Unity?

Dear God, why are we so evil in treasuring a form of unity that is so superficial like unity in being under a certain organization, unity in love, unity in race, unity in language and all kinds? In the end, when the 'wind blows' what will be left? Why do we not understand Isaiah 40:8-The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever? All the unities above will never last but ultimately, those who hold on to the unity of God's revealed truth will not fade... Why? Firstly, God is an eternal being Himself, therefore His word will transcend time and space(guess what, He made them too)... Secondly, it takes the conviction of the Holy Spirit these truths in the Bible that is totally different from the wisdom of the world... Basically, saying it's God helping you to understand His Own eternal word... So of course la, it won't fade, win-win situation... Therefore, doctrinal truths matter!!! It's not just piece of paper or what you need to know to be a Christian instead, if you're a Christian, you have to know it!!!

But what do we do with it? Are we really concerned for it? No... Instead, we treasure those superficial unity more which in actual fact is no unity at all... Be it with non-Christian or worse still, Christians, we just like to avoid conflict and brush things off...

The most hurtful thing you can hear from people would be, 'aiya, what's with all these theology all? not important la... justification by faith, not by theology... so, please don't fight over it and let's just continue to be bros and sis la ok?'

How futile is this to think of theology in this way... Have you ever considered Ephesians 4? One baptism, one faith, one LORD and more ONES... And what does the bible say about unity? And do we even have any idea of what theology really means? If you don't view God in a proper manner, obviously it will affect the way you live la... E.g. when we are busy with our studies, we instantly spend time less on working out what the bible is saying... And in light of reading 1Corinthians, it just makes me ask myself the question of my own identity, am i a Christian 1st or a student 1st? If we are indeed Christian 1st, why can't we put reading the bible, committing to church, doing ministry and even considering helping to advance God's kingdom and on and on instead of our studies? Not saying studying is wrong, but why not? In 1Cor 7, you can see that marriage itself obviously can cause your time devoted to God be divided, but does it mean you don't marry? Likewise in everything else, studies, career, family, relationships, hobbies and all will also divide your time devoted to God, but in the same passage, you can see we are to secure our undivided devotion to the LORD... How la?

Undeniably, no one will ever have the perfect theology, but that doesn't mean it's not important... And after knowing the basis of unity, dare we even say that it's not important?

Sometimes it's just so sad to see the scenario above...

LORD, please remind us of our identity and lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil...

I don't wanna be a Corinthian!!!

O LORD, why are we so useless? why are we so dull? why are we so foolish? why are we so sinful? gah... I don't want to be like the Corinthians who often forget their identity in Christ and to add on to that, they don't even know they are doing it... Sounds so impossible to happen, but that's the reality of it... That's how 'powerful' God sees us as...

1Cor 3:1-4
But I, brothers,1 could not address you as aspiritual people, but as bpeople of the flesh, as cinfants in Christ. 2 dI fed you with milk, not solid food, for eyou were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready, 3 for you are still of the flesh. For while there isfjealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? 4 For gwhen one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” hare you not being merely human?

This kinda tells a lot about them, that they already are a new creation in Christ but yet they are behaving as though nothing has happened... Continue to be in synergy with the world and moreover, adopt the worldly wisdom to do things as seen in 1Cor 6:1-11:

When one of you has a grievance against another, does he dare go to law before the unrighteous rinstead of the saints? 2 Or do you not know that sthe saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases? 3 Do you not know that we are to judge angels? How much more, then, matters pertaining to this life! 4 So if you have such cases, twhy do you lay them before those who have no standing in the church? 5 uI say this to your shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to settle a dispute between the brothers, 6 but brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers? 7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. vWhy not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even wyour own brothers!1

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous2 will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: xneither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality,310 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And ysuch were some of you. But zyou were washed, ayou were sanctified, byou were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

This is just so saddening but yet relieving in a sense that this pushes us to keep trusting God and His revealed Word... Perhaps, that's why in Isaiah, he kept telling Israel that there will be a Great Redeemer and kept reminding them that they are indeed the redeemed...

