How the Further Left Critiques the Mostly Left

Native American activist John Trudell was interviewed (from SF) on CBC Radio One's "The Current" this morning. I thought it was interesting to hear how one activist critiqued another . . . assuming that Obama was in fact an activist.

Interviewer: "America elected a former social activist from Chicago, a lawyer who is not a white man . . . to be the president. What did you expect from Obama when he was running for that job?"

JT: "I expected nothing from Obama . . . I think Obama was put into office to serve the interests of the industrial ruling class . . . I don't think he was put there to look out for the interests of the vast majority of citizens, let alone native people."

A 21st Century Queer Spirituality

Kuyperian Quote of the Day

"There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is sovereign over all, does not cry: 'Mine!'"

(Abraham Kuyper, toward the end of his inaugural address at the founding of the Vrije Universiteit). Thank you Dr. Mouw.

Props to the Home Team!

San Fran #1!

Rest in Peace

"Naked I camed from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised" (Job 1.21 NIV).

Leo F. Yik
Born: July 27, 1970
Died: October 21, 2010

Rest in preace.

Lecrae's "Background" Ft. C-Lite

Young, Black and proud . . . gospel-driven, Christ-centered and Reformed.

The Missional Church for "The Rest of Us" (Dummies)

Move over Guder. Simple, simple, simple ~ good job.

Tolerance in the Pacific NW

As a visible minority, constantly assaulted with liberal banter and verbiage, the reality of our global village is settling in . . . with a vengeance. Despite all the "freedom of speech" rhetoric from the far left, it [free thinking] doesn't really matter when the rubber meets the road. Liberalism thrives in the western world while it is abhorred in most third world countries. Why is that? In its truest state liberalism is hostile and opposed to custom, tradition and convention. So when you pit a liberal against the rest of the world (with all of its culture and values), you have a world that hates North America (and every other western nation).

Case and point. A Seattle cartoonist recently felt that the creators of South Park "sold out" for not airing an episode that had sacreligious caricature of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. So the young woman took it upon herself to excercise her "rights" to draw the Prophet and make it a community event (North American style). What resulted was sweet irony ~ here is the article from the NY Times. Molly Norris, as she was previously known as, has since disappeared and found a new identity - all thanks to the FBI and probably other Federal agencies. You see, Miss Norris' ideas went viral . . . all the way back to Yemen . . . not too long after which a fatwa was issued for her death. She has since gone off the grid and nowhere to be found - thanks to the FBI. Bye bye to hot yoga, carmel lattes, organic cafes and the like. You may think you are excercising your right to political and artistic freedom . . . others may think you are attempting to murder their god and genocide their culture.

Yes, the US is a democratic nation. Yes, they have the right to sovereign rule and government. Yes, blah, blah, blah. That's not the issue. The real issue is whether or not cultural relativism and postmodern thought is legit and valid. Because, if so, all their prophets will eventually die by the sword of a jihadist. BUT if every thought and opionion carries equal weight and deserves a listen, Hitler and Saddam Hussein don't seem all that bad after all.

If you say that you accept everyone, but cannot . . . don't say because you don't mean it. Somehow, I think that the majority of the visible minority living in North America understand this situation a little differently than the white folk. Then again, didn't this already happen back in 2005 somewhere in Denmark?

Sin, Rebuke, Repentance & Restoration - Leadership Lessons from Jesus

Too often, 21st century Christianity promotes a form of spirituality without holiness. It is personal but without Jesus. Self-serving Moralism void of sanctification by grace. Passages regarding sin like the following one tend to drum up quotations about peace, justice and tolerence rather than simply obeying what Jesus instructs.

"'If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." (Luke 17.3 - 4 NIV).

"Lectures to My Students" (C. Spurgeon) - Reading Notes #1

Lecture II - The Call to the Ministry



While Charles Spurgeon affirmed that all believers are called to communicate the gospel, there is a special calling upon those who teach and "bear rule" in the church and supported by the church. Here are a few of Spurgeon's thoughts regarding the signs of God's special calling:

- an intense, all absorbing desire for the work. "Do not enter the ministry if you can help it."
- an aptitude to teach. Including attributes such as: sound judgement, solid experience, gentle manners, a loving spirit, firmness, courage, tenderness and sympathy
- the fruit of evangelism
- the call from the local church. Not necessarily an infalliable sign of God's will, but a necessary ingredient.

"That hundreds have missed their way and stumbled against a pulpit is sorrowfully evident from the fruitless ministries and decaying churches which surround us."

According to Spurgeon, these are some reasons why he felt some men were not called to "full-time, Christian, pastoral ministry":

- overambition to shine among men
- lack of sufficient intelligence
- lack of endurance or experience
- zealousness without substance
- aspiring to the ministry for lack of any direction
- physical deficiencies such as speech impediment
- instability of theological convictions
- ability to weather the storms of the ministry with grace

By far, one of the most, no nonsense, common sensical, realist and "briefest" counsel regarding "the call to ministry." Another wise and good resource would be Dave Harvey's (Sovereign Grace Ministries) "Am I Called? Discerning the Summons to Ministry" (the original article has now been replaced by a workshop with outlines and a different title).

Word of the Day

I remember watching Sesame Street back in the day and there would be these special words, letters and numbers "of-the-day." Along that rich tradition of early childhood education, I hope to promote that same fervor of excitement towards vocabulary.

So . . . the word for the day is "antidisestablishmentarianism." Its original meaning is derived from "establishment" which referred to the Church of England (church & state together - or the principle of a state church). I always thought that the "establishment" was something else (so my gay, middle age, white male, feminist humanities professor from San Francisco City College would often "drop").

Practical Biblical Ideas for the Selection of an an Elder

In addition to the primary references found in 1 Timothy 3.1 - 7 and Titus 1.5 - 9, Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears includes the following practical framework when selecting biblical elders (e.g. teaching elders/pastors, church planters, ruling elders, etc.) to oversee the local church:

- examine his family
- examine his financial giving to the church
- examine his performance at work
- examine his relationship with people outside the church
- examine his service in the church
- examine his spiritual gifts
- examine his ministry passions
- examine anything and everything else realted to his conversion, calling, character, courage and comptency

Both writes also suggest "appoint slowly and terminate quickly. Too many churches appoint quickly and terminate slowly, which is devasting to church unity and momentum."

(page 71, "Vintage Church" by Driscoll & Breshears)

Preaching Coach ~ Darrin Patrick

"A Preacher with His Bible" (originally posted over at the Acts 29 Network site; by Big Bad Darrin Patrick - a man of god)

Preaching Prep

A lot of preachers I coach want answers to these questions:

Why is my preaching not improving?
Why am I struggling to develop my preaching "voice?"
Why are people falling asleep when I preach?

