It's been a long time....

But I just had to write this down.

[begin rant] When I hear people complaining about how restrictive being a Christian is, I have to resist the temptation to tell them, "if you wanna sin, then go out there and sin with all your might and stop playing church."

[end rant]

Something Must Be Wrong

When you hear and see people having much more passionate discussions and conversations on football and fashion instead of on Christ and His Kingdom....

Form Without Power

"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

- 2 Timothy 3: 1-5

Who can deny the inspiration of the Apostle Paul as he wrote these words as he was moved by the Holy Spirit so many years ago. Paul's words above are an ever increasing indictment against much of what passes for religion today. In order to assuage his conscience, Man is willing to take up all the trappings of religion especially in its display. Pageantry and aesthetics appeal to his senses and gives him much supposed assurance of his spiritual state. Oh but how much he despises the secret and hard things of Christianity.

I have seen a much greater emphasis on prayer, bible reading and daily communion with God in recent months and while it is good, I fear lest we fall into formalism and doing things "just because we have to". Every man born again of the Holy Spirit is a new creature, with a new heart of flesh that is sensitive and desirous of the things of God. One does not need to force a sheep to act like a sheep because it does so naturally. But the carnal and unsaved man does not truly desire the things from above. He may agree begrudgingly to do them, and indeed persist for a time, but he will soon find no appetite for them. For it is not in his nature to desire these things.

Oh how we need all the more urgently today to ensure those around us, who profess faith in Christ, are well and truly born again. How much more do we need to examine our own hearts to see if we are merely dabbling in the formalities of religion without knowing any of its true power to save, especially in these times of increasing religious fervour. We can try to dress up a goat as a sheep with all the duties of a Christian, but at the Judgement Seat all appearances will be removed and how great will be the anguish and regret on that Day.

Oh Lord let it not be so with me.

The Casualness of Relationships

There is something that is increasingly disturbing to me even as I go through this current phase in life. You look at the culture of a place and sometimes you wonder, 'Can it be changed? Why do we put up with it in resignation and acceptance despite knowing that it is so deplorable and saddening? Have we been so influenced by the godless culture of this society that we simply lose the will to resist and accept it as an "unavoidable fact of life"?'

It was a most uncomfortable conversation in my spirit as we sat there talking. How can it be that such an important matter could be discussed so nonchalantly? Do we not consider it a serious thing? Should not our spirit recoil at the thought of it?

"They will have to go through it and experience it for themselves; you can't control a person's biology; They have the right to choose for themselves." Such are the commonest responses when one dares to broach the topic of Boy-Girl relationships (BGR) today, and more specifically, the educating, warning and restraining of such relationships among young people today."Live and learn" is the mantra for this issue of immense importance. But I remember Paul Washer roughly saying this once, "The Devil tells you to live and learn, the Bible tells you to learn and live." Is there not warrant and place for our young people to be warned and prepared for such an important issue?

It is really saddening to hear the number of "partners" people have gone through in their lives (and this even before the age of 30!). People hop from one partner to another with seemingly little regard for the damage it does to themselves and to others. Relationships exist for the "here-and-now" and little or no thought is given to oneself or the other's preparedness and maturity for such a relationship. Is it no wonder then that we see such BGRs breaking and forming at such an incredible rate? (And this even in church!)

Perhaps this is one of the reason that the Lord took me out for those ten to eleven years, lest in my weakness I should face such temptation and heart-break. Even today I can feel how prone I am in my flesh to fall into such temptations.

Some might say to me, "But you have never ever gotten into a BGR. You do not know what it is like and hence, are not qualified to talk and advise on such matters." That may be true, but I have never taken drugs before as well. Does that then disqualify me from warning people about it? (This is not to say that BGRs are in essence bad, but rather the casual approach to it.)

Have I been in such error? As I look back over this one year plus, I realize how often in my desperation and unbelief I myself have been committing the very same errors. How little thought have I given to God and His promptings. How little I have trusted in His faithfulness and providence (all the more unforgivable considering all the things He has brought me through in life). How seldom have I considered my own lack of maturity and preparedness to take up such a heavy responsibility. How rarely have I been found on my knees in prayer and supplication for a prudent wife, that the Lord alone provides? (cf. Prov 19:14)

Oh Learn and Live!

