Band of Brothers in Christ

New Site

2009-03-16T18:04:00.000-07:00

For Crown & King

this blog is dead...

2009-03-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

you will be notified shortly of our new home... you better blog!

Guy Love

2009-03-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

To my brothers in Christ,

This is my encouragement to us to continue blogging about our thoughts and feelings, our days, and our lives. (Yes, I did the "Days of our Lives" thing on purpose, if you caught that.)

This is also my admonishment to you and to me for not blogging more. I think that this is one of the best ways for us all to know how the rest of the guys are doing, especially because visiting everyone in our relative diaspora is impractical and calling everyone is likewise impractical. Therefore, to spread information about our lives as broadly as possible amongs the guys, this is the most efficient ways, for those of you efficiency-mongers out there.

I don't want people to have any expectations of holy and lofty talk about the grandeur of the glories of God--just be real. If God has impressed on your heart to write about something serious, do so. If, led by the Spirit, you are compelled to write about the many reasons Southern California is better than Northern California, by all means. If, for some perverse reason, you want to let us know the precise odor of your flatulence... have a blast.

Some of you might be opposed to this degradation of our blog... but you're wrong and you should repent. :) Let me explain...

We are called to do all things to the glory of God, even the base and regular things of our mundane lives. We don't have to write solely about spiritual things in order to bless one another. In fact, I'd go as far to say that if you were only to share "spiritual things" and leave out the humanistic elements of your interests, then spiritual bonding is stunted significantly. The thing that got me about the T4G blog is that those pastors are genuinely friends. They enjoy discussing things of the Lord, but they also enjoy the company of each others' families and they share extracurricular interests, as well, albeit, for some odd reason, God has not granted the grace of enjoying sports to John Piper, Al Mohler and Mark Dever. (Let's pray for grace in their lives.) Amongst us believers, all things can be good and beneficial, even our discussion of the mundane. (Now... I must say... please don't write every single day about every little thing that goes on in your life... cuz that's just too much.) But, to digress, the T4G guys care for each other more, because they have a personal friendship and connection with each other, and I think that is precisely how we can maintain and grow our love for one another.

Send up prayer requests but feel free to write about how it totally sucks that UCLA lost to USC in the Pac-10 tournament. Write about how God has humbled you and caused you to repent but don't neglect letting us know about how sick you feel after eating at an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ restaurant. Share with us your struggles and experiences post-college but also share with us the cool things you got to do over the weekend.

Look, I don't want to debase this blog. I don't want to trivialize it. BUT... I don't want people to think that they can only write if they have studied in depth the salvation of all Israel in a dispensational system of understanding the Word. (We will leave that up to Ed.)

Let's enjoy fellowshipping with each other guys. And don't make an excuse that you don't have time... I am in law school--in the library, in fact--writing to you guys. Yes, I'm just trying to distract myself right now and will pay for it dearly later in the semester, but I'm still doing it. You have time! Make sacrifices and love your brothers in Christ. Also, let us love you. Let us know what's going on in your lives and how we can prayerfully keep you in our minds.

Your brother in Christ,

Mitchell J. Kim, Esq.

PS- If any of you are injured in an automobile accidents, give me a call. ;)

Learning

2009-03-07T17:22:00.001-08:00

Just some random thoughts bouncing around my head when I was at work the other day. I find it pretty funny that I want to do more learning now, after I've left the school environment, than ever before. The list of things includes but does not exclude, learning to speak Chinese better, learning to read and speak Korean, learning to do more with the guitar, learning to break dance, learning about photography, learning how to do my work better, and learning how to be a better asset to my company. However, wanting to learn all this stuff really distills into two things, reviewing and memorizing. In order for any of these things to be useful to me, I have to have it inside my head to the point that I don't really need to think about it. (Oh . . . so that's what I was supposed to be doing these last 5 years.)

I recently took up a challenge to join Tim Challies to spend more effort on memorizing scripture. Memorizing scripture has been for me what new year's resolutions to diet and exercise have been for others; I'll get excited about it and do it for awhile but then something will derail me and I'll forget about it for awhile. The difference this time seems to be that at least I have someone reminding me every week to either stay on top of it, or fall by the wayside. There is no waiting for me to catch up.

Anyway, earlier this week I was taking a break at work and reviewing the passage for the past few weeks, Romans 13, and I got to thinking, "Man! I try to memorize stuff all through the day. I memorize products we sell so I know what people talk about. I memorize basketball plays so I'll be effective when playing with my coworkers. I'll memorize translations when I get home. And now in between all that I'm trying to memorize Scripture. Why am I doing all this?" Answer: Oh yeah, memorizing=learning. Scripture memorizing is about learning God's Word to the point that I can use it at anytime. And though I've heard that before, I think it really sank in this time.

So if you're like me, and scripture memorizing flits in and out of your life like the desire to go to the gym, I encourage you to keep at it. How else can you really learn God's Word and store up His words in your heart (Ps119:11).

Life is Short

2009-03-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

Just some thoughts when I was reading Psalm 90 this morning. Life is short, too short to go on complaining about why things don't work out the way we want them to or dwelling on mistakes we've made in the past. It will serve us better to wake up every morning remembering who we really work for and why we work for Him. We don't deserve His grace, but do deserve wrath for the things we've done. And as tough as things get here in life, we're only here at the most 70-80 years, which isn't very far away for us. Remember to redeem the time.

A Prayer of Moses, the man of God.

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

3 You return man to dust
and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are but as yesterday when it is past,
or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
by your wrath we are dismayed.
8 You have set our iniquities before you,
our secret sins in the light of your presence.

9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
10 The years of our life are seventy,
or even by reason of strength eighty;
yet their span is but toil and trouble;
they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who considers the power of your anger,
and your wrath according to the fear of you?

12 So teach us to number our days
that we may get a heart of wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and establish the work of our hands upon us;
yes, establish the work of our hands!

I'm Sick...

2008-10-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

...so I thought the perfect remedy was to listen to some Piper. Just a few things to share because he is cool like that in the way he views our God. Hope it can be of some encouragement to you, in whatever way you would be.

"The longer I preach, the easier words get for me. I am a word-man now after 13 years of preaching and 6 years of teaching before that... Words are my trade. I minister by means of words and they come relatively easy for me. That's dangerous. That's incredibly dangerous. Because you can start preaching on mystery without standing in awe. And you can preach on purity without feeling pure. And you can preach on zeal without spiritual passion... You can preach on God's holiness and not tremble. You can preach on sin without sorrow. You can preach on heaven without eagerness. And a terrible hardening moves into your life because you're so good with this thing called words."

"John Owen was the kind of person... who had climbed so high up the steeps of wonder revealed in the scriptures that he could pull his face up over the ridge to see the ridges. Most people are down here looking up at that first ridge carping at intellectuals trying to understand it. The people who really know how low they are are the ones that climb high enough in biblical revelation to see over the first ridge to the other ones that disappear into the clouds. These people down here who never got to the top of the first ridge--they might be a little impressed--but they haven't even begun to see what Owens saw [when he climbed] and said, 'I haven't even touched it.'"

Just thought it was cool... :)

ah hah!

2008-10-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to post a new post. Sorry, my blogger got changed to chinese when I was taiwan.

I love you all!

I can't believe it's been more than year since we graduated. Even so, Maranatha.

2008-09-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Finally, this current economic crisis just might help Christians to focus on another issue -- retirement. Where in the Bible are we told to aspire to years and decades of leisure without labor? There is nothing wrong with saving for what the world calls retirement. Indeed, that is just good stewardship. Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with workers enjoying the fruit of their labor. But Christians should think of retirement as an opportunity to be redeployed for Kingdom service.

- Al Mohler's Blog, 9/24/08

I imagine most of us have IRAs now, since we're going on 2 years out of college. Good food for thought by Dr Mohler.

Dude! Theology! Yeah!

2008-06-27T15:12:00.000-07:00

Boy, this like 800% more activity on this blog in the past 24 hours than the past several months. Nice.

Today I was beautifully reminded of why I love you guys so much. Pretty much anytime anywhere we can go deep and talk about something meaningful. And a lot of the time something meaningful very quickly transitions into something eternal and glorious.

Caught a quick AIM conversation with a dear teacher friend (hey TW! :-P). We talked about adoption and our inheritance as co-heirs with Christ. Freakin' sweet. Now I'm looking forward to it even more. I'd like to start imagining what it's like, but we already know by definition it'll be impossible for any human mind to adequately dream up how mind-blowing it'll be. Why's that? Because "as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him'" (1Cor 2:9). Oh daaang.

Thanks T-Dubb. God used you to bless my day. Who said talking theology wasn't worship inducing and stimulating to thirsts for Heaven? Oh heck yeah it is. Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

On a related (related because this is something of eternal significance too!) note: Neill is leaving for Wyoming soon. Let's keep him, Chandra, the Davises, and the whole team in our prayers! Lord, please do amazing things over there. May many gaze upon the Fairest Lord Jesus and fall to their knees in repentance, and then rise in worship.

Post-grad Notes

2008-06-27T11:36:00.000-07:00

Really briefly. A few things I've noticed I've struggled through and hopefully learned something about. Take it as you like, and perhaps you will find some encouragement in it.

PS: Congrats on those engagements! Keep 'em coming. I'm free all next summer!!

Submission
For some reason its a lot harder now than it was before. Perhaps that is because it I have a lot more to surrender now than I did before. Before, time was plentiful, my talents were minor, and my perspective was limited. Now, I find myself on a larger stage than just a college campus. And therefore I am more selfish with my time, invest more in my endeavors, and build up grand ambitions. I find it funny that I never thought much of sermons that warned of the dangers that come from seeking prestige, power, or possessions because I never thought I would be in a position to attain such things. But now I have the potential to achieve it, if even on a small scale. And that is enough to get me idolizing and planning, which is one step removed from pursuing. It is scary to realize that my heart is so twisted, it can take the blessings of God (a good education, exciting career choices, and undeserved opportunities) and use them for my own means.
Somewhere along the line the desire for prominence has begun to take a foothold and so it is good be reminded of Christ's emphatic declaration that it shall not be so among His own. The world would have you believe that it is a tragedy for those with our potential and background to achieve anything less than worldly greatness. Such people are labeled as failures who could not attain what was within their grasp. But the real tragedies are those who squander the blessings of Christ for their own gains rather than construct the kingdom of Christ. It is a good desire to come to the end of life utterly used up and exhausted for His glory, but that does not happen unless there is complete surrender of ambition.

Mercy
This too is harder to give than it used to be. And I suspect it has a lot to do with the fact that I am around unbelievers for most of my day. I suppose that it should not be surprising that being around people who are less gracious has made me less gracious as well. Or that I find myself more selfish when I am around those who are insecure and ambitious. It is even easy to resent the world for the way it hardens the heart I've tried so hard to keep soft. But all of this lies contrary to the idea of mercy, which compels one to give it to those who are most in need of it. One of my greatest sins post-college has been the lack of mercy I have shown to others. I forget that mercy does not pity from a distance, but it seeks to restore and heal those who are broken even at great cost. And how often I am surrounded by those who are much to in need of restoration and healing.
And lest we forget why we should show mercy, we must remember that we were shown mercy as well. We too would be lost in our futile ways were it not for God who is rich in mercy. Despite our sinfulness, God was moved to compassion and came near to us bringing full restoration at the cost of His only son. If we are products of God's mercy, how then can we deny mercy to others?

Church
Thank God for the church! One of the many blessings of post-GCC life is the realization that GCC is just one church. There are many other churches with just as much capacity to glorify God. Part of my apprehension about leaving LA was knowing that I would be separated from people who have been instrumental in their encouragement and example. But it would be short-sided and arrogant to think that God's care for me extended only so far as I was around such people. For this reason He has established the local church which is the main body to minister to me. Though I am thankful for the role of GOC people and their contributions are not to be diminished, I realize that they were so encouraging partly because they were acting as a part of my local church. Wherever I am, as long as I am a part of the local church, I am still under God's care and guidance and there is no reason to expect that it will be less comforting than when I was in LA.
Similarly, if we move somewhere, we do not have to feel that we are abandoning anyone to survive on their own without our counsel or encouragement (however flawed). Though friendships will remain, the local church is the main body that is to exhort and counsel them. So the most encouraging thing to hear of others who have transitioned to other places is that they have found a church to commit to and serve in. And likewise, if we move, we should not cling to our old church so much so that it makes us hesitant to dedicate ourselves to another church.

Presumptuous prayers

2008-06-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

Recently, I came across this excerpt from Jerry Bridges book, "The Practice of Godliness". This really made me want to pick up one his books because of his fierce way of penetrating my soul with Scripture. I think a big reason for dryness in my prayer life, and for any Christian, is because of what Bridges explains. For us, I hope this serves as an affirmation of where our prayer is at or exhortation to grow more in this area wherever we are in years to come apart (working, school, ministry, traveling, relationships, marriage, etc.)

"One of the more serious sins of Christians today may well be the almost flippant familiarity with which we often address God in prayer. None of the godly men of the Bible ever adopted this casual manner we often do. They always addressed God with reverence. The same writer who tells us that we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place, the throne room of God, also tells us that we should worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, "for our God is a consuming fire" (Hebrews 10:19 and 12:28-29).

There is a healthy tension in the godly person's heart between the reverential awe of God in his glory and the childlike confidence in God as heavenly Father. Without this tension, a Christian's filial confidence can easily degenerate into presumption.

In our day we must begin to recover a sense of awe and profound reverence for God. We must begin to view him once again in the infinite majesty that alone belongs to him who is the Creator and Supreme Ruler of the entire universe. There is an infinite gap in worth and dignity between God the Creator and man the creature, even though man has been created in the image of God. The fear of God is a heartfelt recognition of this gap-- not a put-down of man, but an exaltation of God."
-The Practice of Godliness, Jerry Bridges, pg. 27

Prayer Request

2008-04-29T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jim, Bethany, Caleb, and the yet to be born.

I don't really check the Gracevine much anymore, but I was talking with Rebecca the other day and found out that Bethany is about to have an induction on May 1st. I just thought I'd mention it here in case you don't read the GV either. In any case, continue to pray for our friends. Plead for the health of the whole family as they deal with sickness. Plead for the safety of the newborn, and plead for Bethany's health and strength during and after the pregnancy. God gives trials not only so that those who struggle will deepen their relationship with Him, but also for the body of Christ to come alongside them, and share the burden with them. May God be glorified in all this.

John 4: Living Water. John 6: Bread of Life

2008-04-12T19:36:00.000-07:00

Can I be honest? I've been lacking in my desire for God this year. Especially when I think about what it once was. Anxiety comes easier. So does impatience, and laziness too. Decisiveness and the ability to lead others to drink deeply from joy in the Lord is a lot more forced than natural. Sometimes I feel sorry for my small group, because I want to masterfully help them drink deep from the Fountain of Delights, but it often ends up being some contrived phrases that I've relied on for years.

But something sparked recently. It was reading John 4 and 6. Water and bread. Thirst and hunger. He who drinks the Living Water and eats the Bread of Life will never thirst again nor hunger again. Well, duh. I've known that for years. But I forget it so easily too. Sometimes there are passages that you stumble upon during your quiet times that explode in your face and bring your heart back into the place it should be: gazing at our great God and pursuing Him with full faith that He will satisfy and never turn us away.

Drink deep, friends. Jesus satisfies :-)

God is good, all the time . . . and everywhere!

2008-04-05T23:34:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

For those of you who are out of the LA area, I've finally graduated :-D. I'm probably most happy that I don't have to take tests anymore. It's kind of weird to not be in that environment anymore, although I just feel like I've been on an extended vacation so far. I went through the usual events when I go back to norcal. First thing is to spend some time in SF :-), which I enjoyed a lot. And after, I went back home to do some yardwork. I have to admit, going home exhausted I didn't really feel like joyfully serving my family. But it was a good lesson for me. All those hours in the quiet outdoors gave me a lot of time for reflection on the current task, and life up to that point. First, I repented for complaining because I really had nothing to complain about. I had the opportunity to do such a small thing for my parents who had spent so much of their energy feeding me and raising me all these years. I also had no reason to complain about weeding, but should have been thankful to have a home at all to take care of. Reflections moved on to the rest of the years, which I have also been very thankful for. I am thankful that I went to the school I did and met you guys. I'm most def thankful to have met Rebecca and that she's put up with me even as she gets to know me better. I'm thankful for the education I've received and for the many late night study sessions to get to know my classmates. I'm thankful for the spiritual lessons I've had, and for a bigger view of God. I guess this is just one of those high points in my life where I can see a little more clearly how far God has led me, and often carried me through the valleys. I hope that this will encourage me to persevere with more hope and faith in God's power in the valleys to come.

