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Age: 17
Gender: Male
Occupation: Student
SwordSlayerX
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~:+:Monday, January 17, 2005:+:~
The world today is still trying to help the tsunami victims. The aftermath of the tsunami was a place of bodies and rubble. Lifeforms in the area are scarce, most poisoned by the chemical spills. The best solution we can do now is to send money to the Red Cross. My school organized a bazaar and a concert to contribute to the tsunami victims.
4F was in charge of a dunking machine and two drinking stall. When the dunking machine arrived, the malays regretted to look over the stall, since the machine was quite ugly. I am the overall-in-charge for the two drinks stall. When we set up the drinking stalls, one in the canteen and the other near the dunking machine, we thought that the one in the canteen will not do more business than the one near the machine. The result was opposite. Also, thank Lord, no one got frostbite(most of the time our hands are carrying ice and cold drinks). However, the truimpt card still goes to the dunking machine. We have most of the "popular" teachers, in all ways, to get dunked. Dunking means hitting a ball at a target, when hit the "dunkee" falls into the tub of water. Obviously our discipline master "won" the most popular, most paid(someone paid fifty dollars) most appearance and most dunks. Second most dunked is Mr Sim, three out of five throws hitting the target.
The bazaar consist a lot of ideas from the past youth day bazaar. I feel that the people should give to the tsunami because they wanted to give, not from the acts from the performers. However, events can encourage and emphaise the need of giving to the tsunami vistims. I thanked Jesus for bringing me through the whole bazaar. I will continue praying for the tsunami victims(mostly not to hallucinate, or else some hoax articles will appear on the Strait times, ruining my reading).
4F was in charge of a dunking machine and two drinking stall. When the dunking machine arrived, the malays regretted to look over the stall, since the machine was quite ugly. I am the overall-in-charge for the two drinks stall. When we set up the drinking stalls, one in the canteen and the other near the dunking machine, we thought that the one in the canteen will not do more business than the one near the machine. The result was opposite. Also, thank Lord, no one got frostbite(most of the time our hands are carrying ice and cold drinks). However, the truimpt card still goes to the dunking machine. We have most of the "popular" teachers, in all ways, to get dunked. Dunking means hitting a ball at a target, when hit the "dunkee" falls into the tub of water. Obviously our discipline master "won" the most popular, most paid(someone paid fifty dollars) most appearance and most dunks. Second most dunked is Mr Sim, three out of five throws hitting the target.
The bazaar consist a lot of ideas from the past youth day bazaar. I feel that the people should give to the tsunami because they wanted to give, not from the acts from the performers. However, events can encourage and emphaise the need of giving to the tsunami vistims. I thanked Jesus for bringing me through the whole bazaar. I will continue praying for the tsunami victims(mostly not to hallucinate, or else some hoax articles will appear on the Strait times, ruining my reading).
~:+:Thursday, January 13, 2005:+:~
Over these few weeks, I had been resting from quite a lot of things, including reaching out. As I relaxed more, I found out that I had to do more work. Then, my cell group leader called some of my cell group members and me for a meeting. I realised that I cannot slack any longer. I started to get my cross back up. Satan saw this and started bringing me down. The overwhelming workload of homeworks and assignments, the loss of items, the fatigue of stress and many more, much more that I had experienced, however all I did was to hang on to Christ. I think that thats the only thing I could do. All I had left is Christ. I had made the decision to give up everything for Christ, so, I am going to excute it. The cost is everything. For me, its worth it.
~:+:Thursday, December 23, 2004:+:~
What I learnt in my Bible study is that by reaching out, I can be an ambassador of Christ.
As Christmas is drawing near, the need of spreading the Ultimate Cure is more obvious. Jesus says that "whoever does My will I shall call him My brother or Sister." I wanted to be called as one. These few days I have been busying myself by reaching out, helping out my church and such. Today I have the afternoon to spare. As I reflected what I have done, I realised that as the days goes by, I grew more depressed as I am unsure of the result and the attacks of satan. I wondered to myself: Is doing the Will of God that hard, or is it truely impossible since I am imperfect? I suddenly remembered what pastor Ulf Ekman had said: Walking with God will no cost you someting, it will cost you everything. Also I remembered the book of Acts. Saul was one of the greatest church percercutor, however he met God and became one of the greatest apostle. I concluded that if I wanted to continue walking with Him, I have to sacrifice my confort zone. Now, I will just continue doing His will since I have no other choices to choose. I rather become used than geing trapped and dying without using what I truely have for something. I will be proud being a ambassador of Christ.
