Sunday, 31st August 2008
I have not had a chance to blog over the past few days because my grandma passed away on 26 August at a ripe old age of 93.
Thanks to everyone who expressed their concern for our family.
The wake was held at the Singapore Casket Centre, and what was of significance (to me anyway) was that there were 5 wreaths that were sent by various colleagues. 5 of my colleagues came to pay their respects (many others sent their condolences but could not turn up in person because it was the lunar 7th month, superstitious beliefs, etc). 25% (or 5 X 5) of the donations that were collected at the wake (which will be given to Paya Lebar Methodist Church, by the way) were from my colleagues.
So even during this time of bereavement, God was reminding me of His wonderful grace! I have only been in this company for a mere 5 months, and in that short period of time, God has been granting me extremely great favour at my workplace, not just with my bosses but also with fellow heads of department as well as subordinates.
This is a reinforcement that "right believing produces right living", and friends, this underserved favour is equally for you, because of Jesus' finished work on the cross. God has no favourites; all you need to do is believe that God is really that good!
Back in the 1980s, there was a song made popular by the Pet Shop Boys entitled "What Have I Done to Deserve This?". As I reflected upon the great underserved favour that God has bestowed upon me in my current job, this question also came to mind...
... and so did the answer, "Nothing, because Jesus was the One who did it all".
He cried "My God! My God! Why have your forsaken me?" so that we can now cry out, "My Abba! My Abba! Why have you so blessed me?" :-)
Nothing Catches God by Surprise
Saturday, 30th August 2008
Several days ago, I received an email from an LCEC member who also happens to be a ROOTSS subscriber (or should that be "a ROOTSS subscriber who also happens to be an LCEC member"?)
Anyways, the email was entitled "This may interest you" and was a forwarded article written by Kim Wheatley about Mike G, the writer of the song "Healer".
Pastor Michael Guglielmucci spun gospel of lies
By Kim Wheatley August 21, 2008
Pastor told congregation he had cancer
Recorded hit song Healer to inspire people
He's a fraud - but he's getting help
Not quite terminal ... Michael Guglielmucci, who preached about his battle against deadly cancer, is getting professional help after being exposed as a fraud.
HE preached to thousands about his terminal illness and tugged at hearts with a hit song.
The problem is the pastor wasn't dying at all
Michael Guglielmucci, who inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his terminal cancer "battle", has been exposed as a fraud.
Guglielmucci, whose parents established Edge Church International, an Assemblies of God church at O'Halloran Hill in Adelaide's southern suburbs, now is seeking professional help.
Earlier this year, Mr Guglielmucci released a hit song, Healer , which was featured on Sydney church Hillsong's latest album.
The song debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts.
It since has become an anthem of faith for believers, many of whom are suffering their own illness and were praying for a miracle for Mr Guglielmucci, who has claimed for two years to be terminally ill.
In one church performance that has attracted 300,000 hits on YouTube, he performs his hit song with an oxygen tube in his nose.
It appears Mr Guglielmucci, who was a pastor with one of Australia's biggest youth churches, Planetshakers, may even have deceived his own family.
"This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family," Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian said in an email to his congregation yesterday.
"Michael has confirmed that he is not suffering with a terminal illness and is seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family. We are asking our church to pray for the Guglielmucci family during this difficult time."
The Advertiser was told last night Mr Guglielmucci may release a statement on the situation.
The Australian Christian Church said Mr Guglielmucci's credentials immediately were suspended once he told the national executive that his cancer claims were "untrue".
"The national executive is taking this matter very seriously and is awaiting the results of medical tests before determining the full extent of the discipline that will be imposed upon him," vice president Alun Davies said.
"We are very concerned for the many people who have been or will be hurt by Michael's actions.
"We encourage all of our churches to pray for all those affected."
This was my email response to that LCEC member / ROOTSS subscriber...
Hi XXXXXX XXXXX
Yup, I read about it, and it upset me because I claimed those words for my son, and sobbed uncontrollably when Ps Reuben first showed the video of that song in church.
In fact, it was because of that song that made me go and buy the album!
Then, I sat back and tried to think how Jesus would have reacted, and realised that it did not come as a surprise to Him -- just like it came as no surprise to Him when Adam ate of the fruit in the garden, or when Jacob cheated Isaac into thinking that he was the firstborn, or when Abram lied about his wife, or when David committed adultery with Bathsheba, etc etc. In fact, he paid the full price for every single one of those sins, including Mike G’s.
So if this does not surprise or stumble Jesus, why should I allow it to surprise or stumble me? Even though man’s intentions may have been bad, God can still make something good out of it. Even though Joseph’s brothers meant harm when they sold him as a slave, God raised him up so that he could provide for his family when there was a famine. Even though man invented the cross to inflict the most slow and excruciating form of dying, God used that same instrument to bring about His greatest victory over the devil. Closer to home, even though PIC did not mean good when he gave my name to the police which could have jeopardised my career, God not only protected me but has caused me to prosper superabundantly. The list goes on and on…
So in this case, Mike G may have sought to deceive when he pretended he had cancer. Yes, it was a horrible sin, and I do not make light of that. But after a time of struggling with “why did he do it?” and how this incident has brought hurt, shame and embarrassment to the body of Christ, maybe we can start looking forward to how God can still somehow turn things around.
I am reminded of a song, “Something beautiful. Something good. All my confusion He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life”.
In closing, this blog entry may be of interest to you..
Why Do Ministers Fall?
Several days ago, I received an email from an LCEC member who also happens to be a ROOTSS subscriber (or should that be "a ROOTSS subscriber who also happens to be an LCEC member"?)
Anyways, the email was entitled "This may interest you" and was a forwarded article written by Kim Wheatley about Mike G, the writer of the song "Healer".
Pastor Michael Guglielmucci spun gospel of lies
By Kim Wheatley August 21, 2008
Pastor told congregation he had cancer
Recorded hit song Healer to inspire people
He's a fraud - but he's getting help
Not quite terminal ... Michael Guglielmucci, who preached about his battle against deadly cancer, is getting professional help after being exposed as a fraud.
HE preached to thousands about his terminal illness and tugged at hearts with a hit song.
The problem is the pastor wasn't dying at all
Michael Guglielmucci, who inspired hundreds of thousands of young Christians with his terminal cancer "battle", has been exposed as a fraud.
Guglielmucci, whose parents established Edge Church International, an Assemblies of God church at O'Halloran Hill in Adelaide's southern suburbs, now is seeking professional help.
Earlier this year, Mr Guglielmucci released a hit song, Healer , which was featured on Sydney church Hillsong's latest album.
The song debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA charts.
It since has become an anthem of faith for believers, many of whom are suffering their own illness and were praying for a miracle for Mr Guglielmucci, who has claimed for two years to be terminally ill.
In one church performance that has attracted 300,000 hits on YouTube, he performs his hit song with an oxygen tube in his nose.
It appears Mr Guglielmucci, who was a pastor with one of Australia's biggest youth churches, Planetshakers, may even have deceived his own family.
"This news has come as a great shock to everyone including, it seems, his own wife and family," Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian said in an email to his congregation yesterday.
"Michael has confirmed that he is not suffering with a terminal illness and is seeking professional help in Adelaide with the support of his family. We are asking our church to pray for the Guglielmucci family during this difficult time."
The Advertiser was told last night Mr Guglielmucci may release a statement on the situation.
The Australian Christian Church said Mr Guglielmucci's credentials immediately were suspended once he told the national executive that his cancer claims were "untrue".
"The national executive is taking this matter very seriously and is awaiting the results of medical tests before determining the full extent of the discipline that will be imposed upon him," vice president Alun Davies said.
"We are very concerned for the many people who have been or will be hurt by Michael's actions.
"We encourage all of our churches to pray for all those affected."
This was my email response to that LCEC member / ROOTSS subscriber...
Hi XXXXXX XXXXX
Yup, I read about it, and it upset me because I claimed those words for my son, and sobbed uncontrollably when Ps Reuben first showed the video of that song in church.
In fact, it was because of that song that made me go and buy the album!
Then, I sat back and tried to think how Jesus would have reacted, and realised that it did not come as a surprise to Him -- just like it came as no surprise to Him when Adam ate of the fruit in the garden, or when Jacob cheated Isaac into thinking that he was the firstborn, or when Abram lied about his wife, or when David committed adultery with Bathsheba, etc etc. In fact, he paid the full price for every single one of those sins, including Mike G’s.
So if this does not surprise or stumble Jesus, why should I allow it to surprise or stumble me? Even though man’s intentions may have been bad, God can still make something good out of it. Even though Joseph’s brothers meant harm when they sold him as a slave, God raised him up so that he could provide for his family when there was a famine. Even though man invented the cross to inflict the most slow and excruciating form of dying, God used that same instrument to bring about His greatest victory over the devil. Closer to home, even though PIC did not mean good when he gave my name to the police which could have jeopardised my career, God not only protected me but has caused me to prosper superabundantly. The list goes on and on…
So in this case, Mike G may have sought to deceive when he pretended he had cancer. Yes, it was a horrible sin, and I do not make light of that. But after a time of struggling with “why did he do it?” and how this incident has brought hurt, shame and embarrassment to the body of Christ, maybe we can start looking forward to how God can still somehow turn things around.
I am reminded of a song, “Something beautiful. Something good. All my confusion He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life”.
In closing, this blog entry may be of interest to you..
Why Do Ministers Fall?
Sowing Bountifully
Sunday, 24th August 2008
A couple of weeks ago, something wonderful happened to cause me to believe that God is going to cause me to prosper fivefold.
Today is my first trip to New Creation Church since going on a sabbatical. To activate that faith, I am going to sow bountifully into a ministry which God has truly used to liberate me from my previous religious and legalistic theological beliefs.
I now understand what the true gospel of Jesus is and what His finished work on the cross has accomplished for me – the abundant life which encompasses prosperity, wholeness and peace.
I am really looking forward to testifying to all of you and giving the glory to God when He causes me to reap bountifully as a result of sowing this miracle seed :-)
Actually, to be more precise, I look forward to being able to tithe the above amount every month, with God as my witness.
P.S. If any of you accuse me of having this motive to “get something back in return”, I am guilty as charged. Come to think of it, the farmer who sows a handful of seeds into the ground stands equally guilty because he is expecting those seeds to produce a bountiful harvest. Even Paul said that those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully, so I am in great company :-)
A couple of weeks ago, something wonderful happened to cause me to believe that God is going to cause me to prosper fivefold.
Today is my first trip to New Creation Church since going on a sabbatical. To activate that faith, I am going to sow bountifully into a ministry which God has truly used to liberate me from my previous religious and legalistic theological beliefs.
I now understand what the true gospel of Jesus is and what His finished work on the cross has accomplished for me – the abundant life which encompasses prosperity, wholeness and peace.
I am really looking forward to testifying to all of you and giving the glory to God when He causes me to reap bountifully as a result of sowing this miracle seed :-)
Actually, to be more precise, I look forward to being able to tithe the above amount every month, with God as my witness.
P.S. If any of you accuse me of having this motive to “get something back in return”, I am guilty as charged. Come to think of it, the farmer who sows a handful of seeds into the ground stands equally guilty because he is expecting those seeds to produce a bountiful harvest. Even Paul said that those who sow bountifully will also reap bountifully, so I am in great company :-)
A Tribute to My Dad and other Thoughts
Saturday 23rd August 2008
I have not blogged much about my dad before, so what better day to write a tribute to him than today -- which is his 73rd birthday.
My dad was born into a relatively humble home, and is the first of 5 children. I have blogged before that those who are called to be doctors know of their destiny from a very tender and young age, and my dad and youngest sis are no exceptions. They wanted to be doctors even while in Primary school.
His rags to riches story is truly a testimony to the Lord's goodness and faithfulness. He is also a very filial son, a loving husband, a caring father and a doting grandfather.