I've been in Paris for about a week now, and I'm not so convinced that this is the most romantic city in the world. I do think the buildings are very beautiful and intricate; they're definitely old. One thing I have appreciated more is how much a missionary goes through to move to a foreign land and learn a completely foreign language. I'm fortunate enough to have things like dictionaries and youtube to learn what things mean. But for those who go to a place with no written language, to a people who have had little contact with outsiders, I can see how it must be the love of God that drives them and a love for the lost. I felt so scared coming here at first that I wasn't so sure I wanted to step out the door. I have no knowledge of the French culture or language at all, unless you count the 3 hours I spent listening to French mp3's on the plane ride over. Yet, this trip so far has been a testimony to God's care in taking care of us. We have a place to live, which we didn't have settled until the day we left for the airport. We have gotten great help from people who speak some English when we've gotten lost. We even had a guy who warned us, yesterday, not to go to a district we were planning on visiting in a few days because of criminal activity there (he was a canto guy who owned a Japanese sushi restaurant). And, were it not for the grace of God, we would not have been able to eat all these nights because I often have no idea what I'm ordering.

So I'm thankful for this trip, and the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and just see the grace of God everyday. I'm thankful for this extended time to spend with my parents and to stumble through French together. That's about it for now. We're going to check out a church later today (they don't start till 3PM). Au revoir!

The Ever-Watching Eye of the Conscience

2008-03-24T14:38:00.000-07:00

I was reading the Wall Street Journal recently and found this article in the March 22-23, 2008 issue. I thought it was really insightful in speaking of the power of our consciences:

In law enforcement, this lie-detector paradox is clearly on display. Polygraphy is a centerpiece in an expanding range of parole and probation programs that are designed to dissuade sex offenders and other felons from committing more crimes.
The recent experience of convicted gay pedophile Paul Duncan shows the polygraph's contradictions and, its proponents argue, its promise. Last November, as part of a program in this southern Oregon town to monitor paroled sex offenders, Mr. Duncan sat in a small windowless room in a corrections center with polygraph sensors on his palm, chest, stomach and arm. Under the program, a parolee who fails the test, or admits to parole violations under the threat of a test, can be sent back to prison.
The machine's operator asked: "Have you had sexual contact with a minor during the last six months?"
Mr. Duncan said he hadn't. The polygrapher judged him to be lying. Mr. Duncan was sent to jail for 15 days.
In an interview after his release, the 33-year-old Mr. Duncan said reality had been more complicated. Mr. Duncan said he hadn't, in fact, had contact with a minor. But he admitted he had violated his parole in another way -- viewing online pornographic photos of young males, an activity he says had sparked his past pedophilic episodes. Mr. Duncan says he believes that while the polygraph got the specifics wrong, it revealed a broader truth: His conscience was guilty.
"I didn't disclose my deviant fantasies -- and I deserved to fail," Mr. Duncan said of the test. "Don't believe anyone who tells you polygraph doesn't work."

Although he didn't commit a "crime", he was guilty in that his conscience bore witness to the sinfulness in his heart. It's amazing how the Lord can work to convict hearts. Brothers, let's not ignore the guilt our consciences put on our hearts over our sins. We can lie to the world, but our hearts are laid bare before God and His polygraph--the conscience.

This World Is Grass

2008-03-20T00:19:00.001-07:00

This is an old post that I posted on my own blog in March 2007; I'm not sure if I posted it on our blog, too, but I hope it edifies...

There are so many things that I want from this world. A lucrative career as a sports agent; Beamer; house; snowboarding and golf skills; a Law degree; a Seminary education; a wife who is beautiful, godly, gentle, compassionate, and understanding; three kids minimum, five preferred, all of whom will love baseball; lifelong best friends; sushi; steak; a MacBook. The list just goes on and on.

But as I’ve contemplated these things more and more, I’m beginning to realize how grass it all is. Let me explain a bit… 1 Peter 1:24-25: “All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”

So, again, I say… this world is grass. There is nothing in this world and nothing in my worldly desires that will last. They will all fade and die out like grass. More than that, their actual value is nothing more than commonplace grass. Rather, what is of infinite value is the thing that won’t fade or perish… the “word of our God.”

Then, what does the word of our God tell us. What promises does He offer that cast a shadow in the grass of the world.

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” Matthew 6:19-20
“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’ ” Hebrews 13:5-6

This world is grass and God is my satisfaction. Therefore, I set my heart alongside Habakkuk as he wrote 3:17-18.

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.

Mitchell, sorry for not posting

2008-03-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

I miss you all dearly. dearly. super -dearly.

sometimes, I surf facebook and then see you guys having fun together. It makes me happy and sad at the same time. Mostly sad. mostly.

okay, enough of the pathetic fruitiness.

you guys better all still be Christians.

If you're feeling the apostasy coming, go read Hebrews 12.

Anyway, I'm still in Taiwan and happy, and plan on coming back to LA in mid-June or so.

Don't you all scatter okay. Eat a rack of Kalbi for me and if not kalbi, grill a steak and those who have ears, blow a trumpet.

I love you all dearly, dearly, super dearly.

maranatha!

Pac-10 Honors

2008-03-10T13:42:00.001-07:00

For all of you UCLA basketball fans, check this out:

Pac-10 Player of the Year: Kevin Love
Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year: Russell Westbrook
Pac-10 Freshman of the Year: Kevin Love

Pac-10 All-Defensive 1st Team: Darren Collison, Russell Westbrook
Defensive Honorable Mention: Kevin Love, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute

All-Pac 10 First Team: Kevin Love
All-Pac 10 Second Team: Darren Collison
All-Pac 10 Third Team: Russell Westbrook
Honorable Mention: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Josh Shipp

Quick question: How far will the Bruins go in the Pac-10 Tournament this year?

One last question: If there was a BBQ for the Pac-10 Conference Championship game or the Sweet-16 game, would any of you be down to come over and hang out?

Thoughts on Posting

2008-03-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

I have a few minutes during lunch to post, so I thought I'd write a quick one. I always put off writing because I want to write something profound (which never happens) and long (which always happens).

I've realized that our posting frequency has gone the way of other great staples in our former lives: from Legos to pogs, from buc-buc to random displays of affection, from single Steve Tu to single Tranwei. All these things were once big parts of our lives, but they are but memories today.

And I plead to you... don't let this go! I am at fault especially in neither writing nor reading. But whether it's a short blurb about something funny that went on in your day or a thesis on the ramifications of correctly translating "doulous" as slave rather than servant, I encourage you all to post.

If we all posted just once every three months, we would have something to read about one another about 5-6 times a month.

So, tell us a joke or think of other ideas... in fact... I'm gonna post our class fishing trip on this. Let's post pics and have fun with this guys. :)

I love you all... some more than others... jk.

Your brother in Christ,
MJK

Quick Check Up

2008-03-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

Dude! Where is everyone? Go back to 2006, and people were posting here almost every four days. Well, I hope that's a good sign that everyone is going out, not sitting in front of their computers, and serving God in different ways.

This is one of the quieter Friday mornings I've had in awhile, and it's been really good to just get up and not feel rushed. It's also been really good to just spend some time in prayer with Mike, and during our time of prayer and sharing I had a chance to continue digesting what I had heard from Shepherds' Conference last night. If you didn't catch it, you can read some detailed notes here at the Ding's blog, General Session 5 with Al Mohler. I really love hearing this guy preach because he's hilarious, and his points are also pretty concise. Last night he was preaching on what expositional preaching is and why it is important.

His first three points had to do with God speaking through the Bible. Basically, the one true and living God is the one who speaks, God speaks to His people, and God's people survive by hearing His word. The last point is what pushed me out of my seat (figuratively of course). Preaching is always a matter of life and death. If God's Word is where we have true life, then when we preach it should be God's words that people hear and not just our own. Though the main focus of the sermon was on preaching, since it was directed to shepherds, the application is much broader. Shouldn't this be the way we approach people anytime we teach, correct, reprove, encourage, exhort, comfort, and any other form of communication with others. When we teach in small group or discipleship, do we clearly explain what God's word is saying, not just so that we can say we studied through a book of the Bible, but for people to hear God's voice and live. When we encourage and comfort, do we speak words that we think will sound good to a person through man's thinking, or do we gently remind people of the truth that our GOD is a faithful, true, and loving God who will never forsake us. I'm so thankful that God has given the church great men like those who have spoken this week to clearly explain what God is saying.

TEACH (for america) FOR CHRIST

2008-01-26T20:40:00.000-08:00

(yes, this is the same post i put on my xanga so you don't have to read it twice. haha 2 birds, one stone. or since i'm a teacher now... 2 kids, 1 referral, haha anyway...)

i am teaching for america here in los angeles. if you ask me about how it's going, i usually have a hard time boiling it down and i end up rambling on and on or just saying "it's hard but it's been good". i also have an equally hard time explaining why i ended up doing teach for america if it's so hard. for now, i figure i'll try to at least answer why i'm doing teach for america.

at the start of my senior year, i felt frustrated as i looked at my bookshelf full of christian books--many of which i had not read, and thought about my comfortable bubble of ministry within grace on campus, and compared that to my love for the lost and for the poor. there was a disconnect between my love for God and love for people, especially the kinds of people Jesus would have sought out and loved (the poor, outcasts, and "sinners").

that's when TFA grabbed my heart because it wasn't just a teaching program, it was a social justice movement. it was more than a corporate ladder to climb for wealth and status, it was a corps of motivated individuals seeking to give all children everywhere the opportunity to attain an excellent education, the education they need (haha i've been indoctrinated well if you are a corps member). anyway, i was sold, and the fact that it was hard only made me want to do it more. anything worth doing will be hard, right? i felt like i had been serving in a christian bubble and excused myself from obeying God's commands to remember the poor and made my pure and undefiled religion discussing theology rather than doing what is explained in james 1. social justice was on my heart and TFA was the path i wanted to take to pursue it.

a side note about social justice: i know that anybody's greatest need, regardless of background or socioconomic level, is the gospel, is salvation, is Jesus Christ. and i know that feeding someone or teaching someone math is not the same as sharing the gospel. and i know that the greatest fulfillment of the 2nd commandment to love your neighbor is to share the gospel with them. contrary to the popular quote "preach the gospel at all times, use words if necessary," words are essential to preach the gospel because it is news, a message of what Christ has done for us--not advice of what we must do or an example for us to follow. but to help the poor and oppressed or anyone for that matter is simply a means to strengthen your testimony of the spoken message of the gospel. Jesus did not love to the neglect of preaching, nor did he preach while neglecting the people's physical needs. Jesus as always did both perfectly.

well, lately i've been losing that drive and forgetting why i had signed up for this only to be cussed at by middle school students. thank God that right now i'm in the middle of a 2-month break since i teach at a year round school, and i've had some time to read and reflect. and i came across an amazingly helpful quote at the end of chapter 5 of Knowing God by J.I. Packer. in reference to Christ's humble incarnation and the idea of "Christmas spirit", he writes:

It is our shame and disgrace today that so many Christians--I will be more specific: so many of the soundest and most orthodox Christians--go through this world in the spirit of the priest and the Levite in our Lord's parable, seeing human needs all around them, but (after a pious wish, and perhaps a prayer, that God might meet those needs) averting their eyes and passing by on the other side. That is not the Christmas spirit. Nor is it the spirit of those Christians--alas, they are many--whose ambition in life seems limited to building a nice middle-class Christian home, and making nice middle-class Christian friends, and bringing up their children in nice middle-class Christian ways, and who leave the submiddle-class sections of the community, Christian and non-Christian, to get on by themselves.

The Christmas spirit does not shine out in the Christmas snob. For the Christmas spirit is the spirit of those who, like their Master, live their whole lives on the principle of making themselves poor--spending and being spent--to enrich their fellow humans, giving time, trouble, care, and concern, to do good to others--and not just their own friends--in whatever way there seems need.

There are not as many who show this spirit as there should be. If God in mercy revives us, one of the things he will do will be to work more of this spirit in our heart and lives. If we desire spiritual quickening for ourselves individually, one step we should take is to seek to cultivate this spirit. "You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes be became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich" (2 Cor 8:9). "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:5). "I will run the way of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart" ( Ps 119:32 KJV).

wow, there it is, i needed that not because i think i embody that humble spirit of Christ, but because i want to. and as teaching got harder and harder, and i realized i was not going to be the inspiration for a new blockbuster movie about a young teacher changing kids' lives, i started to forget why i wanted to do this in the first place. but by His grace i'm being reminded and i'm renewing my desire to pursue that mindset and attitude of Christ.

i was utterly poor, but Christ became poor for my sake to make me outrageously rich in Him. now i have the privilege to be a Christian, a mini-Christ, to show people who Jesus was and is by my words AND my actions by becoming poor (not necessarily financially, but emotionally, physically, etc.) for their sakes that they may become rich in God and come to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. so in short: to be like Jesus and to bring others to to Jesus, that's why i teach (for america) for Christ.

Remember Your Creator...

2008-01-25T01:23:00.000-08:00

"For the Lord your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them.
Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it?
Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire as you have heard it and survived?
Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by and outstreteched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?
To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD, he is God; there is no other besides Him."
-Deuteronomy 4:31-35

When I first read this passage it gave me chills. It gave me chills to think that our God is like no other. No one even comes close. Our God has compassion and faithfulness that cannot be found or even conceived on this earth. It is astounding that God should deal with man the way he does.

It gives me chills to think that as awesome as the Old Covenant was, we have a greater and better one. Man in his finite tainted mind cannot believe God's treatment of Israel. Meanwhile, angels in their pure wisdom long to just grasp why God would save sinners such as us. It was an awesome display of favor that God should manifest himself and allow a nation to see his glory and hear his voice. How much more awesome is it that God dwells within us and his Spirit communes with ours? He does not just hand down judgements and statutes as He did on Mount Sinai. But he implants his commands in us and transforms our nature so we desire what He desires. And while God had saved Israel from physical bondage through miracles, He rescued us from a far darker fate through the greatest miracle of all. If in his dealings with Israel, God proved to be like none other, how much more has He shown through His dealings with us that He is above anything we have ever experienced? And furthermore, how can we desire anything more?

Perhaps though it gave me greater chills to think that Israel was not at a moral highpoint at the time this speech was given. While Moses reminds them of God's compassion and favor in this passage, He also reminds them of their rebellion in previous passages. By the end of their wanderings in the desert, they took a census of the new generation and saw that their numbers had decreased since the Exodus. Every death was a reminder that they were under God's wrath for their disobedience. Yet now they are called upon to remember God's goodness to them as they enter the new land. It is God's way of lovingly drawing them near to himself and hardening their resolve to follow him. He reminds them of His goodness to them in the past enticing them to Himself lest they be drawn away by temptation.

And I cannot help but feel that is how God sometimes deals with me. As I reflect upon last year, I see many failures, some of them of the worst kind. Its sadly funny how the world desensitizes my heart to the most base things and dampens my appetite for the purest things. Perhaps that is why this passage gives me chills. That even after millenia of dealing with stubborn and rebellious people, He still proves Himself to be compassionate. And in a loving act that is just as protective as it is disciplinary, He declares who He is and commands that I stay close to Him. That he would do this for a chosen nation long ago is hard enough to understand. That He does this now to undeserving individuals whom he loves is beyond comprehension. What kind of God is this? Who has even heard of such an act? All of this makes certain that there is no other God to serve because there is no other God to desire. Such knowledge pleads with me when I sin to return to my first love. Such knowledge refreshes me when I weary of the Christian life because it assures me that there is no other God I could want. But most of all it brings me to praise simply because I don't know how else to respond to this incomprehensible God.

Some wishes for 2008

2008-01-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

Hey dudes, here are some of my 2008 wishes and prayers.

1. Jesus would return.
2. None of us would fall away.
3. We would fall deeper and deeper in love with Christ, enjoying Him with every fiber of our being every day and looking for His return.
4. We would recognize with even more clarity how sinful we are, and use the Gospel to fight on with all our might, no matter how unsuccessful we may be.
5. At least one of us here would get engaged.

