Remembering Jim Elliot and his legacy

On January 8, 1956, five Auca Indians of Ecuador killed Jim Elliot and his four missionary companions as they were trying to bring the gospel to the Auca tribe of sixty people. Four young wives lost husbands and nine children lost their fathers. Elisabeth Elliot wrote that the world called it a nightmare of tragedy. Then she added, "The world did not recognize the truth of the second clause in Jim Elliot's credo:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep

to gain what he cannot lose."

   -- p. 215, Desiring God by John Piper

Mystery of marriage

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 ESV)

This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:23 NIV)

The mystery [of marriage] is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage - just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church.  - p213, from Desiring God by John Piper 

I love my wife, but I am not always the godly husband I am called to be. Whether I feel good about myself as a husband or not, how glorious, humbling, and encouraging this mystery is.


O, Lord, be gracious to me, and empower me to love her like Christ does the church.

A note to myself: About Joy

A Christian hedonist says "God is my joy," NOT "joy is my God."
Delighting in the LORD and simply feeling delighted are two different things.
I must remember that.

Love that is genuine

My wife and I are reading through the Desiring God together. Last week, we concluded the chapter on Love. In it, I've learned that you should seek your joy in loving others. That can be misunderstood very easily, but when understood properly, and pursued and practised carefully, I know my life would honour God by genuinely loving other people.
This short video can help.

(See the original Desiring God entry.)

Oh, grant me this genuine love that seeks good of other people. Let me rejoice in others being saved, blessed, prospering and flourishing. Oh, grant me, Lord, this change of heart.

Worship - emotion required

Worship is a way of gladly reflecting back to God the radiance of His worth. It is not a mere act of willpower by which we perform outward acts. Without the engagement of the heart, we do not really worship. The engagement of the heart in worship is the coming alive of the feelings and emotions and affections of the heart. Where feelings for God are dead, worship is dead.
True worship must include inward feelings that reflect the worth of God's glory. If this were not so, the word hypocrite would have no meaning. But there is such a thing as hypocrisy - going through outward motions (like singing, praying, giving, reciting) that signify affections of the heart that are not there. "This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me."

- John Piper, from Desiring God, p 87-88

Get your copy of Desiring God from Book Depository, Koorong, or Amazon.

This brief, mementary affliction on earth...

There is suffering in this world. To deny that is to lie.
But it is only for a little while. Be strengthened and do not lose hope, our King will return.

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees
-- Heb 12:12

(HT: Desiring God)

Maximum Joy Guaranteed

I know many people would not get this message. But if you are one of those few who wonder what Christian faith is about or why I am so excited about Jesus, it is partly because knowing and trusting Him guarantees the absolute maximum joy a human being can ever have.

Do NOT waste your life.


(HT: Rebs Kim)

God: Almighty but malicious? or Good but impotent?

(HT: Bob Mendelsohn)

God, my exceeding joy.

Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!

The I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.

Psalm 43:3-5

God doesn't just give me joy, He IS my joy, my exceeding joy.

God is not just the saviour who saves me, but He IS the salvation.

Being saved does not just mean that you are forgiven of hating and ignoring God, but it also means that you are now given a new heart that loves and honours God.

In the dark hour of John the Baptist... Jesus!

Jon Bloom over at the Desiring God wrote:

"The Savior does not break the bruised reed. He hears our pleas for help and is patient with our doubts. He does not condemn us. He has paid completely for any sin that is exposed in our pain.

He does not always answer with the speed we desire, nor is his answer always the deliverance we hope for. But he will always send the help that is needed. His grace will always be sufficient for those who trust him. The hope we taste in the promises we trust will often be the sweetest thing we experience in this age. And his reward will be beyond our imagination.

In John's darkness and pain Jesus sent a promise to sustain John's faith. He will do the same for you."

Do read the whole thing, it will do good to your soul.

(HT: Ron Click)

Against abortion: the best explanation I heard so far

(HT: Between Two Worlds)

The Religious Affections - 2

Just finished reading the Part 1 of the book, trying to keep up with others.

It's not so easy writing something down for the part I read in the Religious Affections at this moment. The content, with such conviction and force, is still to be digested fully. But I do not want to lay it off indefinitely, so... here's my first post regarding the part 1 of the Religious Affections.