He is a very good employer. He treats his employees extremely well, so much so that the majority of the nurses in his clinic have worked there for more than 20 years! At a recent Family Day that my company held at Sentosa, I invited my parents and my parents-in-law. My colleague who heads the Human Resource Department recognised my dad because he is her family doctor. In a recent conversation I had with her, we spoke about my dad and I told her that the way he ran his clinic is an inspiration to me in the way I currently run my department. Hopefully, those in my department will also remain in the company for many years to come :-)
My dad is also a very well-respected elder of the church. He was the LCEC Chairman for many many years, as well as the Chairman of 2 its two recent building projects. When I was asked to serve as cell leader and Treasurer of this same church back in 2006, I am sure this must have brought him much joy, seeing his only son following in his footsteps. He may even have hoped that I would serve in an even greater capacity one day. Alas, because of differences in doctrine, I was asked to step down from both official positions. My name was even given to the police in a recent vandalism case. All these must have caused him much pain and anguish, and had I known then what I know now, I would not have accepted those leadership positions to begin with. The Lord must have prompted the Finance Chairman and my then-cluster leader to approach me to take on those positions, so it is really strange for God to change His mind and then inspire the one who asked me to step down to ask me to step down...
Nonetheless, I strongly hold on to Rom 8:28 where Paul tells us that "in all things, God works for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose". Meanwhile, being an ordinary member of my church on sabbatical is actually extremely liberating. I have no obligations in terms of attendance, service and giving, and so I am free to attend New Creation Church anytime as the Lord prompts me, which I am really looking forward to doing so tomorrow.
My dad was the one who told me not to give up my membership in PLMC, because of the itinerant nature of Methodist pastoral appointments. Even though the current one in charge is against the grace gospel, I am praying (and have rallied many others to join me in agreement prayer) that the next one will not be. I really look forward to the day when the church of my forefathers is being liberated from religiosity and legalism. There are already pockets of grace-embracing believers amongst her membership. For example, there are several church staff, LCEC members and cell leaders who subscribe to ROOTSS. There are another couple of guys from my previous cell who have asked me for a copy of D2R and D2RD.
Of course, there are other fellow church members who avoid me as though I am a leper. One such member whom I grew up with and sang in the choir has removed me as his Facebook friend. Another one, who borrowed my LCD projector for his cell member's wedding, pretends not to see me when he comes across me in church. But I take comfort that Jesus and Paul also had people who disliked them.
In fact, it is times like this that God reveals to you who your true friends are -- those who stick with you through thick and thin, and those who run away at the first sign of trouble. And my dad is one of those who has stuck with me through thick and thin.
Oops, sorry for digressing. Back to my dad...
Dad, thank you for being a wonderful father to me. Even though what is currently happening in church is something that you and I did not hope for and expect, God will vincidate and restore, the same way He did Joseph.
I truly believe that God has no favourites, and what He is doing in New Creation Church, he can do likewise Paya Lebar Methodist Church. What we need are pastors who will preach the pure unadulterated grace gospel that focuses on Jesus and His finished work on the cross, and God will cause our congregation to multiply as well.
HAPPY 73RD BIRTHDAY, DAD! I love you.
Here is a photo taken of us celebrating his birthday at IndoChine Waterfront.
I have not blogged much about my dad before, so what better day to write a tribute to him than today -- which is his 73rd birthday.
My dad was born into a relatively humble home, and is the first of 5 children. I have blogged before that those who are called to be doctors know of their destiny from a very tender and young age, and my dad and youngest sis are no exceptions. They wanted to be doctors even while in Primary school.
His rags to riches story is truly a testimony to the Lord's goodness and faithfulness. He is also a very filial son, a loving husband, a caring father and a doting grandfather.
He is a very good employer. He treats his employees extremely well, so much so that the majority of the nurses in his clinic have worked there for more than 20 years! At a recent Family Day that my company held at Sentosa, I invited my parents and my parents-in-law. My colleague who heads the Human Resource Department recognised my dad because he is her family doctor. In a recent conversation I had with her, we spoke about my dad and I told her that the way he ran his clinic is an inspiration to me in the way I currently run my department. Hopefully, those in my department will also remain in the company for many years to come :-)
My dad is also a very well-respected elder of the church. He was the LCEC Chairman for many many years, as well as the Chairman of 2 its two recent building projects. When I was asked to serve as cell leader and Treasurer of this same church back in 2006, I am sure this must have brought him much joy, seeing his only son following in his footsteps. He may even have hoped that I would serve in an even greater capacity one day. Alas, because of differences in doctrine, I was asked to step down from both official positions. My name was even given to the police in a recent vandalism case. All these must have caused him much pain and anguish, and had I known then what I know now, I would not have accepted those leadership positions to begin with. The Lord must have prompted the Finance Chairman and my then-cluster leader to approach me to take on those positions, so it is really strange for God to change His mind and then inspire the one who asked me to step down to ask me to step down...
Nonetheless, I strongly hold on to Rom 8:28 where Paul tells us that "in all things, God works for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose". Meanwhile, being an ordinary member of my church on sabbatical is actually extremely liberating. I have no obligations in terms of attendance, service and giving, and so I am free to attend New Creation Church anytime as the Lord prompts me, which I am really looking forward to doing so tomorrow.
My dad was the one who told me not to give up my membership in PLMC, because of the itinerant nature of Methodist pastoral appointments. Even though the current one in charge is against the grace gospel, I am praying (and have rallied many others to join me in agreement prayer) that the next one will not be. I really look forward to the day when the church of my forefathers is being liberated from religiosity and legalism. There are already pockets of grace-embracing believers amongst her membership. For example, there are several church staff, LCEC members and cell leaders who subscribe to ROOTSS. There are another couple of guys from my previous cell who have asked me for a copy of D2R and D2RD.
Of course, there are other fellow church members who avoid me as though I am a leper. One such member whom I grew up with and sang in the choir has removed me as his Facebook friend. Another one, who borrowed my LCD projector for his cell member's wedding, pretends not to see me when he comes across me in church. But I take comfort that Jesus and Paul also had people who disliked them.
In fact, it is times like this that God reveals to you who your true friends are -- those who stick with you through thick and thin, and those who run away at the first sign of trouble. And my dad is one of those who has stuck with me through thick and thin.
Oops, sorry for digressing. Back to my dad...
Dad, thank you for being a wonderful father to me. Even though what is currently happening in church is something that you and I did not hope for and expect, God will vincidate and restore, the same way He did Joseph.
I truly believe that God has no favourites, and what He is doing in New Creation Church, he can do likewise Paya Lebar Methodist Church. What we need are pastors who will preach the pure unadulterated grace gospel that focuses on Jesus and His finished work on the cross, and God will cause our congregation to multiply as well.
HAPPY 73RD BIRTHDAY, DAD! I love you.
Here is a photo taken of us celebrating his birthday at IndoChine Waterfront.
Penning Down Thoughts
Friday, 22nd August 2008
The LORD has been placing in my heart to pen down my thoughts regarding scandalous and controversial passages in the Bible.
Nothing happens by chance but is through God's divine appointment that has caused my path to cross with Jeffrey, who is in the book publishing industry, and Geri, who is a scriptwriter, so I can tap on their expertise to get the book proofread and published should this really come to pass.
I was contemplating how the contents of the book should be presented. I have tried my hand at writing short stories and even a comic illustration, and that was when the Lord impressed upon me that it should be a combination of both!
So here goes, and tell me what you think:
SAVING ONE'S OWN SKIN AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER'S
[Gen 12: 10-17]
Abram: Sarai dear, as there's a famine in the land, I think we should go down to Egpyt until it clears.
Sarai: OK, sure.
Abram: Umm, just one thing...
Sarai: Yes?
Abram: You may be 60 years old already, but are still a very beautiful woman. Pharaoh is sure to desire you when he sees you. If he finds out you are my wife, he will surely kill me, and then take you to be part of his harem.
Sarai: Go on...
Abram: Remember how God promised me that I will be a father of many nations? Well, if I die in the hands of the Pharaoh, that promise ain't gonna happen.
Sarai: So what do you suggest we do?
Abram: Is it ok if I told him you are my sister? In that way, I will be treated well and my life will be spared. But most importantly, God's promise can come to pass!
Sarai: Ok, if that's what God has prompted you to do.
IN EGYPT
Pharaoh's official: Your honour, two strangers have wandered into our land - a man and a woman. We have been informed that they are brother and sister.
Pharaoh: Bring her for me to see... oh and her brother as well.
Abram and Sarai are brought to the palace before Pharaoh
Pharaoh: Hi there, welcome to Egypt. How may I address you?
Abram: I'm Abram and this is my sister, Sarai. We are here to take refuge because there is a famine in our land.
Pharaoh: You have a very beautiful sister, Abram. Please, make yourselves at home in our country.
Abram: You are very kind, sir. Thank you.
Pharaoh: No, thank YOU! [looks lustily at Sarai and then winks at Abram].
Pharaoh gives sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels to Abram in exchange for Sarai, whom he brings into his palace to be another of his many wives.
DAYS LATER
Pharaoh: WTH is happening? I've got this horrible rash, but worst of all, I cannot perform! Although we have already invented the pyramids, Viagra is still not on the cards until several thousand years more, so what am I going to do? And who is going to satisfy all these women in my palace?
Pharaoh's official: Your honour, I think this is happening because of that woman Sarai. He is actually Abram's wife.
Pharaoh: His WIFE???? Summon that sneaky son of a gun to me!
Abram is brought before the Pharaoh
Pharaoh: Is this true?
Abram: Yes, your honour.
Pharaoh: What have you done to me? Why did you tell me she is your sister when she is actually your wife. Now, take all that I've given you and get the hades out of my country!"
QUESTION TO PONDER: Abram lies about his wife, and Sarai ends up marrying the Pharaoh (which includes having to go to bed with him). In the end, it is not Abram but the Pharaoh that is punished by God! By being a selfish coward, Abram not only gets away scot-free but leaves Egypt with possessions such as sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Why?
The LORD has been placing in my heart to pen down my thoughts regarding scandalous and controversial passages in the Bible.
Nothing happens by chance but is through God's divine appointment that has caused my path to cross with Jeffrey, who is in the book publishing industry, and Geri, who is a scriptwriter, so I can tap on their expertise to get the book proofread and published should this really come to pass.
I was contemplating how the contents of the book should be presented. I have tried my hand at writing short stories and even a comic illustration, and that was when the Lord impressed upon me that it should be a combination of both!
So here goes, and tell me what you think:
SAVING ONE'S OWN SKIN AT THE EXPENSE OF ANOTHER'S
[Gen 12: 10-17]
Abram: Sarai dear, as there's a famine in the land, I think we should go down to Egpyt until it clears.
Sarai: OK, sure.
Abram: Umm, just one thing...
Sarai: Yes?
Abram: You may be 60 years old already, but are still a very beautiful woman. Pharaoh is sure to desire you when he sees you. If he finds out you are my wife, he will surely kill me, and then take you to be part of his harem.
Sarai: Go on...
Abram: Remember how God promised me that I will be a father of many nations? Well, if I die in the hands of the Pharaoh, that promise ain't gonna happen.
Sarai: So what do you suggest we do?
Abram: Is it ok if I told him you are my sister? In that way, I will be treated well and my life will be spared. But most importantly, God's promise can come to pass!
Sarai: Ok, if that's what God has prompted you to do.
IN EGYPT
Pharaoh's official: Your honour, two strangers have wandered into our land - a man and a woman. We have been informed that they are brother and sister.
Pharaoh: Bring her for me to see... oh and her brother as well.
Abram and Sarai are brought to the palace before Pharaoh
Pharaoh: Hi there, welcome to Egypt. How may I address you?
Abram: I'm Abram and this is my sister, Sarai. We are here to take refuge because there is a famine in our land.
Pharaoh: You have a very beautiful sister, Abram. Please, make yourselves at home in our country.
Abram: You are very kind, sir. Thank you.
Pharaoh: No, thank YOU! [looks lustily at Sarai and then winks at Abram].
Pharaoh gives sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels to Abram in exchange for Sarai, whom he brings into his palace to be another of his many wives.
DAYS LATER
Pharaoh: WTH is happening? I've got this horrible rash, but worst of all, I cannot perform! Although we have already invented the pyramids, Viagra is still not on the cards until several thousand years more, so what am I going to do? And who is going to satisfy all these women in my palace?
Pharaoh's official: Your honour, I think this is happening because of that woman Sarai. He is actually Abram's wife.
Pharaoh: His WIFE???? Summon that sneaky son of a gun to me!
