Maybe it was a rejection letter, or a promotion you didn’t get, or a romantic relationship that ended. No matter what, it was something you wanted, and the way was blocked.

 Often when you face closed doors in our lives, you tend to get frustrated. You may ask God, “Why did You close that door, Lord?” If you’re anything like me, you may even get angry at God with denied opportunities: “Why are You doing this to me, God?”

 Why does God close doors? Why does He sometimes block us from having things? God closes doors because He has something better in mind.

 In Acts 16:6-10, Paul and his companions learn a very important lesson. As they tried to preach the gospel in Asia Minor andBithynia, they found the doors closed (v.6-7). The Holy Spirit stopped them from preaching. You can just imagine the frustration in the minds of these men. After all, what could be more worthwhile than evangelizing the lost?

 When they reached the port city of Troas, Paul learns why God closed the doors to Asia andBithynia. A man of Macedonia came to Paul in a vision, begging him to go toMacedoniaand help them (v.9)!

 God’s desire was to bring the gospel toEurope, where it had never been before. And because these men set sail forMacedonia, the gospel reached cities like Philippi, Thessalonica, and Corinth.

 More importantly, because God guided these men westward, the gospel spread throughout Europe. Millions of Christians, including myself, can thank God that the gospel made it to Europe. Do you see why God closed those other doors?

 When God closes doors in your life, it’s because He has something better in mind. It’ll be better for both you and His kingdom. Maybe God wanted you to be in a certain situation because it’ll bring you closer to Him, or further the cause of the gospel somehow. We may never know.

 I am living proof that God has better things in mind. God closed doors in my life, denying me opportunities that I really wanted. But I’m in Texas now, pursuing God’s call to full-time ministry and now happily married with a beautiful baby because God closed those doors. And I should thank Him everyday.

 When God closes doors, it can be very frustrating. But take heart, because God’s plan is much better. Look for the open doors elsewhere. God will bring about what is best.

The Life and Death of Pvt. Danny Chen — New York Magazine.

Danny Chen’s Family Says He was Abused Almost Daily — Huffington Post

Superiors Failed To Report Manhattan Soldier’s Abuse, Army Officials Say

The story of Pvt. Danny Chen is  such a tragedy. He was a smart and determined kid from Chinatown. All he wanted was to join the Army. Now he is dead:

Nine months later, he was found dead in Afghanistan of what the Army has described as “an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.” Since Danny Chen’s death, details of his story have slowly emerged, relayed by Army officials to his family. A group of his superiors allegedly tormented Chen on an almost daily basis over the course of about six weeks in Afghanistan last fall. They singled him out, their only Chinese-American soldier, and spit racial slurs at him: “gook,” “chink,” “dragon lady.” They forced him to do sprints while carrying a sandbag. They ordered him to crawl along gravel-covered ground while they flung rocks at him. And one day, when his unit was assembling a tent, he was forced to wear a green hard-hat and shout out instructions to his fellow soldiers in Chinese.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could do great workouts, because we’ve already been given the ability? I wish I could go out and dunk a basketball or hit a baseball 400 feet, or swim 2000 meters. I wish I could just have the ability, and then I have to do to is to go out and do it.

In our walks with God, we have a remarkable “workout.” God gives us the ability, the will, the desire, to do what’s pleasing to Him, and all we have to do is go out and do it. God does the work in, we do the work out.

The apostle Paul wrote:

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,
Philippians 2:12

In Philippians 2, Paul calls the believers to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ, who humbled himself in obedience to the Father, that even though he was God, he put aside his status and became like a servant.  When Paul says “therefore” in verse 12, we know that somehow what he’s going to write is connected with us having the same obedient attitude as Christ.

