The Pamphlet

2007-02-16T22:44:00.000-08:00

I was hoping this blog would last until the end of my tenure at college. Unfortunately, I think The Pamphlet has been running out of steam, and should probably be put to rest. So, even though I haven't even been posting as much anyway, TP will be taking an indefinite break from the blogging world so JL can get his own life sorted out.

Thanks for all the times we were able to talk Jesus, politics, socio-economic phenomena, hip-hop and school.

Peasuktown

-thepamphlet

On Moralism

2006-12-20T23:11:00.000-08:00

I just finished my exam on Mass Media, came home and watched Jesus Camp, and feel like it is high time for another post.

As a liberal democracy enthusiast (and you may say those terms are oxymoronic, but let's just keep it at in its strictest sense of "North American democracy"), I end up reading materials on the left, centre and right. Part of the beauty of democracy is having open forums to discuss views and see which ones make the most sense. The past couple of months, I've been reading a whole slew of material regarding the "Religious Right" and the zealotry the RRs have been displaying for the whole continent to see.

My problem with the Religious Right lies in priorities. What it seems like (and I may be totally off...if I am, feel free to correct me) is that the RRs have exerted most of their focus on keeping "moralism" in tact within America (and for Canadians, the Conservatives in Canada). For example, fundamentalists have been making a huge effort to place (and here I use a liberal term) "extremist" judges in the Supreme Court, and have been lobbying against homosexual marriage and abortion. Firstly, I must make this clear: I do not support same-sex marriage or abortion. However, I have to say that I frown on the way the evangelical church is moving to maintain moralism in society. Instead of getting to the source of the problem (people without salvation), the Evangelicals have amassed an army that just looks like soldiers bent on hate.

The root problem is that there are hurting people out there, who suffer because they don't know Christ. As Christians, our job is to go out in love and compassion (these are key), walk with them, and tell them the un-tampered Gospel message (this is also key) that will bring about healing. When our focus is not on the Great Commission and on the teachings of Christ, we have the tendency to fall into either legalism or liberalism (and both are equal in error). When a group of Christians go out to participate in "preserve traditional marriage" parade, decked out in matching t-shirts, it just looks like hatred and arrogance (I took part in a protest at Parliament once). Of course, one may argue that it's not out of hatred, that it's really in love -- but then I have to ask, how many of those participating in the parade have actually gone out and hung out with a homosexual? Cared for them, became their friend, and told them the Gospel message out of Christlike love? If not, then the parade is just pharisaical. The same goes for those who go out to the bars and stripclubs and pray outside...for what? What are they praying for? For moralism within the confines of their community? Maybe I'm being a little extreme here (no pun intended), but what of the strippers inside who need to hear the Gospel? Do we just pass them over as Jezebels and tell them to get their corrupted ways out of our town? What if they were being exploited? Or abused? This "holier-than-thou" approach is nothing new, Augusta Webster even makes note of legalists in her Victorian poem "A Castaway".

The Evangelicals are constantly insulted and ridiculed in the media and among others because of their misguided direction. We reach out, only out of pride; when we fail, we retreat to Colorado. Our enemy is the PETA and ACLU, so let's wage war against them. Nah, the PETA and ACLU need salvation just as much as you and I (c'mon, we wrestle not against flesh&blood). Again, I may be totally off because I'm Canadian, but these are my observations. Evangelicalism seems now to be a synonym for Republicanism. I admit, I used to be a Conservative (fiscally and socially), but I see the alienation of others when I subscribe to a certain political view. Of course, by 2008 I guess I would be a political scientist, but above all else, I'm still a Christian. I don't want to alienate my Liberal or New Democrat or Bloc Quebecois friends or people I meet.

I've digressed here and there, and have gone on several tangents because it's 2:30 in the morning and my mind is everywhere. No, I haven't gone liberal (small-case). No, I do not support same-sex marriage or abortion. Yes, I was hoping the House would reopen the debate. But I guess what I'm saying here is that it is not enough to impose moralism on a country that's not even religious anymore. To do so would be hypocritical...we would be asking people to adhere to views and obligations which have no meaning to them. Morals without God is totally useless, and cannot and must not be enforced. If we want to see society changed, if we want to see sin on the decline, we must go to the source of the problem; we're sinners, we need God. Go tell the Good News, and be Christlike while you are at it. Only then will we see change.

2006-12-17T20:56:00.000-08:00

Read this quote from John MacArthur (taken from J.Lai), and ponder how this affects your Christian life:

"It's amazing how people can cry over fiction and not cry over reality. Have you noticed that? It's amazing how people can watch a movie or even hear a song and weep, but see a destitute person and be absolutely indifferent. Sometimes I think in a world like ours where we have so much fantasy we literally spend all of our emotions on fantasy and we have none left for reality. I mean we have all seen so many disasters portrayed on television that we've pretty well emptied our emotions. And real life just doesn't seem so bad, does it. And unless the drama is really played to the hilt, it doesn't elicit tears out of us because no human tragedy in reality is nearly as dramatic seemingly as a fantasy. "

Why is it that we cry over a notebook, and yet pass over the lost souls walking by us everyday?

You know you're a pastor's kid when...

2006-12-14T15:35:00.000-08:00

...your name is "Jon", and your father refers to you as "Jn" in his emails. The expositor in him won't let him type the bloody O! Haha.

Cultural Relevancy and the Church

2006-12-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

This entire school year, I have been struggling with how to reconcile culture and Christianity. How do I maintain relevancy in order to meet people where they are without compromising the the Gospel of Christ? And if I do become relevant, am I being ashamed of Christ?

I have come to several conclusions. Firstly, that we must be culturally relevant. I love what Mark Driscoll said pertaining culture and Church, that Christianity separated from culture is legalism, and Christianity overridden by liberal synchronization leads to compromise. At the CCCOWE conference, I attended a workshop titled "How to Minister to the Postmodern Generation." The speaker stated that back in the day when tapes were 8tracks, people could listen to sermons because they had (what he called) a "clothesline", or a baseline. When the pastor preached about God the "Father", they knew what that meant. Nowadays, people don't know what that means. People come from broken families, people probably have no idea what "Father" truly means. And so on. You may accuse me for being emerging right about now (I so am not), but I agree completely with Driscoll; we have to be culturally relevant, we must meet people where they are.

Secondly....My brother told me about a scene he saw on the Sopranos. Tony Soprano (the mafia don) comes home to see his sister(?) bringing in a pasty Chris Kaman-lookalike with a bad goatee and a freakin acoustic guitar.. And as figures, Tony asks "What is going on?" peppered with my favourite expletives. His sister defends the guy, stating that he's a "CCM artist! You know those CCM guys? They're so cool!" The next scene shows Chris Kaman teaching the sister how to play (badly) a praise and worship song: "No-no-no, a Gee-Chord! A GEEEEE-CHORD!!"

"A GEEEEE CHORD!"

Why am I bringing up the Sopranos? (Besides the fact that I love The Sopranos) Because in North America, people are dissing Christians for being dead Christians. Ridiculed not for our passion for Christ, but our supplement for Him. If you're dissed for being a dead Christian, you're not being persecuted, you're just being straight-dissed. As Anthony Bradley over at The Resurgence stated, we come home, drink watered down punch and play board games. We are trained to be dull. We're just waiting for the Rapture and twiddling our freakin thumbs. This is not how the saved are supposed to live! Christ brings joy and life abundant; as Bradley states, we have so much more cause to celebrate, because we're saved. Linc was telling me about some of the guys he knew, who were known for loving the Word, being passionate about serving and praying. When was the last time somebody came up to you and said "YO! Check out Ecclesiastes this book is SICK!" Yeah, been awhile eh? The Christian life is victorious, not depressing! They should know us from our joy and the life that we have.

And yet we distract ourselves with our Taylors and a weekly gathering to satisfy the fellowship-urge. This is what I'd like to candidly call spiritual masturbation. If the Body of Christ isn't reaching out, what is it doing?

Complacent journalism leads to homogenized material. Complacent Christianity leads to apostasy. C'mon, let's do this! I'm scared as hell to go out there and evangelize, but I'm more scared of the Father disciplining my candy arse for not doing His bidding. I'm begging y'all, can we work together? Bring the Toronto reformists together, let's get to work. I'm certain there's at least 30 of you college guys out there (Elijah had 7000!). Let's preach. Let's evangelize. Let's combat the tide of the emergent. Let's present truth. Let's raise leaders. Let's be relevant. Let's be alive.

I refuse to think that the Lord has given up on us.

Edit: Just to clear things up, I never meant that J. Harris was "unmasculine" in any way (his sermons are fantastic and I'm sure he's a man of God); I'm just not a big fan of his dating books, or the fact that a lot of young men treat them like their manual for life. Apologies all around.

The Art of Castration

2006-11-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of ways to castrate the males in your church/fellowship:

1. Teach Scriptures in a relative, post-modern, emergent fashion. AKA: "Ahh, don't worry, God will understand whatever the frick you do. There's no reason to acknowledge Him!"

2. Preach/teach the Purpose Driven Crap, er, Life.

3. Have your men read books exclusively written by Max Lucado and Joshua Harris.

4. Continue to think that Jesus is this blue-eyed, blond-haired pretty boy who likes to cuddle up with sheep.

5. When one of your men exercises Biblical authority or drive, tell everyone around him that he's "intimidating" or "unapproachable."

6. Shop at Mitchell's.

7. Regard the acoustic guitar as part of your identity in Christ.

This notion of Christianity being "feminine" has been driving me nuts for the past two years. It's not so much about what we teach, but rather what we don't. The silence regarding masculinity in the church is louder than we think. It's implicit, rather than explicit. Men aren't encouraged to exercise manhood; male leaders are lacking, or failing, so the kids watch the women. Masculinity intimidates the timid, so men are forced to downplay their inherent nature and adopt a more feminine feel to how they approach issues, or life. Even in my English lectures, the prof is referring to the age of Christendom in Europe as a "feminine" age. Listen y'all, Christ is masculine. He's a Man. He's not your pot-smoking, bead-wearing, classical-guitar-plucking, metrosexual hippie. He's the King who took upon the dirty garb of men; kicked the shizzle out of demons; overturned the tables of the "market-driven-church"; owned the scholars at the temple all the while being that blue-collared carpenter. He's the Lion of Judah who willingly gave His flesh up to be mutilated and ferociously tortured so that you and I don't have to endure that pain. Yeah, Christ preaches peace, but He also brings a sword. There wouldn't have been mercy if there wasn't judgment. Click here and here for some more seasoned veterans regarding this topic.

R-Dubs Gettin' Down With Syria

2006-11-14T16:49:00.000-08:00

As you all know, I've never really been a big fan of Rick Warren. Slice of Laodicea has a couple of articles detailing R-Dubs' recent trip to Syria where he's reported to have expressed his admirations of Syria. Hmm, not sure how a Christian pastor can admire terrorism and nihilism. Also, our favourite megachurch pastor is pictured here wearing a tie. Yo Rick, I distinctly remember you preaching about your asceticism. First you said that money didn't affect you to the point where you refused to buy ties; now we catch you rocking one with the world? It's not the fact that he's wearing a tie that bugs me, but it's the fact that he was justifying his casual dress because he prefers to "save money". UGH! Give me a freakin break! Am I the only one who's sick of this episcopalian in disguise? Forget burning Harry Potters, who wants to commit some arson on the 25 million purposely driven paperbacks? Said it before, I'll say it again: it's high time for the Church to kick the man and his 40 purposes outta our pulpits. This is ecumenism on steroids!!

My Confessions.

2006-11-09T18:02:00.000-08:00

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Php 4:13

KCCF's first Bible Study concerned the aforementioned verse. Before doing any research, I had no idea that Paul was talking about contentment here. "Through the grace of Christ, I can be content, regardless of what situation I'm in." Too many times, I find myself looking for contentment and satisfaction in my surrounding situations, in the fleeting moments that make me happy, but not necessarily joyful. I have since found this ridiculous (took me awhile eh? no jokes please). This year, I have found myself complaining about Kingston alot. Ok, not just mere complaining, but straight bitching (please excuse my language -- emphasis' purpose only). Looking at myself from a bird's eye view, I'm disgusted with myself for being such a wuss/tool/queen/(insert your personal synonym for the word "pansy"). I've been complaining about what a tough year it's been (and it's only November). I've been looking back at 2nd year, sighing about how great it was. However, I distinctly remember being just as frustrated and tired last year. And suddenly my sophomore year was sublime? Who in the world (or in Heaven for that matter) am I kidding? The grass is not just greener on the other side, but there's also a hot blonde sitting there suntanning with a pile of greenbacks next to her lawnchair. I know for a fact that after I graduate, I'm going to look back at my undergrad and think, "Those were the best 4 years of my life." Why complain now? If we can't find the beauty in the present, there's no way we'll find it in the future...for the future morphs into the present. And we'll be left with nothing left to idealize.

Today, almost on impulse, I took the 3:15 pm back to Toronto. And yet, when I arrived in Scarborough, I looked around my surroundings only to find myself still locked in perpetual discontent. My feelings have not changed. If Kingston is a hole, then Toronto is a toxic waste site.

Looking now with a fresh set of lens, I can't really find anything to moan and whine about. Kingston is not a hole. I have no right to say that, considering how God has blessed me so immensely ever since I arrived here. I have no right to complain, 'cause that'd be a straight dis to everyone who has contributed to my time here (including the Lord). In fact, the past two years have been the best of my life. I've grown in all three areas of my life (physically/mentally/spiritually) so exponentially, and I would not trade those years for anything in this world. It's a ripe time for a change in outlook and attitude. How different our worldview when our eyes are on Jesus!

Oh gosh.

2006-09-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is the last thing we need. Can we stop the retard train already? I'd like to get off.

2006-09-17T13:07:00.000-07:00

So I was walking up Princess and some white lady stops me.

"What were you practicing yesterday?" I gave her a blank stare.

"That thing, with those martial arts sticks; what was that?"

"..."

"Oh I'm sorry...I must have you mistaken."

Yes, we all look the same, I know.

***

On another note, the Pope called Muhammad "evil and inhuman", and in response, Muslims around the world gun down nuns, and burn churches. Yeah, that's a great way of proving him wrong.

John MacArthur says...

2006-09-09T19:27:00.000-07:00

"All I can say is that when you are a well known evangelical Christian, and you get yourself mixed up with a high profile involvement in politics, you run a high risk of alienating people from your message. There is no question about that. I was asked yesterday, by a marvelous young pastor, who is the only black man ever to graduate from Dallas Seminary with a THD. He is a brilliant young man, great pastor, but as a black pastor who has got an exploding church in Dallas, Texas, he’s under tremendous pressure to get involved on behalf of black people in political issues, but he knows the price is so high that once he identifies himself, he’s going to alienate people because there are so many factions in political view points.
The reason I don’t belong to the Moral Majority is because I’m not willing to alienate all of the democrats.
What do I gain by that? Because politics isn’t the issue. And what happens, to be really frank with you, what happens when Jerry Falwell goes to South Africa, no matter what he intended to do, and no matter whether we agree with his viewpoint is; the press takes that and he comes out as anti-black. And so he has just alienated all those people and all those people who agree with the black struggle in South Africa. And the price is so high for that high profile political involvement, that the Christian message is lost to some people. Now, the pattern that I want to follow, is the pattern of Christ who NEVER got involved in a political issue! Never! Because the price was too high. Because if you take sides with that stuff, which is very volatile, and within which there are many opinions, you will run the risk of making people think that Christianity is a certain political viewpoint or lobby position and that’s the reason I don’t belong to the Moral Majority. I can’t answer for Jerry. I know he loves the Lord and he’s got a lot of marvelous things that he’s doing, but for me, once you mix the thing with politics, you really do, you’ve got the whole thing in one bag and people see evangelical, fundamental Christianity as a right wing, anti-black viewpoint. Some people see that and I think that price is too high to pay."

Shoot, the man has his priorities right.

