My Journal

Chinese Version: Rev. 3:14-22

Anything a person say in his heart to himself, will determine the direction of his future.

Martin Buber's I and Thou. But true relativity of of these relationships is in the Bible first. And the deeper relationship is a person can talk to himself, with himself. Evolutionists are shallow here, as they only could see the similarities among species, not their differences.

When would a person talk to himself: Most sorrow, happy, lonely, in danger.

My conclusion: Rather than I and Thou, this is about "I and I" - "I and myself"

v.17 "you said" - who say? the church of Laodicea said to herself.

We must watch what we said to ourselves.

Tong shared that he once noticed a rich person pretty proud of his wealth until he saw the church's museum. Lots of wealthy only have more money, land property, but know nothing else (i.e. arts, literature, history, etc.)

We evaluate ourselves, God also evaluates us. Thus there are two kinds of estimations. In v. 17, first half is men's evaluation, God's the second part. Tong relates to the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen's "The Emperor's New Clothes".

Another analogy of a patient cannot hide from the doctor that x-rayed him, that he was rich. The doctor had found tens of thousands of dollars when he was x-raying him.

Tong shared a Hong Kong big Chinese church once invited him, saying that a great church should invite a great preacher. Tong said he's not great, and the debate went on. Then Tong challenged the audience and proved that their audience ain't that great because they couldn't answer his questions. Thus, everyone humbled and listened. My question would be if it is a "rally" as claimed by Tong, why challenging the audience with questions as if they were Christians - wouldn't rally be mostly non-Christians. I guess I missed something somewhere.

v. 18's summary same as the 3 points in the Indonesian version.

Why buy instead of getting them for free? Because must 付代价！

After the sermon, Tong announced Ivan Kristiono to be his successor.

Indonesian Version:

Scripture reading: Luke 14:16-24

v. 17: You said to yourself - self worship. Relation of self & self, not horizontal (fellowship of believers) and not vertical (with God). i.e. When a guy rejected by a woman, he hates himself to a point that he hates all women. I add: thus he hates God's creation and thus hates God.

Jean Paul Sartre - Being in itself, Being to itself [Being for itself]. Talks about how man view relationships around him and also himself. And the fault in such views.

Those who cannot see his own faults, cannot improve.

v. 18: Why buy the gold? It's the faith refined by fire.

1. A Church doesn't have khotbah yang handung iman yang sehati/murni (emas yang diuji), better ditutup.
2. Clothed in white: kelakuan yang moral yang suci.
3. Vision of mission. Visi yang jelas.

The thought of Rev. Laura Lin's church keeps come to mind when Tong preached on this passage on Laodicea. Mainly, the absence of vision, lukewarm, "I am rich, I need nothing", etc.

Not to debunk my dear Dr. Sean McDowell's argument

(actually, the Omnipotence Paradox answer predates him) but yes, we can create a square circle .

I've used this square circle answer before, Stephen Tong did as well. But I found it inadequate.

The best version I came up is this:
Can you draw...so heavy/bright/etc. that you cannot...

I've used the square circle answer before. Dr. Stephen Tong did as well. But I found this inadequate. The best one I came up with is this:

Can you draw ..(try light). so heavy/bright/etc. that you cannot .(try see)..

From the podcast: Here's the Truth About the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Modern Day Israel = half the size of New Jersey

1300 BCE, Joshua enters the land

1000 BCE, Kingdom of David, capital = Jerusalem, Ruins found: Ir David

957 BCE, 1st temple of Solomon, 2 kingdoms fighting. Philistines (seafaring) are not Palestinians (Arabs)

722 BCE, 1st Exile by Assyrians

586 BCE, Babylonian Exile, 1st temple destroyed. Ben emphasized that this predates Islam's claim of holy site.

515 BCE, Great Return from Babylonia, 2nd temple built (larger than the 1st).

332 BCE, Greeks took over Babylonia

166 BCE, Hanukah, Hasmonean Dynasty, Jews against Greek pagan practices in Israel

63 BCE, Rome took over. General Pompeii took over Israel, Judea is called instead of Israel, vassal state of Roman Empire until the end of Jewish Kingdom.

70 CE, destruction of Jerusalem. Jewish revolt against religious, political reasons. Siege of Masada. 2nd Temple destroyed.

130-136 CE, General Simon Bar Kokhba (son of the Star) led Jewish revolt which was defeated by Romans. Shapiro has coin from that time that says "to the freedom of Jerusalem". First time the area called Palestine as an insult to the Jews, due to the great damage the revolt caused.

313 CE, Roman Empire breaking up, now Byzantine rule.

7th Century CE, Founding of Islam.

636 CE, Arab invaded the land, Byzantine land = Christian.

1099-1291 CE, Crusaders fought to take back the land, and defeated in the end.

