The greatest praise for a Christian woman is to be called Godly and pure. The things a Godly woman should look for in a future husband is how that man serves and encourages the growth of the Gospel in his fellow men, and how he disciples younger men. Remember just because a man is gentle, caring, and kind to you doesn't mean he is gentle, caring, and kind. Such a fake nature will not last in marriage. Isn't that what Matthew 5 warns us about, the sacrificial nature of Love?  If a man loves you and not everyone in the Body, especially other men, then his love is very conditional and cheap. A man's character is based on how He Loves the Lord, not how infatuated he can get with a woman. And this desire for God has to start when he is single, and not begin (though can be cultivated) through his romantic relationship. A woman who doesn't look for or support this in the Church, the Body of Christ, is not a Godly woman at all! Remember that though romantic relationships and marriage are good things, they tend to be avenues of selfishness and sin. All of this also applies to men too, though most flak have generally been sent their way (and rightly so biblically). The question is, where are the older mature sisters guiding and warning the younger ones?

Update: I know there are boys out there. It is the guy's job to get himself educated in theology/scripture and take steps to become like Christ in His example of a bridegroom and husband to the church. It is the guy's job to move from the self-absorbed egotistic prick (or an insecure wimp) he is to a gentle, kind, and sacrificial man of God. It is the guy's job to move from being a boy into a man who can glorify God in his household. It is the guy's job to find accountability and discipleship to prepare himself for the responsibilities of manhood. It is a guy's job to pursue solely after Godly women, to show other guys that these women are most desirable, and to show Godly women they are most desired. It is the guy's job to realize that marriage isn't the end all be all, but Christ truly is enough for him. But after all this, then isn't the girl's job to find men like these and pursue them, instead of finding boys and attempting to do God's job by trying to speed up their spiritual maturity through your own efforts? As if your spirituality can be transferred to him, especially when you set yourself as the greatest idol in his life. Why do Christian woman find non-believing men more attractive? Why are looks, stability, and/or charisma more important than a heart for God in finding a spouse? When was the last time you woman in your latest DTR ask the guy "what is the purpose of marriage? And if he didn't say something along the lines of "marriage being for the glory of God through the analogy of Christ and the Church and co-servanthood, edification of his wife to become beautiful and spotless for her holy Joy, breaking and humbling of himself through sacrifice and humility, the production of spiritual and biological children for the Kingdom, and the preaching of the Gospel through the example of selflessness (Love) and covenant-keeping in front of non-believers," then why the hack did you start dating him? Or did you even bother to ask this question at all?

·        The Christian man or woman who wants to marry a follower of Jesus must looks for a spouse who has learned what it is to die to self in allegiance to Jesus - John Piper

Yeah, when I was 22 years old (after I graduated from college) I honestly didn't understand anything about the purpose of marriage. I've been both the self-centered person and the insecure loser. Even at 26+ years old and having done hundreds of hours of research on understanding Biblical marriage (for a specific season), as well as attending numerous marriages and counseled many couples with my theoretical knowledge on this topic, I admit that I am still a work in progress and probably will be well into my future marriage (if it is in God's will). But at least I have taken the initiative to lay down the groundwork, and I want to encourage everyone to do the same.

Question of the Day: are we as Christians even allowed to believe in coincidence?

Sin and evil are not the same thing. Evil is any deliberate and rebellious action/heart against God. Sin is anything done without giving God glory. Therefore, feeding the poor, taking care of the orphan, or helping the widow, if done without pointing it back to God, is still sin. Yes every good endeavor glorifies God, but the person doing the good work will still be sinning. Thus a nonbeliever doing good in this world is still sinning. Again we have to remember we all start out as evil/wicked beings. We aren't sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. The order matters.

It is explicitly said in the NT that Jesus would only perform miracles with people had faith, as that around the Sea of Galilee He didn’t because the people there didn’t have faith. Sure God is sovereign and Jesus can do miracles whenever He wants, but it would seem this was a self-imposed rule. Now the question is this: was those people's faith a product of God, or something inherent to themselves? And if the latter why impose the rule in the first place. This is even more apparent in the OT where the decisions/choices of men either pleased or angered God. Were their choices a product of God or something inherent to themselves aka free will? In easier terms, which of the following cases is what is presented in the OT (and NT): A father gives 5 dollars to his son and asks him for 5 dollars, which the son gives to the father and thanks him for providing; the father tells his son to bring him 5 dollars, but leaves 5 dollars nearby, and the son may or may not see it, and may rip/use/leave the 5 dollars instead of giving it to the father; the father tells his son to bring 5 dollars and the son uses the talents and inherent human abilities to earn/obtain the 5 dollars to give to the father; the father tells his son to bring him 5 dollars and the son obtains 5 dollars from someone else other than the father or himself, or uses talents not taught by the father to earn/obtain the 5 dollars. Honestly I think every case can be found at least once in the Bible, or certain passages can be interpreted in more than one way, but direct literal and most simplistic interpretation of scripture seems to point to either the 2nd or 3rd scenarios most often. Note I'm talking about faith after conversion, not grace or salvation or how one becomes a Christian, but strictly how one obtains or increases faith.

