Why Do We Try To Make Christmas Exciting?

I learned something new today.

There's no way we can make Christmas more exciting than it already is. Just knowing that GOD became human because he LOVES us is MORE THAN ENOUGH to be excited about!

Watch this video to find out what I'm talking about (click here).

It's a video of Francis Chan's sermon from Saturday.

Just watch those people in Papua New Guinea hearing the Gospel for the first time! It almost made me cry...

What Is This Thing Called Christmas Love?

[This is an entry based on the sermon I gave to the youth group at OkHab Church this past Sunday. Please comment if I said something biblically incorrect. I don't want to misrepresent the Word of God.]

In my last entry, I was talking about how I missed hanging out with friends recently. Then I realized it's Christmas season, and I thought I had a good reason for wanting to be with friends more than ever. After all, most people living in modern societies believe that Christmas is a time for family, friends, significant other, and loved ones. It's time for gift-exchange, tree decoration, and carols. Most, if not all, Christmas-themed movies and music is about some form of love. Basically, people think that Christmas is a season of love. Well, indeed it is a season for love, but the real meaning of Christmas Love is quite different from the common perception.

Some children, even sunday school kids, might tell you that Christmas is a time to get presents, and still others may say it's Santa Clause's birthday. Most church-going Christians should at least be able to tell you what Christmas is really about: the birth of Jesus Christ. Well then, "How is a day celebrating the birth of a baby be about love?" you might ask. It's not an ordinary love that you would think of. This "love" I'm talking about is not the fuzzy feeling you get in your stomach when you see a new born baby or when you are with your special someone. John 3:16 links the birth to this "love":

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." (KJV)

So apparently this baby Jesus was born because God loved the world. But what does it mean for God to love the world, that he would give his Son? I mean, who gives a baby to someone just because of love? And what are you supposed to do if you're given someone else's son? That doesn't sound like the "love" that we typically think of when it comes to Christmas, does it? But the Bible clearly explains how this is indeed love, God's love:

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." (1 John 3:16, NIV)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, NIV)

So what God says about love is that it's about laying down one's own life for another. Perhaps that makes some sense to some parents, if they would actually put themselves in danger to save their children and family (e.g. James Kim). Maybe some children would die for their parents, too. I think we all have an idea of what real love is when it comes to family, but I don't think most of us really understand it or actually practice it.

Ask yourself, would you ever give up your life for someone else? For whom?

Your children? ... Of course.
Your parents? ... Probably.
Your friends? ... Maybe, depending on how close they are.
A total stranger? ... Uhh... what?

"I don't even know who they are!" That's what one of the kids at the church said when I asked that question. Exactly. Why would you die for someone you know nothing about? But then, is the reason you wouldn't die for someone really the lack of knowledge about the person? Do you think you would die for someone depending on how well you know the person? Then what if you knew everything about someone, and that person didn't know you, would you still die for that person? Take Saddam Hussein for example. You know what he has done (or you can find out), and he's sentenced to death. Would you die instead of him? Yeah, right! That's just ridiculous, isn't it? Well, then think of your best friends, those that are so close to you that you might even die for them if you had to. What if you knew that those friends had secretly mistreated and cheated on you in the past. Would you still die for them? And what if you found out that they were planning to betray you and to put you to shame the next day. Would you still lay down your life for them? Can you still love them?

You see, knowing more about someone doesn't always make it easier to love that person. Rather, it usually makes it harder. We all have crap that we want to hide from others, things that would make us less "lovable" by others. You may think dying for someone like Hussein is ridiculous. But dying for someone whom you know everything about is crazier. It's incomprehensible.

That's the kind of love that God demonstrated when he sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth, and God's love goes beyond that. Jesus Christ died for us when we were sinners. That means when we were his enemies, he died for us. When he knew that we were going to betray him, he died for us. Even though he knows that you are going to sin again, he died for you. He knows everything that you did against him, but he still loves you. Isn't that crazy or what? Can you really love someone like the way God loves you?

As if dying wasn't enough, God the Father gave his own Son to die! Can you imagine seeing your own child stripped, beaten, and nailed to the cross? Can you imagine your own son or daughter on that cross shouting, "Daddy! Daddy!"? Is that easier than dying yourself? You see, God's love is beyond that. God loves us so much that he would give his Son to the world, see him suffer and die! That's what it means when it says "For God so loved the world"! Can you wrap your head around that? Can you love another person like God loved the world?

