Blogpastor had a entry on his blog entitled "Joseph Prince: Grace or Antinomian" , which was a hot topic that drew a total of 57 comments including this one by a Wendy Lam:
Comment by Wendy Lam
2009-01-10 22:56:44
I was 10 years a PLMGS girl and found God (truly) only after my granny died and I was so sad I slipped into PL Church to find solace. I was fortunate to receive counselling from Rev Norman Wong which made me determined to be a church going Christian
Thereafter, I got baptised, spent 7 years studying the bible through “into the word, into the world”, went to a weekly cell group, taught sunday school, volunteered 3 years with the family service centre at hougang. In between, I also joined Campus Crusade when I was at uni, went to prayer retreats and prayer conferences.
Yet I had depression, I don’t have a heart relationship with Jesus or God.
I cannot understand what is the heights, the breadth, the length, the width of God’s love. In fact, I cannot evangelise as in my heart, I cannot even define why Jesus is better than Buddha. Both are good, both do good and miracles and most times, the buddhists are less hypocritical as they don’t demand people do this or that. They just give and don’t expect the receiver to go to church. Best of all, they don’t threaten people with hell.
To quote Pastor Mark Ng of NCC : Before you got on the boat, its love love love. Called Love Boat. After you go to church, the rules come in. You cannot do this, you HAVE to do that… Jesus came to give a lighter yoke ? Less burden ?and abundant life? No… it feels like a Pirate Ship.I asked God for many years how come we have to love him and I cannot summon that love. Then part of God’s resolution came through Pastor Wee Boon Hup when he allowed the Rhema Bible School guys to teach us the authority of the believer. Then Jesus became alive to me. Real.
God led me to NCC when my mom became interested in Christianity but fell asleep all the time at PLMC. My sis brought her to NCC and I had to drive them there or they won’t go to church.
NCC - Pastor Prince - was God’s answer to me. I had problems with his hairstyle, his “rubbishy” teaching which was all over the place and his lack of proper theological schooling.
But the bible gradually became alive through him. The man is anointed as no proper theological teaching can. The parallels he saw, Jesus written on practically every chapter of the old testament - even the rituals…..
I consider these antinomianism debates rubbish. Can you imagine that group of Fisherman Apostles debating the psychology of what appeals and what works on people ?
The message is clear and its this : I am no rapist or terrorist nor killer. I am not a Hebrew. A lot of the admonishments of the bible are meant for those people. Hebrews was written for Hebrews right ? So I have to read in context ?
For a simple Mary of Bethany kind of person, how would the Lord Jesus want me to learn about him. What would he want me to learn about. What would his will be for me ?
Pastor Prince teaches us to live basking in his Grace and his Favour. In this, it is enough.Do I need to be concerned that I will turn into a thief or a liar because I have Grace in abundance? Or I can sleep around and after that just ask for forgiveness and know that “cheap” grace preached by Pastor Prince will surely buy me another chance and another chance and another chance and that God won’t mind ?
No. I now love Jesus very much and though I may be sorely tempted to sin - I do consider him before making my decisions. The holy spirit guides me with wisdom.
Do I need to worry about my younger Christian mates who may be led wrongly by the cheap grace message ? Yes - I have seen some bad examples but they exist everywhere whether you give them a guilt trip and lecture or you give them the Grace message.
We cannot shut up Grace because we are afraid of people misinterpreting and going to sin. God is too big for us little folks to worry about him. Jesus told us to go into the world with the GOSPEL - Good News - he didn’t ask us to shut up and fear this fear or that and apply the Grace message only where we deem it OK to share.
He will deal with Christians himself…One on One. He is the One on One kind of God isn’t he. Our Pastors cannot cope One on One, so don’t bother with that.
So, stop maligning Pastor Prince. If all preachers in the world did more to free the
hearts of Christians to receive all God has for us, we will be evangelising at
1000000 billion times more frequently and effectively.
I speak Christ daily. I share Christ at every opportunity, I love Christ 1000 x more than the 7 years I was studying the bible chapter by chapter. I have testimonies that can fill pages and they are new every week.
And I know how to wear the Armour of God daily — I cannot remember depression days.
This is real Christianity and this is the Life More Abundant.
It starts with GRACE.
And then just a couple of days ago, fellow PLMC member Joo wrote these comments on my blog in response to the entry Legacy of Faith:
Joo said...
Hi Malcolm,
Wow, your "ROOTSS" are really deep in PLMC.Can well understand your sentiments to PLMC.
My wife and I joined PLMC back in 1993. My wife and children has left PLMC about 2 years back as my sons always fall asleep during service in PLMC (quite embarrassing!!) and she brought them to NCC to be awaken!
