Ten Indictments

A message well worth the two hours.

Do not be Ashamed

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
- 2 Timothy 1:8 - 14

I am truly thankful to God for graciously allowing the few of us to gather and read His Word as well as having brothers in Christ, who when it is said that we need to come back to the Gospel give a hearty "Amen" instead of giving me the "what the heck you talking" look.

Reading 2 Timothy chapter 1 today, one is struck by Paul's focus on the Gospel of Christ, which is echoed throughout most (if not all) of his letters. And in verse 8 he begins with "do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord." Immediately verses like Romans 1:16 spring to mind. (For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.) How often are we ashamed by the Gospel of our Lord. How often do we tweak it by adding or taking away from it in order to appeal to a wider audience. As Paul Washer so often puts it, this Gospel of ours is a scandal and therein lies the power of it. I seriously feel it is ludicrous for us to think we should help God make His message more acceptable to carnal men, to pander to their sinful desires and lusts. I mean come on, is God so weak and feeble that unless we help Him with a bit of PR no one would come to Him?

Secondly, Paul tells Timothy to not be ashamed of him, a prisoner. While alluding to both his status as a prisoner of Christ as well as a prisoner of Caesar, the statement is clear. Do we despise men who preach the hard truths? Do we rather prefer men who teach things that would tickle our ears and feed our selfish desires?

The third thing, and the one that really struck me today, was Paul's request for Timothy to "share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God". Are we not all then called to suffer for the Gospel's sake? So often we, myself included, would rather choose to sit back and relax. To take the easy rather than the hard path. And yet, Paul tells Timothy to share in his sufferings, by the power of God no less.

And Paul ends it off so beautifully, "I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed." And I know in whom I have believed, the Lord high and lifted up, the Lord mighty in battle. That is why I am not ashamed.

Is not My Grace enough?

It is often at times when one is so overcome with activities and projects that one feels he does not even have the strength to go on. When the future looks so bleak or uncertain and it does not even seem possible that one would be able to provide for himself, much less a spouse or his parents.

It was at a time such as this that I found myself in this week. Granted that a large part of it is due to fact that I can't seem to discipline my time properly, I felt so overwhelmed by the stuff I had to do for Uni and worrying, as I always do, about the future.

And as I was jogging today (I truly was!), it was as though God suddenly pointed out, "Is My Grace not enough?" Immediately it was like flashes of my past came flying past my mind's eye. The times when I struggled during BMT both physically and spiritually. The time when I passed the 2.4km run for the first time and fell to my knees thanking Him upon crossing the finishing line (the Sergeant thought I was going to faint or something). The terrible morning and evening runs in OCS. The 16 weeks I took to pass IPPT in AFS. The time when I so nearly gave up on my faith because I had felt so completely cut off from God. And yet looking back at it all from where I am now, seeing the path that the Lord had laid for and guided me on by His Providence, how can I deny that the Lord is good.

I am under no illusion that the path ahead would be any less rugged and hard than the one behind me, but indeed my soul finds rest in God alone and the work that He begins, He will finish it. What will happen in the future? O Lord God, you know.

May He receive all the Praise He deserves.


My soul finds rest - Psalms 62 by Stuart Townsend

My soul finds rest in God alone,
My Rock and my Salvation.
A fortress strong against my foes,
And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse,
And lies like arrows pierce me,
I'll fix my heart on righteousness,
I'll look to Him who hears me.

Chorus:
Oh praise Him, Hallelujah
My Delight and my Reward,
Everlasting, never failing,
My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest my soul in God alone,
Amidst the world's temptations.
When evil seeks to take a hold,
I'll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don't set you heart upon them.
The fields of hope in which I sow,
Are harvested in heaven.

I'll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely.
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure.
My King has crushed the curse of death,
And I am His forever.

Regeneration vs Decisionism

The true and proper way of evangelizing. A must watch for all who are distressed over the countless multitude being deceived every week by false gospels and false christs.

Why can't we have conferences like these in Singapore

How I pray that one day we could have conferences and preachers of God's Word like this.

True Church Conference 2009

If you share my passion for the building of true churches for the glory of God, then join us February 19-22, 2009, and pray that God will allow us to dive into His Word examining and experiencing the wonderful grace of repentance. Repentance is not a doctrine of which to be fearful but one for which we should be deeply grateful! After all, receiving grace to turn from darkness, condemnation, and despair to find light, justification, and hope is not a bad thing but a wondrously good thing!

Striving not to build great churches but true churches…for the glory of God,

I will not hear your prayers

“ To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?”
Says the LORD. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
And the fat of fed cattle.
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
Or of lambs or goats.
“ When you come to appear before Me,
Who has required this from your hand,
To trample My courts?
Bring no more futile sacrifices;
Incense is an abomination to Me.
The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—
I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.
Your New Moons and your appointed feasts
My soul hates;
They are a trouble to Me,
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide My eyes from you;
Even though you make many prayers,
I will not hear.
Your hands are full of blood.
- Isaiah 1: 11 - 15

Basically what it feels like right now

His Word will not return Void

“ For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.
“ For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
“ For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
And do not return there,
But water the earth,
And make it bring forth and bud,
That it may give seed to the sower
And bread to the eater,
So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
It shall not return to Me void,
But it shall accomplish what I please,
And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
“ For you shall go out with joy,
And be led out with peace;
The mountains and the hills
Shall break forth into singing before you,
And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree,
And instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
And it shall be to the LORD for a name,
For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”
- Isaiah 55: 8 - 13

May the Word of the Lord be preached faithfully to all the Nations.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

*Edit* The Book of Isaiah is a really incredible book. And to think that I've only ever read seriously a few chapters here and there from it. Isaiah 55 is indeed one of the most complete Gospel Calls ever given for Man.