Paul goes on, “therefore, just as you’ve always obeyed, not just in my presence but even more in my absence.” Paul is proud of this group of believers because they’ve shown that they have been obedient to God. They’ve lived according to what is pleasing to God, and have done things in accordance to His will and His character. And Paul says that they’ve obeyed not just in his presence but also when he’s been away.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling…
for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13

Verse 13 tells us that it is God who is the one who works in us. He’s working in you, he’s working in me. That in the heart of a believer, God the Holy Spirit has changed our hearts. The Bible talks about how part of salvation is God taking our heart of stone and replacing it with a heart of flesh. A heart that wants to obey God, a heart that wants to serve Him and do what’s pleasing to Him. So here it says that God has worked in us. He’s worked inside us. And we have to work out what God’s already worked in us.  God does the work in, and we do the work out.

What is God challenging you to obey Him with? Maybe God’s been telling you to forgive someone who has really hurt you. If so, would you work out your salvation, what God’s already done in you, so that you can forgive that person? Maybe God’s been challenging you to step up in ministry. If so, would you work out your salvation, what God has already done in you, so that you can serve Him and do it well? Maybe God’s been moving you to get rid of a sinful habit: maybe gossip, maybe laziness, or maybe pornography. Would you work out your salvation, what God has already done in you, and put in some good habits instead?

Remember, this is not working hard without God. God does the work in, we do the work out. God does the work in, we do the work out. And God has already given us the desire and the will to do what is pleasing to him. Because of this, in the end, we wont’ be saying “look how faithful we are for working hard” but we’ll be saying “Look how great God is for working in us.” We just need to work it out. Will you join me for the best workout?

Now he had to go through Samaria.
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
John 4:4-6

She came to the well during the sixth hour, in the heat of the day, long after the women of the village were gone. She couldn’t face them, not after the scornful looks and the silent treatment they would give her. She knew she deserved it, with her promiscuous lifestyle–having lover after lover. And now she was living with a man who wasn’t even her husband.

At the well, two figures who should have never interacted, yet their connection exemplifies the mission of Christ, and the love that God has for us. Jesus reached out to the lonesome woman:

When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”
John 4:7

He offered her living water, so that she would never thirst again. The woman marveled at this. What the woman didn’t understand was that Jesus was not offering her something physical, but something spiritual.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:13-14

Jesus was offering her salvation–a relationship with God. Forgiveness of her sins, yes, but more importantly, peace with God and eternal life. A chance to be connected with the Father.

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
John 4:23

The Father is seeking worshipers. He’s looking for people who will trust Him, bring Him glory, and know the truth.

Like this woman, we look for fulfillment in things other than God. She was trying to quench her thirst. For her, it was romance. There was a void in her that she was trying to fill. Sometimes we try to fill that void with success, popularity, academics, money, influence, or distractions. Like the woman, who was at least on her sixth lover, none of them satisfied.

Yet only God can satisfy that need forever. That void can be filled with a relationship with God. He can quench that thirst. That’s what Jesus was offering the woman at the well. God can quench your thirst forever. Will you trust Him, receive His gift of salvation through His Son, and fill that void?

It’s remarkable that Jesus renamed Simon “Peter.” The rock. Something immovable, something unshakable, something reliable. But in many ways, Peter wasn’t a rock. He wasn’t reliable when he thought Jesus needed him to be.

In Caesarea Philippi, Peter got Jesus’ identity right. He nailed it:

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-19

Peter probably felt pretty good about himself after that. But soon after, Peter seems to lose the favor of Jesus:

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
Matthew 16:21-23

Peter was not the rock he thought he was. I could just imagine Peter vowing to himself that he would never let Jesus down again.

At the Last Supper, after Jesus washed his disciples’ feet and predicts his betrayal, Peter tries to vow his allegiance to Jesus:

Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
John 13:36-38

After dinner, Jesus went to the garden to pray, and brought Peter and two other disciples with him. At the garden, Jesus gave them one simple task:

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
Mark 14:32-42

Three times Jesus asked them to stay awake and keep watch, and the three disciples, led by Peter, let him down in his time of need. Peter was not a rock. Yet Jesus gave him another chance.