One of the answers to these questions might have to do with how often they preach—they need more preaching "reps." But what do you do until then? You need preaching "preps." You need to be preached to every day from your Bible.

Peyton Manning does not just love to throw a football. He loves the football. When he was young he slept with the football under his arm. He knows how his fingers fit around the seams. He knows every contour of the ball. A preacher can't just love to preach, he has to love the Bible.

Good preparation that leads to effective preaching begins with letting Scripture examine, speak, and preach to us.

Steep in Scripture

My sermon prep begins with me, a cup of coffee, and my Bible. Only the coffee is optional. While I know my Bible well enough to have an opinion on a given text's meaning and how it fits into the overall story of the Bible, I like to focus and pray through specific words and phrases in the passage. This helps me "steep," or soak in the text so I can encounter God through the text.

This "steeping" or soaking does a couple of other things as well. It enables me to see the context of the passage clearly. Think of a juicy hamburger. The beef is the word, phrase, or verse you have chosen to meditate upon. All around the beef is the context—ketchup, pickles, cheese, and bun. Unless you are on the Atkins diet, you don't consume the cow without the bun and condiments. Likewise you don't take the word, phrase, or verse apart from its context.

Meditate on the Text

Meditating on the text allows me to bring the little story of the passage into the larger story of the Scripture. It helps me preach the specific verse or passage with a view into the larger context of Scripture. Here are some questions I think through to help me accomplish this:

What chapter is the passage in? What is the immediate context surrounding this passage that makes it unique in Scripture? Many times a passage is a reiteration of a previous argument, but look for why the author chose to stress this particular message again in your passage.

What book is the passage in? Recall the theme of the book you are studying, and if you don’t know the main themes or purpose of the book, do some research.

Who is the author? Think about the uniqueness this particular author brings to the Bible. Who was this author communicating to? What was unique about the audience—religious perspective, social standing, felt needs, etc…

Where does this passage fit in the overall story arc of the Bible? Does the passage function primarily as revelation of who God is, about God’s ability to create or about his creation, about the reality and depth of human sin and rebellion, about God’s redemptive power in Christ, or about the restoration of God’s creation and his children?

Where is Jesus in the text? What does the passage communicate about the person and purposes of Jesus? How does this passage expose the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world?

Get to know your Bible and be preached to, preacher man.

Listening to Chan, Driscoll and Harris

Intimate "fly-on-the-wall" listen to what three young, passionate pastors from the "restless & reformed" team have to say about many things . . . most interestingly is their discussion regarding the two prominent "gospels" in North American culture today: the prosperity gospel (God only sanctifies through material success) & the poverty (God only sanctifies through suffering) gospel. Interesting discussion that also reflects how many Christians, especially Chinese-Americans, are headed towards.

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

Rest in Peace

You will be missed Rev. Yik . . . you will be missed Coach Duane.

Seminaries & Inerrancy

Is it really that important whether or not a seminary holds to the inerrancy of Scripture? Which team should we be on?

For example, neither Regent College or Fuller Seminary hold to the position of inerrancy in their statements of faith. Then, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Talbot School of Theology clearly hold to the inerrancy of Scripture. In 10 to 20 years from now, how will those students affect the theological landscape of North America . . . or perhaps they already are. I can hear the arguement already, "well, I know 'so & so' from 'fill-in school' and they aren't liberal/conservative."

Preaching Quote ~ C.H. Spurgeon

"The sermon itself is the main thing: its matter, its aim, and the spirit in which it is brought before the people, the sacred anointing upon the preacher, and the divine power applying the truth to the hearer—these are infinitely more important than any details of manner. Posture and action are comparatively small and inconsiderable matters, but still even the sandal in the statue of Minerva should be correctly carved, and in the service of God even the smallest things should be regarded with holy care."

- Charles Haddon Spurgeon in "Lectures to My Students."

Community Service Announcement "RE: Decline in Values for Manhood"

*Are You An Obsessive Online Gamer?

EverQuest addiction? Many laugh at the thought, yet more cases are being seen each year. The highly addictive nature of online role-playing games impacts children and teenagers the most, but a growing number of adults are also getting hooked, and the latest craze is to online sports fantasy games.

Answer "yes" or "no" to the following statements to see if you may be addicted to online gaming:

1.Do you need to play online games with increasing amounts of time in order to achieve the desired excitement?
2.Are you preoccupied with gaming (thinking about it when offline, anticipating your next online session)?
3.Have you lied to friends and family members to conceal extent of your online gaming?
4.Do you feel restless or irritable when attempting to cut down or stop online gaming?
5.Have you made repeated unsuccessful efforts to control, cut back, or stop online gaming?
6.Do you use gaming as a way of escaping from problems or relieve feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression?
7.Have you jeopardized or lost a significant relationship, or even risked your marriage because of your online gaming habit?
8.Have you jeopardized a job, educational, or career opportunity because of your online gaming habit?

If you answered "yes" to any of the above questions, you may be addicted to online gaming. These are common warning signs that you have lost control, lied, or possibly risked a relationship to support your gaming behavior. Why wait until it is too late to seek out help? Contact our Counseling Services today to receive fast, caring, and confidential advice to stop online gaming or read through our library of Books, eBooks and DVDs to help you find the information you need to understand Internet addiction and steps towards its recovery.

*Original post at netaddiction.com.

A recent article over at the NY Times highlights the emerging effects of heavy multitasking, over gaming and tech device dependence that has gradually infected the lives of most North Americans. Think twice before checking your Facebook, Twitter feed, IPOD app, email, whatever . . . you may be addicted . . . clinically proven addicted. "Technology is rewriting our brains . . ." Essentially, our bodies crave "dopamine squirts" that result when heavy multitasking on tech . . . without it our bodies feel bored and worse even depressed.

Asian-american affluence/self-centeredness + consumerism/materialism + technology = 30 year old guys still living at home (or the "one off" ~ the home purchased and down paid by mom), driving mom's car ~ also financed by mom, eating mom's food, leeching mom's bank account (bankrolled by moms like a freakin dealer ~ or getting transfers), laundry done by mom, playing World of Warcraft or PS3 till 4:00AM . . . ad naseum. Who cares if you have a 58" TV in your room!?!?!

