The Gospel According to Yeeks

I turned 27 today. It is a great thing to be born. It is even greater to be born again.

"The time in jail was quite crucial. Of course, suffering embitters some people, but it ennobles others. Prison became a crucible that burned away the dross. People could never say to him: "You talk glibly of forgiveness. You haven't suffered. What do you know?" Twenty-seven years gave him the authority to say, let us try to forgive." - Desmond Tutu on Nelson Mandela http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/06/desmond-tutu-nelson-mandela

Henry Venn wrote this letter to his friend Jonathan Scott in 1765 upon learning that his friend had become a Christian: http://www.cslewisinstitute.org/webfm_send/589

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.

I really enjoy these animation videos. The central theme of the Book of John lies in John 20:31 - " but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." and the various "I AM" sayings found throughout the book. And I think this video has brought out those two themes nicely :)  

By and large we have no problems attaining a certain amount of cultural quotience  in our 21st century context. For example, we know that football is the number one sport in Brazil, whereas in the South Asia nations (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh) it is cricket. We know that Taiwan is using traditional Chinese writing, whereas China uses the simplified. We know that American English is different from English as we know it. And we know that even within the UK, they speak English rather differently depending on where you are. We know that the Middle East's greatest export is oil, and China is a manufacturing behemoth, and many similar things. These are cultural things we can observe about different places.  But unless we are avid historians, we wouldn't know much about Philippi, Ephesus, Galatia, Thessalonica, and many of these places where Paul writes to. Certainly not in the same way we know football obsessed-Brazil, cricket-loving India, and the d...

Coursera is certainly one of the more interesting things that has happened to the Internet. These particular courses could intrigue Christians: The Fall and Rise of Jerusalem https://www.coursera.org/course/jerusalem Calvin - Histoire et réception d'une Réforme https://www.coursera.org/course/calvin

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes that it may bear more fruit. John 15:1-2

There are days when Scripture is especially difficult to read because it points out explicitly all your failures in every single way. Today is one such day.

A follow up to the previous Homework done for the Singapore Expository Preaching Course. I recorded my  preaching presentation so that I could send it to my family members.  The transcript of the sermon (I didn't follow it word for word) and the sermon audio file is here. Transcript: Link Audio file: Link

Singapore Expository Preaching Course homework

God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) "I am" in the gospel of John 1. Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am he.” (The Messiah) - John 4:26 2. Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. - John 6:35 3. Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - John 8:12 4. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” - John 8:58 5. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. - John 10:7 6. "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture." - John 10:10 7. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. - John 10:11 8. Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live...

The Lord's word to Moses when he spoke to him from the burning bush: "Then the Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites." (Exodus 3:7-8) And further on in Exodus 29:  " They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God. " (Exodus 29:46) --- God's judgment on Israel's Idolatry in Hosea: "When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. And the Lord said, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God. ” (Hosea 1:8-9...

"I do a lot of work for seminary students. I like seminary students. They seem so blissfully unaware of the inherent contradiction in paying somebody to help them cheat in courses that are largely about walking in the light of God and providing an ethical model for others to follow. I have been commissioned to write many a passionate condemnation of America's moral decay as exemplified by abortion, gay marriage, or the teaching of evolution. All in all, we may presume that clerical authorities see these as a greater threat than the plagiarism committed by the future frocked." http://m.chronicle.com/article/The-Shadow-Scholar/125329

This poem by General Douglas MacArthur was shared to me TWICE this week by two very different people. One as I was pouring through one of my friend's dad's book in which he quotes this and another by a friend who shared this in our small group email thread. I suppose this is God's way of telling me that He really wants me to hear this. And maybe to grow up: Build me a son, O Lord, who will be strong enough to know when he is weak, and brave enough to face himself when he is afraid; one who will be proud and unbending in honest defeat, and humble and gentle in victory. Build me a son whose wishbone will not be where his backbone should be; a son who will know Thee and that to know himself is the foundation stone of knowledge. Lead him, I pray, not in the path of ease and comfort, but under the stress and spur of difficulties and challenge. Here let him learn to stand up in the storm; here let him learn compassion for those who fail. Build me a son whose heart will be...