Now, ask yourself: If you believe what the Bible says about God's love, how does it affect you? Why does it matter that God loves us? that Jesus was born? that Christ died for us? that he rose from the dead? How is your life different because of that?

Let me rephrase these questions. If God didn't send his Son to Earth, if Jesus was never born, and if Christ never died for your sins, how would you live differently from the way it is right now? Would it be any different? If not, why not?

As for me, the answer is definitely a yes. God's love affects most, if not all, decisions that I make in my life. If the aforementioned events did not happen, how would I know what real love is? More importantly, how would I know that God loves me? Why would I risk my life and career to go to Africa? Why would I want to become a doctor to help the poor in the developing world, rather than be rich, secure, and comfortable in the US? You see, God's love determines the way I "love" others because the Bible says, "We love because he first loved us" (1 John 4:19, NIV). Indeed, "we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers" because God did that for us, and he told us to.

Because God loves me, I'm willing to spend my entire life serving him wherever he leads me. I may never be able to love others like God loves us, but I'm willing to give my best effort. If loving others means going to the most impoverished parts of the world and putting my life on the line to help those in need, I will do it. I will do it because God loves me.

What would you do, knowing that God loves you? If you believe it, live it. Live like you're loved, and live to love. Live to lay down your life for others.

Remember that Christmas is a season of love, and remember what that Christmas Love really is. Now, spread it.

What I Miss Most / Change of Plans

While I was in Kenya, I really missed having friends that I could connect with deeply. Since I came back, I visited AGO (my fraternity) once, and hung out with my old roommate once. It was really nice seeing some of my friends and talking with them...

More and more I'm realizing that I need to do more of that.

These days most of my time is spent in front of my computer either just wasting away or trying to motivate myself to work on some more essays for med school secondary apps. I've been working at a hak-won (tutor place) in Cerritos, which is actually quite fun, but tutoring kids and studying with college classmates just aren't the same (yes, I think group study is fun, yes, I think studying is fun, and yes, I am a nerd).

It's so strange because I never felt so lonely in my life... Ok, I'm not like desperately lonely, but I definitely feel like I'm missing something. And I guess it's people that I love (other than my family, of course). I never realized how much I loved hanging out with friends, although I didn't take them for granted.

I miss my friends...

I don't think I can wait like this until I start making new friends in med school.

Well, it's winter break, and I'm sure someone wouldn't mind hanging out with me. Anyone?

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In other news, last week I found out that I won't be going back to Kenya next spring. God seems to have closed the door there. I'm pretty sad especially because I won't be able to see the kids in Lenkijape anymore... I promised them I would bring back photos, too. Well, God is always faithful. When He closes a door, He opens another. Looks like He wants me to go to Haiti this time. It's basically Africa except it's in the Caribbean. So I've started relearning French using a computer program.

I've always wondered why in the world I took French in high school and not Spanish. I was in Japan then, and I didn't know I could be moving to California where Spanish is useful and French is not. Now I'm beginning to think that God lead me to take French because He has a plan for me in Africa. If that's the case, I should seriously start studying French. The trip to Haiti will be in late March, and I may be staying there till end of July. My life would be quite miserable if I'm not prepared... I'm sure it will be a lot more challenging then my trip to Kenya.

African Courier #4: Catching Up with Reality

Hujambo!?

That’s one way of saying "How are you?" in Kiswahili. Then you reply "Sijambo!" The other way, which is more common here, is "Habari?" and "Mzuri!"

I can’t believe my first trip to East Africa is almost over! (and that it's already been 4 months since I came!) I’ll be flying out here in two weeks (on Nov. 21), arriving in the cool autumn of Los Angeles (if you can say there is an autumn in SoCal). In my mind, LA is still as hot as I left it in July. And everything else is just frozen the way it was then - school still on vacation, friends still excited about finishing college, and everyone looking forward to a summer filled adventure... It’s a scary thought to see how all my junk (which I left in the living room) got taken care of, and how everything, including family, friends, and church, has changed. I will also be preparing full-on for medical schools (secondary applications and interviews). Soon enough, I will face reality. Not that life in Kenya isn’t a reality. It definitely is! And painfully so!