My son, if you receive my words
and treasure up my commandments with you,
making your ear attentive to wisdom
and inclining your heart to understanding;
yes, if you call out for insight
and raise your voice for understanding,
if you seek it like silver
and search for it as for hidden treasures,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom;
from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;
he stores up sound wisdom for the upright;
he is a shield to those who walk in integrity,
guarding the paths of justice
and watching over the way of his saints.

- Proverbs 2: 1-8

On Self-Esteem

Much has been made about inculcating a sense of self-esteem or self-confidence in modern society that it is no surprise that such thinking has infiltrated into much of the church today. " We mustn't hurt their self-esteem" and " We must help them gain confidence in themselves" are common refrains in many churches and one wonders how biblical that truly is.

I am increasingly convinced such thinking only serves to do incredible damage to the spiritual walks of many believers, for it is only the man who has lost all confidence in himself who is able to come humbly before the Throne of Mercy to beg for grace. It is only when a man can say with all conviction that "I know that in my flesh no good thing dwells" (cf. Rom. 7:18) is he then able to say "salvation belongs to the Lord" (Jonah 2:9).

Is it not little wonder then that "God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise [and] what is weak in the world to shame the strong" (1 Cor. 1:27) so that the one who boasts, boast[s] in the Lord." (1 Cor. 1:31 )He who has had all his self-confidence and esteem crushed is far more ably suited for use in the Lord's hands rather than the one who remains reliant on his own strength because he realizes all the more his utter weakness apart from God.

Oh let us not seek to raise the self-esteem and confidence of those under our charge, but rather to utterly obliterate it so that they may turn to Christ with all their hearts and cling desperately unto Him who is our Source and Life.

"For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh." (Philippians 3:3)

Quotes

It is now common practice in most evangelical churches to offer the people, especially the young people, a maximum of entertainment and a minimum of serious instruction. It is scarely possible in most places to get anyone to attend a meeting where the only attraction is God. One can only conclude that God’s professed children are bored with Him, for they must be wooed to meeting with a stick of striped candy in the form of religious movies, games and refreshments.

So we have the strange anomaly of orthodoxy in creed and heterodoxy in practice. The striped-candy technique has been so fully integrated into our present religious thinking that it is simply taken for granted. Its victims never dream that it is not a part of the teachings of Christ and His apostles.

Any objection to the carryings on of our present gold-calf Christianity is met with the triumphant reply, “But we are winning them!” And winning them to what? To true discipleship? To cross-carrying? To self-denial? To separation from the world? To crucifixion of the flesh? To holy living? To nobility of character? To a despising of the world’s treasures? To hard self-discipline? To love for God? To total committal to Christ? Of course the answer to all these questions is no. (Man: The Dwelling Place of God, p. 136)

- A. W. Tozer

HT: CAMPONTHIS

What is the mind set on

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

- Colossians 3:1-3

It has often been said to Christians not to be "too heavenly minded such that they are of no earthly good". But how true is that statement? Can a man who is truely heavenly minded ever be of no good in this world? Is this statement true of our own Lord and Saviour, the Perfect Man?

"Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again."

- John 12: 27-28

Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

- John 4:34

And this was the same heavenly minded Saviour who "[w]hen he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." (Matthew 9:36)

Too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good? Surely there was no man more heavenly minded than Christ and yet He brought the greatest earthly good to Man, peace with God. Looking around today, surely the converse is more true. Many are too earthly minded to be of any heavenly good.

It is extremely discouraging that many in churches today, and many of the leadership in such churches, should look upon heavenly-mindedness as a trait to be restrained rather than as an attribute that should be inculcated and grown in all her members to the largest possible degree. To have high and beautiful thoughts of the God who ransomed them and who demands/deserves the highest praises of His Creation.

