Engrossed in the Word of God / Guarding against deception

I am so thankful to God for men such as D. A. Carson who have been given the grace to exposit on the Word with such authority and clarity. Even as we sat listening today for the second day in a row as he spoke on the Book of Revelations (no easy book by any measure), one indeed becomes so enchanted with the beauty of God's Word. That when he said that due to time constraints he could not go deeper into it, one almost feels like shouting, "By God, give that man another hour, two hours, the whole night even! I want to know more. I want to know more about God, His Word, His Majesty and Beauty."

But today as he spoke about false doctrines and false prophets, one point rang clearly in my mind. Satan isn't stupid. He would not lead many (true) Christians astray by planting a clear heresy in the church. No, he instead just needs to turn a Christian's eyes away from the Gospel and from Christ. Oh, no need to talk about sin and all that, it's too depressing. Oh, no need to continually talk about the Gospel, just assume every Christian already "knows" enough about it. Oh, no need to keep on talking about Christ, just concentrate on teaching "Christian" principles like how to love or about unity, after all it's more important to teach people how to apply Christianity to their lives rather than to teach them about Christ. Don't keep preaching about the Cross, be pragmatic! Teach about application or about what God can do for me.

What rubbish! It's either Christ or nothing. How on earth can one teach on love and not point back to Christ. How on earth can one talk about unity and not talk about unity in Christ and Christ alone.

Now do not misunderstand me. While yes we should teach on Love, Unity, Providence, etc..., at the center of it all must be Christ and the Gospel. The Gospel cannot be treated as merely Christianity 101 that we quickly skip by and then move on to the more "mature" stuff. In Christ do all things consist, and all things are made through Him and for Him.

So often in 12th Company we have taught love and unity without Christ. Oh love your Juniors we would say, without telling them about the Love that Christ showed us first, which only then can we truly love others. Our camps became thinly veiled attempts to conform or contort the Boys into an idea of unity that has more in common with our godless culture than with biblical unity, using the same methods that the world uses since, in our pragmatism, they produce the "results" that we want. All those defaulter and change parades and rabid shouting, what did they accomplish in the end? So what if a Cohort becomes "united" if they are not united in Christ and through Christ. If Christ be not the foundation, then all that is built above it will turn to dust eventually. And there are so many more examples that came to my mind about how we in the 12th have turned our eyes and focus away from Christ and the Gospel. From our Mission trips to our CE programme / Bible Studies to our much vaunted "Spiritual Blueprints", we have placed our trust more in methods and programmes than in God and the Gospel.

Oh the need to be watchful in these days of loose doctrine and rampant mysticism. I myself am so guilty of treating God's Word lightly and of not studying it with the seriousness that I ought to have. Oh may the Lord have mercy on us.

The Vanishing Conscience

I've been reading this book by John Macarthur on "The Vanishing Conscience", which he wrote in 1995. I think that 13 years on it is safe to say that it does not require much updating since what he wrote about then is just as prevalent now.

When you have stories like this appearing in our newspapers, you can be sure that when the bible says that the"wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5), it is definitely true today as it was in the early days of creation. How on earth anyone can go public regarding such "loose" living and not feel a tinge of shame or remorse is beyond me. Oh you may not care what others think, but I am indeed fearful of what you will be thinking when you stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ on that day.

Society literally crumbles all around us, and all we are concerned about is asking God for that nice Mercedes or for a job that would give us a five figure monthly salary. Man marches in a vanity fair and into eternal destruction while churches today worry over their image/numbers and self-esteem of their members. This should be cause enough for us to weep.

"Awake, awake! Put on your strength, O Zion;..."
- Isaiah 52:1

Being Anxious for Nothing

I was planning to write a moderately long post on the state of doctrine in the Church worldwide along with some "discernment" blogs that I think will be good for those who are concerned to look through in order to keep abreast of such developments as they occur. However, I don't really have the mental stamina to write one now, so I'll probably bore you all with a random ramble. :P

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As the holidays come to an end and the final school year begins, one could say that one often gets that sinking feeling, like the captain of the Titanic. I think most people who know me know how much I "detest" chemistry, which unfortunately took me close to 3 years to finally realize. Indeed I am no academic and definitely no researcher. Ah the arrogance and follies of youth and youthful ambitions or dreams.

However, after reading through Paul's letter to the Philippians, I am learning to trust more and more in God's Providence.

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4: 4-7 (emphasis mine)

Indeed there is so much to be thankful for, not least that the Son of the Most Great and Almighty God would shed His blood for my soul. That I can lose and count all things rubbish so that I may gain Christ. For God has set me on this path and indeed He that began a good work will finish it. Oh that all that is to come in the year ahead will be for His Glory alone and all praise be to Him.

The Joy of the Lord is my strength!

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Thought I should also share this clip. Especially encouraging for missionaries and those serving full-time in the ministry.

On Theology

Having recently finished R. C. Sproul's simple book "What is Reformed Theology", I am more convinced then ever that I will never really understand what most theologians go on about high theology or the various -isms of Christianity like Arminianism or Calvinism or Dispensationalism.