First thing I noticed as I was reading the part 1 of the book was that as I started understanding the words of Jonathan Edwards, I started to get Piper. There were a couple of moments previously that I thought I understood what John Piper really wanted people to get. The first time, it was through first few pages, including the cover page, of the book, Desiring God. I did not get to finish reading the book, it was too heavy for me back then, but the impression I got was that this preacher is big on joy in God and in Him only. I thought it was good and fine, but did not really think too much about him or his theology.

Then, a couple of years later, I came across one of his sermons. By this time, I was much more aware of the good ministry John Piper was doing through the Desiring God Ministry, although I still hadn't read that book, Desiring God (and I still haven't! D'oh!). The sermon I listened to was from Romans chapter 9 about God's sovereignty. It was one of the most powerful sermon I heard, although the sermon itself was not in the most "proper shape", since John Piper used a lot of personal experiential stories more than proclamatory expositions of the text (by the way, John Piper acknowledges it and for a perfectly legitimate reason, and I am grateful for it, if you are not convinced, listen to the sermon yourself). I think I've always believed God's sovereignty, but I had to repent of the way I compromised the truth of the Bible at various times and made God look small and weak. It was this sermon, listen to it!

Now, this is my third time round that I understand what Piper is really on about. That joy he talks about, that "desiring God" he talks about, is really found in the words of Jonathan Edwards, namely, The True Religious Affections. I am yet to fully understand the whole thing, and to articulate in words would be even a tougher job for me, but this I will say, read "The Religious Affections" whether you like John Piper or not. In the end, getting Piper is nothing, getting Jonathan Edwards is nothing, whether you like Piper's theology or not is really nothing, but a pure desire for God, the holy affection is what matters and will last for eternity.

More to come regarding the part 1 of The Religious Affections.

Suffering and the sovereignty of God

Read this and praise God.
May you, by the grace of God, will also grow in this kind of knowledge of God that shows the world how great, satisfying, and sufficient our God is.

You say you don't treasure money?

Make sure you don't.


(HT: Ron)

Bits and pieces (with some extras) - 15-May-2008

It's a bit hard to blog while I'm traveling as I discovered recently. Contrast to my initial thinking, it seems as though I have less time to think for myself as I travel. I think I'm too busy seeing things, trying to emerse myself in a different culture. It's not bad, I just hope I won't forget all these new things that I am experiencing so I will be able to think through these and blog about them later.

In the mean time, you can still visit what I read and think about by going to my shared items or looking at the "noteworthy" section on the right of this blog.

Also, I'll try to post "bits and pieces" whenever I see something I really want you to read while I'm traveling.

Here are some of those articles I *really* want you to read. ;-)
Incidently they are all to do with prayer or closely related with it.

1) Dangerous Prayers - Yes, I do have such moments. I acknowledge that what you have said is true, and I shall do my utmost to pray such prayers and not shrink back from it.
2) Loving Jesus like his Father does - Oh, and I want to love Jesus more. I will pray this prayer.
3) Never too late to change - Let us be never become too old for God's transforming grace.

Will you pray with me?

10 Resolutions for Mental Health

Time to time, I revisit this list posted by John Piper (which was originally by Dr. Clyde Kilby). It would be good to reminded of these things and put into practice.

Links to share - 13-Feb-2008

• I'd never swim there, even if I could swim that is...
• 12th of Feb was Abraham Lincoln's birthday. Read about him and his God.
• For those of us who are technically minded (or even those economically minded too), the security expert, Bruce Schneier comments on "Lock-in" effects/strategies used by many companies.

How to navigate through the darkness

On Desiring God blog, Jon Bloom shares what he learned in a Spiritual Storm.

"Spatial disorientation" is what an aircraft pilot experiences when he flies into weather conditions that prevent him from being able see the horizon or the ground. Points of reference that guide his senses disappear. His perceptions become unreliable. He no longer is sure which way is up or down. It can be deadly.

The only way a pilot can overcome spatial disorientation is to be trained to read and trust his cockpit instruments to tell him what is real. That’s why flight instructors force student pilots to learn to fly planes by the instruments alone.

There is a spiritual parallel. I’ve experienced it. On a spring day in May 1997, I flew into a spiritual storm.

The only way a pilot can overcome spatial disorientation is to be trained to read and trust his cockpit instruments to tell him what is real. That’s why flight instructors force student pilots to learn to fly planes by the instruments alone.
Go and read it, act upon it, and pray for those around you who are struggling. And... pray for me too.

Perhaps I am going through such storm at the moment... Perhaps a few years down the track, I would be speaking from my own experience then...