Now of course there is a need to communicate truth in a way that is understandable to each and every generation, but the mind is always "set on things above and not on things below." For what else could satisfy, motivate and sustain a man for the calling he has received?

Something I would Like to Know

Is who is the one who keeps writing these articles.

By implication of the examples he cited to buttress his argument, it is obvious that Paul did not understand God’s election as an arbitrary selection. After all, Isaac was chosen over Ishmael because he was justified by faith; and Jacob was chosen over Esau, again, because he pursued holiness even at material cost.

God’s election is better conceived as a response to the faith and the obedience that comes from it of human beings, than as a unilateral, enabling action on God’s part.

Thus it was not that Isaac had faith and Ishmael did not because God elected the former and not the latter; it was rather because Isaac had faith and Ishmael did not that God elected the former and not the latter. It is the same with Esau and Jacob.

And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad—in order that God’s purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls— she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated."

- Romans 9:10-13

Emphasis mine.

Why, then, do verses 11 through 13 speak of God’s election as being from eternity? This is because while God does not dictate human actions, in His divine foreknowledge He knows what every single human being will do. Knowing everything that people will do, He has elected those who will have faith and the obedience of faith and He has not elected or rejected those who will not. Thus God elected Jacob and rejected Esau even before they were born.

Middle Knowledge anyone? Is God limited by His creatures? How is it that Man has to be absolutely free, but the same cannot be said of his Creator?

Can the Ethiopian change his skin
or the leopard his spots?
Then also you can do good
who are accustomed to do evil.

- Jeremiah 13:23

This is a hard truth to accept, that in my natural state I will not and a cannot do good. Such is the evil in men's hearts that Paul himself, quoting from the Old Testament, could declare "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." (Rom 3:10-12)

The proud man cannot accept this. He constantly reasons that he is not as bad as others. While he may speak of grace and faith, he holds that such faith originates from himself, from his own power. Why all this clamoring over the "free will" of Man? Does it solve anything? Does it bring greater glory to God? Far from it! While supposedly absolving God from calamities and "evil", unless you subscribe to an Open Theistic view, you still cannot run away from the problem it purports to solve. If anything, it simply gives Man an additional, though subtle, avenue for boasting. I chose Christ! I chose to respond! I made the decision to accept Him. It was MY decision that made the difference.

Is there a response of the will in salvation? Most definitely. This is not a denial of the will, but a recognition that apart from a gracious work of God in a sinner (cf. Ezekiel 36), that sinner will willfully remain lost in his sin and love it.

One Gets Very Upset

When one reads things like this that people write.

God was never a bigot

Consider the claim that the crucifixion of Jesus Christ is a righteous yet merciful God’s solution to His wrath against mankind for their sins.

Proponents of this view say that God being perfectly righteous and holy cannot leave sin unpunished; He has to punish mankind with eternal separation from His presence and damnation in order to be consistent with His own code of righteousness.

They propose that God was somehow at pains to carry out His righteous decrees because He did not want to condemn mankind to the fate of eternal destruction.

But He could not simply leave them unpunished; let them get away ‘scot-free’ as it were. If He did that, it would be unrighteous of Him, so they say.

And so He thought up of the perfect solution that would both satisfy His righteousness and enable Him to bestow on mankind His richest mercies.

In the midst of all this, a very questionable, basic assumption has been made: namely, that the fact that God is righteous means that He has to punish every sin. It is not only His right; it is a demand that even God cannot ignore and has to ‘work around’.

This is not an issue about criminal justice, where every criminal case should be dealt with an adequate measure of justice; God’s righteousness is closer to morality, for lack of a better word. It has to do not simply with outward physical actions of murder, adultery and stealing; it has to do even with the innermost feelings, thoughts and plans of the mind.

Since that is the case, and keeping in mind that morality cannot be legislated as criminal action can, to assume that God has to punish every wrongdoing as a court punishes a criminal is no less than to assume that He is a divine bigot, which assumption is extremely suspect.

God did not plan the cross to save mankind and borrow the hands of sinful people to achieve His greater purposes; to do His ‘dirty’ work as it were.

