I'm sorry guys, I'm still extremely tired coming back to Korea. I barely made it through work today, and I'm just falling asleep when I get back home. Hopefully once the weekend comes I can really relax and get my strength back. I need a vacation after such a tiring vacation^_^
I'll try to write an update on Japan when I feel better, in the mean time, here's some more pictures that will hopefully suffice for now while I recover.
So randomly I'm going to Japan on Saturday. I'll be flying into Osaka on Saturday morning, then with two other guys, I'll be taking a bus to Kyoto. I'm coming back to Korea on Tuesday. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures. I'll write about my trip soon:)
I just finished listening to some sermons from Tim Keller (thanks to Philip Carhart for sending them to me), and I only listened to 2 of an 11 part series so far, but they've been very solid so far, and very engaging and practical. They also I think tie in very nicely to the last topic on comfort I wrote about, and they give is some backbone and support.
Keller starts his series off with 1 Corinthians 13. The love passage:) He mentioned how many people often use this passage at their weddings, and they think it's very tender and nice. But in the context that Paul was writing this passage, we get anything but warm tender feelings, instead, we are shaken and convicted. The Corinthian church at this time was full of many successful people who had a lot of accomplishments. But they were always bickering with each other, and they were not acting at all out of love. And through out the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul is trying to remind the church of Jesus, and how humbling the cross should be for them. Let's look at chapter 13 here:
1If I speak in the tongues[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,[b] but have not love, I gain nothing. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
In verses 1-3, we see a humbling series of situations. We see that people can do seemingly great things, but because of the absense of love, they are meaningless. I think these verses remind me a lot of the book of Ecclesiastes.
Then in verses 4-7, we see the characteristics of what love looks like. Here is the part where Keller's message really blew me away. He showed that how in most English translations, all of these characteristics of love are translated as "adjectives." While in the original text, they are "verbs." And Paul is specifically writing them as verbs because he means to "personify" love. And Keller says he does this for both a general and specific reason. The general reason is so that we realize that love is a living and active power. It's not just a set of guidelines that we can try to apply to our lives, but instead, love must come into our lives and breath life into us. In a specific way, how can this love come into our lives. Well this love is really Jesus. Jesus personifies all of these principles perfectly. Spurgeon said that on the cross Jesus perfectly lived out all of these aspects of love, while the people crucifying him were the complete opposite, and yet he stayed.
So if you want, you can go back and read the passage again, but this time replace all of the words of "love" with "Jesus," and we get an idea of how we can attain this kind of love. This passage must not be merely looked at as a guide for our behavoir. If we look at it that way, it will only lead us to feelings of defeat, or on the flipside, selfishness and pride (a.k.a. religion). But, if we see this as a love that we don't have to do first, but was done to and for you first; and we see that Jesus pours himself into us (this is all pretty much direct quotes from Keller now), then this changes the whole dynamic.
Now this relates to my topic of comfort in that we see that without Jesus and love, the idea of living in uncomfortable circumstances is utterly useless. Verses 1-3 cover the whole spectrum of sacrifice. People could give their whole lives to a cause, they could give all their money to the poor, they could even die for a cause, but without Jesus, it gets them nothing.
So let us always remember the source and the reason for why we choose to live radical lives. We choose to live radical lives not so that we can somehow build up our sense of pride, or feel like only after we do these things that Christ will love us. No, we do them as a reaction to Christ's love that was first poured out for us. We love because he first loved us. We are incapable of this kind of love apart from Jesus. So let us always check our heart motives for everything we do. Are we doing things out of a sense of pride or are we doing them out of love for Jesus, knowing that he is the source of all good things; and that without Jesus, we can do nothing and we gain nothing.
This passage and sermon was really convicting for me as I look at my own motives for what I do. So often, pride and selfishness gets in the way of true service. I think as sinners, we'll never be able to completely, perfectly humble ourselves in service to God, but through prayer and Christ's strength, we must strive to honor and serve Christ according to the grace he has given us!
So I've been thinking about a lot of different topics recently, and I just thought I'd throw some of my thoughts out there. These thoughts are not edited, published, or clear in any way, they're still in the brainstew phase, so as I right, I'm thinking them through still; so please don't judge them too harshly. At the same time, any input you have on any of the topics would be most appreciated.
Topic 1: Comfort So this idea of comfort I've never really seen as a "temptation" or a bad thing in any way. It's nice to be comfortable. Everyone seems to be striving after it, and I don't see any blatent sin in comfort. I don't see "thou shalt not be comfortable." And yet, in the past year, I've been bombarded by messages, sermons, people, and ideas who are warning against the dangers of comfort. And I guess what it boils down to is that like many good things, comfort can easily become an "idol." And like most of Satan's plans, comfort is a deceptive, and below-the-radar temptation.
