tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-195837822024-03-07T17:03:05.145+08:00The Agora SingaporeAgora SG exists to extend the Lordship of Jesus Christ in every area of our lives. Just as the Greek Agora was the marketplace of ideas and lifestyles, thus, the Agora SG's main purpose is to inspire the layperson to bring forth and articulate their faith in Christ into the world's market place of competing ideas, philosophies, and lifestyles. The Agora SG is also an avenue for the exchange of ideas, understanding and reflections on our own Christian faith amongst the people of God.Benjamin Hohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16974884656974564075noreply@blogger.comBlogger231125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-47112429935314003372014-10-10T23:06:00.001+08:002014-10-10T23:06:04.697+08:00Will The Real Jesus Please Stand Up?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/241168302/Will-the-Real-Jesus-Please-Stand-Up" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up on Scribd">Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/Hedonese" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Dave's profile on Scribd">Dave</a></div>
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<br />
A comparison of the portraits of Jesus as described in the Koran and in the New Testament. The audio download file may be found <a href="http://puchong.cdpc.org.my/2014/09/28/will-the-real-jesus-please-stand-up/">here</a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-19681549327826205652014-07-20T19:19:00.001+08:002014-07-20T19:21:35.444+08:00What Prophets Foretold And Angels Long To See<p style=" margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block;"> <a title="View What Prophets and Angels Long to See on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/233966154/What-Prophets-and-Angels-Long-to-See" style="text-decoration: underline;" >What Prophets and Angels Long to See</a> by <a title="View Dave's profile on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/Hedonese" style="text-decoration: underline;" >Dave</a></p><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="//www.scribd.com/embeds/233966154/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-eVSj2s7BUMAtb7ZCcfzF&show_recommendations=true" data-auto-height="false" data-aspect-ratio="1.3323485967503692" scrolling="no" id="doc_66990" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Get into groups of two or
three. Assignment: Say hi to your friends. Guess what picture this is and have
some fun discussing your answer in your group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Before we go to the answer,
let us turn our attention to God’s word. </span><i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">“Concerning this salvation,
the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently
and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to
which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the
sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them
that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things
that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the
Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things” (I
Peter </span><st1:time hour="13" minute="10"><span style="background: white;">1:10</span></st1:time><span style="background: white;">-12).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This picture is one of the oldest depictions of the cross
(200-300 AD), and it is not a flattering one. It is actually an ancient drawing
on a wall found in a Roman guardhouse. Yes, graffiti existed ever since walls
were invented. In fact, it is an anti-Christian mockery depicting someone worshiping
with his hands raised before a cross. Beneath are the words, “Alexamenos
worships his God.” On that cross is crucified a man with the head of a
donkey (a symbol of stupidity at that time). Even today, the preaching of the
cross is described by some of the world’s intellectual elite as vicious, offensive
and “barking mad” (Dawkins). So this picture offers us historical insight into
how the crucifixion of Christ was seen as something shameful, weak and plain
silly by Roman guards who may have imprisoned this unknown Christian named
Alexamenos. To them, the preaching of the cross seemed utterly foolish. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And that is the historical background that Peter addresses
in the letter that we read a moment ago…a church going through trials,
persecution and ridicule from the broader culture. We are in the third
installment in our sermon series on 1 Peter (website). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Persecution doesn’t usually happen overnight. It starts with
disinformation: lies, ridicules, rumors, conspiracy theories against minority
groups. (“Christians conspire to set up a Christian Prime Minister”) And the
state just keeps quiet or worse, actively uses its powerful news agencies to
spread them. Then it leads to discrimination where the rights and freedom of
the minority to practice their faith i.e. seizing of Bibles by state agencies
or restrictions by government policies, laws and regulations. Then the ground
is made ready for passive persecution. That happens when individuals/mobs harm
people or destroy properties while the state turns a blind eye to it. When it
hits rock bottom, the state uses its power to actively destroy property, arrest
or execute people because of their faith. I will leave you to discern how far
down the spiral <st1:country-region>Malaysia</st1:country-region>
has come as a nation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But whether it is violent persecution or passive
discrimination, the Christian community in Peter’s time faces increasing
pressure to give up their commitment to Jesus. The question they are asking
every day: “Is this worth it? What am I giving up for? Is the faith I hold on
to worth all these troubles and sacrifices? Isn’t it easier to just give in?” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s why the apostle Peter reminds us how precious this
faith that we have embraced is. He wants to encourage us: Realize how valuable
this good news of grace that we now have with Christ. It’s far more precious than
anything the world has to offer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does he do that? Firstly, Peter tells us that t<span style="background: white;">his is the <b>salvation
that prophets have predicted all along</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Look at verse 10-11: “<span class="text1pet-1-10">Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text1pet-1-10">of the grace
that was to come to you,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text1pet-1-10">searched intently and with the greatest care,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text1pet-1-11">trying to
