March 2012
0 posts
February 2012
16 posts
good Christian humor?
Worldly jokes (e.g. “that’s what she said” jokes) are taboo. “Biblical jokes” (e.g. “plank in your eye!”) are sinfully irreverent towards the Word of God. We must, therefore, resort to this:
My roommate, Francis, came back to the room earlier today with a rather badly done haircut. Distressed, he went to the restroom to fix it with a pair of scissors....
regarding love
Welch illustrates how parasitism can be mistaken as love:
“‘I do not want to live. I cannot live without my husband [wife, girlfriend, boyfriend], I love him [or her] so much.’
And when I respond, as I frequently do, ‘You are mistaken; you do not love your husband [wife, girlfriend, boyfriend].’
‘What do you mean?’ is the angry question. ‘I just...
win or lose: reflections on notions of God in...
They joke that when you win, it must mean that God is on your side
and if you lose, it must mean that God isn’t.
But if you’re Tebow and you fumble the ball
if you’re Lin and you get 10 turnovers in a game
if you study your hardest and fail
if you compete with all your might and come out on the bottom
if you lose
does that change anything about God?
That seems quite...
all theology is practical
To be enabled to form a clear, consistent and comprehensive judgment of the truths revealed in the Scripture is a great privilege. But they who possess it are exposed to the temptation to think too highly of themselves and too meanly of others, especially of those who not only refuse to adopt their sentiments but venture to oppose them. We see few controversial writings, however excellent in...
“…I am conquered by the Holy Scriptures quoted by me, and my conscience is...”
– Martin Luther, at the Diet of Worms
dating
Everyone’s doing it nowadays;
college is weird.
It’s the latest trend, apparently. When did this memo get passed around?
No blogs about anything substantial, yet—mostly because I’m largely unqualified and I don’t know what I would say, anyway,
except for pursue Christ, whether you’re dating or not
and that, by the way, entails fighting emotional impurity...
Jeremy Lin
You wonderful, amazing, incredible baller.
God has brought you thus far
he will give you grace to stay humble
he will give you grace to remain bold, finding your confidence in Christ
he will give you grace to faithfully obey him
he will be glorified, as he always is.
And it is my hope that we can follow your example
I hope we can work just as hard, whether we’re studying ochem or...
shall we sin more, so that grace may abound?
The question came up during small groups on Friday at church:
If God forgives us anyway, what’s wrong with sinning?
I walked them through Romans 6, but I wish I could’ve just done an entire Desiring God book study on the spot. I really think that’s the heart issue.
Getting specific, saving grace isn’t a way of being allowed the best of both worlds. It’s getting...
slacker
If I actually tried, I’d beat everyone. I just don’t actually try.
I don’t want to study too much because I want to prove that I’m smart enough to do well without studying too much.
The moment I start working hard, I’ll more than make up for everything.
etc.
-the laziness—and self-reliance, and stupidity, and fear of man—of the slacker
Whatever...
blog inception
Actually, inception doesn’t refer to the idea of multiple layers/things within other things. It refers to the idea of planting an idea into someone’s head. But I used the word regardless, because nobody planted any other ideas for a title into my head.
Anyway, I think you should read this blog post:
“That Terrible and Wondrous Love” - Daniel Stevens
For some reason, this...
when good news is old news
Every time I visit Lighthouse Community Church in Torrance, CA, the gospel is presented. I don’t know if it’s actually a policy or anything like that, but that just seems to be the way it is. Back at my home church of EFCLA, one of our youth pastors brings every message he preaches home to John 3:16, with a short gospel presentation. Even at AACF, the campus fellowship I’m in...
fret not, work hard
God is more pleased with your obedient preparation and your faithful trust in his sovereignty, even if the outcome is failing [the test, the interview, the application process, etc.]
than he is with disobedient laziness and arrogant self-dependence, even if the outcome is [by the world’s standards] ideal.
Consider Jonah, who—despite his cowardice and lack of love for the citizens of...
praise God for J.C. Ryle
Do not think you are getting no good from the Bible, merely because you do not see that good day by day. The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest effects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced.
Think of the influence of the moon upon the earth, and of the air upon the human lungs....
January 2012
18 posts
regarding pams
It’s a distinctive concern that seems to prevail in Asian-American Christian fellowships:
that the men are pams—passive Asian men.
Or, as I once heard it described in one particularly bad case,
spams—super passive Asian men.
It’s true; I certainly would not enjoy being one to whom a word like “pam” could apply. But I hope that the basis of this concern is a...
I can just see him now
Paul Washer describes it best (link here).
And for the first time in all the history of history, a man walked up to the doors of Heaven and cried out what we find here in verse 7:
“Lift up your head, O gates, and be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the king of glory may come in.”
And all of heaven behind those doors are in utter shock, in silence and wonder. Finally, a brave one...
I was with you in fear and much trembling
1 Corinthians 2:1-5
thanks for the encouraging support; praise God for his grace!
"the bible is just a book"
“You’re a fool for putting all your faith in what a book tells you.”
