On Clarity And Typology

Typology: The idea that persons (e.g., Moses), events (e.g., the exodus), and institutions (e.g., the temple) can—in the plan of God—prefigure a later stage in that plan and provide the conceptuality necessary for understanding the divine intent (e.g., the coming of Christ to be the new Moses, to effect the new exodus, and to be the new temple)

- Graham A. Cole, He Who Gives Life: The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2007), 289. Also see http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/

On God's Glory, Fear Of God, Nature And Love

Psalm 19:1 explains:

The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

Lewis makes a nice connection between nature and glory.

Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word glory a meaning for me. I still do not know where else I could have found one. I do not see how the "fear" of God could have ever meant to me anything but the lowest prudential efforts to be safe, if I had never seen certain ominous ravines and unapproachable crags.

- C.S. Lewis, The Four Lives, in A Mind Awake: An Anthology of C.S. Lewis, ed. Clyde Kilby (New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, 1968), 202.

On The Poor, The Wealthy, And Righteousness

How does God view economics? First, money is never an end in itself. At the same time, money is never the root of all evil; it is never a sin to be rich. James reminds the wealthy, that it is their unirghteousness and shortsightedness that is the cause of their ruin. Lord, help us to be biblical with our money. As much as current trends in society may argue, social justice does not entail a mitigated or tacit socialism and communism. Instead, teach us to be righteous, kind and compassionate to others with the wealth You give us.

Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of the armies. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.

- James 5:4ff

On Jesus, Glory, And Election

God's righteousness is not the enemy of His mercy. His commitment to uphold the worth of His name does not cosign me to destruction, though I have besmeared His name by indifference and distrust. Rather, in the death of his Son, Jesus Christ, god conspired to vindicate his righteousness and justify sinners in one act. Which means His zeal to be glorified and His zeal to save sinners are one.

- John Piper, God's Passion for His Glory (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 1998).

On Korean Grandmothers, Authorial Intent, And Authority

Laredo Day 19: when a Korean grandmother asks if you want to eat food. She isn't really asking and you don't really have a choice.

On Davidic Just War Theory

The Philistine said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field." David said to the Philistine,

"You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD's and He will give you into our hands."

- 1Samuel 17:43-47

On Games, Expectations, And Youthful Perseverance

Laredo Day 15: Here's a life lesson. When playing hide and seek with a 5 year old boy for 3O min, don't hide too well because they give up after 10 minutes... to play with legos.

On Foreign Languages At Home And Abroad

Laredo Day 14: As counterintuitive as it may seem, as I work at a Korean church I speak the most english at church (sermons, lessons, etc). then I get home and am forced to speak korean.... all day long. Thank goodness for some patient youth who constantly are forced to translate!

On Parking And Culture

Laredo Day 12: No one parks on the street. Instead, everyone parks on the sidewalk -literally. Apparently, they do it so their car won't get hit. I told myself I wouldn't do such a silly thing -but I was wrong. Now, I too do it.

On Humanitarianism And The Free Market

Jack Sim is a genius. He understands that if you wants to progress the improvement of basic health standards and provide toilets in order to end open defecation someone has to be making money. Be careful about organic fertilizer, apparently fertilizer from human waste is premium stuff! He helps people make the necessary connection that sanitation and business that can flourish because of it can help end poverty. He's a good example of the relationship that entrepreneurship and the free market should have on social issues.

http://www.worldtoilet.org/index.asp

On Enjoying God To Overcoming Sin

"The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of the taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks"

- Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1708), 1096.

On The Chief End Of Man

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend tot his end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.

- Blaise Pascal, Pascal's Pensées, trans. W.F. Trotter (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1958), 113, thought #425.

On Trinitarianism And Islam

Whenever I hear people say, "Christians and Muslims worship the same God," I think to myself:

This not only offends me but it should also deeply offend Muslims.

I am tired of hearing this claim. And anyone who tries to throw this out is simply lazy or ignorant. Christianity, in its very essence, is Trinitarian. A Muslim should be extraordinarily offended that Christians believe in one God in three persons. Namely while Christians sing praises, "God in three persons -blessed Trinity." Muslim's should be shouting, "Shirk!"

On Egg Donation, Greed, And Value Theory

Debt and Donation probably better titled "regret and donation" from Regrets of an Egg Donor from the ruthinstitute.org -read and share any thoughts.

An injustice that comes to the fore is the literal abuse of the women who are giving their eggs. Say what you want about egg donation, but the woman's body undergoes a lot of stress (albeit self-induced) while the companies provide no follow up health care.

For what it's worth, I think the entire process is wrong. But, if a company has the desire to purchase the eggs from a woman, they ought to make sure she has adequate care afterwards. A woman's value is not relegated to her eggs. She is made in the image of God (c.f. Genesis 1:26f).

On Calling And Joy

Laredo Day 5: Its humbling to reflect on the fact that people pay me to share the gospel and teach the Word of God all day. They like to learn about our glorious Savior Jesus Christ and I like talking about Him. What a joyous display of the "nash equilibrium."

On The Combination Of Hot Weather And Spicy Food

Laredo Day 4: today I learned that eating spicy food only exacerbates hot weather. In other words, you just get hotter. In 115 degree heat, spicy food is *not the way to go.

On Navigational Ignorance And Reverse Border Control

Laredo Day 3: I can officially find three places: Church, Starbucks, and the gym. Ask me to go anywhere else and I risk drifting across the border never to find my way home.

On Heat, Humidity And The Need To Not Feel Gross

Laredo Day 2: I'm taking three showers a day in Laredo and I still feel gross.