If that were so, God could be rightly charged with ‘divine child abuse’ as a leading in the emerging church movement called it, or at least schizophrenia.

Yet while God did not plan the crucifixion of His Son, He certainly knew what would happen if He sent Jesus into the world; He could foresee the cross. And foreseeing that tragic event in eternity, God did not hold back from sending His Son, for all the people who would accept Him, even if it meant that those who rejected Him would kill Him.

God’s is the love that is willing to suffer any loss for the sake of those who love Him and even those who do not, in the sense that His revelation is given to one and all. And so God did not foreordain the cross, but He foresaw it, and He foreordained His salvation through the cross. It's the same with every incident of human suffering; while God did not foreordain that suffering, He through His foreknowledge foreordained His salvation through that suffering.

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

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,
25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

"'Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed'—
27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

- Acts 4:23-31

All emphasis mine.

Something I've Been Thinking About

Legalism and the Christian School Movement (from SharperIron)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

=================================
Scenario 1

You are just about to start your bible study lesson for a care group consisting of much younger believers than you. As the rest mill about waiting for things to get started, you notice one of the girls who had just come in wearing an outrageously low-cut top, which barely covers her cleavage. How would you deal with her?

A. Tell her expressly that she should never wear anything less than a dress that covers her completely from head to toe.
B. Tell her that such immodest clothes are unbecoming and that in future she should dress up.
C. During your bible study preach about lust, modest dressing and causing others to stumble.
D. Ignore it.

Scenario 2

You are a preacher in a local church and recently there has been shown on TV a wildly popular series that depicts loose sex, rebellion against authority, blasphemy, violence, etc..... Do you,

A. Rail against it and forbid all your members from watching TV ever.
B. Speak out against it and inform your members that they should not be watching said series.
C. Speak out against the acts themselves without mentioning the series.
D. Ignore it.

Now in considering both scenarios (and admittedly they could be refined further in so many ways), one could easily dismiss option A as over-reacting (though there are those who do choose that option). Choosing option D would probably constitute a dereliction of duty for any man called to shepherd God's flock. And so we're left with either option B or C.

The issue at hand is this. To what extent does God's Word govern our lives with regards to rules and regulations? To some, any mention of the words "Don't do ____" immediately results in cries of legalism. Granted, the dangers of falling into a legalistic spiral are all too real when one employs such language.

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" ( referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

- Colossians 2: 20-23

And no doubt that there are some "rules" which the Apostle himself does not consider of much importance.

One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

- Romans 14: 5-6

But what then should we make of "biblical" rules? No doubt the Bible itself does contain "rules" and "regulations" imposed upon men. One thinks of the ten commandments and it's prohibitions. One thinks of the many exhortations and instructions left by Paul in his epistles.

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

- Ephesians 5: 3-4

Now some will say, "Oh these are but biblical guidelines. After all the Bible doesn't talk about drugs or smoking or internet pornography or racy TV programmes per se does it? We can't regulate these since there is no direct biblical basis against these." But surely there is enough biblical warrant to say that, while not dealing explicitly with such issues (especially since most weren't really invented till centuries later), such things are, in essence, evil or sins in the eyes of God.

I guess my current train of thought is this. How do we apply the biblical "guidelines" in our day and age? Are these applications then binding for all future ages? What then of past applications of these "guidelines"? When we decry the sex and violence in a certain TV show, and implore/persuade/tell others not to watch it, are we being legalistic? When we draw up a "list" of things which are not becoming/helpful/edifying for a believer (though what would be on that list would be highly contentious), are we then guilty of producing an "extra-biblical" set of rules? Or is it merely a personal list, dependent solely upon the whims and fancies of the individual (Watching this show is ok cause I can filter out mentally all the sexy bits). Should a pastor warn his flock of certain things or activities which would be harmful to them, or would that place a legalistic burden upon them?

Musing (III)

On Humility and Hypocrisy

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy,
2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
3 Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross

- Phil. 2: 1-8

Pride is such a subtle thing. It slithers around in the shadows of our lives, waiting for any opportunity to rear its ugly head. In one's walk with God, the ever-present temptation is for one to exalt one's own learning or experience over those whom we perceive as weaker in the Faith.