I'd say John Piper, more than anyone else, has been hammering home this idea of comfort trumping radical Christian living, particularly in wealthier countries. Paul's life alone I think shows that comfort is not the ideal that Christians should strive for. Most people today would feel cursed if their car didn't start in the morning. And yet, for Paul, it was not unusual for him to be beaten, whipped, stoned and threatened almost daily. I heard a sermon that effectively chronicled all of Paul's sufferings for the sake of Christ, and the question came up, is there anything keeping me from striving after this same kind of devotion to Christ? And comfort was the big stumbling block.
I think in more wealthy nations, people don't struggle with persecution, poverty, or overt Satanic activity, but instead, we deal with the shackles that come with wealth and riches. And the Bible constantly refers to the accumulation of wealth as a curse! If this is the case, why is comfort and wealth a curse? I don't want to judge anyone's motives for leading a comfortable life, and if your life is comfortable, I in no way want to suggest that it is the result of sin. I merely want to open people to the idea that comfort is often a huge hinderence in effectively serving Christ.
One major cause that John Piper brought up as the cause for a comfortable lifestyle is the idea that people don't think that they can be effective servants for the Kingdom of God. They feel like they haved sinned too greatly, or somehow have ruined their witness, and as a result, instead of striving after a Paul lifestyle that considers everything rubish in comparison to Christ, people settle for a comfortable life because they think that's the best they can do. Like C.S. Lewis said, we are too easily satisfied. We settle for the joy of TV, houses, money, and ease, effectively the McDonalds of life, while we give up the joy that comes from walking totally with Christ, effectively the Steak of life.
In John 21, Jesus asks Peter 3 times, "Do you love me?" And after Peter understands why Jesus goes on to ask this question 3 times, Jesus then tells him, "I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"'
Jesus tells Peter here that he would be crucified for the sake of Christ. The cost of discipleship is not wealth and prosperity, and Jesus calls us to follow him even unto death. We are called to glorify God with our lives, and even in our death. And my question is, does the comfortable life really match up with Jesus' plan and desire for Peter's life in this passage. Do we really love Jesus? In this passage Peter was comfronted with the guilt of his rejection of Christ. But Christ forgives Peter here, and says, Follow me! It's not about our worthiness that makes us effective servants. Peter is even poked fun at earlier when Jesus calls him the "rock" of the church. Basically saying, if Peter, a man who has shown time and time again that he can not do things on his own strength, can be such an instrumental tool in spreading the gospel, then everyone can be used.
John Piper's big plea, and he even has a conference named after this, is DON'T WASTE YOUR LIFE! Jesus is greater than all of our best efforts will ever be. Just look at the feeding of the 5000. It was not people's efforts that made this wonderful miracle possible, but Jesus' grace. In the same way, Jesus can, does, and will use all Christians even though we often feel weak and unworthy.
And also, to take from Piper, I want to be a "Christian Hedonist." I want to MAXIMIZE MY PLEASURE IN GOD! I'm all about pleasure. I want my joy to be complete, and the comfortable life can't offer me that. Only a life a sacrifice, devotion, and total satisfaction in Christ will bring me that joy.
So what does this mean for us? I'm not sure what it may me for you. I don't think this means we should all give up everything and go be missionaries. Most people are called to be senders, only a few are the ones who go. But I'm sure we can all do things to change the way we live. For me personally, I still don't know where my life is headed. I don't have a set career path in mind yet, but you better believe that this philosophy and conviction is the fuel behind my search. Whatever I do in life, I want to be fueled by the same desire that Paul had. I want my life to count for Christ! I don't want to waste my life. I want every action I take to be guided by the desire to see God glorified and Christ magnified!
In the end, we're all unworthy servants. Nothing we can ever do will add to the work of Jesus. Jesus must get all of the glory! But my question is, how will we respond to the wonderful work of Christ? Christ is our righteousness. When we stand before God, we will have nothing to present to Him except Christ. In light of this wonderful grace, what is Christ worth to you?
That went longer than I expected...
Here are some videos that John Piper presents that deal with this topic:
Topic 2: Hell This is something I personally don't like talking about. Hell scares me. No lying about that. It's been something that has terrified me from a very young age. Before I was even sure if I believed in God, I believed in hell. Now as I've matured as a Christian, I have become more secure in my hope in Christ, and more recently, I've heard many pastors discuss the issue of salvation and hell in a new, refreshing light that I never thought of before.
