Babelling out from the centre of the world

New word,

to Babel: verb, meaning to build up one's own Empire and seek self-actualization. To grasp at whatever is necessary to make a name for oneself.

Is it possible to Babel about ministry? I think so. It's so subtle and insidious. Imagine making plans to build up the kingdom of God, to do this and that for God, go here and there for God, while all along God is no where to be found in the whole equation. How difficult that must be to catch.

Perhaps I see that in myself and my zeal to be a missionary. "Missions, the final frontier. These are the voyages of Dennis Oh. His continuing mission to seek out new tribes and languages ... to boldy go where no one has gone before!!"

I am such a nerd.

Am I doing nothing more than grasping at means to become significant in my own eyes and the eyes of others? Am I truly driven by love for God? and how could I know for sure, if the heart is truly deceptive and wicked above all things? The only upshot is that the Apostle Paul is not too concerned with our inferior motives when it comes to preaching the gospel; to him the mission is more important than our lousy reasons for getting there.

but I think I'm entitled to ask, nonetheless.

See, it's all too easy to love the world or the things of the world. It's easy for ministry and missions to fall into that nasty 3rd category: the pride of life. Ministry can become our identity, our price tag that determines our market value in the world. It can become our source of security, status or income.

But where's God? We've displaced Him with the very things of His own kingdom, like worshipping the creation and not the Creator. That's a scary thought.

May Christ Himself be my life mission, the goal, the very point of existence. He's not the thing we settle for or the means to an end. He is the end, just as He was the beginning.

O Christ,
Be the Centre of our lives
Be the place we fix our eyes
Be the Centre of our lives

Theology: the toy everyone has

Theology is ubiquitous. Everyone has one whether they like it or not. It's funny that theology is so often relegated to some anti-spiritual, academic exercise. But even the super-spiritual have a dogma that they will defend with everything they have, just like the scholastics. They may even be more dogmatic than scholars are on certain issues.

What exactly is theology of the academic variety? Well, chiefly, it is a theology rooted in the Bible, such that undocumented and unscriptural phenomena are considered secondary data. Academians also spent inordinate amounts of time and effort hearing one another's views and attempt to trace the development of doctrine down the centuries; they evaluate it in light of the available Biblical data. Seems responsible so far.

Theology of the super-spiritual kind? Well, seems like it's based on one's own experiences, intuitions, feelings. That doesn't mean that it's wrong, just not as objective. There's no need to confirm it with through others or read what others say about it - I experienced it, and that's all that matters. If God revealed it directly, who is anyone to scrutinize it? History? no need, God is doing a "new thing". Here's the rub: when experiential theology drifts off the path, how does it get back one? How does one even know that it got off to begin with.

The beauty of academic theology is that it is always done in community. Sure, theological debates are often heated and pointless and seem like anything but community-oriented. But such feedback from the theological community and saints through the ages is invaluable in preserving sound doctrine. But when 'theologians' come by claiming, "God is doing something new!" or "God directly revealed such and such to me .." what are we to say in response to that. This kind of theology operates within its own subjective framework and everyone goes with the flow until there's a desire to return to the Word. It's a vicious cycle.

I'm not against charismatics, I wish the church was more 'charismatic' in many ways. I just don't see the propriety of dismissing academic theology in favour of an experiential one; or viewing it as somehow unspiritual.

The Anatomy of Lust

What is lust and why is it sin?

Technically lust is defined as an intense desire for something or someone. How is one to measure the degree of desire and at what point does a desire become intense enough to be labelled sin?

First, desires require an object. It is impossible to desire nothingness. This is the basic inconsistency with Buddhism in its purest sense. Desires will always exist and they are fixed upon an object. Whether it is a woman, a car, a job, a status or a Tag Heuer watch, people desire objects. That object must be a specific person or thing, whether they are before your eyes, or on the pages of a magazine. One of the Ten Commandments is "You shall not covet your neighbours' house, wife, possessions ..." Inherit in this covetousness is desire for something.

Second, God commands "do not love the world or anything in the world" (1 John). What did he mean? Shall we not love our families, puppies, Christmas dinners and the budding flowers in spring. Answer: No, we shouldn't. Not if the love of these things are an end in themselves. Any love and desire for anything that does not ultimately leads us to a love and desire for the glory of God is sin. Sin is when we exchange the glory of God for ANYTHING else - however warm and fuzzy it might be.