Abram is brought before the Pharaoh
Pharaoh: Is this true?
Abram: Yes, your honour.
Pharaoh: What have you done to me? Why did you tell me she is your sister when she is actually your wife. Now, take all that I've given you and get the hades out of my country!"
QUESTION TO PONDER: Abram lies about his wife, and Sarai ends up marrying the Pharaoh (which includes having to go to bed with him). In the end, it is not Abram but the Pharaoh that is punished by God! By being a selfish coward, Abram not only gets away scot-free but leaves Egypt with possessions such as sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Why?
Restrictions Lifted
Thursday, 21st August 2008
A couple of days back, I was lamenting about how censorship was still being practiced, and how people were not given a chance to make their own decisions because others had made them on their behalf.
As I pondered upon this, I realised that I had been a hypocrite because that was exactly what I was doing too! There was a stage when lots of anonymous comments appeared on my blog, and on the advice of some readers, I decided to disallow them because I considered them to be distracting and unconstructive.
But whatever the reasons, valid as they may be, I was in essence making a decision on behalf of you ROOTSS readers, the same way my church's Pastor's Office was making a decision on behalf of its members and others.
And so having thought and prayed about it, and having received confirmation of this via Geri, I have decided to lift the restrictions.
There will always be different points of view, and what I have come to realise is that stifling one side does not mean it will go away. Rather, it is through a process of the exchanging of views that iron sharpens iron.
So anonymous reader/(s), if you are reading this, you are most welcome again to post whatever you wish. Other readers should be the ones deciding whether you make sense or not, or whether your comments are edifying or otherwise.
Yes, I do admit that at times these comments are malicious, spiteful and hurtful, but I have to learn not to get angry or defensive, but to instead react the way our Lord Jesus did when the Pharisees and others made malicious, spiteful and hurtful comments against Him, and that is to say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
God will be my defence, Amen?
Joo even said in glee that he enjoyed reading those comments, and I believe many of you do too. And lifting this restriction sure does no harm to the number of visits to ROOTSS, I must add...
A couple of days back, I was lamenting about how censorship was still being practiced, and how people were not given a chance to make their own decisions because others had made them on their behalf.
As I pondered upon this, I realised that I had been a hypocrite because that was exactly what I was doing too! There was a stage when lots of anonymous comments appeared on my blog, and on the advice of some readers, I decided to disallow them because I considered them to be distracting and unconstructive.
But whatever the reasons, valid as they may be, I was in essence making a decision on behalf of you ROOTSS readers, the same way my church's Pastor's Office was making a decision on behalf of its members and others.
And so having thought and prayed about it, and having received confirmation of this via Geri, I have decided to lift the restrictions.
There will always be different points of view, and what I have come to realise is that stifling one side does not mean it will go away. Rather, it is through a process of the exchanging of views that iron sharpens iron.
So anonymous reader/(s), if you are reading this, you are most welcome again to post whatever you wish. Other readers should be the ones deciding whether you make sense or not, or whether your comments are edifying or otherwise.
Yes, I do admit that at times these comments are malicious, spiteful and hurtful, but I have to learn not to get angry or defensive, but to instead react the way our Lord Jesus did when the Pharisees and others made malicious, spiteful and hurtful comments against Him, and that is to say, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
God will be my defence, Amen?
Joo even said in glee that he enjoyed reading those comments, and I believe many of you do too. And lifting this restriction sure does no harm to the number of visits to ROOTSS, I must add...
Even Way Back Then...
Wednesday, 20th August 2008
Those of you who have been folllowing ROOTTS must have read about how I was first exposed to the grace gospel in 2005 through Victor, an ex-colleague of mine from New Creation Church who left Ps Prince's sermons in the office for others to borrow.
But do you know that somehow even way back in 1996 and 1997, God was already preparing me for this revelation? Read on...
My daughter Rachel was born in March 1996, while my son Mark was born 18 months later in September 1997. We had wanted to give them names found in the Bible. By the way, Rachel means "female lamb", while Mark means "mighty
warrior".
But what is of more significance are the Chinese names that my wife chose for them even way back then. Rachel's name is hui4 xian2 (惠娴), which means "gracious and elegant". Mark's name is en1 le4 (恩乐), which means "benevolent and joyful".
Well, the Chinese characters for God's grace is en1 hui4 "恩惠". Rachel has the hui4 "惠" in her name, while Mark has the en1 "恩" in his name!
What this means is that the LORD must have given my Prov 31 woman great wisdom and foresight, and sown that seed into her heart, and it came to fruition some 9 years later!
(By the way, the graphic on right was lifted from Geri's blog entry entitled Chinese grace)
And as I see my kids growing up, those traits are really coming to pass. Rachel is a wonderful girl full of elegance, while Mark is always so joyful. And needless to say, both of them are also starting to understand what it means to have God's undeserved favour as a result of Jesus' finished work on the cross.
Hallelujah and praise to the LORD!
Those of you who have been folllowing ROOTTS must have read about how I was first exposed to the grace gospel in 2005 through Victor, an ex-colleague of mine from New Creation Church who left Ps Prince's sermons in the office for others to borrow.
But do you know that somehow even way back in 1996 and 1997, God was already preparing me for this revelation? Read on...
My daughter Rachel was born in March 1996, while my son Mark was born 18 months later in September 1997. We had wanted to give them names found in the Bible. By the way, Rachel means "female lamb", while Mark means "mighty
warrior".
But what is of more significance are the Chinese names that my wife chose for them even way back then. Rachel's name is hui4 xian2 (惠娴), which means "gracious and elegant". Mark's name is en1 le4 (恩乐), which means "benevolent and joyful".
Well, the Chinese characters for God's grace is en1 hui4 "恩惠". Rachel has the hui4 "惠" in her name, while Mark has the en1 "恩" in his name!
What this means is that the LORD must have given my Prov 31 woman great wisdom and foresight, and sown that seed into her heart, and it came to fruition some 9 years later!
(By the way, the graphic on right was lifted from Geri's blog entry entitled Chinese grace)
And as I see my kids growing up, those traits are really coming to pass. Rachel is a wonderful girl full of elegance, while Mark is always so joyful. And needless to say, both of them are also starting to understand what it means to have God's undeserved favour as a result of Jesus' finished work on the cross.
Hallelujah and praise to the LORD!
Censorship in Action (Part 2)
Tuesday, 19th August 2008
About 2 weeks back, I mentioned about Another Library Established in addition to the one that I had started back in 2005 regarding Joseph Prince Ministries materials.
I also drew parallels between the 2 pastors in that they do not need to rely upon a prepared script when they preach, because it is the Holy Spirit that guides them and prompts them on what to say next.
I had also mentioned in that same post that I would film Ps Reuben in action for the benefit of those who have yet to see him in action.
Well, it seems that someone in my church got wind of this, and this notice (as shown on the right) appeared among the announcements in the bulletin the following week...
In my 40 years of attending PLMC, I have never seen such an announcement before, so go figure.
And the irony is that I have filmed in church so many times before, and the links to these numerous videos are proof of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93rD_vUGZZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khoh6LaPjpY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDqtsMlHneY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEIpt9t0UA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1TeE14W91g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bQVMc4iGPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ji7kvCGnkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbve68LrkuA
Well, censorship is in action again, so please accept my apologies for not being able to show you how much God has anointed him. Nonetheless, since PLMC welcomes visitors to our church, do drop by the next time he preaches (which is on 31 August, by the way) and see this for yourself.
And perish the thought, but I do not think for a moment that between now and then, there would be a ridiculous announcement saying "No members from New Creation Church are allowed to attend this service without the written permission of the Pastor's Office". But if something along those lines should really appear, then I will really take my hat off and salute that person for having more tenacity that Jacob did when he wrestled with the angel :-)
About 2 weeks back, I mentioned about Another Library Established in addition to the one that I had started back in 2005 regarding Joseph Prince Ministries materials.
I also drew parallels between the 2 pastors in that they do not need to rely upon a prepared script when they preach, because it is the Holy Spirit that guides them and prompts them on what to say next.
I had also mentioned in that same post that I would film Ps Reuben in action for the benefit of those who have yet to see him in action.
Well, it seems that someone in my church got wind of this, and this notice (as shown on the right) appeared among the announcements in the bulletin the following week...
In my 40 years of attending PLMC, I have never seen such an announcement before, so go figure.
And the irony is that I have filmed in church so many times before, and the links to these numerous videos are proof of that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93rD_vUGZZ4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Khoh6LaPjpY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDqtsMlHneY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epEIpt9t0UA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1TeE14W91g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bQVMc4iGPk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ji7kvCGnkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zbve68LrkuA
Well, censorship is in action again, so please accept my apologies for not being able to show you how much God has anointed him. Nonetheless, since PLMC welcomes visitors to our church, do drop by the next time he preaches (which is on 31 August, by the way) and see this for yourself.
And perish the thought, but I do not think for a moment that between now and then, there would be a ridiculous announcement saying "No members from New Creation Church are allowed to attend this service without the written permission of the Pastor's Office". But if something along those lines should really appear, then I will really take my hat off and salute that person for having more tenacity that Jacob did when he wrestled with the angel :-)
Censorship in Action (Part 1)
Monday, 18th August 2008
In the 15th century, the Roman Catholic Church would prevent the ordinary folk from getting their hands on the scriptures. This allowed them to have a free reign in creating their own set of rules and practices. For example, "indulgences" was coined up where people were told that their loved ones were purgatoried somewhere between heaven and hell and had to pay the church a sum of money so that that loved one could be freed and enter into heaven.
Without access to the Bible, the common people had no choice but to listen to the priests and take their word as gospel truth.
In other words, decisions were being made on the people's behalf.
And that was why God raised Martin Luther, who started the Reformation movement to protest against these man-made rules and regulations, and to put the Word of God back in the hands of the common folk, so that they could see for themselves what it really said.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and alas, censorship is still very much at work. Let me explain...
Among the groups I subscribe to in Facebook (FB) are the following:
New Creation Church (NCC)
Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC)
The Next Generation (TNG)
I have on occasions been posting to these FB groups links to my blog entries, which are thought-provoking and eye-opening. People can read them and then decide for themselves whether these entries make good sense or are just a load of utter rubbish.
Well, it seems that these choices are being made on people's behalf. While the adminstrator of the NCC FB group has not seen the need to practice any form of censorship, the one of the PLMC FB group has gone the other extreme to disallow any form of feedback there. The TNG FB group falls somewhere in between in that they allow links and wall posts, but someone mysteriously removes those considered objectionable after a couple of days.
I have just posted this link to the "101 Biblical Scandals" (which you see on the right) onto TNG FB group. Let's see how efficient the "Censorship Board" ia in removing it :-)
[Afternote 1: the link was removed within 24 hours. Let's congratulate him on a job well done. It will be only a matter of time before they started to ban any form of links, posts, etc...]
But what takes the cake is PLMC FB group. They now disallow any form of postings, be it links, or posts or wall. Maybe the administrator of the group was told about the recent vandalism case, and may have been told that my posts are an online form of vandalism?
Whatever the case may be, decisions are being made on behalf of others ala the Catholic Church during Luther's time. I have only this to say in response, if God is the one behind the Gospel Revolution, no demon or deacon can stop it from spreading. Amen?
[Afternote 2: discovered there was a FB link from TNG to WorshipSG. I have started a discussion topic of the "101 Biblical Scandals" there, and I won't be surprised if that disappears into the twilight zone within 24 hours too :-)]
In the 15th century, the Roman Catholic Church would prevent the ordinary folk from getting their hands on the scriptures. This allowed them to have a free reign in creating their own set of rules and practices. For example, "indulgences" was coined up where people were told that their loved ones were purgatoried somewhere between heaven and hell and had to pay the church a sum of money so that that loved one could be freed and enter into heaven.
Without access to the Bible, the common people had no choice but to listen to the priests and take their word as gospel truth.
In other words, decisions were being made on the people's behalf.
And that was why God raised Martin Luther, who started the Reformation movement to protest against these man-made rules and regulations, and to put the Word of God back in the hands of the common folk, so that they could see for themselves what it really said.
Fast forward to the 21st century, and alas, censorship is still very much at work. Let me explain...