May God continue to renew our minds and help us to not do things for our own sake and also to judge everything as we have been given the mind of Christ to do so...

God _________ Gospel...

Why do you believe in Jesus? Seriously, why do you believe in Jesus? Have you asked yourself this question before? I have, and the answer wasn't a pleasing one... Well, you might give the right answer but be honest with yourself, is that what your heart is really saying? That's what i'm pushing for, to be honest and humble before God and change our old ways...

There's a lot of of answers to the question if you're honest to give the honest answer... Jesus can offer me a better life, Jesus is a good role model, Jesus is a good man, Jesus can bring me to heaven, Jesus can give me what i want(ask and you will receive), Jesus is God, Jesus deserves to be worshiped and etc... All of these can be true but i'm pushing for you to see something greater(if it's possible by God's grace)...

Let's assume somehow you can get to HEAVEN filled with everything you like, chocolates, ice creams, japanese food, kobe beef, durians, LV bags, Nike shoes, 3-storey bangalows, hot S-curved ladies, hot gym dudes with 6 packs, big sandy beaches with coconut drinks and on... Such a beautiful place isn't it? Would you be dying to go there? In case you didn't notice, there was 1 thing missing, the one and only thing that gives you comfort in life and death-Jesus... Now, do you still want to go to heaven without Jesus? The whole point of heaven is Jesus is there, God is there, that's why He came to earth to die for your rebellion, to BRING YOU BACK... If you want to go to heaven without Jesus, why do you even 'want' the gospel? John Piper's 5 year old granddaughter could ask this question... No joke, go listen to the source that I'll quote to you at the end of the post...

Imagine there is this kind person who gives you a present each day, and slowly you start to like this friend... One day, he stops doing all this, then you feel weird, and start questioning him... So what was your 'liking' based on? The gifts or the giver himself? Translate this to the gospel, if you believe in Jesus because He can give you great stuffs i.e. eternal life, goodies etc, then aren't you the same as the example above in loving the GIFTS and not the GIVER? Now, take a step back and look at the gospel again, did God offer us some special or good stuff? No, he offered HIMSELF!!! All the good stuffs are used to give glory to the GIVER, not the gifts itself... Psalm 43:4- an altar is where sacrifices were made, in order to cleanse ourselves, but notice that after going to the altar, the psalmist says to God my exceeding joy... It's not even about being cleansed or whatever in that sense, but God is the joy!!!

In Acts 8:9-25, Simon the magician saw Peter converting people and Simon wanted the same power... But a crude way of Peter's reply would be(quoting Piper), 'to Hell with you and your money', for Simon wanted the spirituality and power that the Holy Spirit can offer... This is a great rebuke for us if we follow Jesus for spirituality(in a wrong way) and power or whatever that He has to offer... Deuteronomy3:1-3, God did the signs and wonders to test us, through false prophets, the test is not whether you can perform sign and wonder but do you speak the truth from His holy Word. God is more important than spiritual gifts.

John 7:1-5- Jesus’ own brother don’t even believe in Him, the eagerness to ask him to perform the works is worldly. Believing in Jesus doesn’t save you if you believe in him to do the right stuff. Gotta talk about believing in Jesus for the right thing. Why do you believe in Jesus for? Believe Him for God.

James 4:2-5- God wants us for Himself, and not 'sleep' with anyone else. She goes to bed with God and pray for money so that she can pay to another man to sleep with. We cannot know what prayer is for until we know life is war. Hallowed be thy name is the goal of every prayer. Prayer is for calling in firepower in battlefield. What’s the battle? To see him, know him, treasure him, not to use him. It's not wrong to pray for health or whatever. It’s wrong if you want IT more than you want God and using Him to get IT. 

