sethskim.com - Part 2

27Jul

The Funny Thing about Labels

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Viewpoint

Photo by ridelust.com

I love breaking down people’s preconceived notions of things. I love it when people say, “Pastor Seth, when I first met you, I thought you were….”

It is so innate for us to make judgments on people and things just from the externals. This just proves how different we are from God because God always looks at the internals (1 Sa 16:7). This is why we are wrong a lot of times when it comes to judging people (I have my fair share of misreads).

If this is true, then why do we love labeling people?

I think for some crazy reason it helps us to “distinguish” ourselves from others. It helps us to draw boundaries and keep ourselves at a distance, which insulates us from discomfort and awkwardness. Sadly, it builds walls instead of bridges because rather than keeping us humble, it fuels pride in our heart.

If we are serious about reaching the lost, then we have to give this some serious thought. It also applies to the follower of Christ, who is on this journey of becoming more like Christ. Rather than labeling people with our own tainted judgments, it might be helpful to see Christ as our standard. Then we will see that we all fall short of His glory (Ro 3:23). We will see that we are all in need of His grace. This might just transform the way we see and do things.

John Ortberg in his article, “Category Confusion” gives an excellent perspective on the issue of categorizing people. Ortberg writes,

“Much of how we approach church and the spiritual life depends on our deep assumptions about what it means to be Christian. [There are] two different categories, or “sets,” we use to understand being a Christian.

A bounded set is one where all its members are determined by focusing on the boundary. For instance, ‘apples’ is a bounded set. Whether or not an item fits depends on whether it meets the criteria for apples – having skin and seeds and so on. Membership in a bounded set is static. Whether you’re a rotten apple or a ripe apple does not affect your appleness. The focus is not on movement but position.

A centered set, on the other hand, is determined by a focus on the center. Centered sets are dynamic, in motion. With centered sets, the key question is whether I am oriented and moving toward the center or moving away from the center. I’m defined on where I am, and where I’m moving, in relation to the center.

If we treat Christianity as a bounded set, there will always be a disconnect between the gospel and discipleship. The gospel will be presented as something to get you ‘inside the circle.’ Once you’re inside, we don’t want to say you have to do anything to stay in (that would be salvation by works). But we don’t want to say you don’t have to do anything (the triumph of entropy, or, to use a biblical word, being lukewarm, or to use a theological word, antinomianism). So we don’t know what to say.

However, if we treat Christianity as a centered set, the relationship between the gospel and discipleship becomes much clearer. The gospel is the proclamation that life with and through Jesus is now available to ordinary people. It is a free gift of forgiveness and grace that cannot be earned. If I want it, the way that I enter into it is by becoming a follower of Jesus and orienting our lives with him at the center.

The problem with a bounded-set approach to Christianity is not that it highlights the difference between Christians and non-Christians; it’s that it highlights the wrong differences, and encourages us to exaggerate and claim differences that don’t exist.

If we focus on Jesus as the center, then the key question becomes whether someone is oriented toward him or away from him. We realize that God is in a much better position than we are to know who’s in and who’s out. We also realize that everyone has something to learn, that everyone has a next step to take, and we don’t have to make ourselves seem more different than we really are. We embrace our common humanity.

Somebody wrote that in Australia there are two main methods for keeping cattle on the ranch. One is to build a fence around the perimeter. The other is to dig a well in the center of the property.

I think Jesus is more like a well than a fence.

24Jul

God Works and So Do We

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

Photo on regex.info

Recently in my prayer time, God put a phrase in my heart – “Let God do the saving, while you do the serving.” I am constantly reminded of the paradox of God’s Sovereignty and human responsibility. We cannot have one without the other. If we only have one, then it would be like rowing a boat with only one oar – we would go in circles.

Too often we falter in two areas. Either we take all the responsibility on our shoulders and eliminate God from the equation or we get passive and expect God to do everything. But in order to be effective in doing what God has called us to do, we need both.

As I am looking ahead to this coming year, there is an excitement and a momentum that is building within my heart and in our church. We are trying to exercise faith. We believe that God is preparing the harvest field for us. Not only is this in-coming freshman class the largest in the history of University of Michigan, but there will be many new single adults and families coming into the area.

Therefore, as we learn how to sacrifice and do our part by faithfully serving people, God will do His part and save the people.

