April 2012
1 post
Freedom from judgment.
As believers, we are well acquainted with judgment. We’re well acquainted with what Scripture tells us what’s right and wrong, and frequently we find ourselves in the wrong, and so we feel the guilt of condemnation. We also feel judged by others. It could be something someone says, it could be a look, it could be something as subtle as someone withdrawing from us. We know judgment...
March 2012
5 posts
4 years ago...
I had a sore throat. I remember standing in front of this praise team that rocked out every Sunday like this set was the last set they’d ever play. I remember standing there thinking I couldn’t sing along with them. I remember standing there, contemplating the meaning behind some lyrics. I remember growing frustrated with my then 23 years of non-committal Christianity, where...
Intercession.
We know Christ intercedes for us…
Hebrews 7.24-25: 24 But Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to saveforever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
However, do we know the full implications of Christ’s intercession? No, not quite. I think we indeed...
"already but not yet"
An excerpt from How People Change…
“If is in the here and now that many of us experience a gospel blindness. Our sight is dimmed by the tyranny of the urgent, by the siren call of success, by the seductive beauty of physical things, by our inability to admit our own problems, and by the casual relationships within the body of Christ that we mistakenly call fellowship. This blindess...
Understanding Christ's incarnation
We know of Christmas. We know of Easter. We know of Christ. However, reading about it from Francis Turrentin has been eye opening…
“We take for granted here that in which all agree: first that the Messiah was promised immediately after the fall from the very beginning of the world as the only means of salvation; second, that although promised from the beginning, he was not only to...
obedient learning.
“There was in Christ a gradual development, a progressive growth in body, in the powers of the soul, in favor with God and man. The gifts of the Spirit were not given to Him all at once, but successively in ever greater measure. There were things which he had to learn, and which at first He did not know (Mark 13.32 and Acts 1.7). Even though He was in possession of the not-able-to-sin...
February 2012
4 posts
Mere Thoughts: you complete me... →
This is a really good site for Christian sisters.
jesshong:
As Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise) longingly and apologetically stares at Dorothy Boyd (Renee Zellweger), he says, “I love you,” (dramatic pause) and ends by saying, “You complete me.”
Hearts melt and a deep “aww” resounds in the hearts of every female watching this. For those that do not understand…
1 John
I’ve been perusing 1 John this past week. For some reason the book keeps coming up in conversation. It’s also one of the all-stars or frequently referred-to books in my counseling courses. So I’ve been rereading it and listening to it as well during my drives to/from Jersey/PA. Last week’s sermon was also out of 1 John.
If you’ve ever read it, you’ll...
Year 3, Spring Semester, Day 4.
Spring semester is underway, but I already feel like I’m at the tipping point. Mainly because every professor is going through their syllabus and explaining how much work they expect us to do in so little time. It’s really stressing me out. I’m constantly wondering how to pace myself, how to spread things evenly, how to juggle seminary work with home and church. I know at...
Mere Thoughts: To all them single ladies... →
Single ladies, read at your own risk. You have been warned.
jesshong:
When it’s time to hit the dance floor at a wedding and the DJ starts playing “single ladies” by beyonce…the girls usually go crazy. All the girls come into the floor, and when it’s time to shake their hand like Beyonce, they go crazy. I do too. But then as I shake my bare left hand, there are some…
January 2012
4 posts
GCC Vision Retreat 2012
(I wrote this in my journal, for myself, to myself, but figure that if it’s convicting/challenging me, it might be to you as well. Since it was originally for myself, the tone is harsh because I do not go easy on myself. So please don’t take anything offensively, but do take it personally if you are convicted.)
GCC’s annual Vision Retreat 2012 was this weekend. It was super...
Mere Thoughts: Satan knows his scripture →
jesshong:
I’m currently reading through Matthew. Chapter a day. Okay, a chapter every few days. Anyways, as I read Matthew 4, “The Temptation of Jesus,” I realized Satan knows his Scripture. Much better than I do.
“Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and…
Still on Clowney’s book because I’m terrible at reading/enriching myself, but this book is short and sweet. A few words that I found compelling and convicting follow, each one speaks loudly on its own, but taken together they provide the proper (faith-driven, God-dependent) lens for us to interpret the seemingly mundane day to day activities, which really are anything but...
“That’s life, full of chances and challenges, my son!”
That’s what my dad texted me after I said I don’t know the names of the food we usually order at a local Chinese restaurant. Unexpected, but cute/funny.
December 2011
6 posts
Calling.
Edmund P. Clowney, first president of Westminster Theological Seminary gives some basic foundations to discerning God’s calling in a short book titled, Called to the Ministry. My first (hopefully not only) book for the break.
“The tragedy of alienation is not that so many people do not know me; it is that no one knows me, for I do not know myself. The terror in modern thought does...
advent seasons.