When Jesus was being arrested, Peter tried to protect him, but Jesus rebukes him again:

Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! Shall I not drink the cup the Father has given me?”
John 18:10-11

How embarrassing for Peter. Maybe he wasn’t as favored as he thought he was. But he was probably determined not to let Jesus down again.

Then seizing him, they led him away and took him into the house of the high priest. Peter followed at a distance. But when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and had sat down together, Peter sat down with them. A servant girl saw him seated there in the firelight. She looked closely at him and said, “This man was with him.” But he denied it. “Woman, I don’t know him,” he said. A little later someone else saw him and said, “You also are one of them.” “Man, I am not!” Peter replied. About an hour later another asserted, “Certainly this fellow was with him, for he is a Galilean.” Peter replied, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: “Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.
Luke 22:54-62

A dark time for Peter. He had betrayed his master. What Judas did was bad, but what Peter did was just as bad. He was not a rock. He was not reliable.

Jesus was arrested, mocked, interrogated, tortured, beaten, and nailed to a cross of wood. And Peter was nowhere to be found. Jesus was innocent, yet he was suffering the worst death anyone could ever experience. And Peter was not solid and reliable.

Jesus died and was buried. I could imagine that all Peter could think about was how much he had hurt, betrayed, and disappointed his master.

Many of you know the rest of the story of Jesus. The miracle of the resurrection! God had conquered death. Easter Sunday is the defining event of our faith!

After Jesus resurrected, he appeared to his disciples several times. One time, he appeared to them at the sea. A miraculous catch of fish. Peter jumped into the water and swam back to shore to see Jesus:

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
John 21:15-19

Why did Jesus give Peter another chance?

Why did Jesus give Peter another chance to be his disciple?

Why did Jesus give Peter another chance to serve him?

Why did Jesus forgive Peter?

Jesus gave Peter yet another chance–chance after chance after chance–because of his death and resurrection.

Jesus took the sin of the world–including Peter’s, and including mine and yours–and died the death we should have died. All we have to do is place our trust in Him, to believe, and we can be forgiven. Jesus rose from the grave, showing that he is God, showing that his words are reliable, and to show that we have new life.

Why does God give us another chance? Because of the death and resurrection of Christ. We are forgiven, justified, redeemed, because of Jesus. And this time, there is no fear of failure.

He is risen!

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.

See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

His dying crimson, like a robe,
Spreads o’er His body on the tree;
Then I am dead to all the globe,
And all the globe is dead to me.

Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all!

~Isaac Watts

I attended the workshop on“Asian-American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church”, led by Stephen Um and Julius Kim.

The workshop was more of a panel discussion and Q&A rather than a time of teaching. Um and Kim brought up some issues which are very important to ministering as Asian-Americans. Here are some highlights:

• Asian-Americans have had different patterns of immigration. For example, South Koreans experienced “elite” immigration: highly educated and successful individuals come to America for further advancement. In contrast,  Southeast Asians often have traumatic experiences when coming to this country: many are refugees, fleeing from oppression and war. These varying immigrant experiences do transform the way we see God and the church. We Asian-Americans have value systems shaped by our varying experiences with immigration and assimilation. Have we felt accepted? How have we experienced racism? What kind of worldly success have we experienced in America? Having an acute awareness of this helps us to minister differently to different groups.
• Speak the gospel into Asian-Americans’ performance anxiety. Never assume that people understand the gospel. The gospel is the great grand redemptive narrative of God. Creation–>Fall–>Redemption–>New Creation.
  Ask why Asian-Americans are anxious. They are struggling with idols of approval and affirmation. They find that acceptance by working hard. Failure makes them feel like losers.How do you speak to this heart? The King of the universe considers you a child of God. It’s the finished work of Christ, not in your own performance. This overcomes your restlessness.
•  Because many of us Asian-Americans work from a shame-based perspective, we often we default to moralism.  We are looking for approval. It’s not a guilt-based perspective (individualistic) worldview, where feel bad because we didn’t do what was right. We are shame-based: we feel bad because we didn’t meet expectations. It’s so easy for us to reduce the Scripture to mere moralism. But the grand narrative of God is so much more than that.  The gospel is an announcement of what God has done. It’s not looking in upon myself and what I must do and what I must think. Asians worry, we are very introspective. We worry about expectations placed on us. Instead of looking inside, we should look outside. Look outside of the approval-anxiety idols. Often, we forget the gospel. We must be preaching the gospel to ourselves.  Once again, we must repent and believe.
• The gospel is about power distribution, not power accrual. Being a minority in a majority culture, we need to be invited to have a seat of power. In raising up leaders in our churches,  often we raise up leaders from what they do and say. But asians don’t put themselves forward. We are more accommodating. We’re not good about advancing ourselves. We don’t see assertiveness in Asians. We suppress it because of the confluence of both western and eastern value systems. We don’t want to stick out. Jesus, in his earthly ministry, was all about inviting people to lead. A gospel-centered system distributes power, and does not encourage people to accrue power for themselves.

