A good read for eating humble pie...because the Trinity is so over our heads!!!

I strongly suggest that everyone read Robert Letham's The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship (P&R Publishing Company: Phillipsburg, NJ, 2004). It is so thorough, but still readable by an average high-schooler or older. The Holy Trinity has to be believed for us to have eternal life, for the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity is the Doctrine of WHO God really is--NO Trinity, means you have the wrong "god" and only THE GOD can save--reject the Holy Trinity and you reject Jesus, so believe the Trinity and Live by Believing further in God the Son's incarnation, death, and resurrection for the forgiveness of our sins and the granting of eternal life. This book gives more than enough information to start wrapping your mind around this Doctrine more deeply. Of course, a thorough and constant perusal of Scripture would do even better, but this book draws out some stuff one might miss on a normal pass through. I love the Holy Trinity, so I urge all to read more about Him to His Glory first in Scripture and then in those who write about what Scripture says. With the One and Only Triune LORD GOD, it only gets better and better the more you know to the glory of God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit! Amen!

My Theory on the Being and Doing of the Holy Trinity

I believe God is the One and Only God eternally existing in Three eternally co-equal Persons (who are God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) but with an eternal humility in the order of all three, such that while to some extent the Father is said to be First, the Son Second, and the Spirit Third, ultimately each of all Three Persons love and seek the glory of the other Two Persons (thus, the Holy Spirit is not the shared love between the Father and the Son). The Father glorifies the Son and the Spirit; the Son glorifies the Father and the Spirit; and the Spirit glorifies the Father and the Son. They are co-equal in power, being, authority, love, holiness, wrath, justice, wisdom, omniscience, omnipresence, omnibenevolence, etc. Absolute and eternal subordination is heretical; absolute and eternal humility is not. The typical ontological and economical ordering is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—From the Father, through the Son, in/by the Holy Spirit. There is a perfect balance in the Trinity between oneness and threeness. Una Substantia in Tres Personae (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:16-17; Matt. 28:19; John 1:1-4; 8:50, 54; 10:30; 14:1-17:26; 20:21-22; Acts 5:3-4; I Cor. 2:10-11; 11:3; 12:4-6; 15:27-28; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 1:1-23; 1:17; Eph. 2:18; 2:19-22; 3:14-21; 4:4-6; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:15-19; Titus 3:4-6; Hebrew 1-10).[i]

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[i] This section on the Holy Trinity comes from my Theological Project Paper, which I did on the ontology and economy of the Holy Trinity. For more information on the Trinity see my paper on it. Also, note that a good part of the “sources cited” section comes from my thorough study on the Holy Trinity that I have already performed for my other paper. However, the sources I will also list hear for clarification, however, there is some overlap in sources used to for the rest of this paper.

Bavinck, Herman. Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 2, God and Creation (ed. John Bolt. trans. John Vriend. Baker Academic: Grand Rapids, MI. 2004 by Dutch Reformed Translation Society).; The Bible. The New American Standard Bible.; The Bible. The New International Version.; The Bible. Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament W/concise Dictionary. 27th ed. (New York: American Bible Society, 2004. Print.); Blue Letter Bible. "Dictionary and Word Search for hēgeomai (Strong's 2233)". (Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2009. 13 Dec 2009.) < strongs="G2233&t="NASB">.; Coppedge, Allen. The God Who Is Triune: Revisioning the Christian Doctrine of God (InterVarsity Press: Downers Grove, IL. 2007).; Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology (2nd ed. Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI. 1998). ; George, Timothy. The Nature of God: Being Attributes, and Acts (in A Theology for the Church ed. Daniel L. Akin. B&H Publishing Group: Nashville, TN. 2007.); Giles, Kevin. Jesus and the Father: Modern Evangelicals Reinvent the Doctrine of the Trinity (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 2006); Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 1994.); Letham, Robert. The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology, and Worship (P&R Publishing Company: Phillipsburg, NJ. 2004).; Peters, Ted. God as Trinity: Relationality and Temporality in Divine Life (Westminster/John Knox Press: Louisville, Kentucky. 1993.); Ryrie, Charles C. Basic theology: A Popular Systematic Guide To Understanding Biblical Truth. (Wheaton, Ill: Victor Books, 1986. Print.); Torrance, Thomas F. The Christian Doctrine of God: One Being Three Persons (T&T Clark LTD.: New York. 1996); Wallace, Daniel B. The Basics of New Testament Syntax: An Intermediate Greek Grammar (Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 2000.).; Ware, Bruce A. Father, Son, & Holy Spirit: Relations, Roles, & Relevance (Crossway Books: Wheaton, IL. 2005)

Do We Need a Creed?