There is a kind of thanksgiving that is idolatry. You can thank God with an unregenerated heart. They are thankful for the cross as an echo of their own worth. ‘They first rejoiced and are elevated with the fact that they are made much of by God. Then on that ground, God seems lovely to them. They are pleased in the highest degree in hearing how much God and Christ make much of them. So that their joy is really in themselves and not in God’. ‘This is the difference between the joy of the hypocrite and the joy of the saint. The hypocrite rejoices in himself. Self is the 1^st foundation of his joy. The true saint rejoices in God. True saint has his mind inexpressibly with the glorious and amiable natures of God. This is the spring of their delight and cream of their pleasures. This is in contrary of the hypocrites, they first rejoice that they are made so much by God, and on that, God seems lovely to them. There are many evangelistic tracts in churches who are doing this.’-Jonathan Edwards.

2

2    2 Corinthians 4:4-6- the gospel is the glory of Christ. The gospel is about Christ who is the image of God!!!

1.     God is glorified in the work of redemption by the greatness of man’s dependence upon Him in the whole of it. The redeemed have all their objective good in God, God himself is the great good which they are brought to possession of and enjoyment of. He is the highest good and the sum of all that good which Christ purchased. God is the inheritance of the saints, he is the portion of their souls, their wealth and treasure, their food, life, dwelling place, health, their diadem and glory. They have none in heaven but God. He is the great good which the redeemed are received to at death and which they are to rise to at the end of the world. The LORD God, he is the light of the heavenly Jerusalem and is the river and water of life that runs. In amidst the paradise of God, the glories and excellencies of God will be what will forever entertain the minds of the saints. The love of god will be the everlasting feast. The redeemed will enjoy other things, angels, each other, but all these that will draw them to delight in all these will be what God made them to point to Him.

2

     Phil 1:20-21- there is a significant contrast between life and death... The most significant contrast being to live is Christ, to die is gain... For most of us, i think we focus too much on the 2nd part, but after understanding all the above, i see a massive contrast in between these two... To live is Christ, to live in this world is better in one sense because you can do His work and proclaim Him and truly show the world how He is your only joy, because we don't see Him yet but we still dare to be fools for Christ... TO LIVE IS CHRIST seems much more appealing to me now, but it's tough...

     God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him... So why do you believe in Jesus? Are you satisfied in Jesus? 

   These are tough concepts, but it's biblical... Still trying to work it out myself too... Feel free to edify and rebuke me...

     All these are just SOME notes and reflections of mine after listening to 'God is the GOSPEL' by Piper... Do check it out...

     May God help us understand and accept these hard truths...

Debate...

I have to admit I didn't know what debate was until today... Until I was randomly asked to help out as a timekeeper... I get to witness 2 matches of the competition... If only I could just sit down and listen and observe everything single thing without having the responsibility to be in charge of anything, I'm sure I'd learn a lot more...

Basically, debate is an art of convincing and persuasion... It all stems from the structure of your issues and then the articulation providing the flow... And how you use opponent's offense and turn it into your defense... So, your brain has to work super fast in listening the points given by the opponent, find their inconsistencies, and state your points and do everything within a certain time limit with a clear speech...

It's like breaking down an ugly picture into fragments and rebuilding with your very own materials and it has to be nice and presentable... It takes a certain maturity in thinking in order to do all these... Maybe, that's why it's called debate and not arguments... The picture of argument that I have in mind is when 2 lil kids plays LEGO or something, 1 of them got so pissed that he/she just destroys everything... That's how arguments come about I THINK...

Apply this theologically, i.e. during evangelism, find their inconsistencies, break it down, present the truth... If only I have 2 brains, evangelizing to 2 Einstein's wouldn't be a problem... Note, it's just evangelism, not conversion...

But then again, everything that is debatable is only a subjective opinion... Worse still, there might be no point in debating over certain issues... So then, what's the point of even debating about it???

Where is the objectivity?!

Saw this on a T-shirt: We have so many needs in our life, at the end of the day, the only need is to be needed... How true it is for a selfish man...

History's ugliest picture...

How can a gruesome crucifixion that happened two thousand years ago help when your past comes knocking today?