I say “painfully” because yesterday I was hit with a minor case of flu. I was in bed all day, suffering from severe headache, stomachache, and some fever. Thank God it wasn’t malaria, and that I’m quite better now. As I was cooking my rice porridge for lunch, I couldn’t help but to think how much I need a wife on a foreign mission. Indeed, “It is not good that the man should be alone...” (especially when he’s sick on a mission trip). Anyhow, I’m not advertising for a wife here (and no, I’m not accepting applications or looking for a blind date)... It’s just to describe how bad it was. Seriously though, thank God I’m alive! Mom, please don’t worry. I’m all ok now! But please continue to pray for me.

Speaking of wife, Pastor Eben’s wife delivered their second child today (Nov. 9)! It’s a boy! Pastor Eben is here in Nairobi, but his wife and children (now plural) are in Korea. He seemed very happy and relieved today, especially since the baby was more than a week late and he was getting concerned. He can’t wait to share the news with the whole world (and I guess I’m helping him by writing this).

There’s another thing I want to share with the whole world about Eben...

I was prank-ed big-time on my birthday by Eben and Richard. Well, maybe not that big, but Eben and Richard got me pretty good. It’s a long story (not that long, but too long to spam... err... to put in a newsletter), so if you’re interested, you can read the entry on my blog here: http://doxadeo.blogspot.com/2006/11/doxa-in-kenya-birthday-prank.html

In other news, I’m halfway through with the library. Maybe not so interesting, but so far I’ve recorded about 4200 books on the computer (about 2900 of them were done in the past week). It’s actually quite interesting to go through all the titles (and sub-titles) of the books, but it’s not always fun to work with shelves after shelves of dusty old books. Some of them were eaten up at least 30% by termites, and my hands get pretty gross after handling a few hundred books a day. I just have to look forward to the day it’s done and keep working diligently. Besides, I do have the pressure to finish before I leave.

During my breaks from my work in the dusty dungeon that is the library, I go out to get some fresh air and to observe the new construction on our campus.

Four weeks ago, we started the construction of a new house. It’s been quite interesting to see how they build here. Although I’ve missed some of the process, I got to see and learn about (and take pictures of) many important steps of the construction. Surely I can use some skills in this area as I prepare to become a missionary doctor in a developing country. It’s quite impressive how much Rev. Kim has built during his 17 years of ministry here. God-willing, I hope to build some clinics and hospitals to benefit many people in Africa.

Perhaps as you can see, there aren’t very many exciting/interesting news this month. Mission work isn’t always exciting, but God is surely working. What I mention in my newsletters are only highlights, and the reality is that these are only a glimpse of what we experience here. In other words, things can be quite dull besides what’s mentioned in newsletters. I don’t mean to say that my time here has been boring. Not at all! I’ve enjoyed everyday that I’ve been here (maybe except yesterday when I was sick), whether I’m in Masai or working at BCEA. I just say this because I realize that some people may get newsletters (whether it is from me or some other missionaries) and read about some crazy/amazing stuff going on in the field, and misunderstand that all they read is all that’s happening out there.

The thing is, it’s so easy for the missionaries to over emphasize or exaggerate some seemingly “cool” stuff to make it look like their work is more important or bigger than what it really is. For example, about my mentioning about my flu yesterday, although I’m not exaggerating, you may think that I’m going through such a hard time in Kenya just because I mentioned it. The truth is, I was only sick one day (and I could be just as sick anywhere else in the world), and most of the time I’m actually quite healthy and comfortable. On the other hand, even though I only mentioned a few things in this newsletter (and very few things that I’m actually doing besides observing), I’ve been extremely busy, even as busy as I was in college. I can confidently say that because, while in college I would spend a lot more time on the internet, here I would spend much less time online yet be busy enough to sleep barely 6 hours a day. Both teaching English classes and conducting church choir take a lot of time and energy.

Anyhow, I just wanted you to understand that what I mention in my newsletters are just the things that I think you might be interested in, and there’s a lot more going on out here that can be either boring or exciting to you. Also, I try to present them without exaggerating or over emphasizing. My intention is not to make my life here seem more miserable or interesting than it really is so that you may have sympathy or be moved to give financial support. What God is providing for me right now is sufficient, and I believe that He will always provide. Of course, that doesn’t mean “don’t give any financial support” because I am currently living on the support of some churches in California. If God moves you to give, please give! I just don’t want to be the one convincing/begging you through newsletters, and I shouldn’t be.

God provides, and He is always faithful to provide when I need. In fact, recently I realized that I’ve been quite low on cash ever since the theft two months ago. So I prayed to God to provide, and amazingly enough, someone (I don’t even know who) donated extra money towards my mission fund! I don’t even know how s/he knew about me or why s/he decided to give, but I just know that God works in amazing ways. Praise God!