1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up.
2 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.
3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

- 1 Cor. 8: 1-3

So dangerous is such spiritual pride that the Apostle Paul himself, having received great and wondrous revelations from God, was given a thorn in the flesh lest he grow conceited.

6 Though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me.
7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.

- 2 Cor. 12: 6-7

Have we not all grown conceited in one way or another? One boasts in his bible knowledge, another boasts in his many visions from God. One revels in his many good deeds, while another takes great pride in his many fasts, prayers and acts of piety. Hear then the words of our Lord.

1 "Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 "Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
5 "And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

- Matt. 6: 1-6

"What's the point of being humble if no one knows about it." Fascinating quote is it not? Do we at times actively seek to hide our good deeds or do we take every opportunity to let people know how "pious" and "humble" we are? God knows how many times I have struggled in this, when I have given and thought in my heart, 'now that's quite a large sum. Man do I feel good about myself.' Or when after attending a prayer meeting or bible study, one thinks to himself 'look, what a good Christian I am that I attend such meetings, so unlike those other carnal christians.' Oh brothers that should not be! Rather, we should ever be so desirous that those weaker amongst us should be built up in the Faith and that their hearts may be stirred into serving the Lord more and more with what they have, not out of a sense of any innate superiority, but with a certain lowliness and gratefulness for God's Grace in our lives.

(Now I know that the nature of my posts here may seem contradictory to what I am saying here, and I do not doubt that fact that often in writing have I fallen into the temptation of desiring others to know of my piety.)

Let us be exceedingly wary and watchful of the deceitfulness of our own hearts, for so often are we soon exposed for our hypocrisy.

21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal?
22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.
24 For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

- Roms. 2: 21-24

Here then is the tragic end of all our hypocrisy, that God's Name is itself scorned and ridiculed by the World. How can we endure such an affront to our Master's Name? Surely He has every right to deal with us harshly and justly. Let us seek to live our lives in such a way so as to not bring such shame to our Lord.

Lord be merciful to us.

The "Good News" Which Isn't

Read it and weep.

“God knows where the money is, and he knows how to get the money to you,” preached Mrs. Copeland, dressed in a crisp pants ensemble like those worn by C.E.O.’s.

The preachers barely acknowledged the recession, though they did say it was no excuse to curtail giving. “Fear will make you stingy,” Mr. Copeland said.

But mostly the preachers were working mightily to remind the crowd that they are God’s elect. “While everybody else is having a famine,” said Mr. Savelle, a Texas televangelist, “his covenant people will be having the best of times.”

“Any time a worried thought about money pops up in your mind,” Mr. Savelle continued, “the next thing you do is sow”: drop money, like seeds, in “good ground” like the preachers’ ministries. “Stop worrying, start sowing,” he added, his voice rising. “That’s God’s stimulus package for you.”

At that, hundreds streamed down the aisles to the stage, laying envelopes, cash and coins on the carpeted steps.

(Taken from The New York Times)

====================
Utterly disgusting, that's the only way I can describe it. And to think that such crap is being taught in Singapore as well. Think of all those churches, with their large membership rolls and fancy "worship" setups, being built upon the greed of men and the bones of unconverted church members. What a blasphemy, what an outrage! To so demean the infinitely valuable work of Christ in reconciling a Sinful Man to a Holy and Just God. To cast aside the infinite glories to come for trinkets, things made of gold and steel that will rust and be destroyed.

In the end, the biggest problem with prosperity theology is not that it promises too much, but that it promises far too little. The Gospel of Jesus Christ offers salvation from sin, not a platform for earthly prosperity. While we should seek to understand what drives so many into this movement, we must never for a moment fail to see its message for what it is -- a false and failed gospel.

- Al Mohler

Is it not true, that Christianity in Singapore today is derided and scorned for such foolish doctrine. Read the internet forums and the newsprints. Christianity is being made to look like a circus, with all its health, wealth, prosperity and feel good messages.