What does that amount to? Insecure, overly sensitive, aimlessly wandering, wishful thinking, "banked" DEADBEATS! Deadbeats with credit cards - another dreadful global credit crisis in the making. Puh-lease brothas', quit yo' frontin' and "MAN the FREAK UP!" Get real jobs, move out (renting is no shame), find a girl who loves Jesus (more than you), marry her (before the local church community), and have kids (adoption is theologically on team) . . . ASAP! It's no family without kids. That alone ought to sanctify you. Also, go find a real girl not the fake one you starin' at on your screen. God help you.

(For the confused idiot - refer to the previous post)

Leadership Insights from a Former Navy SEAL

Residual takeaway from time spent watching Discovery Channel.

"Do you have the courage to start? Do you have the commitment to finish? Do you have the clarity of vision, to see exactly what you got to get done, that you are going to stick it out no matter what?"

"A man can only be beaten in two ways: if he gives up or if he dies."

- Former Navy SEAL, Zen Buddhist, Self-Protection Specialist Richard "Mack" Machowicz

What is an Evangelical?

"Evangelicalism is dead . . . Evangelical Christians no longer believe the Bible. Their real religion is Equality, which trumps their so called biblical convictions." (white supremacist radio talk show host James Edwards)

Over the past decade, I have heard and read that the team "Evangelical" referred to Protestants with a severe affinity for the gospel and Jesus. This was the team that held a high view of Scripture, the death & resurrection of Jesus, proclaimation of the gospel message, and the evidence of one's conversion (being born again) through "faith & deeds."

However, nowadays, everyone from the likes of Brian McLaren, Erwin McManus, John MacArthur, Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, Elmer Towns, Chuck Swindoll, Chuck Smith, T.D. Jakes all apparently fall within this team. Nowadays, things are just not that simple anymore. Complicated? Quasi-neo-liberal social gospel-ites, open theists, prosperity gospel-types (with the lower case "g"), free will advocates, Calvinists, inclusive "warm fuzzy" inter-faith dialoguers, far right, far left, pro choice, pro life, same sex marriage advocate, traditional marriage advocate . . . the team doesn't seem to be on team anymore. Back in the day when Billy Graham started preaching, the team was simple and the lines were clear - today, the team is no longer a team but still tries to maintain the name, the theological lines are deeper and depending on which sub-team you are on - the lines may or may not be clear but "unattainable" and mysterious.

Is there such thing as loyalty to a team? In fact, does a "statement of faith" matter or hold worth in such an era as ours? One seminary boasts being "inclusive" while another boasts "biblical fidelity" ~ whether we like it or not, their clones have gone viral and the "evangelical community" will suffer. How does this play out theologically, missiologically and ecclesiologically? Shot gun blast, nuclear fallout, sniper round, cruise missile, chemical warfare, or the largest conventional weapon available post-cold war "a bunker buster"? Whatever we dump in the "front end" will come out the "back end" ~ we need to closely monitor and evaluate the "back end" damage.

When a white supremacist has a better take on the team, God have mercy on us all.

Hero of Last Month ~ My Rant

Former Principal Ken Fells of Graham Creighton Junior High of the Halifax School Board in Nova Scotia attempting to cease and desist 14 year old Josh Boutilier. Props to Fells who held his ground and put himself in a potentially dangerous situation as another student could have blind-sided him. As the parents of Boutilier create smoke and fallout over the incident, the rest of the country observes their clear irresponsible upbringing of another disrespectful, self-entitled, ignorant bastard of a boy . . . one who probably don't got no self-respecting Daddy who can teach him manhood at home.

Principal Fells, thank you for "manning up" when the boy was severely lacking.

Swagger Wagon

Yeah . . . jus' chillin' . . . wit' 'da familia.

Precious Death Lives!

Here's a secret . . . a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . . grunge and metal were the only tunes pumping from my '85 Celica GT. Oh yes, oh yes. Alice in Chains, Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine, Pearl Jam, Megadeath, Metallica . . . and yes, Precious Death (ala King's X). My homie LY ~ a diehard, US Navy, bodyguarding bassist ~ intro'd me on the PD. Ah yes, they live. They live here. Guess which one band member is the theologian? Reformed at that?

"Don't be Wimp Man!"

Yes, that is my jab at single men. C.J. Mahaney's great pre-marital talk "Preparation for Marriage" which originally aired back in '94. A Christ-centered, gospel-driven teaching for those who are single. Mahaney underscores the talk with the Puritan ethic of marriage: "Look not for a partner whom you love passionately at this moment, but rather for one whom you can love steadily, as your best friend for life, and then proceed with God’s help to do just that." Click here for the 2 part series from Sovereign Grace Ministries.

Coffee: The New Health Fad

I've always known that coffee contained amazing supernatural powers. Such that researchers have known found that coffee drinkers "may be at lower risk of liver and colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, and Parkinson's disease" (not to mention that café is America's #1 source of antioxidants). CNN posted this amazing article on coffee and health.

And yes, the only way to drink coffee is always leaded and always "straight black." When you are out in the bush and you fall and fracture a bone . . . no worries, just pour some coffee on that open wound. Hoo-rah!

"No, Mr. President" - John Piper's Response to Obama

When the sovereignty of God is diminished and the ability of humanity is elevated, one finds themselves amidst the ghosts of the Enlightenment. The prophets of which foretold the great deception that "humanity would kill the idea of God." Are we truly that autonomous, with such potential waiting to unleash, able in and of ourselves? Rights and privileges . . . do we, at a cosmic level, deserve or dare demand the divine right of choice apart from a Holy God? Right to choose, whatever the choice - sexual orientation, sexual deviation, life, death, war, peace, God, Satan - is humanity morally able to do such a thing apart from God's grace? Scripture reminds us that dead men are dead, they are slaves to darkness. IF dead people make choices, THEN all that follow is certain to be void of life and light.

Navigating the Culture Waters

I'm not talking about "culture" in the Newbigin/Niebhur-ian sense ~ which might be a useful tool to use if you are fluent in North American culture attempting to evaluate Western society. Culture as in the one that clashes between the "motherland" and "wherever you just so happened to be doubled parked." Nowadays, it is common knowledge amongst emerging generations of immigrant families living in North America that "things aren't the same back at the ranch." You've got different traditions/customs, cuisine, languages . . . values that guide the practices/rituals. "Am I black or am I white?" (props to MJ) I'm neither! A completely different issue that arises for me are the black or white guys who show up to multicultural church dialogues (where the "truly" invisible, visible minority brethren gather - Hmong, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipinos, South Asians, Koreans, etc.) ~ sorry black & white boys, you just too political for me.