Also, I miss you, Ed.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!`

2007-12-21T13:16:00.000-08:00

Hey i know I haven't posted in awhile ever since my ode to cable poem, but I just wanted to wish all you guys a great Christmas break and Rockin New Years!!! Enjoy the precious time fellas and worship hard into the new year. See some of you guys in 2008!

Luke 6:29...

2007-11-20T08:19:00.000-08:00

Britney Spears

2007-11-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't been writing in a little while and, for those of you who for some reason or another enjoy reading what I have to write, I apologize to all two of you. :)

I want to make a quick answer to Ed Chao's question about biblical context: Yes, it does matter. It doesn't matter to the extent that we set boundaries around the people who have "flawed" exegesis or "wrong" exegesis or "not the same as me" exegesis. People can still be encouraged with a passage taken out of context if their flawed understanding is still in line with the teachings of our Lord, as a whole. However, there is Bible outside of the context of... the Bible. This is rampant from the health, wealth guys to the fire and brimstone guys. The fruit of our studies might have contextual flaws and exegetical flaws, but let's be sure to always hold the truth of God in the highest regard.

Now... to the point of my title... Britney Spears. She's crazy! For those of you who don't know, she's divorced her husband, lost half of her money to him, lost her kids by exhibiting psychotic behavior, and used that publicity to sell millions of CDs. And... I'm sitting at my office with her new CD blasting because my coworkers enjoy it. And I'm thinking... man... it's crazy how crazy Britney is. She is a laughing stock in the world and my coworkers lovingly refer to her as "Britney B!%$&."

And the thing that bugs me the most is that... the course of her life is taking her straight to hell. And all I can think is that... wow... she's a freak. Even though I don't condone her actions... I don't buy her music, I don't atively seek out the latest information about her, etc. But my heart doesn't mourn for her. I disdain the way she acts and the person she is... but I don't cry out for God to save her. Same thing for Paris Hilton... when she got arrested and made a proclamation about becoming a born-again believer. When she stumbles, I don't cry out to the Lord for her.

Now, this isn't a "Let's-Pray-For-Hellbound-Celebrities" posting. This is a... don't hate the world in the sense that we disdain them... hate the world in the sense that we mourn for them. Pray for those who are earning their way to hell even as we speak. Cry for them and beg our gracious Father to show divine mercy again on another sinful heart.

Hey Mitchell

2007-11-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Aren't you supposed to keep this blog alive? hey you busy working people, drop a line.

Blessed!

2007-10-21T11:42:00.000-07:00

Its been about a year, but its still true. Hearts are fickle, though.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

I haven't gotten to talk with all of you. But for those of us who I have gotten to talk to, its been really encouraging, if not just to hear another voice lament how hard it is to keep up faith, hope, and love on this side of heaven. And I'm sure we're all finding out it is hard...harder than anticipated. We may even stumble and struggle.

But go back and exchange all the lies you hear, see, and even act out in the world for the truths above and understand that God is not a liar. Those who are in Christ are truly blessed.

Quick Post Yo!

2007-10-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

Howdy guys,

Just wanted to do a quick post. It's been over a year since I left LA and so much, yet so little has changed.

Changes: Got a girl friend, going to new church, meeting new friends, diffent job, different activities, looking older, and so much more.

Same: God is Holy, I'm still a sinner, God is omnipotent, I'm still weak, God loves me, I still love God, and so much more.

Two thoughts:

1. There is an ever present and over abundance of grace, daily shown to a worthless sinner by the infinite and unchanging God and giver of grace.

2. Though circumstances may change, and God never changes, one change I pray for is that God will change me daily to love Him more.

Lates Yo!

The Bible and Personal Messages

2007-10-04T18:20:00.000-07:00

"Does God speak to people today personally through the Bible when they get they Authorial intent of the passage wrong? For example Jer 29, somebody says 'God was speaking to me, he told me that he has a plan for me and is going to prosper me etc.'The original meaning of the passage speaks of God's promises to Israel and the covenant blessings they are to receive."

I was about to write a blog entry on this question but I decided it might be good for you guys to give it a go.

jmac back in the day

2007-10-02T18:26:00.001-07:00

I can't think of a title

2007-09-26T16:19:00.000-07:00

I don’t usually write blogs so I don’t know how this will come out, but per request by some individuals, I’ll give it a shot. From reading the other posts it seems that it’s been pretty uniform to see that things are different now that we’re all doing our own thing. About half are working, and the other half are going for more schooling. That’s a good sign that people are making plans with their lives according to the desires and opportunities that God has gifted each of us. I count myself as blessed that I can do a little of both with this extra year in undergrad, but here’s a little of what I learned from working this summer.

Serving

It’s been so refreshing to go to so many smaller churches and younger churches this summer in the San Jose area. It’s exciting to hear their plans to keep the body focused through prayer and teaching of the word. They have times to meet together after church for lunch or some kind of gathering where a lot of fellowship and sharing take place. But I didn’t serve in any one place. I hopped around a few different churches (mainly because I was traveling during the weekends and visiting different people) and that made it hard to stay accountable to any one group of people. Even though I haven’t read it yet, I think I understand the concept of “dating the church” a lot better and not settling down in any one place to minister. Serving others consistently in one place of corporate gathering is truly a blessing to all believers.

Word

Going into summer, I had a harder time keeping up in the Word. My regularly scheduled QT in the morning was non existent. The new schedule in waking up early for work and then flipping on the TV when I got back to my apartment quickly took over and I just got plain lazy. And though I still went to church and had some times for evangelism, it all wasn’t as fulfilling as reading the word for yourself, and remembering God for who He is. The Bible really reminds me day to day of the importance in waking up in the morning and remembering that the Almighty God of the universe saved me, and that He deserves every thought and praise in me. I understand more how the Bible is the bread and water we need to live on to keep our souls fulfilled, content, and trusting in His plan.

Work

Man, work was great this summer. I was working for a biotech company in San Jose and I really enjoyed thinking critically about the devices we made. I used a lot of what I learned in college (contrary to what many might say). The people also made work more fun; I loved everyone I worked with this summer. We had a lot of great times going karaoke, small dinners, giants games just to name a few. But the one thing that got to me was how much people like drinking. Haha, wow. Alcohol was included in most events, and though there wasn’t too much pressure to drink, I still felt it. So I’ve been learning to balance when to hang out and when to say no. I held a high priority to spend time with others and God opened some Gospel opportunities. But there were times when it was probably wiser to give up time with them and not put myself in certain situations; there were times when hanging out wouldn’t have been more than just drinking, with empty chatter and conversations that definitely weren’t edifying. This made me think about when I start working full time that we should be spending time with the people we work with. We have to because we might be the only lights they’ll come across. But there’s a time to do it and a time to walk away; when you know you won’t get a decent conversation going even if it’s not spiritual it’s probably best to walk away.

Future

Since I don’t have a job yet and I am trying to make plans for the future, I felt kind of scared toward the end of summer. I don’t know if God wants me to work for the same company I worked at either this summer or last summer. I don’t know if I should be going to more schooling immediately after I graduate, or a few years down the road. I don’t know where I should be looking for jobs. I don’t know if I’ll find research this school year. However, I know that our God is a loving God and that He provides for all our needs. I do know that prayer has been comforting, especially since I’ve been praying more with Bec for the future. And I do know that God’s plan is the best, even if I can’t see the shore right now. I understand that I need to trust in a sovereign God.

So that’s about it for now. School life will be much different this year, but I know from what I’ve learned this summer that it’s a good thing. God will use it to keep changing and molding me. He will continue teaching me to trust in Him and that I need to depend on Him for all things.

Falling Away and the grip of God.

2007-09-24T19:48:00.000-07:00

I'm a couple thousand miles away from you guys living essentially by myself in an apartment where I can lock myself away and live how I want without anybody looking. But you know what's so strange. And I mean this is really strange. I can't seem to live like I pagan...i mean, like a prodigal. I can't seem to get myself to give in to temptations, or leave the fellowship of the church or enter a season of wandering. My spirit will simply not have it. There is a chamber in my heart that just will not be forfeited to the power of sin. Even if I do begin to fall into sin or give up a measure of holiness, I just can't give up knowing and walking with the Lord Jesus. I must say again, it is strange. Even when I feel like a traitor, I cannot walk away from Him. I have to come back. I have to surrender.

A year ago, I prayed a simple prayer which I asked God to answer if there was only one prayer he answered for me. As such, it was a prayer of unbelief and fear. I had just broken up with Shirley and was in the darkest part of depression when I said it. I repeated it many times because I was so scared that I didn't mean it when I said it. But it was simply this, "Lord do not let me go."

Against all odds, to this day the prayer has been answered. He will not let me go, and so I cannot go.

It is my hope that you are all gripped by God. You will never fall away if He has closed his hand around your heart. But as you live, seek the path of godliness by which you make certain your election and calling. In so doing you will never fall away.

Schedules and activities may come and go, Bible reading may slip, memorization may be pushed aside, and prayer may become pathetic, but Jesus is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Though you may not see him, he walks beside and upholds your heart. Every day, He speaks eternal life to your soul, and teaches wisdom in the secret heart. And there is in us, a sense of understanding, of the reality of the invisible God. The Scriptures say, "Do not refuse Him who is speaking." But the child of God in his heart will always in the end reply "I cannot refuse You Lord."

Trusting In The Road Ahead

2007-09-23T16:26:00.000-07:00

I experienced tremendous growth during my college years. Those are times that I look back on with fondness and, until recently, much perplexion. Most of my Christian life and, thereby, most of my Christian growth, occured during four years in college. Yet, in analyzing my own life as well as the lives of many of my graduated brothers, this post-graduation time, which was supposed to be filled with years of fruitful ministry have been time of spiritual difficulties, to various degrees.

This was perplexing to me because I never understood what made my class of brothers and sisters no different from other classes before us. I've heard stories of older classes graduating and falling away from the Lord. But not my class, I thought. I know that many in those classes were seen as godly, but I KNEW my class. We WERE Christians... we weren't trying to trick others or put up a holy image. My brothers, especially, loved the Lord and struggled with sin as they sought to find greater delight in God. I knew my guys and I knew that they wouldn't shrink back from their profession of faith. But I just didn't understand...

This is an idealistic, yet relatable, schedule for the typical GOC-er by his/her senior year:

Monday
- classes
- meet up with small groupie for lunch
- prayer meeting
- worship team practice
- read Piper/MacArthur book

Tuesday
- classes
- meet up with small groupie for lunch
- meet up with a classmate for fishing
- prayer meeting
- apartment prayer meeting
- study Romans

Wednesday
- classes
- fishing with GOCer
- tabling time
- prayer meeting
- small group

Thursday
- meet up with senior staff for breakfast
- classes (including Gospel Choir)
- prayer meeting
- meet up with small groupie for lunch
- meet up with small groupie for dinner
- study systematic theology
- ministry team meeting at night

Friday
- no classes
- prayer meeting
- fishing at the Bear
- welcome team meeting
- Grace on Campus
- After Fellowship Fellowship
- Skid Row Ministry

Saturday
- study for small group
- GOC basketball
- GOC brunch after basketball
- class prayer meeting
- sleep early because Sunday morning begins on Saturday night

Sunday
- big service
- Crossroads
- stay at church afterwards to study the Bible
- evening service

Now, obviously, this schedule is exaggerated, but I think that we can all find some of ourselves in such a schedule. And this is where my class was no different and no less susceptible than other classes. Our every step had been laid out for us. I knew what to do by following the example of my small group leader and the older people in the class above me. They knew what they were to do by following the people above them. Everyone knew what their present year and their next year was supposed to look like because the example was set before them.

And that is one of the strong points of Grace on Campus, yet that is one of the points that have many of us confused now. What do we do now? Where do we go next? What does ministry look like at work? What does ministry look like away from 300 souls sold out for Christ? What does ministry look like at a home church that is not as set as GCC? What does life look like when no one tells us what our next step is?

I'm not sure if you all can relate or agree with what I'm thinking and feeling, but I'm thinking that at least some of you do. Life after GOC is hard. Simple tasks are difficult and simple encouragements are hard to come by. Work is tiring and our life is less accountable to those around us.

But through it all, God is faithful to grow us in these experiences. Despite it all, God is kind to remind us of our greatest delight in our relationship with Him. The road ahead of us is no longer clearly set before us, but the God we worshipped in college is the same God we worship now. And where GOC was good for us because it taught us to love the Word and to seek after ministry, life outside of GOC is good for us because, in some senses, we're back at square one. But the hard life and the difficult journey has been promised us in Matthew 16. We must deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow our Christ. It was a lot easier to do that when we looked to our left and our right and saw familiar faces running with us. And although our legs might be wearied now and our hearts might be discouraged, the road is straight and the end is near. Our next steps might not be as clearly laid out for us as it once was, but we know that the final step will lead to eternal rest in our Lord. So, brothers (and sisters, for those of you who read this), trust that the road clearly set out by Scripture will lead us to glory and don't worry about our left and our right. Set your sights on Christ and we will pass through the dark unknown and rejoice with one another in eternity.

teaching is hard

2007-09-06T18:22:00.000-07:00

hey guys

this has been the busiest summer of my life, and it has been tough. i've been teaching for just over a week now (i started on aug 29). i'd to tell yall more, but for now, just the quick and dirty facts.

6 periods, 178 students, 7th and 8th grade (pre-algebra and algebra), no A/C in my room (i'm not one to complain, but it is ridiculous and unbearable some afternoons).

yes, there are some students who are more... difficult than others, but what has been so cool is meeting those students who really want to learn and have a desire to succeed in school. one student told me he wants to go to ucla and his dad took him to a football game last year. it has been harder than i thought it'd be, but also so rewarding.

spiritually, please pray for me, cuz i'm tired, busy and stressed out most of the time. bible reading and prayer has gotten REALLY difficult because i keep falling asleep.

but yeah, all in all, i've been loving it and my administration has been so supportive. hope to hear from you guys soon, cuz i wanna know how yall are doing too. :)

alive and well in taiwan; the talk of the town

2007-09-02T23:31:00.001-07:00

Steve: so luke 21:1-4

acc to JMac

is not about giving. At all.

Ed: haha

so Jmac style

Steve: tchyeah

haha

Ed: pull the carpet

Steve: contrarian baby

hahaha

Ed's still alive and kicking (and getting fobbier by the minute) in Taiwan. Pray for our brother, he's away from home :-)

Hi you guys

2007-09-01T03:32:00.001-07:00

I miss you all a lot. I was right, it IS lonely here.

pray for my passion if you will, Jesus is the same yesterday, today , and forever regardless of the place. you guys better not be slacking off over there.

-_-

Resolved 2008

2007-08-25T22:54:00.000-07:00

I know that this is far away, but I was just wondering who was going to Resolved. I was hoping we could do something of a one-year reunion at that time for all of the Class of 2007. I guess it's just my moment of missing you guys. Hope that you are all doing well and going strong. :)

One idea for Resolved... how bout we go and rent ATVs to go around Joshua Tree National Park. :)

Pray For The Saints Across the Globe

2007-08-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

I was just reading an email update from a pastor I know in Jordan. God is doing amazing things with him in planting dozens of house churches and having a hand in the conversion of many. In his emails, he updates me on the ministry that goes on, but always makes an emphasis on how his ministry needs to be propelled by prayer. Here is just a snipbit of what he asked specific prayer for:

"A young Muslim believes sin and good works can cancel each other out, yet he listened carefully as a believer explained that any sin is immeasurably heavy compared to any good deed, and that God removes the weight of sin only through Jesus."

I just thought it was worded so clearly. "Any sin is immeasurably heavy compared to any good deed." Pray that those words would weigh heavy on the hearts of those being evangelized all over the world. And, for those of you blessed with opportunities to present the gospel to others... you can jack the wordage, cuz it's pretty sweet.

Building A Burning Body of Believers (The Church That is On Fire for the Lord)

2007-08-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

I never really gave this too much thought, but the past few weeks got me to think. My head pastor, David, was in Myanmar for the past few weeks and the church ran smoothly. This is not something that shocked me, but it was just an observation I made. The church did not disband, chaos did not ensue, and the believers, for all I know, did not stumble greatly and abandon their God.

Rather, things at church and with the believers went as normal. Now, this is not to diminish the importance of Pastor David or his ministry as the shepherd over the flock. Nor is it praising the role of the College Ministry pastor, Mike, although he was an able shepherd in the absence of Pastor David. Moreover, this is my observation on what is truly important in the church—that is, the walks of the individual members of that local body.

