Hope of the Resurrection

Perseverance:

Hope embodies a driving force that enables you to overcome great adversities and withstand rigorous demands.  Hope empowers you to endure treacherous circumstances and defy overwhelming odds.  Hope is the essential element within the deafening chaos of hurt, turmoil, and strife.  Hope is the extra strength that catapults you toward light when the darkness consumes your very existence.  Hope is the fuel that allows you to endure life's heartache because hope promises you better days.  Hope is the last ounce of strength that calls you to continue to fight when everything and everyone else demands you to surrender.  Hope is the flickering light that is not merely an emotive encounter nor an undefined energy, rather hope is a Person—that Person is Jesus Christ.

The work of the cross has no bounds as the saints meditate upon the grandeur and galore of the atonement.  The beauty of the cross, where justice meets grace, is the centerpiece of redemptive history and the fulfillment of God's promise to restore, redeem, and reconcile a people for His Name. The cross is the apex of the biblical narrative, and yet without the resurrection the cross can be boiled down to martyrdom of a moral teacher.  The resurrection is the game changer and the substance of the outworking of the cross.  The resurrection is the victory that grants validity to the death of the Savior.  The resurrection is the impending hope that points toward the ever growing reality of God's perfect creative order.  Without the resurrection there is no Gospel, and without the cross there is no forgiveness.

We Will Rise:

While instant gratification runs rampant in our current cultural context, the New Testament writers press a message of endurance and steadfastness saturated in the work of Christ.  The charge for the community of saints is one which embodies perseverance, dedication, and a relentlessness toward holiness accompanied by suffering which will never be in vain.  All of this is connected to the ultimate reality that the resurrection of Christ awards the church access into the power source which transcends life circumstances and sets a gaze upon the greater truth.  To this end Jesus could say to His followers: "Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matt. 5:11-12).  Subsequently, the Apostles poignantly declared the decree to "rejoice insofar as you share Christ's suffering, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed" (1 Pet. 4:13).

Adequate Fuel:

The truth circulating around the empty tomb speaks of death's inability to restrain the absolute power of Christ.  This allocates an overwhelming amount of confidence to the body of believers in the midst of severe affliction, and appropriates entry into greater works through radical obedience in the life lived in full abandonment for the sake of the Gospel.  The Apostle Paul insist that due to the reality of His resurrection the followers of Christ can "be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain" (1 Cor. 15:58).  The hurts and toil of the church are never wasted in the purposes of Christ Jesus.

Promised Life:

The resurrection of Christ points to the reality that there is more than what this life has to offer.  It predisposes the community of saints to God's intended purposes while informing us that the riches of this world were never meant to fully satisfy our innate desires.  The Apostle Paul asserts that "[what] is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.  It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory.  It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.  It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.  If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body" (1 Cor. 15:42-44).  Paul is pointing toward a greater reality that is beyond the suffering that must be endured for the sake of Christ. The end goal, ultimate pleasure in the glory of God, becomes a lofty incentive for the regenerate believer.

The hope Paul clings to is that we have been "buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4).  The newness of life is granted to us now on this side of eternity, but the fullness of that life will be embodied at the resurrection of the dead.  In glory, when we see Him face to face, the pains of this world will melt away in comparison to the satisfying pleasure in uniting with God through the blood of Christ.

Pressing On:

As the church continues to be enamored by the culture's ploy toward a man-centered theology, the robust doctrine of the resurrection grants the community of saints an ever-growing richness in the vastness of God's infinite might and unwavering love.  In an age where prosperity is the idolatrous device which lures men toward empty religion, God is stirring the regenerate believers toward the foundational work of salvation in the person of Christ.  Our hope is not cemented upon shiny coins nor hallow material, but rather upon the salvation that is mounted through the work and person of Christ.  His return will be the finished restoration of God's creation and the eternal reign of His Kingdom.

The resurrection of Christ reminds us that regardless of what season we find ourselves in today; whether that be an ugly announcement of cancer, a lost of a dearly beloved family member, a battle against severe depression, or the political uncertainty of our nation; that the eternal weight of glory that has been etched in the fabric of our existence will be fulfilled at the return of Christ.  Better days are promised and better days are coming.  Whatever darkness we may face on this day, we are reminded that we can endure because the tomb is empty and the Lord is risen! Happy Easter!

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (7 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

The Worth of Christ

Prescribed Value:

In a consumeristic society where capitalism defines the value and worth of our material possessions, this conceptual element gives way toward our moral understanding of liberty and justice.  Take for instance, a brand new car taken from an automotive dealership looses its value once it exits the premise.  From a judicial standpoint, the outcry of "the punishment must fit the crime" mirrors the value of justice and the undergirding conviction of a moral objective truth.  Social outcries against ethnic injustices derives from a foundational understanding of human dignity.  The worth of a human being transcends the social and economical trends of our current cultural climate.  A young Hmong student, Dylan Yang, stabbed an assailant armed with what seemed to be a deadly weapon and potentially faces conviction and a life-long sentence.  While a caucasian man murders three individuals and could possibly receive a reduced sentence due to a plea of mental illness.  These examples form the basis on how the intrinsic value of human life play a tremendous role in the realm of justice.