Simple analogy of musical worship

The worship leader is like a chauffeur, and the musical platform is like the car that is taking you to your destination that is Heaven/Kingdom and to meet He who is there. The driver shouldn't make a big deal about the car, like focusing on how nice it is or expensive it is, but instead should get the passengers excited about who they are going to meet, and how wonderful the destination will be. That should be the goal of musical worship, to aid us in becoming a step closer to God.

I don’t think its Christ-like to tell a gay person they are sinning. Sure they are, but idolatry is also a sin and we all tend to be steeped in it. The point us are you offering them something better? And are you living an example that shows you yourself believe God is better than anything in this world? This is a kind of "if I were in your shoes I would be able to give my sexuality and everything that comes with it for God" moment, could we be honest? Can we also give the chance to fall in love, to have sex, and to marry for God alone? If we can't show them this resolve, this reality, this Joy we have, then we really don't have a right to tell them its a sin, since we literally are committing the exact same sin like the plank in our eye. Have we ourselves are willing to give up everything in our lives for God, or are we just playing double standard just because we are straight? So don't be like the guy who is telling someone to stop smoking cuz its bad for their health and yet goes gambling and drinking every night. Sincerity and love in your approach. Sincerity to show that you yourself am fighting and overcoming all you own sins because God is good, and love to show you truly want them to know God and know the Joy you have.

Why do we say we can't save others? We always are quick to say "oh only God can save them." If we are talking about our sinful nature then yes, God is the only one who can bring salvation and heart change in a person. But if it’s hurt and burdens, then not only we can help others, but are commanded by God to help others. As if the Body of Christ wasn't established on mortal Earth to do just that? Especially for the family members within that community. Sure, we may not be able to save someone from cancer or monetary problems (though in scripture we are called to sell our possessions to help others in need), we are emotional and relational beings and can always help someone on that level. All it takes is patience and giving of time and an ear. Then on the spiritual level we can definitely help others. So don’t pray to God and say "i can help him/her, so i ask you to do so." As if God does everything via divine intervention. Look at scripture. Look at the Gospel of Jesus Christ? Wasn’t the reason He had to come in person to save us the point, instead of saving our sins through divine intervention? So as Christians aka Christ followers aka emulators of Christ, shouldn’t we be helping and saving others? We got that ability and responsibility from the Cross. So our prayer should be "God you have called us to help our brothers, sisters, and neighbors, so give us the strength and capability to love, for we are weak but wish to be strong." Let us truly believe in the communion of the saints, and at the very least not give excuses nor misread the clear message in scripture.

We enter salvation alone, but we always enjoy salvation corporately. In scripture, the "you" is almost always plural.

Remember, a faith based on feelings is a very singular faith based on a very singular Gospel. If the Gospel you believe in is not universal for all men, then it isn't the Gospel at all. Faith is believing the Gospel is real, not that we feel it is real. Feeling and knowing are two different things. We don't say "I know Jesus is real because I got a feeling He is," we say we know Jesus because there is testimony and evidence and transformation that points to Him being real. We don't go up to our friends and say they are real to us because we feel them, we say that because we built a relationship with them, and this is the same with Jesus. Feelings then come into play in delighting in the fact we know Jesus and He knows us.

The point of love is that it does NOT come naturally. We are naturally self-seeking prideful individuals. Love asks us to sacrifice, to put another above ourselves, to search deep for a strength that doesn't belong to us. There is nothing humanly natural for someone to be patient, to be kind, to be humble, to never get angry, to always trust, hope, and persevere. Nothing at all. That is why love is profound, and most of the world does not get it. They may understand the self-denial part, but will miss the other part that there is inherently no love AT ALL in us.

Love is action. Love is hard work. Love is utilizing energy from a source not of ourselves (or other people).

There are underlying laws governing the behavior of man. One is that we function best when confined in a box, and yet there is an underlying passion in the hearts of men to defy all established laws and break out of that box. The irony is that it is a law in itself that we desire to break laws. It’s our nature to be proud.