For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

- Romans 2:24

How long more will the Lord withhold His Wrath from us. Calling it a "gospel" is a terrible misnomer, for make no mistake, such a "gospel" does not save but rather damns a soul. How long will your church remain silent oh Lord. How long will we remain blinded to the dangers of such abominable teaching. Lord grant us eye salve that we might see our foolishness and repent.

Be Merciful to us.

Say What?

Read this post in the Christian Post

How does the Lord judge evildoers? He does not do it like an earthly judge, who passes the verdict without mercy against criminals. He judges like the father in the story of the prodigal son. He loves His children and tells them what is needed for them to prosper in life. At the same time, He does not force them to do His will, even though it is perfect. He gives them the dignity of personhood to choose what they will.

He does not punish them in the way that earthly judges do just so that they will fear His law. He exhorts them with tears but leaves the final decision to them. If they are bent on leaving, He lets them leave. And they are finally judged by their own actions. They suffer the consequences of their own wrongdoing. It is not God that judges them; it is finally that they become their own judges. Such is the way of the Lord. And such are the ways of His children, who refrain from being judges of one another. (emphasis added)

The best way to refute this kind of nonsense is to let Scripture do so.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
- Romans 2:15-16

But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) By no means! For then how could God judge the world?
- Romans 3:5-6

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
- 2 Timothy 4:1

Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
- 2 Timothy 4:8

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
- Hebrews 13:4

Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door
- James 5:9

And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,
- 1 Peter 1:17

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
- Revelations 20: 11-15

Easy search on BibleGateway.com. Makes you wonder if any editor actually reads what gets posted on the website. Such is the danger in modern Christianity that attempts to bring God down to the level of a mere creature. Let God be true, and every man a liar.

Thoughts on Recent Events

No doubt many, if not all, would have heard or read of the issue of religion in this country that is being discussed at length in the mass media over the past week. Nothing surprising there since it is merely the re-ignition of debate of events that have occurred in the past 8 months and of which I have blogged about before.

My concern remains in the implication for the church and for many Christian organizations in schools and in society. Such pressures to conform, to cover up the cross and remain silent are nothing new. For a long time now, mission schools and organizations like the BB have been continually under fire for proselytizing and have often compromised under such pressure.

By His Grace, a small flame continues to burn and His Work is still continually being accomplished in such places.

However, the question has to be asked of us. When then do we make a stand? How long will we continue bowing to the World's demands, whilst consoling ourselves by doing some small work on the side. I had served in an organization for six years and have seen how the Gospel and Christ are slowly shafted to one side. No longer was the Cross our controlling vision. No longer was the proclamation of the Gospel viewed as essential and inviolable. No, it became about training leaders and the teaching of "christian" values, morality without Christ. The Object became a mocking symbol of our impotence. The advancement of a kingdom without Christ, a personal fiefdom of those who saw the organization as a place to gain respect and power and personal influence. We deluded ourselves with little acts of piety in order to sooth our religious conscience, while we rushed to remove as many vestiges of Christ from our programmes. To my shame, I had bought into this "vision" for far too long.

We look at a world today that declares, "There is no Truth!". Yet there is One who says, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life." The world says, "There are many ways to god". Yet there is One who says, "No one can come to the Father except through Me." The world bleats with false humility, "Everyone is right!". Yet there is One who says "I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right." (Isa. 45:19b)

Has there always been persecution of the Church here? Yes. And of a kind much more subtle and oftentimes deadlier than physical violence. It is not the kind of persecution that burns down churches and sends Christians to prison camps, but it is of the kind that allures and pressurizes. A persecution that seeks to merely remove the small issue of the Cross, while still leaving you with all your programmes and comforts and all the trappings of a church but ultimately devoid of its power. While we weep and pray for those in India or China who have lost all that they have in this world for Christ's sake (as we rightly should), we fail to see the greater danger that looms over us. Like the proverbial frog in the cooking pot, we do not realize the danger that is creeping up on us until is it too late. A little compromise here, a little change there and soon we will realize we're left with nothing of biblical Christianity. We talk so much of wanting to be like the early Church, the Church of the Book of Acts. Are we willing to pay the cost?

