DWYS

dont waste your summer (& life) as coined by Pastor Aaron and most likely adopted from the infamous sermons delivered by John Piper.

⁶Go to the ant, O sluggard,
Observe her ways and be wise,
⁷Which, having no chief,
Officer or ruler,
⁸Prepares her food in the summer
And gathers her provision in the harvest.
⁹How long will you lie down, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
¹⁰“A little sleep, a little slumber,
A little folding of the hands to rest”–
¹¹Your poverty will come in like a vagabond
And your need like an armed man.

>>> Proverbs 6:6-11 <<<

A reminder to you and I to think ahead and focus on the eternal.

Biblical Doctrine of Hate

This isn’t something you hear everyday, but as far as I’m concerned, tis true.

You say, “Now, wait a minute. God doesn’t hate anybody. God is love.” No, my friend. You need to understand something. Jesus Christ taught, the prophets taught, the apostles taught this – that apart from the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ our Lord, the only thing left for you is the wrath, the fierce anger of God because of your rebllion and your sin.

When I speak in universities, they’re always quick to point out, “No, God cannot hate because God is love.” And i tell you God must hate because God is love. You see, I love children; therefore I hate abortion. if I love that which is holy, I must hate that which is unholy. God is a holy God. That’s something that the Americans have forgotten. Many of the things that you love to do, God hates. Did you know that?

Quote is from Paul Washer

God’s word > Man’s word

…and I will begin reading in chapter 3 of Galatians, verse 1. Please read carefully with me, please fasten your eyes on a Bible. If you do not have one in front of you look on with someone seated next or nearby you for these indeed are the most important words I will communicate this evening.

This is how C.J. Mahaney begins his sermon “Interrogating the Legalist Within”. The sermon itself is very convicting, a blend of humor and doctrine addressing how to deal with man’s ever present problem of “self-atonement”, but that is not the point of this post.

I loved how he introduced his text, partly because it is so obviously true yet so easily forgotten. No doubt C.J. Mahaney is a great speaker and he surely preaches like a dying man to dying people. It is so easy to anticipate the message when the reading of the text is the most important part, the God-inspired part. All the doctrine that men preach on comes straight from the Bible; it is their job to communicate what the Bible says to the less articulate and less studious.

It is so much easier to exalt these men rather than exalt God’s word, from which our knowledge of Christ and other truths come from. Why? I believe it is because we are lazy and want things spoon fed to us rather than investigate for ourselves. That is why there is so much more hearing than meditation in modern day churches.

Often I feel like I am convicted and rebuked more by pastoral insight rather than God’s word. It is easy to forget that speakers are mere men whose job is to communicate God’s message. It is the grace of God found in the word that sustains us, not the word of men. Man’s word is not eternal but God’s word is everlasting.

I need to learn and be convicted by the power of the Word.

Thoughts on VBS

Many churches conduct VBS (vacation bible school, this ain’t no Jesus Camp) around the world, and my church is no exception. Kids come and get excited, teens serve and also get excited. But why? WHY?

Usually when I am critical about VBS, it tends to be in how the Gospel is presented and what exactly qualifies one to be saved. We know that the sinner’s prayer does not mean one is saved, simply calling “Lord Lord” is not enough. The situations surrounding the children when they hear the Gospel is borderline brainwashing, a scam, convincing ignorant children and asking them to sign up for something they most likely do not understand. You can ask people of any age to define ‘grace’ and ’sin’ and they will struggle to give a biblical answer. How can we expect children to understand the Gospel, much less realize the importance and the response required of them?

But this entry is not about our attempt to bring the Gospel to kids who can regurgitate God’s attributes rather than (for the most part) understand them – this is about those who serve the kids.

So what exactly makes a VBS successful? Is it the amount of kids who ‘respond’ to the Gospel? Is it based on how good the skits were? Smooth transitions and fun prizes? We cannot evaluate this act of service to God with man’s terms. We must turn to God’s standard, and what is important is that He recieves the glory.

Here are three of many thoughts pertaining to VBS.

