Rev. David Chen's evangelical ministry is not to be hindered. For we should not prevent anyone from preaching Christ. No matter who they are. For Jesus even sent the traitor, Judas Iscariot, out to preach the name of Christ.
The glory of God does not depend on any of us. It depends not on the elected ones of God nor does it depend on the condemned ones.
But we must all be responsible before God and obey His will.
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Very cool polymer. Polyurethane tubes can be molded into various shapes and tracks. Rich applications, more than just for hydraulic tubing.[@more@]
I have been marveled by the mechanism of coin sorters ever since I first saw it being used in a bank back home in Malaysia, when my father took me to deposit my coins when I was little, probably around 8.
I had never looked deeper into its mechanism because I thought it was easy, until two days ago, when I had the chance with a piece of junk I could use to make the part where coins are sorted by sliding into various sized holes. I realized it wasn't that easy because one needs to seriously take gravity and velocity into account (for my design anyway), and judging from the commercial ones on the web, there are other methods of sorting. I also came across a homemade one very similar to my method on a video clip on the web. I believe this guy had perfected his system, but I couldn't be sure as the video wasn't clear enough and it wasn't really made to show all the crucial angles of the design. However, I supposed I must give this guy some credit because his video encouraged me a little so I would not give up on my imperfect design. It wasn't until yesterday evening, that I perfected my design (I think this is how he did it as well, but I still couldn't be sure when I viewed his video again). I shall be on a lookout for salvageable parts to make a whole contraption. No rush.
Another reason that urged me to want a coin sorter is because my bank doesn't have a machine to sort it out for me, this is the second bank I've met with this enigma. Of course, there are some other banks in America that do have such service for their customers, just not mine, unfortunately. So I had to wrap my own assorted coins before I deposit, I even have to count them myself. Sometimes I wonder who's the third world country. Nonetheless, my bank still has one of the most friendly and non-prejudice staffs of all banks in America.
If I bought a commercial coin sorter, it wouldn't be much fun, why buy when you can recycle?
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Sometimes when it seems clouded, halt, examine every details, make use of memory to meditate on past, on word of God, pray for mercy and blessing, taking one small step at a time.
Do not let vain ambitions take over.
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Recently pastor Chen had asked me if I would financially support another pastor/preacher who's currently low on income. I immediately refused. This is not the first time it happened.
I am astounded by Rev. David Chen's ego at his version of helping others while not realizing that he's devaluing the stature of pastors in the world. Devaluing himself as God's servant is bad enough, he had to do this to other servants of God...sigh.
No doubt, Rev. Chen is not the only one, judging from what is seen in the world. But I believe whoever devalues God's calling, God's blessing and God's gift in such a perverse motive is going to face serious judgment from God, DESPITE their MOTIVE.
Pastors are God's anointed servants. They have the authority as God's representative in the community they serve. In one sense, a truly called preacher is even greater than all the presidents of the world combined, and yet lives a humble life.
Unfortunately, the world treated pastors like beggars, it treated God's servants with sympathy, just because the pastor or the preacher is poor or financially lesser than an average working man. Consequently, many give offering in a sympathetic attitude, treating offering in church as donation. If this is not corrected in us, we can never understand God's grace and have the right relationship with God.
Because one sees a pastor is so nice to one, he/she loves the pastor. Which is good. But when he/she learned that the pastor is poorer than he/she, he/she began to treat the pastor with some kind of sympathy. Now this is wrong attitude, the apostle Paul often corrected that, especially to the Corinthians, 1Corinthians Chapter 9.
Some would say...okay okay, but don't be so serious about this. This kind of study is useless.
On the contrary, this is why there are those who are jealous of Jesus, this is why prophets were persecuted, and this is why many can never have the right attitude towards God, so you see problems in so called Christian communities and families. Why? Because we all love to have sympathy on someone, but when we realize that the ones we have sympathy on are really the ones who don't require our sympathy, and in fact, expect our respect and listening ears, we began to feel jealous.
Has anyone sympathy on Elijah? Many will see their "sympathy" for God's servants threatened and will have problem with Elijah's command of fire from heaven consuming the 100 soldiers and two captains of King Ahaziah, simply because the captains treated the man of God lower than the king. (2 Ki 1:13)
A truly called servant of God is to be respected and even followed. For the one he is serving is God, creator of the whole universe, destroyer of both soul and body in hell. Of course, more importantly, one must be able to discern who truly works for God and who doesn't.
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I believe the incompetence of the staffs is probably due to some genuine misconception of the working system handed to them. I have seen it before, I just hope this post office doesn't throw away mails or packages just because they have slightly different spelling of the recipient's name. That's just too retarded, or inserting packages in the wrong mailbox because one of the staff has his own understanding of PO BOX labellings.
Ironically, the whole reason I registered for a PO BOX is because I cannot trust the delivery made at my apartment.
I can't believe I had to order two books twice within a month.