Now, here’s what you’ve been waiting for. Prayer requests! Please pray for:

· my health. As you already know, I’ve been sick a few times already while living in Africa. And somehow they always involved the stomach. I think I’ll have to get my stomach checked up when I come back to the US. Meanwhile, please continue to pray for my health.

· the travel back home. Not just for me, but several of the faculty at BCEA will be going back home this month. Eben is flying back to Korea on Nov. 20, I’m flying back to the States on Nov. 21, and Richard is flying back to Philippines on Nov. 24. I think Rev. Kim is also flying back to Korea sometime in December. Please pray for safe travel.

· the safety of the community. Last night while in bed, I heard a horrifying yell of a man from the neighbors, dogs barking and rushing towards the noise, and then two gun shots. After a few minutes I heard the police car passing by, and then four more gun shots. No, this is not America, and guns are not legal here. Where do they get guns then, you ask? Why, from the police officers, of course! Hand a few thousand shillings to a cop and you’re ready for an armed robbery for the night. Welcome to Kenya (that’s what Eben would say). Enough said. Please pray for God’s protection from physical harm.

· my medical school applications (plural this time). I’ve started working on some secondary applications for medical schools. They’re not as intense as AMCAS (the first application for all med schools), but a lot of work nonetheless. If anyone wants to proofread/comment on my essays, let me know! Most of them are very short, and won’t take much of your time.

· the library catalogue project. I really need to finish this work before I leave, so that they can start using the new system next term (in January). I won’t be back probably by February or maybe March because of med school interviews, so I need to leave it in good shape. Once I finish this, students will be able to checkout/in books by scanning barcodes (yay for “new” technology!), which is much faster and more efficient than keeping track on notebooks.

· finals. Students at BCEA will be taking finals starting next week through the week after. My English final will be a week from this Friday since I’ll be leaving the next Tuesday. I know most of you reading this are students or teachers, so you know what it means to take a final, so no need to explain the significance of this. Cheating is quite common in schools in Kenya, even here at BCEA. In fact, during the past midterms, one student was caught and was expelled. It seems like it is part of their culture not to take cheating seriously. This cannot be, especially in a Bible College where we want to train honest and sincere ministers.

· the faculty at BCEA (Nairobi & Tanzania), my English classes, the ministries in Masai Land, and whatever I forgot or didn’t mention that needs prayer. I don’t think I need to repeat what I said in my last newsletter. Please continue to pray for them! For those of you who know Pastor Lazarus, his wife is expected to deliver their first baby soon. So please pray for them. Christine is getting married on Nov. 25 at Mombassa, and her fiancé is flying in from Singapore sometime this week or next. Pray for safe travel and the preparation for the wedding.

Thank you again for taking the time to read the newsletter! Sorry there’s no picture this time. But when I come back, I’m sure you’ll see so many that you’ll get sick of them (or just from seeing pictures/videos of dead/dying animals).

God Bless,
SunMin
http://doxadeo.blogspot.com

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Doxa in Kenya: The Birthday Prank

This one is almost a month old already, but it’s worth writing about.

So my 23rd birthday passed last month (Oct. 14). It was quite different from any of my previous ones, besides the fact that my older brother, who shares the same birthday, wasn’t there. I think I’ve celebrated my birthday without my older brother only once before this one.

I usually don’t start out my birthday thinking, “Yes! It’s my birthday today!” Especially this time, since my mind was preoccupied with something else. That morning I was looking for my jeans which had been missing since it was last washed. It had been a while since I saw it hanging for it to be dried, and that morning I saw that it was gone. So I asked Joy the housekeeper, and she told me she thought I took it down. When I asked Richard, my next-door neighbor, he told me that sometimes things go missing around here, but that they usually come back. So I’m like, Great...

Later that morning, Mrs. Kim invited the three “bachelors” (Richard, Eben, and I) for lunch. I didn’t realize that it was my birthday until Eben exclaimed, “Oh, I see! you prepared lunch for us because it’s SunMin’s birthday!” So apparently Eben had forgotten that it was my birthday, which was no big deal since I don’t expect anyone other than my family to remember that. Mrs. Kim seemed surprised, saying, “How could you forget?”