Often times, especially amongst second-generation, visible minority, "my-parents-are-immigrant" Christians - we have basically two options to take for evangelical spirituality and church growth. The first is "by-the-numbers" - as though the statistics and academics of our parent's dreams were not good enough . . . there are the Ph.D.s and engineers that analyze second-generation ministries. The second, less common, are those who have a deep rooted understanding of the Bible, God's mission and the fallness of humanity. This latter group tends to be less vocal - more pastoral geek and less missiologist or contextual theologian geek. I think of the John Neufeld's (Willingdon Church in Burnaby, BC) or the Tim Keller's (Redeemer Presbyterian in NYC) or even yes, the likes of Erwin McManus (Mosaic in LA). Theologically from different teams (MB, PCA and hybrid SBC), but the one thing they hold is common is a firm grasp on the Bible (I know that McManus pushes everyone the wrong way) . . . less formulas, less tables, less methods, less practice . . . more Scriptural, more theology, more uncertainty. Somehow, these guys resonate more with me . . . more on gospel church and gospel community, less on multicultural church and multicultural community. I think that the whole multicultural church effort may have become just another church growth method. Case and point, people are making lots of money off of it (e.g. conferences, books, speaking deals, etc.) and its results are minimal. Obviously, if you are a numbers guy everything you see and think will be filtered through that lens . . . and just think if you are a gospel guy? I guess to be fair I should toss in the third group that I failed to mention . . . the culturally comfortable despondents. I think of all the American/Canadian Toi-san 30-40 something folks that I know of who continue attending church and doing whatever they need to do to rid themselves of shame and gain points with their parents. These guys prefer the glorified babysitting English Ministries . . . as long as the preacher or speaker has something relevant to their context (e.g. parenting, finance, educational/vocational development, etc.) - which in turn feeds their competency to please their parents. And for a second, cultural relativists unite, by which culture would this type of behavior be interpreted as being "less, weak, incomplete, infantile, underdeveloped . . ."? Hmmmmmm. But then again, what does Scripture say in regards to these practices and types of behavior?

How does one develop a solid biblical theology within the second-generation? Does it require for us to adapt to the North American banter of "taking out the white guy" and "replacing him with a non-white guy"? Are we adopting Western ideology (and become white-ified) in order to achieve success? Do we hold hands with the dominant minority groups (e.g. blacks, hispanics, and the ever present hyper political LGBT) in order to achieve God's will? Does it require for covert operations of "reverse racism" amongst the ranks of our denominations to occur? Does it require for more modern studies and methods to take place? Does it require for more "dialogues" and "conversations" to be perpetuated? (is it only me or have discussions regarding English Ministries hit 40 years in US circulation?) For the record, this is my rant . . . no answers, just rant . . .

If God is sovereign and has called each of us to a particular place and time for His particular purposes, why does He do that and for what reason? And to what extent does it matter to Him that we are a visible minority?

My adopted white Mennonite dad used to always remind me, "it still takes 50 years to grow an oak tree!"

Cleaning Up Your Online Reputation

Was listening to talk radio on the AM yesterday and came across an interesting conversation. Apparently, employers are increasingly adding to their arsenal of vetting potential workers the simple use of Googling a persons's name. Everything from the most recent blog entries, facebook photos and "hate" mail pops up using the mega search engine. Newsweek even featured an article on "Cleaning Up Your Online Reputation" which outlines how one can retake one's online identity. So it goes multiple directions: twittering enables employer's to track one's productivity, blogging and a facebook status can enable employer's to track one's satisfaction and "team capacity", flickr enables employer's to become the moral police sifting for people "who don't fit the company profile." Not to mention, if someone really hates you they can always hijack your online reputation and "go to work" on you with the text-based hating (or for that matter, create a fake identity which drags you all over cyberspace in shame) . . . Which then naturally begs the other question "How Does One Hide From the Internet?"

CBC Radio: "Canada Live!"

I love CBC Radio . . . I listen to both 88.1 FM & 105.7 FM (though CBC Radio 1 in the morning is more favorable to my taste ~ "The Current" & "Q w/Jian Ghomeshi"). Want something musical and tasteful, check out the Alex Cuba band or on myspace (Alexis Puentes, a Cubano living in Smithers, BC). A live performance recorded at the Park Theatre in Winnipego. CBC Radio 2 also has in their archives the likes of Bruce Cockburn and bites from Folkfests across Canadiana.

What is the Greatest Theological Challenge facing the Next Generation of Pastors?

This was a post on Resurgence of which both Dr. R.C. Sproul & Dr. Michael Horton responded to. Horton's response resonated with me - his thoughts regarding the emerging theological challenges for modern pastors. Historic orthodoxy, for example, in particular the doctrine of the Trinity is being challenged and replace with (evangelicals in favor of) on one hand unitarinism and on another hand a social tritheism.

Horton goes on to unpack why this is the case in revealing that the Christology of many modern evangelicals is biblically deficient and frankly heretical [my add & emphasis].

"Christology is the next frontier for tinkering . . . if Jesus Christ leads us by His moral example - that's how he saves us . . . then what you really need is a tool kit not a Redeemer . . . then there is absolutely no reason for God to descend to us in the flesh to save us . . . If we can save ourselves OR If there is not need to save ourselves from God's righteous, just wrath . . . then there is no need for Jesus to be divine, no need for Jesus to absorb the judgement meant for us."

If there is no need for a divine Jesus then these moralistic, fake, socialists-in- pastor's-clothing should pack up and go home. Not to say that we throw out the baby with the bath water. Yes, I firmly believe that social justice is important to Jesus. But when someone throws out the divinity of Christ for the humanity of Christ - "I follow the moral example of Jesus . . . to the detriment of the divinity of Jesus" . . . that's not Jesus anymore (can we say "both ands" here?). God, sanctify us in this pastoral endeavor . . . not to be moralistic, therapeutic demonics . . . but faithful followers of the Way.

What are the "things of men"?

31He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[c] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

Mark 8.31 - 38 (NIV)

The "things of men" are the things that do not reflect the gospel of God's grace. These are the things that occupy our hearts and minds for self pleasure and enjoyment which do nothing to point our hearts back to Jesus. They can be as sedated as frivolous thought or extreme as blatantly popular spirituality - anything which obstructs or distracts us from attributing our existence to God's grace, faithfulness, mercy, love, holiness, perfections, etc. . . . those things we must avoid like the plague. "Those things" are the hybrid false idols of our age. Again, if Jesus Christ is not our starting point, wherever we attempt to head towards will only gain distance between us and God.

The Hansen Report: 5 Myths about Emerging Adult Religion | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

All the idealistic navel gazing of the past decade of a middle class liberalized evangelical movement has been found out by the sociologists.

