Author: foojer

on shyness

I am what you’d describe as a shy guy, scared of talking to pretty girls.

Sounds innocuous, even charming. But here’s what’s wrong with that:

Shyness means I don’t want to talk to a pretty girl for fear of looking bad in front of her – I think I speak for nine out of ten guys who suffer from shyness (and in fact the Cantonese/Mandarin words for ‘shy’ are rendered 怕羞 and 害羞 respectively, both of which approximately mean ‘afraid of shame’) – but is this not simply pride and self-importance? Continue reading “on shyness” →

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on the failure of inter-war collective security

If the aftermath of WW1 were the re-arrangement of the European power balance with Germany purposely spared, then we still live with a very tangible consequence of WW1. The existence of Yugoslavia, the Czech Republic and Hungary among others is a result more or less of the post-war measures taken to dismantle the Habsburg Empire; the preservation of Germany was just as much a conscious decision by the Allied victors. Could you imagine how different our political landscape (not to mention 20th century world history) would be had the Allies decided to liquidate the German Reich in 1918? Continue reading “on the failure of inter-war collective security” →

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on sonship

A gut reaction to be humble and service is not necessarily good. In my experience always insisting on being the first to serve inflames the ego. On the contrary allowing yourself to be served (receiving without giving anything in return) takes humility – provided you see the service as meeting your weakness/need and not something to be exploited! Witness Peter’s cry of ‘you shall never wash my feet, Lord’, and Christ’s reply. (John 13:6-8)

A son is served out of his father’s riches. Learn to enjoy these as the fruits of sonship. Continue reading “on sonship” →

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on idolatry

It’s easy for me to scoff at those heathens with their little pinwheels, flocking to worship at Che Kung’s temple. Does such idolatry actually remain in this age? Yes it is easy to scoff, I am a man of Christ and a son of the King.

Yet I regularly offer my body in worship to Eros and Pornographia. My mind is often given to the god Ego, yes I am quite the devotee to him. My eyes worship the goddesses Masthos and Skeles on a daily basis. Continue reading “on idolatry” →

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substitutionary atonement and other things

Yesterday, church community did not feel so good. Felt a bit dead, clique-y. Granted, church is more than hanging out, but when that’s missing, something’s wrong. But then that church community is usually up and down. Work with what you have.

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The way people view you is no reflection of your real worth;

Granted, but if everyone is agreed you’re an asshole, something’s wrong.

Being brave is to do what you don’t want to do because it has to be done;

Granted , but that doesn’t mean you go looking for trouble. Continue reading “substitutionary atonement and other things” →

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a psalm

Blessed be the LORD

Who makes good what is bad

And new what is old.

Who makes wisemen out of fools

And fools out of wisemen

That both may laugh at what good has been wrought.

The LORD who promises justice

Who kindles hope because of what has been

And what will surely be.

The desert He waters with thirsty men

And shows freely whom asks to see

this Love that weakens the knees of mighty men

and compels the adoration of princes.

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crossing the river

The Lord calls us to go the whole way with Him, to walk with Him. Enoch walked with God, and in fact walked so close to Him, went so far with Him that the Bible implies he didn’t have to go through death, God simply took him away (Gen 5:24).

But then there’s a lot of instances however of people called by God to walk with Him, but who only went halfway through. Terah was probably one such person; he set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to make his way to Canaan, the destination that Abraham would eventually reach, but he only made it as far as Haran. The Bible seems to imply that God had in fact called Terah to make the journey his son would eventually make, but the father of the patriarch did not walk with God all the way. He settled for Haran and stayed there, unable to attain the inheritance and surrounded by pagans till his death. (Gen 11:31) Continue reading “crossing the river” →

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a bronze snake and a talking donkey

This bit of the OT blew my mind the first time a friend of mine, a god-fearing man, taught me about it a year ago. And here I am a year from then reading it for myself, and it’s still just as awesome. So, Numbers 21:4-9 –

They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!”

Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.

The LORD said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.

Funny how secular interpretations of this passage point to a pagan god, the Greek god of healing Asklepios (whose symbol is a snake on a rod). But a biblical, Spirit-filled interpretation points to the real Healer, Jesus Christ. I had already heard how this passage is a direct prophecy of Christ’s healing and his sacrifice, as John 3:14-15 makes very clear – “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Also see John 6:39-40 – “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.“ Continue reading “a bronze snake and a talking donkey” →

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some thoughts about Jesus

Firstly just an interesting bit in the OT that I never noticed. This story is from Numbers 16:41-50, just after the LORD had destroyed Korah and his followers for their disobedience:

The next day the whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. “You have killed the LORD’s people,” they said.

But when the assembly gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron and turned toward the Tent of Meeting, suddenly the cloud covered it and the glory of the LORD appeared. Then Moses and Aaron went to the front of the Tent of Meeting, and the LORD said to Moses, “Get away from this assembly so I can put an end to them at once.” And they fell facedown.

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with fire from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the LORD; the plague has started.” So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the mist of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. But 14,700 people died from the plague, in addition to those who had died because of Korah. Then Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, for the plague had stopped.

That has to be one of the most awesome pictures of Christ in the OT! A priest who rushes to save a sinful, grumbling people, making atonement for them in the face of the righteous judgement, literally standing between life and death for his people. Of course this is just an image, the actual sacrificing atonement of Christ demanded no less than the death of the priest as well. Continue reading “some thoughts about Jesus” →

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