Halogen Lamp Ban

After long searching here and there to purchase a Halogen Torchiere, I just realized it might have been banned, and I added the keyword "banned", voila!

It is banned due to hazardous issues.

compact fluorescent light, CFL, was recommended better in every way. I haven't tested it out yet.

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Crazy Post Office Lost My Package

I ordered a cheap but worthy book from Amazon.com, "After Its Kind" by Byron Nelson.

According to the tracking number, the book arrived days before. But it was never found in my mail box. I rent a box at the post office no one's at home to accept any packages during the day time.

The staffs searched yesterday...or pretended to search (I really don't think staring at a hive of mail boxes filled with packages here and there searching), they asked to come back this morning to see the one named Roy, who's supposed to be responsible at these. I would rather they told me that it's lost, instead of pushing responsibilities around.

So I went back again, and Roy told me it's been delivered, pointing to the word "delivered" on the form which I brought to him. I feel like I'm taking crazy pill.

I told them that it's no big deal because this is a cheap book, I could just reorder. I realized they just won't admit they lost the package, so I thanked them, and left.

I do believe they have misplaced the package. Of course, they wouldn't even admit that, which did happen before, in my PO box, I had gotten someone else's package, and they thanked me for returning to them. But not admitting their fault, I guess is typical of many organizations, especially for government employees.

I think the fun part would be they making the same mistake again, misplacing someone else's package in my PO Box again. Then, there's going to be a show worth watching, I guarantee. That is, provided that I have the time to perform this.

On the other hand, I must be careful with my orders in the future, especially when ordering something that costs more. 

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Apologetics: God is Love, therefore He Must Save

To clear the confusion of God's Love and Just, which are distinct aspects of God,

I'd say, God is Love, therefore we know we were not worthy since the fall of men. Or else, we would not know how unworthy we were.

So, without the knowledge of our worth, God needs not save us, EVEN IF HE IS LOVE, for by Adam, we all have thrown away His love in the beginning, whether we admit it or not, it is in our fallen nature since Adam.

This makes God's love a sovereign one. And The salvation, particular one. Though salvation is sufficient for all, it is efficient only for the elects.

 

God is Just, therefore He shouldn't save.

God is Love, therefore we have the ability to hope for salvation.

By this, the Salvation in Christ Jesus alone is assured, for God is faithful.

By this, Salvation is not for those who do not hope. 

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The World is My Parish, Fourth Week

The last Sunday marked the last week of the month I visited churches in the city. Churches I've been eager to visit.

I visited Harvest NYC in the morning. Harvest NYC is affiliated with Harvest Christian Fellowship, founded by Greg Laurie in 1979, Riverside, California. Although they try to be non-denominational, I find Pastor Mike Finizio's sermon that morning reformed theological oriented. He carefully brought his audience to a serious moment before he gave his sermon. I find it very good. This is an example of attitude towards sola scriptura. It is definitely better than those who do not care about all these while claiming that their belief is Bible centered. Talk is cheap.

Of course, like most western churches filled with youths, Harvest NYC's worship environment is predictable.

I supposed, it is allowed. But no doubt, if one knows how to promote the ageless quality of classic hymns, such as Rev. Stephen Tong, the impact is different. I believe it will affect more issues than meets the eyes.

Then, I did something very stupid that evening, I went to the wrong church. I wouldn't really call it a church, it belongs to a Christian cult from Taiwan, founded by someone named, 左坤. Even though I left before the service started, I still felt stupid, because I cannot visit other churches then as they have started their services an hour earlier already, which was 6pm. That whole good evening was wasted. I found this church from a pamphlet I got from a restaurant about four years ago. I would have been able to discern the truth had I read the pamphlet carefully. I was just too rush at things, in fact, I might even have realized it before...(if so, why then didn't I threw that pamphlet away?) Tim, you've done it again! Stupid Tim. You so stupid.  Further more, the church is just a big building with nice garden, no signs, no postings indicating it as a church. The "pastor" told me they don't like to "advertise" like commercials. But I think actually they don't want to advertise their perversion.

