Comfort to come, but for now, Suffering
Working on an exegetical paper on 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 for my Greek Syntax and Exegesis class! One last hump to get over until a 2 week “vacation” in Toronto 
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God that is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in the whole of Achaia:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
Summer 2008
As the clock struck 12am, I registered for my summer classes! I changed my mind on a few classes I originally planned on doing so that I could have each week-long summer class spread out a bit, giving me more breathing (reading) time in between each class.
Here’s my current schedule for this summer:
32960 INTRODUCTION TO MISSIOLOGY
Troy Bush
MTWRF(8:00 am-5:00 pm) 6/2/2008 to 6/6/2008
MAIN NRT 104
40080A THE MINISTRY OF LEADERSHIP
Randy Stinson
MTWRF(8:00 am-5:00 pm) 6/23/2008 to 6/27/2008
MAIN NRT 101
34300 INTRO TO BIBLICAL COUNSELING: METHODS & SKILLS
Paul Tripp (visiting professor from Westminster)
MTWRF(8:00 am-5:00 pm) 7/7/2008 to 7/11/2008
MAIN NRT 102
I’ll update this page if there’s any changes;-)
Bird’s Eye View of SBTS
Check out a hi-resolution bird’s eye view of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary by Microsoft’s Live Maps.
Furthermore, Microsoft recently introduced a Web-based service for driving directions that incorporates complex software models to help users avoid traffic jams.
The new service’s software technology, called Clearflow, was developed over the last five years by a group of artificial-intelligence researchers at the company’s Microsoft Research laboratories. It is an ambitious attempt to apply machine-learning techniques to the problem of traffic congestion. The system is intended to reflect the complex traffic interactions that occur as traffic backs up on freeways and spills over onto city streets.
The Clearflow system is freely available as part of the company’s Live.com site (maps.live.com) for 72 cities in the United States. Microsoft says it will give drivers alternative route information that is more accurate and attuned to current traffic patterns on both freeways and side streets.
Spring Reading Days: To Read or Not to Read
Tony Kummer tagged me, so here we are:
1. What are you reading on Spring reading days? [Books I've brought home with me to Toronto, that I "plan" on reading]
- Donald McLeod - The Person of Christ (Top priority–must finish this by the end of the week)
- Tim Challies - The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment (leisure reading!)
- Robert Stein - A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible
- Dan McCartney - Let the Reader Understand
- Daniel Doriani - Getting the Message
- Graeme Goldsworthy- According to Plan
- Paul Barnett - Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity (I don’t know if I’ll get to this)
2. What do you wish you had time to read?
- R. C. Sproul - The Truth of the Cross
- Sinclair Ferguson - In Christ Alone
3. What have you decided NOT to read that you were assigned to read.
- Carson and Moo - An Introduction to the New Testament
4. What is one great quote from your reading?
In fact, without the eternal sonship we should have to abandon the phrase, begotten, not made, altogether. On MacArthur’s construction, for example (taking the sonship to derive from the virgin birth), we should have to insist he was made, not begotten. This is surely perilous. We can speak of God creating the humanness of the Son from the substance of the Virgin, but we dare not speak of his begetting the Son from the substance of the Virgin. That would take us right back to the pagan notion of intercourse between the gods and the daughters of men.
McLeod, The Person of Christ, page 129.
McLeod criticizes MacArthur’s seeming rejection of the preexistence of Sonship, citing MacArthur’s statement in his NT Commentary on Hebrews (pg.28). Since I don’t have MacArthur’s commentary on Hebrews in front of me, I cannot tell exactly what MacArthur is commenting on, and thus McLeod’s point by quoting MacArthur’s comment seems unsubstantiated. While McLeod clearly states on page 128 that “MacArthur’s position must be kept in perspective”, McLeod does not provide a satisfactory perspective to understand MacArthur’s position. Clearly I am a MacArthur fan, and thus take offense — to caricature MacArthur for saying that “sonship began in a point of time, not in eternity” readers should be given the passage MacArthur is commenting on in order to understand what Scriptures MacArthur is interpreting.