God Came Down:

The same rationale can be placed upon the weight of eternal justice when the salvific and redemptive ramification are in view.  Some may pose the question of God's justice in light of so-called minor sins such as white lies.  How could God send people to hell for something as simple as a lie?  This does not fall into our definitive box of justice.  Yet upon further investigation one can begin to see the eternal worth of sin in light of the Person in which humanity has sinned against.

Treason Against the Creator:

Within the narrative of creation we gain access into the rebellion that is committed against the Creator.  The Scriptures clearly indicate that God is the transcendent being outside the time space continuum. Moses articulates this account in saying: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).  The implication that is mounted is two-fold: (1) God stands outside of time and orchestrates the beginning of the creative order, and at the same time (2) He is not reduced to the material world rather He creates ex nihilo (out of nothing).  As the Creator He is the ultimate Designer, Author, and objective standard to creation.

Therefore, the deception surrounding the words of God (Gen. 3:4) and the rebellion toward God's command against the eating of the fruit (Gen. 3:6-7) has direct correlation to His infinite value as the Creator.   The sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, was intrinsically linked to the devaluing of God's infinite worth and the trampling of His ultimate glory.  With God impressing the definitive standard of value by declaring, "it is good," the contrasting element arises when Adam and Eve valued their autonomy over God's life-giving Words.  The redirecting of worth is the undergirding reality which gives birth to sin.  James articulates this when saying: "each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death" (Jas. 1:14-15)

Consequently, eternal punishment is interrelated with the infinite value of God.  Eternal damnation, properly understood, is the seeking of justice for the treason or rebellion forged against the infinitely worthy entity—God Himself.  Eternity in hell equates to the treason that is committed against the eternal God.  To this end Scripture communicates that "the wages of sin is death" (Rom. 6:23).  Death meaning the eternal separation from the infinitely valuable life source, God Almighty.  To this end, the punishment does fit the crime, regardless of how we try to minimize sin.

Image of the Invisible God:

If this reality is true, then, humanity has an enormous weight hanging over their heads.  An impossible feat to climb and a hopeless chasm to leap.  The infinite value of God can not be reconciled by mere finite beings.  In light of our current situation, the fate of mankind looms disastrous unless there is an intervention of heavenly proportion.

Good News!  In the person and work of Christ this chasm as been leaped and this feat has been overcome in one bound.  In the person of Christ we find God incarnate, meaning God becoming flesh (John 1:14) in order to become our righteousness (2 Cor. 5:21) and to take our place in punishment (Isa. 53:5).  Jesus, who is the "image of the invisible God" (Col. 3:15) and the "exact imprint of His nature" (Heb. 1:3), paid the infinite value of our treason with the infinite worth of His being.  When looking at the cross of Christ we can not just acknowledge the redemptive work of Jesus (though it is monumental), but our eyes must be fixed upon the infinite worth of the eternal Son.  In doing so, we not only understand the sacrificial element of redemption and ultimately the biblical definition of love, but we are awaken to the infinite value of our reconciliation in Christ.  Our eternal reward is granted through His infinite value.  Our eternal life is fixed within His infinite worth.

Infinite Worth:

An elder once posed the question: "why do we call it Good Friday if our Savior died?" The answer looms in the fact that our Creator sought after us in such a way as to become a man and die on the cross for our salvation.  Good Friday is in memory of that day in which the bondage of sin was broken and the gift of life was granted.  The central emphasis of the Gospel's salvific work does not terminate upon the individual's confession, but rather in the Savior's infinite value.

The salvation in which the community of saints find themselves saturated in is not contingent upon the size of their faith, but rather the object of their faith.  The Good News is mounted upon the reality that the eternal chasm that separates creation from the Creator is reconciled through the eternal worth of the second person of the Trinity—God the Son.  In seeing and savoring the beauty and worth of Jesus Christ, we can begin to feel the weight and majesty of the cross.  In doing so, we can begin to rest in the finished work of Christ knowing that our eternal life does not start when we pass from this world, but rather when our eyes are opened to the new life we have in Christ Jesus today. Happy Good Friday!

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (7 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

Racial Reconciliation

Black Lives Matter:

The national movement of black lives matter and the boycott (or at least the attempt) of the Oscars has brought a great deal of publicity to the modern audience of the necessity for racial reconciliation.   The historical back drop of America has been soaked with racial segregation ranging from the dominance of Indian tribes to African slavery and to the Civil Rights movement.  Though there has been enormous strides made through the sacrifice and dedication from men and women throughout history, the fight continues to be centered upon the idea that men should not be identified by the color of their skin but rather by the dignity of their humanity.  We, the minorities of this country, are indebted to the men and women who have fought to give us a better America to live in.