You see, it does not matter whether Pastor David is preaching or whether Pastor Mike is preaching. Or, to put it into the context of my time at Grace Community Church, it does not matter whether John MacArthur or Rick Holland or Justin McKitterick is preaching or shepherding the flock. That is because, although the shepherd is responsible over his flock, the main responsibility for your spiritual walk and for mine is placed on you and me. We are responsible for the well-being of the church because no matter how good a preacher is, the church will remain weak and fragile as long as the members do not apply the truths taught and mature as Christians.

This is something that is highly encouraging to me because, as Pastor David was preaching today at church about 1 John 2:18-27, I was caught by the words of verse 27. It is the Holy Spirit that teaches individual believers and, although the Holy Spirit works through the preaching ministry of the pastors, He works in other ways in the lives of believers. Therefore, it is up to each individual to seek the Lord and remain sensitive to the convictions brought on by the Holy Spirit about the sin we need to lay aside and the righteousness we need to pursue.

So, for whoever is reading this, I implore you that in order for you to attend a strong church, you must grow to be a strong Christian. It is not that pastor that makes the church, but you make the local church what it is. Seek the Lord and encourage others in the church to do the same. If you have an entire church that is hungry to hear the word of God and sensitive to apply it, then you will have a church that will be on fire for the Lord.

Practical Advice from Phil Ryken, pastor of 10th Pres in Philly

2007-08-03T14:43:00.000-07:00

If there is one practical principle that Lisa and I would insist on for marriage it is the absolute necessity of resolving any conflicts the same day they occur. We have taken Paul’s words to the Ephesians very literally: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil” (Eph. 4:26-27). In order to prevent Satan from ever getting the chance to divide our partnership, we have sometimes stayed up late into the night. But in twenty years, by the grace of God, we have never gone to bed without being totally reconciled.

Something (or more accurately, Someone) far better

2007-07-23T21:21:00.000-07:00

Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
(1Tim 6:6-10)

I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
(Ps 16:2)

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply...
(Ps 16:4a)

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(Ps 16:11)

When considering how life could be like when I grow older (if I grow older - that is to say if I don't die first, James 4:14 in mind), it's tempting to look forward to those things and think they'll satisfy me. To name a few: marriage, children, grandchildren, comfortable house, Honda S2000, vacations, skis, gadgets. The anticipation of some of those things could sinfully blossom into idolatry and banking some kind of hope of satisfaction onto it. Now, obviously, I'll probably get some (obviously not all. An S2000? Please. That's fun, but clearly a waste of the resources that we've been stewarded with) of those things, and a couple of other undeserved, unneeded worldly amenities, but that's besides the point. The focus right now is on the anticipation of things I may have in the future, and the potential for placing a hope of satisfaction on them.

Clearly, such a looking for satisfaction in such things is a surefire way to be sorely disappointed, and even endangering to the soul. I remember a Future Grace sermon by Piper saying Jesus has far more warnings about the dangers of riches and attachment to the world than warnings about lust. Think about that. Lust is already bad enough of a problem, and for most of us the love of money is a struggle that's still mostly unfamiliar. Uh oh. That's a scary thought. Father, help us, we're powerless without Your grace!

The Scriptures are abundantly clear. Psalm 16:4a says the sorrows of idolaters will multiply. That's something like, PI_PRODUCT(sorrows^n,n,1,infinity) where sorrows > 1. A pretty ugly picture. Excuse the math, but I think it gets the point across pretty vividly[1]. 1Tim 6:6-10 talks about the love of money being the hatchery from which swarms of evil comes from, and that those who give themselves over to such desires are setting themselves up for the fall. Like getting impaled with a bunch of spikes, only it's your soul, and the consequences are eternal.

Thankfully, there's a ravishing, captivating alternative. Mmmm... God prescribed cure: the unspeakable gift of Himself. It's positively mind-blowing when you think about the good side of "I have no good apart from you," which very much implies that there's AMAZING good to be found in a rich, vibrant relationship with Yahweh. Or how about Ps 16:11? We all know and love that one, and I'm no exception. My favorite verse, actually. So good. And that's the tip of the iceberg, when you consider that right now we're beholding through a sub-optimally reflective surface, and that one day we'll see face to face (1Cor 13:12, Rev 22:4). Sooo crazy. Oh my God, You are far too gracious to us.

Okay, so after running through that, I'm not so terribly excited about the future anymore. Not that I'm not excited, but that there's a far greater Excitement overpowering it. I'm terribly excited for the Future now.

Indeed, come quickly, Lord Jesus. Take us home. We're tired of this place, and we want to spend eternity making much of You by delighting in You. Until then, help us to shine like halogen lamps and salt like extra-strength Kikkoman (Matt 5:13-16).

Maranatha!

1. For those not mathematically inclined, PI_PRODUCT is similar to the SIGMA_SUMMATION where you add up the things inside the function, only PI_PRODUCT is multiplying. So instead of 2 + 4 + 8 + 16 + etc, you have 2 x 4 x 8 x 16 x etc. Gets big a lot faster. Definitely don't want that kind of build up when it's a bad thing, see? If all of that went over your head, you can just think of the Snowball Effect. Same idea.
*This post was cross-posted from my Xanga

Where will you be, and what will you be doing?

2007-07-19T17:35:00.001-07:00

Feel free to edit this entry, add names and fill in the spaces:

Ed: taiwan, studying Chinese
Steve: Westwood, going to school
Mitchell: Westwood but not at GOC, full-time for TimeWarner Inc
Harrison: Westwood, ???
Jeff: Westwood, ???
Tranwei: Monterey Park, Teach for America
Peter: Westwood, ???
Matt: Monterey Park, full-time for Raytheon
Tanger: Washington DC, attending tGWU
JohnChen: The five-one-oh (Fremont, duh!), full-time for PwC
JoshChen: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, going to school
Beland: Westwood, full-time for East West Bank
AndrewShing: Westwood, going to school
Yuming: Westwood, full-time for PwC
Darryl: Castro Valley (the other 510), going to school at Berkeley
MikeLing: Westwood, going to school
Aliu: Westwood, going to school
Neill:
Vu: Westwood for Fall quarter, going to school; going back home to Corona afterwards
DanKrauth: Westwood, going to school
Chris Cheng:
Howard Wang: Westwood, going to school

Learning Where to Stand

2007-06-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

I suppose that if you asked me where I wanted to end up after college, I would not have this picture in mind. As is I have a degree that testifies to little more than the ability to wield a pipette and I have just had to let go of that job prospect I had pursued. Neither had I lived up to those expectations of leaving college buffer, better looking, and dating. Not quite success if you ask me. But freshmen year taught me that success is not measured by results but by faithfulness. By this standard I would have to say that these past few years have been an immense success. Once again, it is not because of my own faithfulness but it is God's faithfulness to keep me faithful. Over the past four years he has taught me to respond to his goodness with my own faith and trust and rejoice in it. Looking back there are many places where I have gone wrong, but by God's grace I did not go too far astray. I was always brought back and even brought forward.

When I first came to college I knew there would be lots of adjustments to be made: socially, academically, personally, etc. But I didn't figure that I would have to make a huge adjustment spiritually. I didn't think I had a lot of growing to do. I knew the Gospel, grew up in the church, and upheld the Christian standards as best as could be expected. There was not a whole lot that I felt I was lacking in, and thus there was not a whole lot that I thought people had to offer me, least of all Grace on Campus. I had never grown up loving the church or the people who made up the church body, and I didn't feel compelled to do so upon entering college. And to make it even less attractive, people seemed so in love with theology which seemed so inaccessible and unappealing. I carried this attitude more or less throughout freshmen year, and somewhat even into sophomore year.

It wasn't until I started to witness to friends when I realized that human effort and wisdom are totally inadequate that I began to embrace the doctrine of election. I then learned that the implications of doctrine are just as important as the declaration of the doctrine itself. Once I began to accept the doctrine of election, I began to understand what it meant to be a sinner incapable of shunning sin and turning toward God on my own. All before, I had been putting myself out in front of grace downplaying its role in my life and relying on my own sense of righteousness to validate myself. After accepting and embracing the doctrine of the sovereignty of God, I finally understood that my self-glorifying view of myself had to go.

I wish I could say that I learned the doctrine of sovereign grace correctly the first time, but I didn't. Rather than embrace grace as a gift to sinners, I shunned it as something I should not deserve. Just as I was getting in the thick of ministry, I developed a hypersensitivity to failure eager to point out faults in my own life. When it came to sin or inadequacies, I would be harshest on myself not letting myself feel forgiven unless I had given myself a spiritual beating. It was the symptom of a legalist as described by Tim Keller (thanks Tranwei) that hopes to shame himself so he will not sin the next time. Nothing done by myself was good or acceptable. There were times I was so afraid to get involved in ministry and relationships lest I break them. Yet such a perspective, which is damaging to my spiritual life and those of others, is actually false pride. Humble sinners should not lag behind grace too proud to make use of it, but should get close to it and marvel at it. Humble sinners understand that they have nothing good in themselves, but they should also understand that God provides the means to bring about his good works through them.

Gradually God taught me how to have this new perspective and be eager and hungry to use the means He gives us to run hard after Him. Older mentors, younger brothers, ministry, church, sermons, roommates, shepherds, pastors, and friends are all means of grace that God gave me so that I could learn to put off sin and strive toward a deeper love for him. My life has been littered with evidences of God's grace and goodness, and I have just begun to understand that they are too valuable to overlook. So, thanks for all of those who have been to me a means of grace. God has taught me so much through you. Unfortunately I just learned how to appreciate you, but I thank God that I did learn. And He was so good even to fix the mistakes I had in failing to appreciate such gifts.

So in closing, I am not leaving with much. But if I leave only with the lesson that I need to stand neither behind nor in front of God's grace, but right alongside it, it will all be worth it. I have resolved to not leave it but to cling to it and enjoy it because there is no other way to live. I gotten a taste of the alternatives and I can safely say that I cannot live that way. Sorry, if this is rehash of Phil Johnson's message two weeks ago, but I have been learning it for the past four years. Yet, I know that this is only the beginning of a larger lesson, and I am excited to work out its implications. And I know that I am not the only one who has been learning this lesson. To see some of you be taught by God alongside me has been encouraging, and I am all the more excited to see you guys later and rejoice over the ways God will continue to grace you in your lives.

Spurgeon Reincarnate?

2007-06-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

dude... was it just me, or was charles spurgeon preaching at big service this morning?

Mitchell's Senior Testimony

2007-06-07T17:03:00.000-07:00

Jesus answered, “The Foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength’” (Mark 12:29-30).

In my four years at Grace on Campus, I’ve learned from many different brothers and sisters who have encouraged my walk in the Lord. Many of them were vastly different, but a general thread ran through all of their lives. They loved the Lord and they loved Him hard. One of the things that my close brothers and I always told each other is to “run hard.” This charge comes from two main texts, in my mind. First is 1 Corinthians 9:24-27: “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.” There is intensity, perseverance and, yea, even violence to the Christian life. You will discipline your life and regiment your hours in order to redeem every last minute for the glory of God. You will gouge out your eye and cut off your hand to fight sin and when you run with your last gasping breath into glory, you will be beaten, bruised, and exhausted. Yet, there is a reason for such blood, sweat and toil.

There is a reward at the end of the Christian’s journey; that reward brings me to my second passage, Colossians 3:1-4: “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.” As Christians, you will fix your gaze on glory and never lose sight of the reward. The Christian walk requires an abstinence from sin and a disciplined resolve for holiness. When your eyes fall away from Christ, your life falls towards hell. This is my understanding behind the charge to “run hard.” So, I have run hard and I have fallen hard. The harder I try to run, the more things I find in my life that would distract my gaze from the Lord, if but for a second. In my four years at GOC, I’ve drawn closer to God in a way that was unfathomable to my limited intellect before college. But I’ve also fallen in sin in ways and in times that destroy my heart. So, the charge is to run hard after the Lord. Run, undeterred, toward the arms of our glorious God and do not, even for a moment, let your eyes be scintillated by any unrighteous thing of the world.

This brings me back to the original passage that I wanted to focus on—Mark 12. Love the lord your God with your all! This is an all-encompassing love that Jesus speaks of, yet it is necessary to break it down to various parts in order to more fully understand how we fall short in each aspect. First, we are to love God “with all your heart.” The heart is not about engaging God with our emotions, but about engaging God with our intellect. “For as he thinks in his heart, so he is” (Proverbs 23:7, NKJV). It cannot be coincidence that loving the Lord with our minds is the first thing that our Lord puts on this descriptive list. I do not love the Lord with my mind. I feel like this is the way in which I fall short the most. The reason why we are to love God with our intellects first and foremost is that, from our understanding will breed a correct love in the soul, mind and strength. My freshman year, I loved to fellowship, but I did not love the Lord with my mind. My sophomore year, I loved serving, but I did not love the Lord with my mind. My junior year, I loved ministry, but I did not love the Lord with my mind. My senior year, I still do not love the Lord with my mind. My love for God is so conditional because I do not love His Word. Sure, there are times when I delight in it and am convicted of it. But the sin in my life can be attributed to my apathy toward His law and His promises found in the Scriptures. I want to love the Word and, by grace, I will love it more and more as I realize my human frailty. I am absolutely dependant on the Word, but I wish I was convicted of that all the time. I am sure that I have grown in my love of His Word over these past few years, but every time I hear John MacArthur or John Piper preach, I am put to shame. It is not their intelligence that makes their sermons so powerful, but it is that fact that they love the Lord with their intellect and devote their lives to straining their minds with the awesome truths of Scripture.

I was taught the high value of Scripture during my first two years in small group. In studying Systematic Theology and going through intense times of exegesis, I was totally humbled at my lack of love for the Word. It wasn’t that I didn’t do my homework; on the contrary, I did not homework every week and enjoyed doing it. What humbled me was that I did the minimum; I learned something new in small group every week because of spiritually older brothers who brought up questions and perceived truths that were unbeknownst to me. But I never loved the Word enough to search through the Scriptures afterwards like a Berean. I did not thirst after the Word or long for the pure milk of the Word. My soul did not “seek [God] earnestly” and I could not say that “my soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). I was not satisfied with the marrow and fatness of the Lord, especially the things about Him found in Scripture. But, by grace, I have grown in my desire for the Word. However slightly, I have grown in dependence to it and love for it. And, by grace, I will continue to love His Word more and more. I must remember that the Word has truth for everything pertaining to righteous living and I must never make a habit of ignoring the truth. The second, third and fourth points of loving God with my all will be taken care of if I truly love His Word and desire to live by it and to be sensitive to its’ convictions. If I love the Lord with my mind, I will love the Lord with the emotions of my soul; my emotions will be stirred by the truth of the Word that I read. If I love the Lord with my mind, I will love the Lord in volition and action; my life will live in a way that reflects and applies truth. If I love the Lord with my entire mind, I will love the Lord with all my physical strength.

This is my charge to myself, and you can take it to heart, if you so choose. Love the Lord with all your mind. From this will flow a love for the Lord in all of my life. I leave you with the text that Dr. Barrick used in this year’s Masters’ Seminary graduation.

O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for they are ever mine. I have more insight than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth! From Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way (Psalm 119:97-104).

If I spoke at Spring Retreat.... =)

2007-05-30T14:36:00.000-07:00

To be honest, this has been something on my heart for a good amount of time, maybe ever since seeing the senior testimonies our sophomore year. Alas, like many things I chickened out, but now that Tranwei has asked, well, I'm not above telling. =)

I've always wanted (and now am telling, I guess) to say thank you. When I first became a believer, both Peter and my friend Christine said that life would be different now, that I would have a new family. Of course, I brushed it off, believing that it was just one of those sayings and not really putting much thought into it. I can still remember hearing Peter's shouts in the parking lot of 424 Kelton and I could not understand it.

At GOC, wow everyone was so nice. After becoming saved, I looked around, there you guys were, family, yet I felt more like an adopted teenager, fully formed and among strangers. Yet, here I am now, among brothers, truly brothers, who have caused me to grow towards the Lord immeasurably. We've stayed up late together, we've played board games together, we've talked about girls together, we've discovered more about God together. No longer do I look at GOC and see a bubble not to be in, but I see GOC as a bubble that I long for and that is because of you all. No more wishing to not succumb to the pressures of too- GOC, but just the wonderful fellowship of brotherhood. Yes, Peter was once again right, that in a way, it is all about the brotherhood. In fact, we were actually talking about this subject, that God has placed people in the lives of His elect, so that they might be nurtured and grow towards Him. A very novel thought to me, but then, I looked at what we have and I marveled at our God.