Furthermore, McLeod fails to provide biblical evidence or exegesis for eternal Sonship in the 4 pages he allots for the issue. I was left confused by his arguments from church fathers and cannot fully get onboard with eternal Sonship just through biblical logic. While the entire chapter is titled “The Christ of Faith: ‘Very God of Very God’ “, I find it hard to just side with a church father (say even Athanasius) if it’s only because their argument was more biblically logical and is historically accepted! Give me the Scriptural support! (I’m hoping the other half of the book will solve these issues I’ve got with the book;-) )
5. Why are you blogging? (You’re supposed to be reading!)
- McLeod ain’t tickling my theological mind and I’m left unsatisfied with his arguments! Argh :@
I tag Jordan, Bryan, Matt Click, Joshua, and Letoto!
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
I’m working on memorizing Romans 3:21-31, as it will be on my Intro to NT II mid-term next week:
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
In the future, when I get to teach Sunday School again, I am definitely going to be making this kind of lengthy Scripture memorization mandatory for all my students!
A few books I’m reading this semester
These are the books I’m reading for the Spring 2008 semester at Southern Seminary: (more…)
Disciplined for the Purpose of Godliness
I am very glad I took Personal Spiritual Disciplines with Dr. Don Whitney this past semester. He is a very passionate, heart-felt, genuine Christian first and foremost, and his ability to convey all that he has learned and experienced in God is astounding. I got the chance to talk to him briefly while he was sitting beside me in the Founders Café earlier this semester… I only remember asking him about the mystical extra-biblical disciplines of lectio divina and the labyrinth, and that he simply answered me with things he already mentioned in class before – that we always need to turn to God’s Word in order to meet with Him. Whitney was really frank and honest with me, and I’m glad I was able to hear that from him directly. Even despite his finely groomed white beard, he is pretty down to earth and approachable; I am so glad that Southern has such a communicable man of God!
From taking this class, I was encouraged to be more disciplined in my Bible reading and meditation. Whereas before I would be just meditating and reading through one epistle or gospel at a time, I’ve been inspired to be disciplined in following a Bible Reading plan. I am trying to follow the reading plan at the back of my new Literary Study Bible, but this intense week of studying for finals has made me slip a bit from my schedule. Nevertheless, I am glad I am reading a chapter a day from each of the four sections of the Bible (the History/Pentateuch, the Chronicles/Prophets, the Poetry books, and Gospels/Epistles). It’s just amazing to see all in one sitting the promises of God and how they’re made, how He is patient with Israel despite her sin, and how in these last days He has fulfilled all His promises and given us His son. The study notes in my Literary Study Bible are of great help as a precursor to each day’s text, outlining each section I would be reading too.
The other significant thing that this class has given more life to is my time of prayer with God. I’ve been motivated to pray more, and well, more specifically to be honest. I am asking God, verbally, for anything and everything that comes to my mind in terms of my needs, not holding anything back. However, as I am reflecting on this, I am scared of what many of my unanswered prayers mean – has God really said no, or is He just waiting for the right time to give me an answer? I need to spend more time thinking over this, so I don’t know…
I think I’m still a bit cessational in this, whatever that means. I have not ever in my life heard the actual “acoustic” voice of God Himself, but through His Word especially and through Christian friends secondarily the Holy Spirit has re-affirmed many truths that He has already said. I’ve never found God to be speaking contrary to or separate from His Word, so that much remains to be true about my own theology. With more and more prayer, I just can’t wait to hear God speak to me through His Word and through the Psalms of the Day! I’ve tried praying on the phone with my mom while going through a Psalm, and I think she almost got tired and yawned at my long-winded prayer to God about everything LOL! I guess it’s really getting engrained into my prayer life, this praying through Scripture method. I am glad I learned it, and at the same time, very surprised that my pastor back home has not mentioned it to me before:P
The Trump Resounds
Attending Chapel worship has been a great experience this first semester at Southern. Before I came here, I listened ever so often to the sermons online that were from big name pastors like John MacArthur and John Piper. However, being able to be apart of the time of worship is completely different. At first, I was really wowed by the worship atmosphere. It is completely different from what I get at my home church, or even here at Immuel Baptist.
When we sing hymns during the chapel, accompanied by the orchestra and choir, it is truly an amazement experience. I really hear the chapel hall echo with the voice of the seminary community all singing together with one voice, praising the name of the one who alone is worthy of all our praise. And further, to see some students lifting up their hands as an outward display of their inward affections towards God were also quite a sight at first. I didn’t think that was a norm down here, especially during the singing of traditional hymns, but boy were my preconceptions blown to pieces! It’s amazing that people can connect with God so well through hymns – I’m glad my parents brought me up in a church that loves hymn… I yearn to sing songs every week that are at the cutting edge of the 18th century!
