The Destructive Institution of Higher Education

Ever since I first stepped into high school as an exciting freshman, my mind was already set upon graduation. My only dream was to walk across the stage in my graduation gown and receive my diploma. If it is possible, I would love to be a graduation speaker (not necessarily a valectorian) encouraging my classmates to reach and seize their dreams on that very day. For me, that was simply illyric.

Graduation day came. It seemed as if I only took one step into high school and another out. My dream turned into reality. I walked across the stage with a diploma (in fact, two diplomas) in my hands across the stage, spoke to the multitudes in an auditorium, and bid farewell to the school that I called my second home for eighteen years. My life was at its pinnacle and I didn't want to descend that mountain, but the law of gravity conquers all and I as a slave obey: what goes up must come down.

After graduation, I was nervous to enter a whole new realm: college. I was excited at the same time. I was going to be challenged educationally and advance my knowledge to utilize in the future. I knew that what I would experience during the year will be a year of "firsts" and I looked forward to experiencing them. Moreover, I looked forward to getting over the first year with a big, fat, red button pin with bold white "FRESHMAN" word on it.

Today, that pin is long gone. I am a sophomore, the "wisest of the dumb" (Hint: study the root behind this word... this was a humorous phrase that I picked up in high school). Sitting here at home, my mind lingered to the past year and everything I went through, the victories and defeats I experienced, and the joys shared and sorrows endured. After playing with some pleasant memorie, a faint memory lingered in my mind and became stronger. Soon, the only thing I was thinking about was, prior to entering my first class, faithfully preparing myself for the upcoming spiritual warfare for my soul by reading David Wheaton's University of Destruction. This verse was the driving force behind my preparations.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

~1 John 5:4-5

Daniel, a Jewish boy, grew up in a privileged Jewish family in the middle Eastern town of Jerusalem. He was well-educated, good-looking, and socially adept. He had everything going for him. He even had a strong faith in God.

While he was a teenager, King Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem and, as a part of the takeover, Daniel and some of his teenage friends were taken away from their families and brought hundreds of miles northeast to the great city of Babylon to be servants in the king's palace.

To be a servant requires three years of intense training, not some apron and broom to sweep the floors. In another terms, an attempt was made to brainwash Daniel into Babylonian literature, culture, religion, and customs. First, Daniel's name, which meant "God is my judge," was changed to the Babylonian name Belteshazzar, which meant "Bel protect the king." Bel was the name of the supreme idol that was worshipped in the Babylonian Empire. Second, Daniel was being completely re-educated in culture and literature of Babylon. They were trying to eliminate the instructions he received before the capture because Judaism was contradictory to Babylonian pagan worship. In short words, King Nebuchadnezzar was trying to transform a godly Jewish boy into a pagan Babylonian.

It is easy to succumb to the pressure executed by Babylon, but what did Daniel do? In another terms, what was Daniel's mind-set while he was in Babylon going through a major transition from being a Jew to a Babylonian?

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine which he drank...

~Daniel 1:8

What did Daniel do? He "purposed in his heart," or committed to himself in his heart, that he will not fall under the influence of Babylon paganism by compromising his Judaism beliefs. He committed beforehand that he will remain steadfast in his faith and belief in God by "not defil[ing] himself." That allowed him to overcome the world and thrive as a servant of God later in his lifetime as an advisor to kings and a prophet. That is somebody that everybody could look upon as a role model in our lives, especially in the fallen state of the world spiraling toward destruction.

I do feel like Daniel. I feel like I am walking in his shoes. I feel like I am being indoctrinated in paganism ideology and lifestyle at my college. College is an enticing place for me to "come out of the closet" from the protection of my parents. I could easily find a girl and have prematerial sex at my own leisure. I could easily join a drinking party and have the most fun time of my lifetime. I could have literally "eat, drink, and be merry." Professors could have "brainwashed" me into believing that God is, in essence, false and I could have chosen to take the hook, bait, and the sinker. Living a sinful lifestyle is fun.