Fitting God into a mould?

Dogs,Crumbs and a Faith to Emulate (Jeff Noblit)



From here

"I'm not here to damage your self-esteem, I'm here to obliterate it" - Jeff Noblit

From East To West

Though I do not agree with some of the lyrics theologically, the reminder that our sins have been removed as far as the East is from the West is timely.

What is Man compared to God

A month or two ago my church youth service had a guest speaker from another church come and give a sermon based on overcoming fear of spirits and demons. While I do not want to go into what the details of the sermon were (though I can say I did not quite agree with the focus of the whole thing), what really stuck to me was what he said at the end of the sermon.

I can't quite recall what was the topic leading up to it, but he said that if someone thanks him for preaching, he does not believe in saying "Thank God", because "God could probably preach better than him", but rather to just say "you're welcome." While I definitely agree that God could do a better job preaching, or in fact doing anything on his own rather than relying on weak, sinful Man, the way he seemed to dismissively ridicule the very act of thanking God has rankled me up till this day.

Just to address the first part quickly, why would God choose to work though weak Man rather than on His own, one must first accept the fact that whatever God does is for His own Glory and Name's sake and that God is jealous and passionate for His Glory. Once we accept this fact, then the answer becomes clear. While yes, God will get Glory when He works apart from Man, but how much more Glory and Praise does God receive when not only does He accomplish what He accomplishes by His own Hand, but He is also able to use and empower weak Man for His purposes. It is in fact a double honour to Him. Just like prayer, if God gives you something without you praying for it He receives Glory for providing, but if He gives you something that you have prayed for, does He not receive the added Glory of answering prayer? Kind of answers the question that people always ask that if God is going to provide for His people anyway, why do we still need to pray for provision.

"So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." - 1 Corinthians 3:7 (ESV)

However as I stated above, what really irked me was the way he dismissed the acknowledgment of God. While not explicit in the statement, one could sense the lack of reverence and knowledge of how lowly Man is. When one reads the accounts of God's conversations with Man in books like Job, Jeremiah and Isaiah, one is completely blown away by the awesomeness and "incredibleness" of God.

"LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You are mindful of him? Man is like a breath; His days are like a passing shadow." - Psalm 144: 3-4 (NKJV)

"Sever yourselves from such a man, Whose breath is in his nostrils; For of what account is he?" - Isaiah 2:22 (NKJV)

From where does Man's life come from? Or where does he receive understanding? Is it not all from God and by the Grace of God? Why then does Man boast in his wisdom or in his accomplishments? Man is but a breath of air and he is not even assured of taking another without the Grace of God.

I know there are many definitions of Sin, but one that seems to come to my mind often is this, Sin is anything, whether action, thought or motive, that is not for or acknowledges the Glory of God.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." - 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

God gives grace for Man to preach His Word. God gives each and every breath a Man breathes. Do you dare, even for one nanosecond, to take any glory for yourself in whatever you do. While I thank God indeed that He can use preachers like Paul Washer, John Piper and Don Carson as He does, I am ever wary not to idolize the man, but to instead look to the God who gives these man such wisdom and strength and say that He is indeed Worthy to be praised.

Your Best Life Now?

It is,...... if you're not a Christian

Contending for THE Faith

Just finished MacArthur's book "The Truth War" today after basically devouring almost two-thirds of the book in a marathon 4 hour session while at a super long wedding dinner. Based around the Book of Jude, MacArthur highlights the urgent need for the Church to rouse herself from her apathy to sound doctrine and to contend earnestly for the Apostolic Faith. Combined with today's bible study on 1 Timothy 4, as well as with certain unsavoury events that have occurred over the past couple of weeks, there is indeed the need for all true Christians to stand up and be willing to defend the central tenets and sound doctrines of biblical and historical Christianity.


"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,..."
- 1 Timothy 4: 1-2

Opening the chapter, it is abundantly clear that there will be deceiving doctrines and counterfeit gospels. In fact, if there is one thing that quite a number of the Epistles touch on, aside from Christ and the Gospel, it is the warning to hold on to sound doctrine and teachings. There are so many false prophets and false christs running around today and the carnage they leave behind is plain to see.

" If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness....... These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine..... Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."
- 1 Timothy 4: 6 - 16

It is interesting, and indeed quite sad, how we so often take verse 12 out of context, especially in youth ministries. We use it to justify and encourage youths to "move in the spirit" and to contribute in youth ministry, not realizing the context that Paul is writing to Timothy. While yes indeed physical age should not be a barrier to one's serving in church, Paul's emphasis seems to be on the doctrine that Timothy should use in nourishing himself and in the teaching of others. How many times have we used this verse to call youths out and then directed them to the reading, studying and meditating on God's Word? Have we ever instructed them to give themselves ENTIRELY into the study of doctrine and that the fruit of such study will be evident to all?

What has happened to our doctrine? In our ignorance we had elevated doctrine to a higher plane that only few could understand and relegated its teaching to something of secondary (if indeed it is that high) importance. We would rather concentrate on "applying the Word" and on motivational speeches and "catering to people's needs". If indeed that one can only discover who God truly is through His Word with the Holy Spirit, how many people in the church really know God?