Not your typical Christmas story.
With the advent season upon us, not only Christians but much of the Western world enters a mode of festivities. Eggnog is consumed, mistletoe is hung, stockings are stuffed, gifts are wrapped, trees are put up, lights are strewn all around, and in general, the air is friendlier. Strangers talk to one another and even say, “Merry Christmas”. Yes, with the...
another excerpt from doctrine of man notes. this is sooooooooo gangster.
Adam’s life in Eden was mutable, but life promised was immutable; Adam’s life in Eden was lose-able but that which was promised is permanent; Adam’s life was temporary but that which was promised was eternal; Adam’s life was earthly but that which was promised was heavenly and spiritual; Adam was an immature son in...
This is a portion of some very clutch notes in my doctrine of man class…
God is not bound by man, but God has actually bound himself to do so. That is part of his condescension. It is not that man ontologically has some upper hand in demanding God some reward, but it is God doing the binding. The Imago Dei (image of God) is the covenantal relationship of promise. God is not bound by man to...
heart, manifest.
“Regenerate man has the power of contrary choice, the ability to good in virtue of the holiness implanted in regeneration, and the ability to sin because of indwelling sin. Romans 7.25 is explicit to this effect.”
Romans 7.25- Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the...
life motto.
Colossians 3.23- Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.
Along with Colossians 3.17, these two verses probably combine to formulate my life motto. I know I’m still relatively young, especially in terms of ministry-related activity/history, however these have spoken to me powerfully in many instances and I am drawn back to them over and over again. Perhaps it seems...
November 2011
4 posts
#BestStoryteller
My Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28
I knew you...
wisdom perspective
My heart is heavy. The world is crumbling. Sin is evasive and subtle but its effects are visible. You do not need to see it to know it exists, and it is wreaking as much havoc as possible, on Christians and non alike.
I wish I was Solomon. He was the wisest guy in all the world, and he would know how to handle every situation. He would see a situation and be able to speak into the very heart...
wake up, son.
My fingers are tired from typing out this excerpt. If you read it, read it through, otherwise you’ll be left hanging. It’s about church, a hopeful exhortation.
“The secularization of life is the result of men’s choices. They have given themselves to the pursuit of this-worldly ends. They have preferred the material to the spiritual. They have sought the heavens upon...
written commitment(s)
This past weekend GCC had its Servants Retreat and one of the points Pastor Charles made was the challenge of a written/verbal commitment.
I don’t see myself as a non-committal type of guy. It’s not like I hear the word commitment and I cringe and flee away from all matters and/or women. I actually try to make many (commitments) with myself and keep them, however since these are...
October 2011
2 posts
inner musings.
I frequently monologue to myself, especially when I’m alone. And often times I don’t realize I’m doing it. I carry on, and only when it comes to an end do I realize I should have recorded it, somehow. There’s always a great sense of despair when I’ve come to this point because I know I can no longer retrieve it. The genius has come and gone. There goes a good...
worship
“The worship of idols is not only illegitimate, but also senseless, and is in itself a sign of loss and alienation. Man now no longer knows either God or himself, and the problem of God’s ‘absence’, which man wished to ‘solve’ by worshipping idols, becomes instead truly insoluble. Seeking the presence of God in such a manner involves a misunderstanding of...
September 2011
1 post
In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise In the morning, when I rise Give me Jesus. Give me Jesus, Give me Jesus. You can have all this world, Just give me Jesus.
I ran out the door this morning to catch my 8:30 class. I threw on the most comfortable clothes I could find, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and was out the door. An hour and a half later, class is almost over but...
August 2011
1 post
mannnnnnnnn, i gotta write in here before my mind returns to dust.
May 2011
1 post
the fear of God
i haven’t written something here in my own words in quite some time.
i’ve been thinking about the phrase “fear of God” for a little while now, not really understanding what the phrase meant. but if you take it contra to a phrase such as “fear of man”, it starts to make some sense.
as we live in this world, we cannot help but live according to many of its...
April 2011
3 posts
this sort of weather is my favorite. a couple of the brothers from seminary played some backyard ball at one of the most broken down courts we could find. it wasn’t competitive, it was friendly and the sun was shining so brightly we could barely see where we were shooting.
my room is clean. the sink is empty. the laundry is being done. i’ve had explosions playing the last few...
“The church is full of people dealing with the effects of sin, people who are not fully formed into the image of Jesus Christ. The church is full of people who have lost their way and don’t even know it, who haven’t made a connection between their daily problems and the transforming grace of Christ. Everywhere you look, you will find couples who are struggling to love, parents...
“Why are we so good at turning moments of ministry into moments of anger? Why are we so adept at personalizing what is not personal? Why does it seem that people, things, and situations are in our way? Why do we seldom go through a day without some experience of conflict? The answer to all these of these questions is that we think of our lives as our own, and we are more committed to the...