Now I am stuck in the middle with one foot in PL and the other at NCC!I guessed Pastor in charge would rather let me be in there then to stay in PLMC and 'pollute' others with what I receive from NCC!
What do you think is the best option for me?
Thursday, January 15, 2009 11:19:00 PM
There was something similar in their comments viz, and that is people fall asleep during the service...
Which brings to mind a remark made by a Sunday School classmate of my son. When Rev Barnabas Chong (whom is endearly termed Pastor B -- B for Barnabas) left PLMC back in August 2007, this boy told my son, "Pastor B has left us, but we still have another Pastor B with us -- B for boring."
Kids can be so cruelly honest and say the darndest things, don't you think? :-D
I recall Pastor B, oops I mean Rev Peter Koh, ever telling us before in a sermon, "If I throw you a lemon, what do you do? Make lemonade". Well, I wonder whether making lemonade means for some having a good rest and a refreshing respite?
So folks, if any of you are suffering from insomnia, do come and visit my church whenever "Pastor B" is preaching to receive healing from it instantaneously ;-)
1 comment:
Jesus said those who are sick needs a doctor ... and grace is what many of us found.
NCC is a BIG church (Amen) but (I believe) many came because it is BIG, or of P.Prince, or of whatever reasons except Christ ... a lot of head knowledge but not heart knowledge of Christ, just as P.Prince said, familiar with Christ but not intimate with Christ ...
Those who truely embrace whole heartedly the grace of Christ (I believe, am entitled to my opinion, the majority) has tasted or is tasting the goodness of grace, that he/she has come to the end of himself/herself knowing that without Grace there is no longer hope! It's all about Grace, capital G!
I am writing from one who is currently tasting and still learning to lean without reservations on the grace of my Lord Jesus Christ, where I am financially challenged (not ashame to admit that, consequences of sin, a result I discovered was of guilt and condemnation), where my wife underwent 3 operations in as many months, is on MC, and slipping into depression. I could also lament as Jacob said, "All these things are against me!" but I have chosen to believe God can turn all these around for good as a testimony to many of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and what the blood has done!
We (me & my wife) were most privileged to have met a fellow NCC member who shared how he came out of many years of both depression and debts through the revelation of Christ, the cross, tongues, His grace and love where years of medications and counselling and attending a Law based church could not!
So for those debating the goodness of Grace, I can only say that you do not know what you are talking about! The talks of deserving, meriting, and what have you are nothing but stinking pride. Life is probably manageable with no major crisis, else you would certainly find that all the earthly wisdom, philosophies, and Laws cannot bail you out! What you get from all these are more guilts and condemnations, the devil would make you feel (he attacks your mind!) there's no hope, and even suicidal! And when you finally come to the end of yourselves, then you will find Grace, grace to carry on, grace to victory, that His words are all about grace to those who believe, and you began to uncover, to pray in tongues, to focus on the cross, to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the testimony of what the blood has done!
Grace in 1 Corinthians 1 was destowed on believers, and bestowed in the dictionary is defined as of great value and importance, so it is not cheap grace!
Read 1 Corinthians 1 and you wil find a lot of in Christ, in Him, He will ... it's all about Him, not us "doing & don'ts"! In the amplified bible, it is written that He will guarantee our vindication, He will be our warrant against all accusation or indiction, that He will establish the believers to the end, guiltless and irreproachable in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 1:18 the story and message of the cross to the believers is the manifestation of the power of God!
So is this the power to condemn the believers or power to save, heal & deliver the believers? If it is to condemn, then you are saying the Gospel is to condemn! Then it is no longer good news!
Again in the same chapter it is written that thru the foolishness of preaching, where Christ crucified is preached, and to those who believed, Christ is the Power & Wisdom of God. So again, the ? is, the Power and Wisdom (Christ) is to condemn or save, heal & deliver?
So in just 1 chapter, we who are saved receives Power and Wisdom, and (in verse 30) is made Righteous in Christ Jesus, and is made Holy in Christ Jesus, Consecration), and is redeemed from eternal penalty for sin because He became our Redemption (amplified bible translation). Amen.
Therefore in 1 chapter alone speaks volume of the work of Jesus Christ, and is all about Christ, and in Christ.
We BenGer are not stupid, stop telling us we are believing the wrong doctrine or teachings. If you cannot embrace Grace now, so be it, stay at your turf. We also never go around telling people your pastors every Sunday preaches the ministry of death!
Apologies for the very disorganised sharing, I rushing to work now 8-P
Shalom Shalom
William
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