We cannot get this confused. We do not save anybody. In fact, we cannot by any human means. It has to be the Spirit of God who prepares and prompts people to trust in Christ. We are called to pray and proclaim.

So as we serve, God will save.
I cannot wait to see all that God will do this coming year.

23Jul

The Plight of Procrastination

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various

Sometimes when there is so much to do, it is easy for us to start feeling overwhelmed. This feeling of burden can cause us to procrastinate. It is always easier to deal with reality “later” rather than sooner. It is easier to do everything else but the important things that you need to do. This video describes perfectly how a day can go by and not get anything done.

With all the transitions and the things that “need to get done,” I am praying for more focus. Lately, I am seeing the need for taking my own advice which I have given to people for so many years:

1) Spend time in prayer
2) Set some goals
3) Strategize in achieving the goals
4) Start doing it
5) Seek accountability

14Jul

Some Shifts in Christianity

Author: sethskim | Category: Various, Viewpoint

Photo by psdgraphics.com

It is interesting to note the various shifts that have occurred in Christianity throughout the centuries. A pendulum that swings back and forth until it comes to a halt in the middle can be a good imagery of some of the shifts. In fact, shifts are good because it compensates for people going too far to one extreme. I think about the social Gospel that began to deafen the voices of the fundamentalist in the 20th century. Then there was a shift back to the fundamental evangelical doctrine as the social Gospel opened the doors to liberalism. Now, there is a shift back to the social justice aspect of the Gospel in the recent decades.

Once again, these shifts are good because it helps us from going to one extreme to another.

Recently the Barna Research Group conducted a study where some of their findings re-emphasized the shifts that are happening now.

In this study, the Barna Group gave a snapshot profile of Americans who are active in their faith. They examined various expressions of “group” faith, such as: church attendance, small groups, adult Sunday school programs, church volunteering, and house churches.

Here is a partial list of things that they found:

1. Women drive most faith participation, with the exception of home churches or house churches. A majority of weekly churchgoers are women (53%). Small groups that meet for prayer or Bible study (60%) and Sunday school programs for adults (59%) are also more likely to be attended by women. Similarly, a majority of church volunteers (57%) are females. Home churches are the only type of participatory religious involvement in which most attenders are men (56%).

2. Religious activities are typically missing single adults, especially those who have never been married. Just less than half of Americans are unmarried; however, the Barna study found that two-thirds of those who attend church, go to small groups, and participate in Sunday school are married; and 69% of church volunteers are married. Furthermore, single adults who have never experienced matrimony – that is, they are not currently divorced, separated or widowed – represent fewer than one-fifth of the adults involved, with worship attendance and volunteerism the least likely to attract these never-attached adults. House churches fared better in this regard, reflecting a 50-50 split of married and unmarried participants.

3. Attenders of larger churches involve themselves in the broadest spectrum of faith activities. Americans who typically attend a church of at least 500 adults were among the most likely to also attend small groups, and house churches, and to volunteer. Those attending a medium-sized congregation (101 to 499 adults) were among the most likely to attend small groups and Sunday school classes. No notable patterns emerged among smaller churches.

4. Personal Bible reading is most common among small group attenders. In comparing a personal spiritual activity with participatory involvement, the study showed that two-thirds of church attenders (67%) said they had read the Bible outside of church in the last week – whether their church was a conventional or house church. Small group attenders were more likely to read the Bible personally (84%). Bible reading levels among church volunteers (77%) and Sunday school attenders (77%) were sandwiched between the other forms of group engagement.

As I read the study, I did not find the results too surprising. In fact, it just shows the trends that many people have been noticing, as well as reaffirming the things that churches are implementing.

Here are my conclusions in light of the findings above:

1) While it is awesome that women are more involved in “faith participation,” it is critical to raise up men in the church. This has always been a weak point for many churches. We need to do whatever we can to disciple men. This is not an easy task, but it is something that the Church needs to commit to or we will find ourselves in a difficult situation within the family structure.

2) We have to reach out to the single adults in the Church. It was interesting that many more single adults participated in “house churches.” I think it is a longing for true biblical community rather than the church structure or institution that they are repelled by at times.

3) The trend of larger churches having more people involved in small group ministry (LIFE Groups), shows the need for people wanting “to know and to be known.” Just by going to Sunday Celebration is not enough, but we have to encourage people to get involved in a biblical community through LIFE Groups.