For Systematic Theology I class, I enjoyed reading about the Creeds of the Church, for they are what I would call “Condensed Systematic Theologies”. I think that the formulation of a new creed would be helpful not just for catechesis, but for the sake of solidifying evangelical Christians together. In a way, the Evangelical Community does have a creed: the Gospel. The Gospel is really just a compact version of Systematic Theology, for it is basically Who God is, what He has done, what He will do, who we are, what we do, and what we need to do according to His Word. However, there is no clear, precise, smooth, and ubiquitous Creed for and of Evangelicals. In fact, if one could be synthesized from Scripture by the Community as a whole and then distributed, then it may help the spread of the Gospel, because believers will now have something in memory that contains the Gospel and the basics of what they need to share. For example, if someone has memorized a Scripturally based, Gospel-centered, true creed, then when his friend asks him what he believes he has a basic answer. Or, for another example, if a person asks what he has to do to be saved, then the believer can respond from the points of the creed. I am very tempted to try to get movement started to gather such a creed of the Gospel that we believe based of the Scriptures.

Make My Joy Complete: How the Church Should be a Joy to Pastors and Christ

This past week I went to J-Gen for the first time, at which I was a counselor. It was there in the Reidger Chapel at Taylor University that God opened my eyes to something that I should have been able to see since the beginning in the Church as a pastor: Joy. It is odd, but at long last I get those verse where Paul goes "Make my joy complete..." or Jesus says "that your joy may be complete"--this I am sure would make Christian Hedonists everywhere smile, but even still. I get it now. Before I could never understand how that could be a Godly thing to beg others to complete my own joy, but I get it! Make my Joy Complete! Although it seems selfish, my own joy is bound up with their faith and God's glory. I should indeed be filled with great joy as I see God being truly worshipped! How amazing will heaven be as I not simply worship, love, trust, and rejoice in God myself but as I rejoice in everyone else's worship--as I rejoice in God being glorified! What else could bring more joy to my heart, mind, eyes, ears, and soul than to see God Almighty, the One and Only Forever, glorified by all for all! My joy is for God's Best! My joy is for their best too! I beg them to make my joy complete, because it is my joy to have them continue in the faith for eternity, in ontology and activity! Indeed, since so many fall away, how great indeed is my joy when one person trusts in God for now and for always no matter the cost! How great is my joy when God is glorified by comparison instead of contrast! My joy is their faith exploding over into everyday life everyday! I rejoice to see my sheep--all sheep--worship God and to love and hope and trust in God--the One and Only God, who Is the GREAT I AM and who Is THE HOLY TRINITY! O how I rejoice in the exceeding joy of real faith being in my sheep--in all sheep--and that same faith going out in practice in Glory, Love, Trust, Hope, and Zeal for God all filled with Joy in Him!

I rejoice when girls starving themselves see their Hope in Christ and that True Beauty is first about being Beautiful to God--that such obsession with skinniness is just foolishness of the flesh, world, and devil--O how I rejoice to see girls see that being Beautiful to God comes way before looking "Beautiful" to the world--Indeed, Sarah was often (even in her old age) desirable to the world, but she clothed herself with submissiveness to Abraham. Godliness knocks socks off! O how I rejoice in men realizing the shallow and depraved foolishness of adulterous self-indulgence! O how I rejoice with men as they gut the idol of porn with the Holy Spirit's aid! O how I rejoice when impurity and sexual immorality leaves the sheep of my Good Shepherd! O how I rejoice when self-destruction and self-obsession vanish from the bodies and minds of the sheep of God! O how I rejoice when those in fear praise God for faith and courage! O how I rejoice when Christ's sheep hear His Voice and obey in faith! O how I rejoice when the sinner repents! O how I rejoice when there is Unity in the Body of Christ and Fidelity in Marriages down deep into even the passing impulses of the soul! O how I rejoice when God is Glorified in all things in all ways always! O how I rejoice when God's Word becomes the Anchor of Hope and Faith and Life and Love in Christ Jesus through the Holy Spirit according to the Sovereign Will of the Father! O how I rejoice when my sheep--all sheep--study God's Word passionately and lovingly endlessly, all the while in all things in all ways in all times praying as Christ does in complete and total faith and zeal and passion and emotion to God, their Hearer! O how I rejoice in the faith, hope, love, joy, and unity of Christ's Bride the Church! O how I rejoice as He washes us with the Word removing any and every blemish! O how I rejoice in all this and more! O how I rejoice in our rapture to Christ! O how I rejoice in the Holy Trinity's being glorified in us, the Body and Bride of Christ!

Brothers and Sister, please make my Joy Complete!

I LOVE the faith of children...

Today, it was most refreshing to see the beauty, humility, and honesty of a child's faith--O how I praise God for the sweet faith of His beloved children (literal children in age that is, not just us adopted children) that as I was helping someone at church to find a way to teach from Scripture that God is Real to children, the Spirit touched my heart to move from Exodus and Romans to Genesis as the foundational passage for the sermon. I then turned to my left as I called Jenny Kim a cute, Korean 2nd-Grader over to us to ask her a question. I asked her, "Jenny, how do you know that God is real?" She replied just as I hoped she would, "Because He made the world!" It was then that my heart praised God for her faith and its youthful beauty. She got it. All she needed to know or to see or whatever was just God has given us to belive in Him: Himself and His Word and His Creation. She did not need long explanations, she just held by God's grace to the faith! O Lord, that we would have faith in our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls that so we would trust You first and have a devout, humble, beautiful faith--childlike faith! O Holy Trinity, that we would trust in You, Your Word, and Your general revelation so easily! Hallelujah for Your gracing Jenny with such a pure, wise, passionate faith--please sustain it and keep it, while making us have faith like that!

