More Book Reviews!

Driving back home to Las Vegas in less than a day. I'm absolutely excited to see my family, friends, and home city again. There's nothing quite like winter in Las Vegas. Perfect. It's a stretch this year, but hoping for a little bit of snow in the city.

Well, I know I said in an earlier entry 2 months ago that my passion for writing was dwelling up again... but that lived out in writing papers for discipleship, messages, and personal journal studies. Thus, this blog has suffered. However... while I was not blogging, I was reading! So here are some more honest short book reviews. Let me know if you want to borrow any (except Narnia - it's not mine).

1) The Unquenchable Flame - Michael Reeves
Wow. I've always wanted to know more about church history and the protestant reformation and this was the best book to start that study. It was fast, exciting, encouraging, and informative. I really didn't want to stop reading - it was like reading a mini-biography of reformers and their work in every chapter. You can't help but feel their passion - their unquenchable flame - as they fought for biblical truth and the glory of God. For someone like me who didn't know too much beforehand, this book was simple, clear, and edifying.

2) Adopted for Life - Russell Moore
This was a blessing to read. What I loved about it was that it not only talked about adopting real children on earth, but our own adoption in God's family as well. Russell Moore writes as a father of two adopted children and you can easily see that he's thought about this subject very much. He's so clear, passionate, engaging, and funny... yet serious. The book is very gospel-driven, very well thought out, and very encouraging. It's full of stories and great truths that you do not want to miss. Don't pass this book up just because you're not considering adoption. This book is literally for everyone who has been adopted by God himself. There is great truth and application for both adopters and non-adopters that will really cause you to think and glory in God.

3) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, & Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis
Yes - I've only read 3 of the 7 books. I thought I would never read these, but one night I didn't feel like heavy books... I wanted a simple fun read... and thus my journey into Narnia began. And let me tell you - woohoo I went full on into the world of Narnia and it has been a joy! Originally I planned to only read the 1st book (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe), but after book 1 I needed more. I desperately sought out the rest and found them through DJS and SL (thanks guys). Then after I read book 2 (Prince Caspian), I saw the movie trailer for Dawn Treader (book 3), so I quickly read it so I could watch the movie later. The allegories, the illustrations, the imagination - C.S. Lewis is brilliant. What a great allegory of Christ and the Christian life. I can't wait to read the rest!

4) The Supremacy of Christ in Preaching - John Piper
I'm very grateful for the work of John Piper and his biblical preaching. It has impacted me so greatly in my early college years. And so reading this book was of utmost excitement for me. And let me say - this book owned me. It absolutely owned me. I remember after reading the first half of the book (Part I - Why God should be Supreme in Preaching), I just sat there wondering at the awe of it all and praying in praise. I felt rebuked yet encouraged, weak yet strong, sorrowful yet joyful.... It helped me understand the role of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit and the role of the preacher. And the 2nd half (Part II - How to make God Supreme in Preaching) was edifying, uplifting and practical. I know it may seem strange to read this if you're not going to be a preacher... but I think it's still a good read for all.

5) Lectures to my Students - Charles H. Spurgeon
A lot of people know that Spurgeon is one of my utmost favorite authors to read. He is arguably one of the best preachers ever to live - I mean, come on! - His nickname was "The Prince of Preachers." Now that's a title. And this very same preacher has a book on preaching! I think what astonishes me is Spurgeon's utter dependence on God to work through the message being preached. He has full confidence in the word (not in himself) and preaches expecting people to come to faith. I also love how it is not only about preaching, but about pastoring - how a pastor is called to holiness, to prayer, to love, etc. Sometimes he seems too harsh saying that if you don't have a loud voice and don't have good annunciation you're probably not called - but I think that's because Spurgeon was a pastor of a very large church in a time microphones did not exist. However, this book is full of practical and biblical wisdom and well worth your time if you're going into ministry. If not... please read Soul Winner by Spurgeon!

6) Look Out, World: Meaningful Quotes for Graduates - Tom Burns
This book... is a picture book with quotes. My mother bought this for fun and gave it to me at my graduation ceremony. I read it later that night - it was quite funny and had some good quotes. But save yourself the time - here are the 3 best quotes:
"The best angle from which to approach any problem is the try-angle."
"The difference between "try" and "triumph" is a little 'umph.'"
"If you don't have time to do it right, you must have time to do it over."