4) When our lives are mingled in with other people then there is greater accountability. The reason why it is easy to “hide” in larger churches is because there is a sense of anonymity. But when people are involved in LIFE Groups then there is a greater emphasis on daily spiritual disciplines and accountability.

As things are shifting in the church structure, we have to trust in our God who never changes. He is constantly working whether we notice it or not. Jesus wants to present a beautiful Bride, a radiant church (Eph 5:25-27) and it is for this end we labor and toil, even though the shifts are bumpy at times.

11Jul

Reverse Culture Shock

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Viewpoint

Photo by Dias Dos Reis

I have always heard about people experiencing “reverse culture shock” when they returned to their primary culture after spending some time away. I never fully comprehended their experience or feelings, even though I went on many missions trips for 3-4 weeks at a time. But now, I am realizing that until you have experience it for yourself, you will never fully understand it.

Also, the struggle of assimilating back to your primary culture is sometimes directly correlated with the amount of time you have been away. Simply, the longer you have been away, the harder it is (and the longer it takes) to assimilate back to your culture.

Even though we have only been away from the States for one year, my family and I have been experiencing a little bit of reverse culture shock. At first, when we landed in the States, everything seemed so surreal. We knew we were back to a familiar place, but yet things were so different.

Before we arrived in the States, when we were on the runway and getting ready to take off, Christina realized that our kids had tears in their eyes and they shared how they are sad to leave. This is when we concluded that we need another debriefing session with our kids (and probably many more to come in the future).

Once we overcame jetlag, we all went to a park near my parents’ place and we ended up sharing and praying together. Christina and I encouraged our kids to keep a good perspective on things. We have been tremendously blessed with our experience abroad. The friendships that we were able to experience are invaluable. We must always highlight the positives and then prepare for the changes coming up.

Then after our debriefing session, we went out to eat. I think they assimilated to that pretty quickly.

Here are some things to keep in mind with the reverse cultural shock experiences:

1) Keep processing your experience. It will take time to fully adjust back to your primary culture, therefore be patient. There will be good days and bad days; therefore, we have to commit to the process.

2) Keep perspective on things. It is easy to judge or be critical of things back home due to our experience abroad. But we have to realize that people did not experience what you have experienced. Also, we cannot forget that we have all changed; therefore we have to see things with a bigger perspective.

3) Keep persevering in community. There will be times when we will go though depression because whether you feel all alone or you start missing things and people back in the host culture. This is when we need biblical community where people can listen and pray for us.

4) Keep praying for God’s mission. Since we have seen with our own eyes all that God is doing around the world, we have a responsibility to pray for God’s mission. We need to keep on praying for the people and the work to continue so that God’s fame will spread.

06Jul

Leaving Indonesia

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Victories, Viewpoint

The day is finally here. It is hard to believe that our family has been here for 12 months. As we were eating our final meal in Indonesia, the family and I spent some time sharing some memories throughout this past year. We laughed a lot and we felt so blessed that God gave us the privilege of experiencing His goodness here in Indonesia. God has truly been faithful.

With all the packing and cleaning done, we are about to head out to the airport soon. I just wanted to take this time to share several things that I am thankful for:

1) God’s Providence. Sometimes understanding God’s will is hard. All the different twists and turns can be confusing. But at the end, we always come to the realization that God is a loving God who has our best interest and His glory in mind. I am just humbled at how God has led us to Indonesia to show us more of His heart.

2) God’s People. More than anything else, the part that I am going to miss the most about Indonesia is the people. So often we come with a mentality that say, “I am here to serve and minister to the people” but the irony is that the people in our church ended up serving and ministering to me and my family. I feel like God sometimes brings certain people your way to show us what it means to love and serve people. With all the beautiful examples of servants in our church, I realized how much more I need to grow in my love for people.

3) God’s Provisions. I remember before coming to Indonesia, I asked God, “how are we going to start this church with the little resources that we have?” But without fail, God kept on providing people and various circumstances to remind us that He alone is our Provider. Everything that we were able to accomplish this year was through the gracious provisions that God gave through His people and even through unexpected means. A person’s trust level increases when God continue to show Himself faithful in providing for His children.

4) God’s Power. The more I reflect on the things that were accomplished in our church, the more we have to come to the conclusion that it was the power of God that transformed every single person in our church. We have seen people awakened to the Gospel. We have witnessed people being set free and released to do ministry. We have seen marriages strengthened. We have seen people more excited about living for God’s Kingdom. And the list goes on and on. It is only by His power we were able to experiences these things. We were just mere vessels.