"But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."
So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,
for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

- Acts 4: 17-20

When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.
And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them,
who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit,

"'Why did the Gentiles rage,
and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers were gathered together,
against the Lord and against his Anointed'—

for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel,
to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

- Acts 4: 23-31

And though I may be tempted to despair at the state we are today, there is One who has promised He will build His Church and all that He wills He accomplishes.

Soli Deo Gloria

Examining Thy Motives

I have just read a very convicting post/note on Facebook here and indeed it is a terrible struggle for me in so many ways.

Looking back from my time in ACS until this very hour, the allure of selfishness, self-centeredness and self-righteousness are ever present in my own heart. The desire to do something great, to be well-known, to be able to speak well so as to impress, to have all the answers, to be the "go-to" guy for all things big and small. Such is the depravity of a Man's heart, to even do and desire right and good things for wrong motives.

Why do I do what I do? A man confesses with his lips and honours Christ, but his heart is far from Him. Who can know the heart, for the heart is deceitfully wicked above all things. I fear who I am inside, the person that goes by many names, the Old Man, the Flesh, the Sinful Nature. Surely Man is the most vile and wretched of all creatures, his heart the stinking cesspool and source of his iniquity. Blinded by his own self-worth and progress, he does not even know himself.

Why the desire to preach or pray? Is it for His Name's sake or for something darker. With regards to relationships, is godliness and my pursuit of it simply a means of gain? To impress and seduce? TO make myself more desirable? Why even write this blog post? So as to tell and boast to others of my piety? God forbid it! Are my hands clean oh Lord, is my heart pure?

Who am I oh Lord. Who am I apart from You. Surely I deserve to be cast into the darkest pits of Hell for my crimes against You. Oh wretched man that I am. Who can rescue me from this body of death.

Only through Jesus. Only though Jesus. May He that was slain receive the reward of His suffering.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

- Psalm 139: 23-24

A Grouse

Something that I read on the Christian Post

"There is a tendency either to have God do so much that Man does nothing or to have Man do so much that God is unnecessary. The first is the error of antinomianism – the logical implication of the Reformed faith. The second is best exemplified by non-Christian Deism."

Typical misunderstanding of the Reformed position. Now blame me for being too dogmatic, but perhaps in order to be really fair the writer should have the added that the logical implication of the Arminian faith is Legalism and Open Theism, a less then omniscient and omnipotent god who can't really get anything done unless we help him out.

"There is order and method. Both must be observed, be it the precedence of Word before work or the total dependence on God in the former and the total independence of Man in the latter.

Those who pray as if everything depended on them will have no faith while those who work as if everything depended on God will have no results."

Maybe someone should direct the writer to read his bible more often and find verses such as these.

Unless the LORD builds the house,those who build it labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city,the watchman stays awake in vain.

- Psalm 127:1

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

- Ephesians 2:10

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

-Philippians 2:12-13

Removing of the Offence?

We have no need of being culturally sensitive as long as we're biblically accurate.

- Paul Washer on the Gospel

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God,just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

- 1 Corinthians 10:31-33

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

- 1 Corinthians 1:22-24

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.

- Romans 1:16

Reading a book on the rise of Western Christendom, it was said of some of the 8th century missionaries, that

"[He] made his entrance there with exceeding splendor, for barbarian nations need to see a little worldly pomp and show to attract them to make them draw nigh willingly to Christianity"

Now who says the Seeker-Sensitive Movement is a new thing, as the Wise man said, "Their is nothing new under the sun."(Eccl 1:9)

A couple of months ago I was "facilitating" my church cell group's discussion on Romans 2:1-16. As we went through verse by verse we came to verse 4 which said,

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

- Romans 2:4-5

I began talking about the dangers of presuming upon the Love of God especially prevalent in the visible church today, of how God's Love has been taken for granted to such an extent that it is used as an essentially blank cheque to live a life of almost total disobedience to God. I then mentioned about God's Mercy in providing each new day an opportunity of sinners to repent, but that we cannot presume upon this mercy and say "I will repent at such and such a later time" since we can have no guarantee we will see the sun the next morning nor can we predict the return of the Lord at any moment.

