My Journal

The suppression and substitution methods in today's psychology, especially Christian psychology in helping people with phobias, obsessions and other emotional and disciplinary problems, may seen to be the most successful methods on the surface.

Nevertheless, this hinders the potential of a person. And the best defense of these impatient cowards would be: Do you have a better idea?

I wonder what Uzzah would say should he be let alive after he helped stabilize the Ark: Do you have a better idea?

Pointing this out, not of Uzzah's mouth, but of the Word of God, the Ark is stabilized nontheless. So I would also say:

Suppression and substitution methods only create a hypocrite, but it is God's will that the world is better this way. And I am given the chance to investigate further as to how God would bestow His mercy and blessings upon the poor victims of these psychos.

I've been aiming for Tiberius Silver Denarius and the Widow's Mite on Ebay lately.

The number of bids makes me wonder who and why are they bidding. Are most of them Christians? Coin collectors? Relics admirer like that of the Eastern Orthodox, even Catholics? Or simply for use in Sunday School?

These questions aside, It is good to note that the average going rate for Caesar's penny is from $100 to $200, while the Widow's mite goes from $6 to $40 depending on quality.

I would say Caesar's pennies are more well preserved than the widow's mites making it more sought after. It can even go up to $700 a piece, a price I wonder if anyone would take.

Not being a millionaire, I would rather wait. Patience is a virtue here. Pictures will do them justice for me for now.

Tiberius' Penny (Luke 20:22, etc.)

Widow's Mite (Mark 12:42, etc.) The widow gave two of these

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.