1. After Its Kind, by Byron Nelson
2. The Darkness Among Us, by William Viser
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It is not my hope to see CCGC fail.
Nor is it my intention to put my hand on the Holy Ark of God.
Grant me Wisdom, Lord, Grant me Mercy, Lord.
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No, I am not smart. But it's just that there are many who are dumber.
Remarkable indeed. Because Paul taught us to be "in lowliness of mind each counting other better than himself" (Philippians 2:3). The more I wish others to be better, the worse they appear. The worse I see in them, the more the temptation to look down on them. A great lesson indeed. But this I know, if one can truly and constantly count others better than himself, long suffering awaits him. And the more he counts other better, the more he understood God's grace.
The degree of wisdom is proportional to those who earnestly seek after the truth which is in our Lord and Savior.
There are many who are lazy and therefore giving up seeking with the excuse of humility. True, there are those who are truly humble as being the least, but many aren't. Many fear embarrassment, failure and shame so they use such humble excuse. These are those who usually display attitude problems. Because on hand, they are expected to be wise, on the other hand, they do not wish to take the hard road to be wise, rather, they took the easy road to "God's approval": "Humility". One main problem is people often misuse terminologies and refuse to be corrected. To clear the confusion, Jesus said: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21), and Jesus would reply: I never knew you.
When we make mistakes, or when we are laughed at, criticized at, mocked, scorned, first, we check ourselves. If we are truly at fault, why the need to deny the ability to perfect ourselves? Does not the Holy Spirit work in all His Saints?
A wise man once said, A holy person is not one without sin; A holy person is one who has high sensitivity to the littlest of iniquity.
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I'm not claiming to be a prophet, but this is what I believe will happen, based on evidence seen here and there.
Churches on Earth in the future will look not like churches at all. In fact, it would be like the day of Babel. Where people united in peace, believing that they have achieved unity. The focus on God would be gradually diminished.
These things happen, so that God's true children will be identified in a seemingly all peaceful world, from the seemingly faithful children of God.
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field;
The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls. (Matthew 13)
Who is worthy of God's grace? But those whom God has truly cleansed.
Be merciful upon my soul, Father. Do not leave me until you have bestowed eternal grace upon me, until you have blessed me. Teach me, Rebuke me, Instruct me. You are my salvation, your blood is my new life, my sacrifice. Bless the preachers, bless the pastors, bless Your churches in the world. Amen.
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After a year, this unseemly mystery has been resolved.
I had not known Rev. David Chen's departure from STEMI (Stephen Tong Evangelistic Ministries International) was due to his disagreement with the rules of the ministry.
I have gotten hints here and there, which led me to often wonder, had I given too much trust to David Chen, simply because he's a pastor, or that he was once co-worker STEMI or since pastors like Rev. Su and Serena Lin have recommended him.
Rev. David Chen initially claimed that his departure was due to his health, when interviewed for CCGC pastoral position. However, it was obvious that health wasn't his main issue for resigning from STEMI, because he loved to travel here and there, even to Taiwan, for his own ministries. Moreover, he loved eating junk foods against doctor's order.
Soon, if one were to listen attentively to his sermon, one could tell his current family condition as he had grumbled about his wife more than once on the pulpit. This is the second pastor after Rev. Chen Chi, I've personally witnessed using the pulpit of God to complain about his personal issues, abusing such authority for his own satisfaction. One time, he complained that his wife didn't wish him to interrupt her devotional time and prayer.
Despite one's adulterous past, Rev. David Chen had seemed to have given up, attending only to the superficial matters of his family and marriage. I sometimes wonder what is my role here? What should I say to a pastor who pretends to be humble on the surface while expect others to treat him with respect underneath. Who counseled him before? Who were his so called spiritual friends? Are they truly his friends? I am most pessimistic with christian psychology in the west.
After comparing notes from both direct opposite sources, I have concluded Rev. David Chen is at fault. Not STEMI. Their main difference is that Rev. Chen believe that his "support" in advertising STEMI should be respected to some degree, this "support", Rev. Tong never approved. I am sure, Rev. Chen was dead sure that his "support" is faultless. I have always wondered where these people are...Uzzah, Peter right before he was rebuked by our Lord, and perhaps even Judah who's probably hoping for a win win situation when he betrayed Jesus.
These supporters are lovers of money and fame and crowds that love them. The more they pretend not having these trade, just shows that the more reformed seminary courses they have taken. It doesn't necessary mean that's their true face. Jesus had prophesied them as those who would call, Lord, Lord...and He would respond, I do not know you.
To them, as long as there's support of any form, it is good before God. How should I put it...it is like a supply soldier who doesn't know the difference of front line and went serving hot chocolate milk to the armies fighting in the front line (either he's really stupid or he's trying to be cute). This kind of soldier should be struck to the graveyard before the battle even begins, lest the whole state of the army be in chaos.
We listen to God first, then we serve. It is not the other way around.