The answer is that the Cross is God's plan for freeing you from the guilt and punishment of your past sin. At the Cross, we see both the depths of our depravity and the heights of God's amazing love for us. We witness both the terrifying intensity of God's just wrath for sin and His unspeakable mercy and love for sinners.

Why the Cross?

Because sinners have no hope.

Why the Cross?

Because it is the unassailable proof that we can be forgiven.

Let's gaze on it together. As we draw close, don't assume that you already know or understand what happened there. Come to the Cross as if for the first time. In the book When God Weeps, Steven Estes and Joni Eareckson Tada give the following account of Christ's death. As you read, refuse to let the scene be familiar. Let its reality shock you and break your heart.

The face that Moses had begged to see-was forbidden to see-was slapped bloody (Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his own brow...

"On your back with you!" One raises a mallet to sink in the spike. But the soldier's heart must continue pumping as he readies the prisoner's wrist. Someone must sustain the soldier's life minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds his molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). The victim wills that the soldier live on- he grants the warriors continued existences. The man swings.

As the man swings, the Son recalls how he and the Father first designed the medial nerve of the human forearm-the sensations it would be capable of. The design proves flawless-the nerves perform exquisitely. "Up you go!" They lift the cross. God is on display in his underwear and can scarcely breathe.

But these pains are a mere warm-up to his other and growing dread. He begins to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during this day an unearthly foul odor began to waft, not around his nose, but his heart. He feels dirty. Human wickedness starts to crawl upon his spotless being-the living excrement from our souls. The apple of his Father's eye turns brown with rot.

His Father! He must face his Father like this! From heaven the Father now rouses himself like a lion disturbed, shakes his mane, and roars against the shrivelling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. But the roar shakes the unseen world and darkens the visible sky. The Son does not recognize these eyes.

"Son of Man! Why have you behaved so? You have cheated, lusted, stolen, gossiped-murdered, envied, hated, lied. You have cursed, robbed, overspent, overeaten-fornicated, disobeyed, embezzled, and blasphemed. Oh, the duties you have shirked, the children you have abandoned! Who has ever so ignored the poor, so played the coward, so belittled my name? Have you ever held your razor tongue? What a self-righteous, pitiful drunk-you, who molest young boys, peddle killer drugs, travel in cliques, and mock your parents. Who gave you the boldness to rig elections, foment revolutions, torture animals, and worship demons? Does the list never end! Splitting families, raping virgins, acting smugly, playing the pimp-buying politicians, practicing exhortation, filming pornography, accepting bribes. You have burned down buildings, perfected terrorist tactics, founded false religions, traded in slaves-relishing each morsel and bragging about it all. I hate, loathe these things in you! Disgust for everything about you consumes me! Can you not feel my wrath?!"

Of course the Son is innocent. He is blamelessness itself. The Father knows this. But the divine pair have an agreement, and the unthinkable must now take place. Jesus will be treated as if personally responsible for every sin ever committed.

The Father watches as his heart's treasure, the mirror-image of himself, sinks drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah's stored rage against humankind from every century explodes in a single direction.

"Father! Father! Why have you forsaken me?!"

But heaven stops its ears. The Son stares up at the One who cannot, who will not, reach down or reply.

The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved. Jesus, the God-man from Nazareth, perished. The Father accepted his sacrifice for sin and was satisfied. The Rescue was accomplished.

Don't move too quickly from this scene. Keep gazing.

The Rescue accomplished here was for you. John Stott writes, "Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done BY us... As we face the cross, then, we can say to ourselves both 'I DID IT; my sins SENT Him there,' and 'He did it; His love took Him there.'"

Did you see your own offenses on the list of sins that necessitated the Cross? If not, name them yourself. Name your darkest sin. Now reflect on the fact that Christ bore the punishment for that sin. He took the punishment you deserved. Do you feel His passionate and specific love for you? He died for you. He was condemned and cursed so that you could go free-He was forsaken by God so that you would never be forsaken (Hebrews 13:5).