Christians hear that and we start to say
that nature is the primary evidence for the existence of God
or that it’s all about how you feel and the primary evidences for a God are the joy, peace, and hope that Christians get
or that being able to believe in something despite having no evidence for it is...
it's easy to be a tumblr Christian
It’s easy to reblog videos, verses, and graphics with quick little good-sounding Christian quotes
it’s easy to make resolutions and fight sin in the form of online posts
it’s easy to type “I love Jesus!” and write about his excellencies.
It’s much, much, much harder to worship him as Romans 12:1-2 dictates
to have a high view of God and his holiness
to, in...
this one is for the churchgoers
Because I love you.
I grew up in the church. So like most, I went to retreats. And every year I felt this thrill—this “mountain high”—and would come down saying that I’d “met God.”
Yet when I look back I see that I had little understanding of who he really is. I “accepted Christ into my heart”/”re-dedicated my life to him” a...
you cannot fight on all the fronts
I am not indispensable to the ministries of AACF
to the salvation and sanctification of the people there
I am not essential to the work done at EFCLA
to text-unpacking, saints-equipping, people-loving, gospel-preaching done there
I am not required for the bringing of the gospel to all the elect at UCLA in my time.
People will be edified without meeting up with me, even more so
theology will...
don't underestimate your thought life (Col. 3:2)
Quoted from Brian Chang.
Today, I realized a bit more of what it means to delight in thinking about Christ
in the same, and yet deeper still, way that I would delight in replaying a newly learned song in my head, thinking about Korean BBQ while hungry, recalling a hilarious conversation with an old friend, looking forward to a weeklong snowboarding trip at Mammoth, daydreaming about getting...
I just want to feel happy (in which happiness, not...
There seems to be a really intense pressure on people who identify themselves as Christians to outjoy the world (sometimes my vocabulary fails me and I just make up words). Especially in high school, I felt a great need to show everyone else how content because I felt like it would reflect well on Jesus Christ, or even legitimize his words.
I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because...
if you've watched "Why I Hate Religion, But Love...
I literally just saved a draft of a post on this same topic last night, but Kevin DeYoung is my superior in every way. Therefore, I commend this to you:
The Gospel Coalition: “Does Jesus Hate Religion? Kinda, Sorta, Not Really.”
Read it. Read it carefully.
EDIT:
Upon reading through most of the comments that have been posted thus far on this particular blog, I’d just like to...
present reflections on the UCLA AACF class of 2014
how humbling it is to see how
little the most theological among us understand
susceptible to worldly influence the most biblical among us find ourselves
deep the struggles we face reach
far we are all from arriving
we know so much yet apply so little
much we have to learn.
indeed, no one merits a pedestal.
yet how encouraging it is to see
the strength of God made perfect in our weakness
...
notes to ourselves on: rebuke
“Well, you know, this is really nit-picky, and it’s not even that big a deal, and nobody’s perfect anyway and I honestly think that you’re a really good person and have come a long way, so don’t take it too personally, but I’ve noticed that sometimes maybe you kind of sort of a little bit have a tiny tendency to _______. But really, it’s a small...
regarding the physical disciplining of children
i.e. things made of bamboo, hangers, belts, etc.
As we were discussing, 90%-jokingly, how physical discipline—unfortunately—usually contributes to a kid’s fear of the parent and not the kid’s fear of God:
“What’s tough is making it so that it’s not just behavior modification. You don’t want them to just change how they do things because...
a new quarter/semester commences
along with new year resolutions, job searches, research position hunting, fresh notebooks, commitments to killing certain sins, bible reading plans, uninstalled games, plans for GPA-raising, and promises to ourselves to spend less money, study harder, hit the gym, and cut all dessert in the dining hall.
Praise God for new beginnings, indeed!
But somehow, few things change. I’m not just...
dealing with sin: part 4
In conclusion, repent.
“to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one’s life for the better.”
The motivation for repentance.
God hates sin. How much? Look at what Christ suffered on the cross. God loves the redeemed. How much? Look at what Christ suffered on the cross. God wants us to be reconciled to him, and enjoy him forever. How much? Look at what...
dealing with sin: part 3
Man’s complete ruin in sin (cf. Romans 3:9-20)
As we’ve covered in Parts 1 and 2, the specific things you do might be different, but we’re all sinful. The bible informs us that, for our sins, we’re due the wrath of a just and holy God; the wages of sin is death. Hell is all about eternally suffering the righteous judgment of the king we’re born rebelling against. And...
dealing with sin: part 2
Further understanding sin.
As mentioned, we seem to find it easier to see our sinfulness in the aftermath of certain sins. Sexual lust, manifested in immoral relationships or pornographic addictions—that one, in particular, makes guys feel bad.
This particular phenomenon, however, is often the result of a misguided view of the nature of sin. And so the reminder of Part 2 is this: sin is...
dealing with sin: part 1
What is it?
Sin is the breaking of God’s law. Sin offends God, who is holy. Sin is deviation from the perfection required of us. Sin is exposed by the bible. Sin is the result of unbelief. Sin calls for just punishment—the eternal wrath of God and, ultimately, spiritual death—upon the doer.
The common experience.