Thus, my thoughts and advice to those younger than us... to enjoy this brotherhood. Even in my former pagan lifestyle, though I had friends who I've known and befriended for 12 odd years, I've known nothing like this. I guess, that's what happens when you live with some people, yelling at them to do their dishes all the time, but even more so, these spiritual relationships are unique and so, enjoy. Running hard with brothers... and I guess some sisters =), isn't that the point? While not all points were enjoyable, they have all turned out to be wonderful.

And, to all of us, I guess this just goes back to my testimony, to my past life as a wretched wretched pagan. As Justin always said, to watch your doctrine and your life. I am the best example of watching your life. All my life before, I was always quite skeptical to Christianity, Derrick and Christine would say, hostile to it. But, it was always the uniqueness of some Christians in my life. I remember how strange it was that she would go to Bible study or to church everyday instead of hanging out with her friends like I would. So strange. And then, when I went to college, I met Peter and he had been to Africa for missionary work. It blew my mind that anyone would ever longingly go to Africa. There's nothing there besides malaria and lions and disease and death and desperation and etc. etc. After finding this out, I remember remarking to my mom, that this guy had a great God. So, I guess the moral of my story is simple: watch your life. They are watching. And by they, I mean unbelievers surrounding you. They notice what you do and what you don't do. They have eyes, they can see. Who knows, your life can share the Gospel with someone and lead them to repentance. You could save someone, someone like me.

3 questions for yall

2007-05-27T18:29:00.000-07:00

yo,

it was super encouraging to hear everyone who got to share during senior night at retreat. my only regret is that we didn't get to hear from more of our class, so... for everyone who didn't share--or even if you did, but you want to share some more--what would you have shared to the group?

and then i was thinkin about the baptisms and i realized i don't know how a lot of you guys became christians especially if you got saved before college. so, how did you become a christian?

and then i was thinkin, some of us have just finished leading 1 or 2 years of small group, and if i could go back in time to sophomore year i would want to give myself a lot of advice. so for the benefit of those who will be leading next year for the first time, what advice would you give??

so let's hear your answers, and i will answer these soon as well:

#1 - what would you have shared at spring retreat?
#2 - how did you become a christian?
#3 - what advice would you give to a new small group leader?

bailamos

2007-05-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

tonight we dance.

Dr. Jerry Falwell...

2007-05-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

Have any of you guys read the article that Al Mohler wrote on Falwell in the Washington Post. For those of you who don't know Falwell... he's the face of the Christian Right that advocates moral Christian issues such as the struggle against homosexuality and abortion. He recently died and Mohler wrote an article on him.

I was surprised by two things... first of all, in reading Mohler's article of that man, I've gained a whole other view of Falwell from the impression I got about him in my political science class. I originally learned that Falwell was a hatemonger that gave Christians a bad name as hateful bigots. But Mohler paints another picture of a man who stood up against sin, but continued to place the importance of God's grace in the salvation of sinners through Jesus Christ. I trust the work of Mohler and although I'm sure that Mohler probably made some... harsh... comments over the years, his general heart was for the maintenance of morality in America and for the salvaiton of sinners.

Second, I was surprised by the response of so-called Christians to the article by Mohler. Non-Christians cussed out Mohler and Falwell for propogating homophobia and gay-bashing. This is expected. But I was surprised by the condemning tone of "Christians" who replied to unbelievers as "sodomizers" and other derogatory comments. This convicted my own heart of the necessity to tame my tongue and watch what I say. Not only that, but to watch over the state of my heart; I must hate sin, but never come over sinners in a haughty way as having earned something that they are too depraved to get. Let's remember, brothers, to maintain our testimonies in love and purity whether we're among unbelievers or just hanging out amongst ourselves.

PS- Look forward to hanging out with you all during retreat. It'll be our last prayer meeting.

so.

2007-05-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

when are we gonna hang out as a class again? The beach trip fell through apparently, but the guys should still get together.

God is good

2007-05-11T12:57:00.001-07:00

God is good. Just, a simple reminder for us, especially for me. It just feels better when its out there.

The Christian is not ignorant

2007-04-23T23:15:00.000-07:00

One of the few men who truly lived in but not of the world, as wise as snake but as innocent as doves is the recent Dr. Francis A Schaeffer. Few have presented the modern Christian with the same level of cultural acuity.

Many of us today are very poor at reading and understanding English. Hopefully you will have the patience and the capability to both read and understand the following quote.

Schaeffer writes with piercing insight.

" In our modern forms of specialized education there is a tendency to lose the whole in the parts, and in this sense we can say that our generation produces few truly educated people. True education means thinking by associating across the various disciplines, and not just being highly qualified in one field, as a technician might be. I suppose no discipline has tended to think more in fragmented fashion than the orthodox or evangelical theology of today.

Those standing in the stream of of historic Christianity have been especially slow to understand the relationships between various areas of thought. When the apostle warned us to 'keep [ourselves] unspotted from the world,' he was not talking of some abstraction. If the Christian is to apply this injunction to himself he must understand what confronts him antagonistically in his own moment of history. Otherwise he simply becomes a useless museum piece and not a living warrior for Jesus Christ.'

In short, Christians must learn to think, and not just think in a theological vaccum. He must learn to think in the midst of a socio-cultural current, with an understanding of what has come before, what lies ahead, and how fast we are moving there. Imagine we are walking upon a forest road. In order to preserve ourselves from stumbling and injuring ourselves we must become acutely aware as to the sort of road we walk upon, watching for pitfalls or changing conditions.

The world is changing, has changed, and will change. Though Jesus Christ is indeed the same yesterday, today, and tommorow, his antagonists are not.

God is good...all the time....especially now

2007-04-20T09:07:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest and most constant struggles has been to realize the sufficiency of God and admit my own insufficiency. In fact, I think most, if not all, of my posts on this blog have reflected that. And its not because I am an expert in the matter, but rather because God has decided that I must continually be a student in this area. I guess that's just a consequence of being a slow learner. But these past couple weeks have been an exceptionally well taught lesson. These past few weeks have been a struggle characterized by various struggles. There's the struggle between me and my fellow brothers and sisters which can weigh heavily on my heart, and that is good because it brings about convictions and change. And then there's the struggle between me and God himself, which just sucks the life out of me like none other. To wrestle with God is a tiresome task, but though I come out exhausted I come out with more confidence in His strength and goodness.

Let me explain what I mean. The biggest struggle these past few weeks has been the struggle with uncertainty. There is nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than the thought of not knowing what lies ahead or where I am going. I made a decisions last week, and while I made it with an informed mind and the advice of godly people, it still made me uncomfortable because it involved risk. I decided to forgo the "safe" option for something that seemed better, but it required me to let go of control for a time being. And though the decision was meticulously thought through, the aftermath was tougher. Because it had implications for the next year and perhaps beyond, it was just all too easy to worry. And since I had relinquished control for the time being, I couldn't make plans for the future, and that's what makes me nervous all the more. It is during this time of anxiety that I began to feel the full weight of worry. Thoughts became just more of the same- running in the same circles until my mind became too tired to do it anymore. In the end it was just more frustration.

Yet, perhaps the biggest frustration was not being able to rest in God. I knew He was good, and I had confidence that He would work the situation out. Everything is in His hands, but at the same time, these facts were not enough. I needed to be assured of God's goodness in that moment. I wanted to feel the present realities of His goodness, If I was going to take a step out into something uncertain, I needed to know that He was going to be there. And it just didn't feel like He was with me then. It was not abandonment, but it was definitely not abiding. I did not want Him to be at a distance while I was getting tossed about by my worries. And on some days I just needed to plead with Him to draw near and keep me close by showing His goodness and His presence.

And God came through as always. What assured me of His goodness I am not exactly sure. (1) It probably had a lot to do with His reassurance that He is working at all times, especially in those around me. I get excited to see and hear how God has been building up my brothers and sisters and He has made it clear that He really is at work to finish what He has started. And while I get excited to see what God is doing to others, I become more confident that He will be good to me because He is good to all His children. (2) It is probably also due to my experience of getting a firsthand look at how God works. This quarter He started work right away, exposing my sinful tendencies and revealing to me the mistakes that I have made. Yet, I saw with my own eyes how He takes my mistakes and minimizes them by working them out in a way only He could. (3) Or it could simply be that He has granted me the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Whatever the cause, I am thankful that God hears my prayers and acts, and now I know that it is ok to wrestle with God in prayer. We know who He is, and we don't see Him as such, it is alright to pray that He demonstrates that He is true to who He says He is. Its exhausting, but then again so is anxiety. The only difference is that one produces peace, joy, and satisfaction while the other produces paralyzing angst and frustration. Now I can rest in the fact that God is good. I am reminded of the illustration given in a sermon not to long ago that we are to walk hand in hand with God our Father. But like little children we are easily frightened by what we see on the road ahead: obstacles, trials, and uncertainty. And though we know that God will not lose us, we implore Him to hold on tighter. Yet in the end, His grip is the same and it is our grip that has tightened. So though we may be wary of taking the next few steps forward we can be confident that we are in the hands of a good God.

2007-04-16T13:27:00.000-07:00

Submission and Headship in the Home Where I Grew Up

By John Piper April 16, 2007

Last Sunday’s message was on the meaning of submission in marriage. I did not have time for this closing illustration. So consider this an application at the end of that message. The point is that my mother’s submissive role in relation to my father was not owing to lesser competencies. It was owing to the God-given nature of manhood and womanhood and how they are designed in marriage to display the covenant relationship between Christ and the church.

I grew up in a home where my father was away for about two-thirds of each year. He was an evangelist. He held about twenty-five crusades each year ranging in length from one to three weeks. He would leave on Saturday, be gone for one to three weeks, and come home on Monday afternoon. I went to the Greenville airport hundreds of times. And some of the sweetest memories of my childhood are the smile of my father’s face as he came out of the plane and down the steps and almost ran across the runway to hug me and kiss me (no skyways in those days).

This meant that my sister and I were reared and trained mostly by my mother. She taught me almost everything practical that I know. She taught me how to cut the grass without skippers and keep a checkbook and ride a bike and drive a car and make notes for a speech and set the table with the fork in the right place and make pancakes (notice when the bubbles form on the edges). She paid the bills, handled repairs, cleaned house, cooked meals, helped me with my homework, took us to church, led us in devotions. She was superintendent of the Intermediate Department at church, head of the community garden club, and tireless doer of good for others.

She was incredibly strong in her loneliness. The early sixties were the days in Greenville, SC, when civil rights were in the air. The church took a vote one Wednesday night on a resolution not to allow black people to worship in the church. When the vote was taken, she stood, as I recall, entirely alone in opposition. And when my sister was married in the church in 1963 and one of the ushers tried to seat some black friends of our family all alone in the balcony, my mother indignantly marched out of the sanctuary and sat them herself on the main floor with everyone else.

I have never known anyone quite like Ruth Piper. She seemed to me omni-competent and overflowing with love and energy.

But here is my point. When my father came home, my mother had the extraordinary ability and biblical wisdom and humility to honor him as the head of the home. She was, in the best sense of the word, submissive to him. It was an amazing thing to watch week after week as my father came and went. He went, and my mother ruled the whole house with a firm and competent and loving hand. And he came, and my mother deferred to his leadership.

Now that he was home, he is the one who prayed at the meals. Now it was he that led in devotions. Now it was he that drove us to worship, and watched over us in the pew, and answered our questions. My fear of disobedience shifted from my mother's wrath to my father’s, for there, too, he took the lead.

But I never heard my father attack my mother or put her down in any way. They sang together and laughed together and put their heads together to bring each other up-to-date on the state of the family. It was a gift of God that I could never begin to pay for or earn.

And here is what I learned—a biblical truth before I knew it was in the Bible. There is no correlation between submission and incompetence. There is such a thing as masculine leadership that does not demean a wife. There is such thing as submission that is not weak or mindless or manipulative.

It never entered my mind until I began to hear feminist rhetoric in the late sixties that this beautiful design in my home was somehow owing to anyone's inferiority. It wasn't. It was owing to this: My mother and my father put their hope in God and believed that obedience to his word would create the best of all possible families—and it did. So I exhort you with all my heart, consider these things with great seriousness, and do not let the world squeeze you into its mold.

- Taken from DGM: Taste and See 4/16/07

No man left behind

2007-04-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

A reminder, brothers, to pray for Josh as he marks his 1st week spent at home.
It's a battle over there, a constant having to defend against the attacks of the enemy, as his household is an environment that doesn't in the least encourage him to run hard after Christ and long after Him with every fiber of his being. Instead, he's constantly attacked and picked apart in everything he does, and it's very discouraging.
My conversations with him have consisted of listening to his troubles (they are many), feeling pangs of pain in my heart (because it hurts to hear him go through things like this), encouraging him, and exhorting him to stand firm, because his reward is great in Heaven.

Pray for him, brothers, because it's the greatest good we can do for his soul, to beg the Lord to give him grace to endure and grow where he is. And if it's on your heart, give him a call sometimes, just to listen to him share, throw in a few words of encouragement, and pray with him. He'd be greatly blessed to know this band cares for him.

Let's be Prov 17:17 men.

Yeah... nerdy worshippers. That's right.

2007-04-07T00:13:00.000-07:00

I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.

- Dr. Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project

Tranwei.Recap

2007-04-02T22:20:00.001-07:00

In light of not falling away after we leave GOC...

Heb 10:19-31 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, (20) by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of God, (22) let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (23) Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. (24) And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, (25) not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. (26) For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. (28) Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. (29) How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? (30) For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." (31) It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

1. Remember the Gospel (19-21)
2. Let us Draw Near (22)
3. Let us Hold Fast (23)
4. Let us Fellowship (24-25)
... which will keep us from the horrors of 26ff

T-dubb, edit this as you see fit, to match your original intent, if my summary is off :-P

Discipleship: there simply isn't time to waste

2007-03-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

This post is intended to challenge the weak-sauce in myself, and hopefully the weak-sauce in you, too.

Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
(2Ti 1:13-14)

You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
(2Ti 2:1-2, emphasis added)

To lead a small group, disciple someone, or lead a ministry team, simply being someone's friend won't cut it. Obviously, no spiritual leader is complete without being a confidant, buddy, go-to-guy, and trusted brother, but to stop it there is to cheat those whom they lead. Picture your small group, and the only thing that happens is sharing. Clearly problematic. Or hit it a little closer to home: what if your small group makes the teaching obligatory-like, and then moves onto sharing, the highlight of the evening? What if hanging out with someone you're supposed to spiritually lead never consists of Godward conversation or nitty-gritty, life-changing, heart-wrenching challenges, but only flippant conversation or sharing of stories? So what if there seems to be a resistance to growth or the things of God? In the interest of love, which seeks the greatest for the loved, shouldn't there be prying and forcing the subject sometimes? Yes. By all means, yes!

So what gives? Are we content with simply hanging out with people and calling it ministry? Oh Lord help us, I hope not. Sure, it may seem awkward sometimes, and in the interest of tact some things can wait for another time, but the biggest fear here is that we never get around to it. A quarter is a very long time for a quickly-growing Christian collegian, and even letting an issue sit for a week is squandered time when there's an eagerness to be changed. Actually, even without the eagerness to be changed, the issues must be addressed. Too much time spent on computer games? YouTube addiction? Anime overload? Grades slipping from bad time management? Reading unprofitable literature, when "Christian classics" sit on the shelf untouched? Quiet times are a weekly, instead of a daily (or more!) affair? Affections for Jesus cold? Sleep-losing, meal-skipping, academics-forsaking, entertainment-ignoring sacrificial love for others lacking? Fear of man crowds out evangelism? Hit the nail on the head, leaders!

I could keep on going, but the point is this: we simply don't have time to waste. I don't know about you, but having 30 weeks with the guys in my small group last year felt like a blink of an eye, and there could have been so much more done in that particular setting. Are we imparting strong convictions? Intense, deep, heart-gripping, worship-inciting theology? A splendorous, breathtaking view of the Savior who's and the good news that's saved our sinful souls? Dealing with sin? Smashing pride? We've been entrusted with some pretty crazy spiritual responsibility, so let's not drop the ball. Here's to a rockin' Spring Quarter of God-exalting spiritual growth, both for ourselves and those we lead.

What are everyone's spring break plans?