21

Oddly enough, my 21st birthday was more of a day to serve and work than it was to relax and be served. However, Melissa did help make it special by taking me out to dinner at Giordano's (which is the best Chicago Style pizza ever--there is just so much wonderful cheese, an inch of it at least)--the pizza was quite good and she even let me put green peppers on half..mmm...and then when I took her home there was tea cake waiting for me...mmm...to be fair, my family did something for me too, but they were trying to surprise me so I did not know about and apparently missed the signals that said I needed to get home earlier...needless to say I felt bad for obstructing their plans to make my birthday special.

Certainly, since it was a Sunday, I was in Chicago for Church, where it just so happened that a child was celebrating his birthday and so I sort of celebrated with him before my church surprised me with my own cake and balloon--it was very sweet...the act that is, but I suppose the cake too. Nevertheless, due to the necessity of helping the chaotic car wash going on at the same time in the Church parking lot, I did not get to celebrate long or finish my meal. Following which, I conducted a preparation for VBS (which is next week) meeting with the Youth Group after the Car Wash was over.

So, indeed I did not spend the day drinking or anything so foolish and wicked as to celebrate drunkenness by a grand participation thereof. (As an aside, for the record, I find no Biblical problem with drinking, but rather with getting drunk; considering that Paul told Timothy to drink some wine because it would be good for his stomach, drinking is not sinful, but God through Paul makes it very clear that getting drunk is a sin. So, for those of you who do drink, I applaud your Christian liberty to drink without getting drunk as long as you do so to the Glory of God, for drinking for the sake of drinking is rather a poor motivation, curiosity does not always mean it is a good reason, for my eyes may be curious as to what scantily clad thing that they just saw stroll past, but it would be evil to indulge their curiosity.) Personally, I feel compelled to not drink whatsoever, a compelling coming from the upbringing that God Providencially placed in me and coming from the Spirit and from a certain Moody Bible Institute form that I am repeatedly forced to sign. My conscience forbibs my partaking of alcohol, but I do not miss it, nor do I desire to look down on those who do partake of alcohol to the Glory of God.

Thank you, Lord for 21 years outside the womb! May the rest of the years you bless me with be all to love, serve, know, and glorify you and to that end to love, lead, and feed the church. I love You so much, Holy Trinity!

My Testimony

God called me to salvation by His Loving Grace through my faith in Christ Jesus' death in my stead for my sin and my just eternal punishment in hell because of that sin and His Resurrection from the dead after 3 days in the tomb assuring me of eternal life--all by the working of the Holy Spirit in my soul who then came into me to dwell and sanctify me until the day of my receiving a new glorious body devoid of sin or weakness or fault and empower for the keeping of the faith, hope, and love to the Glory of the Holy Trinity forever and ever and the good works that God has pre-ordained for all the elect.

He did this when I was 3 almost 4 years old. It was a sunny day in late spring or early summer, but I was inside and my mother was preparing a Sunday School lesson with cutouts. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit reached inside of my wicked soul and convicted me of my current destiny of hell because of my sin and my need therefore of Jesus as my Savior. I did not want to hell for sure, so I told Jesus that I did not want to go to hell and I told Him that I really did believe that He died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead on the third day. I asked Him to forgive me of my sins and come into my heart and give me eternal life in heaven. At that moment I felt the burden of my sins fall of my soul and the Spirit come in--Peace in the best and purest sense, Peace. For the next several years I grew little by little and I was baptized at age 7 if I remember accurately in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I had a mean streak however, according to my mother, which indeed I did and it lasted for a while. When I was about 12-13 I started actually listening to the sermons at church instead of drawing and personally pursuing God actively on my own with desire rather than just the passive pursuit that I had mostly had, although I served at church, prayed, memorized scripture, and read my Bible before then--I would say that I go more serious about things around that time. Puberty and all that agony was soon in full swing, which unfortunately meant that keeping my heart and mind in pure places was suddenly a great difficult. That turbulence was ironically a time of great growth in spite of the grotesque amounts of lust sin at the same time--I am living proof God is gracious and does not treat us in the way our sins deserve. Pastor Craig Parrow was my mentor and is still a good friend. He, God used to teach me much. Most of this is my retrospective analysis; God is good! This time full of darkness and growth lasted I was aged 16, then I surprise turn about came.

God called me to be a pastor. From then on the whole lust issue was more of a non-issue--God is so gracious. God intervened several times in the following eight months to reveal to me great truths and initiate great growth. I stepped up in the youth group and started leading--someday I will have to write out the story of my pastoral calling and subsequent affirming months--and was even given opportunities to teach. When the weather got warmer, I started evangelizing on the street every oppotunity I could get. That summer I got to teach the VBS several times. Oh right, I forgot to mention, my dad got a new job which required my familty to move from Cleveland, Ohio to Le Roy, Illinois. I was very active in the youth group and the church up until we left when I was 17 in September-October.

There is more to the testimony--I am almost 21 after all--but it will have to wait for another time. I know, sort of a cliff-hanger, but oh well...