For Christ-followers, it is never, “good-bye” but rather, “see you later” because whether in this life time or in heaven, we will be together again. I want to thank all of you in Indonesia who have blessed and graced our lives in our time here. You will never be forgotten. Though our roads may diverge for a little while, the imprints that you have made in our hearts will stay for eternity.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Php 1:3-6).

27Jun

Learning through Interviews

Author: sethskim | Category: Various

Photo on buzzle.com

With the remaining time I have left in Asia, I have been trying to squeeze in as my interviews as I can for my doctoral dissertation. I am trying to examine the importance of starting an international church with the alumni from our HMCC churches back in the States. It has been an interesting journey of discovery for me.

I am so thankful for our alumni and the nationals who have been gracious enough to take the time out to do the interviews. Not only did I get to know them better, but it helped me to realize the importance of having an international church like ours in their country.

Here are some lessons learned through the interviews:

1) Open-ended questions will allow people to share what is in their heart, therefore listen well.

2) You don’t realize all the great things God is doing in a person’s life, until you make an effort to get to know people and hear their testimonies.

3) When international students are able to experience the power of the Gospel while they are in the States, God will put a greater desire in them to see it happen in their country, especially with their family and friends.

4) It is amazing to see how God weaves various things in a person’s life in order to bring them to where they need to be at the moment.

5) When we have tasted something that is good (i.e. experience abroad), we do not want to go back to “business as usual.”

6) Learning how to adjust back to our first culture is not easy because our worldview has expanded and changed, therefore we need people and community to help us along the way.

7) Life is sometimes shaped by a web of relationships; therefore love and invest in people because you never know who you will influence and impact.

24Jun

Transitioning the Teams

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

Photo by worldofstock.com

It has been great having the new Jakarta Team here in Indonesia. Even though we have been together for only a week, we have been able to bond quickly together. Recently, our team, along with the new team went away to a retreat center to pray together and prepare for the next chapter in our church. For the next two weeks, we will be transitioning the various responsibilities over to the new team; and the current team will assist in the assimilation process.

It has been encouraging for me to see our current Jakarta Team being so helpful to the new team. It just reminds me the importance of the partnership in the Gospel. We are not doing this alone. As my family and I prepare to make the transition back to the States, I have full confidence that God will lead our church to the next level.

In the last few days, I have been thinking about the importance of transitions. Transitions in life are not easy for many reasons. So, I have been reflecting on the process of transitions for our family and the church. In my reflection, I have made some important observations on what will help in a smooth(-er) transition:

1) Talk things through. One of the major reasons why transitions do not go well is because of the uncertainties and doubts. If the people who are making the transition know what is going to happen, the more they will be able to put things into context. Preemptive communication is key, as well as on-going communication.

2) Train the people. We have to make sure that the two groups of people are trained for the transition. The group that are leaving and the group that are coming in have different things that they have to be trained in; therefore, it is vital that we leave no stone unturned.

3) Transfer the responsibilities. One of the big principles that I have been teaching people is the 5-step process of discipleship. It is simply: a) I do, you watch; b) I do, you help; c) You do, I help; d) You do, I watch; e) Repeat the process with someone else. We cannot forget this process as we transfer the responsibilities. This will require some time but the principles cannot be violated.

4) Take time to pray and then act. Often times, transitions cause so much stress that we natural want to take matters into our own hands. It is crucial that we pause and spend some time in prayer. It reminds us that we are not in control and God is greater, bigger, and stronger. When we pray, it gives us confidence as we move forward in the transition.

5) Trust in God. Ultimately everything is in the Lord’s hands. No matter how well we prepare for a transition, there are many x-factors that can cause all our planning to go out the door. This is why we need to learn how to trust and depend on God to lead us into the future. The greater our view of God, the greater we will be able to have faith that everything is going to work out for our good and for His glory.

12Jun

Identity Theft Sermon Series

Author: sethskim | Category: Various

Photo by HMCC of Jakarta Publications

I am excited to share our next Sunday Celebration sermon series called, “Identity Theft.” In the last 11 months, I have to come to the stark realization that one of the biggest issues for people in Indonesia is their struggle with their God-given identity. I think this struggle is prevalent in most Asian cultures.