One of the workshops I registered for is “Asian-American Christian Thought and Theological History: Pastoral Implications for Diversity and Innovation in a Multiracial Church,” led by Stephen Um and Julius Kim. Here is the official description:

This seminar will examine the recent rise of Asian-American Christianity in the US. This will be accomplished through the lenses of history and theology as they impact identity development. Consideration will be given to the implications of the Gospel in an ever increasingly racially-diverse society. We intend to facilitate conversation with Asian-American Christian leaders and those who have Asian-Americans in their congregations.

Recently the TGC blog highlighted this workshop on its blog. You can read the entire post here:  http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/03/25/identity-history-and-passivity-julius-kim-and-stephem-um-discuss-challenges-for-asian-americans/

Here are some highlights of what Um and Kim write in this post:

While it’s difficult to generalize the unique challenges that allAsian American Christians face, there are certain issues that continue to emerge in these discussions. Take, for example, the issue of identity and/or identity formation. Risking the danger of oversimplification, many Asian Americans face the challenge of being viewed either as an assimilated American (thus bearing no unique cultural traits) or as a perpetual foreigner (essentially, a non-American). This perception influences the way Asian American Christians view themselves and their sense of belonging, whether in society or in the church.

I would add that this perception influences the way Asian-Americans view God and our relationships with Him. The concepts of grace, acceptance, and family give us certain colored glasses when viewing God and the church.

And while these Asian Americans are emerging as leaders in their respective secular careers, they are not finding the same kind of opportunities for advancement and leadership within American churches that are predominantly led and populated by Caucasians.

This is an issue that should be discussed more. I am not sure that Asian-Americans receive the same opportunities as our similarly-educated white-American counterparts in the workplace. However, to read that there is a greater discrepancy in what they call “American” churches makes me sad that the marketplace has been more accepting and recognizing of Asian-American gifts and talents than white-American churches.

• In 2007, there were about 15 million Asian Americans in the United States.
• By 2050, that number is projected to grow to 34 million.
• Scholars believe that by 2042, there will be no racial majority in the United States.
• 86 percent of Asian Americans are high school graduates.
• 49 percent of Asian Americans are college graduates.
• 20 percent of Asian Americans have graduate degrees (M.A., M.D., J.D., Ph.D.).
• Asian Americans have the highest median household income of any racial group ($64,238).

What do these statistics tell us? Asian-Americans are becoming more and more educated and influential in the marketplace. These statistics shout a mandate for us to reach them with the gospel. Transformation of Asian-Americans can mean transformation for American society as a whole.

It is our hope that church leaders (pastors, seminarians, lay leaders) from both Asian American and other multiracial contexts will come and dialogue with us about what we can do to help foster more gospel-centered churches and leaders for the glory of God and the extension of his kingdom. We’ll talk about history, culture, and ministry implications. Practically, we’re excited about the kinds of networks and resources that may emerge through conversations like this one.