Growing Up as a Minority:

Being raised by immigrant parents in a predominantly white neighborhood I found myself inspired by the works of Abraham Lincoln, Fredrick Douglas, and Martin Luther King Jr.  These men stood for something greater than themselves and I wanted to model their courage, aptitude, and strength.  I, myself, experienced a great deal of racial tension while growing up and understand firsthand the necessity for equality.  The fight for justice and the platform to bring awareness to such discrimination is an honorable and ethical endeavor.  One that is essential for us to fight in order for our children (and their children) to obtain equal opportunity for prosperity in this country as well as in life.

This conviction amplified as I became, by the grace of God, a follower of Jesus Christ.  No longer was racial reconciliation merely a social concern for my indigenous people, but rather a spiritual endeavor that embodied the essence of the Gospel message.

Gospel Issue:

It does not take long to navigate through the biblical text before you are encroached by what the work and person of Jesus Christ has accomplished in terms of racial reconciliation.  What God had established in His people, the nation of Israel, was meant to be spilled over to the nations of the world.  Within the establishment of the Abrahamic Covenant, the choosing of His people, was the redemptive maneuver to unite the world to God's restorative plan.  Moses records for us:

Now the Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Gen. 12:1-3)

The initial intention of the Abrahamic Covenant was to bless the nations with the redemptive work of the seed that was promised to Eve after the tragic fall of mankind (Gen. 3:15).  That seed, Jesus Christ, would rectify humanity's greatest foe — sin and death —  and in the process break down the barriers of the curse granted to mankind from the Tower of Babel (I will be elaborated upon later).

Necessity of the Gospel:

The Gospel, then, is the central element in order to garner any type of lasting transformation within the realm of racial reconciliation.  My premise is that without the work and person of Christ as the mantel to elevate the pursuit for racial unity, our endeavors in finding true social harmony will always be shorthanded by the nature of our inadequacies and infirmities.

Inward Focus:

As our society moves toward a naturalistic or Darwinian worldview what, consequentially, happens is a move toward a relativistic set of moral obligations.  Simply put, truth becomes subjective or is defined by the individual.  Peter Jones writes in his book One or Two that the move toward oneism, which is acknowledging only the natural world, is the denying of the Creator and ultimately any source of objective truth (twoism would acknowledge the Creator/creation distinction).  When this occurs all of humanity's endeavors are terminated upon mankind itself.  This has enormous implications.  What are those implications?

Since in the mind of the modern relativist there is no objective truth, the motivating factor in any virtuous endeavor would be done out of the "good" that is proportioned from the individual.  For instance, if a person were to extend financial support to a homeless man the task itself would not be motivated by an objective standard that convicts the person to love their neighbor as themselves.  The "good" that is done is simply exercised out of the "good" that is proportioned from the giver —  defined relatively by the self.  Consequentially, the driving factor that would prompt the giver to engage in such a noble task would not be for the good of the homeless person, since there is no such thing as absolute good, but for the sake of the giver — namely that he would feel good about himself.  Therefore, through the naturalistic lens, "good" has a narcissistic foundation that is the basis of its motivation.  If this is the case, then, genuine love can never truly be as the bible has demonstrated it to be in the person of Jesus Christ — self-sacrificing! Hence, racial reconciliation, without the foundation of the Gospel, would have no grounds to establish a long term change.

With this rationale infused into the issue of racial reconciliation, there can never really be a harmonious fusion of cultural diversity through the Darwinian approach.  With the world being viewed through the naturalistic lens each indigenous people group, though publicly open to the outside world, would be motivated to elevate their own agenda.  The very mantle that drives them to proclaim unity would be the very weapon that is used to conquer the kingdom of the proverbial hill.

Racial reconciliation outside the work and person of Jesus Christ would ultimately fall upon itself, because there is no guiding standard or Person to assist in its endeavor.

We Can Learn From the Past:

Paul writes in Romans that the greatest outworking of sin is that it has "suppressed the truth."  The writing off of God is the essence of the sin nature which desires to rule the self and, ultimately, be its own god.  The craftiness of the serpent to deceive our first parents derived from this one statement: "you will be like God, knowing good and evil" (Gen. 3:5).  The knowing of "good and evil" had not evaded Adam and Eve since God had conveyed to them what was good — primarily His creative order.  The "good and evil," that was suggested by the serpent, was Adam's own autonomous standard outside of the living God.

The outworking of the Adamic fall is the backdrop to the ethnic diversity that is played out in our day and age.  It was at the Tower of Babel where God dispersed the people and gave them diversity in language.  And yet, what was the undergirding reason for the curse that was bestowed upon the people?