Instead of succumbing myself to the pressures of the fallen world, I committed myself to the same cause Daniel did; I have "purposed in [my] heart" that I shall NOT lower my moral standards. Instead of looking at debased and worthless idols of this world, I have fixed my eyes upwardly toward the prize: the glittering crown of life. I have a long race ahead of me. I have many obstacles to overcome. I shall attempt to not allow any iota of impure action, thoughts, words, or deeds to enter this holy temple (read: my body) consectrated for God alone for His glory. Even if I am pure before God's eyes, I do also realize that I will fall from time to time. I am still a human. I still live in flesh, not in spirit. When I fall, instead of groveling in the dust feeling sorry for myself, I shall rise as a battered but victorious man, stronger, bolder, and transformed. I have purposed in my heart to imitate Christ's loving attributes toward the most worst of the worst. Via Occam's razor, I shall be a Overcomer of this world through the power and grace of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ, the only true Messiah that had come and will come again in the future. Amen.

The Nature of Man

There is another world, another reality. A reality ruled by the omnipresent Darkness. The Vise tightens its iron grip while the mocking Clock ticks and mercilessly sparing no soul of the sad world from the endless pain. With each woeful lament, blood sprouts out of their never-healing scars. In my very own eyes, I see people suffering while retreating into the obsidian land. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

A long line stretches from one end to other as far as my eyes can see. People chained with a dull, heavy, grey chain at their ankle and forced to endure the Long March. Their faces, oh how so repulsive! Some distorted, some demonic, while other simply disfigured. Their nodding heads is impregnably veiled with sweat, dust, and tears. Those chains, oh how those hands digs and claws into their raw flesh! A great haze of grey dust under the lightless sky ascends to encompass them. The starless, murky canopy presses down as the silent chains rings in the Deep. O, how strong and firm is the hand of the Deep!

“Run,” I cry in earnest, but they march blindly. “Flee,” I implore, but they crawl like thick molasses down a towering cliff that disappears into the grey fog. Even the stones’ terrible and woeful cries can be heard!

All they do is march, march, march. Their feet drag on endlessly. Wiry and sharp trees droop on their head, clasping each ugly faces and set free thin streams of fresh blood to trickle down their faces. The red beady eye sits up high in the trees, staring with those never blinking eyes at the poor inhabitants of the world. This is the Nature of Man. All they do is march, march, march. March. March. March. Into the opaque eternity…In this world where happiness abounds, I see fresh wounds bleeding happily and freely. In this world where laughter is ubiquitous, I hear the omnipresent cries lingering from the gaping mouth of the Deep. In this world where every moment is treasured, I curse as the mocking Clock savors Men’s pains. On the fruitful trees that bloom every spring bringing life, Death’s fruits populate each dark limb. Where freedom is plentiful, the Dark, Cold, Grey Chains drags every free ankle. Clank. Clank. Clank. Onward they go toward the horizon like bellwethers obedient to the benevolent killers of the Deep.

This is the sinful Nature of Man.

“Depart, you angels! I am the Lamb and the Key. I shall stoop over every man, unlocking the yoked chains of slavery and proclaim every man a freeman. I alone hold the Key to the everlasting Light that shall never diminish; I am the Lamp that is set upon the highest hill, piercing the Deep. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am the last Lamb, the perfect sacrifice. The only thing I ask from you: come just as you are, shackled in the burdensome chains, filthy, weary, defeated; You shall be set free.”

XX Olympic Games

The twentieth Olympics Games began in Torino with the lighting of the Olympic cauldron with billions of people as witnesses. As 2,500 athletes marched around the stadium waving their home flags proudly with grinning faces, I could see how hard they all worked to reach the dream of their lives: going to the Olympics and bringing home a gold medal. Even we are captivated with our fantasies of being a part of the famed Olympics Games. I find myself imaging competing against other athletes around the world for the coveted middle spot of the podium with a glittering gold medal hanging around my neck. On that podium, I would be dubbed as the Strongest, Fastest, and the Best among the best of the world in an event. In a practical sense, I would be the King. That is the same thing that all athletes felt all the way back to the Greeks who first started the Games.

Olympics began in late nineteenth century with its roots originating from the Ancient Greece. In order to be successful in their competitions, athletes are required to devote hours of time in training and conditioning to bring themselves to the peak of their physical condition to be able to compete other athletes for the experience of being crowed with a laurel wreath awarded by the reigning king (or Caesar) as a reward for being the best of the best.

As the first day of the Games progressed, I could not help but watch how dedicated and focused those athletes were in reaching the podium. Even if it was not documented by the television, all athletes were nervous long before they compete. They will go through the routines many times down to every detail, practice for many hours every week, and diet to be able to experience fifteen minutes of fame. I admire them because of the sacrifice and devotion that they have to make for the past four years (or more) into intense training and conditioning to participate in the Games. In a sense, the athletes who compete at the Games are the apotheosis of athleticism, but they are still humans like us.

