Sunday School was on Prayer (week 6). We did Imprecatory Prayer (invoke a curse or evil): Psa 7, 35, 55, 58, 59, 69, 79, 83, 109 & 137.
Someone mentioned that some wickedness (i.e. Nazi, child rape, etc.) are just so bad that they cannot be saved. Catholicism influence I bet. Degree of wickedness is irrelevant when it comes to Gospel and salvation. So good thing Pastor Chris attempted to correct it, though quite so subtly that I bet many wouldn't notice that it was a sort of correction.
The term imprecatory is a first for me, though the concept isn't. I have once pondered upon 1Cor 5:5 where Paul "delivers unto Satan those involving in sexual immorality for the destruction of the flesh so that their spirit may be saved. I think it is relevant. David his Psalms in the OT does seem more imprecatory than Paul in NT. Paul's imprecatory prayers aim still for salvation of the wicked soul. After doing a search in LOGOS, Van Til has more to say in some of his works.
on Wordless Prayer (psa 46:10 & Matthew 6:5-6) - the terminology is sort of new to me. Though if it's about being still as in Psa 46:10, then it's also same as Psa 4 and so on. I think the phrase wordless prayer is begging for too much. When we are silent, we could direct ourselves to God, such is already a wordless prayer.
It's interesting during the Sunday School, the pastor eventually concluded some discussions to motives. I have always wanted to state that Christianity is the only religion of motives. Because of this, when the charismatics turned true substance to superficial things, this is because it is ultimately affected by motives.
Iain M. Duguid's Ezekiel (NIV Application Commentary, 1999) Derek Thomas' God Strengthens: Ezekiel Simply Explained (Welwyn Commentary Series, 1993) (The last two I have purchased it on Logos.com)
I came across and posted this on Facebook. Apparently Amazon Prime is showing this series called Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets. I have yet to watch this.
For those who are familiar with Bill Gothard's Ministry (IBLP: Institute in Basic Life Principles), especially those in the Baptist communities. Many Chinese church leaders got affected by this as well. I knew something was wrong the moment I noticed he twisted the need for God's grace with instilling in his subjects sympathy and compassion instead. One comes to God from below and humility, the other approaches to God from up high and pride. False humility is the proudest kind of pride.
The Chinese pastor that introduced and promoted Bill Gothard to me erroneously defended him by saying: "But at least nobody got hurt and they have all come to support now." Such view is anti-Gospel at the core, though they may outwardly be Gospel-supporting.
7/19/2023 Before heading out to swim at around 9AM today, I for the first time, found a mouse, dead one, in our house. Looks like a baby mouse stuck in the jacuzzi tub.
7/18/2023 I finally finished this long overdue (been sitting in my email) short video clip of the introduction to Ron Choong's book: Ancient Near East in the Bible: Treasures from the Met Museum. So far, this is the closest material I know for a Christian to use in the Met Museum. I haven't spent much time looking, perhaps there are better Christian resources out there for the Met Museum, or I may look into coming up with such project, if time allows.
7/17/2023 Received Tante Lyna's email about Stephen Tong's East Coast Farewell Gospel Rally. Gave her the materials she asked: mp3 work I did for Hallelujah chorus parts. I also learned that there are better versions out there on Youtube already, with scores in videos. The only thing I cannot promise is joining the choir. Since by experience, CCCNY under Rev. Lin's leadership was a big screw up for the rally back in 2010, which led to my conclusion that she was actually anti-Gospel-centered and more towards moralism, after Michael Liu's exile from U.S., I best keep myself away and watch my steps from anything done through CCCNY. I would also like to know if it was just the Gospel rally or would there be other special talk, which would be better, since it looks like the Gospel Rally is handled by Rev. Lin's team and that's just works of the flesh. I would rather get the recordings instead.
7/24 Update on STEMI Gospel Farewell Rally Choir for the East Coast: I received notice a couple of days before that it is cancelled. This is sad, not for STEMI but for CCCNY the church behind hosting/supporting it. Because this is an asian church in the area of musical talents of the world (i.e. Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, etc.) and yet they couldn't find anyone, after all these years (40+ years). No gospel, no fellowship but mere moralism and business sundays and small wannabe groups.