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Phriday Photos
Here’s a few pics took tonight during the Annual Kickoff Festival at the SBTS:
Phriday Photos
Under the lordship of Jesus Christ, the mission of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is to be totally committed to the Bible as the Word of God, to the Great Commission as our mandate, and to be a servant of the churches of the Southern Baptist Convention by training, educating, and preparing ministers of the gospel for more faithful service.
Thus, today’s Phriday Photos features some pics I’ve taken here at Southern Seminary 
(See more photos of SBTS that I’ve taken here)
Schedule for Fall 2007-08
Schedule / timetable for my 1st semester @ Southern Seminary:
| Section | Course Name | Hours | Instructor | Meets |
| 42490 | THE COOPERATIVE PROGRAM | 0 | Daniel Hatfield | (TBA) |
| 40150C | PERSONAL SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES | 2 | Donald Whitney | W() |
| 27060A | SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY I | 3 | Russell Moore | M() |
| 22200B | INTRO TO NEW TESTAMENT, I | 3 | Brian Vickers | TR() |
| 22400B | ELEMENTARY GREEK | 3 | Richard Mansfield | TWRF() |
Alarms Blaring
(More photos here)
Another hot day in Louisville, Kentucky here!
After my family left back for Toronto this morning at 7am, I went back to my room to catch a few more hours of sleep. Then I started the long process of settling in and organizing my room. I’ve moved big empty cardboard boxes out of my room, but I still have a lot to organize. I had lunch with a floormate from down the hall; he’s Malaysian and he’s here to do his PhD in church music/worship. He kindly invited me to have lunch with him; he cooked cabbage porridge and we shared that together over some good conversations about our ministry callings.
Later that afternoon, I got my picture taken for my photoID, and met up with a fellow new M.Div/School of Theology student I met through Facebook. I had Desiring God books sent to his mailbox earlier to hold on for me, and we finally met up so I could take those off of him. We had a really good two hour conversation about church, theology, and ministry, and he invited me to join him for a Bible study tomorrow night at 9th and O Baptist Church. Looking forward to that
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Arrived Alive
Hello y’all!
While most of my brothers and sisters from my home church are away to Oakville, Ontario for the church summer conference, I am in Louisville, KY with my parents and sister. I’m moving in this weekend into my dorm room — purposed to spend the next 3yrs pursuing a Master of Divinity at Southern Seminary.
Thirteen Hours
I must say, it was a long 13 hour drive in from Toronto to Louisville. We left home late this morning, just before 9am. Crossing the Ambassador Bridge at Windsor/Detroit took over an hour! We started waiting in line to cross the bridge at ~12:40pm and didn’t cross it until almost 2pm. And then at Customs, I had to wait in line for almost an hour, waiting to get my Visa (I-20) processed and get an extra card stuck to my passport to prove my status as a student.
Thus, we didn’t leave Customs until like 3pm! LOL Talk about a long day of waiting:S Since we were delayed so much already, we ended up picking up Wendy’s along the way and ate in the car while driving down I-75… all 30 pieces of chicken nuggets that is!
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Goodbye to you
This is it. I’ll be on my way to Louisville by the time this is posted.
Goodbye to you, by Michelle Branch.
Of all the things I’ve believed in
I just want to get it over with
Tears form behind my eyes but I do not cry
Counting the days that pass me byI’ve been searching deep down in my soul
Words that I’m hearing are starting to get old
Feels like I’m starting all over again
The last three years were just pretend
And I said**
Goodbye to you
Goodbye to everything I thought I knew
You were the one I loved
The one thing that I tried to hold on toI still get lost in your eyes
and it seems that I can’t live a day without you
Closing my eyes and you chase my thoughts away
To a place where I am blinded by the light but it’s not right **And it hurts to want everything
and nothing at the same time
I want what’s yours and I want what’s mine
I want you but I’m not giving in this time **And when the stars fall I will lie awake
You’re my shooting star
Give Me An Answer 2008
Give Me An Answer Conference 2008
Immortal Combat: Is It Finished?
Missions, Spiritual Warfare, and the Kingdom of Christ
February 8-9, 2008 @ The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Speakers:
- Dr. Albert Mohler: President of The Southern Baptist Theological
Seminary and cultural commentator (and host of The Albert Mohler Radio Program) - Dr. Russell Moore: Dean of The School of Theology and author of The Kingdom of Christ
- Dr. Chuck Lawless: Dean of The Billy Graham School of
Missions, Evangelism and Church Growth and author of Spiritual Warfare.