When we finished eating lunch (which was amazing, kalbi-tang and all), Eben told me that he’ll make a “Queen’s cake” for my birthday (which is just a muffin). He pulled out a muffin (seemingly out of nowhere), and started putting match sticks on it... 23 of them! Of course, we couldn’t light them all because as soon as one was lit it would burst out some flame and die in a few seconds, or get too hot to get near it. Anyhow, they sang happy birthday to me over a small muffin with a flame on top.

Now, I thought that was funny enough. After the song, Mrs. Kim gave me some presents, which turned out to be a Tupperware full of kimchi (yes!) and another Tupperware with dried squid in Korean spice (double yes!). Then Eben brought out a big box wrapped in newspaper. So he didn’t forget that it was my birthday after all! Hmm, something is fishy here, I thought (besides the actual food). When I opened it, I saw a nice yellow shirt, a pair of socks, an underwear (what?), and a pair of jeans... And they were all mine!!! No wonder where my jeans went! They were all tagged as if to seem like they were brand new. Also in the box was my phone from the States (which I can’t use here because it uses embedded SIM card), and on it Eben and Richard had recorded some videos of them singing happy birthday and putting tags on my cloths (for some reason Richard had kept a bunch of clothe tags from the Philippines in his room).

Then after that, they brought out a real cake, a chocolate flavored one with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUNMIN” in icing. I guess that was the nice part.

Man, we laughed so hard! I hadn’t laughed like that for so long. It was all Eben’s idea (yes, I know he got them from his friends when they tricked him the same way). Anyway, I had a real good birthday. Thanks guys! I need to do it to one of my friends one day.

Happy Reformation Day!

While October 31st is known by most people as Halloween, it is actually a very important day for Christians (no, not because it's Halloween). As I found out recently, it is the day that Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses at the castle door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany, marking the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.

To celebrate the 489th anniversary, I'm posting a sermon (about Reformation) that was preached here at Bible College of East Africa yesterday by Richard Tiu, a missionary from the Philippines.

DISCLAIMER: Let me first warn you that you may be offended, especially if you are a Catholic. In fact this sermon has a lot of attacks against the Roman Catholic Church. But if you are offended by reading this, remember that it is not an attack against you (unless you're the Pope), but it is against the religion. Of course, it is natural for any religion to say that other religions are false (unless you're postmodern). If you think any of the statement made in the sermon is false, feel free to comment. But I suggest you make constructive criticisms, and not attack me or Pastor Richard. If you think Pastor Richard doesn't really know about Catholic Church because he's a Protestant, remember he's from the Philippines and he used to be a Catholic. And yes, he is a legit pastor.

As for me, I used to think there isn't any significant difference between Catholicism and Protestantism, because I all I knew about Catholicism came from interacting with Catholics, who outwardly didn't show any difference from the Protestants. But as I learn more about the teachings of the Catholic Church, I realize they're not different like Baptists are different from Methodists or Fundamentalists. It's not a mere difference in the interpretation of the Bible. It is clear that the Roman Catholic Church have perverted the teachings of the Bible by adding so much junk to it (read on if you want know what I'm talking about). I'm beginning to think that Catholicism is almost as bad as the Jehovah's Witness and the Mormon churches. Yes, I said that. Sorry to all my friends who are JWs or LDSs, but you knew I'm Christian, right? And if you know my belief, you know that I think your belief is completely bogus. I know I'm not "politically correct" by saying all this, but standing up for Jesus is so much more important than that.

I hope you'll find (at least some) truth by reading this. Like Jesus said, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (or in this case, if you have eyes to read, let him read). Basically, it means there's no point in arguing. If something is presented to you as truth, it's up to you and you alone to accepted it or not.

P.S. Did you know that the Roman Catholic Church teaches immaculate conception of Mary (like Jesus was immaculately conceived), so she was sinless, and that that she never died but was taken up to heaven like Jesus was. Maybe it's not a big deal (let people believe whatever they want to believe, whether it's true or not). But what's interesting is that such teaching is not found in the Bible OR the Apocrypha! Then where did they get such an idea? I think it was because some pope said it (I haven't confirmed this). But this teaching was added even after the Protestant Reformation. Now that makes me think... why wasn't Mary crucified instead? If she was sinless, couldn't she take away our sin as well? Another interesting thing is that the Catholic doctrine teaches the infallibility of the Pope, which was also added relatively recently. Of course, that must be true, right? Just look at the current Pope! I'm sure it wasn't a mistake that he was "misunderstood" on his speech about Muslims. Alright, alright. No more making fun of other people's beliefs. I'm not here to offend people. Everyone's got to rant a little sometimes. But I doubt most Catholics who aren't so devout really know what they believe, though I may be wrong.