Among the groups I subscribe to in Facebook (FB) are the following:
New Creation Church (NCC)
Paya Lebar Methodist Church (PLMC)
The Next Generation (TNG)
I have on occasions been posting to these FB groups links to my blog entries, which are thought-provoking and eye-opening. People can read them and then decide for themselves whether these entries make good sense or are just a load of utter rubbish.
Well, it seems that these choices are being made on people's behalf. While the adminstrator of the NCC FB group has not seen the need to practice any form of censorship, the one of the PLMC FB group has gone the other extreme to disallow any form of feedback there. The TNG FB group falls somewhere in between in that they allow links and wall posts, but someone mysteriously removes those considered objectionable after a couple of days.
I have just posted this link to the "101 Biblical Scandals" (which you see on the right) onto TNG FB group. Let's see how efficient the "Censorship Board" ia in removing it :-)
[Afternote 1: the link was removed within 24 hours. Let's congratulate him on a job well done. It will be only a matter of time before they started to ban any form of links, posts, etc...]
But what takes the cake is PLMC FB group. They now disallow any form of postings, be it links, or posts or wall. Maybe the administrator of the group was told about the recent vandalism case, and may have been told that my posts are an online form of vandalism?
Whatever the case may be, decisions are being made on behalf of others ala the Catholic Church during Luther's time. I have only this to say in response, if God is the one behind the Gospel Revolution, no demon or deacon can stop it from spreading. Amen?
[Afternote 2: discovered there was a FB link from TNG to WorshipSG. I have started a discussion topic of the "101 Biblical Scandals" there, and I won't be surprised if that disappears into the twilight zone within 24 hours too :-)]
101 Biblical Scandals
Sunday, 17th August 2008
WARNING: This blog entry contains what some legalists would consider severely disturbing and highly objectionable content. Please read at your own peril.
Better yet, you may want to totally not read it, because it may cause you to stumble and end up singing along with R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"...
I have been prompted to start a series on scandalous events that are recorded in the
Scriptures.
These include the following:
1. How Abraham asked Sarah to lie that she was his sister on two separate occasions so that he would not be killed by the Pharaoh (Gen 12) and King Abimelech of Gerar (Gen 20). By doing so, he was effectively allowing them to go to bed with her.
2. How Lot's 2 daughters made their dad drunk, so that they could have children through an incestuous relationship with him (Gen 19)
3. How Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to deceive her father-in-law Judah, and ended up in bed with him and then getting pregnant through that unholy union (Gen 38)
4. How Rahab the harlot harboured illegal immigrants while lying to the authorities that she did not do so. This resulted in her own fellow citizens being killed and her nation being destroyed, while she herself was spared despite her act of high treason (Josh 2, Josh 6)
5. How King David, after getting Bathsheba pregnant, arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in the thick of battle (2 Sam 11).
Was even thinking of following Joshua Lye's example (in writing a book) and entitling it "101 Biblical Scandals: Passages found in the Holy Scriptures that your Pastor dares not preach about".
I am sure it is going to cause a major lot of ripples in Christendom :-)
Had I been living during biblical times, I would have been stoned for blasphemy. Had I been living in the midteen centuries, I would have been captured, tortured and burnt on a stake for being the devil's advocate...
And CybeRanger, if you are reading this, I was wondering if this would cause you to retract the accolodes of Best Christian Blog of the Year 2007 and Best Christian Blog of the Week 4 Feb 2007 awards :-)
Anyway, if you have managed to read up to this stage of this blog entry without being stumbled yet, congratulations for keeping an open mind and being prepared to have a paradigm shift in your theology!
Just think about it for a moment. The Holy Spirit actually saw fit to inspire Moses, Joshua, Nathan, etc to record these events in the Bible. When Paul said in 2 Tim 3:16 that *all* scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, he meant *all*, and that *all* would include the above passages, no?
What if I were to tell you that there is a perfectly logical and consistent explanation for every single one of these recorded events, and like a single string that threads beautifuly through the entire tapestry? And that the answer is a five-letter word beginning with J and ending with S?
I will be giving you readers a serialisation of its contents over the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned. Feel free also to bring up other passages in scripture that currently do not seem to make sense to you, and we can discuss those too. Please also do not just take my word for it, but be like the Bereans who examined the scriptures to confirm that whatever Paul said to them was indeed based on the Word of God.
WARNING: This blog entry contains what some legalists would consider severely disturbing and highly objectionable content. Please read at your own peril.
Better yet, you may want to totally not read it, because it may cause you to stumble and end up singing along with R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"...
I have been prompted to start a series on scandalous events that are recorded in the
Scriptures.These include the following:
1. How Abraham asked Sarah to lie that she was his sister on two separate occasions so that he would not be killed by the Pharaoh (Gen 12) and King Abimelech of Gerar (Gen 20). By doing so, he was effectively allowing them to go to bed with her.
2. How Lot's 2 daughters made their dad drunk, so that they could have children through an incestuous relationship with him (Gen 19)
3. How Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute to deceive her father-in-law Judah, and ended up in bed with him and then getting pregnant through that unholy union (Gen 38)
4. How Rahab the harlot harboured illegal immigrants while lying to the authorities that she did not do so. This resulted in her own fellow citizens being killed and her nation being destroyed, while she herself was spared despite her act of high treason (Josh 2, Josh 6)
5. How King David, after getting Bathsheba pregnant, arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed in the thick of battle (2 Sam 11).
Was even thinking of following Joshua Lye's example (in writing a book) and entitling it "101 Biblical Scandals: Passages found in the Holy Scriptures that your Pastor dares not preach about".
I am sure it is going to cause a major lot of ripples in Christendom :-)
Had I been living during biblical times, I would have been stoned for blasphemy. Had I been living in the midteen centuries, I would have been captured, tortured and burnt on a stake for being the devil's advocate...
And CybeRanger, if you are reading this, I was wondering if this would cause you to retract the accolodes of Best Christian Blog of the Year 2007 and Best Christian Blog of the Week 4 Feb 2007 awards :-)
Anyway, if you have managed to read up to this stage of this blog entry without being stumbled yet, congratulations for keeping an open mind and being prepared to have a paradigm shift in your theology!
Just think about it for a moment. The Holy Spirit actually saw fit to inspire Moses, Joshua, Nathan, etc to record these events in the Bible. When Paul said in 2 Tim 3:16 that *all* scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, he meant *all*, and that *all* would include the above passages, no?
What if I were to tell you that there is a perfectly logical and consistent explanation for every single one of these recorded events, and like a single string that threads beautifuly through the entire tapestry? And that the answer is a five-letter word beginning with J and ending with S?
I will be giving you readers a serialisation of its contents over the next few weeks and months, so stay tuned. Feel free also to bring up other passages in scripture that currently do not seem to make sense to you, and we can discuss those too. Please also do not just take my word for it, but be like the Bereans who examined the scriptures to confirm that whatever Paul said to them was indeed based on the Word of God.
Something Good out of Something Bad
Saturday, 16th August 2008
Just wanted to spend some time reflecting and giving thanks to the LORD, because the visits to ROOTSS reached an all-time high in July 2008.
The previous high took place in September 2007, when the news of my being removed as Honorary Treasurer and cell leader started to become more widely-known (yup, sorry if I sound like a broken record again to you old-time readers, but I need to do so for the benefit of the newer ones).
The visits were on a downward trend, but suddenly shot up in the month of June 2008 and then hit an all-time high in July 2008. For this, I have to thank the person who gave my name to the police in the recent vandalism case, because I believe that was the main reason for the sudden surge in visitors to ROOTSS.
No wonder Paul says in Rom 8:28 that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Even though men such as that complainant may have meant harm to me, God has turned it around for His good. Praises be to His Name! Amen?
Just wanted to spend some time reflecting and giving thanks to the LORD, because the visits to ROOTSS reached an all-time high in July 2008.
The previous high took place in September 2007, when the news of my being removed as Honorary Treasurer and cell leader started to become more widely-known (yup, sorry if I sound like a broken record again to you old-time readers, but I need to do so for the benefit of the newer ones).
The visits were on a downward trend, but suddenly shot up in the month of June 2008 and then hit an all-time high in July 2008. For this, I have to thank the person who gave my name to the police in the recent vandalism case, because I believe that was the main reason for the sudden surge in visitors to ROOTSS.
No wonder Paul says in Rom 8:28 that "in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose." Even though men such as that complainant may have meant harm to me, God has turned it around for His good. Praises be to His Name! Amen?
Not Everyone
Friday, 15th August 2008
I used to blog daily, but cut that down to just the weekends when I changed jobs in April 2008. Thanks to the suggestion of one reader who asked me to take a 40-day fast from blogging sometime last month, the LORD has inspired me to instead embark on a 40-day fEast, ie to blog for 40 consecutive days.
And He has indeed shown Himself faithful to give me the strength to do so, so much so that there was even a forward-log (ie. blog entries were postdated because at times, He would so inspire me to have 3 or even 4 blog entries in a day).
Anyway, today marks the 40th day of that fEast, and what better way to mark the end than by reviewing the 6th and final bestselling book found at the fictional Mt Sinai Resources.
One of the favourite passages that law-based preachers like to quote from is Matt 7:21, where Jesus said that "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
This is used to warn their congregation that they may lose their salvation.
In fact, this was the very passage that Paul Washer referred to in his sermon "The Shocking Youth Message", which I blogged about here.
However, what they seem to have failed to do is to read this verse in its context. The next two verses say, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(bold and italics added by me for emphasis)
On that day refers to the day when Jesus reveals to everyone that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When that happens, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And "every knee" and "every tongue" refers to everyone, whatever religion he may be embracing or not embracing. On that day, every single person, be it the most pious monk or the most-wanted criminal, will acknowledge and call Jesus, "Lord, Lord".
There are some out there who kill in the name of their "God". There are others who even do good deeds in the name of their "God". But if their God is not Jesus Christ, then Jesus has every right in saying to them that He never knew them.
As for you, dear child of the Most High God, once you have believed in your heart and confessed with your lips that Jesus is Lord, your salvation is assured. Period. If Jesus has assured us that He will never leave us or forsake us, is it not illogical to interpret this verse about Him denying ever knowing us as referring to us New Covenant believers?
I used to blog daily, but cut that down to just the weekends when I changed jobs in April 2008. Thanks to the suggestion of one reader who asked me to take a 40-day fast from blogging sometime last month, the LORD has inspired me to instead embark on a 40-day fEast, ie to blog for 40 consecutive days.
And He has indeed shown Himself faithful to give me the strength to do so, so much so that there was even a forward-log (ie. blog entries were postdated because at times, He would so inspire me to have 3 or even 4 blog entries in a day).
Anyway, today marks the 40th day of that fEast, and what better way to mark the end than by reviewing the 6th and final bestselling book found at the fictional Mt Sinai Resources.
One of the favourite passages that law-based preachers like to quote from is Matt 7:21, where Jesus said that "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."
This is used to warn their congregation that they may lose their salvation.
In fact, this was the very passage that Paul Washer referred to in his sermon "The Shocking Youth Message", which I blogged about here.
However, what they seem to have failed to do is to read this verse in its context. The next two verses say, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
(bold and italics added by me for emphasis)
On that day refers to the day when Jesus reveals to everyone that He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. When that happens, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And "every knee" and "every tongue" refers to everyone, whatever religion he may be embracing or not embracing. On that day, every single person, be it the most pious monk or the most-wanted criminal, will acknowledge and call Jesus, "Lord, Lord".
There are some out there who kill in the name of their "God". There are others who even do good deeds in the name of their "God". But if their God is not Jesus Christ, then Jesus has every right in saying to them that He never knew them.
As for you, dear child of the Most High God, once you have believed in your heart and confessed with your lips that Jesus is Lord, your salvation is assured. Period. If Jesus has assured us that He will never leave us or forsake us, is it not illogical to interpret this verse about Him denying ever knowing us as referring to us New Covenant believers?
The Wrath of a Righteous God
Thursday, 14th August 2008
Let's continue with our series of book reviews of Mt Sinai Resources.
Today, let's talk about the Wrath of a Holy and Righteous God.