Third, the lusting after a person occurs when your desire is turned towards yourself. If you are attracted to someone or something, praise God - you're normal. When you appreciate physical beauty or charming characteristics, praise God - He's a creative and wonderful God. But as soon as desire does not translate to love for God or the others, the only person left to receive the benefits is yourself. We are commanded, "Love the Lord and love one another." The sin of Adam and Eve was a sin of lust: a lust for nourshment, independence and power. Everyone who ever committed the sin of lust thought of how they might take and use that object for their own personal gain.

Fourth, lust is adultery. In the sexual sense, the lust that is conceived in the mind of man is fully evident before the eyes of God. You think it, you did it. Spiritually, lust is adultery of the idolatrous kind. Adultery is unfaithfulness and a prostituting of oneself to someone to whom you are not joined. Lust diminishes the supremacy of God, casting Him momentarily aside.

simple impetus

As I grow older and wiser, I want my life to become simpler and more straight forward.
When I think of my impetus for wanting to go overseas for missionary work, there's a simple thing I have in mind.

What is the thing that drives me to the nations? The glory of Jesus Christ. I live for that day when people from every tribe and nation fall before the Lamb in worship. Those who do not worship will, at least, be forced to confess the Lordship of Christ.

Until then, there is one thing as our responsibility: preaching the gospel to the farthest ends of the earth. Let us get one thing certain: there is absolutely no possibility of salvation outside faith in Jesus Christ, and there is absolutely no way for people to believe except by the preaching of the gospel, and there is absolutely no way to preach unless you, or I, or better yet both of us, go.

There I was standing in front of you the entire time
and you never took notice, did you?
You never realized that for some people revelation of oneself is a rather big step
It doesn't come to naturally for all
Only for the one in love

But you look at me with wooden lenses
Your feet sunken in cement shoes to approach me
Your mouth gnaws molasses to speak
An arduous chore it seems to lift your gaze

If only you would explode out of your passivity
and ravish me till I am near dead
that, at least would satisfy

but as all good things come to an end
the heart grows colder

the silence envelops the sound

quick thought #3

Thomas Acquinas (they call him a "Saint") was known to have said, "Preach the gospel at all times and in all places ... use words if necessary."

are you kidding me?

THE GOSPEL IS WORDS. PERIOD.

Paul (they call him a "Saint" too) once said, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Words of Christ." There is no gospel that is preached without words. The gospel will forever be the power of God unto salvation for all who believe, conveyed in the foolishness of preaching WORDS. You cannot believe propositional truths that are not ultimately conveyed using words.

Don't confuse good works and kind acts as synonymous with the Gospel.

quick thought #2

We have this tendency to venerate people from the past. Augustine, Thomas Acquinas, Luther, Calvin, Owen, Edwards.

Snoopy was once writing a book entitled, "Did it ever occur to you that you might be wrong?"

Smart pup.

Sure, those guys were godly men and contributed to the Church in amazing ways. But they were fallen sinners like you and me. It's very likely that they were wrong on some point. I, for one, am convinced that Owen was wrong about limited atonement.

but I could be wrong.

quick thought #1

The words of Scripture take priority over the historical context for which, or in which, it was written. Consider this:

1. The words of Scripture are objective, the historical context is subjective
2. The words of Scripture are completely known, the historical situation cannot be entirely known
3. The words of Scripture are ultimately penned by the Holy Spirit to the first reader, but also ultimately canonized by the Holy Spirit for us.

Every word of Scripture is for the Church, even if it deals with animal sacrifices, head coverings, or holy kisses. It is there to teach us something. Anytime we use historical context to make the text say the opposite of what it seems to be teaching , beware.

The Radiance vs. The Veil

After Moses met God, his face shone with brilliant radiance - and he did not know it. The radiance was the latent presence of God. It was the residue and after effect of being in communion with God. He had been with God and it showed. But when he came down from the mountain, the people feared the radiance and were reluctant to approach him. Hence, Moses veiled his face when he spoke to the people God's commands and unveiled it when he spoke with God in the tent.

Moses had the after glow of God's presence, and the people were taken aback instead of being drawn towards it. They did not understand the radiance. It was a hindrance and distraction to them. It made them afraid.