God had commissioned Adam to "[be] fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it" (Gen. 1:28).  The same commandment was passed down to Noah after the traumatic events of the flood (Gen. 9:1).  The setting of the Tower of Babel was a direct dismissal of God's commandment.  Instead of obeying the words of the Lord the people gathered and sought "to make a name for [themselves], lest [they] be dispersed over the face of the whole earth" (Gen. 11:4).  The motivation of the Tower of Babel embodies a striking resemblance to the naturalistic tendency of our age.  Their end goal was not to make much of God or bring Him ultimate glory, but rather to allow all praise and honor to terminate on themselves.  Therefore, God dispersed them by confusing their language and, in effect, accomplishing His intended goal of filling the earth.

Conversely, an attempt at racial reconciliation outside the work and person of Jesus Christ will ultimately unfold upon itself and garner an opposite outcome to its intended desire.

The Centrality of the Gospel:

I am in no way trying to hinder any attempt to reconcile the different ethnic groups that are represented in the world.  All I am saying is that our attempt, if not placed upon the mantle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will not have any lasting effects.  It is imperative that the church be the front runner of racial reconciliation, and begin to spearhead, through the power of the Spirit, the healing process to bring whites, blacks, yellows, purples, and any other colors together under the banner of the cross.  It is through the work of Christ that He has "[reconciled] us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility" (Ephes. 2:16).

Our Hmong churches, in particular, must re-evaluate and even abandon our Second Generation Model and begin to adopt a church planting culture that embraces other ethnics and cultures.  As we look forward to the future our generation has the opportunity to stand for the cause of Christ in uniting cultures and people groups together through the power of the cross.  To draw lines for the sake of our indigenous people would be to counter act what the Gospel has accomplished. If we are to stand for the Gospel we must stand for the unification of the world in worshipping the one true Creator God, Jesus Christ.

The Gospel gives us the fuel and the power to truly embrace genuine racial reconciliation.  It is in the work of the cross where we see divine love in the giving of the Son to redeem onto Himself a people for His Name.  Only then will racial reconciliation, embodied by Gospel-love that seeks the good of the other and the glory of the transcendent God, have eternal consequence for the generations to come.  The theistic approach which terminates on the Person of Christ will be the only means to which racial reconciliation can find its true remedy.  He has paid the price and we must embrace the riches granted to us by His blood.

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (7 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

Changing of the Guard

A Common Struggle:

I have been around the district, or rather the nation, long enough to understand that there is an undergirding tension that is felt within the local churches that has aroused a multi-generation of people.  There seems to be a hunger and a thirst for the Gospel to penetrate from the pulpit into the organic realms of everyday life; to see lives transformed of the sake of Christ.  Not many people have been able to articulate the restlessness that has been gaining traction within the local church, and not many have been able to place their fingers on the method of reformation.  I am in no way implying that I have found the approach that will produce the desired outcome, but I do want to stand with those who acknowledge the need for Gospel-centered ministries and who want to see the church embrace her God-given mandate.

Social Club:

Much of the local ministries across the nation have been simplified to events, parties, and social gatherings.  The initiative toward Gospel-living, Gospel-discipleship, and Gospel-mission have been usurped by Valentine's Day banquets, pho fundraisers, and concerts.  The call of the church to be the people of God who live in the midst of a dying and depraved generation have fallen on deaf ears.  The church is simply comfortable operating in their exclusive social clubs, and yet still find time to wonder why the generations have fallen away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If we are honest with ourselves many who leave the church exit because there is a lack of Gospel-preaching, Gospel-modeling, and Gospel-discipleship.  The proper question remains: were those who left ever truly regenerated?

With closer inspection one can conclude that the church has ceased to be the church, and has bought into the cultural assumption of Christianity.  Simply put, most have assumed that we are doing church.  Events and programs have been the norm of majority of our church experience and anything outside this structure runs contrary to our definition of church.  Either way, the tension draws deep because the Spirit is at work!

Gospel Focus:

In the midst of all the busyness there must be a reorientation of church life in such ways as to posture the people of God to live life organically for the Gospel.  This means more time for family, more time for evangelism, and more time for discipleship.  With the church calendar bombarded with events and programs, not many children are able to observe their parents model Gospel living, or themselves be discipled by those very same parents.  Much of the week is packed by running from one program to another while trying to maintain an active affiliation with extracurricular activities.  Discipleship does not happen in the local church because the saints are too busy maintaining the machine rather than investing in the people.  Rather than viewing family time, extracurricular activities, and personal hobbies as competition, ministers need to begin to equip the saints to use those spheres of influences as platforms for ministry.  In doing so, you minimize your focus in order to maximize your effort.

Less is More:

In transitioning the church to be the church we can begin "to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ" (Ephes. 4:12).  Ministers can begin to train leaders rather than spoon feed infants.  Ministers can begin to equip workers rather than oversee programs.  Ministers can expand on Word ministries rather than tinker with maintenance.  The fuel of ministry shifts from maintaining events to positioning the church to live life together.  The church, from an institutional standpoint, becomes the springboard to live organically for the sake of the Gospel.