Yes, conversations like this equip us, inform us, and encourage us. I’m looking forward to being part of it. Again, you can read the entire post here:
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2011/03/25/identity-history-and-passivity-julius-kim-and-stephem-um-discuss-challenges-for-asian-americans/

One topic that Pastor Cory frequently talks about is raising a family. And this retreat, he took some time to address marriage, family, and parenting. Many of our attendees were very blessed and inspired by Pastor Cory’s words regarding God’s design for the family.

I heard a couple of comments that this was very refreshing, because often in Chinese churches we don’t discuss family issues enough. It’s become a private matter, and people don’t like airing their dirty laundry or sharing their struggles with parenting or marriage.

But if our Chinese-American and other Asian American churches are going to be places of redemption and encouragement for godly marriages and families, shouldn’t we talk about these topics more often? Wouldn’t we, as a body of Christ, help to strengthen marriages and parent-child relationships? Wouldn’t it reduce the number of painful and shameful divorces, and reduce the number of churched kids renouncing their faith later in life?  Just food for thought today.

http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6227827

A college-aged Jalen Rose called out Grant Hill for being an “Uncle Tom” because he, unlike the stereotypical African-American, came from an educated middle-class family with two parents. Hill attended Duke, whose basketball team is known for having more success recruiting white players than African-American players.

When is someone a “sellout”?

This reminded me of a blog post in 2009 on Next Gener.Asian Church, entitled “Is Francis Chan a Sell-out?
http://nextgenerasianchurch.com/2009/05/02/is-francis-chan-a-sell-out/
Francis Chan has gained a great deal of notoriety as a preacher and teacher of God’s word, but he does not necessarily associate much with the Asian-American community. Does that make him a sell-out?

If someone is acting differently than his stereotype–talking differently, dressing differently, and spending time with different circles, is he or she a sell-out? If someone from a minority race in America decides to hang out with mostly white people, has he betrayed his race? Should they be derided?

Grant Hill comes from a successful and educated family, uses proper grammar, is not violent or a criminal, and does a great deal of community work. How does that make him a sell-out? How should that ever be considered something negative?

Perhaps there is a fear that those who “sell out” and “act white” will never come back and help their original communities. Will they simply leave and never identify with their ethnic roots, and simply become the enemy?

To a different extent, there seems to be some similar attitudes among Asian-Americans. Immigrant parents and grandparents worked hard for this current American-born generation to have every opportunity available to them. Yet they often seem uncomfortable when their American-born grandchildren and children adapt lifestyles, traditions, and even social circles that resemble more of white America than their “motherland.” For example, I celebrate American holidays more than Chinese holidays, hardly speak Chinese, and my values are more westernized. And my grandparents criticize me for that.

Ultimately, my task ministry is to bring  Asian-Americans to be sell-outs. But it’s not about being a sell-out to Chinese culture, or to one’s family or tradition. It’s about betraying one’s old way of life: the way of sin.

Paul writes in Romans that the believer does not have to follow sin anymore:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.   -Romans 6:6-7

He goes on to write that believers have a new loyalty:

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.
–Romans 6:8-10

Do I want to be known as a sellout? Only if it means that I’ve decided to live a God-pleasing life. Even though I was once a slave to sin, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on the cross and rose again on the third day. All I have to do is believe, and I can have a relationship with God, eternal life, and sin no longer has mastery over me. I can live my life in a God-pleasing way now. Have you trusted in Jesus Christ? Have you heard this message and placed your trust in Him? If you have, you can be a sellout too. A sellout for God.

Sure, there are all sorts of issues among African-Americans criticizing others for being “Uncle Tom” or being a “sellout.” And among Asian-Americans for betraying one’s ethnic roots. And these affect one’s self-identity and possibly the way they see the gospel. Ultimately, however, the real question should be: where is your loyalty, to sin or to God?