Scribbles

2006-09-07T19:51:00.000-07:00

Been feelin' a lil frustrated as of late/
wrestlin' wit the One who creates/
cuz my mind's been all over the place/ from the north to the states/
comin to terms with things that I gotta face/
enough to make me wanna double up like pas-tor ma$e/
can't I get past-this-stage?/
or I am jes' destined/ to jettison/ real quick like Johnny Cage?/
when he was owned by Shao Khan 3 minutes in the movie/
it's about time that somebody clued me/
in on the handbook of life/ ay yoh where that is?/
I'm too bus' handlin' my biz little things feel like strife/
and it ain't easy these days when yo' soul's ablaze/
cuz you ain't feedin' it okay so it's feeling a lil' yeet-hay/
cha boy needs the Lord there ain't no denial/
but when I lack desire I see Him as a rival/
and become in love with my own version of justice/
I join with the world in callin out names like Kuruptses/
in the spirit of examples, let's talk about racists/
the ignorant faces/ the ones who'd lynch you and no one'd care about your traces/
they'd call you "CHINK!" and expect you to take this/
they claim to know Jay-sus!/ but they just some race-rapists/
what to do in these cases?/ do I just let it slide and allow Karma to unfold?/
just smile sincere like Nelly did to Stone-Cold?/
this is serious s***, and the s*** ain't legit/
it's enough to make boys take up they glocks and clips/
no wonder there're bloods and crips!/
no wonder for terrorists and ji-had-ists!/
I'd go insane and crazy trying to analyze-this/
but I ain't DeNiro and Crys/ so forget it, I quit, I don't wanna hear it anymore/
cuz this world obviously pushed me to the back door/
what do I turn to, where do I go?/
Which direction do I take my rhymes and flow?/
Last resort/ I gosta look to the Lord/
cuz I'm a stubborn motherf***** with no good intentions in store/
I don't wanna turn my cheek when my instinct is to fight/
when his wrong is wrong and my wrong is right/
when my fists are tight/ when my blood is hype/
when I wanna see his face on my glock tonight/
but JL, calm down, take a deep breath before/
you say or do something that leads you to the floor/
take it easy…in all this, where's the Lord/
man, I don't know! But He ain't at my door/
I know what I gotta do but I just can't do it/
and what I don't wanna do, well I do, foolproof/
JL you gosta remember that the Lord hates this ish/
He ain't happy with racists or their loud ish/
but at the same time He ain't cool with you running your mouth and ish/
be angry and don't sin, but you doin both a lot/
your tongue's straight blazin you're blowin up the spot/
yeah I know you just flowin' off the top/ but knowin that God's watchin is somethin you forgot/ remember numbers 12, the mistake of Miriam/
yoh God was pissed, and probably so were the seraphim/
girl was givin flack/ cuz Moses married black/ so God brought it hard and boy she got cracked/ so you see, God is just, He ain't gonna leave you in dirt/
you follow His Word, He'll take care a you, y'heard?/
"The righteous is delivered from trouble"/
Yea, that's me, all love/
"The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor"/
Shoot, what about all my cuss-words up above?/
"He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbour"/
I ain't perfect, my hate is eating me up inside/
"But a man of understanding holds his peace"/
How can I change that Christ may shine?/
JL dawg, let this anger slide, or else/
your hate will just make you racist yourself........./

"Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil." -- Eph 4:26-27

*Language used for emphasis' purpose only, to show the worst in Man and God's patience with such degenerate Man. I do not condone or support unclean language of any sort.

Perspective

2006-08-25T21:17:00.000-07:00

A little girl was visiting her grandmother in the country. One evening they sat and enjoyed the panorama of stars in the heavens -- such sparkling brilliance the little girl hadn't seen, living in the city with all the lights. She was in awe of the beauty and said to her grandmother, "If heaven is so beautiful on the wrong side, what must it be like on the right side?" (Marilyn McAuley)

This is a wonderful portrayal of perspective in the right. Appreciating the situation you are in, yet understanding what lies ahead. Gazing at the present, but clearly seeing the future. Cherishing your life on earth, yet delighting in the Lord. Sometimes we (or namely, I) lose perspective, and instead of looking at the present with the correct lenses, we place on our social-specs and become consumed with the world. Jon Lai over at Skeuos posted a segment from a sermon by Leighton Ford, in which I will candidly quote: "So the church is polarizing into two camps: the "soul savers" and the "social reformers." But the core issue is this: Can we change the world without saving souls? And can men really be saved without becoming involved in the effort to change the world? "

It's easy to lose sight of the real disease plaguing mankind -- and that is sin. It is not difficult to be overwhelmed by the amount of socio-economical problems in this world. It is also possible to get caught up in the wonders and beauties that our present life has to offer, and in the process, forgetting the unspeakable joys that heaven has to offer. In fact, it is very simple for us to dumb down the glories of heaven and develop the mentality that the best that Earth has to offer is the best we will ever encounter (so get it while it's good! whoo!). In all honesty, seeing past what the naked eye digests has been quite the struggle for the past month or so. I've come to the conclusion that life is a gift from God, and it should be appreciated. Like the Preacher from Ecclesiastes, I declare life as useless, if it does not recognize the supremacy of God. I believe as Christians, we have a role to play in the political/social/economical/cultural spheres of our world. I believe promoting literacy, building and equipping leaders, and all that other good stuff that Rick Warren talked about at CCOWE are necessary. At the same time, I believe a society that is literate, thriving in trade, and advanced in technology is useless if it does not have the message of the Gospel planted in it. What good is an educated and rich country if is an unsaved, educated, rich country?

It is important that people do not "perish but have everlasting life". That is very, very important. That trumps everything else. I once read in a little quote book about a great king who asked his advisers to construct one simple sentence that can apply to life at any point, time, or circumstance. The advisers' result? "And this, too, shall pass." I think that is a lovely statement, and I believe it does apply to life at any moment. Whether you are going through a happy moment, or a tragic one, it will pass. Life will pass. And since time passes so quickly, so do our opportunities in witnessing. For though life passes...eternity does not. And where in eternity we will be, that will depend on the absence or presence of our salvation.

Father make us urgent! Give us the right persepctive, that we may see the big picture, rather than focusing our lives on the vain things that only result in emptiness. God, that we may not ignore society's ills, but stretch out a helping hand. At the same time, Father, allow us not to compromise ourselves, but continue to see sin as man's greatest problem. And forgive us when we sin and fail, and allow us to impart grace upon others as You have shown grace to us. Father make us urgent....make me urgent!

Anger post...I apologize in advance.

2006-08-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

I've been really mad lately. Just angry. Being a very ticked off Asian man. For the past couple of days, it has seemed that every middle aged Asian man I have bumped into had something to say about the white man oppressing minorities, and how there's a ceiling for the Asian brother. Hearing these stories (coupled with my reignited self-consciousness of being yellow) have raised my anger bar to a whole new level. It's true; history has taught us that the Asian male moves toward the quiet yet well-paid position (ex: engineering, medicine, computer science). Why? At least for the Taiwanese, during the era of Nipponization, the Japanese forbade locals to enter positions of power (law, government), but encouraged them to take upon respectable occupations that cause the least amount of political strife (ex: medicine). I'm not saying these professions are bad; not at all! They're great. I'm just saying that since there's such a high concentration of Asian males in those jobs, there is now a huge shortage of Asian brothers in positions where their faces are actually seen. There's a lack of representation in the public eye. I mean, luckily, Asia has now risen up with some superpowers (ex: South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Mainland China), and we don't have to tolerate the double-standards faced in North America -- hence the large number of AAs/ACs returning to their respective motherlands. However, there is still this stereotype of the passive Asian man (perpetuated by North American media and homosexual Sino celebrities). The meek Asian man. The asexual Asian man. The Asian man who can't speak engrish good. The Gay-sian. These retarded stereotypes really make me angry. What makes me even more angry is that the Asian man is either indifferent to these negative portrayals, or even worse, embraces them (especially the gay one). What's going on???

And this anger is killing me, because now I'm getting consumed with so much unhealthy passion that I'm losing sight of my priorities (cough, heaven). I would give anything to just settled down, have a happy n' healthy family and live out the rest of my days in Fremont. But at the same time, I don't think I can just sit around and see my people continue in their subordinate state. But then, what can I do? I'm just one man. And, more importantly, what is the point of establishing myself as "dominant" in the political sphere when haters are still gonna hate? (3LW) How does this better glorify God if I remain a cocky Asian man who does things for the sake of his people's collective ego? How does this portray the fruits of the Spirit? How is this even good?

I'm not just angry, I'm also conflicted. Give me some time, as I fill in the 'chinks' in my Ephesians' armor.

2006-08-07T14:24:00.000-07:00

Well, what more can I say? My time in Taiwan was fantastic; the food was great, the people were friendly, the atmosphere was comfortable, and best of all, it felt like home. Hopefully I'll be seeing more of the Formosan landscape in the near future. PeeasuTtown.

2006-08-07T14:14:00.000-07:00

It's election time in Taiwan. Love me the Taiwanese politics =D

2006-08-07T14:13:00.000-07:00

More family (this was in Macau).

2006-08-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

At a very large bridge with the fam.

2006-08-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

This is our 'hood.

2006-08-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

Tallest building in the world, Taipei 101. Represent!

2006-08-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Basketball's huge in Taiwan. Here I'm doing my best to impersonate Charles Barkley.

2006-08-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

Riding the MRT (subway). It's clean, efficient, and takes you any and every where. Pwns the TTC f'sho. Security's friendly too; they caught me chewing gum, but were gracious about it.

2006-08-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

Shilin Nightmarket. It's busy, hot, and tons of fun.

2006-08-07T09:42:00.000-07:00

Lost in translation; it took me about two weeks to stop thinking in English.

2006-08-07T09:40:00.000-07:00

Traffic in Taipei is ridickerous. Most of the people on the streets ride scooters, and man, can they weave! When people honk, they don't do so out of anger but as a warning to would-be death. =)

2006-08-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

The Living Mall. It's a giant sphere with lots of levels.

2006-08-07T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, I wasn't the only one. The dude on the left was arguing with a passerby; apparently the pedestrian was saying "You're a total retard, you know that!" and the dude retorted "Yo homey, I'm just trying to do my thing, why you hatin?"

2006-08-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

Me being an ignant North American.

2006-08-07T09:33:00.000-07:00

Me and cuz Mike pointing to an "Engrish" sign.

2006-08-07T09:32:00.000-07:00

One of the many Taoist temples in Taiwan. There's one on every block.

2006-08-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

Food was definitely gangsta. Here, you're seeing "pai-ku mien"; noodles with pork chops. The chops were crazy, man. Crispy on the outside with an interior meltability that rivals, uh, liquid.

2006-08-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

I spoke with several friends (who are generally indifferent to life) about Taiwan, and the general consensus was "crazywicked food". Thus, I had to see what the hype was all about.

2006-08-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

As you can tell from his grimace here.

2006-08-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

Riding Asia's second largest ferris wheel. It takes about 15 minutes for a complete revolution. My brother had to use the washroom real bad.

2006-08-07T09:19:00.000-07:00

More buildings.

2006-08-07T09:17:00.000-07:00

View of Taipei; it was quite dark and smoggy that day.

"Taiwan here I come, right back where I started from."

2006-08-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

For most of July (and bits of June), I was back in the motherland -- Taiwan. I was born there, left at the tender age of 16 months, and have never returned. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to be back on the island that birthed me.

Part 4: Wrapping Up

2006-08-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

This post was originally titled "The Confused Masses", but I realized there is no sense in talking about confusion when we already know its origin and the destruction it has inflicted upon the world. So, firstly, let me conclude this series, and then talk about some things I've learned over the past weeks.

Conclusion:
AT CCOWE, Rick Warren talked about his P.E.A.C.E plan, highlighting the areas that this world needs to work on. Lack of leaders, poverty etc...these are all real and serious problems. However, if we specifically address these problems and neglect the greatest problem, which is salvation, then, as Phil Jensen put it, "all we'd have is an educated, wealthy, unsaved world". So I am not advocating a particular "10-day" solution or anything like that. No solution proffered by Man has solved the world's problems -- which is why Christ had to come down to this earth and save it. Salvation is first; for what good is to gain the whole world, and yet lose the soul? At the same time, I think it is ridiculous how us Christians today neglect a lot of serious problems that go on amongst us. I am the first among the hypocrites; too often do I brush off these issues. What I'm saying is, it's great that we have forums where we talk about all the ploys of the devil, and how rampant feminism, liberalism and the like have denigrated society. However -- and I must emphasize this -- it is not enough to just talk about them and debate with our worldly counterparts. I write about these "isms" in hopes of shedding light on what they are doing to our world, but when reaching the lost, we cannot start first with "Evolution is wrong!" or "You're smoked, sonny!" Nah, we gotta preach Christ and His redemtive message. There is power and conviction in the Word of God; there is none in arguments and debates concerning the devil's own weapons.

What I've learned:
I've learned that we should not be so concerned about the "goal", but rather the means. I used to think, alright, when I get into grad school, I'll have more time to do this, when I get a job, then everything will be ok. OK God, what do You want me to do?! Is this Your will?! But I learned that God's not so much concerned with the "goal", but rather the means. He's concerned that we live like Christians every single moment. I believe He's given us autonomy to do what we want, as long as it is God-glorifying, and that we are living Christian every single moment (1 Cor 10:31). So we should realize that you ain't holy just 'cause you're in a specific "ministry"... but rather, you're called to live holy every single moment. Do you think when you become a doctor, everything will be okay, and then you'll be able to help people and thus spread the gospel? I tells ya, if you're not helping people now, you're not going to want to help people later. If you ain't living Christian now, then what makes you think you're going to do "great things" for God? Too many people are so caught up in "What's God's will for me in my profession? This must be His will! Yadayada." God's not concerned with what you do, but rather how you do it. What's God's will? That you live according to His Word. As long as your life mirrors what the Word desires, and your conscience doesn't pierce you, do what you want. Yes, I know that sounds hedonistic, but it's really not. What does it say in Psalm 37:4? "Delight in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." This does not mean the sinful fantasies you may have. Rather, He'll place desires in your heart. You'll want to do certain things. Do what you want but you must live according to Christ. God will work out His plan through your decisions 'cause He can do that.

So...to try to reconcile these two seemingly different sections...this world is imperfect, it sucks, there are so many hurting people out there, so many confused people out there, so much hate going on, so much sin in the world, so much exploitation, so many demonic forces blinding people....let us, as Christians, really be a light. Let us live out our lives in a Christian manner, let us be real. Let us be Christian, in every waking hour. Yes, we'll sin, yes we'll fail. But let us be honest with ourselves, and flee from evil. Let us be uncompromisingly Christian.

Oh yeah, and God does love you. Frick, He really does.

Part 3: One Big, Happy Family

2006-07-31T14:44:00.000-07:00

The Blue Jays play baseball. The Toronto Raptors play basketball. If we look at these two sports teams objectively, then we can easily come to the conclusion that they can never unite to defeat the LA Lakers. Nor can they become one force to take on the Boston Red Sox. The Raptors are trained and cultivated to become superior basketball players. The Jays are groomed to be the best baseball players they can become. The reason I am mentioning these two teams is because I see the strange phenomenon of ecumenicalism within the churches in North America these days. Ecumenicalism refers to the worldwide Church; the promotion of unity amongst churches of all denominations, creeds and religions. The problem with ecumenicalism is that it forgets the main function of the Christian Church, and opts to place "unity" above all things (even Christ). Love is the most important thing, not the blood of Jesus Christ. Seek not to offend or seem judgmental. I believe it is excellent to show love to everyone, and I believe unity is a good thing as well. However, as previously mentioned in my archives, unity is only valid if it is founded upon truth. Ecumenicalism disregards truth, and preaches humanism rather than Christ. This is dangerous grounds, and we must be wary whenever we hear another bloke say "Oh, we're all the same!" No, we are not. The Christian cannot unite with the Buddhist as much as the Raptors cannot unite with the Blue Jays. They play different sports. We believe different things. We have different ends. Different means. We are set apart to be a holy people of God. No, this does not mean we ignore the world; far from it. Reaching people does not mean becoming them; the message must not change, even as we become all things to all men. The message remains the same. It will never change.

Part 2: Way Out in Left Field

2006-07-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

Firstly, I want to apologize for the lack of updates. My candy arse is across the Pacific in Taiwan right now, and I'll post up some pics once I get home. Sorry about the long wait, but here's part 2 of my confessions =)

1. "I'll do whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh!"

Today, the masses expect government to be their saviour and to allow them complete "freedom" in doing whatever they want. The problem is that the Charter (among many other things) are man-made, and recently, man-centred. The word "democratic" now seems to be a synonym for unbridled passion. I went to GuGong (Taiwan's national museum) a couple of days ago, and a specific piece of pottery caught my eye. Inside, there was an engraving of ancient characters that translated to "Restraint". The significance is this: the ancient Chinese believed that if the administration and the people were allowed to indulge in whatever they wanted, their society would fall apart. This is true. Unrestrained behaviour results in complete anarchy. If we give in to every single emotion, passion or desire, then we are nothing more than animals. We would be reactionary -- rather than individuals.

2. Separation of Church and State?

I remember reading the Toronto Star one day and the front page was splashed with a picture of two gays kissing each other. Michael Leshner, a homosexual crown attorney was quoted as saying: "The Christians should stop reading the Bible and start reading the Charter (of rights and freedoms)." These days, the common perception of "separation of Church and State" has resulted in:
1) Eliminating prayer from schools
2) Replacing "Christmas" with "Season's Greetings" (all the while allowing Diwali, Ramadan and other religious holidays to adorn their symbols around your Pineway Public School)
3) Dashing Christian values from government (right, because corruption is so much better.)
4) Preaching abortion in health class
5) Allowing same-sex marriage to permeate through the public sector, and paving precedents for other groups such as NAMBLA (North American Man-Boy Love Association)
But no, this is not true. There's a huge misconception of what "separation of Church and State" means for the average North American. This "separation" does not require the separation of Christianity from the government (for goodness' sakes, the Puritans fought and died for their belief!)

If I may focus my attention on the United States for a second, I will point to your attention Thomas Jefferson (the politician infamous for his supposed desire of separation). A little history lesson: Jefferson did not actually market this "separation of church and state" phrase. He took it as a metaphor from "The Garden and the Wilderness", a Baptist sermon. This sermon, preached by Roger Williams "depicted the church as a garden, the world as a wilderness, adn the wall as a device of the creator's invention that protected the garden from being overrun by the wilderness. Williams explained that, from time to time, for the purpose of disciplining sin in the church, 'it hath pleased' the Almighty to break down the wall. Thomas Jefferson, ever the politician, knew when he communicated with the Baptists that 'The Garden and The Wilderness' was well known and widely read nearly two generations later. He appealed to them in the terms of their own great man's idiom." (Henderson, senior counsel for the American Center for Law and Justice) This "separation" was meant to shield the church from persecution from the government, not suck the values and principles out of the government (Kupelian, 56).

