Hymn: B'rilah Hormat Pada Hu (Glory to God in the Highest) by Fanny J. Crosby
Hymn: Bukan Aku (Not I, But Christ) by Whiddington, music by Sankey, cannot find the Sankey version score online.
Hymn: Bila Kau Pernah Cinta Yesus, by Stephen Tong
Sermon in Indonesian:
Sabar = 忍 knife upon the heart, cannot move it or the heart is hurt.
v.4 first love, relates to Matthew 22:36-37 Love the Lord your God with all...The is the only place in the Bible that mentioned "First Love". Relates to first love in Marriage. Love to kiss in the beginning, etc.
Tong wrote the hymn at 21, Bila Kau Pernah Cinta Yesus, based on this verse.
Hymn: Hidup Bagi Yesus (Living For Jesus)
Chinese sermon:
This the only example in the world where Christ had His apostle write letters to the Church.
Notes: v.1 walking...it means that this light can be removed from the church (v.5)
@45min: Christ's ascension painting mentioned where Christ looked upon His people with a merciful countenance, rather than looking up to heaven as He ascend. (I wonder whose painting that is)
@53min, In ancient Greece/Rome, people talked about virtue, politics, the great events of the cosmos, unlike today when people only know too talk about stock market and currency. School of Tyrannus mentioned.
@1:01:00 When John wrote to Ephesus (Revelations) it should be about 30+ years after Paul was martyred.
@1:19:00 Tong mentioned that after next week's service, they'll watch a 50s movie related to martyrdom. Sounds like Quo Vadis (1951) to me. It's about Nero burning the city and blaming it on Christians. He said that though copyrighted, the movie's 70+ years, so should be fine...LOL, I think that's why they would have to try to not make it too public, only physical attendees will watch this.
Tong once again rebuked American politics where Trump was outvoted for lots of heinous crimes against God. Biden's cancel culture - cancel all cultures.
Psychology Today in 1975 a biologist raised 2 chimps with care. One day he tried to seduce the chimp naked. He's shocked when the chimp doesn't react to him, amazing him, he wondered why? Because animals like dogs and pigs would be willing to have sex with humans.
@1:31:00 When Tong was sad of the rigged American presidential election, he was comforted by God in the form of a reminder that he once prayed for God to give persecution to America, to wake and cleanse the church in America. This reminds me when I kept saying the reason I would choose the middle East for mission because America is even harder to do missionary work.
@1:41:00 First love: Does being learned, growing knowledge equal to greater love for God? No. In fact, it is more likely to be the opposite, because the first love, though no experience, was purest, was truest. Never taken for granted. Example, one of a couples Tong knew in Malang: first love, he doesn't allow his wife to eat food fallen on the floor; but 5 years later, doesn't care any more.
Tong mentioned his hymn: 若你曾爱过耶稣你主。。。
Why wrote that hymn? Because the youth fellowship of Semarang stopped gathering for services after their pastor (Wu Nai Gong) returned to Hong Kong after 20+ years. Tong was still in seminary training, and was sent there to as resident minister (in training). In about 20 days, Tong looked up one by one youth, touching the incumbent pastor, followed Tong to visit the youths. Thus, Tong wrote 5 lines, the most famous one is this song.
若你曾愛過耶穌你主，
為何不於今更愛他？
雖你曾一度遠他離他，
主愛卻不改變;
救主柔聲召人歸家，
其中也有你名字，
若你曾愛過耶穌你主，
為何不於今更愛他？