The Hansen Report: 5 Myths about Emerging Adult Religion | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

The Analogy of Faith

Analogy of Faith (according to Dr. Graham Cole; professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School). A rule of thumb - dating back to the Reformers - for interpreting the Bible; hence protecting you from heresy and the like)

- Use Scripture to understand Scripture
- Never use Scripture against Scripture
- Plain Scripture to understand obscure Scripture
- “When we put a text, in its context, in its argument or literary unit, in its book, in the canon, in the light of the flow of redemptive history.”

Props to Dann Huff

Alright, if I gots Shawn Tubbs on here I'd better get some Dann Huff too . . .



One the primo session Nashville players . . . off the hook.

Props to Shawn Tubbs

Shawn Tubbs is sick . . . real sick.



Listen to the guitar workshop he gives on the Strength album from the Violet Burning (this was back in '92). Chosen is available for free download right now.

Consumer Spirituality (part 1 "Spoiled Rotten")

Information and services have never been so accessible to humanity in all of history. Perhaps seen in previous generations under the guise of something else, we now have a new breed of mutant evangelicals who feed their conference junkie, virtual responsibility, shallow spirituality, realistically immature souls. Men no longer want to be men, women no longer want to be women with men who don't know how to be men, people don't want to be people, fathers don't want to be fathers, husbands don't want to be husbands, pastors don't want to be pastor . . . we can pay to "just pretend." Go to this conference, attend this boot camp, go to that workshop, go to this seminary. People who aren't called to be fathers, husbands, or pastors and pretend to be fathers, husbands and pastors. Justification for fornication, justification for identification, justification for ordination? What seems to be missing here? God? Jesus Christ? At the most basic level, submitting one's life to Christ/the gospel, God's word and His grace - completely and utterly absent. If we can pay for it, we deserve it and damn it we will have it. The overkill of information and services has created so many micro-levels of confusion and blur that even the village idiot can now get up to the pulpit and preach. We have migrated far from being "sinner's saved by grace through faith" (historical orthodoxy) to "good people - since I paid for the premium product labeled 'goodness' - who need to mine out our potential and self-deserved privileges and status" (neo-humanistic, post-evangelical, neo-liberal heresy).

Matt Chandler, a Jesus loving prophet and leader from within the movement, has this to say to a generation of IPOD carrying, MAC identifying, Facebook twitting, wifi hunting, expensive food & coffee slurping, branding infatuated, fabricated identity creating, 21st century evangelicals . . . essential a pack of spiritual posers who identify with each other and reinforce the pack mentality.

"I think that what we are doing here is a little dangerous . . . not in the 'save the world for Jesus' dangerous . . . dangerous in terms of a constant gathering of information with no real effort or ability to apply that information. So then you create this weird Christian subculture where you got your heroes, you got your preachers, you got your . . . and everyone keeps coming to the same conferences over and over and over again . . . and it kinda reminds me of the Old Testament somewhere where God says 'I hate your gatherings.'" (Matt Chandler, Advance '09 from his intro "Preaching the Gospel to the De-churched")

"Stop bringing offerings that do not mean anything to me! I hate your incense. I can't stand your evil gatherings. I can't stand the way you celebrate your New Moon Feasts, Sabbath days and special services. I hate your New Moon Feasts and your other appointed feasts. They have become a heavy load to me. I am tired of carrying it. You might spread out your hands toward me when you pray. But I will not look at you. You might even offer many prayers. But I will not listen to them. Your hands are covered with the blood of the people you have murdered. So wash your hands. Make yourselves clean. Get your evil actions out of my sight! Stop doing what is wrong! Learn to do what is right! Treat people fairly. Give hope to those who are beaten down. Cheer them up. Stand up in court for children whose fathers have died. And do the same thing for widows. 'Come. Let us talk some more about this matter,' says the Lord. 'Even though your sins are bright red, they will be as white as snow. Even though they are deep red, they will be white like wool. But you have to be willing to change and obey me. If you are, you will eat the best food that grows on the land. You must follow me. You must obey me. If you do not, you will be killed with swords.'" (Isaiah 1.13 - 20 NIV).

"But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matthew 6.20 NIV).


God, have mercy on me.

"Christ the Only Way" (Dr. R.C. Sproul)

Comments on the Future

"Evangelical angst about its current state and future prospects. Evangelicals are trying to figure out who they are and who they should be. We see that in the 'Evangelical Manifesto,' the Gospel Coalition, in This We Believe. There are all these movements trying to define who evangelicals are and what evangelicals should be. Since evangelicalism is the only growing segment of American Christianity, its angst and future will matter deeply to the church in North America."

Ed Stetzer, editor, president, LifeWay Research

"A widespread abandonment of Christian doctrinal commitment — even doctrinal knowledge. Forget the rising number of people with no religious identity; the news to me is the vast number of self-identified Christians who have no real knowledge of, or deep commitment to, a specific Christian faith. You could say they were watering down Christianity's teachings, but I question if they even know those core teachings."

Cathy Lynn Grossman, religion reporter, USA TODAY

Truly remarkable, truly uncensored, truly prophetic words for the church of Jesus Christ to digest.

The Prosperity Gospel

The Prosperity Gospel from The Global Conversation on Vimeo.

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Seminary Survival Percentage

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Chuck Norris is Cool

The world of Chuck Norris info just keeps growing and I can't get enough of it! For example, did you know:

. . . Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird.
. . . Chuck Norris doesn’t need a weapon. He is one.
. . . When Chuck Norris does push-ups, he isn’t pushing himself up. He’s pushing the earth down.

Sometimes, I really want to be like Chuck.

Grade 1 Fun

"One for all and two for one . . ."

"No sweetheart, its 'one for all and all for one'"

"No Daddy, that's how my friend taught me."

So I overheard my kids playing and attempted to correct them on their obvious misuse of the phrase made popular by the Three Musketeers . . . but apparently I was wrong. I guess this is what happens when East Indian and Chinese kids start playing together . . . the collision of centuries old cultures "activate" the deep rooted cheapness in their genes.

Sowing & Reaping

Some bad late night television . . . very bad late night television . . . oh so bad . . . (yes, I'm talking televangelist). This was a segment done by an Australian show highlighting the "worst of late night tv." Good grief.

I will never forget . . .

What I'm listening to . . . and wish had more time to . . .

