Welcome to Seminary

Well it has certainly been a long time since I’ve last posted. I have got to be the worst blogger ever.

Anyway, in case most of you don’t know by now, as of August 25th, I officially began my time studying at The Master’s Seminary in training of what I believe to be God’s calling on my life: pastoral ministry. And if there is anything that has greatly moved me during my short tenure there it is the grace and the humility of my professors.

Inevitably, there will be many people out there who will probably say underneath their breath: “Oh, he’s another MacArthur follower…” But to be honest, the only reason why I chose this seminary above the other ones is because of the professors. As much as I appreciate and respect Dr. MacArthur for his ministry, what ultimately drew me to The Master’s Seminary was because of the professors, not because I desired to be another John MacArthur. These professors exhibit such godliness, grace, and humility in their day to day actions that I could not help but be drawn to the seminary.

Over the course of my classes, there is one theme that has always stuck as I sat down from class to class, and it is this: Character. These men are seemingly resolved in all that they do to build men of character. Every class is never an end to itself, and as Dr. Snider reminded us during our orientation: “Your call is not to be a seminarian. Your call is to be shepherds. This is just a stepping stone.” I will never forget those words. Each class has expressed that their class is for the purpose of building better exegetes of the Word, and yet at the same time, building us to be men of biblical character. These are men who are determined to build shepherds and not mere scholars. And you can see this most clearly in the day to day interactions with the professors. As much as these men know, never do they once give off the aura that they are above us. Instead, these are men who are humble and gracious. Men whom I have the honor of sitting under and learning to be not just a shepherd, but to be a man of biblical character.

Which brings me to my next question… How is it that The Master’s Seminary has a reputation for producing men who are dogmatic, prideful, insensitive mindless men? As I ponder the question I can’t help but realize that it certainly doesn’t come from the professors. These men are above all humble and loving men, despite doctrinal differences. Could it be that it comes from Dr. John MacArthur? I think not. From what I hear of from other professors, Dr. MacArthur is intimately involved in the lives of his sheep, and is indeed gracious. Where could it come from? Because being at TMS for three weeks now, I have observed students who are just that, dogmatic, prideful and insensitive. I can see why we get that unfortunate reputation now.

Coming into The Master’s Seminary I knew I would come out as one of two ways. Either I would be a fulfillment of the prophecy that TMS grads are all snotty and prideful. Or I would come out completely broken and humbled beyond belief. Talking to Justin Chan, my brother in the faith and worker in the Gospel, we were both determined to be the latter. May this be a time where God grows me in humility and grace, as I desire to be conformed into the image of Christ- the Chief Shepherd of All.

soli Deo gloria.

A Love Letter

These are wise words from the blog of Berean Community Church in Irvine, California, where Peter Kim is the pastor:

5.  Read the Scriptures like a love letter.  Do not skim through it as if to do your daily duty of reading in this book.  This letter was written with great care and love for His people.  Therefore we ought to read each verse with care and concern as if we are reading a love letter from our significant other.  Just as a love letter is not written hastily God’s divine Word was not written to be read in haste.  It is better to know deeply what one verse says than to know superficially the whole Bible.

Such wise words, from a church that really lives out its name.

You can read the rest here: http://bereancc.wordpress.com/2009/02/24/handling-the-word-of-god-with-reverence/

soli Deo gloria.

The Innkeeper

Jake’s wife would have been fifty-eight
The day that Jesus passed the gate
Of Bethlehem, and slowly walked
Toward Jacob’s Inn. The people talked
With friends, and children played along
The paths, and Jesus hummed a song,
And smiled at every child he saw.

He paused with one small lass to draw
A camel in the dirt, then said,
“What’s this?” The girl bent down her head
To study what the Lord had made,
Then smiled, “A camel, sir!” and laid
Her finger on the bulging back,
“It’s got a hump.” “Indeed it does,
And who do you believe it was
Who made this camel with his hump?”
Without a thought that this would stump
The rabbi guild and be reviled,
She said, “God did.” And Jesus smiled,
“Good eyes, my child. And would that all
Jerusalem within that wall
Of yonder stone could see the signs
Of peace!” He left the lass with lines
Of simple wonder in her face,
And slowly went to find the place
Where he was born.