Their bodies will not last forever. They will become older and decide to retire from the Games to pursue their less extravagant lives. Their bodies will lose the skill to be dexterous and give way to age. They will die one day. With or without gold medals.

What if there was a gold medal that every athlete was guaranteed to receive in their lives only if they will devote their whole lives to it? What if there was a laurel crown waiting for them in the end that they will not lose if they preserved to the very end? What if their spot on the podium was already guaranteed and there is no silver and bronze medals to be issued? What if I said that this crown was available for us, not just for athletes of the world?

"Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever." ~1 Corinthians 9:25

We, the Christians, have to commit ourselves to strict training just like the Olympian athletes do in a spiritual sense. EVERYBODY who competes in the games trains strictly to get a crown will be terribly disappointed. It won't last. It won't fulfill their hearts forever. It will disappear. It is perishable. On the other hand, Christians should and are commanded to spend their whole lives training themselves so that they will be able to receive the crown that will last forever when they die. Through our spiritual fitness, we will train ourselves to be “spirits of steel” through the learning of the Bible, suffering through trials and temptations, and with the fellowship of our fellow believers. "How do we train?" Paul explains this in one of his letters to Timothy:

"For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." ~1 Timothy 4:8

"Physical training has some value? Do you mean that it is worthless? How can we train to gain the crown of life?" Physical training has some value because, like I mentioned earlier, the body that we conditioned into will not last forever. Our muscles will become less rigid and stately. We will eventually succumb to our oldest enemies: age. So, therefore, physical training, even if it has some merit, is not worth spending a whole life to. It is worthless. Seems like all hope is lost? Should we just sit down and be a couch potato for our whole lives? By no means! How are we to gain the crown of life?

The crown of life lies into our devotion of becoming godlier. "Godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come." My brothers and sisters, if we attempt to live a godly life, we will end our races with a glittering crown on our heads, adorned with treasures beyond our own wildest imaginations. We have to commit ourselves to strict training spiritually. We have to turn our lazy and fat lump of souls who is accustomed to conformable way of life in this world to strong and fit group capable of running the marathon of our lives. We have to challenge ourselves beyond our comfort zones. We have to be willing to take the extra step in faith when it seems like the future is black. We have to experience suffering and persecution in order to become spiritually strong. We have to hold fast to our Anchor when all hope seems to be lost.

Sounds tough? That is why it requires our whole life devoted to this type of training. We have to commit ourselves to this goal. If we do not stick to it, then all is lost.

I thought that a poem from my dear friend should be added so you can understand what it means to preserve through the race:

A baby's first cry pierced the jubilant air.

A gunshot sounded and reverberated through the air.

Smiles glowed from the beaming faces of the new parents
Clinging on to her father's steady hand
She took her first step of the countless to come.

The crowd roared as the runner took off
Shouting encouragements
She headed toward the long path of life.

Grains of time fell through the hourglass
With her budding teeth
Her jaws closed onto her first solid food.

The sneakers pounded the gravel rhythmically
Panting
Lessons of endurance echoed in her head.

Hormones raged

Mountains and valleys came

Dust collected on the Word
Superficial laughter of her friends echoed
A heart grew heavy.

Her body cried out
Deprived of her daily nourishment
A pair of legs grew weary.

Unable to piece together a shattered heart
With no methods that brought forth healing
She gave her heart to the only true Doctor in her life.

Crashing on the gravel-coated path
Blood flowed from her wounds and cried out
A strong, loving Hand lifted her up.

Singing with joy

Adrenaline coursing

Despair
She watched helplessly
Her friends indulging in the cheapened version of life.

Confusion
She watched helplessly
The other runners ran off the narrow track of life.

Her so-called friends jeered
Turned away and rejected
She trusted the One the world had murdered.

People from the sidelines flung stones
Battered and rejected
She kept her eyes on the Prize.

True Love came

Sunshine peeked through the clouds

Everlasting vows exchanged in ecstasy
First kiss as husband and wife
Two flesh became one.

A mate appeared
Forevermore running side by side
Two pairs of feet ran together as one.

Alone no more
True and steadfast lifelong friends
Laughter and love mingled.