Not enough time in the world for everything, but in my ideal world I would make time to audibly digest the following artists:

Adrian Gruning (Ibanez Signature artist - Argentinian jazz bassist)
http://www.myspace.com/adriangruningmusic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J9LSFb6Y6E (yes I have a SR300 as well)

Gabriela Montero (Venezuelan Concert Piano Diva - Improvisation Specialist)
http://www.gabrielamontero.com/

Lenny White (freaking Jazz drummer extraordinaire)
http://www.lennywhite.com/
http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/lennywhitereturnforever.html (Clark, Di Meola, Corea & White - make me soil myself)

Gregory Charles (the music man)
http://www.gregorycharles.com/
Was my Sunday morning drive talk show guy . . . until CBC 2 Radio pulled him ("In the Key of Charles"). Read here for the CBC layoffs and cuts. Guy would be on the piano doing "live hosting" playing and singing whatever the show's theme was. Crazy amount of musical knowledge and actual chops that were legit! Always the man in my book, always gonna be.

How Bing bankrolled Bill's Korean mission

Amidst the emotion and tears of the return of Laura Ling and Euna Lee . . . there seems to be another story. Not the one about American celebrity host Lisa Ling going on television to leverage the American public - something the North Koreans are sure to love. Not the story about how two employees of Al Gore's Current TV Cable television outlet somehow ended up in the custody of the North Korean border patrol. Not the story about former President Bill Clinton's ability to get the job down of securing the release of Ling and Lee. Not the story of Clinton's wealthy friend, Steve Bing ~ the guy who owned the "white jet" the girls stepped off of ~ financing the "rescue" mission. Not the story about how an American private jet carrying a former US president, a team of US Federal Secret Service agents, and members of Clinton's staff could even land in North Korea without being shot down . . . those stories would be worth researching.

No, the other story that got to me was the reminder of those who intentionally bring the gospel subversively into lands that are hostile to Jesus. The ones who don't just report across the river of danger, but cross over then journey deep into the land of danger. As followers of Christ, the reality of our faith is suffering . . . not comfort, not convenience, and certainly not copping out. I am reminded to pray for those who suffering, being tortured, even killed daily for the gospel . . . even American missionaries die for Jesus . . . that's expected.

A hint of this suffering can be found at "The Voice of the Martyrs" ~ a global perspective of the persecution of God's children. Open Doors ~ a ministry which serves the persecuted church worldwide ~ also has a word ("No Pardons for Thousands of North Korean Prisoners") for the church of Jesus Christ amidst the release of Ling and Lee, it can be found here.

Jesus once said this, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5.10 NIV). This is the story I am reminded. God's peace and grace to you Laura Ling and Euna Lee . . . God's mercy to all of us.

Christopher Yuan's Testimony

The testimony of a former homosexual, HIV-positive, passionate follower of Jesus Christ.



For anyone who has chosen to hate others, to hate God, and even themselves. This is the word of the Lord for you, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Galatians 2.20 NIV). This is the hope and confidence we can have only through Jesus Christ. Repent of your sins and have faith in Jesus Christ.

Gender Wars

Does the Bible have anything to say about gender or gender roles? I thought Genesis 2 was sufficient - man and woman, man created as incomplete and in need of help; equal nature and likeness but distinct in gender roles (man is neither more/pig or less/spineless).

One recent argument I read pits the doctrine of the trinity against itself: a hierarchial view of the trinity VERSUS a mutuality view of the trinity. On top of this would be the less than sola scriptura hermeneutic which presupposes certain 1st century Palestianian household codes (as found in Ephesians 5, Colossians 3 and 1 Peter 2) were used to structure family businesses for maximum profitability. Hence, lateral movement of such principles would violate biblical principles - family as business? Also, to superimpose such principles would simple reflect the fallen nature of humanity; hence, egalitarianism.

I know, I'm the dumb guy . . . here it goes. God is the Father - the Son refers to Him as such and relates to Dad as such (hierarchy?). Nowhere in the Bible do I see a conspiracy theory where the Holy Spirit takes lead in the Trinity either . . . that I know of. Aside from the fact that the Son is okay with the knowledge of certain events known exclusively only by the Father. Just as a note, I am not a subordinationist (members of the trinity are less than one another in nature and essence - this heresy would suggest that God is the nose tackle, Jesus is the linebacker, the Holy Spirit is the free safety ~ in terms of power structure) . . . I hold to what Millard Erikson describes as "economic subordination" ~ one godhead existing eternally in three persons, all three persons (hypostasis) of the trinity are equal in substance (ousia) but distinguished by their roles (economic).

As far as the family household code/family business protocol . . . yikes. Husbands are to be the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. Isn't Paul just reflecting on the headship as taught in Genesis 2? Is that analogy a business model? Is Jesus the CEO/CFO of the "biz"? What the freak? So Paul's take on wives and husbands, children and parents, slaves and masters . . . not unpacking a certain power structure that needs to be maintained in order for harmony to occur? I'm seriously confused. If anything, this is a good example of prima scriptura . . . starting point is something in addition to the bible, not just the bible itself. A different kind of fidelity - faithfulness to the bible . . . kinda . . . and a bunch of smart dudes with degrees . . . and views that can only be afforded by a western nation that finances it's institutions towards neo-radical liberalism. I think.

JI Packer Gets the Boot

"From that time on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near'." (Matthew 4.17 NIV)

JI Packer was recently kicked out of the Anglican Church of Canada when he told his denomination to repent of their sin of condoning same-sex marriage. Because they did not repent, Packer went on to call them heretics. Now, for some of us, this is a big and weighty word with power behind it. Mark Driscoll asked Packer, “Why did you call them heretics?” This is Packer’s response (paraphrased by Driscoll):

“Heretics don’t call people to repent of sin . . . all you need to do to be a heretic is accommodate sin, tolerate sin, bless sin, sanction sin, excuse sin, not oppose sin . . . the first word of the gospel is ‘repent’ that is what Jesus preached. Anyone who does not call their people to repent, does not love them, does not love the Lord, does not love the word.”

John Piper's Panel Quotes

Some great insight and wisdom from Pastor John Piper's response to Stephen Um's question "How do you apply/emphasize a word-based ministry in your local church besides merely preaching?" (ala The Gospel Coalition 2009 Conference).

"[speaking to preachers] lead by teaching . . . I'm breaking my back not to be the authority in this church . . . get your nose in this book [the Bible] . . . don't hover over text [e.g. drawing attention constantly to yourself, your stories, your authority, your analysis, your insight, your psychology, etc.], land in the text."

The authority of God is found and established in God's word . . . nothing else (e.g. narrative, current events, stupid jokes, blather, etc.) . . . hence, the primacy of God's Word - sola Scriptura.