2007-03-18T03:07:00.001-07:00

Fighting Lust - ANTHEM

2007-03-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

Gentlemen, Spring quarter is around the corner, and the hot weather has already arrived. You know what that means. Eyes down when walking on campus. The fight against sin (and lust in particular) is high-stakes and the casualties are tragic. Our good pal John Piper gives some helpful advice, with the acrostic ANTHEM.

A - Avoid temptation as much as is reasonably possible.

N - Say NO to every lustful thought within five seconds.

T - Turn your mind forcefully toward Christ as a superior satisfaction.

H - Hold the promises and pleasure of Christ firmly in your mind until they push out the other images and ideas.

E - Enjoy Jesus. Sin cannot keep its appeal when it is compared to the pleasure of knowing Christ.

M - Move into a useful activity away from idleness and other vulnerable behaviors.

The full text of the article can be found here.

This World is Grass

2007-03-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Then, what does the word of our God tell us. What promises does He offer that cast a shadow in the grass of the world.

“Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.” Matthew 6:19-20

“Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’ ” Hebrews 13:5-6

This world is grass and God is my satisfaction. Therefore, I set my heart alongside Habakkuk as he wrote 3:17-18.

how do you feel about this.

2007-03-05T02:14:00.000-08:00

This blog won't die.

2007-03-04T07:07:00.000-08:00

Don't you worry mitchell.

I don't want this blog to die...

2007-02-26T06:24:00.000-08:00

Brothers, I don't want this blog to die. But I also don't want this blog to become trivial. My hope is that people would share convictions and encouragements through this blog. I hope that no one worries about sounding smart and eloquent because that's not what this blog is about. Among us, there are no Al Mohler's. But, with all respect, we can all be CJ Mahaney's. This is my encouragement for you guys to post entries and to post comments. Don't be profound... be real.

Guys (and girls, for those that read this blog), most of us have about four months of school left. (By this I mean undergrad... some of you will spend the rest of your lives in grad school). And I hope and I pray for you, for us, that we would finish strong. I was thinking about the exhortation of Paul to Timothy: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). I wanted to use this as an encouragement for us to finish the school year strong. But I realized that it doesn't pertain to us. Guys, take these next few months seriously... take sin seriously. Because we have not even started the fight. We've been sparring and training and getting equipped, but we have been sheltered from the barrage of punches that would bruise and punish us. We're surrounded by encouragement to fight sin here at GOC because we're surrounded by Christians and solid teaching. We know that we are supposed to fight against temptation and fight against our flesh. But what are you going to do when the opponent punches you in the kidneys? What will you when your eye is swollen shut from the barrage of jabs that can't seem to be stopped? What will you do when your head is aching and your knees are wobbly from the blows you're taking? Are you gonna give in... are you gonna quit?

My brothers, prepare yourselves for that moment... right now, while you are still sheltered from much abuse. Paul exhorts Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18-19: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith." Paul exhorts all of us here to keep the faith and to maintain a good conscience. It's gonna be so hard to do this when those around us make sin cool and appealing to us. Prepare yourselves for "keeping faith and a good conscience" right now, while you can prepare. Remember your salvation... remember your Christ... and cherish His promises for you. Do not give any ground for sin in your life. No sin is too small. All sin leads to death, so don't let it gain a foothold in your life.

"Fight the good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12). Guys, your fight does not start when you enter the ring after graduation against lust, against pride, against love for money, and against all sorts of foes. Your fight starts today. Your fight starts with this sentence. Although many manifestations of sin might not be evident in your lives, the violence with which you fight sin right now will translate when you get into the ring with life.

By no means am I saying that not posting or blogging is related to sin and losing the fight of faith. I just wanted to encourage you guys (as I encourage my own heart through this) to fight hard right now that we might fight just as hard tomorrow and next year and ten years from now. Also... if you get the chance, let the rest of the brothers know how you're doing with that fight. Let's fight, guys, while there is still a fight to fight. And by grace, we will be able to echo the words of Paul: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."

The Way to a Man's Heart

2007-02-20T19:58:00.000-08:00

This is an article written by a columnist named Rick Reilly. I thought it was funny and, since no one else is posting, thought I'd add some exerpts.

It's here, that special day in February we guys mark in red on the calendar, the day we rekindle our love. This, of course, is the day pitchers and catchers report.
Apparently, something called Valentine's Day falles womewhere near it and seems to have meaning to you ladies. We know became there is a sudden increase of man-bashing on coffe-klatch shows starring scary, largish women.
Overall women seem to be saying, "All men care about is sports! They don't listen! They don't understand us!" To which we nod mindlessly and reply, "Hon, did you TiVo the NASCAR for me?"
But before the Luge World Championships start tonight, we would very much like to say, "Why is it always about you? How about you trying to understand us for ocne?" For instance...
When you say, "Rub aloe on that cut. It'll reduce scarring, " you don't get it. We want it to scar more.
If you have something important to tell us, don't do ot during SportsCenter. Because when you come up and say, "I've decided not to get my masters and do something else, like sing," we hear, "I've decided the Masters will be won by Els or Singh."
Here's what we don't get about you: 1) Your friends don't have nicknames; 2) You never spit; 3) You never want any fries--except ours.
Why do you say, "If your team frustrates you so much, why do you still watch them?" That would be like us asking you, "If your kids frustrate you so much, why don't you sell them?" They're our teams, forever.
We never stop competing. Ever. Whether it's not letting that Porsche behind us pass, or tossing crumpled paper into the trash can, or getting the promotion--we're trying to beat the other guy. So if we lose at H-O-R-S-E and don't speak till Tuesday, now you know why.
Never stop asking us to lift stuff, open jars and kill bugs. We like it.
You don't get why the last two minutes of the game take 30 minutes. We don't get why, "I'll be ready in two minutes" takes 30.
But the truth is, we love you more than we say and need you more than you know. Now will you tell us where you hid the remote?

I am posting...

2007-02-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

Resolved is coming up, so I thought I'd post this. Well, the real reason I'm posting is that no one else is posting, and I get uncomfortable with silence. But, yah... who's down this year to get CJ another candy bar? And should we get something for Lawson, too? And we should get a picture of Holland Piper together... the two shortest men of the pulpit in church history.

Nails fit for my hands,
Thorns made for my brow.
The life that was sinless,
Was pierced for me how.
He breathed His last breath,
And bore all of God’s strife.
He died on the cross,
His death gave me life.

Nails fit for my hands,
Thorns made for my brow,
The life that was sinless,
Was pierced for me how,
Father killed His own Son,
Pleased God to crush Christ.
What a marvelous salvation,
That bought me new life.

Nailed fit for my hands,
Thorns made for my brow.
Christ died for my sins,
If He I’d avow
As Lord of my life,
As God of my soul.
With sin I was dead,
With Christ I am whole.

Wisdom 101

2007-01-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

So I'm just gonna say it because its been on my mind, and I think - well, I know - its been on the mind of others especially those in our class. I'm scared. Sometimes it just grips me at random times during the day and paralyzes my thoughts. But most often it just brews in the back of my mind in lecture, in lab, in the shower, up to the time I'm in to bed when it finally boils over. Then all of a sudden I get an outbreak of professional fears (What if I don't get anything?), ministry fears (Am I gonna stumble?), family fears (Will they make me go insane?), and relationship fears to be sure (Let's not even go there).

I used to have a hard time understanding why it was said that fear controls people. But now I'm realizing that I could easily be one of those people that make choices based on fear just as much as on desire. I've tried to keep track of my battles by writing down my prayers including what I pray for and how I pray for them. Looking over them, I'd say a lot of my prayers revolved around my fears both rational and irrational. If I ever want a good laugh all I have to do is look at what was going through my mind five years ago (Did I really despair over a C- in home economics?). I was a kid full of fear, and its no different now. My fears just look different now. Before my fears were based on not meeting expectations. I was expecting A, but instead I got B. Or I was expecting my life to move from point A to point X but I'm still stuck next to point B. But now fears are a little more complicated because I don't know what to expect in the next few years. The scariest thing about the near future is that there is no concrete framework on which to base any expectations. I don't know exactly where I'll be ten years from now, what my job will look like, or what ministry will be there to rest upon.

The good thing about looking through old prayers is that they are reminders of how God graciously responded to all of them be it a childish tantrum or a sincere cry of desparation. It is also a rebuke because it helps me realize I've been afraid of all the wrong things when I need to fear God and God alone. If I feared God as the sovereign creator of the universe with the power to take and to give life, if I feared Him as the one who orders the world with its rulers and says "My hand is here, and you shall not move it", if I feared Him as the one who is zealous for his glory and my heart, I think my prayers would sound different. I would ask him to replace my desires with his, to take what I refuse to give, and to give what I don't want to ask for. I would be unafraid of being broken by the world if it meant being built up by God.

The problem is that I don't fear Him and his standards as much as I fear the world and its standards. Its funny that I happen to be reviewing the Gospel of John that is all about proving that Christ is God with the awesome power to calm storms, heal diseases, and even rise from the dead. And while I'm satisfied with the proof of the power of God displayed in the book of John, I demand that God proof himself powerful in my own life. Though now my concerns are bigger and more pressing, they are no less childish and short-sighted. I claim to know that God has power, but I don't fear Him as a God of glory with the power to judge and control. Rather than being so concerned about whether I get job X or job Y, I should be more concerned that I remain faithful to Him no matter what job I get. Instead of being paralyzed with the fear of failures, lonliness, or of an unsatisfying life, I would much rather I be afraid of offending and drifting from the one who both saves and sustains me. So these past few weeks I've been realizing that its not so bad to be a person controled by fear, as long as I am a person singly controlled by the fear of God. And oddly enough, the fear of the Lord leads to wisdom, which I sorely need.

The Pursuit of Happiness

2007-01-06T09:25:00.000-08:00

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Last night, as I watched "The Pursuit of Happyness", I was struck not by the success story of a man determined to make a better life for himself and his son. Rather, I was struck by his pursuit of happiness.

The pursuit was the key because in his pursuit of happiness, the true source of happiness was made clearer to me. That source is... grace. Grace is the conduit of genuine happiness. Chris Gardner was not happiest when he achieved any level of success; rather, his happiness came from the grace overflowing in his life. He was happy when, as he tucked his son into bed in a homeless shelter, his boy said, "You're a good papa." Those words were not earned (as if Gardner's tucking his son into bed warranted that comment), but it was his son showing his father grace in times of hardship. When Gardner ran out of money and was able to sell his last bone-density machine, he wasn't joyful over his skill at selling the machine, but was overjoyed with the grace of the doctor in buying this device. Finally, when Gardner received the position as a stock broker, he didn't ball up into tears because he was overwhelmed by his greatness. Rather, he realized that despite his hardest efforts to get the job, he was in need of grace in order to get it.

This is a great lesson to me that is once again being ingrained into my head. This is a simple truth, but it's always nice to be reminded of it. Joy comes from being graced, ultimately from God. We are not happiest when we try to achieve anything apart from the grace of God, but our greatest joys come when God shows us grace. Knowing this should redirect all of our works. Rather, than working and toiling to accomplish and earn, our works and our toils should be to follow and remain under the abundant waterfall of God's grace. (Pardon the Piper.) Recgonize grace in your life and recognize it in the lives of others; this is what brings genuine happiness.

Itching for school

2006-12-30T09:17:00.000-08:00

man I miss you guys.

HAPPY NEW YEARS BROTHERS!

Extra Extra read all about it !

2006-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

Now that the curse off of 512 Veteran #313, formerly 105, has been lifted, (Thanks are in order for Beland for removing the dating curse) another of our distinguished members have joined the dating party. Ladies and Gentleman, Mr. Harrison (Ford/ the meerkat/ Timon/ Topher Grace/ Chandler) Kwock is now spoken for. As of yesterday, him and Miss Eva Ngo are now dating. When more updates come, we'll keep you posted.

famiry

2006-12-25T16:09:00.000-08:00

Every break I come back, I appreciate my parents and family more. Precious people, and they'll always be there for you.

Oh, how much richer if they were saved...

Merry Christmas, brothers. Ponder the mystery, glory, majesty, and mercy in John 1:14-18 (Incarnation!) and Luke 2:34-35 (Death & Resurrection!).

ADRIANNNNN!!!

2006-12-24T10:49:00.000-08:00

So if you ever want or in need of a quick shot of testosterone and inspiration, go watch ROCKY BALBOA! YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! Me and mitchell couldn't sleep last night bc we couldn't stop thinking about that movie. Fellas, go watch it! Trust us!

Number 1 Prospect Makes Strong Commit

2006-12-20T21:35:00.000-08:00

As a representative of Peter Hahn, I am here to announce his decision to commit his game to one institution.

After many years of watching him, it was evident that Hahn could compete with the best of them, but what was uncertain was his love of the game. Hahn has shown flashes of brilliance, but it was not clear if any establishment could offer him what he was looking for to garner a strong verbal commitment.

Throughout the years, we have all analyzed and admired Hahn's adept abilities to play the game at a level unmatched by many others. We have carefully followed the stories of his high school accolades and we have admired him from near and afar over the last three years. We have seen the skill with which he has handled the accolades from both men and women. We have all joined the Facebook group "Peter Hahn is Gangpe 4 Lyfe" and we have all joined in the common phrase: "He's Peter Hahn."

But much of that has been potential and raw skill. Finally, Hahn has committed to one, where he can hone his talents and develop his skills to become the one and only product of this fine institution.

So, without further ado, I'd would like to announce Peter Hahn's verbal commitment to... Monica Tse. Yes, it is official, the letter of intent has been signed by both sides.

Here is some early reaction to the news:
"You are ridiculous... rock on." Ben Du
"Haha. Are you serious or is this a joke? Because that picture is such a chop." Steve Tu
"Wow... oh my gosh... crazy. I'm in shock. Man, I don't approve--she's from Boston." Dan Kim
"Ok... sweet." Rebecca Ho
"Oh my God, He is good. What is going on the freak?" Albert Liu
"What a beautiful couple. The Lord works wonders. Dang." Ed Chao
"Yay." Melissa Huang
"Sorry, she looks like a dude in that jacket and tie. Oh wait! That's pasted. On Sou! Is that Sou?" Chris Tan
"That is indeed news. Wow, BOB is up to date." Kevin Lee
"Yay! I knew it. Give me the details!" Dorothy Han
"Just happen? He did it over the phone?" Derrick Chan
"Give him a giant high five and hug!" Mimi Tsai
"It's another case of 'Koreans not dating someone their year.'" Michael Tu
"Hahaha... I'm very surprised." Jonathan Pan
"Wow... I'm happy now." Jake Dai
"Really? Dude." Matt Wong
"JC just messaged me." David Kung
"Yay for them. Too much love in the air." Nikki Lee
"FYI: Peter's the lucky one." Sarah Lee
"Peter and Monica look kinda alike." Taeree Kim

i repent

2006-12-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

hey guys, i've finally joined, sorry for being lame till now. and since i'm postin, i might as well say something that's on my heart:

we've got 2 quarters left at UCLA, and i don't know about you, but i am not satisfied at all with the way i've lived out (or not lived out) my christian life in LA. let's be crazy for the glory of God in our own lives, in our apartments, in our small groups, in our circle of friends--christian AND non christian, at goc, and on this campus which we've called home for 3+ years. 2 quarters left, and that's only if King Jesus tarries. let's be crazy, guys.

Blood Diamonds

2006-12-14T03:42:00.000-08:00

1991-2002: 200,000 killed in Sierra Leone
1989, 1999, 2003: 200,000 killed in Liberia
1986-1990: 1,000,000 killed in Mozambique
1996-present: 4,000,000 killed in Democratic Republic of Congo
1975-1978: 1,500,000 killed in Ethiopia
1994: 1,000,000 killed in Rwanda
1983-present: 2,600,000 killed in Sudan

Death. Death is a part of life. The ultimate statistic is that 10 out of 10 people will die. That's the calloused view that we often have in our lives. But what is the cause of death in America? The two main causes are heart disease and cancer. But look carefully into the statistic listed above. These people did not die, they were killed. These people did not catch a disease, they caught a machete. These people were brutally slaughtered. A majority of those deaths are women and children. So then, what is the cause of death in Sierra Leone? Liberia?... Sudan?

Their list is captured in one category: me. People are dying in Rwanda because I don't care enough to act. People are dying in Sudan because I want my gas to be less than $3.00 a gallon. People are dying in Sierra Leone because I want a nice-looking diamond for my wife. I've killed millions of souls because its worth the price of my comfort and my luxury. And you're just as guilty as I am.