When I was much younger, I used to enjoy reading the New Testament because God appeared to be more loving and fogiving in the stories recorded there. I would avoid reading the Old Testament where God would punish people at the drop of a hat. For example, in Gen 38, we read of how Judah's second son Onan was struck dead when he did not want to have children with his elder brother's widow. Or how Aaron's sons Nahab and Abihu in Lev 10 were killed when they offered strange fire before the Lord. Or even how in Num 20, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land just because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it.
Sure, He had every right to punish these people because they disobeyed Him. But what puzzled me (and I say this reverently at the risk of sounding blasphemous) was why He did not appear to be consistent in His treatment. Abraham lied, Jacob cheated, Rahab commited treason, etc and yet all these people got away scot-free, and were even honoured to be part of Jesus' genealogy! Yet others were punished for something as trivial as gathering sticks on a Sabbath!
Having now embraced the grace gospel, I now realise that God *IS* consistent (after all, He is the same yesterday, today and forever), and why some were spared while others were not. I will elaborate further on this in "101 Scandals in the Bible".
Coming back to the wrath of God. I have heard sermons where the preacher would say, "Don't be fooled into thinking that God is a God of love. Don't forget that He is also a holy and righteous God, and that He is also a God of wrath." and then start to tell us that we should fear Him. I have blogged about "The Fear of the Lord" in earlier posts, so I won't go into details here.
So has God gone soft on sin, then? No, He has not. On the contrary, He was so tough on sin that He did not spare His own sinless Son. God poured out all His righteous indignation upon the body of His Son when Jesus hung on the cross 2,000 years ago. At that moment in history when Jesus took upon Himself every single sin ever committed or to be committed by mankind, God the Father had to treat Him as though He was the worst sinner, and that is why He had to turn away from Him. That is why Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me."
And because God has already extinguished all His righteous anger upon His Son, He cannot punish the same sin twice, once in the body of Jesus, and then again upon us who are New Covenant believers.
So is God a God of wrath, or a God of love? Both, but His wrath is no longer relevant for you and me, dear fellow sons and daughters of the Most High God. That is why the author of Hebrews tell us that we can approach His throne of grace with full confidence. His wrath is now reserved for those who reject Jesus as the Way and who choose eternal damnation. His wrath is also reserved for the fallen angel Lucifer, who will be thrown into the lake of fire. But not against us who are His children. Amen?
Let's continue with our series of book reviews of Mt Sinai Resources.
Today, let's talk about the Wrath of a Holy and Righteous God.
When I was much younger, I used to enjoy reading the New Testament because God appeared to be more loving and fogiving in the stories recorded there. I would avoid reading the Old Testament where God would punish people at the drop of a hat. For example, in Gen 38, we read of how Judah's second son Onan was struck dead when he did not want to have children with his elder brother's widow. Or how Aaron's sons Nahab and Abihu in Lev 10 were killed when they offered strange fire before the Lord. Or even how in Num 20, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land just because he struck the rock instead of speaking to it.
Sure, He had every right to punish these people because they disobeyed Him. But what puzzled me (and I say this reverently at the risk of sounding blasphemous) was why He did not appear to be consistent in His treatment. Abraham lied, Jacob cheated, Rahab commited treason, etc and yet all these people got away scot-free, and were even honoured to be part of Jesus' genealogy! Yet others were punished for something as trivial as gathering sticks on a Sabbath!
Having now embraced the grace gospel, I now realise that God *IS* consistent (after all, He is the same yesterday, today and forever), and why some were spared while others were not. I will elaborate further on this in "101 Scandals in the Bible".
Coming back to the wrath of God. I have heard sermons where the preacher would say, "Don't be fooled into thinking that God is a God of love. Don't forget that He is also a holy and righteous God, and that He is also a God of wrath." and then start to tell us that we should fear Him. I have blogged about "The Fear of the Lord" in earlier posts, so I won't go into details here.
So has God gone soft on sin, then? No, He has not. On the contrary, He was so tough on sin that He did not spare His own sinless Son. God poured out all His righteous indignation upon the body of His Son when Jesus hung on the cross 2,000 years ago. At that moment in history when Jesus took upon Himself every single sin ever committed or to be committed by mankind, God the Father had to treat Him as though He was the worst sinner, and that is why He had to turn away from Him. That is why Jesus cried out "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me."
And because God has already extinguished all His righteous anger upon His Son, He cannot punish the same sin twice, once in the body of Jesus, and then again upon us who are New Covenant believers.
So is God a God of wrath, or a God of love? Both, but His wrath is no longer relevant for you and me, dear fellow sons and daughters of the Most High God. That is why the author of Hebrews tell us that we can approach His throne of grace with full confidence. His wrath is now reserved for those who reject Jesus as the Way and who choose eternal damnation. His wrath is also reserved for the fallen angel Lucifer, who will be thrown into the lake of fire. But not against us who are His children. Amen?
Not Quite Finished
Wednesday, 13th August 2008Let's continue with the review of Mt Sinai Resources with the book entitled "It is Not Quite Finished...You must work your salvation with fear and trembling".
One of the doctrines that seems to have crept into Christianity -- but does not seem to have any biblical basis -- is that salvation is made up of 3 distinctive stages:
(1) Justification
(2) Sanctification
(3) Glorification
Saying the sinnner's prayer only causes a believer to be at stage 1, where he is justified before God.
He then needs to go through a process of sanctification through the living of a holy life, doing good deeds (giving tithes, serving in church, etc) and refraining from bad deeds (smoking, gambling, swear words, etc).
Finally, when he dies, he reaches the stage where he is glorified.
If this is indeed the case, then I wonder why Jesus told the robber who was crucified next to him that he would be with him in paradise, because he was never given the chance to go through the sanctification process.
Please allow me to get this point across: God does not set one set of rules for some, and another set of rules for others. Salvation is NOT a 3-stage process. It is instantaneous -- we are saved the moment we believe in our heart and confess with our lips.
When Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out "It is finished!" which means we cannot add to it by our deeds. It is by His grace, and His grace alone.
The problem with some of us is that we hold on to this belief that it is "not quite" finished, and the often-misquoted verse to justify this is Phil 2:12, where Paul told the church in Philippi to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling".
The Message's paraphrase by Eugene Peterson is more consistent with the rest of scripture, and it reads "Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God."
Furthermore, verse 12 ends with a semi-colon, so it needs to be read in context with verse 13, which says, "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." That means to say that it is not through our own our self-efforts, but it is God that works in us.
When we see a masterpiece drawn by a renowned artist in a museum, or listen to a musical written by a renowned composer at a theatre, we would just behold and appreciate the work of art, and not think do something foolish like adding a stroke to the painting, or adding a string of notes to the performance.
Yet when it comes to Jesus' finished work on the cross, there are some who think they are cleverer than God and try to add to it with our good works and deeds...
Beware! Your Sins Will Find You Out
Tuesday 12th August 2008
Let's continue our book review of Mt Sinai Resources.
For today let's look at the one entitled "Beware! Your Sins Will Find You Out"
I remember as a Christian growing up, I would be told about the need to confess my sin whenever the Holy Spirit brought them to mind. Otherwise, to be in a state of having unconfessed sin would be torture.
A frequently-quoted verse to support the above theology would be 1 Jn 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Hence, if one were not to confess quickly, he would remain in a state of unforgiven-ness. Woe if that person was to suddenly drop dead, because it would mean ending up in hell!
Thanks to the grace gospel, I now know that this verse applies to the gnostics who had infiltrated the early church and were going about telling others that they had not sinned before. Not only that, I now also understand the true meaning of confession as far as the New Covenant believer is concerned.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit convicts a believer of righteousness and not of sin. I have blogged about that here.
The act of "confessing one's sin" does not mean going into a room and telling the person on the other side of the door all the wrong, in terms of thought, word and deed. Rather it means to agree with what God's Word says about our sin -- that it has already been punished on the body of our Lord Jesus Christ -- and to thank the Lord for His finished work.
Another verse used to justify the "confession of sin" was Gal 6:7 "Be not deceived. God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows".
However, if we were to read this in its proper context, we will realise that Paul is referring to doing good to others, and not to sin. Let's look at the verse preceding as well as following this particular verse on sowing and reaping...
6Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support].
9And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
It would be very strange for Paul to talk about a particular subject , suddently drift to another topic, and then come back again to that original subject. A more consistent approach would be to interpret this entire section as referring to just one subject matter, and that is how we should be sowing our money into a particular ministry.
Please allow me to share a personal testimony here. I felt prompted of the Lord back in Dec 2005 (after I got my year-end bonus) to get all the CD sermons and books of Ps Joseph Prince as a means of sowing into Joseph Prince Ministries. After all, Gal 6:6 says that we are to contribute to the support of the one who gives us instruction in the Word of God. Well, the principle of sowing and reaping continues to apply in terms of how we spend our money, because since that initial act of sowing, God has prospered my career and caused my salary to increase so exponentially, that I have even much more seeds to sow. Hence the D2R and D2RD giveways :-)
Some of you out there may accuse me of having an "ulterior" motive, in that I am expecting to reap as a result of sowing. Well, if that is the case, then should not that same accusation be directed at the farmer who sows seed into his field or vineyard? Duh!
Of course I am expecting a harvest lah -- and a super-bountiful one at that -- that my barns be filled to overflowing, in order that I have even more opportunity to put Gal 6:6 into practice and sow bountifully into worthy ministries like One-North where I receive instructions in the Word of God. After all, Paul also says in 2 Cor 9:6 that he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, while he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.
Coming back to the book title. Sowing and reaping does not apply to sin anymore this side of the cross, because Jesus reaped what we sowed and paid the price for all our sins -- past, present and future. That is why the author of Hebrews quoted the prophesy in Jer 33 as being fulfilled by the New Covenant in Heb 10:16-17
16"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says,
17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
So let us stop remembering what God has said He had forgotten. Instead of being sin-conscious, let us instead be righteousness-conscious and confess that I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
Having said that, the principle of sowing and reaping still applies in the area of how we spend the money that God has entrusted to us. So, maybe the title of the book should be "Beware! Your Tithes and Offerings Will Find You Out!" :-)
Let's continue our book review of Mt Sinai Resources.
For today let's look at the one entitled "Beware! Your Sins Will Find You Out"
I remember as a Christian growing up, I would be told about the need to confess my sin whenever the Holy Spirit brought them to mind. Otherwise, to be in a state of having unconfessed sin would be torture.
A frequently-quoted verse to support the above theology would be 1 Jn 1:9 "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". Hence, if one were not to confess quickly, he would remain in a state of unforgiven-ness. Woe if that person was to suddenly drop dead, because it would mean ending up in hell!
Thanks to the grace gospel, I now know that this verse applies to the gnostics who had infiltrated the early church and were going about telling others that they had not sinned before. Not only that, I now also understand the true meaning of confession as far as the New Covenant believer is concerned.
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit convicts a believer of righteousness and not of sin. I have blogged about that here.
The act of "confessing one's sin" does not mean going into a room and telling the person on the other side of the door all the wrong, in terms of thought, word and deed. Rather it means to agree with what God's Word says about our sin -- that it has already been punished on the body of our Lord Jesus Christ -- and to thank the Lord for His finished work.
Another verse used to justify the "confession of sin" was Gal 6:7 "Be not deceived. God is not mocked. A man reaps what he sows".
However, if we were to read this in its proper context, we will realise that Paul is referring to doing good to others, and not to sin. Let's look at the verse preceding as well as following this particular verse on sowing and reaping...
6Let him who receives instruction in the Word [of God] share all good things with his teacher [contributing to his support].
9And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
It would be very strange for Paul to talk about a particular subject , suddently drift to another topic, and then come back again to that original subject. A more consistent approach would be to interpret this entire section as referring to just one subject matter, and that is how we should be sowing our money into a particular ministry.
Please allow me to share a personal testimony here. I felt prompted of the Lord back in Dec 2005 (after I got my year-end bonus) to get all the CD sermons and books of Ps Joseph Prince as a means of sowing into Joseph Prince Ministries. After all, Gal 6:6 says that we are to contribute to the support of the one who gives us instruction in the Word of God. Well, the principle of sowing and reaping continues to apply in terms of how we spend our money, because since that initial act of sowing, God has prospered my career and caused my salary to increase so exponentially, that I have even much more seeds to sow. Hence the D2R and D2RD giveways :-)
Some of you out there may accuse me of having an "ulterior" motive, in that I am expecting to reap as a result of sowing. Well, if that is the case, then should not that same accusation be directed at the farmer who sows seed into his field or vineyard? Duh!