However, when Moses was in the tent with God, that veil came off. There was no need of it. In the tent, the veil became the hindrance and the distraction. Moses' own face resonated with God's presence. Moses felt at home.

Moses hated that veil. That veil was the veil of compromise. He wore for it for the people's sake - because they did not welcome the radiance. Just like the veil in the temple that hid God's presence from the people, the Most Holy from the holy. It was erected for the people's sake.

Interesting that when God came down and revealed His Glory and Name to Moses, that entire narrative is encased in law and commands such that there is hardly a separation between God's presence and God's law. So often we only want the presence of God, the experiences and feelings, but we do not want His law. Sheesh.

Sometimes the commands of God are simply not welcome. Preachers are responsible to be faithful in communicating the text of Scripture, but the people will not accept it. So, it is sadly veiled. Compromised. The people don't want to hear that God's hates divorce, that fornication is wrong, that Jesus is the only Way, so these truths get veiled and the glow loses its brilliance. But just remember, that veil is not the way it ought to be.

This week in class I'll be preaching on 1 Tim 2:11-12 (women are to be silent and may not teach or have authority over men in the church). Yeah, yeah, yeah, no one wants to hear this one. After my exegesis on the passage, I wish I could come to a different conclusion than the one I came to. The temptation to bastardize the text and preach the exact opposite is great, but then I will not have preached God's word faithfully and will have wasted everyone's time including my own. But my reflection on the "veil" confirms that it's time for the veil to come off. It's time to be judged by the Word of God instead of running away from It.

What's in a name?

What did Moses and God do on that mountain that day? Remember, it was the closest that Moses had ever come to God. It was their most intimate encounter. Maybe it didn't last very long. But during those moments, what did God want to reveal to Moses?

Two things: First, His glory. Second, His Name. The LORD the LORD, the Compassionate and Gracious God, Slow to Anger, Abounding in Love and Faithfulness, Maintaining Love to Thousands and Forgiving Wickedness, Rebellion and Sin.

To truly know someone means to know their name.

God even reassures that Moses that He is pleased with Him because He knows him by name (Ex. 33:17).

God and Moses were friends. They spoke to each other face to face. They beheld each other's form. They experienced hardship together. They knew each other's name.

First Things First

When Jesus Christ calls a man, he does not first call him to "do" but to "be with" (Mark 3:13-14). We are called to be with him FIRST and to do something for him SECOND. He calls us to relationship, not task. Why? Because he is both the source and the purpose for whatever task we might perform.

The task is important, but without the person it means nothing. Martha cared only for the task which is why Jesus sighed her name. Mary chose what was better, or rather, she rightly discerned what was first in priority - Jesus.

The two must be balanced, but first things first. There comes a time when we gotta get the task done. Moses was on the mountain with God for 40 days. He could have easily spent another 40, but God commanded to go down and minister to the people who were corrupting themselves.

The Road of Life is long and complicated.
Convoluted
Along the way you meet people travelling a common path for a fraction of the journey
You share a story or two, a couple of laughs and a few drinks
They are your company for a while
And soon they are gone
You can't hold them back from pursuing their course
After all you have your own route to follow
You just say, "This is where we go our separate ways"
and bid each other "God speed"
and that's that.
Others will come along
Soon

Cleft for Me

"Show me Your glory!" says Moses. Of course God doesn't show him right away. It's not so simple. If Moses truly beholds the full form of God, he'll vaporize. But there is a way and there is a place for Moses to be where he can behold God's glory: in the cleft of the rock.

How big was that space in the rock where Moses waited for God's glory to pass by? Indulge me to suggest that the cleft was small ... Just enough space for Moses. A cleft that God had nicely carved over the centuries through erosion and sand storms, preparing it for Moses to someday sit and wait for the encounter he'd never forget.

In this place he saw God closer than all the other encounters. The smoke, the burning bush, the pillar of cloud and fire, these were only emanations. Only within the rock did Moses behold the substance of God in all His glory. In this place Moses' face shone with its greatest brilliance; the glow would henceforth fade.

This was the highlight of Moses' life. The negotiation to spare the lives of the idol worshipping Israelites down the mountain had just occurred before this, and Moses was successful. But even persuading the Almighty was not the height of Moses' career. In light of this encounter, leading Israel out of Egypt was immaterial.

God's glory is the chief end of man. To glorify Him and enjoy Him forever. That is the point.

