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There is always something to be thankful for!
We are so prone to complain to and lose faith in God because our days are teeming with various challenges. I was encouraged this morning by one of C. H. Spurgeon’s (1834-1892) sermon illustrations.
I have sometimes admired a dog for his economical use of comforts. When it has been a long, rainy day, the sun has just peeped out, and there has been a gleam of sunlight on the floor; I have seen him get up and wag his tail, and shift his quarters so as to lie down where the bit of sunshine was. It is a fine thing to have just that state of mind—never to go sullenly into the shadow, but always cheerfully to accept the square yard of sunshine, and make the most of it. There is something, after all, to be thankful for, something for which to praise the name of God. And if the Lord Jesus Christ had taught us nothing else but that—the practice of lying down wherever there is a trace of sunshine, and, better still, of always finding sunshine in his dear name—I am sure we are bound to say that we have been “blessed in him.”
(Photo by Andrew Solok 🇺🇦 on Unsplash)
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神の契約と虹 / The Rainbow and God’s Covenant
Halifax Airport, NS, Canada, Sat, Oct 25th, 2025 I felt nervous when I got the text message from Air Canada that my plane was delayed due to mechanical issues. When we finally boarded after the one-hour delay, we were told that we could not take off due to the severe thunderstorm. The rain drops were pounding against the window. I wasn’t scared. But I was a bit anxious. And I was bored. Another thirty or forty minutes passed. The rain stopped. Our plane began to taxi. What truly made me happy, however, was the rainbow that appeared in the still-clouded sky.
According to Genesis 9:12-13, the rainbow (虹) is a sign of God’s covenant. It should thus remind us of God’s promise to Noah: Never again—shall there be a flood—to destroy the earth (Genesis 9:11). Imagine Noah standing on the dry ground after the flood. Although he was happy that the waters were gone, I think he also felt fear in his heart because he just had seen the incredible force of God’s judgment. So, God comforted Noah’s heart and spirit by giving him a visible and tangible sign: the rainbow in the clouds. What an amazing and beautiful sign! While the rainbow has been unfortunately appropriated by LGBTQ+ movements, the Bible teaches that God gave Noah the rainbow as a sign of his everlasting covenant. So, when we see a rainbow, we should think about God’s mercy and faithfulness toward Noah and his descendants.
So, when the rainbow appeared, I thought about God. And he comforted me.
Photo by Stainless Images on Unsplash -
Ultimately There Are No Tragedies
One day in October 2010, in Baku, Azerbaijan, I was killing some time before I picked up my children from school, sitting in a playground near the school. It was a small one between two apartment buildings. And in the playground, there was only one boy, about six or seven years of age. He climbed onto the slide. But he slipped and fell. It was just a small children’s slide, and the ground was sand. So, he wasn’t injured at all. Scared and shocked, however, he began to cry! Being the only adult there, I felt responsible to do something for that poor little boy. I approached him and said something in Azerbaijani—but it was only my third month of Azerbaijani study.
“Narahat olma. Hər şey yaxşı olacaq” (‘Do not worry. All things will be okay’).
He did stop crying for about a second, looked at me wondering what in the world this foreigner was saying, and began to cry even harder. My effort failed. He stopped crying when his mother finally appeared from the balcony called him in. He ran home and disappeared.
To be clear, the phrase “Hər şey yaxşı olacaq” (‘All things will be okay’) did not work for the Azerbaijani boy primarily because of my frustrating accent, rather stern face, and dull, textbook Azerbaijani.
However, if we think deeply enough about the phrase itself (“Everything will be okay”), we know that it cannot really comfort us. It can sound shallow and empty because it seems to reflect unfounded positivism, a promise that cannot be kept, or an idle hope that is soon to be dashed.
What the apostle Paul says in Romans 8:28 offers something deeper than what the everything-will-be-okay mentality promises to give.
“For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Paul does not simply say that everything will eventually turn out to be okay. Rather, what he says is that all things are working together—in the present tense—for good. It really is an amazing claim. And Paul says that this blessing is not for everyone but for those who love God—namely, those who have been called according to God’s purpose. Simply, what Paul describes is the firm foundation upon which we believers are to build our lives—our sovereign God is in control and makes all things work together for our good. That is why we can hold out hope for our lives. Paul says “all” things, not just “some.” The logical conclusion of Romans 8:28, therefore, can be summed up in what R. C. Sproul had said: “The bottom-line assumption for anyone who believes in the God of providence is that ultimately there are no tragedies.”