The cults these days know very well to use different names, be as inconspicuous as possible, for they know how others see them as cults, this itself, is proof that they are cults. 

Stupid Tim. Don't do this again next time. Have enough research done before you act.

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Vocabulary: to Palter

Verb: Palter

Be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or withhold information

 

I remember a college professor once told me that if there's something he couldn't explain, he would try to throw in big words to make it sound confusing and get away with it.

Of course, this is not the example I would follow as funny as it may sound. I would not palter with those who earnestly seek after the truth. 

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Support God's Ministry

I remember something brought up during the astronomy association. Where there was an event held for stargazing for the public and there was this very very enthusiastic member who brought a lot of reporters and media to promote our club. In a way, it is very good that our club can be promoted and that this member should be commended. However, by doing so, the night was a disaster. Because of all the lights from the videos and camera flashes. I later understood that that member had other problems with the club and left.

Does support like that really profit? I was once asked to support a church's event by attending a course it organized. I refused right away because if the lecture truly has something for me to learn, it is not I who is supporting, just the opposite. I would pay the fee if the course is really worthy, not to show support. 

When I say we do not "support" God's ministries, it means that we should see God's ministries as our responsibility, not some request.

I find it crucial that I make this clear by good testimony. So that others can clearly see God's glory and not man's. In no way am I asserting men are despicable. Just the fact that the glory of God leaves no room for human merit. This is a good thing, even for men. It is only bad if we perceive this from a worldly matter, that the world works for reward, not for the sake of God's name.

When we misunderstood support for God's ministries, we will use our own wisdom to deal with it and we see many problems. Why God wouldn't allow Gideon that many soldiers? Many today read these verses yet still love great numbers of support. What's more unfortunate is that they fail to relate problems arising from this erroneous principle, instead, they blame the problems on something else, something that's not the root of the problems.

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Problem with Love and Righteousness

I have noted before, that the Pharisees and scholars and many other Jews in Jesus' days thought they are more righteous than Jesus, while today, many people think they have more love than God.  These are people who probably would tell Jesus:" Don't scold the Pharisees, just tell them nicely", or tell others: "Jesus is a good person, but sometimes he is angry with the pharisees, we don't have to be like him in this way, but we must respect Jesus because he's done so much great things". Of course, many would deny having this kind attitude towards Jesus, because especially now they see Him as God also. They would even say, if we were in Jesus' day, we would do the right things and follow Jesus...My question is, Really? If God didn't reveal what He revealed to us today through the Bible, would we really see Jesus in Jesus' time as we see Jesus today? Remember, Jesus had not died, resurrected back then, He was like a normal human being preaching especially to the Jews. I said to the Jews here because that's the key. Because by God's history with them, if anyone should know, the Jews should be the first to recognize who Jesus really is, based on what God has promised them, yet, many of them had failed even in this.

 It is not easy, to have the right holy love as well as righteousness of God.

Without the grace of God, we cannot even do it right.

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Judging Others

The more sacrifices you make for God, the more respect you get in your judgment; However, the more sacrifices you make for respect, the more fake respect you get in your childishness.[@more@]

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Cleaning

Spent whole Saturday Evening clearing out garbages in my room. Keep things simple. Some are of my landlord, but I guess he wouldn't mind anyhow.

Now, my books are more well organized.

Phase one: Library, Completed, took out two large bags of trash. 

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Take Ye Away the Stone

John 11:39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone...

It is our responsibility to obey and spread the Gospel.

John 11:43 ...he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

It is God who gives salvation, not us.

 

If we preach and they believe not, we cannot be any less diligent.

If we preach and they believe, we must not be so quick to think we somehow played a major role.

We must pray, that God uses us within His Grace, and not without, for that would be the most tragic ending of all. 

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