My Journal

Mandarin version:

Indonesian Version:

Generation gap in Genesis genealogy mentioned.

Talked about Abraham and Lot.

Gen 19:8 Lot educated his daughters well as they did not protest the father when the wicked attacked. Do your daughters rebel still at the day of their wedding?

Why Lot's wife didn't triumph? Tong supposed that she had many possessions resulting from Lot's work. Matthew 6:19-20.

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Indonesian version:

Chinese Version:

Indonesian Version:

Indonesian Version:

Genesis 4:1-16

Position and relationship are more important than behavior. When position is shifted, relationship is broken, such is sin.

Cain's is the 2nd case of God's judgment in Genesis.

Tong believes God received Abel's offering because there is blood as the blood of the lamb points to the death of Christ. Regarding Cain's, God hates the offerings of those who do not recognize the sacrifice to redeem sinners.

Sign of Stupid man: Kill others, Kill oneself. Why suicide?
1. Don't want the responsibility.
2. Freedom, no one can judge me.
3. Thought all is completed in life.

All 3 above are wrong. Where there is grace, there is responsibility.

v13. Why Cain didn't say "My punishment is greater than I can bear" rather than "greater than my sin", because he does not see his sin still, he was still living in ignorance.

Chinese Version:

First judgment: The Fall of Man

Second judgment: When God questioned Cain

Anyone given grace must also pay responsibility. Am I my brother's keeper? The answer is YES, from God.

Tong was impressed by the depth of biblical understanding of the above artist. Placed this painting in the museum.

There are two kinds: suicide vs. homocide.

Suicide: stupidest - Death solves all things. Wrong understanding of their selves and the existence of their lives. Your spirit/soul still exists. Ecc 3:11 (God placed ETERNITY in man's heart - the English wrongly translated "the world") How are you going to answer God when he asked: Why do end you before your time? This is a serious judgment.

Those who murder are wickedly fierce. They think ending others' lives solve their problem.

Tong shared of a case in the 70s where a man in Sydney killed his wife after argument and chopped her into pieces to bury in the garden; started a new life in Perth where he remarried, had kids and left his past behind secretly and got away with it until after his kids have grown, he couldn't bear it with his conscience and brought himself into the police station to confess it all. Tong said this is the first time he shared this in the pulpit after learning this news for quite sometimes. I googled, couldn't find this story. Although there are similar stories, or it maybe in one of these results.

Only God is holy, only God is righteous.

Indonesian version:

Genesis 18:25 - There must be justice in killing the bad.

Heb 9:22 If there is no spilling of blood, there is no forgiveness.

Mankind has hope because God promised to His people. - 1John 2:25

Romans 2:5

Chinese Version:

Me: The fear of God's judgment must be with guilt, not just regret (i.e. one regrets when one gets caught)

First mention of judgment: in Genesis
From Abraham, as said in Isaiah 51:2 When Abraham was alone I called him...Mesopotamian crops were dwindling at the time.

5 great works of God:
- Creation, no angels involvement. Image and Likeness of God example: our creativity reflection God's creation power.
- Salvation/redemption
- Consummation/glorification/成全
- Revelation
- Judgment/condemnation

image of God: Most reformed theology could only expound on Ephesians 4:24, to discover the 3 functions of it: Righteousness (judicial, Truth (rationalistic), Holiness (moral)

Tong told one of his museum staff, who was a Muslim until he read John 12:44 on Christ's judgment day and came to Tong for inquiries, until he got baptized in the church. His wife divorced him and he asked Tong if he should remarry, Tong said, if your wife is alive, not allowed; unless the government officially approved the divorce, she cannot come back to you, then it's ok. He then married a Christian.

On God's judgment, Michelangelo Last Judgment painting is mentioned.

I believe God's anger is seen in Covid-19 on those gathering physically together in church but not getting the point of the lesson in Babel, where there was only one voice and understanding.

It's not about ignoring the difference between virtual and physical gathering. But this entry is a defense against dismissing virtual gathering as a legit gathering. There are differences in modes of gathering.

Richard Coffeen's differentiating "meeting" and "communicating (i.e. writing letters) on his FB post is not valid. (see his post in comment)

As much as they try to ignore it, for churches in America, I believe that the main crisis and concern for them during the pandemic is the loss of offering $$$.

Coffeen brought up the term "gathering", "to meet", comes from the Hebrew word "synagogue", but it can be virtual as well. There are some comments against Coffeen's post. He fails to distinguish the differences between communicating and meeting the way he wants it. The immature dichotomy of the two terms does not show virtual meet is mere communicating and not gathering.

I do however believe, physical gathering is preferred to virtual meeting, when compared. However, in all the debates in siding one method against the other, I have not heard of anyone truly looks into why a physical gathering where face to face, eye to eye communication, hugging and touching are possible, is preferred to virtual meeting. Or vice versa.