Mike Tong is the Customer Service Manager at Desiring God. He also blogs at Never Hoot Alone.

The first 500 people to register for the Desiring God 2009 National Conference, "With Calvin in the Theater of God," will receive a free copy of The Soul of Life: The Piety of John Calvin edited by Joel Beeke.

Register today!

(If you've already registered, your copy will be automatically sent to you.)

Each spring, we remember an event more ground-shaking than any other event in human history. We remember the incredible fulfillment of one man’s claim:

I lay down my life.... No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. (John 10:17-18)

On Easter morning, Jesus did just that. Having laid down his life for his sheep, he took it back up. No ambulance, no doctors, no medicine.

Who is like our great Christ? Who has dared to claim what he claimed? Who could dare to do what he has already done—and for our great good!

If you would like some resources to help you share this good news with others, we are offering three different choices in our Easter Outreach Special:

• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die
• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die Audio Book
• History’s Most Spectacular Sin

You can get these from us by the case at deep discounts if you will be giving them away.

This Easter, let's point people to the good news of the resurrection and rejoice with Paul,

I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. (Rom. 1:16)

Our winter catalog is ready for you—ready to read, ready to enjoy, ready to tear apart.

That’s right. We want you to tear it apart cause that’s what we had in mind when we put it together.

Here’s how it works. On the back of every page is an original work of art inspired by the resources on the next page. The art is by friends of Desiring God from around the country and they’re meant to inspire you, and help you spread the message that God is the most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him.

So contact us to get a free catalog and use it to pass on the good news to others. Watch what a couple guys from our church did on a Friday afternoon. Be creative with your spreading and send us a photo or upload a video.

I’ll start by telling you plainly that I want you to take advantage of our Christmas Special and get a case of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ. Here’s why:

This helpful little book says things like:

Jesus himself - and all that God is for us in him - is our great reward, nothing less.

And,

Jesus will show us the way to heaven whether we can stomach it or not.

And again,

When we see Jesus for who he really is, we savor him…we delight in him as true and beautiful and satisfying.

I love this book because it gives me fresh words to use when I tell people why I love Jesus Christ. I love this book because it imparts a fresh passion for Jesus to those that read it. My joy in God is increased when I see others begin to rejoice in God. I’m a Christian Hedonist. That’s why I’m a spreader.

So get a case and spread the word—Christmas is only about Jesus Christ.

*               *               *

Offer Details

• Cases of Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ are available for a suggested donation of $68 to those who agree to give the books away for free.
• Each case contains 48 books. (The donation covers $1 per book and $20 for shipping.)
• If you can afford more—great! If you can’t afford $68, then we will accept whatever you can afford.
• This offer is good through December 16, 2008 or while our supply lasts, whichever comes first.
• We’re only taking these donations by phone, so call us at 1.888.346.4700 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday - Friday.

When I meet people today, it is inevitable that one of the first questions they ask is, “So where are you from?”

“I grew up in Los Angeles.”
“No, I mean where are you from from?”

Oh, how I despised that question. Why are you asking me? Do I remind you of Charlie Chan?

I really am from L.A. My parents are from Taiwan. Yes, I like Thai food, too—but that’s just a coincidence.

For better or worse, Americans label people. African American, Mexican American, Asian American. And if you’re white? American.

As an Asian American boy, I always feared roll call on the first day of school.

“Johnny Rogers?” “Here.”
“Pete Stone?” “Present.”
“Uh…Ming-Jinn Tong?” “Er…here. But I go by Michael.”

As I got older, folks would almost fall over when they heard me speak English.

“Wow, you have no accent!”
“Yeah. I was born in New Mexico.”
“New Mexico? Do you speak Spanish, too?”

I’ve had that conversation at least 10,000 times.

I used to think that Asian Americans would begin to blend in, that you wouldn’t be able to tell us from Adam. But anyone who can see the light of day will always be able to tell Adam Anderson from Adam Chang.

It doesn’t matter that Adam Chang has been in America since birth like his great-grandfather and that Adam Anderson just flew in from Sweden last year. Mr. Anderson will be called American and Mr. Chang will be called Asian American.

The reason for this is obvious, but I never wanted to embrace it. My face. Asians look different than whites. So there it is—big and ugly (not my face, per se). Different physical appearance. A completely different race. As a boy, I didn’t like my label. I am American! Why do I have to be Asian American and you get to be just plain American?

Today at 28, however, I love being Asian American. The reality is that I am just plain American, but most people don’t want to hear that. And I don’t want them to hear that either—for me or for themselves.

Purposely identifying myself as an Asian American is a way of loving both faces of my heritage. I’ve lived in a back alley of Yong Kang City and I’ve lived in the District of Columbia. I’ve tasted animals you’ve only seen on Planet Earth and I’ve had sticky BBQ sauce on my pulled pork sandwich at Famous Dave’s. I’ve spoken Mandarin far too loudly in a crowded noodle shop and I’ve wiped a patriotic tear from my slanted eye while the Star Spangled Banner blared before the rodeo in Mesquite, Texas.

But most importantly, I’ve realized that I didn’t just appear in this country. Everyone living in America today has roots somewhere else. I’m blessed to have a reason to dig down and find mine.

I’m Asian American. Where are you from?

No, I mean where are you from from?

I don’t always love to boast most about God. I love to boast about tricky anagrams. (Can you anagram diesel? What about brides?) I love to rave over my cute little boy. I go on and on about happy hour at McCormick and Schmick’s. I tell every Christian I know about John Piper.  

But none of these things are God. So there’s a limit to how much I ought to praise them. I don’t want to make people sick with my exuberance about word games or babies. I don’t want to promote happy hour or Piper so much that people will be disappointed when they actually try for themselves. I sometimes have a feeling inside me that asks, “Are these your idols?”  

But one day all of this will change. I won’t have to worry that these pleasures are competing with God in my heart. Our lesser joys will fade away when we see Christ before our own eyes.  

Anagrams?  Christ is the author of life!  

My son? Christ is the image of the unseen God!

Happy hour? “Come and I will give you rest!”  

Piper? Well, he’s still pretty cool.  But Christ is the one who knit him together!  

Suddenly our greatest ambition will be God himself and it will finally be right for our praise to be limitless. We will be at the happy intersection of highest admiration and highest praise, and that joy we had praising our lesser loves will finally be redeemed and realized when we boast in our great God.