Back to Canada. Like it or not, Canada is a country founded upon Judeo-Christian values. Parliament has a stone carving of the words: "A Mari usque ad Mare", which is Latin for "And He shall have dominion from sea to sea" from Ps 72:8. Moreover, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms' first words are: "Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law". Let me tell you this, Canada has been good to me. I love this country and I'm a blessed Chinese-Canadian. This country is good because it recognizes the supremacy of God, as seen in the Richardson text of "O Canada":

O Canada! Our fathers' land of old
Thy brow is crown'd with leaves of red and gold.
Beneath the shade of the Holy Cross
Thy children own their birth
No stains thy glorious annals gloss
Since valour shield thy hearth.
Almighty God!
On thee we call
Defend our rights, forfend this nation's thrall,
Defend our rights, forfend this nation's thrall.

I'm not advocating that all churches must now submit themselves to rampant Republicanism. Government is not the solution -- Christ is. So what now? What do we do in this age of Western haters, Christ bashers, "enlightened wisdom" and Darwinian politics? We pray. We must look back to Christ, there is no point in drafting up plans without looking to the Author and Finisher of our Faith. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy: "Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence." (1 Tim 2:1-2). We pray for our leaders. I admit I have doing much of that because it seems like such a grand scale that does not affect me that much. But it does. The public sphere and the private sphere blur lines constantly, and what the government does will affect you. Pray for your leaders. Pray for our leaders. Pray for Harper, pray for Martin, heck, even pray for Jack Layton (he'll need your prayers the most). They are merely men, prone to mistakes, constantly pressured, easily corrupted. Pray that they be godly men, eager to serve their country with godly passion. God, keep our land glorious and free! O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

Part 1: Save Your Theories, Just Give Me the Truth!

2006-06-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

"For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." -- 1 Cor. 14:20

When one believes on Christ (on, not in), he puts his entire faith and trust into God. He is renewed, regenerated and revived. His life is no longer his own, and he has full confidence in the Lord and in His Word. We know this, for neither "height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39) Unfortunately, for the postmodernists, trust is difficult to come by these days. No longer is God working, but rather man. Modernism said "There is no God." Postmodernism says "I am God. Please me. Glorify Me. Entertain Me."

There are many aspects of postmodernism, but three stand out in my view: 1) Obsession with entertainment, which leads to 2) Selfishness, which disregards truth and focuses on "what I want", which ultimately leads to 3) Anarchy.

Firstly, we are obsessive. We are a society obsessed with entertainment and programs. Why are we obsessed? Why, we are a bored and godless culture. North America is rich, and is composed of contemporary "aristocrats" who have nothing better to do than waste their time (I was reading The Picture of Dorian Gray a few weeks ago, and I noted how the men of today are so much like the effeminate men in that piece of literature). We are obsessed with novelty, and thus, are a culture of change; we can't focus on one thing at a time. We are constantly moving, constantly changing. Amidst this face-paced movement, the Word of God never changes and is consistent -- this we cannot accept. We expect the Word to be relative, and Truth to be in a constant state of flux as well.

God never changes.

Neither does His Word.

However, when God's truth is not unleashed, men fall into depravity. Men seek something else to fill this void of spiritual truth, and find that in entertainment. Gone are expository sermons; hello interperative dance. Think hymns are boring? Try the new United joint, it's hot.

This unhealthy desire for entertainment feeds our selfishness and our carnal desires. We become accustomed to getting what we want. MTV has a popular show called "My Super Sweet 16" in which the children featured are given lavish bashes from their parents, complete with celebrity guests and luxury cars as birthday presents. The children are spoiled, conceited, and have no respect for their parents. When they don't get what they want, they complain. In essence, that is how we act towards the church. According to Johnson, postmodernism (or the emerging church) stems from a hatred of authority. The people won't listen. So the sheperds teach what the people want to hear. 7 steps to financial success. 3 ways to make your marriage work. Holiness? Forget that. Tithing? Nah, half our congregation won't come.

Obsession with the superfluous, coupled with rabid selfishness to fulfill carnal desires will lead to anarchy. I do not believe I need to offer an explanation for that. If Jerry Stackhouse was concerned about his own stats, and if Jason Terry only cared about how well his headband looks, then the Dallas Mavericks would not be where they are today. Similarly, the Body of Christ suffers when we start eating chips for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and spends its spare time watching soaps and eating bonbons.

My house is taking care of a set of degus for House 184 right now. I learned that the lil' rats can't take in any sugar or sodium, or they will die. In order for the degus to maintain health, they must have a special brand of "degu-food" that we can only get at Cataraqui Centre. I don't think the church is that spice-intolerant; however, the Church has no need for the extras that take away from the message of the Gospel. The Church must only have a special brand of food which we call the Bible. The Church cannot embrace postmodernism.

***

The question is not "what went wrong?" The question is not "what have we done wrong?" The question is not "what program should we implement now?" No, we must stop looking to ourselves and recognize that we are asking the wrong questions. Rather, we must ask, "Have we sinned?" And if so, we must repent. It's that simple.

Read your Bible, pray, have fellowship/accountability, and worship. Preach the Word. Teach. Encourage. Admonish. Build Disciples. In no way am I suggesting a "works-based" Christianity -- far from it. Rather, these factors are results from a true, living relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else is just extra. I have no fancy acronym to help you remember all that.

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. " Mr. 8:35

Being a Christian was never meant to be easy, fun, or entertaining. The music won't save you, the skits won't save you, a yearly trip down for the altar call will do jack. Only Jesus can save. As Johnson said, Jesus didn't come to perform an extreme makeover, but rather an extreme takeover.

Leadership, stand up and preach with Christ-like authority. Congregation, be obedient to God's Word. Church, return to Christ!

Drank yourself a tall glass of haterade this morning eh?

2006-06-14T09:21:00.000-07:00

It's great how we've grown to become a Tyranny of the Tolerators. Coming up will be a 4 part series in which I will be addressing 1) The Postmoderns 2) The Political Leftards 3) The Ecumenists and 4) The Confused Masses.

But for starters here's a joke:

Q: What do you call someone with no backbone or conviction?
A: A liberal!!!

Oh wait...that's not really a joke...it's true... :S

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you." Jn 15:18

cha boy is back.

Beauty...

2006-06-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

When studying music history last summer, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the sacred art from the middle ages to the Baroque era. The architecture and music...wow! I guess I finally developed an appreciation for the arts as I witnessed its history unfold. The structure of the churches truly proclaimed the majesty of our God. One cannot even look at a picture of Westminster without getting goosebumps. In no way am I promoting indulgence of material churches, but I am not an advocate of Puritanical asceticism for its own sake either. As Linc, Mich and I talked about a couple of nights ago, the design of the churches served as reminders of how great our God truly is. On that note, no one can listen to a Bachian cantata or an oratorio without realizing just how beautiful Christ is. Music, art etc...these are gifts from God! Thus, I find it difficult to understand the aesthetic movement; I don't see how one can separate art from its Creator or beauty from the Beautiful One.

Deeeeeetroit Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiistons Basketball!

2006-05-29T19:02:00.000-07:00

I actually hate the Pistons (especially that Mr. "I Should Be MVP and President and Kofi Annan and God" Billups), but I love their theme song, and was delighted to hear it repeatedly as Gob's theme song on Arrested Development.

I understand this is ridiculous, but I've been searching for this song for a long time, and finally found it:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005NNMK/sr=8-1/qid=1148954579/ref=sr_1_1/002-1515511-2510410?%5Fencoding=UTF8

Click on "The Final Countdown".

Doesn't it sound triumphant?

Again, I understand this is ridiculous.

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - A Jon Leigh Remix

2006-05-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Part of the call, I ain't randomized/
Praise God in the highest I was ransom-ized/
You called for me to evangelize/
I'll paint the town red, I'll e-vandalize/
Let it not just be a pantomime/ indifference still a holy crime/
I ain't perfect/ but let me live according to Your verses/
This world is worthless/
Bless those who curse us/ that they'll praise God and come to the churches/
Know it ain't easy and it's bangin' me/ But I do all things cuz He strengthens me/
Last thing I wanna see is You horrified, I/
Was the reason You was gory, I/
Just wanna go tell Your story, I/
Just wanna see You glorified…/

Whatchu gon' do when the world is dying/
You're there when the times is trying/
Stand your ground when the storm arrives/
Cuz Christ is the Joy of our desiring/

The more one has the more be given/
God keep me safe from the "purpose" driven/
Ways of the world/ Allow me to see Jesus' will unfold/
Lord take control/ let me be quiet and hear You say "Son, know your role!"/
Don't wanna be the slave/ that's lazy/ burying talents in the ground that'll make You go crazy/ No/
I ain't gonna hide my love for You/
Hear them praises rise above to You/
This world out there can make a brotha lose it/
Don't choose it/ but refuse it/ make it exclusive/
Inspired by the Spirit/ Lord use my music/
I look to God over Milton's muses/
Lord let - me - persevere/ also pray for the churches here/
Mercy's here/ last be first here/ your current situation ain't a curse, ya hear?/
Let me have ears that hear, that heed your call/
Let my heart be more Pierce'd than Paul/
As You who endured those jeering calls/
I vow to praise You even when the tears fall/

Whatchu gon' do when the world is dying/
You're there when the times is trying/
Stand your ground when the storm arrives/
Cuz Christ is the Joy of our desiring/

Got love for my brothers - and sisters/
I dine with them/ pray and seek God I rhyme with them/
Love spendin time with them/ you feel me?/
We call and crown Christ with a diadem/
Can't do it alone/ we shoulder the burden/
Day by day we keep on learnin'/
Devos every day now/ and I gotta pray now/
Spirit intercedes when I dunno what to say now/
Stop the sinning, throw off the repeat/
Christ must increase, we must decrease
Saved from the fire/ off the pyre/ no longer dire/
Old life retired/ now a soul survivor/ wait for the day You take us higher/
In all Your glory, all Your power/ Jesus You're my sole desire/
And what now? We living victorious/
Check me again as the chorus is…/

Stand your ground when the storm arrives/
Cuz Christ is the Joy of our desiring/

Feel free to add your own bars =)

Broken

2006-04-23T23:18:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of this school year, I prayed that God would have His way in me, in every area of my life, and to break me even if necessary. As I chatted with my friend this afternoon, this year was terrible for the both of us. However, he mentioned how, though this year was truly miserable, it has allowed us to recognize God's goodness all that much more -- His grace augmented in our eyes as we see our depravity. I have learned lessonsIe probably would have learned otherwise in a magnitude of lesser degree...but may not have remembered so clearly.

This year as a whole has been draining, and the past week culminated in upsetting situations all around. As I walked into church and heard the worship team in practice, I was winded by the song selection. I could not bring myself to in the sanctuary, for the song hit me so hard and so fast that I couldn't control the tears...as I remembered God's presence, even in my weakest and darkest hours.

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame
And the cry of my heart
Is to bring You praise
From the inside out
Lord my soul cries out...

Does this not describe our God? The One who rescues...the one who is constant and never ending? The One whose glory is that much bigger than anything we can imagine? Was this not my prayer, that I may glorify God in every single aspect of my life, even in the greatest heartaches?

Yes, it has been a terrible year, and a terrible week. But at the same time, I know the events were necessary to break and mold me to better walk the path that is the Christian life.

This leads me to the concluding post of KCAC Worship Team 2005-2006. I want to take this time to thank my three co-leaders, who were more than just friends, but true brothers in Christ. We ate together, we served together, we laughed together, and we bled together. Two is better than one, but God blessed me with three. Two of them are graduating, and going off to the places that God has called them. These two have laboured tirelessly for this church, constantly putting others before themselves. They responded to the calling, and never looked back. Every time I despaired, they were quick to shoulder the burden. Even in the direst of situations, they did not give up. The humblest of men, you would not believe the depth of their musical gifts til you witnessed them. It was their last year, yet they did not fall into complacency, yet made it a goal to finish strong. These are Men of God, and men whom I am proud of calling my brothers.

My prayer for these two is that our Lord will continue to use them mightily in the places they have been called, and that He may bless them greatly in their services. For my one brother here with me, I pray he will continue on the road to perseverance. For us collectively, I pray that though we will be in different places, that the love of God will bind us tightly and that we will never cease to pray for one another.

I am still learning, yet I know I would not be where I am today without the love and support of these three. I do not know if I will ever meet another group of brothers that stress such camaraderie.

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you" -- Phil. 1:3

Shall we rise for the doxology?

-JL

Be Angry...But Do Not Sin

2006-04-17T22:02:00.001-07:00

"And Shepherds we shall be

For thee, my Lord, for thee.

Power hath descended forth from Thy hand

Our feet may swiftly carry out Thy commands.

So we shall flow a river forth to Thee

And teeming with souls shall it ever be.

In Nomeni Patri Et Fili Spiritus Sancti."

My church has been robbed well over four times by now. Petty thieves have repeatedly broken through the sanctuary doors, stealing guitars, microphones, mixers, amplifiers, projectors, and even the pastor's belongings.

This past Sunday, we opened up the doors to find the foyer covered in broken glass. Apparently the thieves returned (obviously frustrated by the reinforced barriers) and hurled pieces of concrete through the church windows. The sanctuary and pews were also covered in glass.

As a Lockeian, I have ample right to end their lives, for our property was attacked, and that is a violation on our basic freedoms. In essence, the thieves have declared "war" on us.

As a Millian, I also have the right to punish these offenders, because they have transgressed the "harm principle", thus deserving swift execution.

As Jonathan T. Lee, I (along with my other trigger-happy brothers) would be most delighted to recite the Boondock Saints' prayer before blasting these idiots who would dare violate the house of God.

...but as a Christian, I have the right to love even my enemies. Don't get me wrong; I believe the "turn the other cheek" verse has been abused severely by those outside of the Church. Turning the other cheek does not translate into "letting yourself be taken advantage of by others" (If someone were to even attempt to hurt anyone I love, they would definitely feel immediate retribution). But as much of a propagator of vigiliantism as I am, revenge is not justified by acts of crime, and criminals are still subject to the judicial system, which is placed there by the Lord's authority. For it does say, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord." (Romans 12:19) I praise God for showing us lessons through this trial. This experience reminded us that we do not need material things to "enhance" worship services. God is enough, and that is truth. I thank God that no one was hurt in this process. Moreover, I do not know the story of the robbers, and what drove them to these deeds; but I do pray that God will reveal Himself to them, that they may realize their deeds and turn to Christ. Lastly, this situation has reminded me also of the times I may have "robbed" God in my own sinful behaviour. I pray for strength to love and forgive them, as Christ forgave me. Thank God for His Word, grace, and love.

Baby Got Book?!

2006-04-10T22:03:00.000-07:00

Hahahahahahaha...Sammi sent this --> ( http://www.whiteboydj.com/babygotbook.html ) to me tonight, and I almost died of laughter. Click away for some good chuckles =)

2006-04-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Ashamed of the Gospel

I was going to post on grad night, and how much I was going to miss certain people. Instead, this shall be a post of lamenting. I have a few concerns to address. The purpose of this Pamphlet post will be to educate, inform and encourage.

"Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead." Ecclesiastes 9:3a

What happens to our people when truth is no longer preached in the halls of God's house? What happens to the church when the body parts are no longer functioning? What happens when there is no conviction behind the message? What happens when the pastors we churn out of the local seminary have not the calling?

1st Evil: Unity for the Sake of Unity

I saw a great evil today in the sanctuary of my very church, as a member stood up to share about how we should put our differences aside and unite with other religions. In my state of shock, I stuttered a prayer through the microphone, attempting to control the damage in the sanctuary. Though we are in this world, let us not be of it... Unfortunately, as I later pondered, I should have outright rebuked it. I believe I failed in the service of my God's defense this day. There is nothing new under the sun. This ecumenical movement (let's all unite, put aside our differences, and worship under the banner of love! teehee!) has been one of Satan's greatest tactics, especially in North America. When we fall under "unity" pressures, then we begin to compromise. When we compromise, we lose the foundations and pillars of our faith. When we lose those things, we lose the power of the Gospel. Once we lose the power of the Gospel, we fall into apostasy. We become ashamed of the Gospel. Ashamed of the Word. Ashamed of Christ.

Do you not know? Christ brings division. Matt 10:34-36: "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to 'set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law'; and 'a man's enemies will be those of his own household'."Christ brings distinction. Christ calls for holiness. Unity is good only if it is founded upon Truth. Can the Toronto Raptors ever unite with the Boston Celtics? Yes, Christians should be about love, but the love of Christ is different from every other love in this world. The world is seductive, enticing and tempting. Stand firm!

2nd Evil: The Liberal Media

Ever since the Da Vinci Code, there seems to have been a total "revival" of the ancient religion of Gnosticism. However, again -- there's nothing new under the sun. Gnosticism was what caused the people of Athens to mock the Apostle Paul in Acts 17:32, and is a weapon that the devil is fond of using in the North American culture. Gnosticism derails the Lord God as a stupid subgod who accidentally created earth and everything in it. When this "stupid subgod" created humans, he accidentally placed a bit of divinity into each man and woman. Gnosticism claims the great evil is matter, and we must attempt to escape matter. The gnostic agenda bashes Christ, stating that the Christ crucified was a "fake Christ" and that the "true Christ" was sitting on a branch nearby, laughing at this imposter Christ. It is also out of gnosticism that the feminism agenda emerged. Gnostic texts state that the woman becomes the "saviour of man" -- even the saviour of Adam. Gnostic texts tell us that there was a Heavenly Eve, or Dame Wisdom. And this Heavenly Eve entered the snake in the garden, and this snake taught Adam and Eve "true wisdom". Gnostic literature tells us the snake is the saviour, because it is the incarnate woman teaching self-redemption and divinity. The final blow comes from the texts which state the Serpent is the true Christ. Such perversion of the Gospel.