What are the two greatest commandments in the Bible? Love God and love people. So if you believe and trust in God's sovereignty and control for His kingdom, do you believe that ministries that involve brothers and sisters being called to serve in intellectual areas (doctors, lawyers, businessmen, professors), serving the poor, or becoming fathers and mothers, and serving the local church, if these ministries are done with a motivation of self-sacrificial love and in a selfless manner following God's calling, don't these ministries have equal if not greater importance than a ministry of missions in foreign countries? Are these ministries not preaching the Gospel in a more glorifying and Spirit-directed manner if they are truly under God's will? Remember what the Gospel is before preaching it to others.

God can work and exist within many cultures, but no culture can encompass all of God or His kingdom. The message of Christ cannot be boxed. We are all part of the vast message of the Gospel. But God has very specific and unique ministry for each of us. He gives us specific tools, spiritual gifts, culture, sensitivities, friends, experiences, and our own personal road to the Gospel. Just like each of CS Lewis' books emulates a different angle of the Gospel (which is the same with every book of the Bible), even within the stories each of the children find or meet Aslan a different way. Lucy definitely came to Him differently than Edmund, and even more different for Eustace. And Susan, who had the same experiences and revelation of Aslan's glory, she still decided to seek her own glory and life.

To forgive so we can be forgiven

http://www.webtoons.com/en/fantasy/tower-of-god/season-2-ep-21/viewer?title_no=95&episode_no=101

This has got to be the most biblical example of forgiveness from a non-biblical source EVER. Our world is way too similar to the Tower of God, and we are all waiting for the True King to come again and change and redeem it all!

Happy New Year everyone!

"To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” ― Lewis B. Smedes

I don’t need you. I hope you see strength in that statement. I need Christ and Him alone.

— Someone’s marriage vows. #Goals

"This...this was who I used to be. Who am I now?"

There once was a time long ago where I was known by these traits (I don't know where CAKEEEEE came from), Made by those who knew me then, they picked out what they saw in me that stood out. Reading those, I wonder if I glowed or something, like a saint. Now I am just known as "smart" or "theologically knowledgeable," but rarely these words above. How did I even get to this point? How did I become like this? I want my old self back, the one who cared. One who sacrificed. One who was selfless. One who had a servant heart.

God is such a troll sometimes.

I swore to Him that I would not attend a specific church in Chicago, and He made me forget the name of the church and I ended up going there. Mind you, its only a branch of the church, and not the specific location, but its close enough.

We shall see why He made me do this, to confront my fears.

"How do I forgive people?"

"Look at the Cross. Has anyone done any offense greater to you than what you have done towards the Cross? Yet you are forgiven."

"It's not that easy to tell my heart that, even though I know its true."

It's not that easy...

So...

when did having a boyfriend/girlfriend equate to being blessed and joyful? When did that start becoming a thing? Or getting a job, or acing a test, or even having good weather? Go Biblegateway.com "blessed" or "joy" and see what shows up.

So if your boyfriend or girlfriend breaks up with you, are you all of the sudden less blessed or robbed of your joy? What happens in the future if your spouse passes away, or even worse, divorces you? Last time I checked, finding joy in worldly things is called idolatry, and being blessed only when God gives you what you want is called Prosperity Gospel which, by the way, is the worst false gospel to ever exist.

Today I got to hear the testimony of one of the associate pastors for my new church in Chicago, and his testimony is full of pain and broken-heartedness. Born blind in one eye, he often prayed as a child for it to be healed, to no avail. His parents often fought when he was younger, leading him to be depressed. At school he was the only asian, and so he had no friends and was bullied often. Even just recently his wife left him, leaving him shattered. But through all of this, God was always there for him. God told him that though he won't heal his eye, there is still healing for the spirit. God also redeemed his parents, helping his father come to Christ, and sent them to start an orphanage in China (and currently in seminary in Korea). To this day he is still able to say the sweetness and goodness of God is better than anything else. To him, being blessed and joyful is having Christ, and nothing else.

So let me say this: I am blessed because I know Christ. I have constant, everlasting Joy because Christ is in me.

Please, let's remind each other of this.

He [Jesus] said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Resolve, with a pinch of joy and a dash of freedom

I want more of You in my life.

I want more of You at UIC.

I want more of You at Cornerstone and Beloved.

I want more of You in Chicago.

I want more of You in KC, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis.

I want more of You in all the nations.

(That escalated quickly)

 

Also I got to see my first shooting star out in the middle of a hay field on a pure Wisconsin night. Wasn't what I expected, as I thought it was a firework at first.