As Christmas is drawing near, the need of spreading the Ultimate Cure is more obvious. Jesus says that "whoever does My will I shall call him My brother or Sister." I wanted to be called as one. These few days I have been busying myself by reaching out, helping out my church and such. Today I have the afternoon to spare. As I reflected what I have done, I realised that as the days goes by, I grew more depressed as I am unsure of the result and the attacks of satan. I wondered to myself: Is doing the Will of God that hard, or is it truely impossible since I am imperfect? I suddenly remembered what pastor Ulf Ekman had said: Walking with God will no cost you someting, it will cost you everything. Also I remembered the book of Acts. Saul was one of the greatest church percercutor, however he met God and became one of the greatest apostle. I concluded that if I wanted to continue walking with Him, I have to sacrifice my confort zone. Now, I will just continue doing His will since I have no other choices to choose. I rather become used than geing trapped and dying without using what I truely have for something. I will be proud being a ambassador of Christ.
~:+:Monday, December 20, 2004:+:~
Finally, its Christmas! This Christmas I am going to do something for a change! That is, ushering in the service! Haha however it will be quite fun: serving and praising and worshipping at the same time. Speaking of which my new year resolutions are not up. Hehe! Its time to partyyyy~
~:+:Friday, December 10, 2004:+:~
Continuing from the last post, the oxford dictionary defines an antinomian as "a belief that Christians are released by grace from obeying moral laws."
What are the types of antinomians? There are three types. Gnostic spiritualism. It means that some pastors or people have special revelations from God and they claim that only they know. The revelations does not have any support from the Bible. The Word of God is our Christian foundation. Any revelations that does not have the Word to support is not a revelation from God, as it is written:"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Word will never pass away." Second type is libertinism. It is not liberty. It is lebertin, or rather liberty with no restraints. If there is no restraints, the people will easily go astry. God gave us restraints, that is the Ten Commandments, to prevent us from being bound by satan again so that we can become holy (which means set apart for God; holy dosent means good, kind, gentle or nice, those are the fruits of our Christian walk). Situation ethics is the third type. It means doing what appears loving even if it means breaking God's law. We Christians believe in a God that can make all things possible. He is a God that loves people so much so that He gave His only son Jesus to us. Thats why we do not approve mercy killings. We believe that God can do a miracle that heals all types of wounds.
Continuing with antinomianism, it started during the book of Acts. It was started by Nicholas(not me) of Antioch, one of the seven deacons. The followers was called Nicolaitians. They taught that Christians are free of the flesh and sin which is not true. The flesh is our temples, built for the Lord. If we do not keep it clean, will it presentable to God? Surely not. Jesus condemmed the doctrine of the Nicolaitians in the book of Revelations. The word "antinomian" was coined by Martin Luther, who used the word to describe his student's(Johannes Agricola) teaching of rejecting all moral law(Ten Commandments) of God. Cheap grace is usually described with antinomianism, coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He believes the teaching of cheap grace was the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.
When you talk about laws, you could be refering to the: Pentateuch(Torah), the whole Old Testament, or the law of Moses. The law of Moses can be divided into three sets: Moral law(Ten Commandments), civil law and ceremonial law. The ceremonial law is totally fufiled in Christ, so that we do not have to sacrifice any animals in subsitute to our sins. The civil law is more relevant to Israel than to us. However, the Ten Commandments are not abolished by Jesus or by God, so we must still obey the Ten Commandments.
A covenant of God is an agreement between two parties, and a promise made binding by an oath. The gospel can be foundin the Abrahamiac covenant and Jesus' new covenant, which are both everlasting covenants. But the one thousand and five hundard years in between those two periods was a time of the Mosaic covenant. Because God took no oath, it was only a temporary covenant. The law was "added" during that period because of the continous rebellion of the children of Israel.
So, why churches are tolerating antinomian congregations?
Firstly, ignorance. Churches tend to overlook these congregations because they are large. However this is not acceptable to God. He warns us in Hosea4:6 "My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me: because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children."
Secondly, the appearance of success. Most antinomian congregations are larg and wealthy, so most churches tend not to stand up against them.
Thirdly, fear of confrontation. Again God warns us in Eze3:20-21 "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning, also you will have delivered you soul."
Forthly, fear of causing division to the body of Christ. God mention in His Word that He despises antinomians. so what division confronting antinomains can do; for they are already cut off from the body of Christ.
Lastly, compromise. This in Christ, is totally not acceptable. It is not the laws or grace that saves us from our sins, it is the Truth of Christ that set us free from the bondage of this world! Whatever we do for the Lord, we must not compromise, for the Lord He despises that.
So churches, fight against antinomianism. We love God, thats why we have His mindset. The Truth will not be compromised, for the Truth shall set us free. Amen.