Train the People:

We need to train our people!  In a day and age where biblical illiteracy is through the roof, the church must spear head the movement to educate the community of saints on biblical doctrine and sound theology.  Catechizing the people of God will be foundational to how the common layperson functions and operates in the organic realm of life we call ministry.  A deeper and more robust understanding of God, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will enable the saints to engage in this depraved and perverse world with grace and truth (John 1:14).  It is no coincidence that Paul commands Timothy to "[keep] a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.  Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1Tim. 4:16).  Paul was vehement at the fact that sound doctrine is essential for church life.  He states earlier that "[if] you put these things (sound doctrine) before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed" (1Tim. 4:6).

Positioning the saints to function outside the four walls of the facility will grant the elders more time to train and equip the believers to love God and worship Him in their everyday endeavors.

Life on Life:

Training is the means to enjoy God and express our satisfaction in Him through service toward the lost and edification to the saints.  The ministry that is produced within the confines of the facility should place the saints on a trajectory to live life with others for the sake of Gospel transformation.  Jesus spent a great deal of His time with His disciples traveling from one town to the next while engaging in discipleship.  Jesus did not merely teach on the topic of love, but He embodied it.  Image how impactful it must have been for the disciples to see Jesus heal the blind man.  Image how earth shattering it must have been to witness Jesus extend grace to the adulterous woman bombarded by men who sought to stone her (John 8).  Image how life changing it must have been to look Mary and Martha in the eye as they received back their brother Lazarus from the dead (John 11).  Ministry, for Jesus, was not merely a classroom, but life lived in the midst of a broken world.

Sunday As A Springboard:

I have many friends who, for the sake of organic ministry, have done away with Sunday church service.  I do not share in their conviction.  What I see is the biblical mandate to "not [neglect] to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Heb. 10:25).  The greek word which is translated "meet together" is επισυναγωγην which derives from the word συναγωγη (synagogue).  The author is clearly communicating the necessity for the body of saints to gather and sit under the Word.

What are the implications?  Sunday service, then, become a platform in which the community of saints — who are engaged in Gospel-living throughout the week —  come and find solace, edification, and encouragement to continue to press on for the cause of Christ.  Sunday, through the proclamation of the Word, becomes the springboard to which life on life is fueled and informed.

Live in the Tension:

The common theme I continue to find as I encounter ministers throughout the nation is a desperate desire to see the Gospel centralized in the local church.  Though there lays before us a steep uphill battle, let us be reminded that God has called us for such a time as this.  That He has not left us to fight this battle alone, but has empowered us by His Spirit to do the work of God via the Gospel.  Let us not waver by being engulf in bitterness or anger, but let us put on the righteousness of Christ and endure through His power in order for His grace and truth to permeate forth.  May we stand with Paul and proclaim: "Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me" (Col. 1:28-29).  Whether this side of eternity or the other may He receive all the praise, glory, and honor.  Amen!

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (7 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

Desensitizing One Step at a Time

Let It Grow On You:

I had a seminary professor who introduced me to the idea of society's ploy to desensitize the common audience to the moral ailment of homosexuality.  He compared it to the way in which I was raised, as an asian, to eat every meal with rice.  My initial inclination was to have rice as the main portion regardless of my side choice; runny eggs, BDubb's, KFC, Thanksgiving dinner, the list goes on.  He, my professor, was raised to eat corn mixed with mashed potatoes.  His premise was that in order for my taste buds to become acquainted with the taste of corn and mashed potatoes, I would need to take in small portions in consecutive days in order to see this dish as normative.  Like corn mixed with mashed potatoes, society, via the media, has sought to propagate the agenda of the LGBT lifestyle in a way that will become normal and regulative for the next generation.  

As Christians how are we to engage with this ever growing realization that the LGBT lifestyle will become normative in our lifetime?  How are we to walk in society in light of the Gospel lens?  How are we to disciple and raise our children who will be bombarded with these images?  How are we to love and serve our LGBT brothers and sisters while disagreeing with their lifestyle?  What are practical ways we can engage in dialogue with our LGBT brothers and sisters in order to communicate love and affection for them as people?  How does the church create space to interact with those who are struggling with same sex attraction?  

Media Day: 

These are all difficult questions and I, honestly, do not have any real concrete answers.  What I do want to accomplish with this blog is to bring an awareness to the movement that is taking course and that is rampant in the media world.  Our churches, Hmong in particular, need to be awakened to this reality and begin to engage in ways that would further the Gospel and bring forth healing to the hurting.  Our Hmong churches need to stop busying themselves with programmatic events and realize that these issues touch base with every member in our congregation one way or another.  These are real life issues that must be dealt with through a Gospel lens! 