"While ton of Christians in the other parts of the world are wondering about whether they will be persecuted tomorrow or not (or how will they be persecuted), and here I am, sitting in a warm apartment, with a bowl of food in front of me and worry about what if I cant find a job in future, or if i could find a job that I want..."

 Or the right relationships in life.

God, why did you put me here in comfortable America, and what am I supposed to do about it?

Awareness?
Prayer?
Action?
Drop everything and go somewhere dangerous for the Gospel?
Or humility and grace and love?

What is enough? Can I even do anything at all?

"If you truly cared about someone, you would pray for them"

The other night, I had a dream, and in that dream I was old and single and serving in the church. And I was happy.

I guess this was God showing me that I can be content with being single for the rest of my life.

http://cheezburger.com/215557

I want to be a dad like this one day.

Devo Post #12

9/21/15

Proverbs 28:27

Those who give to the poor will lack nothing,

   but those who close their eyes to them receive many curses.

I need to keep persevering in doing devotions. Ugh.

How do I address the homeless of Chicago, given that each time I see one who is curled on the street or accosts me and/or my walking companions, I am reminded of this verse? How many curses have I received for rejecting almost all of these people? I know that there is a mental breakdown for most of these homeless men and women. They lost all inhibitors of shame. The suffer from a multitude of mental disorders that causes them to be afraid of society and thus lead them to not find jobs. I know that many of them are living in a dream like world, where the fabrics of fantasy and reality have been dissolved. I saw this first hand when a homeless person walked into the Church of the Beloved when Mike was giving the message of the day, and he would say what he believed to be the right things, like quoting Genesis 1 and saying Hallelujah, and singing some tune to his childhood when the guitar started playing. At that moment, I wonder if he was still with us in that room, or was he transported via music to some nice and happy memory, maybe with his family or friends, where he could be at peace? As I sat pondering that imagery, he got up and left. I wonder how many people were annoyed or at least uncomfortable when he arrived? Would that homeless man truly understand what we were offering if we asked him to stay at our congregation, to come again and again and be a part of the family? I wonder how many of us would offer him a place to stay, or at least encourage him to have meals with us? Or would we just tell ourselves he isn’t our problem? I know that he needs help, mental help, professional help, and that is something we cannot give him. But is the power of God weak to the point that us dental/medical/phd students would be quick to disregard the spiritual power and the ability of miracles to occur in front of us? I know I am always suspicious of miracles and cases of miraculous healing. I hate it when people attribute it to faith, as if we create the faith ourselves, and God sees how much faith we have and give us alleviation of our physical ailments. What about all the faithful people who God chose not to heal? Are they lacking in faith? To say that faith leads to physical healing is along the lines of the Prosperity Gospel. God even chooses to let the faithful die, die painfully and pathetically, to glorify His name. Can God not use physical suffering in His children to glorify His name too? Why do we not praise Him and remember Him for those, but only when He performs a miracle in conjunction to our commands do we give Him glory. It sounds like a complete reversal of roles, that God has to answer us when we demand miracles.

So back to the original question. How do I reach the homeless in Chicago, when I can barely keep myself afloat on $2000 a month, with no guarantees on future funding or even the guarantee I will be able to stay at UIC or Chicago past 1 year? What is the minimum or maximum I can do? What is my calling? How can I pray for them? How can I lead them truly to Christ, as many will use Christianity as a trick to get support, but not truly believe in Christ as both Savior and Lord. Many of them are so trapped in their fears and mental jails. I know of that well, because I have been trapped in a jail due to depression before. The many continuous nights of crying till no more tears come out. The days where I refused to leave the classroom to eat with other students in the high school cafeteria. The days where I stay up all night shaking and burning all over. 11 whole years, starting when that naive and innocent kid first tastes and realizes the cruelty and unfairness of this world. It is that moment when we realize our parents aren’t all powerful. It is similar to that moment when the African kid was forced to shoot his parents to mature from a boy to a child soldier, leaving behind playtime and toys to become a man and a murderer. Or when a young girl is raped for the first time. All too real is the cruelty and evil of this world we live in. Just remembering being betrayed still instantly tears me up too this day. I have never killed anyone, and though I’ve been molested before, I’ve never been raped, I think I can understand the rapid propulsion of the development and hardening of the victims of this world due to these kinds of circumstances. One’s experiences, one’s fears, one’s pain, one’s shame, one’s bitterness, one’s hatred are all powerful shackles that fetter just as permanently as caste iron bracers chained to a wall or weight. I know the correct answer is God/Jesus can break every chain, but how real is it for me? How real is it for these homeless people? At what point does Christianity stop becoming theoretical and philosophical and becomes real? We live in reality, not a dreamland. Very likely that reality is a nightmare.