What are the types of antinomians? There are three types. Gnostic spiritualism. It means that some pastors or people have special revelations from God and they claim that only they know. The revelations does not have any support from the Bible. The Word of God is our Christian foundation. Any revelations that does not have the Word to support is not a revelation from God, as it is written:"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my Word will never pass away." Second type is libertinism. It is not liberty. It is lebertin, or rather liberty with no restraints. If there is no restraints, the people will easily go astry. God gave us restraints, that is the Ten Commandments, to prevent us from being bound by satan again so that we can become holy (which means set apart for God; holy dosent means good, kind, gentle or nice, those are the fruits of our Christian walk). Situation ethics is the third type. It means doing what appears loving even if it means breaking God's law. We Christians believe in a God that can make all things possible. He is a God that loves people so much so that He gave His only son Jesus to us. Thats why we do not approve mercy killings. We believe that God can do a miracle that heals all types of wounds.
Continuing with antinomianism, it started during the book of Acts. It was started by Nicholas(not me) of Antioch, one of the seven deacons. The followers was called Nicolaitians. They taught that Christians are free of the flesh and sin which is not true. The flesh is our temples, built for the Lord. If we do not keep it clean, will it presentable to God? Surely not. Jesus condemmed the doctrine of the Nicolaitians in the book of Revelations. The word "antinomian" was coined by Martin Luther, who used the word to describe his student's(Johannes Agricola) teaching of rejecting all moral law(Ten Commandments) of God. Cheap grace is usually described with antinomianism, coined by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. He believes the teaching of cheap grace was the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.
When you talk about laws, you could be refering to the: Pentateuch(Torah), the whole Old Testament, or the law of Moses. The law of Moses can be divided into three sets: Moral law(Ten Commandments), civil law and ceremonial law. The ceremonial law is totally fufiled in Christ, so that we do not have to sacrifice any animals in subsitute to our sins. The civil law is more relevant to Israel than to us. However, the Ten Commandments are not abolished by Jesus or by God, so we must still obey the Ten Commandments.
A covenant of God is an agreement between two parties, and a promise made binding by an oath. The gospel can be foundin the Abrahamiac covenant and Jesus' new covenant, which are both everlasting covenants. But the one thousand and five hundard years in between those two periods was a time of the Mosaic covenant. Because God took no oath, it was only a temporary covenant. The law was "added" during that period because of the continous rebellion of the children of Israel.
So, why churches are tolerating antinomian congregations?
Firstly, ignorance. Churches tend to overlook these congregations because they are large. However this is not acceptable to God. He warns us in Hosea4:6 "My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me: because you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children."
Secondly, the appearance of success. Most antinomian congregations are larg and wealthy, so most churches tend not to stand up against them.
Thirdly, fear of confrontation. Again God warns us in Eze3:20-21 "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning, also you will have delivered you soul."
Forthly, fear of causing division to the body of Christ. God mention in His Word that He despises antinomians. so what division confronting antinomains can do; for they are already cut off from the body of Christ.
Lastly, compromise. This in Christ, is totally not acceptable. It is not the laws or grace that saves us from our sins, it is the Truth of Christ that set us free from the bondage of this world! Whatever we do for the Lord, we must not compromise, for the Lord He despises that.
So churches, fight against antinomianism. We love God, thats why we have His mindset. The Truth will not be compromised, for the Truth shall set us free. Amen.
~:+:Thursday, December 02, 2004:+:~
I have attended my church's two weeks of seminar on following the Narrow Way to heaven. If churches veer to the right, they will become legalistic. They will add laws to the Ten Commandments. There are three types of legalism: Divorcing the letter of the law from the spirit of the law, that is, to obey the law without the right internal obedience and/or with the wrong motive. The second type, which is the most dangerous, is addind legislation to the law of God and treating the addition as if it were divine law. Churches not allowing thier members to listen to music, dying their hair, eat certain foods other than the ones offered to idols etc. are like the pharisees and Jesus despise them. The last one which is the most common is relying on performance to merit favor before God. That is the basis of almost all religons, so called "salvation through works". However, we Christians are saved by grace through faith, not by any works, but by through Christ Jesus, whom had pinned all our sins to the cross of calvary two thousand years ago. Legalism is the universal tendency of mankind, as it is our nature to want to control over everything. Obedience is not work, as misunderstood by many churches. Conservatism is not legalism. Just because another person is more conservative than you means that he is legalistic and vice versa. However, Jesus says that legalism is not the major problem in the end-times. It will be antinomianism, a fatal belief that because a Christian is under the grace of God, he or she can freely partake in sin because the law of God no longer applies in his or her life, specifically the Ten Commandments. The next post I shall talk about it.
~:+:Tuesday, November 30, 2004:+:~
Gone back to Hougang to work for today. The last time I went there I made eight dollars, thus I think that today is going to be the same again. However, this time I had an stomachache. I rely on God to deliver me through the five and a half hours of work. Even though me stomachache was made well at around nine in the morning, I felt really tired. I just pushed on and continued to serve the customers. There is a lady who helped us to sell the clothes too. I think that that was God's planning to relief my pain and tiredness. I praise God for that. Thus, with God, everyting went well today. Praise God!