Folks said the inn
Had never been a place for sin,
For Jacob was a holy man.
And he and Rachel had a plan
To marry, have a child or two,
And serve the folk who traveled through,
Especially the poor who brought
Their meal and turtle-doves, and sought
A place to stay near Zion’s gate.
They’d rise up early, stay up late,
To help the pilgrims go and come,
And when the place was full, to some
Especially the poorest, they would say,
“We’re sorry there’s no room, but stay
Now if you like out back. There’s lots
Of hay and we have extra cots
That you can use. There’ll be no charge.
The stable isn’t very large
But Noah keeps it safe.” He was
A wedding gift to Jake because
The shepherds knew he loved the dog.
“There’s nothing in the decalogue,”
He used to joke, “that says a man
Can’t love a dog!”

The children ran
Ahead of Jesus as he strode
Toward Jacob’s Inn. The stony road
That led up to the inn was deep
With centuries of wear, and steep
At one point just before the door.
The Lord knocked once then twice before
He heard an old man’s voice, “‘Round back!”
It called. So Jesus took the track
That led around the inn. The old
Man leaned back in his chair and told
The dog to never mind. “Ain’t had
No one to tend the door, my lad,
For thirty years. I’m sorry for
The inconvenience to your sore
Feet. The road to Jerusalem
Is hard ain’t it? Don’t mind old Shem.
He’s harmless like his dad. Won’t bite
A Roman soldier in the night.
Sit down.” And Jacob waved the stump
Of his right arm. “We’re in a slump
Right now. Got lots of time to think
And talk. Come, sit and have a drink.
From Jacob’s well!” he laughed. “You own
The inn?” The Lord inquired. “On loan,
You’d better say. God owns the inn.”
At that the Lord knew they were kin,
And ventured on: “Do you recall
The tax when Caesar said to all
The world that each must be enrolled?”
Old Jacob winced, “Are north winds cold?
Are deserts dry? Do fishes swim
And ravens fly? I do. A grim
And awful year it was for me.
Why do you ask?” “I have a debt
To pay, and I must see how much.
Why do you say that it was such
A grim and awful year?” He raised
The stump of his right arm, “So dazed,
Young man, I didn’t know I’d lost
My arm. Do you know what it cost
For me to house the Son of God?”
The old man took his cedar rod
And swept it ‘round the place: “Empty.
For thirty years alone, you see?
Old Jacob, poor old Jacob runs
It with one arm, a dog and no sons.
But I had sons . . . once. Joseph was
My firstborn. He was small because
His mother was so sick. When he
Turned three the Lord was good to me
And Rachel, and our baby Ben
Was born, the very fortnight when
The blessed family arrived.
And Rachel’s gracious heart contrived
A way for them to stay—there in
That very stall. The man was thin
And tired. You look a lot like him.”
But Jesus said, “Why was it grim?”

“We got a reputation here
That night. Nothing at all to fear
In that we thought. It was of God.
But in one year the slaughter squad
From Herod came. And where do you
Suppose they started? Not a clue!
We didn’t have a clue what they
Had come to do. No time to pray,
No time to run, no time to get
Poor Joseph off the street and let
Him say good-bye to Ben or me
Or Rachel. Only time to see
A lifted spear smash through his spine
And chest. He stumbled to the sign
That welcomed strangers to the place,
And looked with panic at my face,
As if to ask what he had done.
Young man, you ever lost a son?”

The tears streamed down the Savior’s cheek,
He shook his head, but couldn’t speak.