Photo by Bambi Corro on Unsplash
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Jesus, Too, Met a Storm (Mark 4 [マルコ4章])
![Jesus, Too, Met a Storm (Mark 4 [マルコ4章])](https://i0.wp.com/johnjhleesdesk.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/waves-ocean-marine-unsettling.webp?resize=760%2C506&ssl=1)
After a long day at work, I would think I am entitled to a respite—albeit short—wouldn’t I? After all, I put my time and effort into work. No one would object to my taking a break.
Reading Mark 3-4, however, I realized that Jesus had been exhausted from his teaching ministry. Wherever he went, there was a large crowd following him, and they were literally crushing upon him. Jesus taught them, healed the sick, forgave their sins, and cast out unclean spirits. So, when he finally told his disciples that he would like to go across to the other side of the lake, I think Jesus wanted to take a break. He was in dire need of rest, and I believe it was one of the major reasons that they decided to go to the other side. Another reason might be that Jesus wanted to do his ministry in the predominantly gentile region. Simply put, when Jesus and his disciples got in the boat and departed, they had two important reasons: for Jesus to take a break and to continue his ministry among gentiles.
Nonetheless, while on its way, the boat with Jesus aboard encountered a severe windstorm, so strong that the boat was about to break and sink. It is also remarkable that, even in the middle of the storm, Jesus was too tired to wake up.
As I see it, Jesus’ boat should have been escorted by a fleet of angels. And I suspect that the disciples may have thought about their entitlement to a smooth and pleasant voyage and a good time of rest on the other side of the lake. But the boat met a storm. It was not a bad thing at all, however, because it demonstrated to all that Jesus possessed divine power over nature.
If Jesus had to face a severe storm on his way to a place of rest after a long day, I do not think I can say I am entitled to comfort.
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What We Should Talk about When We Talk about What It Means to Be a Christian
I came across this 9-minute video by N. T. Wright where he attempted to explain what it means to be a Christian. I listened to it carefully more than three times, and I was stunned. I was bewildered by his sheer ability to describe what it means to be a Christian without mentioning the word “sin” a single time.
In the video, Wright claims that he can explain what it means to be a Christ-follower in “three simple but profound statements.” To him, being a Christian is all about (1) belonging to a family (a new way of life); (2) believing in the God revealed in Jesus; and (3) behaving in the way that he taught and demonstrated (reflecting the wisdom of God into the world).
But being a Christian means, more than anything else, being forgiven of all our sins and getting right with God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Wright, however, seems to sweep the sin problem under the rug. To him, the concept of Jesus Christ coming into the world to save sinners makes God “petty” who only cares about personal sin issues. His problem is that he is avoiding mentioning or thinking about the scandalous and embarrassing state of human misery caused by our sinfulness.
His tactic is understandable, as it were, because sin is a painfully uncomfortable topic. We human beings would thus tend to avoid facing it at all costs. We hurriedly gloss over individual sin issues and want to talk about other “positive” things such as God’s kingdom (coming down into the world) or victory of God. While I never deny that they too are an important aspect of being a believer, I suspect Wright has failed to give an appropriate picture of what it means to be a Christian by deliberately avoiding the most besetting problem that human beings face: sin. Wright simply does not want to think and talk about sin. That is why his teaching is teeming with the so-called victory language.
However, the Bible cannot be clearer about Jesus’ primary mandate, which is to save us from our sins. That was the first thing spoken to Joseph by the angel of the Lord (Matthew 1:21): “for he will save his people from their sins.” Jesus’ victory is over the power of sin and death, without which we can never begin to talk about all other beautiful things that the gospel of Christ brings.
So, we should talk about sin and death from which we have been set free by the atoning death of Christ when we talk about what it means to be a Christian.
