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

Quote of the Day

"Both in India and in my travels around Western countries, I constantly uncovered a preoccupation with so-called “ministry” activities operated by Christian workers, financed by church monies, but with little else to distinguish them as Christian. . . . Social concern is a natural fruit of the Gospel. But to put it first is to put the cart before the horse; and from experience, we have seen it fail in India for more than 200 years. Yet while I realized the intrinsic nature of the Gospel involved [in] caring for the poor, I knew the priority was giving them the Gospel. Meeting their needs was a means to share the love of Christ so they would be saved for eternity."

- K.P. Yohannan

Taken from this blog

GDoP & PPP

Went for Global Day of Prayer today and guess what, the place wasn't full. Maybe not even 3/4 full in fact. Amazing to think that for Festival of Praise the place would be full 1/2 an hour before the event started and hordes of people would be stuck outside for want of a seat. But then again, maybe that sums up Singaporean Christianity. People would rather go for an exciting (entertaining) music extravaganza showcasing the latest in Christian Rock (if there is such a thing) rather than go to any event with the word "prayer" in it. We want to be entertained and God is there for our entertainment. We're contented to keep God as a little cherry on top of our mountain of material goods and accomplishments, and woe betide if He should think of becoming anything else.

Which is why I think the last speaker really made a lot of sense when he reminded us that all of our achievements and progress comes from God and are for His Glory and Blessing. As a country awash with affluence (especially amongst the Christian community)how much more should we take care not to forget the Giver. Though I must confess that after about 1 1/2 hours my mind did begin to wander and fatigue began to set in. Oh that God may have mercy on me.

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Potluck at Zhiguang's place went relatively smoothly though firstly, I should have prepared what I wanted to say earlier and secondly, it was a bit disappointing to see the turnout, not least that there was quite a decent amount of food left uneaten.

The number of Year 6's signing up was well..... underwhelming to put it mildly. Maybe one can be understanding since they have quite a bit of studying to do in view of their exams and the programme presented to them was quite demanding (to them). Maybe we're "selling" officership so desperately that people think of us like insurance salesmen who should be avoided and ignored. Maybe six years in BB is too much and one wants to throw off the shackles of regulations and rules and finally be free to do what one pleases.

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I do not know why, but I have a very bad feeling about the next few days. Like a slow onset of depression (which everyone seems to be suffering from recently).