Kim Jong IL - E Harmony

"you throw and then in the hole . . ."

Evangelism Without Proclamation

William Booth the founder of the Salvation Army "insightfully remarked" (prophesied) of a false gospel that would be preached in the twentieth century. He warned of "a generation that would accept a gospel that preached a faith without repentance, religion without the Holy Spirit, a salvation without Lordship and a Christianity without Christ." Unfortunately, that description fits most of the churches I know. God help us . . . Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.

"There is a tendency in some quarters today to promote a kind of evangelism without proclamation. Acts of service done or people are invited to experience Christian worship. But without words of explanation these are like signposts pointing nowhere or, worse still, signposts point to our good works. The gospel is good news - a message to be proclaimed, a truth to be taught, a word to be spoken, and a story to be told."

(page 54, "Total Church" by Tim Chester and Steve Timmis)

When in doubt, "TAP OUT!"

Not to be confused with Sensei Gene Lebell's mantra, "When in doubt, choke 'em out!" The following is a tribue to bad boy PK at UPenn. You will forever be "That Freak of Nature"! I don't even remember what happened. I think it was an arm bar . . . or Kimura . . . or Americana . . . don't remember much since you were beet red in freaking pain. Anyhow, here's the 411 in case that ever happens again. Call it BJJ gone bad, I was careful. And, for reals, I'm sorry mang. Peace.

Chris Botti - When I Fall in Love

Botti 'da freak and 'da mang!



His "Live in Boston" is off 'da hook and too schweet to pass up - very musical and tasteful.

WARNING: "Illiterates Are Not Welcomed"

Well, they are welcomed here . . . but in the leadership of the local church they do tend to spoil the food. Here's a humbling post by Dr. Ligon Duncan III:

"Here's a quote to chew on (even more relevant in an internet age than when its sentiments were uttered in the nineteenth century).

Philip Schaff observed, with dismay, the popularity in America of self-educated theologians, unexposed to the traditions of the academy, who presumed to establish themselves as authorities in matters of religious truth. He lamented that 'every theological vagabond and peddler may drive here his bungling trade, without passport of license, and sell his false ware at pleasure.'

E. Brooks Holifield, Theology in America: Christian Thought from the Age of the Puritans to the Civil War (Yale University Press, 2003). Quote is on page 17, in the introduction."

Yes, in my "youthful" arrogance (though not as youthful anymore) and impetuousness I do agree with Dr. Duncan ~ here is the original post. Lord, have mercy on me.

"Listening to the Beliefs of the Emerging Church" Quote #1

In response to Doug Pagitt's chapter "The EC and Embodied Theology", Mark Driscoll writes the following:

"If both doctrine and practice are constant, the result is dead orthodoxy, which Pagitt is reacting against. If both doctrine and practice are constantly changing, the result is living heresy, which Pagitt is contending for. But if doctrine is constant and practice is constantly changing, the result is living orthodoxy, which I propose is the faithful third way." (page 147, "Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches)

I am still processing Pagitt's assumptions regarding the theological endeavor, there are a few thoughts that intrigue me. However, the big MD shooting from the hip somehow always nails the bullseye.

Good Eats - not all that "cheaps"

Some good eats . . . but not particularly cheap . . . but still good. Alright, this is just my own list of where's to go when jonesin' fo' some eclairs and choco-ssaints.

Le Moulin de Provence (Ottawa, ONT) - located in the ByWard Public Market. Francais pastries? Provence? Yeah. Grab a cafe while you are there.

Le Panier (Seattle, WA) - across the street from Pike Place Market (across is where the foodies hang . . . not in).

La Baguette et L'Echalote Vancouver Bakery and Pastry Boutique (Vancouver, BC) - Granville Island's ultimate French pastry experience. When here, I go to Blue Parrot for a cup of java . . . and even the occasional raspberry mocha.

Pacific Institute of Culinary Art's bakeshop (Vancouver, BC) - I keep hitting "La Baguette" but PAICA is the bomb.

Draeger's Markets (Bay Area, CA) - I know, you say "what the?!?!" Hey, this is the Dunkin' Donuts of low end pastries . . . and my what a nice selection of wine they have.

Balthazar Bakery (Lower Manhattan, NY) - Mo' betta' butter babee!

Munus Triplex

Props to John Calvin for the concept of the mediatorial three-fold offices of Jesus Christ:

- Christ as Prophet
- Christ as Priest
- Christ as King

Something that we men might want to listen up and pay attention to (cf. 1 Timothy 2.5; Ephesians 5.25 - 26). As prophet, Jesus represents God before the people. As priest, Jesus represents the people before God. As King, Jesus rules by the authority of God. Men need to learn to lead well - in true Christ-likenss, as prophet, priest and king of our families. We don't lead separate from Christ, we are able to lead because of what Jesus did for us.

Wonder Working God

Toon with Andy Park doing their new song "Wonder Working God." Check sit out . . .

Currently I-tuning . . .

"Songlines" - The Derek Trucks Band (2006)

Gov't Mule-ish, Allman Brothers-ie - southern blues rock with a soul groove and twist. To describe this album as being musical is an understatement . . . Derek Trucks is one of the foremost masters of the slide (haunted by Mississippi bluesman Robert Johnson).

Here's a youtube of "Joyful Noise" . . . ah soulful riffs . . . "can I get a witness?"

My Top Bible Translations

Being Chinese this somehow makes more sense to me. I don't know where I learned this from, but essentially when looking at the endless number of bible translations available there are two things to consider. In the realm of translations there are a myriad of factors to consider when going from the original manuscript language (i.e. biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, or Classical Greek - none of which are used or spoken today; see? Just like Chinese) to whatever language you are translating to. Who is doing the translating? What theological persuasion do they represent? Are they just "hard-core ancient text geeks" or "diehard into Jesus"?

The two main considerations would be which translation would you require? The two main approaches to bible translation are "formal equivalence" and "dynamic equivalence". "Formal" would be your "word for word" or literal approach while "dynamic" would be your "thought for thought." I would argue that both approaches are quite useful for the serious bible student - "serious" would mean giving great care to being faithful to the original meaning and thought. Having said that, here are my picks for bible translations that I would use for bible study and sermon preparation:

Formal Equivalence:
English Standard Version
New American Standard Bible

Dynamic Equivalence:
New Living Translation (2nd Edition)
New International Version

I also keep a New Revised Standard Version around because my bible school professors prefer using it, while the "CEV - Contemporary English Version" would be the NRSV's "thought for thought" wingman which also maintains "gender sensitive" language. I also like the readability and flow of Eugene Peterson's "paraphrase" "The Message".