Because we would rather cater to itching ears and unregenerate hearts, so many people are left ignorant of who God truly is and they are carried with every wind of (unsound) doctrine. Some of the more apparent issues would of course be things like the health-and-wealth gospel, feminism, "carnal christianity" or lukewarmness and backsliding. So often in the Church, especially in an Asian context like Singapore, we would rather compromise on sound doctrine than to hold fast to what is True. All in the name of "unity" and harmony.

In deciding to stand for the Truth, one is faced with a hard question. Are you willing to forsake all that you have in contending for the Faith? Are you willing to lose all your friends and earthly reputation for the sake of standing up for the Truth? Are you ready for the barbs and gossips and rumour-mongering that will inevitably crop up once you make a stand for God? But yet, this is a stand that all who trully love the Lord and His Glory will have to make, for in a sense, there is no middle ground.

*Edit* My friend here just so happened to have written on the importance of doctrine on the same night as I wrote this post. He probably does a much better job of articulating the issue at hand than me because he is a doctor-to-be and I am just in a glorified polytechnic (As I always like to call NUS Science :P)

Some Thoughts

A video that Charles introduced to me some time back. Finally decided to post it here for the benefit of all who pass by. Will comment on some thoughts I have on it later, God willing.

The Prosperity Gospel and John Piper

"God is most glorified in you when you are most satsified in Him
in the midst of loss, not prosperity"
- John Piper

*Edit* I dun think I will comment on this just yet. Hopefully will do so
sometime during the coming week

Life's Thin Thread

It is indeed a tragedy that while life hangs literally by a thread for all Man, we would rather preach and talk about "happy" and "inspirational" things or give motivational self-help pep talks every Sunday. Rather than confront people with the Truth of God's Word, with their sinfulness and rebellion against God, we would instead endeavor to build up their self-esteem or soothe their wounded pride. We would rather give them painkillers instead of giving them the bitter medicine that saves.

"For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." -1 Corinthians 2:2 (NKJV)

But while I may go on my usual tirade on the almost pathetic state of preaching in churches nowadays, I have decided instead to look at something just as sobering, if not more so.

One would have read in the newspapers today about two deaths that would seem almost in direct contrast with each other. One is of a man who has lived for over eight decades and who has for almost all intents and purposes been in the twilight of his life for at least a decade if not more. The other is of a boy, just twenty years of age, not even old enough to vote, who seemed to have his whole life ahead of him. One died in his sleep, the other died doing pull-ups. One had seen all and done all. The other thought he was going to see all and do all.

Yet one thing in common they had was that both had just the day before talked, laughed and/or cried with others. Both had plans for the future, one to run for the 2011 elections, the other to become an air force technician. And now, both of them are gone. To heaven or hell, who knows? But that is not the main point here.

Anyone who has followed the news over the past month would also recall the death of a 15 year old girl and her supposed 23 year old god-father after jumping from a HDB flat. Or the 16 year-old boy who so wanted to get a thrill driving that he went and sneaked out with his brother's car. Dead after crashing into a tree. I know an acquaintance of mine who at 21 years of age is suffering from two separate cancers. My class rep back in JC died at 20 from Leukemia suddenly just as it seemed he would recover.

Why this morbid fascination with death you may ask. It is not so much that I "like" reading or hearing such things, but rather that every time one reads of such things, one cannot help but think of all those youths who live their lives as though they would never die, never would be called to account for what they had done in their lives. When one is young, death often seems so far away or something that will never come. "I can repent tomorrow and get my life in order, but today I want to enjoy myself." What tragedy! They believe that tomorrow will always come, not knowing that no one can have assurance that he will wake up the next morning. Is it not all the more urgent for them to know the Gospel. To repent and believe before it is too late. Before that Day when the trumpets will sound and grace will be taken away and the dead will be judged before Christ. Maybe that is why I so detest preaching that tells Man to come to Christ so that he can get his best life now, or so that he can be blessed with so much material and worldly blessings that will turn to dust eventually.

"By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God."
- Hebrews 11: 9-10

Life indeed is so fragile. Man, like a flower, is here today, then gone tomorrow. Like a vapour he appears for a little while, then vanishes away. All the material goods one stores up for himself in this life, in the end moth and rust destroy and one's enjoyment of earthly delights fade away into nothingness with time.

And yet, we would rather continue pursing such things. Is it not madness? Indeed I am so often the maddest one of all, for so often does my heart stray from the magnificent obsession that is Christ to things of silver and things of gold.

If only youths and people in general would consider the fragility of their lives more seriously, then hopefully they would become sober and self-controlled and seek with all earnestness the one thing that will last into eternity and beyond. So that one day when you swing out into eternity on a scarlet thread, that scarlet thread, which is Christ, will be enough.

Video uploads

Some stuff that I edited from the web for my friend. Thought that I might as well post it here.

All to Jesus (Paris Reidhead)


Revival Hymn (Various)

The Holiness of God

Someone highlighted this video to me and I helped merge both parts so that it becomes one continuous video.

On Women and Authority

As a add-on to my last post, I saw this post over at the Christian Research Network. The actual blog is reformation 21.

*Edit* Another interesting read here.

Voddie Baucham on Sarah Palin

Saw this on the Def.Con. blog and I really never thought that such a thing could ever happen. Someone who actually stood up for the Truth *gasp* on international television. *double gasp*

Quote of the Day:
"I am a herald of the Truth of the Gospel, and my job is to teach the Gospel according to what the authors have said, not according to what I think the culture wants to hear."