• Having fun does NOT mean God was necessarily glorified. If anything, having fun means that God’s glory is one of the things farthest from our minds. Sure the event is under a Christian banner, but that does not automatically put our hearts in the right place before our infinitely holy God. I’m not saying it’s bad to have fun while serving God, but it is often a distraction that pushes God out of the mind. Measuring the success of something based on how fun and happy the occasion is has never been God’s standard. I know that it also does not help that some of the kids are ridiculously cute.
• Just because you served in VBS does NOT necessarily mean you served God. If the glory of God, much less the presence of God is not the reason why you conduct yourself, most likely you serve the children and perhaps yourself. We serve children because we serve and love God. There should be no disconnect between our thinking. I know sometimes I thought that serving in VBS was proof that I served God, but I learned later that it is a heart perspective, not my works. God is not interested in my external actions nearly as much as he is concerned about my heart. God must come first in our heart, if not VBS is man serving man. We do not serve to have fun, we serve because God is glorified in our conduct. Speaking from personal experience, it is very easy to lose sight of God in the midst of VBS.
• Many Christians do NOT practice what we make the children practice during VBS.
  The kids are taught Bible stories and the concepts are drilled into their heads. We tell kids to remember these things for a prize. As volunteers, we are commanded to read God’s word and to remember it for an eternal prize. Disciplined reading, much less meditation and retention, is harder than what one may expect to find in professing Christians.
  The kids are also taught to memorize scripture, yet how many practicing Christians also discipline themselves to remembering God’s word? I am guilty of this and am trying to change that. We tell children how important it is to memorize scripture yet we do not hide His word in our hearts so that we many not sin against Him.
  The kids play games, have fun, and eat snacks. We unfortunately, are much better at that then we are meditating on scripture and remembering verses to strengthen our relationship out of love to our God.

I have been guilty and I will always be guilty of the bold points I made. As Christians, we cannot do anything perfectly for God’s glory, yet many times at VBS, I rarely made an attempt. Facilitating games for pre-k and kindergarten was a fun happy occasion. Was this a service to God or a service to myself? I have danced many years. Why did I dance? I thought I was serving God, when I was really serving my own pleasure… and then I convinced myself I did it to get kids excited for a God they did not truly understand. How dare I use God to justify my own actions rooted in my own pleasure?

VBS cannot be evaluated a success as a whole. If God’s glory was something that shadowed an event, that would mean the non-Christians present also glorified God and we know that is not true. God’s glory comes from the individual. The success of VBS is based on whether or not God was glorified, not by trifle things like organization, atmosphere, or fun. Organization, atmosphere, and fun are important if the goal of God’s glory is clear. Yes, the seeds of the Gospel were planted. Maybe true conversion occurred, though my skepticism on that warrants its own post. God is certainly glorified, but not by everyone.

VBS can be comparative to the camp or conference experience. Spiritual highs occur for the same reasons: fun, friends, maybe some learning. Perhaps VBS is more dangerous, because camps and conference encourage spiritual growth and change while the end of VBS only leaves a sentimental feeling. People may think that the time put into VBS justifies service to God, but what does God think of religious ceremonies that are dominated by personal goals and half heartedness rather than His goal? God’s opinion is clear in the Bible and it is not pretty.

Don’t get me wrong. VBS has its good points and is certainly a learning experience. I just didn’t talk about them here.

VBS, you greatly intrigue me.

But uh-oh those Summer Nights

Wow, to think Summer has arrived and with it, a large source of actualized or lost potential. Hence, the title. Shame on you if you do now know where that is from.

The first thing I want to say about Summer to the Christian and to the non-Christian alike is to have goals. It is easy to lose sight of time, a nap here, a 2x card here – it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. We often think that we deserve this time to be lazy after a year of school, but can we really afford to slack off? Can Christians ever afford to slack off, to take a break? Heck, should Christians WANT to take a break? I don’t think so. We are called to run, to strive, to agonize.

Summer Goals (in no particular order)

1. Exercise. I sometimes grow wary of constantly being told how skinny I am. No amount of exercise will really change that, but I at least want to not be so pathetically weak.
2. Piano Improv. Being able to play the piano in a manner most suitable for praising God has recently become something I would love to do. I’m surrounded by two great resources, my mother and brother, as well as a brief background in music theory. Hopefully it won’t be that bad.
3. Wayne Gruden’s Systematic Theology. I probably won’t finish it this summer, but I want to be able to take a careful look at a bulk of the content, probably starting in July. It’s about 1300 pages.
4. Learn how to change a diaper. By God’s grace I have a new adopted baby sister. She’s a lot of fun, and (is this mentality bad?) I feel like I could also learn a lot for the future.
5. Level 160. I want to make and edit another video.
6. Listen. I started http://lorduhai.wordpress.com/isaiah-558-9/ in order to share what I’ve been listening (and reading) and so I could remember key points at the same time. John Piper’s emphatic emphasis on the importance of sentences really struck me so I have a notebook now dedicated to interesting, thought-provoking ’sentences’ I come across.
7. Blog regularly. Writing helps keep my mind fresh and allows me an opportunity to apply concepts through repetition.
8. Memorize. As you can tell from the Isaiah 55:8-9 page, I just listened to and got owned by a bunch of sermons discussing the importance of memorizing scripture. This summer I want to practice the advice Pastor Peter gave in his sermon and primarily memorize verses I already know or am familiar with.