Last night, Ed and I went to watch "Blood Diamonds." Afterwards, we were so numb that we barely spoke on our way back. And Ed has recently commented: "I will never buy a diamond ring. Not after watching this. I felt like screaming my guts out when the movie was over. By far one of the most meaningful films I have ever seen in my life."

I felt the same way. I am not ashamed to say that I sat down and wept after watching this movie. But I am ashamed to say one thing...

I don't care.

Next week, this issue will seem more trivial in my life. And in a month, this will be but a fleeting memory. The tearing of my heart seems to have a warranty of about a month. After winter break, I will go about my day because these people are dying far away and it doesn't make much of a difference in my life. Why should I bother myself with their troubles?

The ultimate statistic is that 10 out of 10 people will die. And many of those people are bound to hell. Many in Africa have died and are in hell. But it breaks my heart to know the way they left. They had a glimpse of hell on earth before going there for eternity. Women were raped repeatedly before their children, and then killed. Men had their limbs chopped off and left to writhe in a pool of their blood. Children were forced to kill their parents and ended up dying, themselves. And I start to think... God, please spare them!!! I mean, think of the things they had to suffer? In the film, one of the most heart-breaking lines was: "God has left Africa a long time ago."

But then I dwell on the holiness of God and the sinfulness of man, even those victims in Africa. And, as much as it breaks my heart, many of those men, women, and children were enemies of God and comdemned to hell.

And I don't care.

I just don't care. I say I do. I talk to others about it. I might even join some facebook groups that declare my outrage against the atrocities happening in the Darfur region of Sudan. But I don't really care. There is only one response for a caring Christian.

"If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sins and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:13-14

Why did people die in Hurricane Katrina and lose everything? Why did millions of people die in India in a flood? Why did Hutu kill over 900,000 Tutsi in Rwanda? Why are the Arabs killing the African Darfurians in Sudan?

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Because God longs for them to turn and seek Him. And this is how our heart should respond to lost sinners in a fallen world. Why should we share the gospel? Because God will use it to change hearts and win souls for the kingdom of God.

Just think of what that truly means. We don't have to go to Africa in order to save sinners. We live all around them. We are to proclaim gospel truth wherever we are... in UCLA, for now.

What if God softened our calloused hearts enough so that we would go and talk to a guy sitting alone on campus? What if God uses that conversation to save this guy's soul? What if he becomes a missionary in Sudan?

The international community has been trying to figure out how to stop these conflicts all around Africa. But they're missing the point. The only way to stop the bleeding is to patch up the diseased heart. The only remedy is the surgical patchwork of the Lord. Just think about what amazing things God can do in Africa with one soul converted at UCLA.

But that begins with me. Do I care?

Thank you

2006-12-14T00:50:00.000-08:00

In a way, this is a post that i've wanted to write for a while, so now that finals are done, here goes, straight from my bleeding bleeding heart.

I love you guys. Yup, for those of you expecting something profound, something exquisite, well, you've looked under the wrong place, because it says Jeff under the author's name and not Ed or Mitchell.

But, as this crazy quarter has come to a close, i want to express my gratitude for being much better to me than I deserve. On some early nights in the quarter, other nights late in the quarter (like say when you're worshipping at the porcelain throne) I realized that God has blessed me with such great friends that I do not deserve. Every phone call, every meal left on the table, every laugh at a joke that wasn't funny at all, well, I thank God for friends. Truly, you guys have just been there for me, especially at times when I just needed someone to be there.

As this quarter and our time is beginning to wind down, (yes i know i'm a sap and a nostalgic, just kick me out of the blog if i get too emotional/ emo) I can't but say thank you, because after all, above all, not GOC, not UCLA, but these friendships is what has and what will define my college experience.

Thank you =)

God is the lifter of my head, again

2006-12-08T03:05:00.000-08:00

I was going through my old documents when I stumbled across this song I wrote as an underclassman, I don't remember if it was late freshman year or early sophomore but I was surprised to see that the lessons I was learning then are the same lessons I'm learning now. It's been at least two years since I wrote the song, and I feel like I could've written it yesterday. So I thought it might be encouraging to it share with you guys, pardon any cliche lyrics or cheesiness. Just think about the way God has so faithfully led us through these past years in college, it really is amazing.

I am Torn within, and I seem beyond repair
By the looks of it, the wound is too severe
And I know that I have felt this way a thousand times before
Yet you always lift my head when I have crumbled to the floor

Would you lift my head again
Would you tell my heart that You’re my father
Would you sing into my ear
The promises that you know better
Lift my head again, O lift my head again

Your grace O Lord, it covers like a flood
You have washed my heart, of the dirt and of the mud
And I see the world more clearly, as I look through your eyes
All the darkness that enclosed me has been broken by your light

I dream O lord, everyday about your face
And the thought of it, is simply far to great
For the mind-of-man to comprehend or even try to grasp
But I’ll lift my head unto the skies, to see the coming lamb

Till you lift my head again
And tell my heart that you’re my father
And sing into my ear
The song of joy that’ll last forever
O lift my head again, O lift my head again

TROY HAS FALLEN

2006-12-04T09:54:00.000-08:00

TROY HAS FINALLY FALLEN!!! We will not graduate as suckers, fellas!!!!

2006-11-30T00:53:00.000-08:00

The glory of India!

Murder Is Lame

2006-11-28T09:42:00.000-08:00

That's the conclusion I came to from listening to the news this weekend at home and the recent topics of my "Cultural Pluralism in Africa" class.

Over the past four months, over 13,000 people have been killed in Iraq. According to my careful calculation, that means that over 108 people die in Iraq every day. Recently, in Baghdad, ten car bombs went off and killed 160 people while wounding hundreds of others, some of whom will not make it out of the hospital alive. Every major news channel and every major newspaper covers these events in Iraq. Time magaizine even made a feature article on Iraq and likened Baghdad to a hell on earth. It is really an outrage to think that over 100 people are being killed every single day.

But what if more people died? What if 600 people died every single day? America is doing as much as possible to help the situation in Iraq, but if 600 people died every single day, if a person died every 2.5 minutes, you would think that the entire global community would join in to stop such an atrocity. Well... not necessarily. In Sudan, in the Darfur region, approximately 450,000 people have been killed in what is leading into a horrendous genocide. Yet, Iraq is in the center of world politics, in the heart of the Muslim world and almost adjacent to Israel. Sudan... sells a product we use in Coca-Cola. The world doesn't care because they aren't important to them.

But they should be important to us. Not just the dying Iraqis or the dying Sudanese, but the world that is dying as a result of the repurcussions of their sins. A democratic society won't save them. A competent leader won't save them. More money won't save them. Our world is dying... 150,000 people around the world die every day. And several billion more are on their way to death within our generation.

We have this amazing blessing... we don't die. Yah, we might die physically... as Kirk Cameron stated it "ten out of ten people die." But we have life eternal to look forward to.

In my class on Africa, I've been reading and hearing a lot about death and murder and genocide and politics... and my heart goes back to the same thought. These people are going to hell... not because they are evil Hitler-like people. Many of the dead are normal, everyday people who are pretty nice. But sin leads to death and niceness does not save. The only thing that can save these people is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I've known this thought in my head for several years now. I understand that people are dying and going to hell. I understand that Jesus is the only way to reconciliation with God. I understand that we must proclaim the gospel in order for their hearts to be changed. I understand all of these things. But I'm afraid that the times when my heart is truly floored by these truths are few and far between. Recently, I've been reading through Romans 1... something that we've all read before. Paul boldyly proclaims that he "is not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." Paul's life was characterized by the gospel, and everything he did attested to such a life. He preached, he prayed, and he encouraged. We won't all go out to become missionaries. We won't all go Jim Elliot-style and go off into the faroff wilderness to proclaim the gospel to some unknown tribe. But we all will live wherever we live and we'll be surrounded by unbelievers. Most of us probably will not go full-time into Iraq or into Sudan. But how sweet would it be if we prayed for salvation in those dark nations? And how sweet would it be if, one day, we share the gospel with a fellow who repents, believes, has his heart set on fire by the gospel, and goes to be an evangelist in Iraq? in Sudan?

I know that it's getting to crunch time in the quarter. 9th week, 10th week, then finals. But how sweet would it be if you, during your busyness, prayed for opportunities to stop and share the gospel with people? And to think... how will the Lord work in those situations? Who will be saved?

GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE

2006-11-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

HAPPY TURKEY DAY FELLAS! MAGIC F's: Food, Family, Friends, Fellowship, Football, and Fattening. Also LOTs to be thankful for besides our salvation so take some time to think about it alongside our blessed hope!

Why God is Awesome...And Why I Suck

2006-11-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Last year I made it a small group assignment to write a letter to yourself reflecting on past lessons learned and future goals desired. While it became one's ticket to an end-of-the-year food feast, it was more of a reminder for me more than anything else. The extent of the letter went something like this:

"Dear self. You're an idiot. But get over it. Don't sit and sulk under past sins, lost chances, and botched ministry opportunities. Rather understand that the grace of God is always there to support you and allow you to minister, encourage, and, yes, even live unhindered by your own short comings. So therefore, live and love in anticipation of seeing evidences of the grace of God in your live and in those of others."

I find I need to write myself reminders whether they be post-it notes in the wallet or scribbles on mirrors, and this blog entry is no different. This year I committed to be more faithful to those who around me whom I can encourage most. I decided I wanted to take my own life seriously, and encourage whoever I could to do the same. But as with most long-term commitments and decisions, it doesn't take long before you see cracks in your resolve. And those cracks began to surface as I not only saw flaws in other people, but even moreso in my own motives and desires.

But thankfully God knows when I need encouragement the most, and is faithful to give it to make sure that I do not go long without it. There are so many times when I strive to encourage others but in doing so I find that I myself am inadequate. The ironic thing is that those who I sought to encourage end up encouraging me the most. And God's humor is often so subtle in that those who encourage me the most probably don't even know it. In these people God often exposes me to my own sinful desires, my prideful ambitions, and my lack of hunger and desire for God. Sometimes when I try to provide counsel or provide comfort, I am at a loss for words. I do not know what to say, or maybe I know what to say, but I do not believe it. Or maybe I do know what should be done, but I do not have the discipline to do it. Its is in these times that the counselee or comfortee fills in the blanks with the right answer or the right action with the convictions to back it up. And in times like those, I am more refreshed by them than they are by me.

Case in point. I just had dinner with a small groupie, although the funny thing is that he taught me more than I taught him. The funniest thing was that even though I was giving him the Gospel, during that meal, he demonstrated a deeper understanding of the Gospel than I was prepared for. He asked about election, and though I gave him an answer about the justice of God, it was his exclamation about the grace of God that blew me away. My answer was only intended to demonstrate the fairness of God. But his response showed me how much I overlooked God's grace in it. I told him the systematic theology answer, but he pointed me back to Christ by telling me how much it didn't make sense that the God, creator of the universe, would have compassion on me, an enemy of God, when he could have chosen someone else. He said we are like an ant, pests really, who by all measures are insignificant. God could have squashed us and it would have taken away nothing from his glory, but instead he stooped low to bring sinners to himself and unload all his spiritual blessings upon them. He brought me to a point where I not only understood election, but rejoiced in it.

We then got to talking about what it takes to become a Christian, but it was him who really solidified the implications of the Gospel - it is free but it causes us to give something up. He listed things he would have to give up in light of the Gospel, which is something I overlook all too often. School, friends, music, pride; all of these things must change. And its not an option, but its a compulsion that comes from a hunger that is as vital to spiritual life as food is for physical life. And it all came back to this. The only way we can give up what we are called to give up is by the grace of God first granted to us for salvation. In a sense we are brought back to square one: You are a sinner, but the answer lies not in yourself, but in the grace of God. Therefore, live by grace.

And if you think that is a rare instance, you would be wrong. The fact is that it happens all the time by unbelievers and believers alike. Now I know why I have the friends, roommates, small groupies, and neighbors that I have. I see grace when I realize my shortcomings in my ministries, but then God uses those people to encourage me so that my ministry and life become even more effective.

Thank you, God, for reminders.

Take a Theological Break brothers

2006-11-08T00:52:00.000-08:00

recently wrote an article on Original Sin. I figured, we've been talking a whole lot about futures and careers. how about some theology to take your mind off it?

Original Sin, A Brief Study and Defense

enjoy.
or
avoid.

So what are everyone's plans when they graduate?

2006-11-03T09:59:00.000-08:00

Just like the post asked...what is everyone doing next year?

missions testimony

2006-10-29T22:47:00.000-08:00

yo

i was suppose to give this missions testimony (below) during welcome week instead of my salvation testimony. And in light of our church's STM info meeting coming up this sunday, i thought it would be appropriate for me to share this with you guys.

I grew up in a solid Christian home, and that home became a full-time missions home when I was 3 years old when my whole family moved to Taiwan. Since then, I grew up watching my dad devote his life to preaching the gospel to prisoners and juvenile delinquents. As you can see, missions has always been a big part of my life, but I never really thought about devoting my whole life for world missions. Some of you will say, “well, as a Christian, no matter where you live in the world, you’re a missionary.” Yeah, that’s true. Most of us will and should spend the rest of our earthly lives preaching the gospel here in the U.S. in and around our homes, in our work places, etc. But the term “full-time missions” as we know it, is a ministry of the church that sends individuals to different regions which the missionary might not be familiar with… for the purpose of making disciples of Christ.

Before I came to college, I had no intention of being involved with “that kind of ministry” for the rest of my life, since I thought I had the full experience just watching my dad while I was growing up. There is no monetary profit, no promotions, no retirement plan, no great sense of accomplishment since most people reject the gospel, but there IS often persecution, criticism and a lot of hard work. Would this be a kind of job that you would work hard at building your resume so you can get yours hands on it after you graduate? Not me. At least until my first year here at Grace Church.

As a freshmen at GOC, going to Japan for missions was one of the first ministry opportunities that I had heard about from one of the staff. I was particularly interested in Japan because I studied Japanese in high school and have always wondered why there are barely any Japanese Christians. (I’ll come back to that later on). Anyway, during my first two summers of college, I had the opportunity to go Japan on two college evangelism trips with the Grace Church teams, those were my first overseas mission trips. This past summer, I went on two more mission trips: another one to Japan for children’s ministry and a trip to Taiwan as my dad’s ministry partner. Both of these trips are amazing experiences that I will never forget. Even more important than that, it was a means that God used to open my eyes in order to see the reality of His Word, how our God is sovereign over ALL the nations.

Let me briefly summarize the ministry on my trips for you and mention a couple of things I learned this trip. This summer I had the opportunity to minister to two very different groups of people: in Hamadera Bible Church, Japan, conducted two Vacation Bible/English School for local kids and used the opportunity to share the gospel with their parents. These are fairly wealthy middle to upper middle class suburban families who desperately need the gospel because in their comfortable life style, they have been deceived into believing that there is no God. To them, there is no absolute Truth, there is no judgment; only life now matters. In the prisons of Taiwan, we shared the good news of forgiveness to those who are unforgivable in society’s standards. These guilt-ridden prisoners who have seen and been a part of the most evil of evils in society also are in desperate need of the gospel. In two weeks time, my teams and I really had nothing else to offer either of these two groups of people except for our testimony of the gospel and our friendship. However, I am also really thankful for the local believers in those countries because I knew that once the Short-term teams are gone, they are the ones who will diligently labor to reach these people. Most of the unbelievers that I come in contact with during the year at UCLA are students here and it was a very valuable and rare opportunity for me to go overseas and see a completely different type of ministry. In Jesus’ ministry on earth, He often approached the so-called, “sinners,” and had compassion towards the lowliest of society; he did not reject the children from coming to Him, and He did refuse wealthy tax collectors or government officials from entering His kingdom. Everyone needs the gospel, and every person is called to repent from there sins and follow Christ. I knew that before, but I think this concept came alive to me this summer during my two trips.