(Some will know that I’ve titled this post after Murakami’s memoir What I Talk about When I Talk about Running)
My Theological Research Seminar presentation (Feb 10, 2025) @McMaster Divinity College, Hamilton, ON
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Absolutely Sovereign God and his Gospel: Our Eternal Comfort
It’s unlikely that people would object the first law of the so-called Four Spiritual Laws (by the Cru): “God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.” It is rather when we introduce the second law that we get resistance.
Some find that claim disturbing because they believe they themselves are in fact not that bad. It is relatively easy to make (or help) them recognize that they are worse than they think they are. What is more challenging, however, is when people object the second law through questioning the omniscience and omnipotence of God. To them, that Adam and Eve fell and got separated from God indicates that it happened independent of God’s own control; that is, God himself never meant it to take place. So, when both fell, God was baffled, so to speak, and had to put together a plan to rectify the fallen state of humanity. If it had been the case, then, they argue, God does not seem to be omnipotent or omniscient. It then leads them to think that, if it had been God himself who made Adam and Eve fall, God cannot be good or righteous.
It really is a formidable challenge. That’s why, when asked about the origin of evil and human sinfulness, we tend to waffle on it and hurriedly move on to the third law: “Jesus Christ is God’s only provision for man’s sin. Through him you can know and experience God’s love and plan for your life”. In that sense, I think many gospel tracts (including the Four Spiritual Laws) are lacking. Failing to address that question honestly and sincerely, many gospel messages end up presenting our God as just a soft, malleable, docile, and almost powerless being who is at the mercy of obstinate humanity.
I myself struggled for a long time with this besetting question. I, however, do not believe I have a convincing answer. Would anyone be able to say that he has found the answer to the problem of the origin of evil or the necessity of the fall? I doubt that. That is almost completely hidden from human beings. But one thing I think I know is that one may not be able to grasp the gospel in the fullest sense without coming to terms with the notion of the infinite sovereignty of God.
I think it is God’s sovereignty concerning our salvation that lies at the heart of the TULIP doctrines (Total depravity; Unconditional election; Limited atonement; Irresistible grace; and Perseverance of the saints). I think Richard Mouw was right when he said that accepting Jesus as one’s Savior wouldn’t be possible until one “would eventually come to understand the basic issues at stake in the TULIP doctrines” (Calvinism in the Las Vegas Airport 2004:15). What I can cautiously suggest now is that, without understanding and accepting that God is so absolutely sovereign that even evil and Satan are under God’s complete control and plan, one’s understanding of the gospel of Christ will be limited and incomplete.
J. I. Packer, too, writes, “God is to be trusted as the sovereign LORD, with an eternal plan covering all events and destinies without exception, and with power to redeem, re-create and renew; such trust becomes rational when we remember it is the almighty Creator that we are trusting” (Concise Theology 22). Trusting God as the sovereign LORD helped me embrace the beauty and necessity of the entire creation–fall–redemption framework. And as Bavinck puts it, confessing and accepting God’s sovereign counsel gives us comfort: “The confession of the ever-wise counsel of God is a source of rich comfort” (Our Reasonable Faith 1956:163).
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Clair de lune played by Kyum Lee
Enjoy the beautiful piano piece Clair de lune (“Moonlight”) by Claude Debussy (1862-1918). Kyum played it on Oct 14, 2024.
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How Can I Stand before the Holy God?
Jesus’ atonement was, most of all, penal substitution. Christ bore the punishment for my sin in my place. What it means is that, on the cross, God treated Jesus as if he had lived my life and punished him for my every sin. Calvin thus calls Christ “our substitute-ransom and propitiation” (Thiselton 2018:94). That’s why only Christ can enable me to be in the presence of God who is infinitely holy.
In that sense, I find all other atonement views are significantly lacking and unsatisfactory. The so-called “ransom” model of Gregory of Nyssa (330-395) fails to capture the comprehensiveness of Christ’s death and resurrection because it is unduly dualistic (i.e. through Christ, God won victory over evil powers). The “moral example” model seems to focus on one of the smallest effects of Christ’s atonement and presents it as its essential nature or end. Schleiermacher and von Harnack, for instance, were under its influence. It is alarming, however, that this view still remains strong today.
Here are some relevant quotations.