Taken from Joshua Harris' Boy Meets Girl...

Deception...

I'm so sick of you!!! And i know that it's not right to say this but i just feel like saying it, i hate you!!! Can you just stop deceiving me in saying that everything is for my own good, when you don't even know what i really want, so much for staying under 1 roof for so long... I hate it that you deceive me by wanting me to do well, but in the end it's for your own freaking glory... Can you just freaking say that you're worshiping yourself through me!!!

At the same time i pity you... Because you have no hope, you don't have Jesus and you don't even want to... And you need me to satisfy your needs which obviously i won't... YOU'RE JUST SO PATHETIC!!!

Whatever blasphemous crap you said, i just feel like yelling go to hell at you... But i know i shouldn't but i already did it in my heart... I know i'm a rebellious child, but sometimes i just can't take this shit anymore... Since you think you're such a wise man in your own freaking eyes, then just continue with it, maybe when you meet God, you will know how evil i am... And you can continue with your blasphemous craps because i don't feel like reproving you due to your wiseness and attitude... I know that i sound a lil self-righteous here, but i just can't take it...

O LORD, please help me to persevere through all these nonsense...

Heritage...

54:1 “Sing, O barren one, who did not bear;

break forth into singing and cry aloud,

you who have not been in labor!

For the children of the desolate one will be more

than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord.

2 “Enlarge the place of your tent,

and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;

do not hold back; lengthen your cords

and strengthen your stakes.

3 For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left,

and your offspring will possess the nations

and will people the desolate cities.

4 “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed;

be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced;

for you will forget the shame of your youth,

and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more.

5 For your Maker is your husband,

the Lord of hosts is his name;

and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,

the God of the whole earth he is called.

6 For the Lord has called you

like a wife deserted and grieved in spirit,

like a wife of youth when she is cast off,

says your God.

7 For a brief moment I deserted you,

but with great compassion I will gather you.

8 In overflowing anger for a moment

I hid my face from you,

but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”

says the Lord, your Redeemer.

9 “This is like the days of Noah [1] to me:

as I swore that the waters of Noah

should no more go over the earth,

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you,

and will not rebuke you.

10 For the mountains may depart

and the hills be removed,

but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,”

says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

11 “O afflicted one, storm-tossed and not comforted,

behold, I will set your stones in antimony,

and lay your foundations with sapphires.

12 I will make your pinnacles of agate,

your gates of carbuncles,

and all your wall of precious stones.

13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord,

and great shall be the peace of your children.

14 In righteousness you shall be established;

you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear;

and from terror, for it shall not come near you.

15 If anyone stirs up strife,

it is not from me;

whoever stirs up strife with you

shall fall because of you.

16 Behold, I have created the smith

who blows the fire of coals

and produces a weapon for its purpose.

I have also created the ravager to destroy;

17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed,

and you shall confute every tongue that rises against you in judgment.

This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord

and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Isaiah 54 is a very comforting and rejoicing passage... But there's no point in knowing without 53 because how can you rejoice when you don't know WHY you're rejoicing... Isaiah 53 was about a Servant who was wounded and marred beyond human semblance due to people who are like sheeps that have gone astray and yet God took the punishment on God Himself through the vivid details of the pain that this Servant went through... It is through this understanding of the undeservingness of us to be reconciled with the God whom we hated that we can rejoice... This is how we should rejoice in Isaiah 54 after looking at what this Servant a.k.a. Jesus has done for us...

And the bigness of this good news is seen in verse 1, saying that a barren woman which is a woman who can't bear children can SING out loud because of this good news!!! The greatest GOOD NEWS is in verse 4-7... It starts with God telling his people to be bold and not be ashamed of how we have mistreated God... And the reason for it is because God is OUR CREATOR, He knows us inside out and in knowing how filthy we are, He still called us to be His people and now He is with us... Because of this very reason we can now have the heritage of being a servant of the LORD... The picture of the heritage is painted nicely in 54... As we look forward to this HERITAGE, how should we respond to this good news?