But where is the cleft of the rock for me? My space where I will find and experience God in His fullest?

Those who are elected unto salvation do not become un-elected
Those who are justified by faith do not be un-justified
Those found in Christ are never lost in Christ
No one can snatch them out of His hand

Eternal covenants are never broken
They never go assunder
They ought never go assunder

chosen

Who am I ...
Who are we?
From the foundation of the world, before time began its circuit around the cosmic clock
We were imagined in the mind of God
Formed from the infinite recesses of His counsel

Chosen

Chosen to be loved
Chosen to be saved
Chosen to be found in Christ
Planned beforehand to be plucked out of the darkness, the sewage

Did I have anything to offer Him?
Is there something found in me that deems me worthy?
Shall I not receive my just desserts and be cast into outer darkness, gnashing my teeth with the horde?

No. So, why?

nice try.

perfect scars

Your form is glorious perfection embodied
Divine substance and flesh merged into one
Without separation or mixture
No other can be my representative
No one else can understand me more
and have the power to transform me from my deathly state

forever will your perfect form bear the scars
that you bore on the cross
forever will your brow be poked with holes
forever will your back be gashed by bone
forever will your hands and feet have a see-through spot

but even so

perfection.

Perhaps one day our scars will no longer be memories of pain
maybe we'll show them off one day
maybe they too will be glorious and perfect.

birthdays

I get older, but wonder if I've grown more mature.
On this journey called life, you look back and realize that you haven't gone very far
Though you've gone to many places, seen different things and met different people
There still remains that lingering void of dissatisfaction.
My head has grown bigger
My heart has shrunken and grown harder
Colder
Still so many things I have not done
Accolades I do not have
Never had a job, driver's license, girlfriend
Been a student my whole life. Been given a timetable and told where to stand.
This is the year of major life transition. Pivot point. The compass may point anywhere.
Major decisions to be made that will affect the course of my entire life.

Whoa Whoa Whoa ... take it easy man. It's just life. A breath.

Wait on the Lord
Be strong and take courage
And wait on the Lord.

PDA

P.D.A.
Public Displays of Affection. Why do people do it? Why do couple kiss and hug while riding on the escalator, while one step down is we common folk who come up close to the action? Is the only time that people are together when they are in public, in full view of everyone?

Are they trying to make us jealous? Are they exhibitionists? I mean, let's admit it. Some of things people do in the park, on the train, at the movies are pretty "PG-13", know what I mean?

I suppose one of the benefits of being in a relationship is just that. You have the right to rub it in everyone's face. PDAs are a boundary marker that sets people off and creates exclusivity from the rest of society. It says, "This person is MINE."

I think this is something that God does too. Remember Jesus' baptism when the heavens rented open and the Father said to the people, "This is my BELOVED SON." Remember when He rescued Israel out of Egypt with an OUT STRETCHED arm, a column of fire and cloud, so that all the nations could see and melt with fear as they saw how God favoured the children of Israel.

Perhaps there's something to be said about loving someone, and not only showing them privately, but publicly.

rudder of the soul

It is the mind that is the rudder of the soul. What you think affects what you feel.

A pastor gave this illustration...

It's 3 am in the morning, you're alone in a large house out in the 'boonies', in the dead of night - no one around. Suddenly you hear a creeking in the floor outside your room. You think, *INTRUDER!* and the adrenaline starts pumping; you're full of fear.

Another scenario:

It's 3 pm in the afternoon, you're alone in large house, but outside is the hustle and bustle of cars and schoolkids. Suddenly you hear a creeking the floor. You think *MR. JONES' STUPID CAT LOOKING FOR FOOD AGAIN*. All is well.

Emotions and feelings come and go.
If we were to wait for them to activate, we might never get anything done.
If we love someone only when the feelings are present, we'll hate them first thing in the morning, or after a sleepless night, or when sick in bed.
If we worship only when the feelings are present, then we're telling God that he's not worthy of praise about 85% of the time.

It is truth and commitment, which are held together by the mind that matters.
Perhaps love is nurtured after all.
Perhaps worship songs need to be sung with passion, not because passion is there, but because God deserves passion.

i take no notice
you count the hairs on my head
you rouse when one falls to the ground
it's just a hair
you take notice

you watch me sleep
count my breaths
your eyes brighten as mine break open
you hold your breath
you watch me wake