Of course I am expecting a harvest lah -- and a super-bountiful one at that -- that my barns be filled to overflowing, in order that I have even more opportunity to put Gal 6:6 into practice and sow bountifully into worthy ministries like One-North where I receive instructions in the Word of God. After all, Paul also says in 2 Cor 9:6 that he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, while he who sows bountifully will reap bountifully.
Coming back to the book title. Sowing and reaping does not apply to sin anymore this side of the cross, because Jesus reaped what we sowed and paid the price for all our sins -- past, present and future. That is why the author of Hebrews quoted the prophesy in Jer 33 as being fulfilled by the New Covenant in Heb 10:16-17
16"THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM," He then says,
17"AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE."
So let us stop remembering what God has said He had forgotten. Instead of being sin-conscious, let us instead be righteousness-conscious and confess that I am the righteousness of God in Christ.
Having said that, the principle of sowing and reaping still applies in the area of how we spend the money that God has entrusted to us. So, maybe the title of the book should be "Beware! Your Tithes and Offerings Will Find You Out!" :-)
Get Right or Get Left
Monday, 11th August 2008
Let's continue the review of Mt Sinai Resources with another book, the one entitled "Get Right With God or else Get Left Behind!"
One of the events recorded in the Bible which many Christians seem to be unprepared for is the Rapture.
I remember attending a WIN session in my church sometime last year. The pastor asked who among the 100 or so of us were ready for Jesus' 2nd Coming, and it was sad to see less than 10 of us had our hands raised. The other 90 or so were all sincere Christians, and yet there were unsure of their own standing with God :-(
Through the years, I have heard countless sermons from fiery or angry preachers who focus so much upon works -- about not doing enough in terms of serving the LORD, or not giving enough in terms of our time and money. There were even a couple of preachers who made us doubt our salvation!!!
And this can be summed up in today's title: Get Right with God, or Get Left Behind. In other words, if we do not get ourselves right with God, then we should not be surprised if we end up getting left behind like the 5 virgins who ran out of oil when the bridegroom arrived.
Well, the premise of "right standing" with God is flawed to begin with. What you need to know, dear reader, is that the moment you believed in your heart, and confessed with your lips that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, you were born again in the spirit (Jn 3:3), became a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and was translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His marvelous light (Col 1:13, 1 Pet 2:9).
As a result of this, your standing before our holy and righteous God is no longer as a "guilty sinner" but as a "redeemed child of God". So there is no need to "get right" with God, since He considered you righteous the moment you accepted Jesus Christ!
So the next time someone as whether we are ready for Jesus' Second Coming, may we be numbered among those who say "AYE". Amen?
Let's continue the review of Mt Sinai Resources with another book, the one entitled "Get Right With God or else Get Left Behind!"
One of the events recorded in the Bible which many Christians seem to be unprepared for is the Rapture.
I remember attending a WIN session in my church sometime last year. The pastor asked who among the 100 or so of us were ready for Jesus' 2nd Coming, and it was sad to see less than 10 of us had our hands raised. The other 90 or so were all sincere Christians, and yet there were unsure of their own standing with God :-(
Through the years, I have heard countless sermons from fiery or angry preachers who focus so much upon works -- about not doing enough in terms of serving the LORD, or not giving enough in terms of our time and money. There were even a couple of preachers who made us doubt our salvation!!!
And this can be summed up in today's title: Get Right with God, or Get Left Behind. In other words, if we do not get ourselves right with God, then we should not be surprised if we end up getting left behind like the 5 virgins who ran out of oil when the bridegroom arrived.
Well, the premise of "right standing" with God is flawed to begin with. What you need to know, dear reader, is that the moment you believed in your heart, and confessed with your lips that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, you were born again in the spirit (Jn 3:3), became a new creation (2 Cor 5:17) and was translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His marvelous light (Col 1:13, 1 Pet 2:9).
As a result of this, your standing before our holy and righteous God is no longer as a "guilty sinner" but as a "redeemed child of God". So there is no need to "get right" with God, since He considered you righteous the moment you accepted Jesus Christ!
So the next time someone as whether we are ready for Jesus' Second Coming, may we be numbered among those who say "AYE". Amen?
Greater Expectations
Sunday, 10th August 2008
As we come to the last 6 days of the 40-day fEast, I will spend each one of those days reviewing a best-selling title
found at the fictional Mt Sinai Resources.
Today's title is a "play" on a famous novel by Charles Dickens.
One of ROOTSS readers, Mango Chin, recently brought up the following passage in Matt 5
The Fulfillment of the Law
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
As a youth growing up, I remember reading Matt 5 and feeling a great sense of despair and hopelessness. If the numerous rules and regulations found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy wasn't enough, here was Jesus telling us that even getting angry was considered to be murder, or looking at a woman with lust was considered to be adultery, and even going to the extent of asking us to pluck out our eye or chop off our hand if those parts of the body caused us to stumble.
If the standards set through Moses wasn't already tough enough, here was Jesus setting an even higher standard that was impossible to meet!
But what got me really got my goat (and I say this reverently, at the risk of sounding blasphemous here) was that even though Jesus had set for us all these high standards, it seemed that He Himself would bend (or even break) them at His own whim and fancy, as and when it suited Him.
For example, when the Pharisees and John's disciples fasted and He was asked why His own did not (Matt 9, Mk 2, Lk 5), He came up with this fanciful answer about He being the bridegroom, and the guests not needing to fast. On another occasion, when the Pharisees caught His disciples helping themselves to grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12, Mk 2, Lk 6), He justified Himself with another fanciful excuse about King David eating consecrated bread meant for the priests and then claiming that He was Lord of the Sabbath!
And the Holy Spirit saw fit to inspire the authors to have these recorded in all 3 synoptic gospels...
Had it been an ordinary human being who behaved like that, setting one set of rules for others but another for himself, I would have lost all respect for him. But this was Jesus, and however unfair I felt the situation was, another part of me told me to just accept it because "God is God", and if I did not want to end up burning eternally in hell, I had no choice but to play by His rules.
I don't know about you, but these were some of the many questions at the back of my mind, but I did not dare to ask them or voice them aloud, for fear of being accused of being irreverent and blasphemous.
Well, I praise and thank God for the grace gospel, because the seemingly "difficult" passages in the Bible have now all begin to make perfect and absolute sense!
I understand why God had to destroy mankind during Noah's flood.
I understand why Abraham was not punished when he lied about Sarah being his sister.
I understand why Abraham was asked to kill his very own son Isaac.
I understand why Lot's daughters were allowed to commit incest with him.
I understand why Jacob was allowed to cheat his elder brother Esau of his birthright.
I understand why Tamar was not punished even though she disguised herself as a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Judah in order to be with child.
I understand why Rahab the harlot was not punished for harbouring illegal immigrants.
I understand why God told the Israelites to take no prisoners but to totally kill every single man, woman and child when they battled to enter the Promised Land.
I understand why David was not stoned to death for committing adultery with Bathsheba.
The list goes on and on... (and will be the subject matter for future blog entries, so stay tuned)
Oops sorry, for digressing, but let's now come back to the subject about our righteousness having to exceed that of the Pharisees.
One of the things I have learnt since embracing the grace gospel is to "rightly divide the Word of Truth" (2 Tim 2:15). What this means is that we must understand when it took place and to whom it was written for.
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, His primary audience were the Jews, and that took place during the Covenant of Moses (the New Covenant only came into being when He shed His blood on Calvary's cross, and the veil of the temple was torn in two). When He set those high standards, it was to bring the people to the end of themselves, so that they would cry out to God for a Saviour and Redeemer.
And that is exactly what Jesus is to them, and to us -- a Saviour an a Redeemer. Those of us who are New Covenant believers, are in Christ and have Him as our righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). As a result, our righteousness (which is Jesus) has now far exceeded that of Pharisees and the scribes, and the kingdom of God is our inheritence without a shadow of a doubt.
Jesus also said that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill them. What does "fulfill" mean? Supposing a person owes the bank $100,000, and someone else comes along and pays the bank that $100,000 on that person's behalf. Does that person need to pay the bank anything else after that? No, because the obligation has been fulfilled. What that person should do is to say "thank you" to that other person for settling the debt on his behalf.
Similarly, Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law and the Prophets on our behalf. Our part now is to say "thank you Lord" and rest in His finished work.
P.S. As to why Jesus "broke" those Laws regarding the Sabbath and fasting, as well as to other passages about what He did which was previously puzzling to me (like when He made His earthly parents hunt for Him high and low, or when He spat into the blind man's eyes), I am prompted to start a series entitled "Why Did Jesus Do That?" and blog about them in future posts, so stay tuned...
As we come to the last 6 days of the 40-day fEast, I will spend each one of those days reviewing a best-selling title
found at the fictional Mt Sinai Resources.Today's title is a "play" on a famous novel by Charles Dickens.
One of ROOTSS readers, Mango Chin, recently brought up the following passage in Matt 5
The Fulfillment of the Law
17"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
As a youth growing up, I remember reading Matt 5 and feeling a great sense of despair and hopelessness. If the numerous rules and regulations found in Leviticus and Deuteronomy wasn't enough, here was Jesus telling us that even getting angry was considered to be murder, or looking at a woman with lust was considered to be adultery, and even going to the extent of asking us to pluck out our eye or chop off our hand if those parts of the body caused us to stumble.
If the standards set through Moses wasn't already tough enough, here was Jesus setting an even higher standard that was impossible to meet!
But what got me really got my goat (and I say this reverently, at the risk of sounding blasphemous here) was that even though Jesus had set for us all these high standards, it seemed that He Himself would bend (or even break) them at His own whim and fancy, as and when it suited Him.
For example, when the Pharisees and John's disciples fasted and He was asked why His own did not (Matt 9, Mk 2, Lk 5), He came up with this fanciful answer about He being the bridegroom, and the guests not needing to fast. On another occasion, when the Pharisees caught His disciples helping themselves to grain on the Sabbath (Matt 12, Mk 2, Lk 6), He justified Himself with another fanciful excuse about King David eating consecrated bread meant for the priests and then claiming that He was Lord of the Sabbath!
And the Holy Spirit saw fit to inspire the authors to have these recorded in all 3 synoptic gospels...
Had it been an ordinary human being who behaved like that, setting one set of rules for others but another for himself, I would have lost all respect for him. But this was Jesus, and however unfair I felt the situation was, another part of me told me to just accept it because "God is God", and if I did not want to end up burning eternally in hell, I had no choice but to play by His rules.
I don't know about you, but these were some of the many questions at the back of my mind, but I did not dare to ask them or voice them aloud, for fear of being accused of being irreverent and blasphemous.
Well, I praise and thank God for the grace gospel, because the seemingly "difficult" passages in the Bible have now all begin to make perfect and absolute sense!
I understand why God had to destroy mankind during Noah's flood.
I understand why Abraham was not punished when he lied about Sarah being his sister.
I understand why Abraham was asked to kill his very own son Isaac.
I understand why Lot's daughters were allowed to commit incest with him.
I understand why Jacob was allowed to cheat his elder brother Esau of his birthright.
I understand why Tamar was not punished even though she disguised herself as a prostitute to seduce her father-in-law Judah in order to be with child.
I understand why Rahab the harlot was not punished for harbouring illegal immigrants.
I understand why God told the Israelites to take no prisoners but to totally kill every single man, woman and child when they battled to enter the Promised Land.
I understand why David was not stoned to death for committing adultery with Bathsheba.
The list goes on and on... (and will be the subject matter for future blog entries, so stay tuned)
Oops sorry, for digressing, but let's now come back to the subject about our righteousness having to exceed that of the Pharisees.
One of the things I have learnt since embracing the grace gospel is to "rightly divide the Word of Truth" (2 Tim 2:15). What this means is that we must understand when it took place and to whom it was written for.
When Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, His primary audience were the Jews, and that took place during the Covenant of Moses (the New Covenant only came into being when He shed His blood on Calvary's cross, and the veil of the temple was torn in two). When He set those high standards, it was to bring the people to the end of themselves, so that they would cry out to God for a Saviour and Redeemer.