Super Bowl Sunday:

I was excited to hear that Coldplay would be apart of the haft-time show at Super Bowl 50.  It only added to my emotional hysteria that Peyton Manning was playing, maybe, in his final game!  To be honest I didn't think much of the half-time performance.  I was too busy enjoying the music to even notice that the screen was filled with rainbow colors - a sign symbolizing the LGBT community.  It finally struck me when the rainbow clothe was placed on the forehead of Chris Martin, the lead singer of Coldplay, via a fan in the crowd.  Only then did I begin to notice that everything from the drum set to the stadium was filled with rainbows.  Media propaganda? 

iPhone App:

I must admit that I love playing solitary!  To be honest I spend more time on my phone playing solitary than surfing FaceBook or checking my email.  Like any free app, solitary has ads that pop up prior to the game starting.  One of those ads was promoting Valentine's Day cards with couples.  Lo and behold there was an add of two males kissing and one giving the other a Valentines Day card.  I was, frankly, shocked at the advertisement and thought about my 7 year old son who could have stumbled upon this commercial?  Media propaganda?  

Biblical Worldview:

I realize that I shouldn't be as surprised as I was (or am), but I also realize that I have the responsibility of raising four young children in my home.  A home that is filled with electronics and televisions in an ever growing society of social media.  Not only that, but I am connected to a district that serves local churches with a plethora of young people.  How can I help serve them to see the biblical design of marriage and the biblical standard of living through the power of Christ?  

This blog has posed more questions than answers, but my hope is that the church begins to see the ploy of the media to desensitize our youth to the lifestyle of the LGBT.  And if we are going to be a church that disciples and fosters an environment for Christ followers, we must tackles these tough issues in order to be faithful to the God of the bible.  Not by spreading hate, malice, or ill will; but by formulating a Gospel lens on how to love and serve in the midst of disagreement.  How to embody grace and truth (John 1:14) in a world that has delineated from His light (John 1:5).  How to uphold biblical truth in a hostile and perverse world.  Through it all we must be aware of the Scriptural warning which says: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:20).  

Through it all, may the Lord Jesus empower us and sustain us for the work that He has ahead of us.

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (6 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

What I Learned in Youth Ministry

God is Faithful:

Youth ministry will always be near and dear to my heart as I think back about how God has used it to shape and mold me into the person that I am today.  I graduated out of college with little experience and far less understanding of what vocational ministry would entail.  This journey has taught me to trust in God and to put my hope in His Gospel.  Through it all I established, by His grace, a great deal of lasting friendships that has filled my life with laughter, tears, and joy.  No longer do I call these students "members," but rather "family."  Even as I write I am reminded of all the faces I have had the privilege of encountering.  God has definitely been faithful to draw hearts to Himself and to make the Gospel beautiful in eyes that were once dead.

As the Hmong people begin to make the transition in ministry, it will become more evident that youth ministry will play a significant role in the life and future of the church.  Our ability to grasp God's mandate in making disciples (Matt. 28:18 - 20; Acts 1:8) and equipping the next generation in Gospel ministry (1 Tim. 4:11-13) will place the church on a trajectory of world-wide endeavors.  Youth ministry has traditionally been linked to moralistic therapeutic deism, but a growing generation, by God's grace, has embraced a new found love for Gospel commitment in Gospel growth.  No longer can we be complacent with program oriented churches, but must move toward an authentic Christian life that breaths power into the organic interactions of daily living.

4 Major Takeaways:

During my time in youth ministry I came across these principles that were extremely helpful and fruitful as I began to apply them.  I wished that I would have understood these concepts prior to entering into vocational ministry, but much is learned through my own failures and weaknesses.  These four (4) principles, though not exhaustive in terms of what has been established at the local level, have served as the key components to formulating an effective ministry.

Preach the Word:

The Word saves (John 1:12), and the Word transforms (John 17:17; Romans 12:2; Ephes. 4:23; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)).  In a day and age where youth ministry is focused upon entertainment and empty excitement, what will run contrary to the cultural norm is a deep and robust biblical worldview (Gospel Lens) that magnifies the work and person of Jesus Christ in bringing forth spiritual transformation.  Swallowing goldfish and drinking soda through a sock will not suffice to defend against deceptive and erroneous claims of our cultural times.  Bringing biblical truth into the life and perspective of young people is one of the top, if not the top, priority of student ministry (Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 4:11-13).  Empty games will not assist students to think critically through their faith.

I have been asked why I choose to teach deep theological doctrines to teenagers, and my answer is simple: basic doctrines will be beneficial as teenagers enter into young adulthood and begin to interpret the world around them (1 Tim. 4:11-12).  It is scary to think that young churched people enter into college without a biblical worldview to safeguard their infant faith.  Student ministers are one of the agents within the community of saints that are responsible to disciple and educate the next generation to think biblically in light of the current trends (Eph. 4:13; Col. 3:16; 1 Tim. 4:11-13).

Much of the fear for youth ministers is the fight to stay relevant yet if probed further our fear is not merely based upon relevancy, but in trusting in the sufficiency of the Word.  Is Scripture sufficient to speak to our time (Titus 3:8)? Remember that God's revelation is established in a particular time in a particular setting to a particular people group, yet the truth that is conveyed is timeless and effective for human prospering. To this end, expository preaching is essential for the growth and maturation of our students.