My music has slipped . . . and faded . . .

Here's Theo Chou, "pal-o-mine" from the early 90's ~ we played together back in the day. He has since graduated from Berklee and moved onto better things . . . like session work in Taiwan (c'mon, who goes there?).



Notice Theo's white Strat Yamagishi custom ~ I believe so. Back in the day, Jimi was Yoda to all the aspiring musicians . . . all the SoCal Asian Christian pop bands, how I dread the memories. But then, God did some hard love hooking me up with my crew. "Thank you Lord for love and fellowship, guitar strings that sing out to you . . ." (ala AACF Terasaki fame).

Some of my peeps who can stir me to motion ~ local BC/Ottawa flav:

Stephen Toon or here
Vania Levans or here

Post-script note - props to Yoda Yamagishi, "Nippon Hendrix Axe Grill Marinade Master." For a lighter shade of LA, check out my "dai low's" tunes here.

For the record, I still prefer Paul Reed Smith (electric) and Taylor (acoustic) guitars . . . I really can't stand anything else but the Kurzweil PC-2X (weighted 88 key with B-3 options) . . . I just can't get away from the Ibanez Soundgear look and feel (2 MK1's and that light ash or mahogany bod) . . . and some day I will enjoy either the Mesa Dual Rectifiers or that psycho Bogner amp with the 11 setting. "Some day" when I learn to play.

If I Was Back in LA . . .

If I was back in LA, I'd be doing this every night . . . Koreanz BBQ meets Taquería!





Check out Kogi here and for their next "truck stop" here.

The B-I-B-L-E

"This week I happened to be in the fellowship room of an A.M.E. church in Philadelphia and there was a Bible on one of the tables, so I opened it instinctively. I discovered that it was the pastor’s Bible, and on the cover page I saw scrawled vertically the word 'B.I.B.L.E.', written as an acronym: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

It’s possible that I got overly excited about that. Maybe it’s a trite and hackneyed play on words old as the hills that I just never happened to come across before. I hope the man made it up himself."

Props to Sister Andrée Seu for that delightful insight. I believe there are roughly 24 AME churches in the greater Philly area.

Say What You Need to Say (ala Mayer)

Arrogance of Youth

One "pomo" take on the "pomo" generation . . . or the whatever they are called this second.

"There's just an arrogance to youth because life hasn't got a chance to beat it out of you yet" (Matt Chandler).

Seminary Survival Quiz

80%

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Favorite Movies of All Time . . . so far

For my own records, these are my favorite movies of all time . . . so far (in no particular order):

Kelly's Heroes (1970)
TRON (1982)
The Karate Kid (1984)
The Last Starfighter (1984)
Red Dawn (1984)
The Goonies (1985)
Ran (1985) - Akira Kurosawa on 'roids
Hoosiers (1986)
Top Gun (1986)
Heartbreak Ridge (1986)
The Mission (1986) - Jesuits versus Portuguese slave traders
Glory (1989)
Die Hard 2 (1990) - John McClane versus top-of-the-food-chain "spec-ops gone bad"
The Last of the Mohicans (1992)
Patriot Games (1992)
Rudy (1993)
Tombstone (1993) - "I'll be your huckleberry . . ."
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
The Rock (1996)
Armageddon (1998)
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Les Misérables (1998)
Three Kings (1999) - Kelly's Heroes remixed
The Patriot (2000)
Remember the Titans (2000)
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
Cast Away (2000) - "Wilson!!!!"
Pearl Harbor (2001) - with the exception of Alex Baldwin's appearance at the end.
Blackhawk Down (2001) - 5 Stars
We Were Soldiers (2002)
Windtalkers (2002)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) ~ ethnic connection
Tears of the Sun (2003) - Bruce Willis, Navy SEAL Commander
The Last Samurai (2003)
King Arthur (2004) - Clive Owne's best "Gerard Butler" impression
Batman Begins (2005)
300 (2006)
Transformers (2007)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Kung Fu Panda (2008) - by far the best kung-fu flick for local-borns

Anything by Pixar is also quite entertaining and thoughtful; for the record I choose Star Trek over the Star Wars franchise.

Gun Safety Technology

Here are 10+ ways/methods of making guns more safe. These would include both the traditional locking mechanism and the newer technologically saavy fingerprint scan and radio frequency proximity sensor. Click here. "Gun safety" is an oxymoron on par with a perpetual "brain fart".

#1 Defensive Team in the NCAA

I never thought that watching football in HD (though it was still 1080i) would ever be that gratifying. Yesterday was an incredible experience of visual proportions. The Trojans stomped the Nittany Lions ~ yes, PAC-10 all the way! Mark Sanchez and his giant receivers (think average NBA shooting guard height) dominated in the 2nd quarter . . . as they say, "the rest was history." Sanchez even read the D during a pass rush and ran in for a TD! C'mon, USC has got to be in the top 3 - Big 10 was not even the same caliber.

Back in the day . . .

I used to hear this over the system at the local arcade back in the day . . .

Traveling with a Same-Sex Spouse

According to the 2008/2009 pamphlet put out by "Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada" entitled "Essential Information for Canadian Travellers" on page 9 is the following:

"Although same-sex marriages are legal in Canada, they are not recognized in many countries, apart from Belgium, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain, and the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Same-sex civil unions are more widely recognized, for example, in Denmark, France, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. Attempting to enter another country as a same-sex married couple may result in refusal by local officials. In addition, homosexual activity is a criminal offense in certain countries and could result in a prison or death sentence. Counsult our Country Travel Reports or the destination country's embassy or consulate in Canada for specific information."

Wow, liberalism does exist within a bubble within the elitist industrialized world. When popped, the liberal emerges to only see that they are not only the minority, but they are in fact on the opposite side of natural law . . . sometimes punishable by death by the majority of the world's nations. Somehow, there is something present even in this federal document that warns against cultural relativism . . . the same type that Obama seemingly embraces in stating "we need to talk and dialogue with Iran, North Korea, etc." Yeah, it's all nice and idealic . . . until you get your a@@ handed to you in a sling.

In Glory with Our Lord Jesus

Remembering all the saints whom I've witnessed pass onto glory over all these years . . .

"And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.'" (Job 1:21 ESV)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28 ESV)

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:4 ESV)

The grace of God weighs heavily upon all people, Isaiah would remind us that the love of God pursues mankind relentlessly ~ but only for those who repent, will the fullness of God's love and grace be revealed to them. Only for those who repent and have faith in Jesus Christ . . . they will see God.