Received Dr. RuoJun Huang's Gentle Dental of Edison reminder for dental check-up. There are two things that dissuaded me: 1. She poked my weak tooth (#30, the one which was already cracking and chipped just before our trip back home) even after I told her about it after her cleaning, so hard yet she said: "I don't see anything wrong". I can give her a pass on this, since there are things even the professional cannot tell, I supposed. 2. When I had the tooth chipped, I reached out to her first but her clinic was closed on Thursdays. This makes me decided that she's not too reliable, despite being recommended by Fanny.
It's no likely we are qualified for The Low Income Home Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), based on this table:
Maximum Monthly Gross Income Eligibility Guidelines
Household Size
LIHWAP Program
1
$3,464
2
$4,530 (For this, the annual gross would be $54,360)
3
$5,596
4
$6,662
5
$7,728
6
$8,794
7
$8,994
8
$9,193
9
$9,393
10
$9593
11
$9,793
12
$9,993
For each additional person
add $200
Source: DCA 3/14/22
I do wonder how America keeps raising the bar for low-income, sometimes. If $100k is considered low-income, which is the majority of Americans, the future of America is dwindling because it's turning into a socialist state by shaving down the super rich for the benefit of the poor. Charity is the job of individual, not the government. But hey, if they are giving, I'm taking. Just like how we received $1k this past May (for 2019 filling) from the NJ State ANCHOR Benefit (historic new property tax relief program - Affordable NJ Communities for Homeowners & Renters):
ANCHOR eligibility is as follows: NJ homeowners with income of $150,000 or less will receive $1,500. NJ homeowners with income of more than $150,000 and up to $250,000 will receive $1,000. NJ residential renters with income of $150,000 or less will receive $450.
I remember coming across it and realized that we qualified. Despite my disagreement with the concept. I had to change the name from previous owner to mine when I called them up to inquire about this benefit. Since it's already 2023 and the filling is for 2019, I wondered if the Crowleys have been receiving free money for the year before (2018) when we moved in. If so, that's a $1k loss for us and some $ gain for them. Though this program is rather new, enacted in June 2022.
I have Keller's book on Gospel Centered Church. Read it from time to time. Noted the importance of Gospel-centered not being the same as Gospel-supporting. Then Alex posted on FB a talk on similar subject on Vos' Christ-centered preaching.
Pre-2000 American doctors were wrong in advising parents to avoid allergenic food to infants. But it's the introduction of them that helps as opposed to the avoidance, to reduce allergies. I recall a friend of my wife who did it wrong to her kids, probably out of that foolish advice, and now her kids either are allergic to nuts or dislike them.
I've finally found the pastor that a good number of my church members came from. Brett Revlett was pastoring the Deaconry and after that, he recommended many to Grace church before leaving for Utah. I finally got the full name with spelling from today's July 4th party at Clyde's.
Why the highly praised in the world never amount to much in the Church? From time to time you hear this person praised by this great preacher, that person praised by your parents, for being successful as some CEO or big shot in the common world. Then either they gave up those positions to serve in the church or continue as if they were able to hold both Mammon and God successfully. The latter ones, need no further examination, because what they meant by "serving" God successfully is just their ability to make offerings in the amount of millions, questioning their spirituality is tabooed and that itself is very telling of their true motive: Treating God as their reputation builder and as their beggar. And those sheep who recognize their shepherd's voice could easily tell, unlike the goats who marveled at the ability of those serving both God and Mammon. And the straw-made weapon of these goats, is their ability to utter the vain words "do not judge!"