And that is exactly what Jesus is to them, and to us -- a Saviour an a Redeemer. Those of us who are New Covenant believers, are in Christ and have Him as our righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). As a result, our righteousness (which is Jesus) has now far exceeded that of Pharisees and the scribes, and the kingdom of God is our inheritence without a shadow of a doubt.
Jesus also said that He did not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill them. What does "fulfill" mean? Supposing a person owes the bank $100,000, and someone else comes along and pays the bank that $100,000 on that person's behalf. Does that person need to pay the bank anything else after that? No, because the obligation has been fulfilled. What that person should do is to say "thank you" to that other person for settling the debt on his behalf.
Similarly, Christ has fulfilled the requirements of the Law and the Prophets on our behalf. Our part now is to say "thank you Lord" and rest in His finished work.
P.S. As to why Jesus "broke" those Laws regarding the Sabbath and fasting, as well as to other passages about what He did which was previously puzzling to me (like when He made His earthly parents hunt for Him high and low, or when He spat into the blind man's eyes), I am prompted to start a series entitled "Why Did Jesus Do That?" and blog about them in future posts, so stay tuned...
Shine for Singapore
Saturday, 9th August 2008
Last year, I blogged about how one could be both passionate about our God as well as for his own country at the same time.
With the relaxation of rules as to where our national flag can be displayed, I posted some photos where the flag was flown at home, in the office, as well as at the back of one's car.
Well, each succeeding year needs to be more radical than the previous, so do check out this video, and see if you can count the number of flags that are on display at my workplace. If there is an award that is to be given out for the most patriotic office, we would be sure to win it, hands down :-)
See also whether you can identify which one in the video is Bar-Abraham...
Oh, by the way, the title of today's blog entry is also the title of this year's NDP song, sung by
none other than Hady Mirza, Singapore Idol 2006 and Asian Idol 2007, and is also the song that is featured in the abovementioned video.
HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!
Update: This video has been featured in the 31 July 08 edition of MY PAPER 《我报》(on page A8) as well as on STOMP :-)
Last year, I blogged about how one could be both passionate about our God as well as for his own country at the same time.
With the relaxation of rules as to where our national flag can be displayed, I posted some photos where the flag was flown at home, in the office, as well as at the back of one's car.
Well, each succeeding year needs to be more radical than the previous, so do check out this video, and see if you can count the number of flags that are on display at my workplace. If there is an award that is to be given out for the most patriotic office, we would be sure to win it, hands down :-)
See also whether you can identify which one in the video is Bar-Abraham...
Oh, by the way, the title of today's blog entry is also the title of this year's NDP song, sung by
none other than Hady Mirza, Singapore Idol 2006 and Asian Idol 2007, and is also the song that is featured in the abovementioned video.HAPPY 43RD BIRTHDAY, SINGAPORE!
Update: This video has been featured in the 31 July 08 edition of MY PAPER 《我报》(on page A8) as well as on STOMP :-)
Worldly Pleasures for a Good Cause
Friday, 8th August 2008
August is an exciting month for those of us who are soccer fans, because it signals the start of the English Premiership season, after a break of nearly 3 months.
And I suppose most of you would know that I support a relatively lesser-known team called Aston Villa. They just released a jersey for the new 2008/2009 season, which I am seen wearing in the photo on the right.
While the sponsor for the previous two seasons was 32Reds (which is an online casino, by the way), the current management is more altruistic and has teamed up with a new "sponsor", namely Acorns, which is a children's hospice located in their hometown of Birmingham.
Shirt sponsors usually pay large sums of money to have their logo printed on the front. For example, Samsung Mobile, AIG and Carlsberg pay millions of dollars to Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool respectively.
In the case of Acorns, Aston Villa actually charged them *nothing*. If anything, my favourite club is actually giving the hospice free publicity, and has already donated a large sum of money to them.
When I was a Christian growing up, I was told that we have to be "in the world, but not of the world". I was also told that if anything was more important to me than God, then it would be considered an idol" and I was to give it up, just like Abraham was willing to give up his son Isaac.
Thanks be to God for His grace gospel, because I have now realised that it is perfectly fine to have worldly pleasures, as long as they take second place to the Lord. That is what it means to be "in the world". If Christians were to gather together in "holy huddles", mixing only with their own kind, then it is like remaining in the saltshaker and not being the salt of the earth and to impact those that God has placed around us.
I remember back in 2006 when during a cell meeting, we were asked what we would do if we had only one day to live. While the ladies in the cell would talk about pampering themselves by shopping and visiting a spa, I shared that I would like to make a pilgrimage to Villa Park.
Well, God answered my prayers and allowed me to make that trip in March 2007, which I blogged about last year.
I have also been looking forward to visiting Israel with my family. Now that my son is no longer on dialysis, we can already start making plans to do so, and that would probably be after he finishes his PSLE in October 2009.
August is an exciting month for those of us who are soccer fans, because it signals the start of the English Premiership season, after a break of nearly 3 months.
And I suppose most of you would know that I support a relatively lesser-known team called Aston Villa. They just released a jersey for the new 2008/2009 season, which I am seen wearing in the photo on the right.
While the sponsor for the previous two seasons was 32Reds (which is an online casino, by the way), the current management is more altruistic and has teamed up with a new "sponsor", namely Acorns, which is a children's hospice located in their hometown of Birmingham.
Shirt sponsors usually pay large sums of money to have their logo printed on the front. For example, Samsung Mobile, AIG and Carlsberg pay millions of dollars to Chelsea, Man U and Liverpool respectively.
In the case of Acorns, Aston Villa actually charged them *nothing*. If anything, my favourite club is actually giving the hospice free publicity, and has already donated a large sum of money to them.
When I was a Christian growing up, I was told that we have to be "in the world, but not of the world". I was also told that if anything was more important to me than God, then it would be considered an idol" and I was to give it up, just like Abraham was willing to give up his son Isaac.
Thanks be to God for His grace gospel, because I have now realised that it is perfectly fine to have worldly pleasures, as long as they take second place to the Lord. That is what it means to be "in the world". If Christians were to gather together in "holy huddles", mixing only with their own kind, then it is like remaining in the saltshaker and not being the salt of the earth and to impact those that God has placed around us.
I remember back in 2006 when during a cell meeting, we were asked what we would do if we had only one day to live. While the ladies in the cell would talk about pampering themselves by shopping and visiting a spa, I shared that I would like to make a pilgrimage to Villa Park.
Well, God answered my prayers and allowed me to make that trip in March 2007, which I blogged about last year.
I have also been looking forward to visiting Israel with my family. Now that my son is no longer on dialysis, we can already start making plans to do so, and that would probably be after he finishes his PSLE in October 2009.
Another Library Established
Thursday, 7th August 2008
There are some out there who accuse me of idolising Pastor Prince.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't.
I idolise the one that he preaches so strongly about -- and that is the person of Jesus Christ.
I have also been accused of promoting an NCC pastor to PLMC members.
Buzz! Sorry wrong again.
If you have been following my blog, I have oftentimes also been promoting a particular PLMC pastor to NCC members.
His name is Ps Reuben Ng and his sermons are equally-anointed because Jesus is also central in all his messages.
In fact, I have set up a blog to deposit his collection of sermons. I have also purchased all the sermons that he has preached so far, and established another library of anointed messages.
There is this particular subscriber of ROOTSS who is from NCC. He had requested that I passed him Ps Reuben's sermons and the feedback given was that he was very ministered to.
There is another striking similar between Ps Reuben and Ps
Prince, and that is they preach without needing to read from a prepared script. It is because the Holy Spirit is the One that leads and prompts them on what to say next. I will be recording one of his sermons in the near future to upload to YouTube so that you can see what I mean.
Ps Reuben just entered the ministry in Aug 2007 and PLMC is his first posting. At the rate that God is using him to transform lives, I am sure than in less than 10 years' time, he is going to be preaching to hundreds of thousands as well. Amen?
There are some out there who accuse me of idolising Pastor Prince.
Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't.
I idolise the one that he preaches so strongly about -- and that is the person of Jesus Christ.
I have also been accused of promoting an NCC pastor to PLMC members.
Buzz! Sorry wrong again.
If you have been following my blog, I have oftentimes also been promoting a particular PLMC pastor to NCC members.
His name is Ps Reuben Ng and his sermons are equally-anointed because Jesus is also central in all his messages.
In fact, I have set up a blog to deposit his collection of sermons. I have also purchased all the sermons that he has preached so far, and established another library of anointed messages.
There is this particular subscriber of ROOTSS who is from NCC. He had requested that I passed him Ps Reuben's sermons and the feedback given was that he was very ministered to.
There is another striking similar between Ps Reuben and Ps
Prince, and that is they preach without needing to read from a prepared script. It is because the Holy Spirit is the One that leads and prompts them on what to say next. I will be recording one of his sermons in the near future to upload to YouTube so that you can see what I mean.Ps Reuben just entered the ministry in Aug 2007 and PLMC is his first posting. At the rate that God is using him to transform lives, I am sure than in less than 10 years' time, he is going to be preaching to hundreds of thousands as well. Amen?
The Giveaway Has Commenced!
Wednesday, 6th August 2008
I have not mentioned this before, but one of the ROOTSS subscribers is actually a current colleague of mine :-)
Let's call him Bar-Abraham (that's "son of Abraham" in Hebrew).
On the morning of 28 July 08, I called Tecman to place an order for 50 copies of Destined to Reign Devotional (D2RD).
Needing an extra pair of hands, I invited Bar-Abraham out for lunch, after which we went to Tecman to pick up the books. Having brought them back to the office, they now sit in a corner in my room.
For being such a sport, Bar-Abraham had the privilege of being the first ROOTSS subscriber to receive his copy of D2RD. Hence you see only 49 copies in the picture on the right.
I am currently sorting out the logistics and will be sending an email soon on the collection of the books.
For those of you from PLMC, you are also given the option of collecting the books in church. This has to be done discreetly however, because there is an unofficial ban on JPM materials.
I have not mentioned this before, but one of the ROOTSS subscribers is actually a current colleague of mine :-)
Let's call him Bar-Abraham (that's "son of Abraham" in Hebrew).
On the morning of 28 July 08, I called Tecman to place an order for 50 copies of Destined to Reign Devotional (D2RD).
Needing an extra pair of hands, I invited Bar-Abraham out for lunch, after which we went to Tecman to pick up the books. Having brought them back to the office, they now sit in a corner in my room.
For being such a sport, Bar-Abraham had the privilege of being the first ROOTSS subscriber to receive his copy of D2RD. Hence you see only 49 copies in the picture on the right.
I am currently sorting out the logistics and will be sending an email soon on the collection of the books.
For those of you from PLMC, you are also given the option of collecting the books in church. This has to be done discreetly however, because there is an unofficial ban on JPM materials.
Rap and Rep
Tuesday, 5th August 2008
A couple of weeks ago, upon getting her consent, I published the contents of emails from a regular reader of ROOTSS which I nicknamed Bathsarah. This is because her admonishment of me was done out of the sincerity of her heart, and I truly believed that what she said would edify and encourage the other readers of ROOTSS.
However, I did so without first giving her ample warning. As a result, there was more than a week of silence from Bathsarah. I figured she must have been upset by what I did, and was going to compose an email to apologise to her...
Well, praise God because she has forgiven me even before I sought her forgiveness! I was composing the entry about the D2R2 Giveaway, and no sooner had I published it than I received a subscription to ROOTSS -- and it was none other than Bathsarah herself!
Dear Bathsarah, please accept my apologies for catching you off-guard. However, it was done with good intentions and you can see from the reaction of the other regular readers of ROOTSS that you have built up quite a rapport and reputation with them. So please do keep those pearls of wisdom coming...
As for the ROOTSS subscriptions, besides Bathsarah, another 8 others have since followed suit. What this means is there are still another 12 copies of D2RD to be given out.
Here's a write-up on the book which I lifted from the official website...
In this fast-paced world where many things scream for our attention, Jesus tells us that only one thing is needful — sitting at His feet and allowing Him to minister to us through His Word.
Destined To Reign Devotional helps you do just that, with daily devotionals that will establish you firmly in the grace of God and new covenant truths. Come to know the tender heart of the Father towards you as well as the perfection of Jesus' finished work. Each devotional inspires faith while dealing with practical issues such as wisdom, healing, provision and protection.