Church Leadership is Essential:

Being a second generation pastor and working in a first generation context we must be sensitive to the development of the church as a whole.  It would be foolish for us to be insensitive about the maturity of the church.  Church leadership may not be moving as progressively as we would like, but it is our duty to function within the tension.  What tension?  First, to trust God's sovereignty while being assured that He is ultimately responsible for building His church (Matthew 16:18), and, secondly, we are agents of change to bring forth growth.  Through it all we are still called to honor our leaders (1 Tim. 5:1-3; Heb. 13:17; Prvbs 13:1; 19:20).  As pastors we are not exempt from this biblical call and as youth pastors we are to model to the next generation what humble servanthood looks like.  Exemplifying biblical virtue will be extremely vital.

I understand that certain circumstances may call for us to stand in opposition to the leaders for Gospel truth.  In those instances, I recommend that we pray for guidance and seek Godly counsel on how to approach those difficult situations.  My encouragement would be not to react according to our emotions, but to move in light of our biblical conviction while filtering it through godly counsel.

Lastly, we must understand that we, as youth pastors, play a supporting role to the overarching vision of the church.  If we do not align to the vision, direction, and purpose of the church, we must begin to reevaluate our place in that local assembly.  If heresy is not being taught and the posture of biblical inerrancy is not being threatened, we must weigh the battle that we are potentially seeking to wage.  Remember, division is not the work of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 15:5-6; Eph. 4:3).

Creating Culture:

Culture, in the context of ministry, is the greenhouse that will allow for the seeds of your ministry to flourish and grow.  Unfortunately, the Hmong context is dominated by a program driven ministry models that equates success with busyness rather than discipleship.  Establishing healthy Gospel culture will allow you to build a system of discipleship that can carry the organic reality of the church.  Without the proper culture your intentions will be swallowed up by unwritten expectations.  Simply put, culture eats up vision for breakfast.  Our intent may be to disciple, but if the culture is intrinsically rot with program as its DNA, the ministry will end up functioning according to its disposition.

If ministers truly seek to position their congregation as partners in Gospel ministry, we must begin to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:12).  In order to do that we must create a culture that will embody empowerment (Matt. 28:18), training (Titus 2:4; Prvbs 1:4; 22:6; 23:13), and a high view of Scripture (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Ministry happens organically when Gospel-culture fuels the vision to function outside the four walls of the church.  You must provide the structure and training, but the mission field is outside the church facility.  Bible studies and Sunday service may still be a part of your structural ministry, but one-on-one mentoring and evangelism will begin to happen in the daily routines of life.  Culture carries the vision unto reality.

Generational Transference:

One thing that youth pastors must fight extremely hard against, especially in the Hmong context, is the danger of holding sole responsibility for the spiritual well being of the students.  Biblically we see that parents are the single most influential proponent of spiritual development (Deut. 6:1-3; Eph. 6:1-2; Col. 3:20).  As ministers we must not override God's intended design for family formation and fatherly discipleship.  This component must be a part of the established culture within the larger church philosophy, let alone youth ministry.

In saying that, I am also aware of the brokenness that runs across the board in local churches.  In my own personal experience over 40% of my students came from dysfunctional homes and many of those homes were fatherless.  In this respect I think the church must be the church in the sense of taking these fatherless youth and surrounding them with godly men and women who will pour themselves out for the sake of the Gospel.

Establishing a culture of discipleship that allows young people to witness older men and women exemplify Gospel living will be essential to seeing the next generation carry forth the faith.  This is extremely difficult in the Hmong context where youth ministry becomes a secondary ministry that is left for youth to lead youth.  This is quintessential of the blind leading the blind (Matt. 15:14).  What will assist in this process (and it is a process) of establishing generational transference is empowering couples in the local church to partner with you in youth ministry for the long haul (not yearly themes).  It is imperative, then, that our vision for youth ministry be long term discipleship rather than yearly operations.

Moving Forward:

I have been a proponent of limiting the age of youth ministry in the Hmong context.  There is a large epidemic in the local church of young people in their late twenties to mid-thirties that are still considered "youth."  The difficult thing that I have faced as a youth minister is a proper pass-off of youth  members into the larger community which is known as the church.  We have not done a good job in creating a culture that would see discipleship function across the board in our local assemblies.  This may be one of the many reasons why our young adult members, or the de-churched, leave the community of saints.

This continues, in my mind, to be one of the greater difficulties in youth ministry at the local Hmong church level.  There does not seem to be a big concern for this transitional phase and the trend seems to continue.  We will see how this develops with more church plants rising into play.  Either way the church will need to figure out how to establish ministries that will be inclusive toward the next generation and beyond.  Believe it or not we will be facing this dilemma head on sooner or later, and if it is later we will end up being the parents of the young adults.

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (6 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.