“It’s by Jesus’ meritorious life and his substitutionary death that we can stand in the presence of a holy God.” — R. C. Sproul
“There is no greater state than to get up from your knees knowing that God has forgiven every sin you’ve ever committed.” — R. C. Sproul
“It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God if you do not know Christ . . . if you cannot claim before the judgment seat of God, ‘I’m with Him’ . . . But if you belong to Christ, that next moment after death is a moment of profound life.” — Kevin DeYoung
“If Christ has taken your sins upon himself, and he has done so if you have truly trusted him, then your sins have ceased to be; they are blotted out forever.” — C. H. Spurgeon
“When God justifies sinner through faith in Christ, he does so on the basis of justice done, that is, the punishment of our sins in the person of Christ our substitute; thus the form taken by his justifying mercy shows him to be utterly and totally just (Rom. 3:25-26), and our justification itself is shown to be judicially justified.” (J. I. Packer, Concise Theology, 44)
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The Mountain Village 2010-2013
Recently, for some reason, I have been thinking about the mountain village and the people we served in the Caucasus (2010-2013). It’s now more than ten years ago, and yes, it does feel like a million years ago, and my memories are quickly fading. One thing I vividly remember, however, is the breathtaking beauty (and extreme dangers) of the roads and the mountains. Although our work itself was challenging, I was encouraged and comforted, every time I was driving to the village, simply by looking at and admiring the God-created beauty of the Caucasus mountains.
December 14, 2010 (Russian Neva) 
December 14, 2010 
October 2, 2011 
March 25, 2012 (Our Mitsubishi Pajero io) 
October 13, 2012 
December 20, 2012 
March 30, 2013 We completed the orthography of the language in June 2013. It was a painful decision, however, to not return to the village after our one-year home assignment in Korea (2014). We decided so because we concluded that the language was dying rapidly even after our efforts. I still think about them.
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Our Twenty-third Wedding Anniversary
We took this photo (see above) at a small cafe named Hemingway in Songdo, Incheon city, South Korea, on a beautiful Spring day in 2000. I think we were the only customers then because it was a bit early for lunch. So, the owner of the cafe gladly took our photo when asked. It really is difficult to believe that it was 24 years ago, and we never imagined then that we would be living in Canada in 2024.
By God’s grace, we became one flesh on May 19, 2001. I will never forget this day when Lynn and I entered a covenant relationship before God. I said my vow with all my heart: “I, John, take you, Lynn, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life, until death do us part.”
May 19, 2001, Seoul, South Korea Within the next four years, God blessed us with two beautiful children, Sue and Kyum.
November 2005, Seoul, South Korea God led us to some great places for Bible translation work. Having decided to join the North Eurasia Group of SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), we spent one year in St. Petersburg, Russia, learning the Russian language and culture.
July 3, 2009, Moscow, Russia Our assignment was to a small country called Azerbaijan in the Caucasus region. We served a small language community on the Caucasus mountains until we returned to South Korea in 2013 for a one-year home assignment.
August 27, 2010, Azerbaijan After my thyroid cancer surgery in January 2014 in Seoul, however, Lynn and I decided not to return to Azerbaijan because I wanted to pursue an advanced degree in New Testament and Greek linguistics, which brought the entire Lee clan to Hamilton, Canada, in 2015.
I must say that our past eight years in Canada (2015-2023) flew by. Both Sue and Kyum graduated from high school and have become independent university students.
Kyum‘s High School Graduation, June 2, 2023, Hamilton, ON, Canada Looking back, I cannot thank God enough for his ruthless grace and unswerving faithfulness. He so powerfully and impeccably led our family adventures in different countries and made it clear to us all that he was with us and that he would never leave us alone. God was good all the time. However, despite the obvious goodness of God–and although Lynn has been such a wonderful wife for me–it is with deep regret that I admit that I haven’t been the best husband (and father). My own immaturity and, most of all, shallow understanding of the gospel of the grace of Christ made me end up grieving Lynn (and Sue and Kyum) so many times, more than I can possibly remember.
All I can confess now is that life is a beautifully humbling mystery and that God my Creator and Redeemer is calling me to a holy and redeemed life. Lord, have mercy upon me. Lord, lead me by your holy path. Lord, teach me to love my wife (and my children) “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25).