I bring up the topic of gnosticism right now because of what I read in the Friday's edition of the Toronto Star. The liberal media has a satanic agenda. (The medium is the message, no? What the media leaves out, we will never know. Subliminal messages go into our heads based on the biases laced in articles) There was an article on the "Book of Judas", which attempts to portray Judas in a sympathetic light. As said in the article, this is gnostic work. It claims Jesus was trying to escape His body (i.e., escape matter), and wanted Judas to betray Him. Let us keep in mind that just because this text is old, does not mean it is legitimate. Scripture never contradicts Scripture. I dare the Book of Judas and the Book of Thomas to cross-reference itselves with the Old and New Testaments. The fact is, I can write a book declaring myself to be a Native American, and fool people five hundred years down the road. The Book of Judas is fiction, a product of the satanic religion of gnosticism. I implore you, my brothers and sisters, to stand firm!

3rd Evil: The Amalgamation of Church and Culture

When the truth is not preached in the pulpit. When pastors decide to base the sermon on Chapter 8 of The Purpose Driven Life. When co-ordinators of worship services are bestowed the title of "Pastor" without half the duties of a true shepherd. When the people stop praying. When we begin to compromise. When we become afraid of offending people. When Christianity becomes engrained in culture. When we become ashamed of the Gospel.

I see a great evil...the terms "Chinese" and "Christian" can be equated now. We are walking down a very slippery slope. The Church is becoming corporate and bureaucratic. The children attend services because of their parents. They skyrocket up the service ranks because it is "the thing to do". Service becomes culture. The acoustic guitar is the idol. Any kid who can play a few chords is instantly thrust into a worship team. God will not be mocked; we cannot take our faith so lightly!

I was shocked to find out that around 70% of Canadians claim to be Christian. So Kwan and I did a quick survey around campus, interviewing approximately 50 people. Turns out StatsCan was right; around 70% of our interviewees were "Christian". However, when we asked the question, "What does it mean to be Christian?" we were not surprised to find a solid majority said that being a Christian meant: "My parents are Christian...Being a good person...Jesus was a philosopher...It means being a good samaritan...I'm half Christian, cuz my dad's a Jew!..." Only two young ladies said that being a Christian meant believing that Christ died for our sins and resurrected. No one mentioned eternal life. No one mentioned the purpose of Christ-like living. It is the role of the Church to preach truth, and preach it strong. This sugarcoating and amalgamation with culture must end.

I can write an entire thesis blaming Rick Warren, or Bill Hybels, or Benny Hinn or Billy Graham or whoever for the perils of the North American church. But that would be useless. Rather, I blame ourselves as Christians for not getting deep enough with the Word. It doesn't matter if you're a pastor or a deacon or whatever; if you are a Christian, you must be constantly reading the Bible. Constantly grow in knowledge of the Word by reading commentaries and sermons from men of the Faith (i.e. John Calvin, John Wesley, John MacArthur, Jonathan Edwards). If you don't understand a verse? Talk to your pastor, that's what they're there for! Turn up some individual initiative as well by reading good books. We must also pray. Pray hard! If you are not praying fervently, you are not praying at all. Communication with God is key. It is your job to get to know the God you claim to love and serve.

Stand up. Stand up, and stop being complacent. Stand up...the time is now.

JL

2006-03-29T11:49:00.000-08:00

I overheard this conversation between three dorks as I walked towards Stauffer:

(SUV whizzes by, running a red light)

Dork #1: Dude, did she just run a red light?

Dork #2: Yeah. Fat cow.

Dork #1: Huh, yeah, she was pretty fat.

Dork #3: Huhuh, yeah, huh, that's, that's why she needs to ride in an SUV, cuz huh, she's so like, fat. Cuz like, in a regular car, she'd tip over. Cuz she's so fat. Huh.

For a second I thought the year was 1995 -- it felt like I was in the third grade again. Yeah, maybe they really should bump up that "getting-in-thingy" for high school students.

2006-03-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

My life is like a racing car hurtling towards the wall
At the speed of sound
My time has been so finely tuned
But I’ve never seen a human being
so tightly wound
At times it seems beyond belief
I just need a bit of relief
Like a war-weary soldier
Marching up and over the edge
Take my hand and pull me up cause I’m falling too fast
Somehow I’ve lost my way - I’m cryin’ save me....

2006-03-22T08:22:00.001-08:00

Phantasm

"This way!" He yelled out. The three of us ran through the pasty-white corridors toward the common room. The basement air put a sour taste in my mouth. I felt like vomiting.

"Blocked," she cried out in despair. I looked ahead of me to see a group of levitating men and women, lost in their trance. The demonic laughter rung out and fear clutched us tight in its hands.

"No," he said. "We can't stay here! They'll see..." We looked at each other. Her face was aghast with terror, tears flowing faster than streams of blood. At this moment, I experienced it. A feeling so horrific, a terror so ungulfing...

"There's nowhere else to go...we're trapped..." She slumped against the wall, as her eyes began twitching.

Terror...fear...nowhere to go...

"We can't just stay here!" he croaked.

No, no, we can't. I shook my head, shivering from the draft. Demonic sacrifices. They are to sacrifice us to their gods. To die for a meaningless cause...to die by the penetration of a dull blade through the heart...to die surrounded by the possessed...to die looking at the grinning face of a demon....

"No!" I cried out. So afraid. So afraid. "There must be another way." He heaved the girl on his shoulders and we ran. Down the left, past the office, into the dining hall....emergency exit.

The laughter was drawing closer.

"Faster," I croaked. Almost there.

The shadows were drawing near. Never before had the "EXIT" sign borne such beauty. I placed my hand on the cool metallic handle. The shadows leapt. I closed my eyes and pushed against the door with my shoulder. Suddenly --

****

I woke up, covered in cold sweat. I looked at my alarm clock. "4:03", the omnious redness blinked back at me. My bladder was full, and my heart was racing. What was going on?

***

Maybe it was the documentary on the "Haunted House" I watched on yahoo.com. Maybe it was all those leftover Meatfest wings we had last night. Or perhaps it was the manifestation of my feelings during a RELS250 class into dream-form. Our discussion that night disturbed me greatly. Somehow the discussion of the "Ramayana" got to Mayan child-sacrifice practices. One young man argued that child sacrifices (regardless if it was part of culture or lack of education) was plain wrong. A girl disagrees: "I just think it's wrong for us to judge them based on their culture; I mean, who are we to tell them what's wrong?" I felt like vomiting when I heard that. Have we taken political correctness and "fear of offending someone" to the point where we will not speak up if something completely amoral is occurring? The young man was bewildered, as was I. "So you're saying if you had the opportunity to tell the Mayans that the sun would arise the next day regardless of death, you wouldn't?!" She replied, "I just think it's wrong to judge from our perspective..."

I felt like vomiting.

***

What have we become when we value political correctness to the degree of insanity? When life is no longer regarded as sacred? When morality goes on extended vacation? Do we not see our society crumbling before our very eyes? Let us not even use the Mayan example. There are modern day child sacrifices. The Mayans were afraid the sun would not rise the next day (or according to other legends, would crush them) should they not sacrifice their child. Likewise, today, women abort their children because they're afraid of having to selflessly take care of a child, and/or the father is an irresponsible crackhead. Likewise, life is taken to create an organ for another (stem cell research). Sacrifices to the devil are going on today! And we are still turning a blind eye? What have we become?

"And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord." (Lev. 18:21)

There is nothing new under the sun. The perverse practices and "culture" of the Ammonites drove the Lord to wipe them out. The problem with society is that if something is part of "culture", who are we as "ignorant North Americans" to "criticize it"? That is the problem with a subjective and relative philosophy that has indoctrined our people in today's world. Nothing is wrong, everything is okay.

***

Maybe we don't even have to talk about abortion or stem cell research. No, let us talk about how it is so easy to let our children "pass through the fire" in other ways. Are we equipping one another spiritually? Are we teaching the Word? Are we establishing solid doctrine in our churches? Are we planting and sowing? For if we do not prepare our children and mount them with the Armour of God, then we essentially pass them through fire! For secularism and worldliness will burn them spiritually. Without a grounding in God, then those exposed will be in danger of losing their souls. No, we do not have as many "outright" child sacrifices today; but we do have "spiritual sacrifices". Are we to stand back, let our children loose and allow them to dabble with the world? Should we not discipline them and turn them into Christ's soldiers? If we do not take responsibility to prepare our children, then we pass them through fire. We sacrifice them to the god of this world.

Seriously...will somebody not think of the children?

2006-03-20T10:57:00.001-08:00

Pulling from Galatians

"Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load." (Gal. 6:1-5)

Not one of us is exempt from life's temptations, trials and perils. None of us stay on top of Everest. Not one of us has never experienced a valley. Every leader has defended his sheep against wolves. Each warrior of God has battle scars, literal and metaphorical. As outlined in verses 1-5, camaraderie is commanded of us. Bear one another's burdens!

Some look at the last sentence and say "Yo guy, each shall bear his own load, let him do it himself!" That is not so. Each one is accountable to God for his actions, and deeds, yes. However, should one find himself in sin, he will feel the chastening Hand of God, for the Lord disciplines those He loves (Prov. 3:11). During times of punishment, it is easy for men to slip and fall. This is where the brothers and sisters come in. This is our duty. To remind the Christian that the current situation is from God. To admonish and rebuke if necessary (1 Cor. 5). To encourage and help the Christian on the road to recovery (Rom. 15:1). If your right hand was bleeding, would your left hand not wrap a bandage around it? So should we, the Body of Christ, come to the aid of one another when times of trouble arise. Man is responsible for his own actions, but his spirtiual family is responsible for his aid.

Let your love for your brothers and sisters be of unconditional reciprocity.

2006-03-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

Scriptural Memorization

2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me what the inerrancy of the Scriptures meant to me. I responded that it represented confidence, beauty and closure. Confidence, that I know in such a relative and changing world, there is an infallible truth that will consistently sustain me. Beauty, for there is nothing more beautiful than Biblical application to one's life. Closure..."because He lives, I can face tomorrow" -- all life's issues are resolved in the Good Book.

Another friend of mine brought up the topic of Scripture memorization. The power of the spoken Word is immeasureable. How effective it would be, if the laws of the Lord were upon our mind 24/7! The Psalmist states that a man whose "delight is in the law of the Lord," who "meditates day and night" is like a tree that bears great fruit (Ps 1:1-3). Having Scripture memorized is to our great advantage. The Word of God is frequently described as a penetrating sword. If a soldier is not comfortable with his sword, how can he use it effectively? If he is untrained and clumsy, he may end up doing severe damage, to himself and to his comrades (like many cults that skew and misinterpret the Word of God). However, if he can wield the sword, then he has the ability to defend himself and his people, as well as slay the enemy. I know I struggle much with Scripture memorization, and this is one thing that I hope to improve on. Let us train ourselves, that we can master the double-edged weapon that has been put in our midst.

R-R-R-R-R-R-R-REEEEMIIIIIXXXXX!!!!!

The Bible stays fresh n' def, try ta test it to your best/
It don't need a mic check, cuz I'm set in Christ's death/
And resurrection/ As I gaze at my reflection/ The Word tells me I'm a sinner in need of a correction/ In need of a lesson/ So I open up John to reveal the Word's blessing/ It's in Him that I'm restin'/ He's my only obsession/ God tells me all the truth to keep my eyes from guessin'/
The Double-Edge Sword/ gonna settle the score/ Puts people in the pews rather than the dance floor/
Does it sound strange?/ It ain't much of a game/ Lay aside the foolishness and take up the King James/
And I ain't talkin' bout the baller/ Jus listen as I holla/ Are we livin' in obedience to the Real Shot-Caller?/
Loving actions and words, instead of tirades/ But recognize there's something wrong with the gay pride parade/
Meditate on the Word, it ain't a masquerade/
Put aside the guns* bruh, it's time ta take up the blade**/

*Guns: "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that hte Lord is gracious." (1 Pe 2:1-3)

**Blade: "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. " (Heb 4:12)

2006-02-20T20:09:00.000-08:00

Why I Love the Old Hymns

I love hymns. I love the old school stuff. Yes, hymns -- whether you're sitting in a quaint little church in Peterborough, or attending a big city 2-acre'er, hymns transcend your situation, your surroundings, and well, your person. I remember a conversation I had with my dad a couple of years ago. I was photocopying some songs onto acetate paper (this was before the days of powerpoint), and he picked one of them up. It was "In the Secret".

Dad: "I want to know you, I want to hear your voice, I want to know you more. I want to..." (trails off, gives me an incredulous look)

Jon: Dad, don't start...

Dad: What is this junk???

Jon: (coughs) Er, we call it...contemporary worship....

Dad: I don't even see the word "Jesus" or heck, even "God" in there!

Jon: ...it's....it's postmodern...

Now, I'm not slamming contemporary worship songs. There are many that are very good (ex: In Christ Alone, You Raise Me Up). It's just that if you look/listen closely, the words in modern worship songs don't hold a lot of weight. In fact, that's why it's so much easier to "lose" yourself in the worship -- because you're not using your mental capacity to grasp what the song's real meaning is (which many of us never understand). I attended Bethel Church one week, and they had us read the church statement, to which most of the congregation droned to. Has that become of our worship songs? Mindless droning? Our hearts being lifted not by the edification of words, but by the driving rock beat? Many may say "Yo dude, where's your heart?" Edification comes through truth...and the heart responds to truth, not to hypnotic murmurings.

I love hymns. Many of the greatest hymns have come from the greatest heroes of the faith. And what makes them heroes? They suffered greatly, yet the joy of the Lord kept them going; kept them persevering. Hymns were a product of their spiritual walk. Through valleys and mountains, two things have sustained me: God's Word, and hymns. The first is spoken truth. The second is sung truth. Truth is beautiful.

2006-02-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

Love

Since it's Valentine's Day, I figured it would be appropriate to post on the topic of love. Love is a funny thing isn't it? The main problem is that many of us are confused about what love really is.

So what is it? Is it that fuzzy feeling you get inside when you see a pretty girl? Is it the euphoria of being with that tall, dark and handsome lad? Is it all about having someone to show off when you walk outside? What is it?

Nah, it's not. Fuzzy feelings fade. Euphoria ends after a couple of days. Idealization becomes realization. Reality kicks in. She's not that pretty during 8:30 am lectures. He has a gut. She nags. He's insensitive. She's too quiet. He's too loud. Etc, etc.

Most of you know 1 Cor 13. Most of you have probably heard the whole "stop looking for the right person and start being the right person". You also probably know that if your intentions are not for marriage, then you shouldn't consider dating. So there's no point in recanting any of that here. However, I shall highlight one word that I believe can be synonymous with love (be it of the romantic nature or familial, or agape). That word is sacrifice. Love is sacrifice. Love isn't efficient. It isn't economical either. It's selfless. Most of the time, it's not gonna feel warm or fuzzy. God sacrificed His Son on the cross, out of love. Christ died for you, out of love. His love for us did not feel warm and fuzzy at all; in fact, as He bore our sins on His body, it is certain that He was feeling the greatest pain and suffering anyone has ever had to undertake. That is the most beautiful picture of love that has ever been recorded in human history. Love is beautiful.

So, on that note, I'll just recant some events in the past few days that have displayed love.

1) Lonny emailing me tell me he was praying for me; thanks to Greg for the lookout.

2) Red taking time out of his midterm-weary schedule to chat over a dinner of roast chicken and mixed veggies.

3) James F praying and offering excellent advice on the servant's attitude.

Last, but not least,

4) Kristen rebuking me firmly with the Word of God when I despaired in faith. Kristen trekking from Vic to PT to visit my fever-laden body. Kristen..being Kristen. Thanks hun, Happy Valentine's Day =)

Okay...back to the books...midterm tmrw!

2006-02-06T23:46:00.000-08:00

Before I start this post, just wanna say thanks to everyone who's encouraged me this past week by words, actions or pure presence. You guys are great!

So I was doing some research at around 2 in the morning on "voter turnout in Canada" when I stumbled across this article on the failure of Music for America to bring John Kerry into power as the U.S. President. I know, it's kind of old, but it got me thinking as I read this line from a MfA supporter Josh Koenig.

"It's all bad," he wrote, before submitting to the logic that escaped such voter-turnout proponents as P.Diddy. "Based on the exit polls and the unexpected high ranking of 'Moral Values' as a reason for voters' choices, I think Karl (Rove, the president's senior adviser) really did find six million fanatical Christians who'd never voted before and brought them into the fold. The reality is that this is probably better than we did with hip hop, punk and indie rock. Six million is a lot of people."

Uh, right, Josh Koenig, you're so smart. Because hip hop, punk and indie rock are just that much more important to people than Truth. Because Death Cab for a Cutie, P. Diddy and Bruce Springsteen are just that much more influential than Christ. Yes, because voting for a candidate based on his celebrity endorsement is so smart. You're so smart. Yes, because Christians are stupid -- that's why they founded the nation you live in, founded institutions such as Harvard and Princeton, founded the democractic principles that have tolerated your big stupid mouth talking all that smack; heck, your sentence structure reeks of grammatic impotence. Yes, because morality is actually useless, and music mixed by Bad Boy Entertainment trumps everything. You're so smart.

Either way, the point of this post? Just goes to remind us that there will always exist to be a double standard for Christians, no matter what; that those who reject Christ do hate Him and His followers. If the world falls in love with you, then something's wrong. Stand firm! Remember that:

"If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. " (Jn 15:18)

2006-02-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Eph. 6:12)

Thanks hun for reminding me. I am not fighting against man, but we wage a spiritual war, in which man is just a tool, either for the side of evil or good. For those who are apathetic? Jesus says "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad." (Mt. 12:30) There is no grey area in the spiritual war. You are either with Him or against Him.