The dilemma with trying to address the identity issue is that people generally know what the problem is but then it is so hard to live it out. A lot of our identity is shaped by our parents, peers, and the world. We are constantly faced with these influences in our lives; therefore it slowly erodes away at our identity, which should be rooted in what Christ has done for us on the cross.

If we are going to win this battle for our identity, then we will have to commit to going back to some of the basics. Our sense of significance, feeling accepted, being loved, and longing for security need to be found in Jesus Christ.

When our identity is rooted in the wrong things, then our perception of ourselves will be contorted. Even our view of others and the world will be twisted. Then this leaves us empty and dissatisfied.

We will explore from Scripture the biblical principles about centering our identity on a strong foundation. We will cover 3-parts to this series:

1) Part 1: “Who We Are Matters”
2) Part 2: “How We Live Matters”
3) Part 3: “Why We Do Things Matters”

I am praying from some big breakthroughs through this sermon series. This will launch us to greater things, as people in our church experience greater freedom and joy in their journey with Christ.

09Jun

Reminders from the Fishing Story

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

Photo on oceanchampions.org

This week, I re-read a portion of Max Lucado’s book, He Still Moves Stones: Everyone Needs a Miracle. It was a good reminder of several principles that I try to live by.

Here is a excerpt from Lucado’s book:

Most mornings Peter and his partners would sell their fish, repair their nets, and head home to rest with a bag of money and a feeling of satisfaction. This particular morning there was no money. There was no satisfaction. They had worked all through the night but had nothing to show for it except weary backs and worn nets.

And, what’s worse, everyone knew it. Every morning the shore would become a market as the villagers came to buy their fish, but that day there were no fish.

Jesus was there that morning, teaching. As the people pressed there was little room for him to stand, so he asked Peter if his boat could be a platform. Peter agreed, maybe thinking the boat might as well be put to some good use.

Peter listens as Jesus teaches. It’s good to hear something other than the slapping of waves. When Jesus finishes with the crowd, he turns to Peter. He has another request. He wants to go fishing. “Take the boat into deep water, and put your nets in the water to catch some fish” (Luke 5:4).

Peter groans. The last thing he wants to do is fish. The boat is clean. The nets are ready to dry. The sun is up and he is tired. It’s time to go home. Besides, everyone is watching. They’ve already seen him come back empty-handed once. And, what’s more, what does Jesus know about fishing?

So Peter speaks, “Master, we worked hard all night trying to catch fish” (v. 5). Mark the weariness in the words.

“We worked hard.” Scraping the hull. Carrying the nets. Pulling the oars. Throwing the nets high into the moonlit sky. Listening as they slap on the surface of the water.

“All night.” The sky had gone from burnt orange to midnight black to morning gold. The hours had passed as slowly as the fleets of clouds before the moon. The fishermen’s conversation had stilled and their shoulders ached. While the village slept, the men worked. All… night… long.

“Trying to catch fish.” The night’s events had been rhythmic: net swung and tossed high till it spread itself against the sky. Then wait. Let it sink. Pull it in. Do it again. Throw. Pull. Throw. Pull. Throw. Pull. Every toss had been a prayer. But every drag of the empty net had come back unanswered. Even the net sighed as the men pulled it out and prepared to throw it again.

For twelve hours they’d fished. And now … now Jesus is wanting to fish some more? And not just off the shore, but in the deep?

Peter sees his friends shrug their shoulders. He looks at the people on the beach watching him. He doesn’t know what to do. Jesus may know a lot about a lot, but Peter knows about fishing. Peter knows when to work and when to quit. He knows there is a time to go on and a time to get out.

Common sense said it was time to get out. Logic said cut your losses and go home. Experience said pack it up and get some rest. But Jesus said, “We can try again if you want.”
The most difficult journey is back to the place where you failed.

Jesus knows that. That’s why he volunteers to go along. “The first outing was solo; this time I’ll be with you. Try it again, this time with me on board.”

And Peter reluctantly agrees to try again. “But you say to put the nets in the water, so I will” (Luke 5:5). It didn’t make any sense, but he’d been around this Nazarene enough to know that his presence made a difference. That wedding in Cana? That sick child of the royal ruler? It’s as if Jesus carried his own deck to the table.

So the oars dip again and the boat goes out. The anchor is set and the nets fly once more.