The Wonders of Coffee

Coffee gives me the runs. And by runs, I mean diarrhea.

Knowing this, I stayed away from coffee and chose the nice alternative of green tea.

But at work when my favorite tea was gone and my only other option was our Starbucks Coffee Machine, I went for that option. And yes, I did get diarrhea.

I'm glad to report that I can now go through a cup of coffee without diarrhea. In fact, 1.5 cups of coffee without diarrhea!

What kept me coming back to the coffee? Well... let me spare you 1,000 words....

Sling Shot

Aha! Finally - my passion to write is returning and I can feel it!

I think I'll try to write more than once a month now. This will be fun.

Random thought: I like telling stories. Here's a random one.

Today, as I awoke to a new wonderful morning, my initial thought was: Yes! The rain has probably washed my car! I kid you not, I was incredibly excited! So much so that I quickly proceeded to walk outside and admired the beauty of my rain-cleaned car... but as I approached the rear... to my utmost horror... my car had again been bird poop bombed! O, how these birds are true ninjas.... But... to their utmost horror, what they don't know is... I now have a slingshot!

Say hello to my stress killer at work.
It literally hangs in my office, ready for its master (that would be me) to call it to use.






















The crumbled pieces of paper (aka: my mistakes) = ammo























Yes, I can hit the bulls-eye. (Disclaimer: I really can. It just takes me 50 times).

It's practice... for you Ninja Birds!
(Disclaimer: I am really not going to shoot the birds. Come on. That's plain stupidity....That would probably cause me to break my window)!

Sarah Yim: God's gift for 14 years

When I was 8 years old, there was a certain day that I had the runs... the good old diarrhea. My friend, Allen, was over at my place hanging out with Young (my brother) and me. I had recently gotten a puppy - the cutest little creature you could imagine. And when you're cute 8 year olds, your attention is on the cute puppy. So in my happiness and joy as we were hanging out, I called over to her - "Sarah ~ Sarah ~ Come here ~" I was sitting down comfortably with my legs out, tapping the ground as she puppy ran towards me at puppy speed. And then the unthinkable happened... as soon as she got to me, she puppy bit my crotch area... causing me to yell in surprise. "AhhhhH!" At this moment, I proceeded to diarrhea my pants in front of my friend, Allen. And then I proceeded to laugh because there was nothing else I could do.























When she grew up, she still ran the same way she did as a puppy. And when I saw her run, I would always remember the diarrhea incident. It is such a fond funny memory to me.


































Everyone, this is Sarah Yim. I always thought my brother chose the name, Sarah, because he had a crush on a girl named Sarah... but I guess it was because he thought it was a cool name in elementary school. I wanted to name her 'Bingo.' (Fitting for a vegas dog no)?! It was because I had watched the movie, Bingo, and wanted my dog to be just like the dog in the movie. Sarah exceeded Bingo in every way a dog could.

She knew 'Sit,' 'Shake,' 'Other hand.' She knew 'Fetch'... well... or it was a natural reaction of all dogs... that is until she got old and didn't fetch ANYTHING I ever wanted her to! And my brother kind of taught her, 'Stay.' But she never listened to me on that commandment... but I think it's because she couldn't resist being away from me.
























Sometimes when I came home from college for breaks, she would be so excited to see me again after so long that she would pee as she jumped and jumped and wagged and wagged. I took the above picture because I thought it was so funny that she was peeing 'her pants... or concrete.' Yeah - that's right Sarah - payback for making me diarrhea my pants!
























We fed her from a pink bowl in the shape of a heart. I once told her, "Like master like dog! The way to your heart is food, just like mine!" But I was wrong. She loved me regardless of the food. I remember sometimes we'd go on family vacations and ask a friend to come over and feed her while we're gone. But she wouldn't eat until we came back. If that doesn't prove me wrong, then I don't know what does.

I found out last night that Sarah has passed. The vet said there was no chance for her (she was sick and wasn't eating much for weeks). My dad had to let her go.

Thank you Sarah Yim, for your loyalty and friendship. Thank you for keeping all my secrets and for being able to brighten any sad day. I never thought dogs could smile, but you always did. Thank you Sarah, for loving me.