“Before I found the breath to scream
I heard the words, a horrid dream:
‘Kill every child who’s two or less.
Spare not for aught, nor make excess.
Let this one be the oldest here
And if you count your own life dear,
Let none escape.’ I had no sword
No weapon in my house, but Lord,
I had my hands, and I would save
The son of my right hand . . . So brave,
O Rachel was so brave! Her hands
Were like a thousand iron bands
Around the boy. She wouldn’t let
Him go and so her own back met
With every thrust and blow. I lost
My arm, my wife, my sons—the cost
For housing the Messiah here.
Why would he simply disappear
And never come to help?”

They sat
In silence. Jacob wondered at
The stranger’s tears.

“I am the boy
That Herod wanted to destroy.
You gave my parents room to give
Me life, and then God let me live,
And took your wife. Ask me not why
The one should live, another die.
God’s ways are high, and you will know
In time. But I have come to show
You what the Lord prepared the night
You made a place for heaven’s light.
In two weeks they will crucify
My flesh. But mark this, Jacob, I
Will rise in three days from the dead,
And place my foot upon the head
Of him who has the power of death,
And I will raise with life and breath
Your wife and Ben and Joseph too
And give them, Jacob, back to you
With everything the world can store,
And you will reign for evermore.”

This is the gift of candle three:

A Christ with tears in tragedy
And life for all eternity.

– John Piper

soli Deo gloria.

LET NOT ONE OF THEM ESCAPE

From Spurgeon’s devotional: Morning and Evening

1 Kings 18:40 – Let Not One of Them Escape

When the prophet Elijah had received the answer to his prayer, and the fire from heaven had consumed the sacrifice in the presence of all the people, he called upon the assembled Israelites to take the priests of Baal and sternly cried, “Let not one of them escape.” He took them all down to the brook Kishon and slew them there. So must it be with our sins-they are all doomed; not one must be preserved. Our darling sin must die. Do not spare it because it cries. Strike though it be as dear as a beloved son. Strike, for God struck at sin when it was laid upon His own Son. With stern unflinching purpose you must condemn to death that sin that was once the idol of your heart. Do you ask how you are to accomplish this? Jesus will be your power. You have grace to overcome sin, given you in the covenant of grace; you have strength to win the victory in the crusade against inward lusts because Christ Jesus has promised to be with you even unto the end. If you would triumph over darkness, set yourself in the presence of the Sun of Righteousness. There is no place so well adapted for the discovery of sin and recovery from its power and guilt as the immediate presence of God. Job never knew how to get rid of sin half as well as he did when his eye of faith rested upon God, and then he abhorred himself and repented in dust and ashes. The fine gold of the Christian is often becoming dim. We need the sacred fire to consume the dross. Let us fly to our God. He is a consuming fire; He will not consume our spirit, but our sins. Let the goodness of God excite us to a sacred jealousy and to a holy revenge against those iniquities that are hateful in His sight. Go forth to battle in His strength and utterly destroy the accursed crew: “Let not one of them escape.”

So I’m Officially Black…

According to the High Court in South Africa, they ruled that Chinese South-Africans are to be classified as black…

You can read the article here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7461099.stm

Not exactly the most spiritual thing I’ve written, but I found it amusing. So I guess I’m black. Anyway, I realized that I haven’t written in a while, and I still need to get working on that series of blogs on the local church. Dah, spoke too soon Matty… Spoke too soon..

soli Deo gloria.

A Sweet Comfort to My Soul

I think I might be the worst blogger known to man. But I’m trying, and while this post will have no relation to my intended series of posts on the local church, I felt that it would be best to share a recent sweet comfort to my soul.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong a perfect plea
A great High Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me
My name is graven on His hands
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me

Behold Him there the Risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The king of glory and of grace
One in Himself I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

I absolutely adore this hymn. In this hymn I am reminded time and time again of my security before Christ. It serves as a sweet testimony to the truth that those who follow Christ are His own. We are His sheep, and He is our good shepherd. He knows His own, and His own know Him (John 10). And we are eternally secure. Though we may fail, though Satan whispers and reveals our greatest sins that we would despair of our own security, we have a faithful Christ who teaches us that:

“… In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-39

soli Deo gloria.