Peter watches as the net sinks, and he waits. He waits until the net spreads as far as his rope allows. The fishermen are quiet. Peter is quiet. Jesus is quiet. Suddenly the rope yanks. The net, heavy with fish, almost pulls Peter overboard.

“John, James!” he yells. “Come quick!”

Soon the boats are so full of fish that the port side rim dips close to the surface. Peter, ankle deep in flopping silver, turns to look at Jesus, only to find that Jesus is looking at him.

That’s when he realizes who Jesus is.

What an odd place to meet God – on a fishing boat on a small sea in a remote country! But such is the practice of the God who comes into our world. Such is the encounter experienced by those who are willing to try again … with him.

Peter’s life was never again the same after that catch.

Here are the principles that I need to be constantly reminded of:

1) Walking by faith and not by sight is hard, but do it anyways.
2) Stop trusting in yourself because God is stronger and smarter than you.
3) Don’t calculate so much because you will start limiting God and yourself.
4) Don’t do things without God because He is the best wingman.
5) Obedience is always rewarded.
6) God’s past faithfulness should be a good predictor of future faithfulness
7) God reveals Himself the moment we let go & jump – no sooner or later.

07Jun

Myths About Marriage

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

Photo by nara.gov of the Gores, May 19th, 1970

In light of the shocking news of Al and Tipper Gore’s divorce, I was thinking, “how can a couple get a divorce after 40 years of marriage?!” In all news accounts and some personal testimonies from people who know the Gores well, they have mentioned that the Gores just “grew apart over the years.”

No couple enters into a marriage thinking, “We are going to get a divorce sometime in the future.” Every couple wants their marriage to succeed. As Christina and I have done many pre-marital counseling sessions with excited engaged couples, one of the things that we address is the issue of myths and expectations. It is surprising to see that many engaged couples hold on to various myths that can signal trouble once they get married.

Tony Welty wrote an article describing some of the most common myths that couples have about marriage. Welty numerates them for us by writing,

1) “Once we get married, any relational problems we’re experiencing will go away.” In short, no they will not. Because relational problems are cyclical by nature, they do not simply vanish after the wedding day. Rather, difficulties will drop below the surface for awhile, only to rear their ugly heads at an opportune time. In combating this myth, I try to encourage each couple to think soberly and realistically about the covenant they are about to enter. Relational issues are like weeds. It’s often difficult to get at the roots, so the gardeners need patience and grace. The task here is to offer premarital couples a realistic perspective along with a few tools for later use.

2) Marriage is mainly about personal happiness. As the logic goes, “The goal of my marriage is to be happy. If I’m happy, my marriage will be happy and good.” Not necessarily true. God’s design for marriage certainly envisions happiness; it’s just not the sort of happiness we’re accustomed to experiencing as self-determining individuals. Good and healthy marital relationships are profoundly other-centered. In addressing this false belief with couples, I use several different communication inventories, which require each individual to begin thinking in terms of “us” rather than “me and you.” The ultimate goal here is to train the couple to think of one another empathically.

3) “Our love is so strong we don’t need to work at our relationship. I mean, we never even fight or argue.” This logic suggests that true and pure love can be recognized by the absence of any tensions, constraints, or extra efforts. However, any couple who has been in a covenanted relationship for more than about 10 minutes knows the fallacy behind this belief. The underlying problem here is an over-dependency on the current strength of feelings. The cure is to again train the couple to think about their relationship in a different way. To do this, I will often share personal stories of how God, by taking my wife and me through tumultuous times, transformed some aspect of our marriage. When faced as a “cord of three strands” (the Lord, my wife, and me), marital trials and difficulties purify and strengthen our relationship by forcing us to depend on his faithfulness, rather than our own strength of will. The movement is away from an over-dependence on personal feelings to a settled reliance on covenant faithfulness.

These are just three of the many myths that people have about marriage. With the wedding season under full swing, it will be good to reminds ourselves that marriage is not about making us happy (even though there is a lot of joy), but more about making us holy and more like Christ.

31May

Read the Fine Print

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

Photo by Dot Communications

I don’t know about you, but I have zero tolerance for false advertisement. Some companies and corporations are very sneaky to put it mildly. They will advertise in their eye-catching ads about a huge sale or a real bargain, but when you walk in to the store, you quickly come to realize that there are “terms and conditions.” In other words, “read the fine print.” Even though they did not flat out lie to the consumer, they were not completely upfront either. Who reads the fine print anyways when the information to lure you in are all in red and huge letters?