- Voddie Baucham

I Will Never Be the Same Again

An old song that I wonder why the church nowadays doesn't seem to sing anymore. Probably because we do not seem to believe anymore in a God that changes and regenerates Man, or that a true Christian is a new creation in Christ, with a heart that seeks to glorify God's name above all else.

May the Lord bless you mightily through this song.



I will never be the same again,
I can never return, I've closed the door.
I will walk the path, I'll run the race
And I will never be the same again.

Fall like fire, soak like rain,
Flow like mighty waters, again and again.
Sweep away the darkness, burn away the chaff,
And let the flame burn to glorify Your name.

There are higher heights, there are deeper seas,
Whatever you need to do, Lord do it in me.
The Glory of God fills my life,
And I will never be the same again.

The Beauty of God's Word

It is indeed a joy and even a certain amount of ecstasy when one reads the Bible and the words seem to jump out of the pages or verses that you may have read a hundred times before suddenly seem to give new insights or revelations.

Over the past couple of days I have been doing concurrent readings of 1 Corinthians and 1 Timothy and in the mirror of God's Word, so much error in my thinking and theology have been exposed and indeed I praise God for the grace that He has given in revealing them to me. There is so much that the Lord is leading me to consider and I hardly know where to start or what to write down first, but I shall try to put in a coherent manner despite my own messy way of thinking.

"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth."
- 1 Corinthians 3: 5-8 (ESV)

As I have shared before, so often I have fallen into sinful pride, in thinking that I was someone, a boy who knew more about God's Truth than most of his peers and the only person whom God could use to preach the truth in his church. But as I read this passage again, what is the man whom God uses but a person He so chooses to pour out His Grace upon? As one of my favourite preachers said, "I always remind myself [if ever I become proud in my own preaching] that God can speak through rocks and donkeys." Indeed the Lord uses the foolish to confound the wise and the wisdom of this world is folly to God.

In addition to this, this morning when I awoke there was this subtle yet obvious temptation in my flesh to dabble again in lustful thoughts, a habitual sin in my mind that has plagued me for more than a decade. And as I struggled against it as I always do, I read the two passages of 1 Corinthians that I had earmarked for today. And lo and behold, chapters 5 and 6 contained Paul's warnings against sexual immorality. Needless to say, the temptation subsided really quickly after that. May the Lord grant me the grace to remain holy as He is Holy.

"Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s."

- 1 Corinthians 6: 18-20

I have more thoughts regarding some things in 1 Timothy that God has impressed upon me regarding the false ascetism and super-spirituality that so often I have mistaken as closeness to God, but I shall probably write it down another time God willing.

One other thing that the Lord seems to be pressing upon me is whether, in my cynicism and caution, I have in a way despised or "quenched" the Spirit. While I believe that God is the indeed the God of miracles and a God who heals, there is a certain part of me that seems over-cautious and unbelieving when dealing with what is often termed now as "moves of the Spirit". Now I do dislike the way certain people seem to treat God and the Holy Spirit with a certain amount of irreverence or as a miracle vending machine that they can pull miracles out at will, but there is a sense that I may have become too judgemental and in the process may have inadvertently blasphemed against the work of the Holy Spirit.

“And anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but to him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven."

- Luke 12:10

May the Lord grant me wisdom and mercy in discerning this.

Where is your focus?

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a Treasure (Paul Washer)


"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."

- Matthew 13:44

Just and Justifier

Quoted from this blog (Defending. Contending.)

How can God ever “justify the ungodly” without becoming an abomination to Himself? “He who says to the wicked, ‘You are righteous,’ peoples will curse him, nations will abhor him [Proverbs 24:24]. How can God say to sinners like us, “You are righteous,” without violating His own character? How can God ever save us from Himself and His own righteousness and justice? . . . Repentant sinners know that they deserve to be punished, and that it would not be right for them not to be. They know that God cannot just “sweep their sins under the rug” and forget about them. Hence, the cry of their hearts is, “How can a just God ever smile upon me? How can this burden of guilt be removed? How can God pronounce a blessing upon me? How can a man like me be in the right before God!” There is only one answer to this dilemma. Someone has to pay for the sinner’s sins. Justice must be satisfied. Either it will be satisfied by the sinner’s own suffering forever in Hell, or it must be satisfied by someone else on the sinner’s behalf.

- Charles Leiter

A humbling from God

I believe today has been a culmination or fulfillment of a lesson God has been trying to teach me for the better part of two weeks. I had always thought that upon moving from ministry in BB to church, I would be essentially hitting the ground running. I had so many big thoughts and dreams and just wanted to serve the Lord actively in church just as I had spent the last 6 -7 years in ACS, or so I thought.

I thought, and I confess my shame in it, that I was going to be "God's Gift" to my church. I had thought that with what little knowledge God had so graciously granted me of Himself in the past year in ACS that I, Nicholas the MAN, could go forth and speak mighty things in His Name.

Oh how I thought wrong. Oh the foolishness of it all.

During the past week I could definitely sense the Lord leading me to patience, to be willing to sit down and just gaze upon Him and His Beauty. To be willing to, at the risk of sounding cliche, just be still and know that He is God. What need does God require of me running around impatiently doing "His Will"? The Lord moves in ways that we cannot see, and indeed He moves in His time.