I love this vide - the beautifully crafted poem, the convicting delivery of it and the music. And also because the gifts that have been given were truly used to serve the Body.

Sharing a link to what seems like a pretty awesome blog: http://deadpastorssociety.wordpress.com/

I felt compelled to blog down new insights gained into this passage. It happened in one of the classrooms of the very beautiful St. George's Church, and it was right there in the late evening that I think this passage came  alive with such clarity for the first time. The text is separated into three paragraphs in the ESV. I'll try to explain the significance of the text in four sections separately: And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea. Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “ My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live .” And he went with him. The first part can be explained as the  "The Request Made In Faith" . At this point in Mark's gospel, Jesus' fame was spreading everywhere. News of him had bee...

Jesus Has Authority over Creation and He wants us to have faith in Him A Gobbet on Mark 4:35-41 I believe that this passage is written to demonstrate for us the authority that Jesus has over creation. In Mark, early on, he tells us why he is writing this book, Mark 1:1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Up until this point we have already seen, amongst other things: ·          Jesus is the Son of God, through the voice of God after the baptism ·          Jesus’ authority to forgive sins ·          Jesus’ ability to heal diseases ·          Jesus’ authority over demons ·          Jesus’ authority over the Sabbath Here I believe, Mark is about to show us another facet of Jesus and tell construct for us who Jesus is. In some sense, the pas...

The widely reported Miley Cyrus performance at the VMA awards show has been heavily commented on. There are many things that can be said. I saw one of my friends did a cover in the aftermath of the show. Listening to the lyrics (in a less cringeworthy setting), I couldn't help but notice these lines. To my home girls here with the big butt Shaking it like we at a strip club Remember only God can judge ya Forget the haters cause somebody loves ya It is actually right there in the song. I'm not making it up.

Where is your church’s X? Convicting stuff from Ray Ortlund once again.

Been asked to write something short for my church's newsletter. I busted the word limit. But this is more or less what I hope to dwell on: UNITY – THE BY-PRODUCT OF FLESH-KILLING Recently I have just finished reading “To Kill a Mockingbird”, the 1961 Pulitzer Prize winner written by Harper Lee. Set in the fictional racially-divided Southern town of Maycomb, one particular episode makes for very sad reading. One of the characters in the story, a black woman named Calpurnia was chastised for bringing white children to her black church. “You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here – they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church, ain’t it, Miss Cal?” Racial tensions aside, why does this happen? One of the best sermons I have ever heard on the topic of unity in the church, preached by Greg Gilbert, affords this answer – “Unity exists when Self-Regard dies, and Self-Regard dies at the foot of the Cross”.  It makes it very clear to me that each of us carry with...

Christian rapper Shai Linne released an extremely brilliant song this year called, Fal$e Teacher$ and explictly names the culprits involved in spreading a false gospel of Christ. This has triggered a response from one of them named, Paula White and the response is truly a lesson in how to respond graciously. The link is available here: http://wadeoradio.com/shai-linne-responds-to-paula-white-ministries-open-letter/ The song can be listened here: LYRICS (taken from the info section in the video): One two one two, Yoh! Special dedication to my brothers and sisters on the great continent of Africa To Saints in Malawi, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe. Don't be deceived by what America is sending y'all man, yeh? Let me begin, while there is still ink left in my pen, I am set to contend for Truth you can bet will offend, Deception within the church man, who's letting them in? We talked about this years ago, let's address it again. (Yeh) And I ain'...

Perhaps something to attempt in the future.

A Prayer for Finishing Well

This is an expansion of a previous post - "The Heinous Crime at the Temple" In this passage in Luke, we are able to examine through the types of offerings offered by the family, what is the socioeconomic status of Christ's family (emphases mine): "And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “ a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. ”  (Luke 2:22-24) Jesus not only showed care and concern for the poor, but became one of them. We ought to share the same concern for the less fortunate.

A recent reading of the accounts of "Jesus cleansing of the temple" brought some new insights with details that I have never observed before.  In fact, looking at the picture above, I have come to realize the artist (Carl Bloch) who drew the above had noticed the aforementioned details and had been very careful in producing his painting. I will attempt to illumine with what has been shown to me. The accounts given to us in Matthew and Mark ( emphases mine ): And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons . He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” (Matthew 21: 12-13) "And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats o...