A False Dichotomy

The Subtleties of Error:

During my undergraduate years a theology professor asked our class a question that has had a profound effect on my understanding and perception on the Christian life.  The impact was not anything overtly intellectual but rather revealed in me a frailty to my disposition toward God.  It drew out within me a fallacy that was buried deep down inside my subconscience and conveyed an idolatrous notion to my existence.  My answer to this question exposed my false exertion in living an autonomous life outside of God.  It placed front and center my attempt to be my own savior, my own righteousness, my own standard.  My professor's question brought me to realize that error is evasively subtle.

That morning my professor invited the class to ponder upon what kind of life we would lead if God was not real?  If we were free from the existence of God how different would our lives be?  What would life look like without God? What would we strive after?  What would be the purpose to our endeavors?

Upon the question being asked the floodgates of hedonistic pursuits came crashing into my depraved mind as I considered a life without God.  I selfishly conceived of a life centered on my wants, my desires, and my needs.  Yeah, I'd still be moral.  I wouldn't be raping and pillaging villages nor would I being rampaging through the city in a blood thirsty streak seeking and destroying.  I wouldn't be stealing nor would I be cheating (excessively).  I would, I thought, just do life my way.

The moment of enlightenment came when the professor concluded that there was a false dichotomy in our thinking —  yes, because the entire class had come to the same conclusion as I did.  We had separated the reality of life and the reality of God.  We didn't realize that without God there is not such thing as life.  He is life (John 14:6)!  It didn't cross my mind to think that "[in] Him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).  Simply put, without God there would be no us!

A Matter of the Heart:

Another dichotomy, false as it may be, runs pervasively throughout our society and has sprouted its seeds within evangelicalism.  Christians have built into their thinking a false dichotomy between action and heart.  Christianity has been boiled down to a mere affection toward a transcendent being that does not transform nor intervene into daily life.  This is evident by sayings such as "God knows your heart" or "God looks at the heart."  These types of sayings assume that my actions are detached from my heart.  It suspects that God has no concerns over the actions of my life as long as I had great intentions.  Hence a false dichotomy!

In a society that has severed the two topics, let us take a look at the biblical scope and see how we are to understand the usage of heart and action.

A Transformed Heart Transforms Action:

According to the bible the heart is not merely a part of who we are, but rather is the centerpiece of our existence.  Proverbs 4:23 warns us to "[keep] your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."  The heart is the control center for the person.  Therefore, the heart is the central place where authentic transformation occurs.  Romans 10:9-10 conveys that "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved." Notice that when the heart believes the mouth confesses.  The heart impacts the movement of action.

It must be noted that many of the writings within the New Testaments are filled with commandments. These commandments are linked as a proper response to heart filled conversion.  Paul writes, "[be] kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephe. 4:32).  The Apostle Paul presupposes that the heart has believed and the mouth has confessed; therefore, the commandment to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving flows from the regenerate heart.  The Apostle Peter exhorts the community of saints to "make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue" (2 Peter 1:5).  Gospel virtue is contingent upon Gospel faith.  The heart impacts the action.

Our Actions Reveal Our Heart:

Not only does the heart impact the action but the action reveals the setting of the heart.  The action become the fruit to which we can become aware of the internal health of an individual.  Jesus taught us that "out of the heart of man, comes evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person" (Mark 7:21-22).  The actions of an individual can become a lens into the nature and health of the person's heart.

Jesus addressed this issue with many of His accusers, in particular, the Pharisees.  Jesus questioned the Pharisees' genuineness of love toward God because their actions toward Him and others demonstrated that they truly lacked what they professed to carry.  Jesus would describe them as "whitewashed tombs" (Matt. 23:27).  He went on to describe the Pharisees as "[cleansing] the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness.  You fools!  Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you" (Luke 11:39-41). Their actions revealed that the Pharisees were not sons of Abraham, but rather sons of Satan who accomplishes the desire and will of him (John 8:44).

Healthy Understanding Leads to Healthy Living:

The tension of holding heart and action together must be understood in light of the Gospel of the work and person of Jesus Christ.  Action without heart-change via the Gospel will revert in an attempt to be one's own savior, while heart without action will put into question the genuineness of regenerate faith.  Yet when heart is coupled with action through Gospel power, the newness found in Christ will lead to a life that will bring honor and glory to the one true God.

The Gospel is the means to align our depraved hearts to an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.  The work of the Son and the seal of the Spirit moves us toward God's creative design for human life and the establishment of His Kingdom.  By His Spirit we have access to the renewal of mind and the transformation of new life (Rom. 12:2).  Only then will our journey in sanctification be wholly embraced and biblically true.

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McYoung Yang is the husband to Debbie Yang and the father to McCayden (7), McCoy (6), McColsen (4), and DeYoung (6 months).  He graduated from Crown College in Saint Bonifacius, MN with a Youth Ministry degree and has served as a Youth Pastor in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota for over 8 years.  He is currently studying at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY for his Masters of Divinity.  He hopes to use his training to serve the local church in living life through the Gospel lens.