The former type however, I have looked and looked. They do have something to show. They gave up their luxurious worldly lives to serve God fully in the Church. However, it appears that often times what fruit they bear in the Church is not as great as they would amount in the world in their former lives. True, there are those who actually were failing in their high position in the world and were able to get out before their reputation get jeopardized and pretended to serve God as if they have found a new way to boost their reputation against the odds. But I'm not speaking of these phonies. I'm referring those who really did well in the world before giving it all up for God. It's as if they were complacent enough in serving God from 8 to 5, well disciplined in getting all things done in the Church. Then perhaps, if I were to call these faithful, it is a normal thing to achieve what they had achieved in the world in their former lives, that one just needs to do one's due diligence, from 8 to 5 at work everyday, don't smoke, don't swear, don't be lazy, just focus on your given tasks, be in a secured, promising company, be good at saving money. That is it. Then sure, from the outset, they can be viewed as great. But then again, how is that any different than the grandmas who work hard in the fields? Because neither need much. They were both content with their lives. Only that one gets better fame than the other, in a worldly manner. A vain glory. After all, if anything I learn from this, is that these people are telling me that the pursuit of the world is vain, that is why they left their big corporate jobs to work in the Church. It is certainly not about giving up something great for something small or even for something greater, because what they gave up, wasn't even great to begin with. What they gave up, was just something anyone can achieve, IF interested. But with the high tendency to end in vain.
Nevertheless, there are those, who either never walk the path or goes to great length to hide their worldly past, to despise it, so that all their focus from within and from without is only on Christ. These are the type, that is so great and not great at the same time that only those of God could recognize their greatness. For they recognize the same song sung by their shepherd. While goats could only react in two ways: 1. they admit that there's some greatness in this, but they fail at what this greatness is, because they would only be able to recognize this greatness if it has any sprinkle of worldliness in it (i.e. great audience, fame, success, etc.) 2. They despise this instead, like the harlot of Babylon who drank the blood of the saints.
Ultimately, it is about where the treasure is. Not by mere outward appearance or what great speech they can give, but go to that person's home, stare deep into his life, his heart, what he studies, his hobbies, what is valued most. That is where his true worth lies.
Prayer and Fasting (Sunday School series on Prayer week 4)
Sky-Diving (for thrill vs. military operation, during Sermon)
The Charismatic problem (discussion with Tom during Fellowship meal on my withdrawal from the "praise" team)
After my time spent with American churches, I would say the common issue unaware by many is being on different wavelengths. One question asked, an off topic response answered. Happens all the time. This trains me I supposed, to improve my focus and sharpness on an issue.
Someone mentioned about prayer about hunger during fasting. I would say this is already a false view of fasting in Christianity. Fasting is about full reliance on God. Fasting is not hunger strike nor being destitute of food.
On Sky-Diving, it seems that the preacher had a false dichotomy of extreme sports. Either it's for saving people or it's for selfish thrill. This article as a good take on the subject and even beautifully adapted sky-diving experience as analogous to a person's life and the Gospel (tandem with parachute). I would just comment that when one's living philosophy is a passive kind, one cannot truly breakthrough such rigid false dichotomy of things. I would have to wonder what the pastor think of people going to Six Flags or Disney World, are those sinful, or if it can be considered not sinful from some aspect, how then are they not able to be applied to sky-diving, which can easily be about learning a new way of looking at life, the world, from a carefully laid out thrilling plan.
During the fellowship meal, Tom finally had to sit next to me to ask me: Why. I'm impressed that he would care enough to approach. While with the other few who asked, I merely replied: I'm just taking a break. To see if they had any desire to no more, which is zero. However, I wish I could put it more eloquently. I made it clear that there's "no problem with music being contemporary. But to be always contemporary, that is a problem." To which Tom suggested if some hymns should be included. I couldn't answer with my satisfaction other than that we already have hymns on other time. I should have replied: But it seems that the goal of this "praise" team is geared towards promotion contemporary only music. And I wish I could also bring out the charismatic problem, the root problem with the charismatic/pentacostal churches, which is not really speaking in tongues, gift of healing or even prosperity gospel. But it is the replacement of true substance with superficial matters. The Charismatics do not have credit on anything that is uniquely theirs. If it is good, it is not because the charismatics invented it. All the good, the liveliness, zeal and non-frozen-chosen attitude, were already practised by many non-charismatics. They were just later being promoted by the Charismatics in certain ways and methods that shouldn't be copied, but should be a wake up call for those of us who have idled too long, self justifying ourselves for being "frozen-chosen", in order for us to recall that first love we have for our Lord, but the charismatics have nothing to teach us here methodologically had it been uniquely theirs.