By His Grace and For His Glory
Sharing & Testimony of my Call to Ministry
I shared the following 10 minute speech with my home church’s English congregation this morning. May this piece of writing be an encouragement to you — wherever you may be on your spiritual journey.
DOWNLOAD & LISTEN:
My church has released the audio of my sharing on its website. Download the MP3 here, or just listen here:
Good morning brothers and sisters!
I address you today, not as someone who is any better or more holy – but as a sinner who has been saved by grace alone – a child of God who has been justified by faith in Christ’s substitutionary death on the Cross. You and me, we are very much alike, for I also am a Christian who struggles in this spiritual journey, and yet—I am preserved by the Holy Spirit to persevere on this mission to make much of Him who has died to make us righteous.
First off, I want to repent and apologize to you for my pride and arrogance. I think over the years, I’ve often said many things that I did not mean or intend to say, or mistakenly come off in the wrong way or have been misunderstood. I know I may often seem very dogmatic about doctrine and how church should be done. And for those times I have unlovingly criticized how or what we’ve done things here at Jaffray, I apologize. I just wish you could know and understand my heart and where I come from, and how much I do love this church…
That you could see what I see every time I have conversations about doctrine and theology, what I picture in my head when I think about the church in all its intended beauty, and why I would ever consider giving up my own career goals to serve the Body of Christ. For what fills my mind every time I think about “church” is Christ Jesus himself on the Cross — He who purchased the church with His very own blood.
As Martin Luther once said,
“This life, therefore, is not righteousness
but growth in righteousness,
… not being but becoming…
We are not yet what we shall be
but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished but it is going on….”
So I hope you can bear with me, imperfect as I am, as I try to be more and more humble in this pilgrimage!
3 Things to Memorize, 3 Books to Read
3 things I must memorize asap (well, within the next 4 months):
- the names of the books of the Bible in order (and correctly spelled),
- the Ten Commandments (short version and in order), and
- the text of 1 Timothy 4:7,
Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness.
and 1 Timothy 4:16,
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Plus, I must read these 3 books:
- Bunyan, John. Pilgrim’s Progress.
- Steer, Roger. George Müller Delighted in God! Tain, Scotland: Christian Focus, 2004.
- Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1991
And since I plan on attend Chapel faithfully throughout this semester for grade, I could additionally read for personal enjoyment:
- Packer, J. I. A Quest for Godliness. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 1990.
All this, just for the Personal Spiritual Disciplines (40150) course I am taking with Dr. Don Whitney every Wednesday this fall.
Ahh…. I should start studying
You’re Invited
The following will be announced today, during the English and Cantonese services at my home church, Toronto Jaffray Chinese Alliance:
Our brother, Alex Leung, has been accepted into The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He will be leaving for Kentucky on August 5 in preparation for his M.Div studies in August. There will be a commissioning service next Sunday, July 29 (at 9am). Please come and join us to celebrate his new journey.
If you are free and have no ministry responsibilities on the 29th –you’re invited to share in this celebration with me
Please pray for me as I am preparing a 10 minute testimonial for that service, as well as packing up for the move to Louisville.
Amen to that, Dr. Mohler
For your weekend viewing… videos from the recent Southern Baptist Annual Convention 2007
Dr. Albert Mohler’s Southern Seminary Report:
(see also the Baptist Faith & Message, 2000):
Dr. Albert Mohler Answers What Doctrines Matter and What Are Secondary:
Dr. Albert Mohler’s Testimony On Suffering:
(HT: Said at Southern)
Between Two Worlds
I had quite the productive Saturday doing what amounts to nothing in terms of a social life. It was one of the few Saturdays from now until I leave for Louisville that I actually had nothing scheduled — no softball, no ministry responsibilities to attend to, no gatherings with friends planned. I did try to schedule something with some friends, but it never came to fruition. Thus it seems to me, either I am quite boring or I have too many friends who are in relationships.
I’ll lean toward the latter
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Make Your Calling and Election Sure
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
(2 Peter 1:3-11)
Southern steals a Canadian
Michael Haykin has been appointed as professor of biblical spirituality and church history at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He was previously at Toronto Baptist Seminary since 2002 — great to see another Canadian and Torontonian moving to Southern, and a pioneer professor in his field whom I could study under