But no, I would not heed His warnings. "Let me preach oh Lord, let me preach," that was my own selfish cry. I had "ingested" so many sermons by Ravenhill, Reidhead, Washer, etc... that in my conceitedness and pride I had deluded myself into thinking that I could preach like the best. And God let me have my own way. When Marc asked me to help him do one bible study for the Year 6s, I pushed aside all His warnings and jumped at the chance despite knowing deep down that something wasn't right. Even though in His graciousness He led me clearly to what should be preached, the preparation was tedious and without joy. During the sharing itself, indeed throughout the whole Bible Study, there was simply no flow or movement of the Holy Spirit. In fact it seemed like as though something had clouded my mind and I just could not get my thoughts together (as horribly jumbled as they already are). There was simply no passion or conviction in the message at all. There was no reality of Christ.

And as I walked back home, it almost seemed like the Lord was telling me gently. "I told you so, I told you so." And all I could do was reply, "Yes, Lord, you were right all along." I definitely sense now that the Lord is leading me into a time of spiritual wilderness, to a time of waiting upon Him and discovering His Joy as well as anguish for the church in ever increasing measure. To be able to wait patiently until the time He says,"Go." Indeed there is so much pride, self-righteousness and puffed-up knowledge within me that only His divine hands will be able to rescue from them, for I cannot even change myself.

Forgive me for my foolishness.

"We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him."
- 1 Corinthians 8: 1-2

Project Troubles

One of my calculations for my FYP just went kaput. Potentially lost a week's worth of calculations and I have no idea whether my backup data will upload properly.

Sigh, I really do not yet know the purpose God has for me in continuing on for my Honours year. As I've always believe, I am not academically inclined, and even after a month I still have almost no idea what my FYP is really all about. Added to the fact that somehow have no "form" for my sole history module, this semester is turning out to be a real disaster.

However, by faith I know that He will see me through and by faith He will guide me in His steps. Teach me oh Lord to seek after a city with foundations, who's builder and maker is God (Hebrews 11:9).

Blessed be the Name of the Lord

On Prayer

I have no idea why I cannot seem to spend more time in prayer. Actually maybe I do, but there is a sense that unless the Lord grants me grace, I will never be able to pray the way that I ought to pray.

The mind is a terrible thing. So many thoughts that distract, so often wandering off and thinking things that I know I should not be thinking.

I can't even spend a half an hour with Jesus, but I can spend hours upon hours just surfing on the internet or even reading a book. Unless the Lord should grant me a glorious revelation of Himself, one does sense that one will continue to languish in a spiritual dead-end.

Oh Lord teach me to pray. Teach me to persevere in prayer.

Busy Busy Busy

Gosh, so many things to do, so many things to write about. Uni work is really beginning to take a toll this semester. Don't really have time to write something long for now, so I'll just leave a song instead. :P


Standing here in Your presence
Thinking of the good things You have done
Waiting here patiently
Just to hear Your still small voice again
Holy, righteous, faithful till the end
Saviour, healer, redeemer and friend

I will worship You for who You are
I will worship You for who You are
I will worship You for who You are
Jesus

My soul secure, Your promise sure, Your Love endures, always
My soul secure, Your promise sure, Your Love endures, always
My soul secure, Your promise sure, Your Love endures, always

I am under Obligation

I've decided to post the whole sermon here. We are all under obligation to preach the Gospel and to preach the whole Gospel without altering or manipulating it. May God bless you through this message mightily.

*I apologize for the sound quality. Seems the upload caused some of the sound bits to go haywire. If you want the clearer original file, go to the sermon links on the sidebar.*

On Church

Over the past couple of weeks since finishing up my ministry in BB and turning my attention to church, it is almost like learning to walk all over again. Going into a completely new environment is always disconcerting and coming back after a gap of almost 6 years (or was it 7?) means that many things have changed, though some fundamental things have not.

I guess what troubles me most now, as it was 6 years ago, is the quite apparent lack of revelation of God and His Gospel in the church. The lack of reverence and desire for holiness pains me now more than ever. We embrace every new and "exciting" doctrine or method in the hope that it would attract the youth of today. My dear friend, what the church needs today are not new methodologies or fads, but the return to solid preaching of the Gospel and faithful exposition of Scripture. To realize it is not about boosting a person's self-esteem or promising him his best life now, but that is has all to do about eternity and the Glory of God.

We often treat God's word so flippantly and lightly. "God says this", "God says that," or "The Lord is telling me now to tell you this etc...." Now do not get me wrong. The Bible does instruct us not to quench the Spirit nor despise prophecy (1 Thess 5: 19-20), but it also does tell us immediately after that to test all things and hold fast to what is good (1 Thess 5:21). Do you not understand the seriousness of saying something is from God? It is not something to be uttered casually or without much serious discernment and prayer. Can you imagine the shame of standing before God on that Great Day and Him, who is above all things, tell you, "Why did you say things in my Name that I never said."

Oh the need for sober-mindedness. Oh the need for the Holy Spirit to convict men once again of their sin and utter depravity before God and to lead them to throw themselves upon Christ and the Cross. Oh the need for God's Grace to be upon us, to be able to rightly discern falsehood from that which is true.

I am sure that some who read these words of mine might think me arrogant and/or proud. However, let me just say that I too am guilty of doing so many of things I have stated above. May the Lord have mercy upon me and give me the grace and faith to conform more and more to the likeness of His Son.