I must admit, I have been in a despairing state the past couple of weeks. But I believe in eucatastrophes (or, in non-Tolkein language "providence), in which out of great evil comes good. That the Father uses evil for good. That at the moment when it seems all hope is lost, when evil is on the brink of victory, when courage and strength have all but failed, when hearts are spent...that when defeat seems inevitable...at this very moment the King appears. At this very moment, the momentum shifts. At this very moment, the enemy begins slipping. At this very moment...He leads us to victory. I believe in eucatastrophes. I believe in the spiritual war. I believe in Christ.

And we shall continue to fight. A storm is brewing, and it seeks to cover these lands. But a light shines forth from the shadows, and as much as complacency and indifference and immaturity attempt to stifle it, they will not prevail. In other words, yes I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (Php 4:13), yes I will maintain courage (Jos 1:7), and yes I will win the race (1 Cor 9:24). Come...let us do this together.

2006-02-01T21:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks goes out to bro and the boys who truly cared and prayed. I appreciate it alot, and makes me realize that camaraderie still lives on.

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance." (Romans 8:25)

"Perseverance"...to be honest, every time someone told me to persevere, I wanted to rip their lungs out. I hated that word, and to be honest, I still don't like hearing it very much, considering how overused it is. Persevere for what?

"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." (1 Cor 9:25)

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8:18)

I know the glory of God will be so great, that at a single glimpse of His brightness, we would go through all trials and tribulations ten times over, just to see Him once again. But Heaven will be the constant presence of the Living God. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine eternity with our Heavenly Father? Can you imagine seeing, touching, hearing the One Whom we can claim is our Be-All-And-End-All? Forever! The One who does not disappoint; the Essence of Perfection. The One who will congratulate His servants, and tell them what they have done has not been in vain.

Yes, I am Almighty God your Father
The risen Son of Man
The Healer of the broken
And when you cry
I am your Savior and Redeemer
Who bore the sins of man
The Author and Perfecter
Beginning and the End
I am...
(Mark Schultz, "I Am")

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of theLord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." (1 Cor. 15:58)

2006-02-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

Do you even know why you believe? Do you know WHO you believe in? Do you realize that the kingdom requires sacrifice? Hell, let's not even talk of blood, but are you willing to shed tears out of the pain and anguish and suffering that you will receive at the hands of the devil because of your affiliation? Are you willing to sacrifice "play-time" for the Kingdom? Or do you shy away from that because you'd rather have fun? Do you worship Chris Tomlin? Cuz if you do, you're a freakin retard who deserves a smack upside the head. Are you willing to have your entire world shaken up? Are you willing to rack your body with sobs? Do you realize that this world is passing away? Do you realize your future is uncertain? Do you realize that God is sovereign? Or are you in blind faith? Do you know that if your passion isn't for the usage of the Kingdom, then it is useless? Do you realize this? Do you realize your non Christian friends are going to hell and burning there in eternity? Do you realize going to fellowship on Friday nights and church on Sunday mornings doesn't constitute you as a Christian? Do you see you are in danger of hellfire if that is your definition of salvation? Do you realize the superfluity of worldy ambitions in comparison to eternity? Do you know that if you don't get your life right with Christ first, you can't help others? Do you understand selflessness? Do you understand that as a member of the Body of Christ, you are REQUIRED to do your part? Do you UNDERSTAND that when you allow the HAND to do the job of the nose, mouth, foot...that you will eventually ruin the hand? Do you understand that we're ALL tired? Do you understand that if one brother is tired, we must shoulder his burden? Or do you shy away from responsibility and watch as that brother is slowly crushed? What happened to camaraderie? What happened to "if one part suffers, the whole suffers"? When did we all become indifferent? You cannot instill passion into the passionless.

"Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God." (2Kings 17:14)

Frick. Somebody prove me wrong.

2006-02-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

I am weary with my groaning; All night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; It grows old because of all my enemies. (Ps 6.6-7)

2006-01-29T20:22:00.000-08:00

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace." -- Philippians. 1:3-7

2006-01-19T20:17:00.000-08:00

Personal Reflections

I just realized that I have never blogged on something that I've learned, or the "real" events that go on in my daily life. Currently, I'm in the process of recharging my spiritual "batteries". For the past couple of weeks, I've been battling indifference towards evangelism. This caused great bitterness in me, for because the very purpose I live for seemed so distant, it began to seem as if I was just going through the motions. And since living up to God's standards all of sudden seemed foreign, I found it much easier to give in to sin. So where did this complacency come from? I believe it started from little things, such as forgetting to read the Bible because class started at 8:30, and I woke up at 8:29...to putting off prayer, because the lack of the Word in my life caused forgetfulness of God's faithfulness. Listening to John MacArthur's "Grace to You Ministries" yesterday provided great comfort to me. MacArthur spoke of self-discipline, and used 1 Peter 1:13: "Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." This verse reminded me greatly that self-control and discipline in a Christian life starts with priorities; and our priorities are defined by remembering who owns us -- Christ. What we know, and how we think is very important. How we think is defined by the information we have in our minds, and the level of commitment we have to that information. I shall quote (quite poorly) MacArthur on this point: "You will behave in accord to what you know, and what you believe abotu what you know. Since as Christians we know the Word of God, we have the foundation for what we believe; and since we're committed seriously to the Word of God, we believe the Word of God. Your action is a product to what you know to be true and what you believe." Simply put, we must let our actions define truth; and to continue to allow our lives to glorify God in all actions. I mean, this was stuff I knew already; yet, I seriously needed the reminder. And I believe we all need this reminder; that Christ owns us. And our priorities must reflect Him. It should be a priority to pray. It should be a priority to read the Word. It should be a priority to resist temptation and sin. It should be a priority to evangelize. (this town is a part of us all! a part of us all! yes, marge simpson, it sure as heck works!)

I guess this little reminder was resonated further during my ENGL203 lecture this morning. ENGL203 is an English Literature course concerning the genre of Fantasy. Currently, we are reading a lesbian-feminist novel called "Affinity". A riveting book, I must say...but every time I picked up the book, it gave me a headache. It was 352 pages of bleakness, despair, pain, suffering, indifference and, well, smut. It was also pretty irritating sitting through lecture after lecture with leftist students praising the novel's "progressive" ideals (I will refrain from cursing out any hippies for the moment). But that wasn't the worst part. No, the worst part was sitting in that lecture hall, and realizing most of the people in that course did not know Christ, and that the hopelessness in the novel was not fantasy, but reality. This horror that washed over me was confirmed whilst reading a few of Jonathan Edwards' sermons.

"How can men be so careless of such a matter as their own eternal and desperate destruction and torment! What a strange stupor and senselessness possesses the hearts of men! How common a thing is it to see men, who are told from Sabbath to Sabbath of eternal misery, and who are as mortal as other men, so careless about it that they seem not to be at all restrained by it from whatever their souls lust after! It is not half so much their care to escape eternal misery, as it is to get money and land, and to be considerable in the world, and to gratify their sense."

This segment of Edwards' sermon (entitled "The Eternity of Hell Torments) relates back to the priorities issue. We must consider eternity when we go about our daily actions! This next section was just plain scary.

"Second, do but consider how dreadful despair will be in such torment. How dismal will it be, when you are under these racking torments, to know assuredly that you never, never shall be delivered from them. To have no hope: when you shall wish that you might be turned into nothing, but shall have no hope of it; when you shall wish that you might be turned into a toad or a serpent, but shall have no hope of it; when you would rejoice if you might but have any relief; after you shall have endured these torments millions of ages, but shall have no hope of it. After you shall have worn out the age of the sun, moon, and stars, in your dolorous groans and lamentations, without rest day and night, or one minute’s ease, yet you shall have no hope of ever being delivered. After you shall have worn a thousand more such ages, you shall have no hope, but shall know that you are not one whit nearer to the end of your torments. But that still there are the same groans, the same shrieks, the same doleful cries, incessantly to be made by you, and that the smoke of your torment shall still ascend up forever and ever. Your souls, which shall have been agitated with the wrath of God all this while, will still exist to bear more wrath. Your bodies, which shall have been burning all this while in these glowing flames, shall not have been consumed, but will remain to roast through eternity, which will not have been at all shortened by what shall have been past. "

It is said that when Edwards' preached on hell, those in the congregation would grip their pews so tightly and cry aloud, in fear that the depths of hades would open up right underneath their feet. I remember reading a quote (can't remember the author) that stated something along the lines of: "To shock Christians out of complacency, just dangle them above hell for about five minutes." Eternity. Think about that. You can not even fathom eternity, because our finite minds cannot carry that capacity. Keep eternity in your minds when you go about your daily errands. C'mon, lock up homies; this world needs Christ more than we can imagine.

2006-01-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

Common-law, same-sex, polygamy, incest, bestiality...

Copy and paste the link (because if I leave it out in one long link, it disturbs my template).

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&
cid=1137066011866&call_pageid
=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home

You can see see why advocates against same-sex marriage had a valid point when the issue of polygamy and bestiality were brought up. I remember a group of smarmy leftards sneering at the possibility of Canada descending into polygamy after the passing of the same-sex bill. Well, eat your words, you hemp-wearing hippies. Now, some professors from my own dear university are lobbying for the regulation of polygamy! What, am I seriously receiving "higher education" from these amoral airheads? You're witnessing evil in the making; thanks Canada, thanks for pissing God off.

When liberalism is taken to the extreme, and "tolerance" is extended to all interest groups, then a society is no longer liberal, but anarchical. When lines can no longer be drawn, where boundaries are amorphous, therein lies the descent of a society into chaos. We see it happening, just in shorts. God give us a Conservative government! VOTE THIS ELECTION.

2006-01-08T19:09:00.000-08:00

Back in Black

Well, it's another new year, and the start of a new term. This winter break, I was able to spend time with some special people, and for that I am truly grateful. I hope this year will find us in areas of spiritual victory more often than in periods of defeat. I hope we can temper passion with wisdom. I hope we can live like men and women of God. I hope we do not compromise our integrity for the sake of "unity". I hope we will not be jerks because "that's the way I am, I'm just like that". I hope we can start reading the Bible, rather than that purpose-driven dribble. I hope we can stop being pharisaical and start being real. I hope and pray for realness.

Ohhh, what? You thought I went soft?/
It's 11 o'clock and it's fresh off the top/

C'mon, lock up homies.

2006-01-07T18:20:00.000-08:00

"The Church always seems to be behind the times, when it is really beyond the times; it is waiting till the last fad shall have seen its last summer. It keeps the key of a permanent virtue." -- G.K. Chesterton

2005-12-30T19:52:00.000-08:00

I almost didn't see him.
"Thank you, Merry Christmas to you too sir," I said as I exchanged handshakes with another one of my father's friends. His hands were coarse and rough. Daddy hands. Suddenly, I saw a mop of messy brown hair attached with an oversized cream-coloured sweater rushing headlong in my direction. I dropped my bags, bent low and extended my arms. Oomph! He dove headfirst into my chest, burying his nose into my shirt. I heaved my cousin up and his laughter filled the air.
"Hey buddy; happy to see me?" He nodded ecstatically, enjoying his view from above.
"How's school?"
"It's good," he smiled, revealing several missing teeth.
"You're in senior kindergarten now; biiig man!" He beamed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. His hands were small. Child hands. He clutched the lapels of my jacket tightly, glancing around for his friends.
"Wanna go find your buddies?" He nodded again, and I placed his feet against the ground. He wrapped his arms around my leg, and ran off. I looked at my own hands. They don't have enough lines in them yet. I stuffed them in my pockets, and hoped the next time I pulled them out, they'd be rough and coarse. Daddy hands.

2005-12-29T11:35:00.000-08:00

Come and make my heart Your home; come and be everything I am and all I know
Search me through and through; 'til my heart becomes a home for You

A home for You Lord; a home for You Lord
Let everything I do open up a door for You to come through
And that my heart would be a place where You want to be

2005-12-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! =)

2005-12-20T10:51:00.000-08:00

...yes, I'm still here. One more exam tonight, 7 PM. Oh, do arrive quickly!

2005-12-18T20:44:00.000-08:00

My favourite Christmas carol is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", by John M. Neale. There's something about the tune of this olde hymn that strikes a chord with me. Perhaps it is the E-minor key that I enjoy so much; either way, the musical structure plays with the words wondrously! The opening verse (greatly enhanced by the chord progression and radical leaps in the tenor) depicts the pain, suffering and groaning of the earth in eager anticipation for the coming of Christ with such simple, yet fluid poetry:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.

I also especially enjoy the third verse:

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.

And then...

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Rejoice indeed! Nothing should cause greater celebration than the full knowledge that the King of Kings has come down in the flesh to free us sinful, despicable human beings from the bondages of sin and death, and show us the path to eternal life. No longer must we fear shuffling off this mortal coil! Death has lost its sting, and it has no dominion over us.

Each time I hear this song, it sends shivers down my spine, as I remember the reason why we celebrate Christmas. Jesus Christ, Redeemer of Mankind. And as I think upon Christmas, my eyes turn toward His promised return. Rejoice!

Congratulations on your baptism, Gavin! Peasuatown!!!!

2005-12-11T17:49:00.000-08:00

Jesus Too Powerful?!?!?!

Please read this article in the Toronto Star: http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&amp;amp;

amp;cid=1133995814920&call_pageid=991479973472&col=991929131147
(just copy and paste the link, will ya?)

We don't know who this Adam Gopnik is, what his known credentials are, but apparently he wrote an essay on Lewis (that was featured in the New Yorker), attempting to dumb down the power of the Christian message.

"Yet a central part of the Gospel story," Gopnik argues, "is that Jesus is not the lion of the faith but the lamb of God, while his other symbolic animal is, specifically, the lowly and bedraggled donkey. The moral force of the Christian story is that the lions are all on the other side."

Yeah, uh, Mr. Gopnik? Do you read the Bible? If so, then you would have missed these spots:

"For I will be like a lion to Ephraim, And like a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear them and go away; I will take them away, and no one shall rescue. " -- Hosea 5:14

"But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals." -- Rev. 5:5

And since, Mr. Gopnik, that you have made such rash assumptions without proper research, and since you have committed blasphemy, and attempted to bring to shame the power and glory of the living God, I will proceed to say, "Mr. Gopnik was conceived by a hermaphrodite who happens to be involved in pederasty and bestiality with a 4-month old aardvark." I guess we can all make assumptions, right Gopnik?

It's funny how Gopnik uses "donkey" to try and replace the Lion of Judah. CS Lewis uses a donkey to portray the Antichrist in "The Last Battle."

It's these kinds of things that get on my last nerve. Liberals and lefties constantly complain abotu "human rights" et al, all whilst trampling and attempting to put to shame conservative thinkers and Christians? I see and hear open "hateration" against Christianity, whereas if I disagree with homosexual marriages or legalization of marijuana, the feminist movement, or the overall degeneration of society, I get the "don't judge, you racist intolerant nazi!" treatment. Well, we can obviously see who's the intolerant ones! This double standard needs to end, lest liberalism become our amoral Big Brother.

2005-12-11T13:48:00.000-08:00

Oh fun weeks

What would I do without a little humour of my condition? Here's a lil' excerpt from my stomach-narsty week.

Doc: Alright...waist down, take it off!

Jon: (self-consciously holding my belt) Um...even my socks?

Doc: Nope, you can keep those on.

I turn around, only to hear the snapping sound of the gloves coming on.

Doc: Alright, have your butt facing me.

Never have I felt more like an A&P Roasted Chicken.

(one day ago)

Kwan: So yeah dude, I think you have hemorrhoids

Ed: Yo, so seriously, do you want us to go to the doc w/ you?

Jon: (thinking: How sweet of them!) Now why the frick would I want that?

Ed: Well, uh, Kwan wants to see if he diagnosed you properly.

Kwan: I'll be so happy if I'm right!

Jon: You'd come with me to the doctor for an ego boost?!

Kwan: If I'm right, I'll buy you a meal.

Jon: That's just gonna cause me to crap out more!

Kwan: I'll buy you a drink then.

Jon: You'll celebrate my having hemorrhoids by taking me out for a drink???

Ed: Hey, you know you can feel your hemorrhoids? Apparently they protrude, you just have to stick your fingers…

Jon: You're kidding, right? We're actually talking about this? Thanks, you guys are great.

Ed: Oh c'mon. We're just trying to lighten up an otherwise dark situation.

Jon: But in the LIBRARY?!?!?!?!?! (girl in cubicle two feet away chuckles)

Kwan: The pain may have been caused by the strain you're putting on your back when you threw it out.

Ed: Hey, are you eating veggies?

Jon: Quite consistently, yes.

Ed: Oh ok. Cuz this guy I knew once didn't for a long time, and when he went to the washroom, it was so hard that…

Jon: Yeah, thanks. Thanks. You're fantastic, y'hear?

Ed: …and he showed it to us later! It was gross!

Kwan: Yeah, so am I coming man?

Jon: I don't believe this...

Kwan: Well, this stuff IS on my exams. I'm actually studying hemorrhoids right now.

Jon: Oh, I am so glad that I can add to your studying experience and turn it into a practical project.

Terry: Hey, would you mind taking a picture of your stool sample?

Jon: What?!?!?!

Ed: Oh yeah, another story of another guy who didn't eat his veggies…

Jon: I EAT MY VEGGIES!!!!!!

