Mmmm....Yum Yum.
I bought 5 ready made escargots from Whole Foods at Columbus Circle Time Warner Center. It was made with garlic and parsley butter in the shells. Microwaved for a couple minutes.
Viola, first time sampling this French cuisine appetizer.
I'd have to say, perhaps it's my inexperience in French cuisine, but somehow, it seems that all the French cooks are good at are butter, garlic and cheese.
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One major problem in churches today is that they like to separate theology from church activities, sermons, worships and Sunday Schools. They fail to see the fine line between theology and philosophy.
Theology is the seeking of God, seeking of His will. Learning of the relationships between God and His creations.
Those who said no to theology are actually those who are practicing unjust principles be it subconsciously or not.
I've seen it so many times, because of no firm theological study, problems arise in churches. When problems come, the churches, without any wise and true understanding of God's words, either retire from the problems or go to the extreme. Allowing the problems to grow and mutate. Take the cases of divorces and homosexualism in USA for instance.
When this happens, what's left are those non-Christians whom under the grace of God are given general wisdom of righteousness, stepping in to solve the problems. Even though not perfect, but the problems are solved nonetheless. Everyone would start to admire the non-Christian's standpoint, while all the Christians could do were to only say: "but we have Jesus, we have the true love here" and implode within, not able to do God's great commission by expansion.
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"Thou Shalt Not Judge"....
Many like to refer this verse from Matthew 7 as the 11th Commandment. But let's look at it closely.
First of all, allow me to say:
Those who say, "Thou Shalt Not Judge", are hypocrites. From this, I could also conclude that those who say this, actually like judging others, whether they are aware of it or not.
Now, let's examine this sentence,
to judge, is the ability God gave humans to discern right and wrong. We know, since the fall of man, this ability has been corrupted. Men has chosen to want to tell right and wrong themselves, they do not want to follow God and listen to God about right and wrong.
Therefore, the sentence "Thou Shalt Not Judge", be it judging oneself or judging others, is still judging. The statement itself is a statement of judging.
Then wait a minute, Jesus was the one who said it!!!
No kidding, Jesus said it to his followers. Because, we humans are sinners. As sinners, if we do not repent and walk the right path, how can we call other sinners to repent too?
Praise be to God. Even here, Jesus revealed to us that He is without sin! So when He's judging, he's actually doing it right. As the following verses in Matthew 7 revealed.
When we judge, we must not forget we are not outsiders, we are also of the fallen race. Therefore, it is important to keep ourselves holy and righteous before God before we judge.
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Teaching, Preaching and communication. Many are actually badly versed in the art of literature causing confusion.[@more@]
I regret to only be reminded recently that the Evangelists and Charismatics of the western influenced Christians only do caring to non-Christians who do not mock Christianity, who aren't against Christianity. In my busy being "Martha" I have assumed others would do the kind of caring I thought they would, not considering that as my responsibility. How wrong is that? I thank God for showing me and teaching me, things I have ears for, things I have eyes for, yet not listen, yet not see.
Did Paul ever complain about other disciples not preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles? It was his calling, it was given him, he took it responsibly.
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On a general Biblical understanding, it not only seems fine, but good.
However, I've heard of Dr. Tong's testimony on how he left his formal church of which he was a member of the Board of Directors, and started his own church from scratch.
A dilemma I'm facing now. Should I stop this church I'm attending and start preaching in Bronx; or do I do both at the same time and then choose whichever one demands more of my time?
Until a clear solution to this, I shall serve in this church. I do believe God would demand me to be more discipline and responsible for now.
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I think it would be better for me to take the questions I raise into a dialogue.
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I have come to realized that when western influenced Christians talk about respect, besides hypocrisy, it is also actually out of pitty.
For example, when a pastor or a preacher was "respected", it was because he/she was willing to sacrifice all he/she had, time, money, etc. for the good of others. The true meaning of respect was just a mask to them.
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When Jesus preached to only the Jews first, could it also have been because it would be the toughest exemplar of preaching?
In a church today, it is already so common to face members from within trying to bring in outside qualities, usually in the name of love.
We know that even "good" non-christian qualities are surely deemed to be problematic with God when examined thoroughly.
The Christians today are like the Jews, a nation which our Lord has lead in His glory since Abraham, a nation to whom the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service, and the promises were given by God; having a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Today many Christians speak of love, but they lack the knowledge of HOLY LOVE, of TRUE LOVE.
Oh how remarkable it had been for Christ, who came in the paradox of flesh and divinity!
For the sake of TRUE LOVE, He could not reveal his divinity fully.
For the sake of TRUE LOVE, He had to suffer them.
For the sake of TRUE LOVE, He had willingly given up His rights.
Oh Lord, I am so much unworthy compared to Thy great servant Paul. Yet what Thou has taught to me, how could I take it lightly? how could I complain? Father, keep me, please keep me Thy unprofitable servant in Thy grace. Please forgive my sins. Lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Guide me in Thy Truth and teach me, for Thou are the God of my salvation. Soli Deo Gloria!!! Amen.
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A speech in Nashville, Tennessee, Sept. 17, 2002, President Bush once referred this quote to have been come from Tennessee or Texas, I looked it up on google and couldn't find a good reliable source. The closest one I've gotten claimed it came from the chinese:
一回愚我，汝之耻；二回愚我，吾之辱。(Supposedly by Confucius, but no further citation could be found. Hence, it is doubtful that Confucius actually said it or if this phrase was the verbatim quote)
It was also quoted in this Startrek series where Scott said it and Chekov attributed it to the Russians.
Hence the real saying goes:
Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.
Unfortunately, Bush seemed to have had a mental block and went:
fool me once, shame on — shame on you. You fool me you can't get fooled again!
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