This is how marketing works sometimes and it stinks. It leaves the consumer feeling a bit deceived and betrayed, especially when what is initially promised comes with “terms and conditions.”

I am the kind of person that likes everything upfront (in big letters). In this way, I can consider all the factors, count the cost, and then make an informed decision.

As I was thinking about this, I couldn’t help but to think that churches also engaged in “read the fine print” advertisement. How many times have we preached the Gospel by telling the pre-Christian that God loves them? How many times have we shared the Good News by informing the pre-Christian that God can forgive all their sins? How many times have we presented the message of salvation by telling the pre-Christian that God has an awesome plan for their lives?

While all these factors in presenting the Gospel are true, we rarely tell the pre-Christian about the “terms and conditions.” For starters, there is a clear call for repentance. There is also the call to a life of surrender. Jesus’ words are pretty straight forward. He states that no idols and gods can take greater allegiance or supremacy in a person’s life. Jesus said, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 10:37-39).

Christ takes it a step further and says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:34-36).

To follow Christ, it means to live a life of complete surrender. But this is hard to do when we live in a world of competing allegiances.

The Church of Jesus Christ is participating in somewhat of a spiritual false advertisement. When we only preach parts of the Gospel by eliminating the “hard” parts, then we do the pre-Christian and disservice. When we talk about how God loves them, but do not share about repentance and how Jesus demands their whole life, we are not giving them the full picture.

Why don’t we share the “fine print” when we share the Gospel?

This has been the downfall of the prosperity Gospel. This is why many so called “Christians” give up on their walk with Christ at the first sign of hardship or difficulty. This is why the statistics shows that the divorce rate is the same in the world as in the church. This is why many people get disillusioned when they have to finally grapple with the “fine print” as the Gospel demands their whole life. It even contributes to the many Christ-followers who are lukewarm in the church today.

We have given people the Gospel-lite version of Christianity and this is hurting the Church and our witness to the world.

My advice to pre-Christians: “Always read the fine print!”

My advice to the Church: “Enlarge the fine print so that everyone will know what they are getting themselves into when they decide to follow Christ.”

27May

Dr. Wayne Grudem

Author: sethskim | Category: Values, Various, Viewpoint

I had the privilege of studying under Dr. Wayne Grudem while I attended seminary at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Not only did I study all my Systematic Theology with him, but I also took some elective classes that he taught in different semesters.

There are two fond memories of him that increased my respect and admiration of him. First, I remember how we would sing a song or two before we started class. They ranged from old classic hymns to some modern praise songs. One time, as we were singing, I saw him get down on his knees and with uplifted hands singing praises to God. It was a humbling moment for me because here was a man, who graduated from Harvard (cum laude) and University of Cambridge, bowing down in humility worshiping God. Sometimes people think any signs of emotions or “charismatic” expressions are equated with a lack of intelligence, but Dr. Grudem definitely debunked that theory.

Secondly, I will never forget when I heard the announcement of his resignation from Trinity. I was in shock. In fact, I think many people in the evangelical circles were shocked. Dr. Grudem was on the height of his academic career. So the question was, “Why in the world would he step down from everything?”

His answer floored me.

It was because of his love for his wife. She was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. It is a disease that brings pain to various muscle groups in the body. There is really no cure for this disease. The only time Margret was able to find some relief was when she was in a place with warmer weather. Therefore, as he wrestled with the decision, Dr. Grudem realized that the most honoring thing to do was to surrender his prolific career at Trinity and go to another seminary out West with lesser credentials for the sake of his wife’s health. You can read his official response in Trinity Magazine here (you have to read it… please have some tissues ready).

Wow!

How many guys who are on top of their successful career can do the same thing?

Not many. This is why I have such admiration and respect for the man.
Real life examples are the best to follow.

Here is a funny video made as a tribute to Dr. Grudem. Check it out.

24May

Reflections on Asia Trip 05.2010

Author: sethskim | Category: Various, Vision, Visits

Photo on Wordpress

Last week was an eventful week as I made a trip out to Hong Kong and Singapore. In Hong Kong, I reconnected with some of our alumni and met up with some pastors and ministry leaders. It was an eye-opening trip as I heard about some of the great things that God is doing in Hong Kong. Even though I visited Hong Kong a few times before, for some reason this trip was different. I really felt like God opened my eyes to the harvest and gave me a greater burden for this great global city.