A Need for Fresh Fire

Really really really need a fresh inspiration by the Holy Spirit. Life is beginning to feel like a roller-coaster of spiritual highs and lows again.

Fresh Fire by Don Moen

Fresh fire let it fall
O God hear our call
Send Your Spirit like a rushing wind
We need fresh fire

We are hungry we are thirsty
Crying our for more of You
Lord we are desperate for Your mercy
Let us burn to know Your Truth
Light a flame in us now
Send Your holy fire down

We have left our hearts unguarded
We confess we've walked away
Lord take us back to where we started
Where we first found love and grace
Light a flame in us now
Send Your holy fire down

More of Your love
More of Your power
Send a revival
We need it now
Stir up a fire
Let it burn brighter
Let the flame burn higher higher higher

Revive us again

A Short Notice

I think I just need to put this down as a sort of "disclaimer" for those who happen to chance upon this blog somehow by the grace of God :).

There is much in theology that remains much of a mystery to the finite mind of Man. Even the very basis of the Gospel, that how is it that God can so choose to love Man so as to send His only Begotten Son, to be crushed under His own almighty Wrath so that Man may be reconciled to Himself, is simply beyond the capabilities of Man to fully comprehend.

As such, there is so much in my understanding of God that needs refining and correction. I make no claim to special revelation nor of infallibility, but like all Man, I am so prone to stepping off the path and of turning my mind to dark and foolish things. Indeed after reading on all the various doctrines and theologies of Christianity, one does come out with a sense of knowing less that what one started with.

While it is still important to discover more about God through the study of various men's writings on Him and through the use of commentaries or study guides, it is also vital to walk with Him as a lifestyle and to literally seek and chase after Him throughout the day.

All that I post is of special conviction to my own life and of which I pray will also be to yours. But indeed I believe that God will continue to refine my knowledge and understanding of Him and His Word and that I am still much of a novice in Christ.

May He receive all the Praise

Mental Block

Recently gotten into a bit of a writer's block for this blog. It's not so much as there is nothing that I want to write about, but the fact is that some of the things that I wish I could write here, I am the least qualified to write about. More and more do I realize how little I know about God, His Grace and Mercy. So little do I know about prayer and His Glory. Who am I to speak and write about Him, the One who created the Heavens and the Earth. The One who placed all the stars in their place and which by His Power, not one of them is missing.

Why then do I continue to write on? I guess it is to provide a sort of travel log over the years. I look back at what I have written a year or two ago and realize how different my views and focus are now. Indeed that looking back, God is indeed faithful and true. May He always be praised and adored.

"This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself."

- 2 Timothy 2:11-13

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Been contemplating a bit on life the past few days and I am ever so conscious about my own mortality. So much that I have done will turn to dust and so much that I have treasured will one day be destroyed by rust and moths. What then will last into eternity?


When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth?
Did I live my life for you?

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I have done
For love's rewards
Will stand the test of time

Lord, your mercy is so great
That you look beyond our weakness
That you found purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints

I will always sing your praise
Here on earth and in heaven after
For you've joined me at my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone...

Your Call by Paris Reidhead

"Your Call is to Jesus Christ, not to a geographical place."

- Paris Reidhead speaking on Missions

An excellent message regarding the verse "when two or three are gathered in His name." It's not about saying, "in Jesus name", at the end of prayer, but about gathering together and praying first and foremost for the Glory of God.

Warning Hard Message Ahead

The Great Privilege (Download from here)


Warning: May offend those who believe in a soft, happy-go-lucky, antinomian god who just really can't get anything done on this earth if there aren't any well-meaning people to help him out

Message for the Day

How do you know you believe?



Repent and believe the Gospel.

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Just an additional add-on for one of my older posts (It belongs to Christ). This is the edited portion that I wanted to post but for some reason the website I use had a problem at that time.

In a Whirlwind of Thoughts

Okay, maybe I am exaggerating when I say that I am currently in a whirlwind of thoughts now as it is more like a breeze that you feel just before it rains, but indeed there are many thoughts and worries that contest for my attention, especially over these past few days. So bear with me if I appear to be rambling (as I usually do) and/or my posts appear to be disjointed and "non-flowing" (is there even such a word?) over the next few days.

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Supremacy of Christ vs Supremacy of Man (Voddie Baucham @ Desiring God Conference 2006)


Indeed in this Man-centered age, so often have many "Christians" and "churches" relegated God to be nothing more than a divine vending machine, where we go to to get our wishes granted. And so often has our evangelism been based on what sort of perks and benefits God can give you in this temporal world. Believe in God/Jesus and He will heal your backache. Believe in God/Jesus and He will give you a great job or top grades in your exam. Believe in God/Jesus and He will bless you with all the luxuries of this life.

What a travesty! Believe in God because He has sent His only begotten Son to die on a cross to save you from His Wrath! Believe in Christ because though you did not deserve mercy or grace, in His Love He came and drank down the Wrath of His Father so that you can be reconciled and redeemed to God! Don't you dare cheapen the Gospel Call to anything less than that.

But no, no. We want to know what God can do for ME. And it does not even cross our minds to ask ourselves how can a Holy and Just God not strike us down where we stand because of our crimes against Him.

Indeed if it were not for His Mercy, sinful Man would have been obliterated from the face of the Earth eons ago. If it were not for His Grace, Man would have no hope of being reconciled to Him. But yet, and in this is the beautiful mystery, He chose to Love us, and to demonstrate His Love to us by sending Christ down, and for Him to face His Father's Wrath in our stead. What else could you possibly want? What else could you possibly need? Is this sacrifice not sufficient for you, insignificant little you, to live out your days in complete Joy and thanksgiving come what may?

