Taiwan Franklin Graham Festival

The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has a great page detailing the recent Franklin Graham Festival in Taipei, Taiwan. Check it out here. In addition to giving glory to God for His love and mercy for the people of Taiwan, there are some excellent video shorts (like the one below) that will help give you a better picture of Taiwan's current spiritual need.

All At War

This past year I've had the pleasure to discover the music of "downhere". The band has released several albums, all of which are worthy of purchase and adding to your collection of quality Christian music. downhere often write from the perspective of that age old struggle between the spirit and the flesh, the temporal and the eternal, the now and the "not yet". Their music resonates with me as I have recently been thinking more about the reality of our eternal hope of heaven. I have often felt that believers (speaking for myself and the circle of friends I have been a part of) often do not live in the present with a sufficient hope and longing for the eternal life promised to us through Christ. This is understandable, as I know how the "fog of war" in this present life can distract us from the ultimate prize.

On their most recent album (Ending Is Beginning), downhere has a song entitled "All At War". Below are the words to the second verse and chorus:

I was born depraved, but created for the divine,
With death in my bones, in my heart eternal life,
I'd love for Eden, but I'd kill for Rome,
I'm native in a land that is not my home

It's justice and mercy the old dichotomies,
All along the frontlines of my heart in both doubt and belief
The sinner and saint, the old arch enemies,
All at war, in me

The words of this song speak deeply to me in these days when the Spirit has attuned me once again to the spiritual battle we are in. That battle is very prevalent and real in Taiwan, where idol worship has given Satan a stronghold. But that battle is also just as real in my own heart, as I struggle with temptations old and new. The apostle Paul longed to be free from that "body of death", and joyfully expressed the freedom that comes through Christ and the new Spirit He has placed within us (Romans 7-8).

There will be no retirement from war this side of heaven. But in the meantime, I have the assurance that there is only one winning side, and I'm on it. And I intend to stay there.

You Gotta Dress For The Weather

Fall weather has truly arrived here in Taiwan the past few days, with a wonderful cool front moving in to lower the temperatures. Last night the mercury dipped to 18 C, and today's high was 22 C. For a Canadian who grew up in northern Manitoba, now living in Taiwan, this brings more joy than I can express!

What I always find funny this time of year, when the first "cold snap" moves in, is to see the reaction of the Taiwanese. 22 C weather means all the Taiwanese on their motorcycles and scooters suddenly don their winter parkas, mitts and scarfs. For me, it means that for the first time in about 7 months I've finally felt comfortable without the aid of fans or air conditioning. I chuckle as I pull up alongside others at a stop light. They immediately look over to see what idiot is dumb enough to drive a scooter in such frigid temps, wearing only a T-shirt and summer shorts. Then they see my beard and foreign face and say, "Oh yeah. American!"