My Journal

Lately, about the last 3 years I suppose, I've heard from the American Fundamentalists bringing up somethings that I believe I've learned from Stephen Tong but I'm sure were quite popularly known at the time already:

1. Love the Sinners, hate the sin. A phrase attributed to Mahatma Gandhi. However, the fundamentalists, even R.C. Sproul, attacked this by saying something like "God doesn't send sin to hell, but sinners to hell." So this is beyond the boundary of language. Should we not love the sinners whom we preach the Gospel to? Tong said, if one does not love the sinners, one has no right preaching the Gospel to them. While it is true that God sends sinners and not sin to hell, this fact is a mere understatement, and off topic: maybe used against post modernists but even so, there are better weapons against such.
2. God will not give you more than you can handle. This is mainly from 1 Corinthians 10:13. Nevertheless, the fundamentalists took it the wrong way, calling the Corinthians quote as referring to "temptation" and nothing to do with what you are ABLE. They would cross that out, saying that it is NOT US, not about our Ability, but God. They point to the verses in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. They erred in one major stand a basic reformed Christian shouldn't: that ALL is of God, ALL is of God's grace. Thus, the harmonization of 1st & 2nd Corinthians, as if they need harmonizing but thanks to the lacking of these, we must clarify in terms of harmonization for their sakes, is that it is grace upon grace. John 1:16. What they thought we have ABILITY in (1 Corinthians 10:13), is but God's grace as they called it in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9. What I call grace in 2 Corinthians, is the new grace that is upon the already given grace. And thus the infinite increasing of grace.

I must label a new extension entry to this one as private because there is new names mentioned with children involved.

As always, the Sunday School is my favorite part of the pastor's ministry. We are doing Chapter 26 and Chapter 17 of WCF. I realize I really need, since I have the proof verse, to re-study these closely, deeper, more thoroughly with the verses. Meditate on them. Not just go through what they were discussing.

The pastor ended the service today in prayer with the phrase "Lord, quickly come", which prompted me to look up the verses. I have criticized Janet Mefferd on something similar before: "I can't wait." I do believe there's nothing wrong with praying Lord come quickly, for we do long to be with God, surely, as Christians. But here are the verses: Psalms 70:2, 5, Psalms 141:1, From Jesus' own words: Revelation 2:16, 3:11, 22:7, 12, 20. I believe the right attitude is only to want to be with God, not a disdain in creaturely things of God or a lack of love to neighbors. Though may not be this pastor, I do not know, but may have used the phrase in a negative way as I have mentioned.

Interestingly, the service today brought in quite a few new faces. At least 3 families, with 2-4 children each. Two of the families are related to members of the church and have been here long ago, so I am not going to focus on that. The third one, found us on google, I asked what keyword he uses, he said: conservative, reformed. I will be adding his email to our coming Saturday hike, hopefully they can join. Though this church is far for them, about 40 mins drive, people like myself, and CCCNY members drive similar distance if not further. For some of them, is loyalty, for me it has to do with a good faithful church starting from doctrine, then working up to church ministries.

So I'll be composing an email for this week's informal hiking for church family. I figure, if it works well, they can put it as an official thing in the future, or not. I believe the pastor really appreciate it. May God grant us grace in this fellowship.

Sunday School led by Rodney Duttweiler, missionary to Africa. The usual American style. I don't agree with where he repeated a few times (since dinner) that he followed the African proverb: "A log that floats do not become a crocodile", meaning that he will never become a Senegalese in spite of how long he's been with them. There are tons of Inland Missionaries who identified themselves with Chinese, despite their Caucasian looks. Culture and everything else. That should be the heart of a missionary, hence I alluded him to David Livingstone, whom he quite certainly knew, whose heart was not permitted to leave Africa posthumously.

Sermon: Colossians 3:16-17

I thought I heard the pastor said "Music is not part of God's grace"? or is it. Since the video has not been uploaded yet, I cannot rewatch this to confirm. I think his point was trying to keep people away from worshipping music. If so, that I agree, but I would disagree that music is mere subjective, which I think the pastor may allude to. There is a qualitative value to music, good music, bad music. Sure, there is at certain level a subjectivity to music appreciation, but it is mostly due to cultural differences, not emotional. One needs a deep study in music for such discernment.

After service, I learned a couple of things about the church in the Annual meeting:

1. given a list of Grace Community Church Missionaries Supported ministries. (Scanned into my archive)
2. That the church is still under mortgage, and has about 7 years to finish from now.

单身神学理想：上帝有叫有些人单身吗？有 （Matthew 19:12). 但那是什么样的人？什么叫为天国的缘故？一定不是那些认为自以为自己可以独立的人，若是要论自立而单身，肯定不是在上帝理想旨意里行的，最多只是在祂怜悯的许可下，不然的话，肯定会在婚姻问题上，离婚率比一般人还要多。这样看来，真正在上帝恩典上赐下做单身为天国的缘故的人，与那些最多在祂怜悯的许可下而单身，像是为天国其实是为己的人，是不难辨别的。

If we assume wrongly, we are sinning. Falling in the category of fools, liars, etc.

This is different from honest inquiry.