My Journal

Just came across Family Radio's Open Forum, a station program I once admired in Malaysia with a short wave radio. Until later on (When I was in America, I think) that I learned that Harrold Camping loved to predict the end times as well as telling people to not attend church because the church age is over.

As far as the church age is concerned, I believe Mr. Camping's conclusion is due to over generalization of corrupted pastors.

I supposed, what's left with the Family Radio in terms of quality, is its music, good traditional music unless I missed something in it, and of course, scriptural reading.

I need to spend more time in studying our good hymns.

Last night, my landlord called to increase my rent from $370 to $410, after I bargained down from $420.

From some point, it is not unreasonable, since he has to pay maintenance fee of $540+ every month and not having to stay here.

On the other hand, I have no need of the extra spaces, rather wasteful, since we can't rent to anyone anyway. Not to mention the air conditioner I don't use.

Then again, one doesn't just find a $400 rent in New York City, not even Queens.

So, it is tolerable, for now.

As promised, I attended the fellowship for the month of November. Last night was the last.

What's funny is the pastor had intended me to lead the fellowship alternately, but the fellowship leader had somehow prevented that from happening. Perhaps the pastor should have communicated better with the fellowship leader.

Instead of me as planned, Alex was the one who led last night's fellowship. In terms of teaching, my choice too as I had always told even the pastor that instead of me, those who had actually gone through serious seminary studies should be the ones to lead or none at all. The less teachers the better. All leaders of fellowship studies are playing the role of teaching in one way or another. Too bad this church can't really produce preachers and pastors. However, for the sake of proper doctrinal teachings, whatever it takes.

Only one thing that kept troubling me during that time. When Alex quoted Martin Luther's "Sin Boldly". Thanks to WIKI, I have this quote:

If you are a preacher of mercy, do not preach an imaginary but the true
mercy. If the mercy is true, you must therefore bear the true, not an
imaginary sin. God does not save those who are only imaginary sinners. Be
a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust
in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over
sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here,
for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says
Peter (2. Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new
earth where justice will reign.

Letter 99, Paragraph 13. Erika Bullmann Flores, Tr. from: Dr. Martin Luther's Saemmtliche Schriften Dr. Johann Georg Walch Ed. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, N.D.), Vol. 15, cols. 2585-2590

I was quite sure Dr. Tong did not quite agree with that Lutheran statement either. Remembering taking one of his course where he compared that to Watchman Nee's even worse solecism.

Instead of finding it perplexing, I'd rather call it a solecism.

A couple of days ago, I visited an old friend in West Chester Pennsylvania.

A worthy trip. Megabus is still the best way to go. Generous seating spaces, smooth ride.

Things have surely changed for Vincent and PC. I had lived with them for about 1 year prior to my move to New York. It was the most economic living for me, $120+/month, sharing a "room" with Vincent-in the kitchen. Ah, the good old days.

Arriving Philadelphia, I took a walk around my old apartment on Powelton Ave.

I brought Maggi & Cintan Mee for Vincent. Apparently, Flushing is the only place we know for getting authentic Malaysian grocery items. Thanks to Megabus and even Boltz, I may even be able to bring more than just Mee. Marmite, Asam Laksa, Kaya, ENO, REBINA, etc.

With two kids, things sure have changed. Nonetheless, the atmosphere of familiarity is still thick. Even after almost 10 years of virtually no contact.

Seeing his cute little daugther did remind me of my baby (more than 10 years ago) cousin. Listening to his struggle as a father and husband tempted me for wanting my own daugther or son.

I admire the morale I still see in them - It appears to be some rare Malaysian virtue I don't often see, no, not even while I was in Malaysia. A strong "FOR Fellow Malaysians" attitude, which one doesn't often find in other cultures.

They had steamboat party the next day, but I had planned to leave on the day I arrived. Trying to make my trip simple, not to mention the Saturday evening Fellowship I had promised my pastor that I would attend (The whole month is up, my job is done, though, somehow I never got the chance to lead as the pastor had intended).

In matters of the Gospel, I can only pray for them now. Vincent is Catholic. For a short second, I had this horrible idea that I would rather Vincent stayed Catholic, lest they be affected by the populous pentacostal or evangelical movements. God forgive me.

We've seen how many sins have infiltrated Christian moral from Europe to America. And they have gotten the more confused. In defense of faith, some have raised swords while others put on a mask. They are unable to follow Christ, who neither raised sword nor wore mask.

In the past, the Christians knew the importance of educating the young in schools in the fear of God, the proper teaching of Christ, the proper attitude in academy, which take great sacrifices, hardship. Because God has given this advantage as a gift in His mercy. Soon, the pagans will join in, and the test will reveal, so that those who were entrusted with the advantage will either complain in hidden embarrassment or triumph in their diligence.

Here I stand alone in my surrounding. Let every man take heed how he builds there upon. (1 Corinthians 3:10)

When one is so abundantly blessed with the mystery of the Kingdom of God that one begins to justify one's own slack by commanding others to do the labors (either physical or mental) and calling it one's accomplishment in the Lord, or, as many today would sugar coat it as if in humility for not mentioning one's identity, calling it the good labor of all which oneself included.

It seems good to me to focus on the STEMI seminary in Indonesia, should I enroll in a theological seminary.

Not that the others in the West such as the Westminster Theological Seminary are any lesser than Dr. Stephen Tong's. But if I have the choice of observing and learning in an institution not just academically, but foundationally, historically and administratively, I would say, leave the other prestigious schools as my encyclopedia of everything else academic. Just as I would treat a monastery as a place for mere study and meditation instead of as my livelihood.

I cannot say the other institutes are any lesser quality or I may be disappointed when attending the STEMI seminary in Indonesia. However, should all these institutes be equal from many aspects, then certainly a wise use of financing my study is brought to my attention.

Despite support from others in the West, the means of paying for one's own growth in the knowledge of Christ is nonetheless an important discipline. How can I treat any discipline of studies so irresponsibly?

In terms of borrowing, then the restriction is a debt time and financial gratitude. Of which I think unnecessary in my pursuit of truth.

In terms of unofficial audit (for I thank God's grace here for the internet and the abundant conveniences in obtaining resources), then the restriction is a less intimate fellowship with other elects and slower study.

Of the latter, I can easily obtain a list of syllabus used in any good theological institutes, I'm sure. Since I'm not rich, I believe its restriction can be ignored, for the time being, not to mention the possibility to virtually overcome it to some extend in my ordinary life style.

The necessity of Seminary institution is therefore, I believe, limited to one's seriousness in studying God's word. But it cannot be a means to gain recognition or to obtain a gift (in terms of borrowing money). It is like the disciples of Christ, they laid down everything else but the works necessary to be His followers. So should one works himself to be qualified to enroll. And should financial aspect and others the like of such prevent one from enrolling without compromising important principles, God will provide another way, provided it is not an excuse to avoid enrolling.