March 2011
2 posts
“Admittedly, there exists a practical atheism, life without God in the world. But a conscious theoretical atheism in an absolute sense, if it ever occurs, is rare. The word ‘atheism’ has, however, often been used in a relative sense, not as the denial of any kind of deity, but as the denial of a certain specific deity.” H. Bavinck.
“No one disbelieves the existence...
February 2011
2 posts
a work in progress.
re-pondered the title of my tumblr for a little bit. i mentally rolodex-ed the last few weeks of my life in a few seconds and came to realize the more i grow in knowledge of Him, the more profound grace becomes. it is as great as it is greatly humbling. i wouldn’t have it any other way. life, as a Christian, is ceaselessly interesting. i think i’ve only come to this point because...
notes
1st half has to do with the way we see our position before God. basically, when we think we are being humble we need to be humbled.
“Our minds need to move away from us, there is nothing healthier for us, spiritually, then to move our minds away from ourselves.
The minute you think you have something to with your own salvation, you have misunderstood the grace of God. The minute you think...
December 2010
2 posts
trust & obey
sometimes i get the urge to scream while studying. but not merely because i’m engaged in the act of studying. i mean, sure, sometimes, heck 99% of the time, i’m pressed for time, limited with sleep, and my brain is at the constant threshold of over-saturation. these moments definitely elicit a great desire to scream, but sometimes, just sometimes, when i take the words deeply, the...
I NEED A SENZU BEAN, STAT!
November 2010
3 posts
“When we ‘rest’ on the sabbath, we recognize him as the author of order and the one who brings rest (stability) to our lives and world. We take our hands off the controls of our lives and acknowledge him as the one who is in control. Most importantly this calls on us to step back from our workaday world- those means by which we try to provide for ourselves and gain control of...
Children Learn What They Live →
howlyrical:
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to…
“We are urged today to develop almost every other kind of spirit except poverty of spirit. But the lack of this spirit can lead to spiritual ruin, as Jesus warned the Laodicean church: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Revelation 3:17). We are in danger of being spewed out of...
October 2010
2 posts
Pastoral Intern.
It has taken me roughly a year to start understanding this position. At first, I was rather excited by the thought of it, but once it became a reality I realized that I was nowhere ready to commit. I felt useless amidst all these talented spiritual giants.
I also entered seminary simultaneously, looking forward to learning more about God, but after the first day of summer Hebrew I realized life...
2 months time.
it has been about 2 months since i’ve returned from short term missions. it has been about a month since i’ve returned to seminary. yet despite all this time i’ve had to reacquaint and transition back to life here, i am not who i used to be. i find myself in the mindset of yesteryear, like when i lived in taiwan for half a year and upon returning back home, i continued living...
September 2010
2 posts
“If hope is hope in hope than you might as well give it up. There is no hope...”
– Dr. S. Oliphant
aged wisdom.
apologies. been back for nearly a month now yet i’ve written nothing. i would like to say this was intentional in the sense that i didn’t know how to translate 6 weeks of experiences into a couple of blogs. so instead, i chewed on them a bit and kept them in queue, hoping to apply and integrate them instead of simply writing them off and forgetting everything i’ve witnessed.
...
August 2010
2 posts
!!!
a week later, i have done nothing quite productive with my life. i’m still sick and jetlag is still owning me.
my suitcase still isn’t unpacked and i’ve just discovered that i have not packed some pens, highlighters, and hair styling products. i’m really bummed about each one. there are no pens like asian pens. and that highlighter was sooo cool, it was like a stick of...
30,174
thirty thousand one hundred seventy-four. that is the number of miles i have flown from june until now.
in june i went to kyrgyzstan. i was there for only eleven days. violence erupted while i was there, and i came back to comfortable america with many questions. i did not have much time to search these questions because in late june i left to taiwan.
i have not known any place more humid...
June 2010
6 posts
unpacking/packing.
just 3 weeks ago i was sitting just like this, at home, enjoying a similarly quiet hour, trying to collect and rally myself before a trip. i leave today, but have not yet packed. i’m not really nervous about this one. i mean, after being in kyrgyzstan…where danger was imminent, i do not really fret. the worries there are much different than the ones here. here, it is about keeping...
refuel.
back and in control. that’s the good life, but too much of the good life leads to laziness and fat. one of the things i learned over there is that nothing is within your control. quite the true statement, but quickly glossed over here as if we americans know it all. we may know it, but we do not apply. we may pay lip service, but our lives only feign the superficial comprehension of...
next morning.
Woke up, saw a grown Russian man crying. Things are getting worse. Plans are changing. Borders are closed. Dad will have to figure something out on his own. Everyone around the foundation is scrambling to prepare for the worst. Thousands of Uzbeks are fleeing the country. Others are heading to the mountains. Prayers will be appreciated.