God also used my trip out to Singapore to remind me of the great need for believers to be a visual display and a viable demonstration of God’s love. When the Church, which is made up of people begin to live out its calling to be the salt and light of the world, we will see transformation start to happen.

I am thankful for the privilege of witnessing firsthand all that God is doing out in this region of the world. I am also humbled to know that God is trying to raise up people in our churches to take up the Macedonian call (Ac 16:9-10).

During my flight back to Jakarta, I was able to jot down some of my thoughts from my trip. I wrote down five major lessons and reminders from this trip:

1) God is moving powerful through unexpected means. One of our HMCC alumnus is teaching at University of Hong Kong (HKU), which is supposedly one of the best universities in all of Asia. I was able to get a personal tour of the university and my heart was beating fast. When I heard that close to 25-30% of the students were from mainland China, I realized the potential of reaching all of China. If these students were reached with the Gospel and discipled, they can be the missionaries who will bring the Gospel to their own people. I also found out that about 50% of all the graduate students were from outside of China/Hong Kong. Many different nations were represented in this 50% international student population. What a great opportunity to reach the world just through this one university. We also visited another top university in Hong Kong called The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). I was able to meet a student from the UK who was in CUHK to do a one year exchange program that was sponsored through his university in UK. It is a joint venture where 3 years are done in the UK, while the last year is done in CUHK. If we reach the international students at these top universities, we will be reaching the world. It is very similar to reaching international university students in the States.

2) God is giving favor to the Church to penetrate the various spheres of society. It was astounding to hear that Alpha Courses were being taught in the schools. At first I was a bit skeptical because in the States this will never be possible. But incredibly, it is happening in Hong Kong. Due to various open doors, God is allowing His truth to be taught as a mandatory curriculum in the public schools. Young students are hearing the Gospel and it is making a difference in their lives.

3) God is raising up a new generation of movers and shakers and history makers. The Church in Hong Kong is also penetrating into the entertainment industry and in the sphere of the arts and media. It was awesome to hear that recently some of the top pop artist and musicians have come to know Jesus Christ as a personal Lord and Savior. They are now reaching out to their friends and colleagues with the Gospel. In fact, a group started up a ministry to specifically reach out to the people in the music and movie industry and they are making a huge difference. I was also able to hear about what God was doing in the business sphere of society. There are more entrepreneurs and business people who are committed to the vision of God’s Kingdom. They are leveraging their wealth for Kingdom purposes and missions. It was so refreshing to see, especially in our generation where greed and self-centeredness have taken a stronghold. I am just curious what will happen when they turn 50 or 60 years old. There will be a major shift in Hong Kong.

4) God is bringing different streams together. The Bride of Christ has always been divided by denominations and associations. Difference in theology and jealous has always put a wedge between the various pastors and church leaders. But in this kairos moment we are seeing great unity. It was inspiring to see how God was bringing people from different backgrounds together to work for His Kingdom. I was personally able to network and make some solid connections. It was just a reminder that God is doing something bigger and greater than just one ministry. In particular, I was able to talk with a leader in Hong Kong, who is leading a ministry where they are bringing people from different parts of China and the surrounding nations together for a 5 day camp. After their time together, they would be sent out as teams to various locations to be a witness for Jesus. Even in Singapore, I was able to meet up with a pastor who just recently started a church but he is already connected with the various pastors and spiritual leaders in the city. They are fellowshipping together and even trying to work together for the building of God’s Kingdom.

5) God is preparing Asia to propel them into the next big missions movement. By being out here in Indonesia and in the region of Asia, I am coming to the conclusion that God might be possibly preparing Asia to lead a powerful mission movement to bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth. There is just a different feel out here in Asia than what I experienced in the States. As China and India are now becoming nations that could possibly surpass the States as a great superpower, we are seeing more people being raised to do missions from this region of the world. For some reason, they are willing to lay down their lives to share the Gospel. They are definitely living out the 4-evers (whatever, whichever, wherever, and however) as they have surrendered themselves to God’s purposes.

As I am seeing some of these things firsthand, it is making it hard for me to go back to the States; but I know that God is calling me and my family to go back and raise up more Kingdom workers who will eventually go to some of these nations and build God’s Kingdom. I am just privileged to have witnessed it. The best is yet to come!