Number 1: God gives condemned people what they want. People like Mark Driscoll, Bryan Chapell and others have really opened up this idea to me. People who go to hell are merely getting what they want. People who aren't saved don't want God. And hell is the place where God is completely absent. So people who reject God, and go to hell, are getting what they wanted. The only people who don't get what they want, "originally," is Christians. Everyone wants to sin and turn away from God, and God has to change people's hearts and make them new creations and give them new desires. Anyone who desires God has had a POWERFUL MIRACLE take place. Because left as dead sinners, no one wants God. This is why calvinism is so important, because it recognizes the power God has to save sinners. It takes a miracle for someone to love Jesus; and God is the only one who can change a sinners heart to make that happen!
Here's a good video where Bryan Chapell explains what hell is like:
Topic 3: Female Pastors I don't really have to much to say on this issue. Historically, I've been raised to say that female pastors are unbiblical. Recently, most people I know would say that female deacons are ok, but not elders or pastors. Now I still say that I don't think it's Biblical for a woman to be a pastor. I've heard some very convincing sermons that argue this point. And the whole idea of the man being the head of the home, makes it hard for me to say that a woman could be the pastor of a church. I mean, how could a female pastor's husband still be the spiritual head of his family? There's a slew of other concerns in there, but that's just one example that I think of.
But my pastor, whom I respect greatly, and most of the time, agree with, gave a sermon which advocated female pastors. He used 1 Timothy 2 as his scripture reference, where it clearly states, "A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent." Now my pastor did say that women should not be the head or lead pastor. He thinks that that position is only reserved for men. But he does believe that scripture cites many examples of women in leadership positions in the church, and goes on to use this passage to advocate for female pastors. What are people's thoughts on these issues? I can't say that I know biblical history well enough, or that I'm smarter than my pastor to say that he's wrong? Does anyone know any good books? Or other specific passages that would argue one way or the other? It's not a huge issue for me, but just something I thought about recently.
Well there you go, there's some topics to stew on for a while. Again any feedback is more than welcome, and I hope I didn't offend anyone in a way that was unbiblical.
Lastly, on the light side, here's a video of me sledding in the mountains of South Korea, and not being very successful at it:)
Since Christmas day, I've had vacation, and it's been very good^_^
On Christmas Eve, a friend from Dunamis invited me to his home for dinner. His wife made a lot of traditional Korean food, and it was very good. He invited a bunch of foreigners over to his for Christmas Eve because he wanted foreigners to have a home to be in for the holiday, and it was really very nice of them. We also had a white elephant exchange, and I ended up getting a gospel CD, which I think was one of the better gifts:)
Then on Christmas day, I met my best friend Angela for lunch and we exchanged some Christmas gifts. Then I went to a joint English church service, where all the English ministries in Seoul came together for a Christmas service. It was really nice. Then, I went caroling with some people from my church. We went to a really poor area in Seoul where they still live in shacks, and we handed out gifts and Bible to them, and sang Christmas carols. It was such a blessed time for me. I felt God working in what we were doing there, and it was real eye-opening experience for me, that even in Seoul, some people live in very desperate situations.
Then the next day, I went to a national museum with my friend Hyunsuk. He taught me a lot about Korean history, and I took many pictures, but unfortunately, I LOST MY CAMERA!! That happened later. But I don't have any pictures from the museum as a result:(
That night, I went to a Jimjilbang, which is basically a Sauna and Spa. I also took pictures there of the common room, where everyone meets and just relaxes on message chairs and takes naps. I don't have those pictures anymore either:(
Then this past Monday, I went to Lotte World. It was a lot of fun! It's one of the big amusement parks in Korea. Half of the park is indoors, and the other half is outside. The rides were a lot of fun, even though it was a bit chilly for the outdoor rides:)
Another friend from Dunamis has started a book cafe near Soongsil University where I volunteer. I spent a lot of time at that cafe this week just reading and hanging out. The man who runs it, his English name is Zorba, and he's a really nice, cool guy!
Then I also went on a 3 day trip to a place in the mountains of Korea called 둔내
I went with one of the fellow teachers at Dunamis, and we stayed in a log cabin in the mountains. There was snow there, and it was a really peaceful, relaxing time. Neither of us could really speak much Korean, so it was a challenge getting by in the country-side where no one speaks English. But we did "ok." It was on the bus ride up to the mountain that I lost my camera. I must have left it on the bus. I guess I'll never grow out of my forgetfulness. But the guy I went with, he had just bought a new camera, so he offered to give me his old one for free. I paid him a bit for it though, because his camera was an upgrade from my old one. It was very kind of him. So now I have a camera again:)
The time in the mountains was good to grow closer to God, have some good fellowship, and just relax and read.
It has been a great vacation. Now I have to go back to work...