Everything was going relatively fine till someone piped up, "That's all well and good, but how do we tell or convince other people?" Needless to say that put a screeching halt to my train of thought. "Well plainly I suppose", I hurriedly replied. I soon discovered that wasn't quite an adequate enough answer. The discussions came quick and fast and the fundamental point to them which I failed to see for about ten minutes was this, how do you convince lost, carnal christians and unbelievers that this is true? There was no confusion or disagreement over the truth of this passage (at least I hope there wasn't), but the question of convincing others came up. I guess my confusion was that it never occurred to me about the "need" to repackage uncomfortable truths in God's Word in order to make it more "acceptable" to those "outside".

I had the strongest urge to say that I had little concern of making hard truths more palatable to sinful men since men are convinced (or rather convicted) not by human wisdom or clever arguments, but by the Holy Spirit and our role is to simply speak forth the Truth of God plainly from Scriptures. However, in my cowardice I dared not speak up for the Sufficiency and Power of God's Word. May the Lord forgive me of this great sin.

But is not the weakness in me so much prevalent in the church as well? In the quest to be well-liked, to be thought of as a nice guy, in the desire to be as unoffensive to as many people as possible, we remove the offense of Christ and His Cross and betray the one who shed His Blood for us. We do not trust in God's power to save His Elect, but we must use every conceivable marketing gimmick and emotional manipulation technique in order to coerce as many people as we can to make "decisions for Christ", and we pat ourselves on our backs for a job well-done when all we have done is to make two-fold sons of hell.

Is it little wonder then that so many church members live lives in exactly the same manner as their unsaved neighbours do? Is it little wonder then that so many youths in churches today are hardly interested in the things of God and that we have to pander to their carnal interests in order to keep them in church? For the Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb. 4:12), and it will wound the conscience and soul of one who is walking contrary to Him.

I write this post not to heap further condemnation those who hold to a man-centered Christianity (for they are condemned already (see John 3:18)), but rather as a confession of my being ashamed of Christ and failing to contend earnestly for the Faith once and for all delivered to the saints. May the Lord have mercy upon me and upon those who have traded God's Truths for man-pleasing doctrines.

For all you Obama Fans

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release June 1, 2009

LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
- - - - - - -
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.

Continue reading here

Danger: Read with (spiritual) Caution

An article in Newsweek that is close to making me puke.

Just one quote that I want to pick out from the morass and mess that is a poor excuse for an article.

More basic than theology, though, is human need. We want, as Abraham did, to grow old surrounded by friends and family and to be buried at last peacefully among them. We want, as Jesus taught, to love one another for our own good—and, not to be too grandiose about it, for the good of the world. We want our children to grow up in stable homes. What happens in the bedroom, really, has nothing to do with any of this. My friend the priest James Martin says his favorite Scripture relating to the question of homosexuality is Psalm 139, a song that praises the beauty and imperfection in all of us and that glorifies God's knowledge of our most secret selves: "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." And then he adds that in his heart he believes that if Jesus were alive today, he would reach out especially to the gays and lesbians among us, for "Jesus does not want people to be lonely and sad." Let the priest's prayer be our own.

What the?!?! Where the heck did these people get such conclusions? As I posted before, the whole problem can be seen in the very first line of the quote. I assume what they mean by more basic really means more important. The whole obsession with self and what self wants. Someone should go back and read Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Issac in obedience to God's command.

*Edit* Isaiah at Word and Verse pointed me to an article rebutting the one in Newsweek. A must-read to get that disgusting taste out of your mouth.

*Edit No. 2* Second rebuttal posted here.

Is this just the beginning?

Church attacked in Michigan.

Link Here

On Sunday morning, amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our President-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful church goers.

They did it with banners, chants, blasphemy, by storming the pulpit, by vandalizing the church facility, by potentially defiling the building with lewd, public, sex acts and by intentionally forcing physical confrontations with worshipers.