2005-12-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

Ignorance at Tim Horton's Down Princess St.

Kris and I walked out of Tim Horton's, as a middle-aged man walked in.

"Have a good day sir!" He said to me.

"You too buddy," I replied, proceeding to the sidewalk.

"Sayonara!" He cackled. I stopped in my tracks and turned around.

"I'm not Japanese, sir."

"Oh, uh, ok. Ciao (chow)!" I gave him a cold stare.

"Try again. Not Italian either." He walked towards the cashier, and I walked away, slightly agitated by the blatant racism I've encountered in the past couple of days. Whether it was those two airheaded women making "chinky" eyes at Windmill's or this perverted-looking man at Tim Horton's, I never take racism lightly. I thank the Lord that I remain calm in these upsetting situations, but I pray that I can actually have compassion on these ignorant people...for they sure as heck know not what they do.

2005-12-05T13:18:00.000-08:00

I Should be Studying

But I'm not. Rather, I will re-enact Sunday worship for you.

Jon: Alright, so when I say "This is the day", I want y'all to repeat aiight? Ok, this is the day! (point at congregation)

Congregation: ..........

Jon: (hand falls to the side) Ahem. Uh, okay, perhaps I didn't make myself clear. When I say, "This is the day", YOU will say "This is the day!" And when I say "That the Lord has made", YOU will say "That the Lord has made!" and on and on. Got it? Let's try it again! This is the day!

Congregation: ..............

Jon: That the Lord has made!

Congregation: .................

Jon: We will rejoice!

Congregation: ....................

Jon: And be glad in it!

Congregation: ...And be......eh..........(hand wave of dismissal)

****

this studyin' is ridiculous/ i'm goin a bit delirious/
i should be more rigorous/ a lil' bit vigorous/
gettin' kinda sicka this/ but you better picture this/
i'ma deep fry this exams til they make a better crisp/
do anything instead of this/ makes me more incredulous/
of books in general, like when they talk of Thetis'/
affiliation with Zeus and all that classics crap/
all i'm grateful for is relief from my classes' crap/
i can't focus right now, what with nba.com/
and blogger to distract, and that dvd-rom/
POLS241/ is not much fun/ so jus' pray for ya son/
cuz i ain't done/ til I own ECON261.

2005-12-02T10:37:00.000-08:00

Spiritually fit or spiritually fat?!

The past couple of weeks, Kwan and I thought up a workout that would seriously put our bodies to the test. We call it the "Stairway to Heaven". Basically, it's a stairs-version of suicides, with pushups in between (1 flight up, 1 flight down, 10 pushups, 2 flights up, 2 flights down, 10 pushups, etc etc.). I believe this workout is appropriately titled, 'cause in order to get up there, you're gonna need a lot of God's grace (I know I'm witty, thank you).

In the midst of the workout, you usually feel like barfing. Why? Well, uh, 'cause it's kinda intense, and you're working out a smorgasboard of muscle groups at once. It's the price one has to pay to stay fit. Which leads us to spiritual fitness, or in some people's cases, spiritual fatness. In order to stay fit spiritually, one must get completely familiar with the Word, keep in constant prayer with the Lord, receive mentorship, and serve in the Church, edifying brothers and sisters. A spiritual fat-ass (oops, did I just say ass again?) only sits on the couch and receives and receives and receives.

A common utterance of the spiritual fatass is "I'm not getting fed! FEED ME! FEED ME!" or "No one's helping me! No one cares about me!" Gosh, shut up, you tub of lard! How do you expect to get fit by sitting on the couch all day? You must reach out, in order to get reached. Fitness requires effort. You want a sixpack and pecs like those of the James Fong variety? You gotta work for it, buddy. The church and fellowship can only do so much. The onus is on you to get right with God; nobody else can help you with that. If you rely on the worship team at church or fellowship to get you reacquainted with the Lord, then you need to re-evaluate your spiritual life. You need to start reading the Word. You need to start praying. You need to start doing the Word, and not just hearing it. You need to start caring for other people. Lay off the junk food (i.e. bad doctrine, crappy books from Mitchell's, etc. etc.) Start getting fit, lest you turn into this:

"FEED ME! FEEEEEEEEED MEEEEE!!!!"

And to stay fit won't be easy. But since when has a blubber boy won a marathon? Whenever I eat even a *little* bit of junk food, I always feel it when working out. And it's gross! Same way, if I'm not living in the Spirit, how can I evangelize? If I'm not deep in the Word, how do I defend it when cults try to break me down? If I'm living in sin when I know I shouldn't, how can I call myself a servant of Christ? If I'm a freakin' fatty, I wouldn't be able to.

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." -- 1 Cor. 9:24

2005-11-30T22:17:00.000-08:00

Lesson in Humility

Ok, well, if you haven't heard by now, Kwan and I died in open mic @ common ground the past Monday. It was a lesson that we will carry with us to the grave, and needless to say, it was well needed. Every stage performance I have been involved in, whether it be of musical, dramatic or oratorial nature, has always been successful. I took it pretty hard. He gives and takes away? He sure does. It was a lesson in humility that was well-needed, as I learned in the past couple of days not to trust in man (i.e., myself, or anyone else for that matter). Lack of preparation was perhaps our biggest downfall. Musically, I am generally very confident, as last-minute things never really faze me. However, I realized in all past performances, each set was always practiced to perfection. The lesson? As Colin told me gently, "Cockiness kills, Jon Lee." Just like how even Lebron James can have an off night shooting the ball (and this is just an analogy, I'm not comparing myself to Lebron James), Kwan and I definitely had an off-night. But I guess there's a semi-happy ending to this all. I'm not gonna write it out, because Kwan puts it nicely on his blog: www.kwanchan.blogspot.com. Read it, and weep with us, for He giveth and taketh as He liketh.

2005-11-25T09:45:00.000-08:00

Why I Defend the Faith

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear" -- 1 Peter 3:15

Fight...contend...battle. We are called and required to defend our faith when false teachers arise, and when the Truth of God is attacked. Some people will say, "Oh Jon, as if GOD really needed us to defend Him!" To this I would say, "Yup, as if God really needed Moses to lead the people out of Egypt. As if God really needed Paul to spread the Gospel to the Gentiles. As if God really needed Jonathan Edwards to preach His Word. As if God really needed Ravi Zacharias and Joe Boot in the field of apologetics." God doesn't need anything, but He has called us to do something, and we are to humbly obey. It is our God-given duty and responsibility to stand up and contend when our faith and faith principles are being attacked.

"Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ." -- Jude 3-4

People will say to me, "Jon, you're just spreading disunity when you object to certain teachings in the fellowship or church. Stop being an agent of Satan." Uh, ok. So you're saying severe disunity wouldn't occur if heresy was in the church? What would be worse, rebuking a false prophet so that he would turn from his error and perhaps come back to the Gospel message (1 Cor 5:5), or allowing a group of impressionable people to be led away by this false teacher, because no one has said anything?

"And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?" -- 2 Cor 6:15

Others may say, "Jon, what you're debating is useless and trivial. It's not too important; what's important is loving and accepting people, regardless of practice!" This argument is terrible, for if we ignore one section of the Bible, then we are, in essence, living up to our postmodern culture. We would be picking-and-choosing what we want in the Bible, and not adhering to it in its entirety. Commandments in the Word are not to be taken lightly. They are there for a reason.

***

I will now lead up to a section that deals with a "phenomenon" that has been going around Queen's lately: Tongues. I will proceed to plagiarize from my good pal Rev. Christian Grewal, who has made it his personal mission to rebuke my ass whenever I mess up (oops, did I just say ass?) -- check him out at www.pulpiteering.blogspot.com (lest he sue me again for copyright):

***

Pulpiteering - "Twisted Tongues"

Far too many people run Bible studies by committee. By this I mean that they just read the passage and then ask everyone's opinion of it and no matter how outrageous the statement it's given equal time with the legitimate stuff. How would you run a Bible study then? Well I'm glad you asked... I ran across the following passage in some of my study and I'd like to present it to those special people who insist that the gift of tongues is for every Christian (which would logically eliminate the moniker "gift of..."), or worse yet try to "teach" others to speak in "tongues". Let's set aside all the misunderstandings of old(e) English, or the butchering of the meaning of "glossilea" in the Greek and just read it together.
1 Corinthians 14:22-23
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers. So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand[a] or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

Observation No.1 Tongues are for unbelievers-uh, fellas, it's for evangelism

Observation No.2 Tongues is not to be spoken by everyone-lest a stranger walk in and exclaim, "what the freak is going on in here?!"

Observation No.3 Tongues is understood by the unbeliever for the purposes of evangelism, thereby making it concrete that "tongues" or "glossilea" is a language that can be understood by the hearer- ref. above quoted "what the freak is going on in here?!"

Observation No.4 People who try to teach that tongues is something that every Christian can do, and worse yet, is a "gift" that can be taught should quit their babbling and start reading their Bibles.Here endeth the lesson. Notice that this was a Bible study, but also notice I didn't ask anyone for what THEY thought the passage meant? More importantly, you learned something.

***

RRRRRRRREEEEMIX, the Pamphlet feat. Jon Leigh

Ohhh, what; you thought I went soft?/ It's 11 o clock/ it's fresh off the top/
cha boy still spits from ktown to t-dot/
Doesn't matter if you've read hobbes or socrates/
If you haven't checked the Bible then you best talk to me/
That is, the fact is/
put ya headphones down, don't let heresy envelop you/
Doesn't matter what benny hinn or r.kelly is tellin' you/
Their ish is manufactured junk they jus sellin' you/
They ain't gonna love you, they'll just put a shell in you/
As a Christian, my duty is to slice through heresy/
And take out liberals, cults and modern day Pharisees/
Got no love for ecumenical theories/ you wanna unite? Then look at the Word clearly/
Letting heresy and ignorance get past you would make you an irregular goalie/
There's a reason there's distinction btwn "secular" and "holy"/
So you starin', b?/ y'all ain't scarin' me/
Your ideas are more Left Behind than Tim LaHaye and Jerry B./
Fundies and wack pastors, they hypnotizin' our youth/
So can't we respond to these cries of our youth/
Stop these suckas cuz they spew lies to our youth/
Put them Freudian theories down cuz Christ is the Truth/
As homosexuality and polygamy plagues Amsterdam/
Who knows when Canada will get this cancer, man/
We need an Answer, man!/ Who'll pay our ransom, man?/
Are we blind cuz North America worships Ted Danson, damn!!!/
Excuse the harsh language, but there's a problem at hand/
If we don't turn from our ways, God ain't gonna heal our land/
Pound for pound/ take it to the next round/
God's Word should be preached in THX and surround sound/
We want the Spirit to flourish/ but we actin' a lil boorish/
Let's get back on track, cuz we're spiritually malnourished/
This is fresh off the laptop/ a spiritual standoff/
If we keep walkin in darkness, God's gonna take His Hands off/
Look around you, the world is lying in deep decay/
Wack theology is bound to give us sleepless days/
The harvest is plentiful, are you ready to reap?/
Or are you being merry, with all you can drink and eat?/
If we stay like that, we committing straight fallacies/
Cuz Heaven's too real, and hell too much a reality/

2005-11-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Lamentations Remixed Pt 2, Feat. Jon Leigh

it's eleven-thirty/ not feelin' very sturdy/ this is fresh off the top, but it ain't hot like curry/
i'm callin it now, this is gonna be a wack session of bars/
more embarrassing than my watching of veronica mars/
but cha boy is tired, and he needs to write rhymes/
to ease his mind/ to not spit would be a crime/
look at me, this rhetoric is pathetic/
don't be sympathetic, cuz i won't give ya credit/
i feel more epileptic than an off game by jj reddick/
this is an eclectic combination of rhymes not designed to be prophetic/
so check it or wreck it/ cha boy needs an essay-medic/
to double check my writings, give me tips and say "I read it"/
better yet, maybe someone can write my papers for me/
compose masterpieces of economics and even my life story/
ay yo peoples check it out please pray for yer son/
cuz as of now, cha boy is gettin' owned AGAIN by ECON261/

2005-11-20T22:18:00.000-08:00

Dumb Monkeys at A&P

It was a mildly cool night in Kingston, as I trudged home from Stauffer, wearied from my chronic writer's block. My body was crying out for Vitamin C, so I turned my body east and made for the local A&P. I picked up a jug of OJ and a box of Apple Cheerio's and shuffled to the immense lineup at the cashier. Before I had a chance to ask myself whadagwan, the people in front of me began talking.

Smug Asian Guy: (Loudly) I've been in this line for like half an hour! It's going nowhere.

Old Obese Ugly Lady: Are those people...using rainchecks???!

I looked to the front of the line. From my perceptions, it looked like a mother with her teenage son. There was no doubt their clothes were of the second-hand nature. The mother had a tired look on her face, and her hair was unkempt. The son was tall and lanky; he had patches of hair around his chin.

Smug Asian Guy: Heh! Rainchecks? RrrrrAAAinchecks?! Man! I should go in the other line. (Smug Asian Guy stays in the line)

Clueless Blonde Girl: Hey what's going on?

Smug Asian Guy: Hey Brenda! Go in the other line, this one ain't goin nowhere! (Smug Asian Guy and Clueless Blonde Girl proceed to flirt for about 4 minutes, all the while making light of the mother and son, and the situation they were in)

Old Obese Ugly Lady: What the hell's going on, it's taking too long. Who uses rainchecks anymore?!

Smug Asian Guy: Yeah, who uses rainchecks? Wait...how do rainchecks work again?

Clueless Blonde Girl: Teehee!

Smug Asian Guy: Are they STIIIIIL there? (And it was obvious they were, for the line was still not moving, as the rainchecks are processed manually)

Smug Asian Guy has finally taken his own advice and moved to the next line, thus evolving into Smug Asian Prick (or SAP). SAP proceeds to look over the stack of magazines and Juicy Fruits to gawk at the tired family. I shot him a withering glare, and he turned away.

Old Obese Ugly Lady: Huh, they're buying old food; A&P's probably just trying to get rid of that stuff.

SAP: Yeah! Heh!

Clueless Blonde Girl: Teehee!

I guess it is difficult for those who have never tasted poverty to have compassion. How I wished I spoke up, but in my anger, nothing edifying would have come out. Rather, perhaps a slew of expletives, combined with unnecessary hand gestures and maybe even a kick to the kidney of SAP. Stupid primates, is it not obvious why the mother and son had to use rainchecks? Can you not show compassion, you stupid monkeys? You may be a bunch of Queen's Commerce students, but all that knowledge in the lecture halls sure haven't taught you anything about being a human being. Frick, go back to the jungle and pick your sister's lice. Frick, man.

2005-11-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

A memory from my time as a camp leader during the summer crossed my mind recently. It was an exchange between my kids and myself that solidified the fact that I use certain phrases too often:

Jon:...and there's no way we're going to the park, and I mean no way, unless everybody is quiet, with your hands to yourselves and your bum-bums on the floor!

Richie: (slowly raises hand)

Jon: Rich.

Richie: Um...straight up, sir?

2005-11-14T21:19:00.000-08:00

The Nicaragua Missions Trip Interview

So yeah, I pretty much bombed the interview. Will and Pat, thanks for being nice about everything, and not succumbing to the desires of people of normal temperament who would have spat in their hands, and smacked me upside the head for wasting their time. Example?

Will: Alright, so say a local offers you some food to eat. What do you do?

Jon: I'll say "Mmm! This smells delicious; I'm gonna eat it over there!" (point somewhere far-off)

Will: .......

Pat: Ahem...ok, say a local happens to pay "extra" attention to you, through excessive touching or hugging. What do you do?"

Jon: I'll teach them the "homeboy" handshake and say: "This is how we say hi in North America!"

Pat: .........

Kwan: ..aaand a swing and a miss....

2005-11-12T17:49:00.000-08:00

"If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, in which you trusted, they wearied you, then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?" -- Jer 12:5

2005-11-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Why I'm So "Black"

First of all, I'm not. The title was only meant to grab your attention. You've all been had.

This post would be more aptly titled "Why I enjoy hip-hop", because "black" does not constitute "hip-hop".

"I wish I was a little bit taller, wish I was a baller..."

I love hip hop music; always have, always will. My first taste of hip hop stemmed back to the days of Kris Kross, MC Hammer, KRS-One, Grandmaster Flash (whom I discovered through Encarta96) and Vanilla Ice. "These guys are the ISH!" I would declare. As the years went by, my tastes switched haphazardly and varied from coast to coast. There were the years of the Yonkers, as DMX, Ja Rule, Mobb Deep, Ma$e and Puff Daddy (when he was still known as Puff Daddy...) found themselves the sole rulers of my playlists. The Wesside came next, and brought with it 2Pac, Dre, and Snoop Dogg. There was the "Dirty South" era, with Master P, Silkk the Shocker, Snoop Dogg of No Limit, Timbaland, Juvenile and Lil' Weezy. I never really entered the "Midwest Swaaang" hype, 'cause Nelly sorta annoyed me. And, er, there is no North, mainly because it comprises of Maestro and another little-known rapper named after a chocolate delicacy. I was so under the influence of hip hop that when my brother told me that Jay-Z wore his sweaters inside his jeans, I immediately followed suit (if you haven't realized by now, it was a joke that I took seriously. The end result? The girl who sat in front of me in Grade 8 Math: "Can you take your sweater out of your jeans? It looks really gay.)