Expect to experience the amazing love and grace of God as you feed on His Word through these devotionals, and begin to see yourself enjoying wholeness and victorious living!
A couple of weeks ago, upon getting her consent, I published the contents of emails from a regular reader of ROOTSS which I nicknamed Bathsarah. This is because her admonishment of me was done out of the sincerity of her heart, and I truly believed that what she said would edify and encourage the other readers of ROOTSS.
However, I did so without first giving her ample warning. As a result, there was more than a week of silence from Bathsarah. I figured she must have been upset by what I did, and was going to compose an email to apologise to her...
Well, praise God because she has forgiven me even before I sought her forgiveness! I was composing the entry about the D2R2 Giveaway, and no sooner had I published it than I received a subscription to ROOTSS -- and it was none other than Bathsarah herself!
Dear Bathsarah, please accept my apologies for catching you off-guard. However, it was done with good intentions and you can see from the reaction of the other regular readers of ROOTSS that you have built up quite a rapport and reputation with them. So please do keep those pearls of wisdom coming...
As for the ROOTSS subscriptions, besides Bathsarah, another 8 others have since followed suit. What this means is there are still another 12 copies of D2RD to be given out.
Here's a write-up on the book which I lifted from the official website...
In this fast-paced world where many things scream for our attention, Jesus tells us that only one thing is needful — sitting at His feet and allowing Him to minister to us through His Word.
Destined To Reign Devotional helps you do just that, with daily devotionals that will establish you firmly in the grace of God and new covenant truths. Come to know the tender heart of the Father towards you as well as the perfection of Jesus' finished work. Each devotional inspires faith while dealing with practical issues such as wisdom, healing, provision and protection.
Expect to experience the amazing love and grace of God as you feed on His Word through these devotionals, and begin to see yourself enjoying wholeness and victorious living!
D2RD Giveaway!
Monday, 4th August 2008
I have mentioned before on my blog that my wife's elder brother is now attending New Creation Church.
On Sunday 20th July, I asked him to buy for me "Live in Israel Vol 2" and he ended up *giving* it to me!
On Sunday 27th July, he told me that Destined To Reign Devotional ("D2RD") was just released, and asked whether I wanted one as well.
I politely declined, but he was determined to do so, and ended up blessing me with 5 copies!!! Looks like the grace message has caused him to overflow with generosity :-)
Anyway, I told him that since God has blessed me with a pay rise of 40% in the last 6 months, I had felt the Lord impressing upon me to bless others in return and to give out 50 copies of D2RD (just like He impressed me to give out 25 copies of Destined to Reign in August last year, followed by another 25 copies a month later).
I used to work in Kallang which was quite inaccessible by public transport. Since my office was very near to a post office, the best arrangement then was to mail the copies of D2R out.
Now that I am working in Raffles Place, which is just next to the MRT station of the same name, a better arrangement this time around would be to leave the 50 copies of D2RD at my office reception to be picked up during working hours.
There are currently 41 subscribers to
ROOTTS and the 29 who are located in Singapore will each automatically be entitled to a copy of D2RD.
What this means is that there are still copies up for grabs, dear readers of ROOTSS.
To subscribe, simply go to http://asia.groups.yahoo.com/group/ROOTSS/ and click on "Join This Group".
The 1st 21 additional subscribers from Singapore to do so will be guaranteed a copy of D2RD :-)
I have mentioned before on my blog that my wife's elder brother is now attending New Creation Church.
On Sunday 20th July, I asked him to buy for me "Live in Israel Vol 2" and he ended up *giving* it to me!
On Sunday 27th July, he told me that Destined To Reign Devotional ("D2RD") was just released, and asked whether I wanted one as well.
I politely declined, but he was determined to do so, and ended up blessing me with 5 copies!!! Looks like the grace message has caused him to overflow with generosity :-)
Anyway, I told him that since God has blessed me with a pay rise of 40% in the last 6 months, I had felt the Lord impressing upon me to bless others in return and to give out 50 copies of D2RD (just like He impressed me to give out 25 copies of Destined to Reign in August last year, followed by another 25 copies a month later).
I used to work in Kallang which was quite inaccessible by public transport. Since my office was very near to a post office, the best arrangement then was to mail the copies of D2R out.
Now that I am working in Raffles Place, which is just next to the MRT station of the same name, a better arrangement this time around would be to leave the 50 copies of D2RD at my office reception to be picked up during working hours.
There are currently 41 subscribers to
ROOTTS and the 29 who are located in Singapore will each automatically be entitled to a copy of D2RD.
What this means is that there are still copies up for grabs, dear readers of ROOTSS.
To subscribe, simply go to http://asia.groups.yahoo.com/group/ROOTSS/ and click on "Join This Group".
The 1st 21 additional subscribers from Singapore to do so will be guaranteed a copy of D2RD :-)
Review of Mt Sinai Resources
Sunday, 3rd August 2008
A month ago, I blogged about the type of books one may find in a law-based bookstore. That was actually done tongue-in-cheek, but it was so realistic that a reader of ROOTSS actually thought they were for real :-)
Some readers like Geri and Joo could find the humour in them. But I suspect that there are probably other folks who may be thinking that these titles are actually scripturally-sound!
The recent review that Rev Dr Wong did on D2R has kinda inspired me to do some "book reviews" of my own.
And so, I will set aside the last 6 days of the 40-day fEast to do just that.
I had wanted to start with "Get Right or Get Left", but after reading the comment that Mango Chin made on Matt 5:17-21, maybe I should review "Greater Expectations" instead.
Stay tuned...
A month ago, I blogged about the type of books one may find in a law-based bookstore. That was actually done tongue-in-cheek, but it was so realistic that a reader of ROOTSS actually thought they were for real :-)
Some readers like Geri and Joo could find the humour in them. But I suspect that there are probably other folks who may be thinking that these titles are actually scripturally-sound!
The recent review that Rev Dr Wong did on D2R has kinda inspired me to do some "book reviews" of my own.
And so, I will set aside the last 6 days of the 40-day fEast to do just that.
I had wanted to start with "Get Right or Get Left", but after reading the comment that Mango Chin made on Matt 5:17-21, maybe I should review "Greater Expectations" instead.
Stay tuned...
Anointed Music
Saturday, 2nd August 2008
Three days ago, I blogged about how a video that was played in my church resonated so much with my spirit man that I sobbed throughout when meditating on the words.
Well, it turns out that the song is called Healer by Mike Guglielmucci and is featured on the latest release by Hillsong Music entitled This Is Our God. Yup, that's the same one that brought us classics like Shout to The Lord and Power of Your Love.
I was at a shop at Heartland Mall and saw a limited edition CD + DVD of it on sale, so I just had to snap it up :-)
Just like what Geri commented, it is music like that which edifies and uplifts one's spirit. Praise God for anointed songwriters like Mike Guglielmucci as well as Hillsong's alignment with the gospel of grace. Amen?
Three days ago, I blogged about how a video that was played in my church resonated so much with my spirit man that I sobbed throughout when meditating on the words.
Well, it turns out that the song is called Healer by Mike Guglielmucci and is featured on the latest release by Hillsong Music entitled This Is Our God. Yup, that's the same one that brought us classics like Shout to The Lord and Power of Your Love.
I was at a shop at Heartland Mall and saw a limited edition CD + DVD of it on sale, so I just had to snap it up :-)
Just like what Geri commented, it is music like that which edifies and uplifts one's spirit. Praise God for anointed songwriters like Mike Guglielmucci as well as Hillsong's alignment with the gospel of grace. Amen?
Dear Anon, Let's Meet Up...
Friday, 1st August 2008
Several weeks ago, when I posted the Hired Hand Mentality, it made quite a number of readers feel very uncomfortable.
There were some readers like Bathsarah and Geri who were genuinely concerned and their godly counsel has resulted in me releasing forgiveness to the one that wronged me. I thank you, dear sisters.
Yet there were others who behaved like Job's friends, passing judgement under the guise of concern.
Since I was the subject of investigations, I decided to do some investigations of my own, and discovered that it likely to be a single reader who posted under the guise of different handles to give people the impresssion of numerosity.
I have Sitemeter installed on my blog. Besides tracking the number of hits, it also tracks, inter alia, the IP address, operating system and browser of visitors.
It was rather coincidental that the person/(s) who behaved like Job's friends all shared IP addresses that were issued by a Singnet DNS (116.14.xxx.xxx). What was even more telling is that the person/(s) was using a computer running MacOS and using a Firefox browser. What are the odds ;-)
On the advice of Bathsarah and others, I have now disallowed anonymous Blogger comments, but continue to allow anonymous comments to be made on the cbox tagboard. This is to allow that reader/(s) to ventilate and use cbox as his playground of indulgence.
Here are some recent potshots that were posted. Note again the similarity in the IP address, even though 3 different handles are being used...
ML
you like hamgurgers; me also. but not necessary must be McDonalds, and somemore must be the one in suntec right?
05 Jul 08 12:01
116.14.180.166
-
i'd like to recommend you John Bevere's "The Bait of Satan". A book highly recommended for those who are struggling with offences.
07 Jul 08 17:46
116.14.180.166
ML
don't missed out on the Daily Devotional on this blog. Today's "Words That Ruin" A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
07 Jul 08 22:25
116.14.96.207
cyberpatrol
WARNING!!! You have been engaging in cyber-bullying via this blog; email spamming; as well as relentless taunting & haunting via SMS.
08 Jul 08 14:32
116.14.180.166
ML
u are really crafty. deceiving yr readers by using the grace-message as a shield, to pursue your personal agenda & vendetta.
21 Jul 08 13:38
116.15.135.200
Dear anonymous reader. Please drop me an email at mloh77@starhub.net.sg. Whatever differences we may have, we are going to meet in heaven some day. Why not I take you out to lunch where we can have a mature discussion and learn to agree to disagree? God bless you, dear brother.
Several weeks ago, when I posted the Hired Hand Mentality, it made quite a number of readers feel very uncomfortable.
There were some readers like Bathsarah and Geri who were genuinely concerned and their godly counsel has resulted in me releasing forgiveness to the one that wronged me. I thank you, dear sisters.
Yet there were others who behaved like Job's friends, passing judgement under the guise of concern.
Since I was the subject of investigations, I decided to do some investigations of my own, and discovered that it likely to be a single reader who posted under the guise of different handles to give people the impresssion of numerosity.
I have Sitemeter installed on my blog. Besides tracking the number of hits, it also tracks, inter alia, the IP address, operating system and browser of visitors.
It was rather coincidental that the person/(s) who behaved like Job's friends all shared IP addresses that were issued by a Singnet DNS (116.14.xxx.xxx). What was even more telling is that the person/(s) was using a computer running MacOS and using a Firefox browser. What are the odds ;-)
On the advice of Bathsarah and others, I have now disallowed anonymous Blogger comments, but continue to allow anonymous comments to be made on the cbox tagboard. This is to allow that reader/(s) to ventilate and use cbox as his playground of indulgence.
Here are some recent potshots that were posted. Note again the similarity in the IP address, even though 3 different handles are being used...
ML
you like hamgurgers; me also. but not necessary must be McDonalds, and somemore must be the one in suntec right?
05 Jul 08 12:01
116.14.180.166
-
i'd like to recommend you John Bevere's "The Bait of Satan". A book highly recommended for those who are struggling with offences.
07 Jul 08 17:46
116.14.180.166
ML
don't missed out on the Daily Devotional on this blog. Today's "Words That Ruin" A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.
07 Jul 08 22:25
116.14.96.207
cyberpatrol
WARNING!!! You have been engaging in cyber-bullying via this blog; email spamming; as well as relentless taunting & haunting via SMS.
08 Jul 08 14:32
116.14.180.166
ML
u are really crafty. deceiving yr readers by using the grace-message as a shield, to pursue your personal agenda & vendetta.
21 Jul 08 13:38
116.15.135.200
Dear anonymous reader. Please drop me an email at mloh77@starhub.net.sg. Whatever differences we may have, we are going to meet in heaven some day. Why not I take you out to lunch where we can have a mature discussion and learn to agree to disagree? God bless you, dear brother.
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