I too struggle with this question. I thank God with every fibre of my being for what He has blessed me with, yet my constant fear would be this, if one day God so chose to take away all the comforts of this life which He has given, would I curse God to His face as Job was tempted to. Lord I beg you for faith if that day should ever come.

To the Wind with your problems (Paul Washer)

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Having read this blog post from this blog, I too realize that so often felt a certain sense of self-righteousness based on my experiences. So often have I been like the Pharisee who despised the tax collector because I do this or believe that. So often have I thought that because I know this certain Truth or done that commandment of God, I must be somehow better than this other person in church, forgetting that all we like sheep have gone astray, and only that by God's Grace alone has He seen fit to reveal what little Truth so far to me compared with the fullness of His Glory. Indeed I so need to repent daily of this, and that it is only by His sustaining Grace that I should have breath in me.

All praise and thanks be to God

Be Unto Your Name

An old song I know, but one that is so essential in today's Man-centered church.



==============================

Sermon Compilation (On Judgment)

Thinking of the future (again)

I do not know why I so often turn my thoughts to the future and all its uncertainties. Maybe it is at this point in life that one is literally left at a loss at what to do and the future appears less clear and certain than what one is used to.

Growing up, it is indeed easy to become so singly focused, as I usually am, on what one has to do and on the next step in life. From NYPS to ACS, from ACS to ACJC, from ACJC to NS, from NS to NUS, the path is more or less clear and easily seen. However as one now turns his thoughts to the future, thoughts of work and family, thoughts of taking that first independent step into the unknown, one is literally overwhelmed with the amount of choices and uncertainties there are. Where the verse, "We walk by faith and not by sight" really takes on a whole new reality.

Things of course are not helped by the sheer number of weddings that I have had to attend and would probably be attending over the next few years. For a person who rarely feels an emotional attachment to anyone, to move in this direction is quite really a terrifying experience. Notwithstanding the issue of supporting such a relationship, the idea of entering a relationship is something that I can never quite really comprehend or imagine. Oh I have had my fair share of crushes and infatuations, but the weight of responsibility and expectation in a relationship is something that I have always shrunk from.

But in the words of the Lord God, "It is not good that the man should be alone" (Gen 2:18). One dreams of a companion and helper that the Lord will provide. Indeed if the Lord so wills, He will provide one who is a fellow slave of Christ, for no other criteria matters. Whether He chooses to bless me with singlehood or marriage, may His Name be praised amongst the nations.

All thanks be to God

Paul Washer on God's Will (Slaves of Christ)

The Dark of Night

"What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life....

For the death that He (Christ) died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace."

-Romans 6: 1-4, 10-14

Oh God help me, for I cannot help myself

He's Alive

The gates and doors were barred and all the windows fastened down;
I spent the night in sleeplessness and rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow and half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' thru to drag us all away

And just before the sunrise I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle and a voice began to call;
I hurried to the window and looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches and the sounds of soldier's feet

There was no one there but Mary so I went down to let her in;
John stood there beside me as she'd told us where she'd been.
She said "They moved Him in the night and none of us knows where;
The stone's been rolled away and now His body isn't there!"

We both ran t'ward the garden, then John ran on ahead;
We found the stone and empty tomb just the way that Mary said.
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in was just an empty shell;
And how or where they'd taken Him was more than I could tell.

Well, something strange had happened there,
but just what I didn't know;
John believed a miracle but I just turned to go.
Circumstance and speculation couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify Him, then I saw Him die.

Back inside the house again the guilt and anguish came;
Everything I'd promised Him just added to my shame.
When at last it came the choices, I denied I knew His name;
And even if He was alive, it wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled with strange and sweet perfume;
Light that came from everywhere drove shadows from the room.
Jesus stood before me with His arms held open wide;
And I fell down on my knees, and just clung to Him and cried.

He raised me to my feet and as I looked into His eyes,
Love was shining out from Him like sunlight from the skies
Guilt and my confusion disappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had just melted into peace

CHORUS
He's alive! He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven!
Heaven's gates are open wide:
He's alive, He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive, He's alive, He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide He's alive, He's alive, He's alive

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?

What Dreams May Come

Is there an age where one ceases to dream?
To stop hoping or thinking of fantastic things?
Is there a time when one should just stop thinking of what could have been?
To explore and imagine entire realms of possibilities?

Maybe that's the problem with me. So often do I day-dream and day-dream I do, even as I sit in lectures or while driving up and down the North-South Highway or while standing in the shower. Dreams of glory, of love, of utter fantasy. And yet, reality is reality. While dreams may provide temporary relief and escape, it is still what it is, temporary and unreal. And so often am I left feeling even worse-off then before.

Maybe there comes a time when one should stop dreaming...

On Faith Alone by Robert Pierre

On faith alone I stand.
There is no higher ground.
I give all I am.
for my soul will never doubt.
Though the storms they may be raging.
You have always held my hand.
To thy cross my heart will always cling.
On faith alone I stand.
On faith alone I live.
Not in what I say or do,
But the blood you freely give covers me and makes me new.
For your love is ever with me.
Lord Jehovah great I am.
O my trust grows stronger on my knees.
On faith alone I stand.
Hallelujah,
hallelujah,
hallelujah.
On faith alone I stand.
When I reach my final breath,
and I fall into your arms.
I’ll proclaim with no regret.
On faith alone,
sola fide,
sola fide,
sola fide.
On faith alone I stand.
Hallelujah,
hallelujah,
hallelujah.
On faith alone I stand.
On faith alone I stand.