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Title: Why am I a Protestant?

By: Pastor Richard Tiu

Passage: Isaiah 59:1-21

BCEA Sunday evening service – 29^th October 2006

Once again we shall take a break from our series on the 12 Apostles as we take time this day to remember an important event in the history of Christianity. If we may recall, the period from AD500 to AD1500 is what is known in church history as the “Dark Ages of the Church.” This was the period when the power of the papacy in the Roman Catholic Church was at its zenith; a period when the gospel of salvation was hidden under a maze of deception. It was a period when God needed to raise up a standard.

The passage we have read characterizes the religious cycle of the nation of Israel. Israel sins > God sends judgment > Standard is lifted > Truth prevails > Church is revived. The standard raised is the Word of God and its truth can only prevail when God raises faithful men to stand for it.

The same situation described from verse 1 to 11 existed in the dark ages of religion. When the Roman Catholic Church was at its mightiest, the true gospel of salvation was replaced by a gospel of deception. For one to be saved, faith in Christ is no longer enough. The RC says you must also do good works; you must observe their seven sacraments, and offer prayers to Mary and the so-called “canonized saints” of their church. In other words, one must need to work his way to heaven if he is to be saved – a teaching which is clearly condemned all throughout the Bible.

The Catholic Church cleverly tried to cover their errors by a web of deception. But our text in verse 6 says, “Their webs shall not become garments.” This refers to the garment of salvation offered in Christ alone. And the verse continues “neither shall they cover themselves with their works: their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.”

Verse 7 continues, “Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood…” At that time when the reformers were trying to return to the teachings of the Bible, they were killed and burned at the stake. One such martyr of the Reformation was a man named William Tyndale who was strangled to death and his body burned. The reason was simply because he translated the Catholic Latin Bible into English which has become the common language of the people by that time.

Another reformer John Wycliffe started this translation before he died. After his death his corpse was exhumed in order to be burned. It was for the same reason that he defied the pope’s order not to translate the Latin Bible into English. Wycliffe also vehemently opposed the false teachings of the church and was branded a heretic. That was how the Roman Church hated to see the Bible being read and understood by the common people; because the Bible will reveal all their erroneous doctrines and thus expose them as a false church.

Then in verse 8 it says, “The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.” Romans 5:1 tells us that the way of peace with God is “being justified by faith…through our Lord Jesus Christ.” But the Catholic Church directs its members to a crooked path leading to a place called purgatory; a crooked path leading to the way of Mary worship instead of Jesus who is the only way, the truth, and the life.

Those who follow the crooked way is being described from verses 9 to 11, “Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men. We roar all like bears, and mourn sore like doves: we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.” This was exactly the situation during the dark ages of church history. Salvation was very far off because the truth was hidden. Verse 15 sums up that period, “Yea, truth faileth.”

Throughout the history of Christianity, Satan has always been trying to undermine the Word of God and subvert biblical doctrines of the faith; but each time God has always raised up His standard. So we are told in verse 19, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.”

The Protestant Reformation was a rediscovery and return to biblical Christianity which began in Europe and America and later on spread to the whole world. We owe it to the 16^th century Protestant Reformation not only the reformation of the church but more importantly the restoration of genuine biblical Christianity.

In two days time, we mark that very special day in history, October 31. It is the day we remember (not Halloween) the anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. And this afternoon we will travel back in time to that day, October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses at the castle door of the Wittenberg Church in Germany challenging the heretical doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church. It was the day that the Lord lifted up a standard against the enemies of His word. It was the day when the 16^th Century Protestant Reformation officially started. And this coming Tuesday marks the 489^th year anniversary of that event. It is important for us to remember this event because it will answer the question: Why am I a Protestant? I have five reasons in answer to this question.

1) I am a Protestant because I stand for the Word of God – Nowadays, to protest is somewhat viewed as a negative action. People seem to protest at just about anything and everything. Just recently, university professors in Kenya were protesting that they receive lesser salaries than the MPs – a protest motivated by greed. And as a result, some of the protesters were eventually terminated. Protesters are often labeled as radicals or troublemakers and because of this the word “protest” or “protestant” seem to carry a negative connotation.

