Something So Precious

It's been slightly over a year since I taught through "Reason for God" by Tim Keller.

I had the privilege (a true privilege) of teaching through the chapter on Suffering. It not only corrected some misplaced notions I had on suffering, but it also gave me tremendous hope, comfort and joy as I reflected on the difficult periods of my life.

Here's one of my favorite quotes...quoting Dostoevsky in Brothers Karamazov:

“I believe like a child that suffering will be healed and made up for, that all the humiliating absurdity of human contradictions will vanish like a pitiful mirage, like the despicable fabrication of the impotent and infinitely small Euclidean mind of man, that in the world’s finale, at the moment of eternal harmony, something so precious will come to pass that it will suffice for all hearts, for the comforting of all resentments, of the atonement of all the crimes of humanity, of all the blood that they’ve shed; and it will make it not only possible to forgive but to justify what has happened.”

Looking for a New Church

In a few weeks I'll be headed off to the University of Michigan for business school. One of my top priorities will be to find a church.

There are lots of characteristics to look for in choosing a church - and lots of lists written by people much smarter than I am, so I won't try to come up with an authoritative list.

But it is good to reflect on the first time I had to choose a church - freshman year at Penn. Here are three reasons, (and three non-reasons) I chose the fellowship (ECF) / church I attended in college:

1) Strong Leadership - the church had fantastic pastors, fellowship leaders and small group leaders. There were plenty of guys I could look up to and many that would end up discipling me.

2) Faithful Preaching and Teaching of the Word - Pastor Paul is an outstanding preacher. I was incredibly blessed (and spoiled) to hear him preach every Sunday.

3) Love for Philadelphia - Through Quo Vadis / Teen Vision I was able to join our church in pursuit of loving the people of Philadelphia, especially the local youth. Renewal continues to have a dedicated community ministry.

Bonus: Non-Reasons

1) The 'People' - I actually felt quite lonely when I first joined the fellowship. Almost all my other friends chose different churches/fellowships. I realized I didn't really fit in with my fellowship - I wasn't into video games, online shopping, or studying like the guys in my year ('04). I was into girls and dating. Most of the '04 guys didn't date throughout college. Anyway, sometime mid-sophomore year I started becoming closer friends with the other guys. But it was lonely at first.

2) Race - I went to a predominately Korean church. Though its not uncommon for Chinese people to attend Korean churches, it IS a very different experience. There was speaking in tongues, morning prayer, praying out loud (loudly), praying non-stop for hours, etc. People spoke in Korean a lot and made Korean jokes that I never understood. I was out of place, but God placed me there anyway.

3) Girls - No offense to the girls at the church at the time I was choosing churches, but one of the reasons I chose ECF was because I was fairly confident none of the girls attending would be a distration. Let's leave it at that haha. I knew my inclinations and weaknesses and I wanted my fellowship to be a place where I could focus on the right things and serve with the right motives.

That's it for now. Read an old book.

Shalom.

Access Partners

http://www.access1040.com/


Access Partners develops businesses
that facilitate church planting
in locations least reached by the gospel.

The Need

One of the greatest needs in the cause of world missions is access to the gospel. As the apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed?” And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

For centuries people have been traveling as missionaries to share the gospel with those who have never heard it. But in places where worldviews, cultures, and governments are hostile to Christianity, access to this message is increasingly limited. In other words, millions of people in the world have little chance to hear the gospel preached. In the past, Christians have been able to enter restricted access countries as students and humanitarian workers. However, as governments continue to crack down on mission work, it has become more difficult to obtain or even retain these visas.

The Response

One solution to this obstacle is the creation of viable, for-profit businesses that both contribute to a country’s economy and provide sustainability and credibility for those wishing to advance the gospel in that country. Why? Credible business has proven to be an avenue on which even closed countries are willing to let foreigners through. To those ends, Access Partners seeks to create businesses that facilitate healthy church planting among the least reached. To be sure, we’re not talking about creating fake businesses or businesses that only serve the purpose of making money. We’re talking about real businesses that directly allow church planters to form relationships with people who have never heard the gospel. To facilitate this work, Access Partners works together with missions organizations to start up and optimize businesses, enabling church planters to reach otherwise inaccessible locations and communities.

New Ferrari

New Ferrari here. (Top Gear)

And here. (NYT)

This is the only reason to desire to sell one's soul.

Without the Gospel Everything is Useless and Vain

John Calvin wrote for Pierre Robert Olivétan’s French translation of the New Testament in 1534. Calvin wrote:

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune. For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation [life] is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation [verbal abuse], abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death. This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.

Still Alive II

St. Peter's
Vatican.

Inside the Blue Grotto in Capri

More Capri. Took a boat around the whole island.
Took a boat around Corfu. This was a memorable little island.

Acropolis in Athens.


Just wanted to post pics for now. Ciao.

Still Alive

Airport in Germany is uber clean.


Budapest.



Vienna. I think.
Munich.
Venice.



Roma