On Preaching

Just putting a link for future reference

Work Work

Gaahh.... I really can't see myself working. Been going so often to Malaysia now that I think I can finish all the pages in my passport by December. I'm also beginning to drive like a Malaysian as well. :P

Needless to say I am still clueless as to the pipe business, and the fact that my dad does not really explain anything to me makes it even all the more frustrating. Hmmm... Maybe that's why I end up "teaching" the Year 4s / 6s the same way as well. Just do and hope they pick up the necessary knowledge and/or skills by watching, not realizing that they most probably are just as uninterested and/or clueless.

Well with Honours coming up I won't be having to deal with them for long. I guess they'll probably be better off with someone better able to communicate with them.

God and God Alone

Another incredible song by Steve Green.



God and God alone
Created all these things we call our own
From the mighty to the small
The glory in them all
Is God's and God's alone

God and God alone
Reveals the truth of all we call unknown
All the best and worst of man
Can't change the master plan
It's God's and God's alone

God and God alone
Is fit to take the universe's throne
Let everything that lives
Reserve its truest praise
For God and God alone

God and God alone
Will be the joy of our eternal home
He will be our one desire
Our hearts will never tire
Of God and God alone

Quote of the Day

"If I had my way, I would declare a moratorium1 on public preaching of “the plan of salvation” in America for one to two years. Then I would call on everyone who has use of the airways and the pulpits to preach the holiness of God, the righteousness of God and the law of God, until sinners would cry out, “What must we do to be saved?” Then I would take them off in a corner and whisper the gospel to them. Such drastic action is needed because we have gospel-hardened a generation of sinners by telling them how to be saved before they have any understanding why they need to be saved."

- Paris Reidhead

Taken from this blog

1 a suspension of activity: e.g. a moratorium on the testing of nuclear weapons.

Here's a link to a post about leading a Gospel-Driven Life. Please read and pass it along.

Christians! This is Our God

From heaven you came, helpless babe,
Entered our world, your glory veiled;
Not to be served but to serve,
And give Your life That we might live.

This is our God, the servant king,
He calls us now to follow Him, to bring our lives
As a daily offering of worship to the Servant King.

There in the garden of tears,
My heavy load He chose to bear;
His heart with sorrow was torn,
'Yet not My will But Yours,' He said.

Come see His hands And His feet,
The scars that speak of sacrifice;
Hands that flung stars Into space
To cruel nails Surrendered.

So let us learn How to serve,
And in our lives Enthrone Him;
Each other's needs to prefer,
For it is Christ We're serving.

A Time For Everything

" To everything there is a season,

A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace."

- Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

A time to move on, and a time to fade away.

I so often look back to the past and wonder what could have been. So many regrets and dreams. So much joy and despair. So much that could, or rather, should have been done.

As the days and years go by, one sees Life move on and one soon has to follow suit. As the curtain of a chapter of life gone by falls, one awaits with trepidation for the curtain to rise on another chapter.

Well, my days of active service in ACS(I) are coming to an end and one cannot help but look back and wonder what could have been.
What if someone had just been mature enough to step in and stop all the nonsense going on during those dark years of the 12th.
What if there had just been someone who had sat me down to explain to me what ministry and serving in BB was all about.
What if I had not wandered so far from God during the times when I was with the Year 6s.
What if I had just trained the Year 4s properly, to teach them to love and seek God above all else.

I did a lot of stupid things during those early years. And if not for the Grace of God, I would have probably done even more stupid things then. But the time has come to move on and let others take the helm. I just pray that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated among these incoming batch of young officers.

About a Preacher's Invitation

Quote of the Day

"How could we have such a low view of the gospel of Jesus Christ that we have to manipulate men psychologically to get them to come down and pray a prayer? . . . How many times have I heard evangelists say, “It’ll only take five minutes.“? No my dear friend, it will take your life–all of it! “We’re just trying to attract people and then we’ll gradually bring them in further and further.” That is what the cults do, that’s not what Jesus did. Notice that in the gospels every time a great crowd is following Jesus, he turns around and says something so radical to them that most of them walk away. Of course Jesus probably would not get invited to teach evangelism [in most churches today]."

- Paul Washer

From this blog

Video of "Manipulation of the Invitation"

He Holds The Keys

Death rides blackened clouds across the sky
The Son of man lays down to die
With every pounding blow upon the nail
Thunder rumbles all through hell
And from death's barren womb the captives cry
Who is there to free us should He die

His grave becomes a door, He enters in
To face the author of all sin
Defying death and the grave He takes their keys
And with them every captive frees
And from death's barren womb the captives cry
Arise for our redemption draweth nigh

Chorus:
For He holds the keys
He holds the keys
And though we've been held captive
At long last we are free
For He holds the keys

Against the gates of hell I now resist
For the shackles that had torn my wrists
Lay before me now upon the ground
To sin I am no longer bound
For from death's barren womb
He heard my cry
And loosed the chains that bound me to a lie

Chorus

And to all the things that have kept you away
That keep you defeated day after day after day
The heartache that nobody sees
That eats at your soul like a cruel disease
He who set the captives free
It is He, it is He who holds your keys