But in the original sense, to pro-test has a good meaning. The word “protest” is actually the Latin pro-testari. It is a compound of two words, pro which means “for” or “in favor of” and testari meaning “testament.” So to be protestari simply means to stand for or in favor of the testament. In the context of the Reformation, to be “protestant” simply means to be standing for the Testaments, both the Old and New. Hence, to be a Pro-testant is a biblical term, because to be a Pro-testant is to stand for the Word of God.

So if to be Protestant is to stand for the Word of God, how do you call those who con-tradict the Word of God? Con-testants? I’ve always believed there are only two religions in the world. Either you are a pro-testant – standing for the Word of God, believing, teaching, and defending it; or, you are a con-testant – contradicting, denying, adding, and or subtracting what God says through His word. So, which one are you? Are you Pro-testant or con-testant? Are you defending or denying the Bible?

We are Protestants because the Word of God alone is our basis for the rule of life and faith. This is the doctrine of sola Scriptura and we owe it to the Reformation for rediscovering this doctrine. Before the Reformation, it was kept hidden underneath the pile of Roman traditions and superstitions for more than a thousand years. Sola Scriptura is rooted in the principle that “when God says it; that settles it. I believe and obey it.” Departing from this biblical principle is always a step towards heresy. This was what happened to the Roman Catholic Church as well as to all the cults and heretical churches around us today.

2) I am a Protestant because I believe in the cardinal doctrines of salvation – The cardinal doctrines of salvation can be summed up by the other 4 Solas – sola gratia, sola fide, solus Christus, soli Deo Gloria. It stands for salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone.

a. Sola Gratia – Salvation is by grace alone totally apart from works. This truth is repeated so many times in the Bible. (Eph 2:8-10; Tit 3:5). This doctrine becomes very clear in Romans 11:6 “And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.” Salvation is a free gift. If we have to work for it, then that would no longer be free, isn’t it? And besides, the Bible also says in Isaiah 64:6 that “we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Man’s works of righteousness can never bring him to heaven nor can it justify him because we are told that even these are tainted by sin.

b. Sola Fide – Justification is by faith and again the key word is “alone.” Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38; Habakkuk 2:4 all say the same thing. “The just shall live by faith.” This is the heart of the gospel of Christ. The gospel is summed up by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” All who believe in this truth shall be justified unto salvation.

c. Solus Christus – Almost all religions in the world says DO. But true Christianity says DONE. Christ says in John 19:30, “It is finished” to tell us that the work of redemption has been completed by His death on the cross. Nothing more has to be done except to believe in Him. Christ was the one crucified – not Mary or any of the so-called “saints.” That is why our faith must rest in Him and Him alone.

d. Soli Deo Gloria – For the glory of God alone is the natural result of the first 3 solas. This will set the proper perspective of where we stand before God. It will put sinners in their rightful place – down in the dust – and exalt God on high. Because it is sola gratia, sola fide, and solus Christus then it should be to the glory of God alone and not of men. Thus the tendency to glorify other gods or savior, or even our own works will be removed. God’s says in Isaiah 42:8, “I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”

3) I am a Protestant because I believe in the perspicuity of the Scriptures – Perspicuity of Scriptures means that the word of God is clearly expressed and therefore can be easily understood. The Reformers argued that the Scriptures is plain enough for the ordinary Christian to read and understand. But the RC Church teaches otherwise and they strongly forbid their followers to read the Bible on their own. They say that because it is difficult to understand it must be read only according to the interpretation of the church. Only RC priests were authorized to interpret the Bible at that time. But the question is: How could the early Christians have known and understood God’s Word when the RC was not yet in existence? We must take note that the epistles were written to ordinary Christians and not to priests & popes.

What actually made the Scriptures difficult to read at that time was because it was available only in the Latin Vulgate. The Catholic Church has forbidden the translation of the Bible into the common language of the people. So when the Bible was translated into English and put in the hands of the lay people, the Protestant Reformation soon broke out. When the people started reading a Bible that they could understand, they soon discovered how RC has diverted and departed from the Word of God. That was not the case before the Reformation. Today we have in our hands a Bible that we can read and understand because the reformers fought for that right.

4) I am a Protestant because I believe in the universal priesthood of believers – Before the reformation the believers cannot come directly to God the Father for the confession and forgiveness of sins. They were taught to come first under the intercession of dead saints, to confess to the priests, or even the Pope.