A lonely path no more
Packs joined
Laughter and encouragement mingled.

Bringing forth new beginnings

Smiling as gunshots echoed in the faraway landscape

A stand of white hair appeared
She left it as it was
For she knew.

The runner saw the golden glow in the horizon
Ahead of her
And she knew.

Raspy air breathed out of her laboring lungs
A last breath- a flower wilted
Tears of grief fell.

Sweat pouring, eyes a-glowing
A last burst of energy- a ribbon broke
Tears of joy fell.

"Well done, my good and faithful servant!" The King of Kings proclaimed.

A glittering Crown of Life was placed upon her head.

She was finally Home.

~Jessica, 2006

Preserve to the very end of this race. Don't give up. Keep on running. Keep your eyes on the prize. Do not let anybody distract you from this finish line. It might seem tough at times, but nobody said that the training and race would be easy. The crown of life is promised to those who are faithful in their training and race. It is okay if you fall sometimes during the race, but what matters the most is that we all reach the finish line. There is a glittering crown of life waiting for us all at the end. We will be able to achieve our lifelong dreams: standing on the podium as a champion in this race of our lifetime. Paul speaks about reaching the finish line in joy:

"[...] I [Paul] have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." ~2 Timothy 4:7-8

Blessings!

Forgiveness and Grace

I got this story from JabezPosters.com today and was very inspired and felt that I should share it with you all because it mirrors God's love and forgiveness towards us.

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. And he was given
a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods but he
could never hit the target. And getting a little discouraged; he headed back to
dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let it
fly, hit the duck square in the head, and killed it. He was shocked and grieved.

In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile, only to see his sister
watching. Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch that day grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes." But Sally
said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen today, didn't
you Johnny?" And then she whispered to him, "Remember, the duck?"

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing, and Grandma said,
"I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." But Sally smiled and said,
"Well, that's all right, because Johnny told me he wanted to help." And she
whispered again, "Remember, the duck?"

So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed.

After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's, he finally
couldn't stand it any longer. He came to Grandma and confessed that he killed
the duck. She knelt down, gave him a hug, and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You
see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing. But because I love
you, I forgave you.

But I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

I don't know what's in your past. I don't know what one sin the enemy keeps
throwing up in your face. But whatever it is, I want you to know something.

The Lord Jesus Christ was standing at the window. And He saw the whole thing.
But because He loves you, He has forgiven you. Perhaps He's wondering how long
you'll let the enemy make a slave out of you. The great thing about God is that
He not only forgives, but He forgets.

God bless you all!

A Righteous God and A Savior

"[T]here is no God apart from me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none but me.

'Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, "in the Lord alone are righteousness and strength."' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."

~Isaiah 45:21c-24 (NIV)

Today at my lunch break, I was continuing my study of Isaiah as a part of a one-year bible-reading plan (even if I'm behind by six months, but who says that I must read the entire Bible in a year?). When I read this passage, I felt that this is something that I had to write in the blog but this message might be offensive to you, but to me, this serves to be like "iron that sharpens another iron" (read: effective discipline) for us.

Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

~Isaiah 43:10b-11

I think that the brief passage clearly states what the world keeps on missing. Lord is the ONLY God of the universe. He is the only one who has existed from the very beginning of time and will last to the very moment when time stops. He is the Eternal God. He alone is worthy of being called "Lord." Unlike many idols (let it be wooden, stone, or things that will pass away such as money, power, fame, etc.) which are formed by Men, God is the living Father who created the world and cared about His people. In this book, Isaiah speaks bitterly against the folly of people making idols to suit their own desires, self-centered pride and egoistical ambitions:

"'To whom will you compare me or count me equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared? Some pour out gold from their bags and weight out silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down and worship it. They lift it to their shoulders and carry it; they set it up in its place, and there it stands. From that spot it cannot move. Though one cries out to it, it does not answer; it cannot save him from his troubles.

'Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.'"

~Isaiah 46:5-10

I'm sure, by now, you must have noticed that there is repetitions of "I am God, and there is no other" and "there is none like me." It might be hard for you to accept that fact (but is accepted easily by the believers) and it is because you are "rebels" of God. Remember what He said in the first passage? All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. When a gift is willingfully offered to you is rejected, the giver would be greatly offended.

So is the case with God.