The most important thing is that I come away from Summer a better equipped person with a heart that beats only for God. If none of this results in application or positive change of any sort, I want someone to beat me with a stick.

Keep me accountable.
Please be my friend.
Thanks.

Resolved Live Streaming

Join me with live streaming by signing up for free. I’m actually at the conference.

So far Rick Holland and Steve Lawson have spoke.

I Love Worms

I am not particularly fond of worms. They come out after it rains and what does rain mean to me? No tennis and no flip flops. Worms represent the rain I do not like.

However, Jesus Christ as a worm? Aren’t those the mushy things that you see stomped on or dried out when the sun comes out?

Here is what Matthew Henry’s online commentary says about Psalm 22:1-10.

The Spirit of Christ, which was in the prophets, testifies in this psalm, clearly and fully, the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

Now here is what Psalm 22 says,

 ¹My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
         Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning. 
    ²O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
         And by night, but I have no rest. 
    ³Yet You are holy,
         O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. 
    ⁴In You our fathers trusted;
         They trusted and You delivered them. 
    ⁵To You they cried out and were delivered;
         In You they trusted and were not disappointed. 
    ⁶But I am a worm and not a man,
         A reproach of men and despised by the people. 

If He is a worm, what the heck am I? ._.

worm poop = holy crap

 

 

I love worms.

The Scandal of Grace

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to sit down and listen through an entire sermon without interruption. Though I used this as an excuse to further procrastinate on my humanities core paper, I am very thankful i took an hour (it was between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m.) to listen to John MacArthur’s teaching.
____________________________________________________________

This is a sermon that testifies to the disconnect between NT and American culture and how we can miss out on the magnitude of Jesus’ ministry because of our ignorance to the historical context.

jMac makes the case that if Jesus came today, he would be hated because he is too religious, too strict, and too intolerant. Makes sense right?

The obvious reality is that Christ was born 2000 years ago where he is charged with a much different crime. He was not religious enough, he broke too many rules, and not only tolerated but accepted the sinners of sinners.

The details can only be adequately expressed by jMac. The concept of the sermon in and of itself has profound implications. For myself, I knew that the death and resurrection of Christ is a scandal both in the past and present, but even in His short time of ministry he succeeded in turning the world upside down.

Here is the link. Download or listen if you can.
http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/41-9

Speaking of scandals, here is another good sermon that addresses the paradigm-shattering view of the Gospel.

::EDIT::

Pastors vs. Pornography & the Gospel According to … Caiaphas?

There are two things I’ve read and heard that have really struck a chord with me this past quarter. I meant to write and share these things earlier and I finally am before these thoughts escape my mind forever.

1. Porn and Paper Pastors_Pyromaniacs
   http://teampyro.blogspot.com/2009/04/porn-and-paper-pastors.html        

   This is one of the best blog entries I have ever read and was incredibly rebuking for myself. Please read it for yourself for your own good (and to understand a little of what I’m writing). This article immediately reminded me of the time when I was applying for college applications. I knew I wanted to go to UCLA. Why? It wasn’t for the academics, social life, or sporting events – it was because I wanted John MacArthur to be my pastor. I had been recently exposed to the resource of itune podcasts, which provides you with a seemingly endless supply of sound doctrine from pastors like jMac and John Piper. To not beat around the bush, I realize now that I began to idolize these men and favor their teaching over my own pastor. I had neglected what God had given to me out of an overflow of His grace and made something good into an idol. 

   Reflecting on those dreams now, I am very glad I did not get into UCLA, and thus, did not go to Grace Community Church. Coming to UCI and going to Berean made me appreciate my pastor beyond just the teaching, but as a man who strives to conform to the image of Christ yet is prone to wander; he is a real man to me. John MacArthur would never have the time to meet up with me, would never give me a high five, maybe wouldn’t even know my name. Is jMac a good preacher? I will give a resounding ‘yes’. Will I ever have a personal relationship with jMac? In all liklihood no. 

   While obviously reading and listening to other pastors is not in itself, bad, it is the neglect of the reality in front of you that makes this mentality very dangerous. Pornography sets unreal expectations for real women and in the same way, media establishes the same for your home pastor every Sunday. Women you see in pornography will never bother you about taking out the trash, doing your homework, or with homework help while media pastors will never pray for you, keep you accountable, much less know your name. So as John says in 1 John 5:21 to bring a conclusion to his book,

   “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.”

2. Gospel According to Caiaphas, the Gospel of Substitution_Matt Haney
   https://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=922081251302        

   To help with my response, I’ll post the main passage Matt Haney uses in his message which comes from John 11:47-53

   ⁴⁷Therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened a council, and were saying, “What are we doing? For this man is performing many signs. ⁴⁸“If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

    ⁴⁹But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all,

    ⁵⁰nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”

    ⁵¹Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation,

    ⁵²and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad.

