Jonah: An American Tale?

"Our God is a God of second chances!" (Rev. Rick McClain)

I discovered this morning that Dr. Rick McClain, a D.Min. graduate from Beeson, would be preaching at Deaf Calvary Church in Frederick, Maryland this morning. Deaf Calvary Church is an Assemblies of God congregation close to Deaf Fellowship at Frederick Church of the Brethren. He happens to be my mentor, a dear friend and colleague in Deaf ministry. He has been my source of encouragement and wisdom whenever I face difficult periods at Beeson or in ministry.

He is an exemplary preacher of God's Word, and I always listen to him whenever I get the chance to! With his gregarious and humorous personality, Rick has been endowed with a special gift to preach God's Word in a manner that is clear and accessible while not mincing his words at the same time. I was so blessed by his message this morning on Jonah 1-4 that I wanted to share it with you tonight because I think it is something that every American needs to hear in this present day and age.

A special thanks is in order for Deaf Calvary Church to make this video, "Jonah: An American Tale?" available for everyone!

Disclaimer: I can't guarantee the sound quality on this video for my hearing colleagues, but if you can understand this, you will be blessed as well! Please leave a comment below and let me know.

Thunderous Silence

“So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” (John 11:6)

      In John 11, John the Evangelist introduces us to Lazarus of Bethany. Lazarus was gravely ill and was being attended to by Mary and his sister, Martha. A messenger, bearing an urgent message from the sisters, found Jesus and told him, “Lord, he whom you love is ill” (v. 3). Can you sense the hurrying tone in his voice here? Lazarus, your beloved friend, is gravely sick! Lazarus, your beloved friend, will soon be dead! Come quickly! Yet in spite of this urgency, Jesus issued a mystifying and seemingly dismissive response back to the sisters whom he loved: “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (v. 4).

Why Doth Thou Hidest Thy Face?

On this day twelve years ago, four groups of Muslim terrorists boarded American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175, American Airlines Flight 77, and United Airlines Flight 93, and, after commandeering each plane, they crashed each plane into the World Trade Center towers in the district of Manhattan, New York City, into the Pentagon of Washington D.C., and in an open field of Shanksville, PA on its way to Washington D.C. As the events of the day unfolded before Americans' eyes on television, fear and horror seized the hearts of men and women of America and the world. People were confronted with the gruesome and heartless face of evil once again. They tried to piece together the pieces that led up to this event and make sense out of this brazen act of terrorism against humanity under the banner of the Islamic God, Allah. They also asked on that day, "Where were you, God, when this happened?"

The Christmas Bells That Still Ring

Yesterday morning, I attended Trinity Lutheran Church with my family, and Pastor Virgil Cain gave a brief yet excellent meditation drawing from a poem-turned-into-a-hymn penned in 1863 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), a great poet and literary scholar, titled “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” As I listened to the pastor, my heart was encouraged and comforted by his message and I had to share this poem with you.

A Contagious Virus of Thankfulness

"Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100)

Bound to The Strong Name of the Trinity

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“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful” (Col. 3:14-15).

On February 4th, Beeson Divinity School hosted a day-long Spiritual Formation retreat for all Beeson faculty, students and their spouses at the Aldridge Botanical Gardens, and it was a wonderful time for me to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of my life and spend the day in solitude and quietude. Little did I know that God would use this retreat and a specific Celtic prayer to strengthen and encourage me, deepen my personal prayer life, and aid me during times when I struggle while in seminary.

Update: The Baby Hope Project

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The past couple of weeks have been crazy at school, and, as expected, I only had a little sleep. I am just happy that it is Friday today - not only because I can catch up on my sleep, but also because I can finally update you on the Baby Hope project that transpired on February 11, 2011! Make sure you read the follow-up letter at the bottom of this post from the Williamson family!

Bring Baby Hope Home!

I have been friends with Angie for a few years now, and she has interpreted for several of my seminary classes at Beeson Divinity School. She is one of the most awesome people I’ve known in my life, and God has implanted something wonderful in her family’s heart!

Angie shared with me last summer at a ministry conference in New Orleans sponsored by the Fund for Theological Education that her family is seriously contemplating and praying about adopting a child from China. To make a long story short, God has led Angie and her husband over the past few months to a particular girl named Qian Yi or “Baby Hope” (see the picture above). Her brown eyes is what captivated the hearts of Angie and her husband (admit it – she does looks adorable!), and she has a bilateral cleft lip and palate, a condition that can be easily resolved through a surgical procedure. Angie shared with me that there are several reasons why she has the cleft palate and lips condition: the Eustachian tubes was not properly formed in her ears and her lips and palate was not developed properly. After an evaluation, she might have an surgery to have the tubes inserted in her ears so she can hear again. Moreover, she might never be able to talk clearly (even after the procedure), so the family will be teaching Hope sign language once she arrives in America.

The Williamson family at this point is ready to bring Hope home, but they need to raise some funds to be able to do this. And they came up with a nifty idea that entails serving a widow for one entire day!

A Billion-Suns-Size Star

Do you remember how you were taught in your astronomy class that a million planets the size of our earth could fill our sun in the solar system? Well, scientists just discovered an even bigger star in our universe that dwarfs our sun - in fact, it is a billion-suns-size star! See the video below for more.

Tim Tebow and Pure Religion

Tim Tebow is one of NFL’s most storied player this season. He has not only an uncanny ability to secure victories when all odds are stacked against him but also bears an uncompromising Christian message and example while playing for the Gators and Broncos. He did not shy away from wearing “John 3:16” on his eye black prior to the 2009 BCS Championship game. He told a reporter that he is still a virgin and waiting to have sex until after he is married. He has kneeled in prayer after college and NFL victories, consistently thanked Jesus during his interviews, and even used scriptural passages in the locker room. He even appeared in a thinly veiled anti-abortion commercial by Focus on Family for 2010 Super Bowl. Tim has been an inspiration for countless people ever since he entered the public scene as a quarterback.