As my dad always said "These guys are anti-social...against society! What the frick are you doing listening to these guys??" And he was right. Yes, hip hop was an outlet for those "wronged" by society (and I use the quotations for a specific reason, mainly because I am not a lefty), and a medium for them to express their frustration. Unfortunately, as hip hop "progressed", the main topics usually revolved around money, drugs, violence and women. After I dedicated my life to Christ, I wiped out all my hip hop discs from my inventory (I counted $300+ that I spent on rap CDs, magazines, etc...1/4 of that was from a lone Master P album, cuz it was a friggin' double-disc). But lately, I've discovered that I can use hip-hop, the outlet for disgruntlement, for other critiques on society. I've realized hip hop was mainly a cry used by left-wingers (who do not even realize their own political affinity) for acceptance. A lot of suckas these days believe hip hop is synonymous with "gangsta". That hip hop means dressing with your jeans below your knees, cussing every other line, and calling your good friends by the term generally reserved for those of the canine variety. Welllll, not with the Pamphlet will you get that. I love hip hop because, since it has been so widely accepted by the youth and popular culture, I can use it for the good and encouragement for all Brothas/Sistas in Christ. No, I don't listen to Kanye West. I do not condone G-Unit. I think Ma$e is a sellout, and I hope Kirk Franklin uses some of his time to evangelize to R. Kelly. I use hip hop because it's a refreshing alternative to my writing style, and because I believe you guys enjoy both prose and er, my version of poetry. In other words? Because it's lots of fun! I will continue using hip hop to glorify God. And if that makes me "black", then, well…guess I'm black then ;)

2005-11-09T18:37:00.000-08:00

The Proverbs 31 Woman Pt. 1

Before I begin, I would just like to point out that most of this blog entry has been paraphrased (er, or plagiarized) from a sermon of the same title by John MacArthur, president of the Master's Seminary. So, Grace to You Ministries, please don't file suit against this poor undergrad, as all you may win may be two cans of Chunky Soup and half a box of Ho-Ho's.

I see an increasingly alarming rate of men (or boys) feeling antsy about finding a relationship with a significant other of the opposite sex. Many fellas are rushing into union with the first girl who doesn't reject them, and others are stressing over girls who aren't worth half their time. Still others are wasting their time with girls who are merely playing them. Does the Bible have anything to say about finding a wife? Does the Bible offer the guidelines of what a successful wife is? Lehhhht's check it out!

Sword weildin' time; let's go!

"For why should you, my son, be enraptured by an immoral woman, And be embraced in the arms of a seductress?" Prov. 5:20

"A foolish woman is clamorous; She is simple, and knows nothing." Prov. 9:13

"As a ring of gold in a swine's snout, So is a lovely woman who lacks discretion." Prov. 11:22

"The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands." Prov. 14:1

"Better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, Than in a house shared with a contentious woman. " Prov. 21:9

The Bible warns against the promiscuous woman, the foolish woman, the quarrelsome woman. THe Bible lifts up the prudent wife; the virtuous wife; the godly wife.

"Houses and riches are an inheritance form fathers, but a prudent wife is from the Lord." Prov. 19:14

If any fellas out there are wasting their time with the woman that the Bible strictly says to avoid, drop it like it's hot. There's no sense in dwelling with one who will only cause you grief in the end.

Find a good wife! A good wife will determine what you accomplish on earth; a good wife will allow you to be all that you can be in God; all that God has in store for you, to live a life from verses 1-9 of Chapter 31. For goodness sakes, just because she has a hot body does not mean she's the one. Keep those hormones in check.

So what can we say about this godly woman? Some of you may be foaming at the mouth in anger, destroying your monitor with your saliva as you scream: "You must be a misogynistic piece of monkey crap!" Whoa there Rabies, hold on. What can we say about the godly woman?

The Bible says this about such a woman:

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." Prov. 31:10

Above rubies. Jewels. Precious stones. In other words, above all precious earthly things.

She is:

1) Physically strong -- "She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms." Prov. 31:17
2) Mentally strong -- "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness." Prov. 31:26
3) Spiritually strong -- "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates." Prov 31:30-31
4) Morally strong -- "The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life." -- Prov. 31:11-12

She is a woman of substance; of depth; of strength. She is special. This kind of woman is hard to find. Rubies, jewels, precious stones -- all hard to find. A virtuous wife is above all these things.

Do not seek a woman because of looks....accomplishments...heck, even money. Wrong reasons. These things are dung compared to virtue...character...spiritual excellence...godliness.

On a similar note, for the fellas that want a girl; you're not ready for one. Take care of your own darn resonsibilities right now, focus on the abundant opportunities you have to serve God as a single male, and when the Lord wills it, she'll be there. Pray about it for now, but don't let it get to you! Remember, you are not completed by marriage, but by the grace and glory of our Heavenly Father. Your be-all-and-end-all is not in a girl but in the Lord.

I haven't spat in a long time, but Toby Mac of DC Talk rhymes on this topic with much more eloquency than I could ever conjure in my lifetime as an amatuer emcee.

"Ay yo Toby, it's time get witty; soooooooo h-h-h-h-h-h-hit maaayyyyyy!!!!!"

REEEEEEEEEEEEMIIIIIIIIIIXXXXXXX

Ay yo, ay yo CHECK IT/
I'm lookin' for a girl who's virtuous/ cuz God laid it on my heart to search for this/
So I open up the Word/ To the Book of Proverbs/ The 31st chapter tells me all about her!/ (OH!)
Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain/ A woman who fears the Lord, maan she's ain't playin'/
Hear what I'm sayin, cuz I'm sayin' it real clearly/ She's the typa girl I gost to have near me/
Well I'm lookin' into hookin' with a lady/ And not a girly of the worl'y that's shady/ But the kinda girl you meet/ Behind the doors of a church/ Ya see/ God will bring her to me/ So I don't have to search/ Too hard I've been scarred by the ones of the past/ So put an APB out on the one that will last/ A little longer than a roll in the hay f'sho/ But a bona fide lady's what I'm prayin' for/

holla!

2005-11-05T19:50:00.000-08:00

Encouraged

I would just like to say I've been really encouraged by the turnout for Transformers this week and last. In the midst of the midterm frenzy and whatnot, people still took time out of their loaded schedules to chill with the young'uns and attend Movie Mania. And even though the kids run off after the movie has finished, I know they appreciate the fact that y'all came out to chill with them. I know I do =)

Just also wanna say how blessed KCAC is to have the people who signed up for worship team this year. Just practicing with you guys is an awesome thing, and I'm really happy that we actually have time to share with one another about our struggles, victories, ups and downs in our Christian marathon as university students. You guys are great!

And I guess I just want to encourage anyone who feels they're going on this Christian battle alone....that you're not! I know it sounds really generic, and I hope I'm not coming across as a "don't worry, be happy" goody-two-shoes crapbucket. It is excellent to be unsatisfied with lukewarmth; it is fine to be upset about injustice, evil and degeneration. It is good to be frustrated with hypocrisy. It's great; but don't just stop there! Keep going! Recognize that it's time to do something about evil; sitting and pouting about it ain't gonna do much. Keep pushin' forward in doing good, in keeping Christ not just the 'centre' of your life, but rather as the be-all-and-end-all of your life.

"May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word." 2 Th 2:16-17

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does nto fade away, reserved in heaven for you" 1 Pe 1:3-4

"Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." 2 Pe 3:17-18

truuu.

2005-11-01T11:03:00.000-08:00

"And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh." Ecclesiastes 12:12 (NKJV)

King Solomon feels my anguish! :P

2005-10-30T19:31:00.000-08:00

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

***

This hymn was written by Horatio G. Spafford, a wealthy businessman who lost his entire fortune in the Chicago Fire of 1871. Shortly after, his four daughters died in a nautical collision on the Atlantic, the only survivor being his wife.

The fact of the matter is, no matter what pain or grief that crosses our path here on earth, we have the eternal hope in Christ, the One who bore our sins upon His back. He is our Blessed Assurance. Dunno what else to say, other than keep that in your hearts!

2005-10-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

I know it ain't the 31st yet, but here are my theses.

Being a pastor is a huge responsibility. As a PK, I know. Unfortunately, far too many "pastors" these days view their ministry as a bloody profession. "I'm sorry, today's my day off. Don't call me." "Sorry, I don't want to see any more people for VBS interviews 'cause I'm tired." Ugh!!! I understand there are certain limits, and many legitimate times where the pastor is overburdened, but far too many of the brothers in ministry are viewing their job as strictly 9-5. This has got to stop!

Moreover, pastors; put down your Purpose Driven Lifes, your Prayer of Jabezes, and any other cotton-candy theology books. Your congregation needs to hear the Living Word of God, not some feel-good crap of the Bill Hybels variety.

Pastors, know your Greek and Hebrew. Because I, your sheep, do not. And I'll need help understanding the Bible in its proper context many times. I don't care if you know how to play the guitar or not. Knowing a bunch of Matt Redman songs is not going to help when I am in a position to defend the faith or evangelize.

Congregation members, stop hopping around from church to church. You found a home church? Good, stay there. When you leave a church, but say you'll "visit" from time to time, it is an insult to the family. When you do such a thing, you are telling the congregation: "You're not good enough for me to love/serve, but I sure as heck am gonna take advantage of you in any possible way I can." I guess it's a different story if your environment is comprised of churches that lack strong Biblical teachings; but please keep in mind that hopping around also hinders your own growth, as the family-base is non-existent. Do not rely on the church/fellowship as your only source of growth. Spiritual Growth depends upon your personal relationship with God.

Worship Leaders, don't turn worship into a freakin' concert. Read up Leviticus 10:1-3 to see what God's opinion on that is.

Teens Conference, stop using high school students as captains. Their macking abilities over their Biblical knowledge is destructive.

Christians, stop downloading illegally. Don't even try to make an excuse, we all know it's flat out wrong.

"If the thief is found breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be no guilt for his bloodshed. " Ex 22:2

"Whoever is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He swears to tell the truth, but reveals nothing. " Prov 29:24

"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need." Eph 4:28

"You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. " Lev 19:11

"You shall not steal." Ex 20:15

RikKiRiKki-REEEMIX!!!!!!

It's another round of rhymes fresh off the top/
It's gonna hit harder than slugs out of a glock/
Gonna rock this/ can you top this?/
Battle with the Word under Christian synopsis/
I would like your input, what do you wanna hear next?/
What are the topics that you wanna see bullets in the chest?/
What do you suggest?/ you best/ drop me a line/
Or if you wanna be surprised, jus drop me a rhyme/
This ish'll never grow soft, it'll be rampant at times/
Slew idiotic doctrines one pamphlet at a time/
Unity is good, but not with the world/
And especially not with wolves with white curls/
Be on guard, this battle never ends/
How I pray Christianity is not just another trend/
I did a book review, exposing its true faces/
Bruce Wilkinson, you're next, with your-poison laced pages/
2pac may've been right when he called for some changes/
The first change I wanna see is Benny Hinn getting off the world's stages/
Face it!/
Too many false prophets up in here/
Now it's time to finish off their false-prophetic careers/
Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, and Paul Yonggi Cho/
I'm gonna have fun dicing y'all up, take it nice and slow/
Large-crazy-emotional-youth-events/ please don't think you're exempt/
Messin' wit doctrines and young ppl, in your pathetic attempt/
To be real with the faith/ this direction ain't here to stay/
If the young'ns are Frodo Baggins, stop being them Ring Wraiths/
The Christian circle needs a slap/ or maybe a pamphlet rap/
Let's guide the sheep away from all that Purpose-Driven crap/
Ain't gonna cut no slack/ our Christian streets are filled with crack/
DDubz, this is for you…the Bat is back. ;)

2005-10-23T21:38:00.000-07:00

Not Too Wild About Wild at Heart

The reason I'm doing a quick book review about Wild at Heart is because I know a large majority of fellas are reading this right now. Unfortunately (and I say this sincerely 'cause one of my closest friends bought me a copy), this book is wrought with Biblical inconsistencies, fallible opinions, and corny idealism of what a man's man is.

The author, John Eldredge, begins the book by offering a solution to the unanswered "passions" of a man's heart. He goes on to mangle and misuse the Word of God in the very first chapter. He quotes from Proverbs 20 verse 5: "The heart of a man is like deep water . . ." This is a direct mishandle of Scripture as Eldredge obviously has omitted several key words that place this piece of Scripture in context. My New King James reads this of Proverbs 20:5: "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water". Counsel in the heart, not the heart itself. How terrible (and ridiculous) it is of Eldredge to misquote Scripture. It's as if he heard of this passage through a game of broken telephone. What if I told a man, "Poison in food would be deadly", and he goes off to spread the revelation that "food is deadly", subsequently causing everyone naive enough to believe him to starve to death?

Wild at Heart is a book that reeks of humanism -- confidence in man, confidence in the self. This is what Eldredge has to say about the Creation account:

"Before the moment of Adam's greatest trial God provided no step-by-step plan, gave no formula for how he was to handle the whole mess. That was not abandonment; that was the way God honored Adam. You are a man; you don't need Me to hold you by the hand through this. You have what it takes."

This is ridiculous. This is implying that Man has no need for God to lead him in his life, and is suggesting Pelagianism, an ancient heretical belief that man has what it takes to deal with the sin in his own life. Eldredge goes on further to suggest that Man was better off in the "outback" on pages 3 and 4.

"Man was born in the outback, from the untamed part of creation. Only afterward is he brought to Eden. And ever since then boys have never been at home indoors, and men have had an insatiable longing to explore . . . The core of a man's heart is undomesticated and that is good."

So what does that mean, Johnny? Does that mean that God cursed Adam by placing him in the "confines" of Eden? So God cursed Adam before he sinned? And when Adam sinned, he really actually got what he wanted all along?? This is heresy. I'll come back to the point of a man's "heart". Because I can't ignore this one thing that Eldredge wrote:

" . . . when [Jesus] encounters the guy who lives out in the Gerasenes tombs, tormented by a legion of spirits, the first rebuke by Jesus doesn't work. He had to get more information, really take them on . . . " (pg166)

WHOA. HOLD UP THERE. You can mess with us guys all you want, you can tell me whatever the hell you want, but once you mess with the Absolute Ominpotence of Jesus Christ the Saviour of the World, then that pisses the frickin hell out of me. Eldredge's twisting of Luke 8:26-33 is painfully apparent. You don't need an MDiv to recognize that this passage does NOT have the demons resisting or questioning Christ's power and authority. Rather, the conversation between Christ and the demons shows how the demons had no other choice but to obey the Son of God.

Sword Wieldin' Time: Let's go!

"Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, wihtout spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation -- as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures." (2 Peter 3:14-16)

Don't let Eldredge twist you up.

Let's get back to Eldredge's "heart". Thoroughout his book, Eldredge encourages men to live according to their hearts. What Eldredge seems totally oblivious to is the fact that hearts are inherently evil.

"What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed [all kinds of wickedness] . . . All these evil things come from within and defile a man" (Mark 7:20-23)

"The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9)

"He who trusts in his own heart is a fool." (Proverbs 28:26)

Eldredge also maintains that there's an ongoing battle between the Flesh (the "poser", as he calls it) and the true Heart (the real you). I dunno about you, but from what I've read, it's always the Flesh battling the Spirit. Not the friggin heart.

The fact of the matter? Contrary to what this sucker of an author is saying, you are NOT William Wallace. You are NOT Achilles. You are NOT Maximus. You are NOT Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You are the unique, beloved child of God who, through his grace, was saved out of sin and redeemed for the purpose of glorifying Christ's Name, and His Name alone. You are, as Martin Luther candidly placed it, "snow-covered dung".

Recognize His Sovereignty. Recognize that He is strong and you are weak. Recognize that a spiritual battle is never won by your own power, will, or by your own heart.

Recognize this...that you are Man. And He is God.

*Summarized from A Critical Review of the Book, Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge, by Daryl Wingerd. For a complete and theologically sound review of Wild at Heart, please refer to http://www.ccwonline.org/wild.html

2005-10-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

Lamentations R-r-r-r-r-remixed

straight from your pops/ it's fresh off the top/ this'll make you go WHOA like black rob/
i'm sittin' here typin' in usual ebonics/
when this brotha seriously needs to start readin' his economics/
the text is fulla big words, more hazy than dre's chronic/
these are the days i wish i did up hooks on phonics/
talk about unions and their hell-raisin', industrial relations/
globalization/uniting the world's nations/ north americans and eurasians/
all this bureaucrat drama, you'd think they were portland trail-blazin'/
i've read til i call my eyes johnny cuz they blazin'/
whadagwan, this is wack, them leaders are jus a buncha free masons/
let the rain pellets fall, the wind's howlin' for attention/
did you know baby-boomers are concerned about their pensions?/
sorry, jus't thought that'd be something i'd mention/
i'm jus hopin the Lord'll add some extra smarts to my retention/
cuz it'll take a mad miracle to pull me through this midterm/
feels like i'm drowning in a serious cistern/
brothers and sistas/ please pray for ya son/
cuz right now cha boy is getting owned by ECON261/

2005-10-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Some Ammo When Dealing with Heretics/Cults Pt.1

Note: The following is a true account (and one that I totally relished! haha)

It was a warm late-spring morning when I was rudely awakened by the ringing of my doorbell. I groaned and pulled my comforter over my head. It was 9:34 am, and I had planned on sleeping in til 10:00 at least.

Ding, dong.

"Mooohhhmmm," I called out. No answer.
"Bah?" Daddy wasn't home either.
"Guhhh." Nor was my brother. I threw off the covers and sat for a bit, allowing my disgusting morning breath to shock me awake. I stumbled downstairs and then realized I was partially naked.

"Blauughhh", I complained in my own little language and crawled upstairs.