1291 CE, Muslims called Mamluks took over, for 200 years.

1517 CE, Ottoman Empire (Muslim) took over.

PS: Not a single independent state called Palestine since Judea. Merely territory of empires. Not considered a country, sparsely populated, even Mark Twain said it.

1517-1918 (End of World War I) CE, Ottoman Empire barred Jew settlements, cannot buy land if you are Jewish. Jews made backdoor deals (i.e. Jewish National Fund in late 19th century) with local Arabs to buy lands, because they try to escape from where they are back to their home land. There's always been Jewish presence in Hebron, Jerusalem, etc.

1882 CE, First Aliyah (to go up), Russian Jews escaping Russia.

1897 CE, Zionist movement (Independent Jewish State) began. Proto-Zionist (seen in Jewish prayer book): prayed for 3 times a day for reestablishment of Davidic Dynastic, Jewish Kingdom in Israel, by all serious Jews. Theodor Herzl formed World Zionist Organization, after changing from anti-Zionist to proponent of it when witnessing false accusation of a Jew (French soldier accused of spying for Austria-Hungarian) in the Dreyfus Affair. Trying to establish borders of Israel, in what was known as the Palestinian land since 136 CE.

1917 CE, Britain declares Israel independence.

2nd trip to the Chinese American Bible Church in Monmouth raised an old question: Should a Catholic convert be rebaptized? Reformed answer is no, or else it's a sin. Of course, the pastor of this church appears to side with the re-baptizer, but it's not quite clear how much he enforces it as we kept getting interrupted by greeters. But it's good for me to look further into this. I already know of the Bible church denomination on the surface. Though they joined the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention). They maybe as loose as the Stony Brook SBC church I was with before, where female pastor wasn't a big deal, though this church I have a feeling that they would not permit female pastors. Of course, lots of this is debunked from the fact that infant baptism is valid. However, there's also a question of why Roman Catholic's baptism is valid and Mormon's baptism is not, according to the trinitarian formula of the Nicene tradition.

My plan is for us to attend both churches, the Grace PCA (for doctrinal reason) and this Chinese church (I've always taken Chinese church very seriously, if they are at least Gospel-centered). I guess we're falling out from the Westfield OPC church since after talking to a few folks that there seems to be a lack of caring or more importantly, a zeal to deal with doctrinal discussion. I would still visit, because I can see they are trying to be Gospel centered, which is a good start.

Indonesian Version:

Even churches need to repent.

Keep yourself always in Jesus Christ, not to be spit out. Live healthily, nutritiously, spiritually.

Chinese Version:

v.14 Amen, true honestly.

My note: It's likely that Pilate's wife was the only one converted, rather than Pilate. Thus, we have this testimony of his wife's dream of Jesus. Or at least his wife first.

John 18:38 What is truth? Pilate focused on this rather than the answer to his question "yes I am a king..."

After Socrates, philosophy broke into 4 categories = Minor Socratic Schools (Megara, Elean-Eretrian, Early Cynic, Cyrenaic), more and more confusing as many debate what truth is since Socrates. Not into astronomy, cosmos, but more into the meaning of life. Results in 3 schools: Stoic (kindness), Epicureans (happiness), Skepticism ("agnosticism" called by the Spencer & another of Darwin's friend).

Skepticism, like today's Q&A people, when they ask, they don't really seek the answer, like Pilate asked "what is truth". They wish to prove they are better than the lecturer, etc.

v. 15 "Would that you were either hot or cold!" Look and Laodicea and reflect if we are like so? Harmatia, sin by overdoing or underdoing the target.

Tong criticized those who don't use brain and work zealously, need to repent. Those who are quick to satisfy, very hard to repent.

Baptism ceremony by Stephen Tong in both Mandarin and Indonesian sessions. Explained the 2 sacraments. 1 baptism only, not more than 1 for Jesus was baptized once, he didn't die more than once. @1:26:45 Tong explained how those sinned when they baptized again because they weren't submerged the first time, because by doing so you denounced Christ's name (God's name) the first time. God's name is more important than ritual! Nothing wrong with sprinkling, it's not unbiblical, and as we understand it as

Baptism ceremony by Stephen Tong in both Mandarin and Indonesian sessions. Explained the 2 sacraments. 1 baptism only, not more than 1 for Jesus was baptized once, he didn't die more than once. @1:26:45 Tong explained how those sinned when they baptized again because they weren't submerged the first time, because by doing so you denounced Christ's name (God's name) the first time. God's name is more important than ritual! Nothing wrong with sprinkling, it's not unbiblical, and as we understand it as the predicament the descend of the Holy Spirit upon your body, and it is more meaningful than submersion because the Holy Spirit is not at the bottom for you to enter into 😀

Rebaptism refute the already established Holy Name of God, this is very dangerous! This is why we only do 1 time baptism.

Then what about Holy Communion? Why not just one time? Jesus said you must do this in remembrance of me. Acts 2 proved it when every Lord's day they did so.