There are no easy answers. I don’t know what I would say if someone came to me and told me he/she just killed someone, or he/she was just raped. In the same way, I don’t know how to truly approach the homeless with no understanding of the paths and hardships they’ve taken to end up in their fallen state. This is where we say “The power of the Gospel is enough.” I think it is too easy to scoff at those who say this, but at the same time it is too easy to say that and walk away as well. So the question is, is the power of the Gospel enough? How much of the responsibility is on us? How far do we have to break before God intervenes, if He does at all? How much of this is part of God’s master plan? Does that plan involve me dying, or those homeless men and women dying?

God, you gave us this command (200+ times in the Bible, which is about 180+ times more than you command us to preach the Gospel) but don’t give us the means or the heart or the community to accomplish it. What are you playing at? Where does a 26 year old taiwanese-american 1st year BioE PhD student lacking in experience, skills, spiritual gifts, resources, and energy fit into the picture?

Christian Links

I made this page both to have an online record of the links I've collected over the years on various topics (not very well organized, I will find time later to do so), since I almost lost them all in the latest hard drive crash, but also as a resource for other Christians, non-believers, and friends alike. I hope this page helps people, even if only a little. 

Some links (like the Resurgence ones) no longer work. 

Also don't focus too much on the "controversial" section or you might wanna bang your head on something.

Enjoy!
 

Christian Links

I mentioned before that I rather be known as the guy who cares, who listens, who shares and loves and engages, instead of being the guy who is "knowledgeable." But my greatest fear now is that I am no longer known as anything at all and serve no purpose in the fellowships. Ugh.

I am Loved

So many people visiting me despite moving to a new city. I am glad, as I'm a people person, I don't do well moving to new places and having to make new friends and to support them.

K, A, and R decided to visit me in Chicago. It was fun going up and down the Magnificent Mile with them. I guess the best part was when we were on the seventh floor of the parking garage of the Navy Pier. We were looking out at the Chicago skyline when I touched a spider web with my left hand. There was no spider but I decided to check around to make sure. Only a foot away from my right hand was a black widow spider. Then we started to notice more. Many black widow spiders lined the walls and air conditioning units. Moment ruined. It was this time of valley of shadow and death where K decided to pray for me, that I would find a new fellowship, that I could come to like Chicago, and that I would strive towards God and find His plan for me in the city. It was a truly wonderful experience. I had to crawl back to the elevator as the inside of the seventh floor was also plagued with many spiders hanging from the ceiling and walls. Still, worth it.

More and more people are coming to visit me too. Had I made such a difference in other people's lives? Aren't I just known as the "knowledgeable one?" Or am I someone, something more?

I am loved, even if I lie to myself that I don't have what others have. F*** social media.

Wow even more people are visiting me. First Joe from GCF, then Chris from KC, even Kelly has decided to visit (though the trip is probably mostly to visit his GF, at least this time it won't be an accidental third wheeling, and I believe his sincerity). Can't wait for Val to visit too.

Devo Post #11

7/9/15

1 John 3:16

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.

Well, almost everyone knows that John 3:16 says, but what happens when you at a 1 before that scripture reference? Adding that 1 actually doesn’t seem to change the Gospel message, but take it a bit further, like taking Love a bit further. Now it turns the message of the Gospel from what Jesus did for us to what we do in response to that love, and that is to love those who are part of our family.

I know all of us secretly (or not so secretly) desire others to treat us with this kind of sacrificial love. We always cry out “why isn’t the body like this? See in scripture it's so clear!” I know I am guilty of this with my former ACF, and my outcry was probably well deserved, but for now I am going to give up my desire and right to this. Instead, I will keep this verse close to my heart and live it out its directive in an “away” fashion. That means I am the one who should lay my life down for others, even if they don’t want to or don’t yet have the capability to do so for me or for other people. I will set the example, not by my own strength, but by the love Christ is pouring into me from the Cross. I know its hard, and sometimes its fleeting, but I got to have the resolve to do it. Thats what it means to be Christian, to have faith especially in times of negative emotions. Wasn’t that the point of these big terms in the Bible? Faith, Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love are there specifically to counteract the negative emotions and feelings of lost souls like me, and they are doubly reinforced by the positive emotions and feelings we feel. But they are not dictated by emotions at all, but they are fruit poured into us through the Gospel (the Cross and Christ), through the Holy Spirit, and through the power of God. These sources are all one and the same, and yet as different as the triune nature of God. So mystery. Wow. Much awesome.