"But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells."

"Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us" (Romans 8:34) Intercession in Zechariah 3  Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by. And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, ...

The Bible of the Sacred Self Sums it all up really.

17 Though the fig tree should not blossom,     nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail     and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold     and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;     I will take joy in the God of my salvation. 19 God, the Lord, is my strength;     he makes my feet like the deer's;     he makes me tread on my high places. Habakkuk 3:17-19

Google's doodle has very kindly informed us that today would have been Rembrandt's Birthday.  While checking out his Wikipedia entry , I found this rather stunning: A letter published in 2004 by Margaret S. Livingstone and Bevil R. Conway, of Harvard Medical School, suggests that Rembrandt's eyes failed to align correctly, and that consequently he suffered from stereo blindness. This conclusion was made after studying 36 of Rembrandt's self-portraits. Because he could not achieve normal binocular vision, his brain automatically switched to one eye for many visual tasks. This disability could have helped him to flatten images he saw, and then put it onto the two-dimensional canvas. Livingstone theorized that this was an advantage for the painter: "Art teachers often instruct students to close one eye in order to flatten what they see. Therefore, stereo blindness might not be a handicap—and might even be an asset—for some artists." Rembrandt has a...

“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,     “when I will send a famine on the land— not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,     but of hearing the words of the Lord.  They shall wander from sea to sea,     and from north to east; they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,     but they shall not find it. Amos 8:11-12

"A difficult decision now faced me. I can to this day recall the strain and stress of it. I needed to put certain things out of my life. I needed to put God first. But what would my friends say? Would they not scoff at me? Here, I do not hesitate to say, was the crucial moment in life. It was a time of agony and of decision. The issues of that decision-time were of eternal importance. The pull of the world and of worldly people was very strong. I think as I look back now that this was the most crucial hour in my life. Whom would I serve: God or Mammon? Which course would I take: to heaven or to hell? Those who have experienced a Christian conversion know the struggle which I refer to. I was eighteen at the time and I had no knowledge of how others before me had gone through the same critical experience. The heart is pulled in two opposite directions. The emotions are placed under strain. Tears, fears and uncertainties all tear at the soul of one who is under conviction of s...

A familiar passage spoke to me in with a strong sense of freshness this week. I thought it would be wise to document this down so that I may refer to this again one day. ---- And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Matthew 19: 16-22 When the ...

“Who gets to define what truth is? Is it Plato? Is it Nietzsche? Or, is it Christ? You must decide.”  Cornelius Van Til

"This is sin's trade. It is constantly raising up in the heart and proposing to the mind and affections that which is evil. It is trying out as it were, whether the soul would accept its suggestions, or how far it can take them, if it does not wholly prevail."  - John Owen, Indwelling Sin in Believers

We sung this song during the YA Retreat. I love the very contemplative mood that it creates. Praise God for a beautiful melody and even more beautiful words.

I was given the opportunity to speak at my church's Young Adults Retreat on the topic of idolatry. A transcript of the sermon is posted below. It is based on 1 Samuel 23. The Problem with Jesus + Idols A sermon on 1 Samuel 23 To be delivered on 5 th July 2013, Grace Baptist Church Young Adults Retreat This story of Saul and David may be familiar to some of you. The context of today’s passage lies in the awkward “in-between” reign of Saul, the current king and David, the king-elect. We enjoy this passage a lot because a lot of things about David fascinate us. For example, in 1 Samuel 16 we read about how the prophet Samuel went to the house of Jesse to look for the king-elect after Saul’s kingdom had been rejected because he disobeyed God and one by one, David’s brothers passed by but God said “No, not this one.” until David, the youngest one was brought back from the fields where he had been shepherding and God said to Samuel, “ Arise, anoint him, this is he. ” Then ...

I will give them a heart to know that I am the LORD, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart. (Jeremiah 24:7)

It is worth remembering that it is right in this city that God said to Paul: And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. ” (Acts 18:9-10) May we never forget who the gospel is for. May we never forget from where did we come from.