    ⁵³So from that day on they planned together to kill Him.

   Some quick context is needed to demonstrate how mind-boggling this is. Jesus had just raised Lazarus from the dead and the pharisees, feeling threatened, wanted to eliminate the threat. In many bibles, this passage comes from a portion titled “Conspiracy to Kill Jesus”. 

   If you notice the bold, who really knows nothing at all? One man die for the people so that a nation can be saved? This is indeed, expedient for each and every one of us. Wow, the irony! I listened to this sermon in between early morning and normal service on Easter and it helped me prepare my heart for the Gospel message I would later hear.

   Here we have Caiaphas, the great high priest, the most powerful spiritual leader. Yet in God’s sovereignty, he utters the very Gospel while plotting to kill Christ. I found this incredibly ironic and this shows that God’s plan for man’s redemption as seen in His word, involved all sorts of people whether the blind beggar or the most powerful religious figure at the time. Though Caiaphas certainly did not intend to bring God glory with his words, readers today can be confident that God is active and moving in and among men.

   The bible is amazing. The end. 

Grace on the Cross

In my study of Mark, I ran into a discrepancy of sorts that I did not know existed, yet in the end I found myself being in awe of God and his grace.

This grace was granted by God and Jesus but is not your standard Gospel message. In fact, this happens before Christ dies. This message truly testifies to the importance of reading the entire Bible closely for a more profound understanding.

The initial passage that started this adventure of sorts for me is found in Mark 15:32 which says,

³²“Let this Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.

What’s interesting here is that we don’t see the usual story that’s painted in Luke, where only one of the robbers hurls insults at Christ while the other one defends him. Instead we see that both robbers were insulting him. Wait what? This account also shows up in Matthew 27:44 which says,

⁴⁴The robbers who had been crucified with Him were also insulting Him with the same words.

These “same words” are also used by the people walking by and by the scribes and the chief priests, words of mockery and ridicule. So what happens to Luke’s account in Luke 23:39? This reads,

³⁹One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him, saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!”

 ⁴⁰But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

 ⁴¹“And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

 ⁴²And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!”

 ⁴³And He said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Why is Luke’s account so much different than Matthew and Mark? There is hardly a mention of the robbers, much less the repentant sinner we hear spoken of so often. Why does John not even mention them? What’s more important is – why does it matter and what does it mean?

First I believe it’s safe to assume based on the accounts of Matthew and Mark that Jesus was indeed ridiculed by both robbers. Why does Luke speak of only one criminal who was “hurling abuse”? This requires a better understanding of the message Luke wanted to portray in his book.

As most know, the Gospels each address a different part of Christ. Matthew, the king. Mark, the servant. Luke, the miracles and healing. John, the deity. According to scholars, Luke was very interested in the healings because of his background as a doctor, but also “pointed out Jesus’ concern for the poor and oppressed”. My bible’s introduction to Luke also says, “The theme of joy is felt throughout the book, as Jesus’ coming brought joy as well as hope and salvation to a sinful world”.

If that holds true, that Luke wants to point to the hope and salvation, then Luke’s inclusion of the robber’s last minute repentance is a demonstration of sovereingty. While the other accounts have the robbers join only in a chorus of unbelief, Luke chooses to testify to the saving grace and mercy of a man who repents on the brink of death literally minutes, even seconds, after belittling the God-man. Luke found someone who was present at the crucifixion and caught something the others missed or neglected. It’s funny how Luke’s account is the only one we really hear about, but thanks be to God for his inspired work.

This shows that God is truly sovereign and he is mighty to save even the criticizer of his son on the brink of his death. I believe this testifies that our salvation truly is not of ourselves, but is all in God’s hands. We are no more deserving of grace than the robber who repented and we all deserve an excruciatingly eternal death. How difficult is our salvation that only God can make it work, and praise to Him that it is in accordance with his will that he unites sinful man with Himself.

“The Middle Man”

My fate was sealed, ‘all’s lost’, said I,
my heart was black as pitch,
as I perchance to lift my head,
I saw the far man twitch.

A thief be he, his life condemned,
my comrade in the dark,
and thus we hung, beneath the sky,
all now grim, all now dark.

To the middle now we cast our hate,
our eyes thus fixed on Him,
the soldiers truly earned their keep,
His body! Oh, so grim.

The venom spewed from our hearts black,
sly tongues, we pricked the mark,
yet, the middle Man just hung there, red,
His blood amidst our bark.

As the far man hurled his hate,
to the middle I did seek,
His outward form was bruised and beat,
yet in my heart, He now did speak.

My soul awake! Tis beauty now!
I spoke…’Remember me’,
from outstretched arms, I heard Him cry,
“Today, you shall be with Me…”