He could have easily cursed us with His great wrath and end the life that we know of at this moment. He had many chances to do that throughout the history because His chosen people continually to craft idols and rebel against God through their debauchery, lewdful actions, and profane mouths. Why didn't He blot His chosen people from his presence? If somebody spit you in the face and beaten you half to death, you would attempt to avenge them for their actions, right?

God, the most powerful being of the whole universe that holds life and death in His hands, chose not to do that just like he did not for the Israelites. Surely they were sent into exile at different periods of history for their rebellious actions, but God always graciously forgives them for their past sins and brings them back to His promised land.

That's called Grace. And Grace is what saves rebels like us. That is what He offers to us today through Jesus Christ's death on the cross two thousand years ago.

Don't continue to rebel against Him. Don't continue to live out your lives crafting various idols made out of gold or bronze. Don't worship any of your things that you own today (let it be money, personal property, or any other things that you hold dearly). Bow down before His mighty presence, confess with your lips that He is your savior and the Lord of your lives.

And that is when you will receive His Grace. That's a promise.

Remember... if you choose not to bow down before Him, you will fall to your knees one day in horror as you realize that He is God. That's the reason why my heart is heavy with this message because many of you readers do not know God personally and it is my desire for you to reconcile with Him.

Experiencing His Greatness

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighted the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance? Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counselor? Whom did the Lord consult to enlighten him, and who taught him the right way? Who was it that taught him knowledge or showed him the path of understanding?

Surely the nations are like a drop in a bucket; they are regarded as dust on the scales; he weights the islands as though they were fine dust. Lebanon is not sufficient for altar fires, nor its animals enough for burnt offerings. Before him all the nations are as nothing; they are regarded by him as worthless and less than nothing.

To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple.

Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood since the earth was founded? He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its people are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like a canopy, and spreads them out like a tent to live in. He brings princes to naught and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing. No sooner are they planted, no sooner are they sown, no sooner do they take root in the ground, than he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

'To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?' says the Holy One. Lift your eyes and look to the heavens: Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, 'My way is hidden from the Lord; my cause is disregarded by my God'? Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

~Isaiah 40:12-31

My mind always tears apart after trying to absorb God's matchless greatness. Today, as I read this passage, my mind was literally blown to pieces. All mountains in this world is big by our own standards... and He is able to weight it on a scale? A nation (imagine Russia) is like a speck of fine dust? The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires?

What is so important about the forests of Lebanon?

This forest constituted mostly cedar trees and was situated along the Jordan River. They were so vast and so massive that the ancient world recognized that as magnificent trees and it was chiefly used for King Solomon's palace (the palace of Lebanon). Other than its vast size, it was also said to be the most beautiful piece of timber that one could find in the Ancient World. Imagine the trees in California. I could picture it similar to the forest of Lebanon.

The forests of Lebanon not enough for the altar fires? There was many sacrifices going on in Israel (as a way of honoring God) and it was not enough for the altar of God! The size of this fire must be massive if all the cedar trees of Lebanon was put together to burn in honor of God... but it was not enough! What more could you ask for? Even all the trees of this world would not be enough for Him! His greatness extends ever further than this!

All dirt of this world contained within a basket! Picture this... you have this little basket of any size and all the dirt of this world fits perfectly in there with more to be added later on even if there is none left. If you tried to dig a 6 by 2 feet hole, you will be left with a big pile of dirt. When somebody is building a house, a massive pile of dirt will reside nearby and you would be amazed at the amount that came out of the ground. Imagine this! ALL dirt of this world fits comformably in a basket... a small wicket basket!

God once told Abraham that his descendants will be as numerous as the stars of the heaven. Have you ever attempted to count how many stars there are during the night? I tried once and failed miserably many times. What is amazing here is that God knows how many stars there are up there in the heaven and NOT ONE is missing! That blows my mind away!

That made me appreciate how powerful and great He is and made me thankful that he is a Sovereign God who holds everything under control. Nothing happens beyond his control or knowledge. Remember how Isaiah said that there is nothing that God does not know... he knows everything (in the past, present and into the infinity). He knows what will happen to each one of us (6 billion people on this insignificant world) and he has everything planned out perfectly for us. Everything happens for a reason and He knows that it will happen because He is a sovereign God!

Let everybody who agrees proclaim with a loud voice so that the whole world can hear us with a simple word, "Amen!" or "So be it!"