. Because my identity is in the kingdom of God, I enjoy the body of Jesus, which we call the church. Because I am a citizen of the kingdom of God, I enjoy the food of the kingdom, which is the word of God. We are God's family. We are Kingdom citizens. So we can enjoy its culture, its style and its food. Let's remember we belong to God. Let's live our lives with Kingdom culture. Let's enjoy the spiritual food that is the Word of God. We are the Church!
Pastor Frankie Kim