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17:16-21) (1) Christianity is meaningless to a person if it is classified as simply another school of thought, like the Epicureans or...

The Church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heav'n He came and sought her To be His holy Bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth; her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued. Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace forevermore; till, with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee. See also: An Exposition of Genesis 2:24

"So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day." (2 Kings 17:41) Full context ( Click here ) Lord, please purge us off our syncretistic worship towards you. Cleanse and purify us and have mercy on us.  May we serve you and you alone.

若是有你佇我的生命，我就永遠不驚惶 風雨那呢大 曠野這呢闊 有你同在無搖泏 若是有你佇我的生命 我就永遠不孤單 有你相作伴 與你逗陣行 充滿溫暖不畏寒 海水會乾石頭會爛 你的愛疼無變換 甘願為我受盡拖磨 將我當作你心肝 海水會乾石頭會爛 你的愛疼無變換 恩情這大怎樣感謝 一生與主連相倚

Got to know of this book thanks to a course at BGST. An amazing use of history and archaeology to illumine the text.

Using the backdrop of a Dane King, Alfred, inquiring from Mary on whether he will the win the war, G.K.Chesterton describes the Christian life, and rebuts against the astrology of the pagans. The gates of heaven are lightly locked, We do not guard our gold, Men may uproot where worlds begin, Or read the name of the nameless sin; But if he fail or if he win To no good man is told. The men of the East may spell the stars, And times and triumphs mark, But the men signed of the cross of Christ Go gaily in the dark. . . The wise men know what wicked things Are written on the sky, They trim sad lamps, they touch sad strings, Hearing the heavy purple wings, Where the forgotten seraph kings Still plot how God shall die. . . But you and all the kind of Christ Are ignorant and brave, And you have wars you hardly win And souls you hardly save. I tell you naught for your comfort, Yea, naught for your desire, Save that the sky grows darker yet And the sea rise...

"Lady, by one light only We look from Alfred's eyes, We know he saw athwart the wreck The sign that hangs about your neck Where One more than Melchizedek Is dead and never dies. Therefore I bring these rhymes to you, Who brought the cross to me, Since on you flaming without flaw I saw the sign that Guthrum saw When he let break his ships of awe, And laid peace upon the sea."

An Exposition of Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Lots can be said about this wonderful verse. In it, we see the actions of God who created the wonderful gift of marriage. Thanks to God, we humans are capable of creating many things but to conceive of something as powerful as marriage is probably beyond us. Through His creative works, God has demonstrated his goodness and awesomeness. But if we stop there then we will never perceive God’s full goodness and awesomeness.  God’s goodness and awesomeness is not restricted only to His creative works. This verse is ultimately a command, and like all commands we find in the Bible, the one who never fails at obeying them is Christ alone. In the first part of this verse we see that it is decreed that a man shall leave his father and mother . Of this Christ Jesus did perfectly and in doing so, he demonstrated his condescension to us thoug...

Thus Samson's riddle is most eminently fulfilled, Judges 14:14. "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." And thus the true Samson does more towards the destruction of his enemies at his death than in his life, in yielding up himself to death, he pulls down the temple of Dagon, and destroys many thousands of his enemies, even while they are making themselves sport in his sufferings--and so he whose type was the ark, pulls down Dagon, and breaks off his head and hands in his own temple, even while he is brought in there as Dagon's captive. - Jonathan Edwards, The Excellencies of Christ

All forms of ministry in the end boils down to these four things: (1) To show the sinner that they are far more sinful than they currently think they are (2) To show that God is far more amazing than they currently think He is  (3)  By virtue of (1) and (2) being true, it holds that Christ’s love and sacrifice is far greater than they can currently conceive (4)  The result of (1), (2), and (3) is a state of humbleness, gratitude, repentance and dependence. A state in which God will once again be glorified. And rightly so. 

The word of God, through the Apostle Paul, in the context of a Roman government whose corruption was open to all, whose justice system favored the powerful, whose leaders indulge in power struggles and sexual scandals and collected taxes with blatant extortion: "Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the ...