Doesn’t it seem to be easiest for us to recognize our...
what is Christian worship?
In light of the EFC ‘11 winter retreat.
Growing up in the church, I usually associated ”Christian worship” with songs we’d play on Sunday morning. For me, it was a time of deep emotion, being a crybaby, feeling guilty about my sin, resolving to be a better person, and feeling good about God.
But proper worship is not just singing songs at church or retreats (cf. Romans...
December 2011
21 posts
to those going on retreats:
Especially to those who have experienced “retreat highs/valley lows,” who would rather not experience them again.
Something to think about, and hopefully encourage you:
All our knowledge of the truth—who God is, the gospel of what he accomplished through Christ at the cross, and how we are to respond—is derived from the bible, which is his divinely inspired word. All our...
just be faithful with what you have
I don’t know about you, but I think it’s really easy for me to want more
—more influence, more people to love, more opportunities to teach, more chances to evangelize—
and to daydream of being as holy and above reproach as John MacArthur is, of being as good a steward of my time here as Paul was, of having as much fear of God as Stephen did, of helping my local church...
lifeonthereef:
In light of the Christmas season,...
"how can I pray for you?"
I don’t know if you guys do this, but I do it all the time.
me: “So, how can I pray for you?”
brother/sister: “_______”
me: “Alright, awesome. Hey, thanks for sharing; I’ll pray for you. In fact, I’ll write it down so I don’t forget. In fact, I’m so great, I’ll pray for you right now.”
number of times I actually pray for...
not on my watch
We went shopping at an outlet today, and my little sister (Raychel [not a typo], age 7) needed a new swimsuit. Or is it a bathing suit for girls?
The first stop was Quiksilver, but they had nothing but two-pieces. So I refused to let my mom buy anything.
The second stop was Carter’s, but apparently they provide clothing for kids 6 and under. They found the biggest swimbathingsuit they...
when you face temptation (be like Joseph; be like...
It’s a narrative almost all of us have heard in Sunday School before:
So [Potiphar, Joseph’s master] left all that he had in Joseph’s charge, and because of him he had no concern about anything but the food he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance. And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to...
despite me
I think about my siblings
and I am filled with determination to do better
determination because I want to proclaim the glories of Christ
but filled with dread because I am such a sinner, and they know it
dread because what if they don’t get saved because of me?
In these moments, I must remember:
it is not up to me; Christ saves, not I; if he uses me, it will be despite me
and soli Deo...
new blog: days by grace
This is what the bible, the word of God, tells us:
God, the creator and sustainer of the universe, is holy and calls me to be holy. But I am a sinner who falls woefully short of the standard. I was created to be in worshipful communion with him, but because of my sin I was—from birth—alienated and hostile to him. For my transgressions, I deserve hell.
But Jesus Christ, both fully God...
so you think you know your stuff (part 2)
continuation from part 1.
5. There is a difference between intellectually knowing and having faith. And we walk by faith, with our direction guided by the bible. cf. 2 Cor. 2:7, Psalm 119:105
Therefore, fight to take God at his word. Fight to just surrender and simply believe what he says. Because all the while, our flesh whispers that he is not who he says he is—that he is not sovereign,...
so you think you know your stuff (part 1)
An exhortation to submission before God and his bible. Preaching to myself—truly the foremost of sinners and the most arrogant among us—but I hope it clarifies and humbles for your sake as well:
1. The bible is the divinely inspired word of God, and so is the sole authority regarding all truth. cf. 1 Thess. 2:13, Hebrews 4:12-13
Therefore, read it. Work to understand it correctly....
the mammoth nature of grace
A story.
For the past few years, right after the close of Fall Quarter finals, a group of people from AACF@UCLA have headed up to Mammoth for a week of awesome snowboarding (for some, like myself, “snowboarding”) and fellowship. I went last year and met, was encouraged by, and grew closer to a number of fantastic people. So it was with much anticipation that I planned on going again...
"I'm just not made for school"
or is that just an excuse for my lack of self-control, discipline, responsibility, and humility?
Probably.
Maybe, somewhere down the line, it’ll turn out that God—in his sovereign predestination of all the works I would do (cf. Ephesians 2:10)—has actually ordained that I will drop out of school and become an incredible songwriter/itinerant preacher/world-renowned...
it's not about the storms
For some reason, it seems that
as far as we’re concerned, the reality of God’s sovereignty, the necessity for good stewardship, the weakness of our condition, and our ability to surrender all
seem to reach their apex during finals week
and, barring extenuating circumstances (cf. Job), rarely otherwise.
Oh, that we would constantly be fighting.
That we would understand...
fraught with lots of thoughts
when your mind is filled with philosophical ponderings and questions about this life we live—ponderings and questions that are beginning to become the center of your obsession
the answers you find, every so often, open dozens of doors that you hadn’t seen before and behind each is yet another unanswered question, yet another spot of grass to chew on, another thought to mull over,...
“The new gender-inclusive NIV was published earlier this year. It contains...”
– Mary Kassian | 10 Reasons Why the New NIV is Bad for Women (via forchristsnamesake)