Another lesson I learned while on my trips is the undramatic-ness of missionary work. Perhaps real daily missionary work isn’t as fantastic as I had romanticized it to be. I remember when I first read John Piper’s, “Let the Nations be Glad!” I thought, “all right, I’m ready to go Africa and preach the gospel village to village. I gonna die there as a martyr.” I was excited by the thrill that “going on missions” brought because it’s daring and it brings glory to God, what an awesome thing to do! But I didn’t really put too much thought into the days and years of hard work, the routine preaching/rejection cycle, and the amount of faithfulness and endurance missions would require a believer. By the end of my summer trips, I experienced a physical and mental burnout, which took a couple of weeks to recover from… but the tiredness wasn’t from preaching the gospel 10 hours a day on the streets to people walking by, it wasn’t from traveling from village to village on foot, it wasn’t from running away from persecutors, it wasn’t from teaching long biblical seminars to local pastors (I mean, not that it’s impossible for these to happen on mission trips. You can talk to peter hahn) But my tiredness came largely from staying up late many nights to color vocab cards for the children in Japan, playing too much basketball with the boys from the youth ranch, riding a bike the local community for hours planning a scavenger hunt, not being used to sleeping on the floor, painting the church ceiling the whole day, and giving all these head rides to the missionary kids! The pride in my heart immediately wants to say, “what?! What is this that I’m doing? These dishonorable and menial tasks! I expect to be doing the same type of stuff that Hudson Taylor did on his trips, or John MacArthur, or Rick Holland” But I realize these things are not less important than the shepherding, the counseling, or the teaching; these things CAN be done to the glory of God in missions. In fact, these are the kinds of things that many missionaries do when they’re not up front preaching. Going on missions does not automatically make a person godly and patient, God requires the same kind of daily faithfulness to Him from missionaries as He does from us students in our daily living and in doing our homework. It’s a stewardship.

Going on these trips in the past three summers has been a humbling experience to me more than it has been some sort of “ministry” that depended upon my work or anything I was able to contribute. A very famous missionary once said this about the essence of his ministry while he said goodbye to members of a church where he had stayed, he said, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” You may be a freshmen and you’ve got no idea what you want to do with your life; or you’re a senior, and you’re pretty nervous about your career choice and how it will affect your life. Wherever you are in life, whether your career choice is missionary or not, if you’re a Christian, can you look at your life and say, “my life is nothing to me, it’s about preaching the gospel”? well, we’re so thankful that there are lots of ministries here at Grace on campus for us to get involved in evangelism. Listen to preaching from the Word about evangelism, talk to Justin Lau if you want to be involved in our evangelism training ministry. Our church’s STM info meeting is THIS COMING SUNDAY (11/5), and I hope you can take that opportunity and go on an STM trip and see for yourself how awesomely God does things on the mission field! Thanks.

see you at the gym on sunday!

So who's going to seminary?

2006-10-27T02:46:00.000-07:00

Arabic is a cool looking language

2006-10-16T16:13:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to write down everyone's name in Arabic, because I think it is a beautifully written language.

Darryl Kong:داريل كونغ

Neil Herbert: نيل حربرت

Steve Tu: ستيب تو

Ed Chao: يد شاو

Mitchell Kim: ميتشل كيم

Jeff Hsu: جف شو

Beland Huang: بتيلان حوانغ

Peter Hahn: بيتر هاحن

Sou Lee: سومينغ لي

Harrison Kwock: هاريسون كوك

John Chen: جيانينغ شحن

Albert Liu: البرت لو

Andrew Shing: اندرو شينغ

Daniel Tang: دانيول تانغ

Leave a comment by answering this question: What is least attractive in a girl: a perpetually-hanging booger? a voice that sounds like Peter Hahn? a handshake like Jon Rourke's? or a body-odor that just won't quit?

Selfish! Partial! Gah!

2006-10-15T14:30:00.000-07:00

As I munch on possibly the best tasting meal I've ever cooked for myself (mmm, garlic bombardment), I'm going to take Mitchell's suggestion and post about missions...

So, I went to Taiwan. Along with Ed, Beland, Addy, JC, Amy Lin, Dor, and Priscilla.

What did I learn there? I don't know if "learn" is the proper word for it, perhaps "saw about myself" is more accurate. When I was there, for some reason the Lord graced me with a heightened sense of my own sinfulness. Maybe it's because there's less weeds threatening to choke you out when you're in a foreign country with very few creature comforts to distract you.

The biggest thing that stuck in my mind was my selfishness and partiality. Selfishness was seen in a lot of little things, like not serving my teammates, eating more food than anyone else (inconsiderately, that is, since eating more than anyone else is not always bad), thinking about myself before I thought about the prisoners/kids, talking about myself on the car rides instead of focusing on my teammates, the list goes on. Very closely related to that selfishness was the sin of partiality, which I was very, very guilty of on the trip. This happening stuck the most in my mind, so I'll share it.

I wandered into the the dining room of the FHL Academy. It was dinner time! All the boys were streaming in, grabbing their rice bowls and seats. You can call this a bit of a cultural blooper, and just straight up inconsiderate on my part. There were two empty seats at the table. One was next to one of my teammates (seat A), the other was across the table (seat B). I didn't want to sit next to her, since it would've been a tad awkward, and I also wanted us to spread out among the kids. So I sat in seat B. Oops. I ignored the empty rice bowl, which means the seat was already taken. Two seconds later, I was greeted by the angry face of one of the younger boys. I was about to vacate my seat and move, but then one of the staff motioned for him to suck it up and move to seat A.

Now, this kid was raised in an abusive family, so he almost never smiles and is very easily ticked off. So naturally, he called me names and gave me this really cold stare during the entire meal. Yeah... uncomfortable. My first reaction was one of anger. [Thinking to self] C'mon, buddy! Grow up! It's just a seat. Stop overreacting. What? Fine, I don't have to deal with you if I don't want to. Go ahead, stare at me. See if I care... Yet at the same time, something inside of me screamed out at the wrong-ness of such a reaction.

Later that night, as I reflected on what happened at dinner, I was crushed. Crushed by the ridiculousness of such a selfish reaction. And such a partial reaction. So what if the little guy was mean to me? Does that give me any right to get mad back at him? Love doesn't do that. Keeps no record of wrongs. Bears all things. Hopes all things. Endures all things. And by no means do I have any right to determine in my heart that he doesn't deserve my attention. Sin of partiality to the max. Geez. What a sinner. After that night, the Lord very very kindly bestowed upon me a revulsion towards similar sin, and the resolve to love these kids regardless of how they treated myself and the team. When was the last time love expected anything back? Invite those who can't repay you to the feast, so that you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just!

So there you have it. No wonder they say you come back from missions more affected than you can ever hope to affect. How cathartic on the soul. Boy do I feel thankful that He lets me see the gunk inside my heart and helps me agonizomai to get it out, that my life might ooze more of the love of Christ. Booya. For His sake!

christian buddhas

2006-10-10T19:17:00.000-07:00

This quarter has started off as business as usual. Whoever came up with the idea to have a midterm exam on the 2nd day of week 2 aught to be peter-hahn-punched in the thigh, but other than that things have been relatively smooth for a new quarter. I know I don't post often (have i posted?) and I don't really leave many comments, but y'all should know it's not cuz i don't care to share. So yea, that said, I wanted to write some thoughts I've had while taking my Writing II class Asian 60W, an intro to buddhism.

Mitchell just posted an old journel entry about his experience in Jordan. He mentions how unsettling it was to see the mosques spread throughout the city, that a false and damning religion has such a firm hold on that region. I echo his heartbreak after only 4 lectures in Asian60W. In one slide image, a Thai boy no more than 4 years old was depicted performing a cleansing ritual upon a golden statue of buddha. While the class "awwed" at his devotion, my heart was wringed in a knot. Their "salvation" so to speak is predicated on moral living, and millions of children will grow up being told that to obtain "enlightenment" requires the right combination of inner strength and ability. They can become full-blown shining buddhas, freed from the lusts of the world and all suffering if only their will is strong enough. It is interesting and ultimately tragic to see how readily accepted this thinking was in my classroom and certainly on our college campus. My thoughts go back to Justin Lau's message: UCLA is a desparate situation; this world is a desparate situation. What an unbelievable and gracious God we have who has shown us that striving should cease, and to look to the cross. And yet, what a sobering thought to think that our lives are "the only Bible people may ever read," and so often we're found treating our sanctification (and even salvation) as a buddhist might--by will and not by grace. How come we don't appeal for grace in so many areas of our lives? How come we treat our daily Christian "routines" so often as burnt offerings? How come so often from the important to the mundane we dont' let God be God? I'm totally guilty of being a "buddhist" in so many ways. I want to admonish us all that our lives aught to reflect grace and not "religion." If someone watched yours and my life, would they be able to tell the difference between a Christian and a Buddhist? pray for that contrite heart, and be looking to share... k, that's it.

Excerpt from Jordan

2006-10-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you all one of my journal entries in Jordan. It's okay--it's pretty short:

Tuesday, June 20: 11:45 PM
I really forget about the specifics of the night, but, like many nights, I probably spent some time up on the roof. It’s a great place to be late at night and early in the morning when the sun is not fully out. The air is crisp and the view is amazing. Everything is made of this white limestone and Amman is commonly referred to as “The White City.” One of the things that ruin the scenes, however, is the bright glow of neon-green lights throughout the city. These are lights that designate the towers of Muslim mosques. From my rooftop alone, I can see ten mosques, and that just breaks my heart. I actually had a conversation with Bent about this tonight. There are some people in this world that put no effort into religion or in seeking the divine. Others are religious and devoutly so, yet their religion is worthless, and their time and effort are laid to waste. It breaks my heart to think that people desire to seek God, but would go to such extents to maintain their pride—they would go so far as to waste their time fervently worshipping false idols rather than humbling themselves before the true and living Yahweh.

I was so saddened this morning at church when I heard Bob Conover (Jordan) and Rob Anthony (France) talk about Islam and Muslims. It breaks my heart to see the oppressive evil of Islam and the fearful ignorance of its believers who are too frightened in their societies to even consider the gospel. I hope that the Lord would use faithful missionaries throughout the Muslim world to break the backbone of Islam and redeem a people for Himself.

Men on a Mission

2006-10-08T17:00:00.000-07:00

If you don't want to read all of my ranting... go to the bottom of this post.

I am so blessed by what has been going on at Grace Community Church this month. This year is the 50th anniversary of the start of this church, a momentous occasion that should be celebrated, and I have been so blessed in the way it is being celebrated so far... with one eye on the lives of lost sinners in desperate need of grace and with the other eye on the awesome glory of God. How so? This month, the church has set global missions on center stage. Grace Church has sent dozens of missionaries out to be on the mission field full-time and sent thousands of short-termers to aid them along. They have properly elevated the importance of global missions in the church of God and have rightly honored the men and women who have been obedient and faithful in serving the Lord in such a manner. I have been blessed this month because Grace Church has set my mind on the immediate state of this world full of sinners bound for hell. This isn't fully an inspiring thing that makes me want to go out on missions and die Jim Elliot style. This has been a somewhat heart-wrenching time for me because I recognize how little my heart breaks for sinners around me and all around the world. I have seen the world's desperate need of a Savior, the church's desperate need of men and women (but especially men) to go out to be messengers of that gospel void, and my lack of a war-time, evangelistic, God-honoring heart. I've used my freedom in God to pursue Him when convenient, but to allow times of stagnation in my life. This morning, Phil Johnson said this about the nature of our Christian liberty: "[Liberty] is the freedom to love God, please Him, and obey Him with a pure heart." I must say, in the words of Steve, that "was a kick in the pants."

Leaving the topic of my pants, let's get on to the real point...

"'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and foremost commandment. The second is like it, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Matthew 22:37-39)

Everyone knows the first commandment is the love our God with our all. But I want to focus on the words that transition the first commandment to the second one.

"The second is like it." Our absolute, all-encompassing love of God and our humanistic love of one another is intertwined in that the second is "like" the first. Their is a relationship and a correlation between the two.

And I know that this isn't a brilliant revelation. But I want to propose a way that we can all love God and, in turn, love one another. Since our love of our neighbors is like our love of God and even stems from our love of God, I want to give every blogger in this group to love one another and to love God. I am hoping that for the rest of this month, we can set our minds and our hearts on missions and on evangelism. Would all of you be so gracious as to post some of your experience with either missions or with plain evangelism? I hope this would be a blessing to us and to anyone else who would read this.

Sou....

2006-10-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

So what's the big news buddy? huhhh..wink wink...Miracles do exist

The Los Angeles Dodgers, Your 2006 World Champions

2006-10-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

I know that most of you don't care about baseball, but I do. So, I will overlook your disdain for baseball and write about one of my great passions.

And, yes, the Dodgers will win the World Series. How can the Dodgers win? At 88-74, they have the worst record among all the playoff teams. This is a team that lost 13 out of 14 games after the All-Star break. This is a team that had no players who hit more than 20 homers. No other playoff team has hit as few home runs (153, compared to the Yankees' 210). No Dodger had more than 100 RBI's or walks, and only one Dodger has scored over 90 runs. The Dodgers are a measure of offensive ineptitude. Their pitching staff, the team's strength, has used 11 starting pitchers and the core of the bullpen has been overworked. How, then, will the Dodgers win the World Series?

The Dodgers have heart. And although "heart" is not a measurable statistic, the Dodgers have plenty of it. After the Dodgers lost 13 out of 14, they came back and won 14 out of the next 15. The win that captures the heart of the Dodgers was their 10th inning, 11-10 victory against their rivals, the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers were down 9-5 in the bottom of the 9th inning, when Jeff Kent, JD Drew, Russell Martin, and Marlon Anderson hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs to tie the game. After the Padres scored a run in the top of the 10th, Nomar Garciaparra hit a walk-off two-run home run to win the game. This is Dodgers baseball.

Derek Lowe, Hong-Chih Kuo, Brad Penny, and Greg Maddux are not a dominating bunch. But they will get the job done. No one has been better than Derek Lowe in the last quarter of the season. (Besides, Johan Santana, of course.) Hong-Chih Kuo has no playoff experience and barely any MLB experience, but that might be to his advantage. People aren't sure of what he's capable of. He's looked horrible in some games and he's looked phenomenal in others. Hopefully, the latter shows up. Brad Penny has been slumping, but he is a competitor and this is as good a time as any t0 get out of his slump. Greg Maddux, no matter what his playoff record is, is Greg Maddux. He is arguably the smartest pitcher in the game. Look for Chad Billingsley to make some noise, too, in relief appearances. His stuff is electric. The bullpen of Takashi Saito, Joe Beimel, Brett Tomko, and Jonathan Broxton is strong, and only getting stronger.

The batting lineup is gritty from 1-8, and Nomar Garciaparra might be one of the greatest clutch hitters in the game. Ethier, Kemp, and Loney are strong and ignorant of pressure. Saenz is arguably the best pinch hitter in the game.

Yah, the Mets have one of the most potent offenses ever concocted. And, yes, their pitching is strong, even without Pedro Martinez, but the Dodgers have heart and will find some way to win it.

The Cardinals have Albert Pujols, the man with the most game-winning RBI's in the game, but the Dodgers are resilient and will find a way to come back.

And, yes, the Yankees have the best team money can buy. But the older Dodgers are hungry to win and the younger Dodgers have no fear.

Look for the Dodgers to be the last team standing. Why? Because that is what Dodgers baseball is about: winning, at any cost. As Vin Scully says at the start of Dodgers baseball: "It's time for Dodgers baseball."

I am pathetic.

2006-10-01T21:17:00.000-07:00

ps. this is the result of trying to read boring books while feeling lame.
pps. this is not a picture of me being sad. though it is a sad picture.

Check out this fat kid

2006-09-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

cable's back

2006-09-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

now that the cable's back i feel the poetry already flowing from my heart.

ODE to CABLE

A is for the attention we give you when you sing da na na da na na
D is for the delicious details you give us on the Dodger's game on ESPN
E is for the encouragement you show us on the Contender when Big Boy won his emotional match
L is for the love we show you when even Priscilla is talking to us to make us do chores while youre screaming ESPN from your chords
P is for the power you hold over us when our bladder calls yet we still will not budge from that futon
H is for hope of watching UCLA sports including football and basketball
I is for the inspiration we get through watching Beyond the Glory on FSN
A is for the anxiety we hold if you leave us again

that is all

:)

2006-09-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

"when I look better than you, you'll rue the day, Oh wait, I already do look better than you."
-Steve Tu

Summer Missions 2006 update

2006-09-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

www.xanga.com/jambabeland

(for easier access, click "large hips" under "links" to the right)

the post is massive. please check your internect connection, it might not be able to handle it.

2006-09-15T13:24:00.000-07:00

When you're sick with a painful enough cold that feels like you got hit by a car, you come to grips with the folly of the "if you want something done, do it yourself" line of thinking. Brothers, don't make my mistake. We are expendable and replaceable, so we should minister and work as such.