Impact English 2008:
I had ac, I had beds, I had hot water (most of the time), I had toilets, but what made it feel like the world was stripped away? What made corporate worship on Sunday at BICF so sweet? What made it feel like I was living in the world where the music faded away?

What wasn’t there was the American culture, my family, my home friends, my computer, my school, my busy work, the bubble I created and stayed in to keep me comfortable. Not bad things in and of itself, but when used to sustain me, when used to keep me going day to day, when it was used to hold me over until the next day where I could do the same exact thing, that is when it was, dare I say, sinful.

My desire is to go back so that I wouldn’t be in the bubble here, but what I fear is that all I will do in a few months is create my own China bubble.

I still haven’t totally adjusted yet back and that is probably because I don’t want to? I don’t know. I want to be exhausted at the end of everyday, I want to be in a group of goal oriented people, I want to go through the struggles of trying to minister to people who don’t want to hear it, I want to be able to be some king of encouragement to those that have not been blessed with what I have been blessed with, I want to speak people who actually want to hear what you are saying and not people who just want to humiliate you and fill their own pride. I want what God wants, but I fear my heart is far from honestly chasing after God’s own heart.

When there is a group that is set on the same goal, when they all have a focus, it’s hard to be distracted. I’m not saying we had a perfect team, or if there is even such a thing, but even with the imperfections noticeable it’s still easier when everyone is focused on the same direction.

Often times I hear things, I read things, I see things and they inspire me, they give me some insight that I may never have seen or clarified a thought that I couldn’t clarify on my own, but then a day later, 20 mins later, 2 mins later I forget what it was. What happened in between that made me forget? Pride. Often times when I receive that insight, clarification I have conditioned myself to convert it to a “What can I tell people about this, how can I teach this to someone, how can I make this sound powerful?” Where is the meditation, where is the self-examination, where is the self application? It is lost amongst the pride, it is lost amongst the busy work I make my brain do when a thought comes into my head. How do I need to remember these things, how do I need to be sanctified constantly, by examining myself and not looking at pleasing man, man will be grow not from non-practiced ideas, but will grow from what is applied, what is truly lived out. I can only go so far if I come with only ideas, but to live a life that is sanctified will naturally edify fellowship.

Verses:
Psalm 90:12-17, Psalm 91, Isaiah 40:28-31, Jeremiah 9:23-24

-DKo

P.S.
I might change sites

Reflections on coming back (note: not on China), it has been a weird few days, maybe it’s from the jet-lag, maybe it’s from being exhausted for 2 weeks prior, maybe it’s just me, but I know one thing for sure it has been one hard time adjusting back to life in America. All I really want to do right now is to go back to China and meet up with students and do work and be exhausted again and again and again. I don’t know where I’m going with this, all I just know it’s late and half of my body agrees but the other half doesn’t.

I’ve been thinking (very little) and just thought that I might not continue this blog the same way anymore, it’s just a thought, I might feel like doing the same thing by next week, but so far I think I will change how I will blog and what I will blog, nothing specific so far.

Realizations in China:
God is control 100% of the time – He does not let you have 5% or even 1% but gives 0% to His control

As God is everywhere, Satan is nearly everywhere as well, ready to tempt when you’re off-guard

America is in a bubble of sin that it has convinced itself it is fine living in, and has convinced many good intentioned Christians

The body members must always look to the head first and then should then look to the members to see how the task can be done, without looking at the head first, the task is off focus, without looking at the members the task will be done inefficiently

We must be in a pursuit to find God’s clear purpose for us, not some generalization that will not go far in the real world

probably more but I can’t think of them now…

Thoughts:
One thing I’ve learned is that I have conditioned my heart to be sustained by this world. I have wasted more time than I have ever thought, talk to me if you want to full story, no it’s not that interesting if that’s what you were thinking, I just don’t have time to spend on the computer here.

John Piper is Not an Innovator (Desiring God)

Keeping Your Mind Fresh During the Summer (Going to Seminary)

Why It Matters That God Does Everything for His Own Glory (Desiring God)

Four Non-Negotiables (Boundless) Not what you think it probably is about (hint: not about the Gospel)

Tozer’s Contradiction and His Approach to Piety (Between Two Worlds)

Readings:
Always Respond to Every Impulse to Pray (Irish Calvinist) I might have put this quote up before but I forgot and it is good enough to be put up again

But Spiritual Discernment is Wholly Lost Until we are Regenerated (Monergism) excerpt from Calvin’s Institutes

The Apotheosis of the Study Bible (Reformation 21)

From what I have seen so far, I believe it will be the world’s best complete single-volume resource for reading, studying, and teaching the Bible.

-Phil Ryken

Crossway Book Report (Between Two Worlds)

Messages:
Resolved 2008 Conference Audio (Resolved)

Verses:
Mark 15:33-39
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Galatians 4:1-7
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.

If you want to hear these verses preached magnificently, listen to the two C.J. Mahaney sessions at this year’s Resolved.

In essence, Christ traded hands with us. He screamed “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” so that we could cry, “Abba! Father!” He was crushed, He had the wrath of God wrought down upon Him, so that we could be sons, so that we could be heirs. We didn’t have anything in our hands that anyone would want, we didn’t have any incentive that would encourage someone to take our hands, if we put our hands down and left them alone, no one would pick it up and take it, we didn’t even ask Christ to take our hands, if we would have it our way we would keep our sinful hands forever, but Christ said, “I am taking your hand, here is mine!”