R.I.P. Sarah Yim - October 23, 1996 - September 9, 2010.

My brother's blog entry about this - he's always great at seeing God in the picture.

The World is Ending! A True Story + A Lesson Learned

At the end of my 8th grade year during finals, one of my teachers let us know that she was retiring. And with urgency since she no longer cared about keeping her job proceeded to declare to us that Jesus was coming and handed every single one of us a big packet of proof that the end of the world was near. Her estimated time-frame: September 11, 2002. Of course, being at a public school with very few Christians - people thought she had gone mad... and well... even as a Christian you would think so as well.

I may have been the only person who took it seriously as she so desperately tried to explain the events to take place. And with the world trade center attacks fresh in my mind, I could not help but give her a chance. So I studied that packet and came to the conclusion that my 8th grade brain could in no way fully comprehend everything it said. But I did know Jesus would come back one day. (darn Left Behind series was getting to my head)!

When September 11, 2002 came, I remember being a little more aware and alert, spending a little more time in prayer and reading (I was very skeptical yet a bit scared). And when the day passed, I was excited that I was still around. And I felt like a fool for even believing a tiny inkling of what my teacher had said. I bet she felt much stupider than I did! My friends and I laughed as we recalled that what our teacher had warned us about had not come to pass. We joked about finding her and calling her to mock her prediction that never came to be. I was too ashamed to let them know that I had been slightly fooled into thinking it just might happen.

This past Sunday, Pastor Tavi asked what we would do if we knew Jesus was coming back in 24 hours. What would our last actions be?! What would your last actions be?!

Thinking upon my 8th grade experience and realizing that I never evangelized that day, my thoughts were... hmmm... I would evangelize! To my family and to my friends! I would read and pray much more. I would preach wherever I could preach! And I would eat another Ruth Chris' Cowboy Ribeye Steak.... But regardless of that steak thought, there was much urgency to do as much as I could for the kingdom before Christ came back in 24 hours.

When Martin Luther was asked this same question, he answered, "I would plant a tree and pay my taxes." Meaning this - I would live my last 24 hours exactly as if I'd live any other day - normally!

The fact is, Jesus IS coming back and we'll never know exactly when... we just know that He is. So why wait till the last 24 hours? If I love God and truly believe, then any last 24 hour time-frame in my life should reflect and give glory to God. An everyday for God's kingdom and glory! attitude should be normal. The gospel IS urgent no matter how much time is left! So here's to "planting trees" and "paying taxes" till He returns or calls me home.

God is Mighty To Save!

God is mighty to save!
Let me say again - God is mighty to save!

I had the opportunity to preach through Matthew 9:9-13 (Matthew's conversion) for AACF Medium group - and later today for High School Branching Out at CCAC (my awesome church).

Having studied the passage and thinking upon Matthew's conversion, my conversion, and the conversion of countless others. After reading articles upon articles on North Korean and Chinese conversions and how God is working there - it is so clearly evident that God is mighty to save!

And He's mighty to save those whom you least expect to be saved. The ones who show no sign and no desire for the things of heaven! He's mighty to save the prostitute, the drunkard, the adulterer, the murderer even. And He's mighty to save the most hardcore of Atheists. He is mighty to save!

He is mighty to save that co-worker whom you think will never hear anything of Christ. He's mighty to save the student reading that newspaper as you walk around campus evangelizing. He's mighty to save the family member who is so opposed to your church going and Christ-loving. He is mighty to save that friend who seems to have the hardest of hearts against God. And He's mighty to save that small group member at church who seems to be so apathetic to all that the preacher says.

He's mighty to save the North Korean and the Chinese people who have never heard of Christ! He's mighty to save the Ugandan , the Japanese, the Nicaraguan, and the Indian in whom is seen not even a glimmer of light (for you KCM mission trainees).

I think that sometimes we forget that we preach the Word of God. And that this word of God is truly living and active! That it is truly sharper than any two-edged sword. That it really pierces to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12).

Goodness. God is mighty to save! I am not! God is!
Therefore - I will share with full confidence the gospel that God proclaimed. Forever.
Whether from the pulpit, or from personal chitter-chatter, or from my life (which will be the best sermon I ever preached). God is mighty to save!