The Local Church

I guess it’s been a while since I last blogged. Most notable the title, from “Every Thought Captive” to “Wage the Good Warfare.” Why? Well I wanted to prevent confusion from the countless of other blogs which are titled “Every Thought Captive.” That’s pretty much about it. But aside from that change, the premise remains very much the same.

It is a wonderful thing to think about the church. And it is a wonderful thing to have a Master who knows the hearts and minds of those that are His adopted sons and daughters. For our God has called us into fellowship and communion by the bond of Christ. He who knows the heart of men to be prone to wander, is infinitely wise as to provide and establish for His saints the glowing beacon of light, the church. And what a privilege it is to be in fellowship with other brothers and sisters. To be encouraged by each other’s faith, to be exhorted, rebuked, to see the hearts of the saints be refreshed through each other, is a privilege.

And sadly, we find in our day that there are many who have neglected the church. They have chosen to forget and forsake the very community that Christ died for. Instead, they have chosen to opt for a life of the lone Christian. They have rejected the church for which God has specifically established so that we would “stir up one another to love and good works,” and instead have been “neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some.”

And it breaks and burdens my heart to find many who have yet to commit to the local church. As the Lord has shaped and convicted this area of my life, through Scripture first and foremost, and then through experience, I see the local church of such immense importance. Therefore, it has been my conviction as of late to begin posting my thoughts and convictions on the local church. These next series of blogs are not necessarily authoritative per se, but I stand firm in my convictions because I see it portrayed in Scripture. But if I err in anyway, I humbly ask for forgiveness, for I seek to be corrected in my understanding of Scripture, and in specifically, the church. Neither are my blogs on the church comprehensive and exhaustive, but it is my prayer that through these blogs, we would have a heavier burden for the local church. That by understanding the church in so many aspects, we would at the very least begin to love the church, just as Christ loves the church, died for it, and sanctifies it by the washing of the Word.

soli Deo gloria.

Relationships

Sorry if I deceived many of you into thinking this was a post outlining my personal thoughts on relationships, but its not. I don’t know anything about relationships.

But I am very pleased to announce that the ministry of Alistair Begg (Parkside Church in Ohio), Truth for Life recently began a new series on… that’s right. RELATIONSHIPS! I’m excited to see what my favorite preacher has to say regarding this topic… Stay tuned!

soli Deo gloria.

Thoughts on Prayer

He who comes to God in prayer, comes not in a spirit of self-assertion, but in a spirit of trustful dependence. No one ever addressed God in prayer thus: “O God, thou knowest that I am the architect of my own fortunes and the determiner of my own destiny. Thou mayest indeed do something to help me in the securing of my purposes after I have determined upon them. But my heart is my own, and Thou canst not intrude into it; my will is my own, and Thou canst not bend it. When I wish Thy aid, I will call on Thee for it. Meanwhile, Thou must await my pleasure.” Men may reason somewhat like this; but that is not the way they pray. – B. B. Warfield

soli Deo gloria.

True Humility

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.

- Matthew 1:18-19

This is a humility to be emulated. That Christ, God Himself, came down in the form of man to be birthed in a manger, and to die a criminal’s death.

Yet in these 2 verses we see another dimension of His humility that is not often thought of when we consider the humility of Christ. That Christ, in His glory, not only humbled Himself in the form of man and in a manger, but He humbled Himself in such a manner that Joseph would want to divorce the mother, Mary, quietly. And for what reason? Precisely because Mary had a child that Joseph was unaware of. Oh that Christ, in His glory not only humbled Himself as a human, but came down of an even lowlier disposition. That Christ, our Savior-King, our Messiah, our Lord and Master would come down and perceived even as a bastard child.

How far this was from the truth… A Savior was born.

Christ, You truly were humble. Teach me to be the same Lord.

soli Deo gloria.