So far I have taken about 1600 pictures…

For the ‘Reviews’ section I will put a symbol for the length of the review (L = Long, M = Medium, S = Short)

Summer Readings:
As I promised here is my summer reading plan, I am purposefully making the list longer than what I am capable of reading because if by some chance I did finish the shorter list I would like to have back up, also I like options. The list won’t be too long though because I am going to China this summer for mission work.

Between Two Worlds
John Stott

This is a book I have heard rave reviews over from those well-informed. There isn’t much I can say about this book but that it intrigues me. Although I might never need to preach ever in my life I think that learning about the process is good for me and any Christian, because preaching requires one to exposit the Word correctly, teaches one to stay focused on the Cross, and refines the way something is taught/preached. If that isn’t applicable to Christians I don’t know what I would do.

Resources: Summary (Monergism), Pride in Preachers (Desiring God), Preparing a Sermon (with John Stott) (Josh Harris)

Christian Apologetics
Cornelius Van Til

I bought this book when I was in the infancy of my Christianity and didn’t know what I was getting into. I saw ‘Christian Apologetics’ as the cover and bought it off christianbook.com. When I picked it up years later, I went on to figure out who this Van Til was and later was introduced to presuppositional apologetics. I’ve picked up this book and started it multiple times but because this book is so dense I had to put it down every time, so this summer I would like not to continue the tradition and finish this book. Seeing how I already started with this book because I finished my school year books already, you can make this #1 in my order.

Reviews: The Reformed Baptist Thinker (S)

Resources: Van Til: the Theologian (CRTA)

Communion with the Triune God
John Owen

Recently I wanted to start studying the trinity and get more into John Owen’s work, so what better way of doing that then spending time in this book. I bought the reprint edited by Justin Taylor of Between Two Worlds and Kelly M. Kapic, associate professor of biblical and theological studies at Covenant College. But to be honest I think I will make this one one of my back-up books, because if I read this this summer I would have no time for other books, why make it a back-up book then, you might ask, I don’t know, I know I most likely will not even touch this book this summer, only to put it in my luggage and then take it out of my luggage back on to my bookshelf.

Reviews: Irish Calvinist (M), Provocations & Pantings (L), The Shepherd’s Scrapbook (L), Tolle Lege (S)

Resources: Summary (Monergism)

God of Promise
Michael Horton

I have been meaning to start my deeper study of covenant and dispensational theology for awhile, and now with a summer full of motivation I think I’ll start. Having a quick look at it, it looks like it could take a week to finish this book, but if I looked a little closer I noticed that it will take awhile to go through this book because of the density of the content. I think I will make this #3.

Reviews: The A-Team (S), Discerning Reader (S/M), Reformation Theology (S)

Resources: Summary (Monergism)

Studies in the Sermon on the Mount
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

This book comes from a couple of recommendations by friends. I have been meaning to dive deeper into Martyn Lloyd-Jones, so I think this book would be a good book to continue with. Finishing a in-depth study of Matthews during my weekly bible study, what better way to review and refreshed with a deeper study on the Sermon on the Mount. I have been encouraged to read this so I will make this #2.

Resources: Summary (Monergism), Watch the Past: Living Lessons from Dead Theologians (The Shepherds Scrapbook)

Orders:
From some thinking and deduction I got this order

1. Christian Apologetics by Van Til
2. Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Lloyd-Jones
3. God of Promise by Horton
4. Between Two Worlds by Stott
5. Communion with the Triune God by Owen

Ooh, just came up with an idea, for next week I will reveal (make) my summer reading plans and I will include reviews, summaries, and whatever else I can find on the books I will be reading this summer

Articles:
Six Ways to Hinder Your Prayers (Challies) Selfish Motives, Turning Away From Scripture, Unforgiving Hearts, Family Discord, Unconfessed Sin, Doubt

How to Waste Your Theological Education (From the Study)

Advice to Missionaries (and All of Us) (Desiring God)

Audios:
How To Read 500 Books a Year (Denny Burk)

Readings:

If sin be but a common scar or wrinkle, to be erased from the soul’s surface by a few simple touches; if pardon be a mere figure of speech, meaning God’s wide benevolence or good-natured indifference to evil, why tell of wrath and fire and judgement, the never-dying worm and the ever-rising smoke?

Horatius Bonar, God’s Way of Holiness

Horatius Bonar is also known for his book, Words to Winners of Souls, and one section I found very rebuking/refreshing was a extensive quote of a public confession from  the Church of Scotland in 1965, I could not find the origin document, if there is one, so I found a pdf version of the whole book and the excerpt is in the 4th chapter extending from page 16-21, if you have time read the book,  better yet if you have money go buy the book; if anyone knows of the origin document can you please inform me about it or where I can find it

Randoms:
Top Ten Reasons Why the… Did not Cross the Road (Parchment and Pen) Dispensationalist, Emerger, and Reformed Theologian

Verses:
Ezra 7:10
For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

Study. Live. Preach. (Reformation 21)