Ding, dong.

"Comin'!" I yelled, sifting through my closet for a pair of sweatpants.

Ding, dong. Ah! Got 'em.

Ding, dong. Ding, dong. Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding-D-D-D-D-Ding dong. What the frig they're remixing my doorbell, I thought.

"I'm comin'!" Must be Mom, bringing home some congee or something. I ambled down the stairs for the second and bounced towards the door, my stomach growling in anticipation. I opened the door to find two Chinese women, decked out in frilly pioneer dresses, complete with tracts. My heart sank, and my stomach groaned.

"Jehovah's Witnesses."

***

"Hello! How are you this morning?" the younger one asked.
"Could be better," I murmurred.
"Do you know what we're doing here?" My trachea wanted to laugh. Do I! This was going to be fun.
"Hmm, let me guess; are you guys here to spread the Gospel?"
"That's not our main objective, but you're on the right track! Have you ever read the Bible before?" Oh this was going to be too easy.
"Yeah, yeah, I've been prone to look over it sometimes." I didn't know how much longer I'd be able to humour them.
"Wow, that's great! We know that the Bible's really confusing. There are many verses in the Bible that have misled people into believing strange things. We're here to clear them up! For example, many people think that the Bible teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, but that's really not true--"
"Whoa...whoawhoawhoawhoawhoawhoa." I held up my hands. The humouring was done. It was time to layeth the smackethdown.

***

"Just a second. Do you mind waiting just one second?" I flashed a smile and made a motion towards my hallway.
"Certainly!" the young lady smiled back. The older one said nothing. I walked up the stairs and brought out my Dragon Slayer, aka Mr. New King James. I did a quick overview of what I was going to say, prayed, and jumped down the stairs.

"Sorry about that," I grinned. Sorry, where were we?
"No problem," the lady smiled. "We were talking about how Jesus can't be God because..."
"Oh, my bad. I mean, for a long time, I really thought He was."
"I guess you're mistaken then." Her eyes twinkled. I stifled laughter.
"Uh, ok. Right. I got a quick question though, 'cause there's one thing I'm really confused about." I love feigning ignorance.
"Of course," the JW said confidently.
"Alright, alright, can we look at Hebrews Chapter 1 v 8 please?" She blinked twice.
"Uh, uh, yeah, sure," the lady stuttered and flipped through her Bible. Guess she didn't see that coming.
"Alright, I'm gonna read it out for you: "But to the Son He says: 'Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righeousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions." " I smiled at her.
"Can we agree, ma'am, that the author of Hebrews is speaking of the Son, Jesus Christ?"
"Of course," the JW maintained.
"Alright, let's head down to verses ten to twelve."
"Uh..."
"And: 'You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.' "
"Uuhm.."
"Can we agree that Jesus Christ is still the One being described here?" I asked.
"Yes, yes, we can."
"Cool. Can we flip over to Psalms chapter 102?" We flipped our respective Bibles (if you can even call the JW translation a 'Bible'). "Verse one states: 'Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You.' Can we affirm that the Psalmist is crying out to Jehovah?"
"Yes we can," the lady said.
"Can you read verses twelve, nineteen and twenty for me?" She did so. "Ok, so the reference is still to Jehovah, right?" She concurred.
"Alright, let's head down to verse twenty-five. It goes: 'Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavesn are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.' " I looked at her, and saw her hands shivering. "So. These verses refer to Jehovah. The author of Hebrews uses the same verses in describing Jesus Christ. How can this be, if Christ is not God?" The woman opened her mouth, but no words came out. Stuttering, she tried to change the subject.
"Nah, nah, you ain't answering my question," I continually maintained my post. I felt kinda bad for her, as she was arguing a lost cause....but then I remembered how much I detest it when people twist the Word of God to their own retarded interpretations. But all the same, I decided to put her out of her misery.
"Alright, alright; you make some pretty crappy points, and nothing you say is really valid. I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God; I believe in the Holy Trinity. I believe that your doctrine is wrong, and I believe you should get the frick off my doorstep."
"Perhaps next time we can get an English-speaking person to come and talk with you," she said coldly (the conversation was predominantly in Mandarin).
"Honey, you didn't get owned by language; you got owned by the Word," I smiled. The two ladies hurried away.
"Don't forget to read your Bible!" I called out. Sighing, I closed the door and shuffled back to bed.

***

Thanks to aomin.org for equipping me with that useful weapon. Good times!

2005-10-11T17:27:00.000-07:00

Back to life, back to reality

kickin it off/ it's fresh off the top/i'ma drop a freestyle cuz you know it be hot/
i was snoozin away wastin' off september/
no need to wake me up cuz this asian brotha remembers/
now it's october/ stay spiritually sober/
run over Witnesses of Jehovah like i'm a range rover/
my reads are dealin with ethnic conflict/
why they theorize i be troublin w/ brothas that i run with?/
i have a paper on plato that i'm dealin with Dr. Lister/
can anyone tell me why i have 4 midterms??/
i know it ain't alot, i'm just messin' wit you/
so why is ddubz complaining about his two?/
haha you know you saw it comin'/
you can help my mental village, cuz it's seriously slummin/
it's ah-back-to-life and ah-back-to-reality/
i can deal with lyrical or empirical but not spiritual fallacies/
back-to-life means back to the issues/that i must flip thru/
topics that i'll diss too/rip thru like tissue/
only thru God's Lips too/don't think the Word'll miss you/
it ain't sparin nothin'/let the Sword slice up the rumours and sweet nothins/
the tolerance of sin and compromise/are we and the world to homogenize?/
Put the flesh to death/ the Spirit's fresh n' def/
the pamphlet's here til november, just tell wyclef./

It's Pamphlet Time!

2005-10-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

The Mock Epic Continued

The rain drops fell heavily against my windshield, and the wipers complained loudly.
"This wouldn't have happened if we moved in with my parents!" screeched the right one.
"Hey, shut up you old bag," snapped lefty. "I shoulda taken that football scholarship..."
"Bow-wow-wow," went Old Yeller. My knuckles whitened against the steering wheel, as the potatoes in the back conspired.

"I say while he's returning the bird, we hotwire the car and go down to Mexico," said the Joe Pesci-looking one.
"We won't get past immigration," growled the Darth Tater. "We need a better plan. Hey, are you all listening? Martha, stop ogling Herman."
"I'm not ogling Herman; I mean, he's the one who's clearly hooked on me." Herman chortled.
"Chuh. Lady, don't flatter yourself."
"People!" the Darth Tater was clearly flustered. "Focus....please....."

***

"I'm cold," said the turkey. I glared at him.
"You're frozen."
"I know." We sat together in uncomfortable silence.

***

I hopped out of the car and hoisted up Mr. Turkey.

"You're making a mistake! We coulda been something together!" The rain was moving horizontal, and the winds screamed for attention. A cashier was on break outside, his cigarette defiant against the rain. The smoke burned my eyes.

"Just the two of us. You like thigh man? C'maaahn. Or are you a breast man? Heck, I'll even let you sacrifice me to your ancestors! You asian people would like that eh?"
"Shut up!" I snarled savagely, sickened by his persistence and sectarianism. We drew closer to the thick metal doors.

Splish, splash. The rain puddles flew up around my sneakers. Splish, splash. I walked a little faster. The cashier's mouth puffed with smoke. Splish, splash. A young boy tugged at his mother's purse. Splish, splash. "10:17", my watch announced wickedly. I did not see the banana peel.

***

Falling, falling, it felt like forever. As my face neared the unforgiving pavement, my fingers slipped. Flying, flying, out flew Mr. Turkey, landing conveniently in front my visage. Splat! It was dark and gooey. I silently thanked the Lord it wasn't a Butterball and slowly looked up.

"Dude, are you ok man?" the slack-jawed cashier flicked away his cigarette and ambled towards my down-trodden figure.
"Yeah, yeah...I'm ok." I quickled wiped the remains of the splattered turkey off my face, and removed the bones that found their way up my nostrils. I stared at the mangled gobbler sadly. Mr. Turkey threw his own body in harm's way to prevent me from going prematurely senile. The Darth Tater hopped over to me.

"He had the last laugh."
"Huh?"
"You kissed his tushy. Literally." I bent over and pretended to fart, but sat on Darth instead. It was the first time I had mashed potatoes around my buttocks, and it was a feeling that I hope will never be replicated again. As I sat there in the middle of the Galati's parking lot, I received alot of honking (of the horn variety). But I didn't care. I just lost me a turkey, and uncooked potatoes were staining my rear end.

Regardless of intent, I salute you Mr. Turkey, as I have finally realized why we eat turkey at Thanksgiving.

Peace-u-a-town! Happy Thanksgiving y'all.

2005-10-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Mock Epic

The rain was drizzling when I fired up Ol' Yeller (my 1996 champagne-coloured Corolla). The first task was to get my hair cut, and the second was to get a turkey and a sack of 'tatoes. A blast of cold air greeted me as I entered through the automatic doors of Galati's. I strolled over to the butcher like I was Don Juan and picked up a 10 kg turkey and a sack of taters.

I stuck 'em in the rear end of Ol' Yeller and raced home (and when I say race, I really mean drove at 30 km/h). Pulling up into my driveway, I threw my head against the horn. "Arf, Arf", went Ol' Yeller. Bought the wrong turkey.

"Should I keep it...or go back and return it?" I asked myself. Yeller whined.
"Don't listen to the dog," gobbled the turkey. "This way, we can be together. FOREVER!"
"What do you think, tates?"
"Considering we're inanimate objects, we think you're a duncecap deserving of a foot smeared with guacamole up the rectum," chimed the chorus of potatoes.

I gritted my teeth. This was proving harder than I'd imagined.

"Alright boys, you have me convinced. Let's go back to the grocery store and get that gaucamole. And as for you," I pointed to the turkey, "you're going back to where you came from!" I fired up Ol' Yeller and put the pedal to the metal, resulting in another 30 km/h. Unbeknowst to me, Mr. Turkey had some other plans...

2005-10-02T18:52:00.000-07:00

Concerning the Rampant Gay Tendencies Among the Fellas

Alright. Let's affirm the Word of God is true, holy, just, infallible, relevant to our present lives

Let's go!

"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." Leviticus 20:13

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22

"For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." Romans 1:26-27

The Bible makes it pretty clear that the Lord is against homosexuality. This is for my brothas: Why all these gay tendencies? The slapping/grabbing of the buttocks is getting a bit tired, not to mention awkward and downright disturbing. The constant touching and massaging is getting weird now. Would you feel comfortable if our female friends were doing the same right in front of you?

Obviously not. I would feel disturbed. Not to mention, these are our Christian bredrin doing these things. This has to stop! Not for my sake, not for anyone's sake, but for Christ's sake (in a non-swearing manner)!! What kind of testimony is this? When a seeker walks in and sees a bunch of cross-dressing fellas grabbing each other...I'd feel messed if I saw any of that in a secular place, but if I come to a fellowship and witness this activity...............

I know it's already a little late saying this. But this stuff's gotta end.

For those of you believers who feel homosexuality is ok, please refer to the above quotations from the Word of God. But here's another one.

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God." 1 Cor 6:9-10

For those of you who argue that homosexuality is ok, do you believe murder is ok? How bout thugs and thieves? How about corrupt politicians? Notice how they're all grouped together in 1 Corinthians.

"But Jon," you may protest, "I met some gay people who were really REALLY cool, and nice! They were the bestest people I've ever met!" Ok sure. I knew some gay people too; in fact some of my co-workers (back in high school employment) and bosses were the most flamboyant homosexuals out there, and they were very nice to me. Sure, I believe you. But you know what, I knew some potheads and crack smokers too. Have some friends who are thieves. Others are violent bullies. They treat me very nicely. They're verrrrrrry nice to me. So I guess violence and corruption are ok too then.

Notice the dripping sarcasm up there.

I remember when Sam Lee sent out an email urging the bredrin/sistas to stand up and fight same-sex marriage. I was encouraged to see that some people are still Christ's warriors.

***

Fresh off the top/ I ain't the cream of the crop/ But I'm callin' for all cross-dressers to stop/
Ish is for real, let's get back to basic masculinity/
Not femininity/ or we'll have to delve into anonymity/
Tell the Committee!/ there's gotta be some change in the lifestyle/
Let's put them thangs on hold and call a timeout/
Bras were meant for girls, not for the boys/
We know it ain't genetic, and it is by choice/
The silent majority needs a voice/ I'll keep this rollin like royce/
If my name is Jonathan will I change it to Joyce?/
I'm lyrically poised/ to bring some light to this controversy/
Don't give the devil a foothold, even if he is from Jersey/
Whether you're in lifesci, commerce or nursing/
Hear me out while I'm lyrically splurging/
Distinction from the world is what the Lord's called us/
It is a must / to recognize that God is just/
I know we ain't American but it's in Him we trust/
We can change, and through Christ we're victorious/
Cuz we know the story is/ He's our Notorious Glorious!/

***

Sola scriptura.

2005-09-29T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Judging

A couple of the many tactics used by liberals and postmodernists (I'm aware that these two terms are interchangeable) in brainwashing society are turning everything objective to subjective, and everything absolute to relative.

Which sort of leads me to the topic of judging. Liberals and postmodernists (I'm gonna call 'em LP to save space) are always squawking "don't judge! don't judge! don't juuuUuuuUUudgGGee meeeEEeeeeeeEEe!!!" whenever anybody disagrees with their actions or mentality (which, in itself, is a contradiction to their postmodernist lives; morons!). But let's take a closer look at the Word of God, as we delve into this controversial topic.

Before I continue, I would like to affirm that the Bible is the holy, infallible, living Word of God, convicting, absolute, and true in all its ways. Let us proceed.

1. First and foremost, Jesus Christ said not to judge. In its context (of Matt 7), we see that He is talking about those on the OUTSIDE of the church. Too many people have only read verses 1-5 of Chapter 7, which we will repeat here:

"Judge not, that you be not judged....(all the way down to) Hypocrite! First remove the plank form your own eyes, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." HOWEVER, too many people forget verse SIX: "Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

Christ is clearly telling us here not to judge those on the OUTSIDE of the church, for rebukes are holy, and reserved for those in the church, in order that we may retain holiness and help one another in love.

2. Let us look at 1 Corinthians 5. The Corinthian church was plagued with immorality. If we look at history, a large part of the Cornithian social life consisted of public orgies. In Chapter 5 of 1 Corinthians, Paul is sending out a rebuke to a man having sexual relations with his own mother. His own mom. Must I write out the whole chapter? I don't believe I have to, so if you are willing, look it up. 1 Corinthians 5:4:

"In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one (the man committing incest) to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. "

In other words, the Apostle Paul is telling the Corinthian Church to expel the man from church until he realizes his error and repents. Many may think "oh that's so mean that's so mean, jon you're such a jerk", but before you do say that, please read verse 5: "deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus." What's more mean -- letting the man sin and having his can burnt in the depths of hell, or rebuking him so that he may enjoy everlasting life?

I'll let you chew on that for a bit.

Let's return to 1 Corinthians chapter 5. Let us read verse 11:

"But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually imorral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner -- not even to eat with such a person." (emphasis added)

It doesn't get more straight forward than this. Would you allow a practicing pedophile or homosexual to continue serving in the church or in leadership position? Would you allow a murderer, who cares not of his murdering sprees, to serve?

Sin is sin, we all struggle with it. But when one does not even TRY to repent, but rather is "puffed up" (glories) in it (1 Corinthians 5:2), how does this edify the Body of Christ? If anything, this is like E for the Body.

3. Finally, the last two verses of chapter 5 (12 and 13): "For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? BUT THOSE OUTSIDE GOD JUDGES. THEREFORE PUT AWAY FROM YOURSELVES THE EVIL PERSON (emphasis added) . Immorality must be judged.

Before I close, let me just address the fact that the Bible is infallible, and relates to us even to this day.

Let us live holy lives, and help one another in our walk.

2005-09-22T15:17:00.000-07:00

Inspired by the Word of God and a couple friends, I have decided to re-enter the blogging world, my intent being to expose the evils that plague our very own Christian circles. Centuries ago (before there was internet; gasp!), philosophers and theorists would circulate their ideas through pamphlets. Renowned political scientists such as Hobbes, Locke and Descartes. I am no philosopher. I don't have an MDiv or a PhD. Heck, I'm barely in the middle of my undergraduate degree. But I am a young Christian adult. And I read the Bible. And I'm concerned with the fact that the young-Christian-adult circle seems to disregard its truths. Which equals to stumbling blocks.

It seems that there are few credible leaders to look up to, in terms of the age bracket of 17-24. Life is lived out in hedonistic fashion, as the Word of God is discarded as ancient mumbo jumbo that doesn't apply to our postmodernist lives. We do whatever we feel like nowadays, we interpret Scripture based on our own standards, and if someone gives a differing opinion, we're quick to (mis)quote Matthew 7 (I'll expose the folly that many have encountered with that chapter in a later segment).

Let us remember Christ is also known as the Lion of Judah (Re 5:5). Do we fear God? Then why are we living a life that states the contrary? Have we not separated from this world? Then why does our lifestyle reflect that of the world? Do we love Him? So why aren't we obeying His commands? This is a call for holiness. A call for a new reformation. For spiritual maturity.

Relax. I'm not a prude or anything. My intention is just to bring to light certain hot topics that many of us struggle with. Hot button issues like same-sex marriage, abortion, discrepancies, the occult, effective evangelism and personal testimonies, to name a few. And I hope to do this in as entertaining a fashion as possible (for the ultimate wit-generator, please refer to pulpiteering).

So come along, and let's start this marathon together.