Books! Reviews, Inbetweens, and Future Reads!

I was so excited to read so many books - but I have been busier than I've expected and have not been able to read as much as I've liked to. So here are a list of books I've read, books I'm reading, and books I will read!

If you want an in-depth review of the content and not my short non-content review, let me know and I'll be happy to tell you about it. I'll let you borrow too (as long as you promise to return it)!

Books I've Read in the last School Year
1) Boy Meets Girl - Joshua Harris
Though I did not agree with everything in this book - I found it very wise and helpful. My apartment-mates call this book the Fail Book - lol. Maybe we all just failed to apply wisely - hahaha. I like the story telling version Joshua Harris puts out to get his points across along with lots of scripture and wisdom. Not a must-read but a fun-read wise read if you have time.

2) Crazy Love - Francis Chan
Though I did not think it was as great as everyone in the world made it out to be, I highly highly recommend it! Read Chapter 2. It rocked me. Read.


3) Heroes of Faith: Charles Spurgeon - J.C. Carlile
A very short biography on the life of Charles Spurgeon (my absolute favorite writer/pastor of all time). Though just a simple biography, this book stirred me more towards Christ and made me want to live a God-glorifying life. I know everyone will say - psh - read the Dallimore version of the Spurgeon biography! Well - I bought it and plan to! But if you are short on time, read this one.

4) Soul Winner - Charles Spurgeon
Spurgeon is the master of painting vivid pictures with his words. He has the best analogies and the best clarity of anyone I've ever read. This book on 'Soul Winning,' or leading sinners to the Savior is the best book I've ever read on evangelism... ever (and I've read quite a few). Why? Because it absolutely drives me to God. And that drives me to evangelize and be a 'soul winner.' This book absolutely rocked me. It has filled me with so much wisdom and helped me to see my faults in areas I needed to see them. It heavily uses the word of God (it is Spurgeon after all) which pierces my heart. It is, I'd say, the best Christian book I've ever read in my life. MUST READ.

5) Just Do Something - Kevin DeYoung
The best book I've read on the 'will of God' for your life. It is very practical, very true, and very short. It can easily be read in one sitting, but I found it very helpful to read it in a week. I think every single college Christian should read this book. High schoolers too - but it may be more helpful refreshing yourself with this book during college and especially during senior year. The best description of this book is on the cover: How to make a decision without dreams, visions, fleeces, impressions, open doors, random bible verses, casting lots, liver shivers, writing in the sky, etc. It is something so few people seem to know how to do today in a world where things seem to sometimes be overally spiritualized. I say - must read.

6) Same Kind of Different As Me
I can never ever see homeless people the same again. A true story about a rich white man, a homeless black man, a christian woman, and a God who orchestrated their lives together. Though theologically there are some points I would raise a fishy finger at, this story is amazing and it is clear the people in this autobiography love God. Written in an alternating chapter by chapter style by Ron Hall (the rich guy) and Denver Moore (the homeless guy), this book calls for a touching story with insight in the minds of the two characters whose lives are changed. The true story about the grace of God in the lives of Hall and Moore and the transforming effect of the love of God. Must read.


Books I've Started Reading and Need to Finish
1) Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Interesting fictional book on a boy named Pi who gets stuck in a lifeboat with a hyena, orangutan, zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. How can Pi survive?!
2) Valley of Vision - The Puritans
I LOVE the prayers in this book. I'm going to try to read and pray one of these a day.
3) Stuff Christians Like - Jonathan Acuff
Fun read with hilarious truth in it that pertains to things Christians do/like, lol. Surprisingly... some of the funny truths in it are a rebuke to me - a fun free time read.
4) Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life - Don Whitney
I've been reading this book for over a year! But If you apply the applications and hear the reasoning - this book contains much truth. Read the chapter on Evangelism.

Books to Read in the Summer
1) Adopted For Life - Russell Moore
2) Spiritual Leadership - Oswald Sanders
3) Prayer - John Bunyan

I'm keeping it rather reasonable because last summer I listed 10 items and miserably failed!

Have you read any of the books listed above? Agree/Disagree? Like/Dislike? Any recommendations?