Indeed, as I read through Sproul's book, there were often portions when I could not comprehend the thinking and language behind many of his arguments and discussions. I must confess that I am no academic (as my uni results readily show) and the thought of the myriad of concepts and theologies that abound in Christianity intimidate me to a certain degree. Wherein does one find Christ amongst this huge torrent of literature and ideas? With so much disagreement over topics ranging from the basic issue of salvation to predictions of the End Times, what then is the right path and doctrine?

But indeed, as Charles said to me, to borrow a phrase from the Apostle Paul, so many say, "I follow Arminius", or, "I follow Calvin". Who then follows Christ? Man attempts to compartmentalize God and Christ into neat sections, to dot all the i's and cross all the t's. To tie up all the loose ends such that it is as though God is constrained by Man to act only in or through certain ways.

Now do not get me wrong, theology and doctrine and important, maybe even vital for Man to understand God, especially in this day and age of loose theology and poor doctrine. Indeed by learning more about God through theology, we come to a greater amazement and wonderment of Him. However, like what I heard in a sermon by Paul Washer, you can never squeeze God into a neat theology or doctrine. If you do, then there's something that you either left out or distorted in your quest for a neat theology. God is simply too Great and Incomprehensible to fully reduce into man-made theology or doctrine.

As for myself, it all comes back to Christ alone. The argument over limited or unlimited atonement does not interest me, only that the Gospel has to be preached to all so that as many which are to be saved by the Grace of God will be saved. "Once saved always saved" or not, everyday I will examine myself, as the Apostle Paul wrote, and indeed to work out my salvation with fear and trembling.

I count all things rubbish

Indeed even today as I watched the Boys get their medals and photos taken with the President, one does not really feel a sense of elation and joy that one should suppose he should feel. Even last week, upon officially relinquishing my role and duties as OIC of the Year 4s after 2 1/2 long years, one would not have considered that moment any much as sentimental or emotional as one would have thought it would be.

And so I remember, regardless of all the success or failure, regardless of all the accomplishments or medals or awards, regardless of all the praise and adulation of Man, like Paul, I too am beginning to "count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord", and indeed that I "count ALL things RUBBISH, that I may GAIN CHRIST." (Philippians 3:8)

Truly that it has even come to a point that conversations and activities without Christ as its focus and center are beginning to become boring and futile. When one wishes to be able to spend time with others to only talk about Christ and exalt the name of God and to serve Him with all one's might because He is exceedingly worthy.

By grace, God has brought me back to Himself. By grace, He has brought me back to the message of the Gospel. By grace, He will set me on the narrow path and discipline me when I wander off. By grace, He will see me through till He comes again in glory. That indeed I am not saved by my own works or merit, but that I am saved based on the merit and worth of another, Jesus Christ my Lord.

Oh Lord grant me courage and faith.
Christ has risen!
Christ has risen indeed.

Willing to be Matyred for Christ

Taken from this site

Ignatius (A.D. 67-110) was ordered by the emperor to be arrested and was sentenced to be thrown to the wild beasts in Rome. He longed for the honor of giving his life for his Savior, saying, “May the wild bests be eager to rush upon me. If they be unwilling, I will compel them. Come, crowds of wild beats; come, tearing and manglings, wracking of bones and hacking of limbs; come cruel tortures of the devil; only let me attain unto Christ.”

Polycarp was the last one of those who had been personally taught by the apostles. He was arrested and brought into the amphitheater in Smyrna, which was filled with an immense multitude. Since there were no images of gods in the house of worship of the Christians, the heathen rightly concluded that the Christians did not in believe in the existence of the gods, and so they accused them of being atheists. The proconsul reminded Polycarp of his great age, and urged him to show his penitence by joining in the cry, “Away with the atheists!” Polycarp looked straight at the excited crowd, pointed his finger at them, and cried, “Away with the atheists!”

Then the proconsul said, “Revile Christ and I will release you.” But Polycarp answered, “Eighty and six years have I served Him, and He has never done me wrong, how can I blaspheme Him, my King, who has saved me?” To the crowd the proconsul then proclaimed, “Polycarp has confessed himself to be a Christian.” The crowds yelled, “Let him be burned!”

Wood was collected and made into a pile. Polycarp asked not to be fastened to the stake. “Leave me thus,” he said, “He who strengthens me to endure the flames will also enable me to stand firm at the stake without being fastened with nails.” The woodpile was lighted. While Polycarp prayed with a loud voice, “Lord God Almighty, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, I praise Thee that Thou hast judged me worthy of this day and of this hour, to participate in the number of Thy witnesses, and in the cup of Thy Christ,” the flames consumed him. Polycarp’s martyr death took place in the year 156 A.D.

-From “The Church In History” by B.K. Kuiper

The Faithful by Steve Green

Hoping in the Lord

This verse appeared randomly on my facebook page today and pretty much sums up my general mood right now.

"Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God."

- Psalm 43:5 (ESV)

The Wonderful Cross

I just had to post this. Which voice is louder to you?