It is amazing how many view God's punishment as tribulations, sorrows and trials. As if because God is love only from Jesus' time onwards, and there is no more punishment.
Calendar
Categories
Recent Comments
Meta
CCGC Retreat 2008
I have just gotten back from CCGC retreat. I supposed having only around 20 people has sure brought a more relieved condition for everyone, so that we are not bothered by too much vain things or programs.
At camp Warwick, the mountain view was refreshing. In a way, it is my vacation. Rev. Serena's flight was canceled so she couldn't come. As a result, Rev. David Chi was the only pastor there, who was our guest speaker for the retreat. He is director of CCCOWEUSA.
On issue of gay marriages, he told me of the effort of his association's commitment in California to encourage pastors to speak up against such thing and they help encourage and prepare paper works on helping people to vote against it, when I asked him about their responses to such issues. It reminded me of some less drastic measures we can take when we've marched into so many different idealistic disagreements. However, since the devil never rest in his works, if we take any of our works any less seriously, there will be a price to pay.
As far as leadership goes. I believe this small group of fellowship is about the right size. As always, I am against Uzzah or anti-Gideon style leadership, which is encouraging people to serve regardless of qualification, just as long as there is extra labors is considered blessing. I sometimes fear for John's frequent anticipation of people to act simply out of guts.
On the other hand, by doing so, John had certainly given the opportunity for those better than him in certain areas to demonstrate their potential. I hope that John will keep growing, pursuing to better himself, lest some supposedly good things go out of control.
Last but not least, CCGC's only most important role, I believe, is to have a clearer vision, and preach the Gospel.
Posted in General
Leave a comment
Yale Christian-Muslim declaration
Many Christian founded prestigious colleges today are actually more secular than ever.
Christian Today reported that Barnabas Fund's international director, Dr. Patrick Sookhdeo, a former Muslim, finds fault in such conference, due to the lack of religious identity.
To me, it has been a long time since I first realized that today's Christians, especially with the influence of so many ecumenical events and liberalism, seeking for Babel style world peace as the popular John Lennon's song goes: "Imagine there's no heaven, no religion, etc.", have been anti-Christ movement in disguise. After all, in most western countries, why suffer for the Lord, if I can live in peace and have the freedom of religion.
The suffering the Bible speaks of is more than just religious freedom. The suffering is one that is mandatory since the world is itself a cursed enemy of God. It is the suffering of the followers of the righteous One. I see many young adult Christians in America lacking the urge to further study the Bible, theology, growing in knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But instead, they rather want to convince themselves that they bear the identity of Christians once they had raised their hands at conferences, concerts, etc., and seek to stay in this emotional state. The more emotional they get in this state, the more spiritual they think they have grown. They would consider it their "suffering" if there's any attempt on confiscating such state. Because of the drunken state the western christianity is in today, Dr. Sookhdeo worries the impact on Christian minority in Muslim worlds.
Personally, I do not mind if offerings including many so called outreach ministries from America to Muslim worlds be temporarily halted and deflected back, so that these funds could be used to better American Christianity in Christian education, etc., because apparently, it is needed more than in the Muslim worlds.
In a bigger picture, anyone sober would realize that the Muslims are more pious to Islam than today's Christians to Christianity. But it is just amazing to see the spiritually illiterate state these so called christians are in. In a way, it is a prove of the God's righteousness and man's corrupted state: That without God's true grace, which is in Christ, not a disguised verbal grace, there's no salvation.
Posted in News
Leave a comment
Malaysian Bar Council Forum on Religion Conversion
Utusan Online melapor bahawa UMNO mengingatkan Majlis Pegaum supaya bertanggungjawab.
Sememangnya, hal ini hal keadilan. Bukan ingin mempertikaikan agama Islam. Jika tiada sesuatu penganut dalam kerajaan berhubungan kes seperti kes Lina Joy, mahu bertindak selama ini sebagai pihak yang bertanggungjawab, bagaimana perkara ini tidak akan dibincangkan secara terbuka?
Bilakah hal ini menjadi tak sensitif? Jadi kita boleh bertolak angsur sebagai rakyat kebenaran terhadap 2020.
Posted in News
Leave a comment
Fake Olympics
Voice of America reported that not just the fireworks on TV were prerecorded during the open ceremony, but apparently the singing of a 9 year old girl who lip-synched to a less adorable 7 year old. I was troubled by this news for a while, because this has just gone too far. Has a habit of piracy produced such unethical behavior? I thought avoiding the show would be a wise use of my time; now I've just got to buy that 3 dollar Olympic ceremony videos that's selling so hot on the chinatown streets everywhere.
But then again, often times we are cheated. It is not easy, but the best response is always better ourselves and be wiser and don't hold grudge.
Posted in News
Leave a comment
Why do Many Write on Slanted Position?
If the paper is slanted so that the text direction is more parallel to the drawing curve pivoted at the elbow, then it would explain why this is so naturally convenient for many. But the real question is, is there any side effect? Contrasting to the aligned paper position with the writer.
Posted in Questions
Leave a comment
Reformed Ecumenical
Sometimes I wonder what the Reformed Churches are preserving? Especially the English speaking ones. Is it cultural tradition? or orthodox doctrine?
Posted in General
Leave a comment
The Secret of Jesus' Divine Identity
Some, especially the liberals and the agnostics, even the Jews, might argue that if Jesus was truly God, he need not behaved as if concealing His divine authority.
As I revisit the book of Esther recently, I believe that Mordecai charged his cousin, Hadassah, that her Jewish identity be a secret, hence the alias name: Esther (Esther 2:10), for the reason that the righteousness of the Jewish people not be defiled by the Persians, for they perceived not the way of God's children. And what more is Christ, if He bears the righteousness of the Almighty? Righteousness of whom who is from above? Yet, Christ did speak and they understood not even of earthly things. Neither would we of today's generation, if it had not been revealed to us.
Many Christians today take it for granted of their faith and presume that they would be more zealous than the people of those days, even the twelve. As if none would place themselves as Judas Iscariot's equal. Loyalty is good. But the question is not loyalty alone, it is loyalty according to the truth, to the word of God, one which entails patience.
Posted in Theologization
1 Comment
Must Fasting Really Exclude Water?
Even though there is no account whether Jesus did drink during his 40 day fasting, there were already other accounts where fasting was devoid of not just food, but water as well. Such as Moses' 40 days in Deuteronomy 9:9, Acts 9:9 of Paul's 3 day fasting of conversion, and Esther's 3 days in Esther 4:16.
Of course, the purpose of fasting is not to show off one's endurance, but one's true desire to rely on God.
Posted in Questions
Leave a comment
Joel Osteen's Wife Sued for Assault in 2004
According to the Christian Today News: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/joel.osteen.says.no.way.his.wife.assaulted.flight.attendant/21187.htm, Victoria Osteen was sued by a flight attendant for assaulting her physically after she accidentally spilled on her.
Personally, I do not believe that flight attendant's story. However, if it did happen, it's more like a revenge now than justice. As for how the verdict will go, I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if Victoria was found guilty. Nowadays, you can just sue anyone for childish reason and win some money, this is the America today.
Posted in News
Leave a comment