But the Bible says in 1Pe 2:9 that we who believe in Jesus are a royal priesthood because Christ as our great high Priest has opened the way for us to commune directly to the Father in heaven. Thus we do not need any intercession of dead saints nor de we need another mediator or mediatrix because Christ is the only mediator between God and man as 1Timothy 2:5 clearly tells us. That is why we don’t need to confess to a priest either. 1John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

That every believer is a priest also refutes wrong notion that only celibate priests can represent us before God. That is why we have married pastors in Protestant churches instead of celibate priests. The Bible clearly supports the practice of having married ministers. 1Timothy 3:2 and Titus 1:6 all say that, “A bishop [or elder] must be husband of one wife.” On the other hand, the Bible says that celibacy or forbidding of marriage is a doctrine of devils. 1 Timonthy 4:1-3, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry…”

What is ironic is that if these RC priests are supposed to be unmarried, why are they given the title “fathers?” A father without having children? Ironic isn’t it? Well, they may say they are spiritual fathers. Still, this is unbiblical. In Matthew 23:9 Jesus says, “And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.” Spiritually we are born of God not of men. That’s why in our church we have Pastor Lazarus, Pastor Kiarie, Pastor Bernard, and Pastor Eben. We don’t call them Father Lazarus, Father Kiarie, or Father Bernard, or Father Eben.

Another irony is that while they call themselves as “fathers” but in reality some of them really wanted to be mothers. You know what I mean? Many members of the Catholic clergy are gay! And we often read them in the news sexually molesting young boys, causing great scandals in the church and in effect bringing shame to the name of Christ. We certainly don’t need immoral priests or any RC priest for that matter. As Protestants, we are a universal priesthood of believers. The Bible says so.

5) I am a Protestant because I worship God in spirit and truth – The Protestant Reformation also brought back the true worship of the living and true God. When Jesus was talking with the Samaritan woman by the well of Jacob in John 4, He gave her the description of who are the true worshippers of God. “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23-24).

Before the Reformation, people were worshipping God in RC rituals and images. If you have ever attended a Roman Catholic worship you can see that the main attraction would be this ritual called the Eucharist or the Mass. The Word of God is still read but it is consigned only to the sidelines. The centerpiece of the altar will be an array of idols and images of wood and stone – a clear defiance of the 1^st and 2^nd commandment of God.

Today, we can practice the true worship of God in spirit and truth because someone protested against the rituals and idolatry of the RC Church. Though we don’t see Him, we worship God and sing hymns of praises unto Him because by faith we are assured that His Spirit is in our midst. We worship Him in sincerity of the spirit and not in formality of rituals. We worship Him in truth because we follow what His word tells us how He should be worshipped. We worship Him in truth by listening to His word being preached and applying them to our lives. God is not an image but a Spirit; He is not a ritual but the truth. As such, true worshippers ought to worship Him in spirit and in truth. We also owe this proper understanding of biblical worship to the Protestant Reformation.

So there we have it. The five answers to the question: Why I am a Protestant? Firstly, it is because I stand for the word of God. Then I believe in the cardinal doctrines of salvation (4 Solas). Thirdly, I believe in the perspicuity or clarity of Scriptures. Fourthly, I believe in the universal priesthood of believers. And lastly, I worship God in spirit and in truth. All five beliefs based solely from the Bible.

But the sad reality is that many who call themselves Protestants are no longer pro-testing in the true sense of the word. Some of them are no longer pro-Scriptures. They are no longer pro-Bible. No more pro-God. The word and the will of God is no longer the rule of their life and faith. Churches have gone back to the pomp and pageantry of entertainment worship with rock music and dancing. The word of God is no longer preached faithfully in many Protestant churches. Sin is no longer an issue. Health and wealth is more important. Evangelism takes a back seat for miracles and signs and wonders.

What is even sadder is the fact that Protestant churches are now taking efforts to unite back with Rome through the ecumenical movement. In so doing, it is as if to say that the Protestant Reformation is, after all, a big mistake. And so we need to go back to the Roman Catholic Church and say, “I’m sorry.” Is being protestari a mistake? Is being pro Word of God an error?

Thus we really need to ask this question over and over again that we may not lose the focus of our Christian faith. Why am I a Protestant? If you know the answers then ask yourself: Am I still pro-testing?

May the rich heritage of the 16^th century Protestant Reformation be always remembered and preached in this pulpit.

AMCAS

I finally submitted my medical school application to AMCAS!! Now I have to wait till they process it. When they finish processing it, I should get e-mails from some schools for links to their secondary apps.

Special thanks to those who helped me revise my personal statement! And biggest thanks to God for allowing me finish on time!

I'll probably post a copy of my personal statement later.