find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text1pet-1-11">in them was
pointing when he predicted</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="text1pet-1-11">the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would
follow.</span><span class="apple-converted-space">” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">We learn something here about the inspiration of biblical writings. These
prophecies were written by men who searched carefully and enquired diligently
about the promised salvation. On rare occasions, God dictated to the prophet
Jeremiah (26:2): “</span></span><span style="background: white;">Tell them
everything I command you; do not omit<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>a
word.<span class="apple-converted-space">” But they were not just passive, almost
unconscious type writers in God’s hands. The prophets were actively seeking,
trying to find out how and when this promised King will come. And at the same
time, in and through this whole process, in the midst of their searching, the
Spirit of Christ within them is speaking to them and through them… the Holy
Spirit is revealing things to them, the Holy Spirit is pointing them to Christ,
to say and write things that they could never have come up with on their own. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">Why is this important? If you misunderstand this, you will get into
problems. Well, I have spoken to friends who started to take their Bible
studies seriously. Maybe they took up some seminary classes or read journal
articles to analyze the texts and its forms. And a few of them are really
troubled when they suddenly realized that the Gospels or the letters of Paul
were written by human beings. “David! Oh no! Do you know what I found out
today? These books were written by people, in a particular context, for a
specific purpose, with introductions and conclusions and everything in between.
That makes me doubt everything. How can they be actual revelations from God?” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">And I want to say: “Hello? Of course they were written by human
beings-lar. Do you expect it to drop down from heaven?” It’s only a problem if
you think that if it is divine, it cannot be human. And if it’s human, it
cannot be divine. But the Bible never made such claims. When we say that all
Scripture is inspired, what we mean is that the Holy Spirit guides the human
writers and reveals in such a way that the original written words of Scripture
were also the very words of God. The Holy Spirit is superintending that entire
process that the result is the Word of God in the words of men. </span></span>2
Peter 1:21: “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets,
though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy
Spirit.” They are both human and divine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">Now the goal of the Spirit’s revelation is to show Christ. To point to
His suffering and the glories that would follow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">Just a few months ago, we looked at how the death and resurrection of Christ
had been clearly foretold centuries earlier by the prophet Isaiah (53). And we
can see how detailed, lengthy and specific these biblical prophecies were
compared to vague and generic so-called predictions of John F Kennedy’s
assassination, for example. The amazing thing is: Isaiah is not the only
prophet to do so. </span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;">There’s prophet Micah (5:2) who
predicted that the Christ will come from the town of </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Bethlehem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white;">, from among the clans of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Judah</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="background: white;">: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">“But
you, Bethlehem</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">Ephrathah,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">though you are small among the
clans</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">of </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">Judah</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">,</span></span><br />
<span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">out of you will come for
me</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">one who will be ruler</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">over </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">Israel</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">,</span></span><br />
<span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">whose origins are from
of old,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textmic-5-2"><span style="background: white;">from ancient times.”</span></span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The prophet Zechariah even
predicted that this chosen King would enter </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white;"> “<span class="textzech-9-9">righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey” (9:9). It’s like bits and pieces of this jigsaw
puzzle were disclosed over hundreds of years to give us hints and clues about
this Messiah. And all of them fit nicely in the person of Jesus. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">In Psalm 22, King David
foretold the sufferings of Christ as he hung on the cross - to be abandoned by
God the Father, to be mocked and insulted by people, to have his hands and feet
pierced, and to have his garments divided by the casting of lots. Jesus quoted part
of this Psalm and applied it directly to Himself just before He died. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-22-1"><span style="background: white;">“My
God, my God, why have you forsaken me?</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-1"><span style="background: white;">Why are you so far</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-1"><span style="background: white;">from saving me,</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-1"><span style="background: white;">so far from my cries of
anguish?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-22-6"><span style="background: white;">I am
a worm</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-6"><span style="background: white;">and not a man,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-6"><span style="background: white;">scorned by everyone,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-6"><span style="background: white;">despised</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-6"><span style="background: white;">by the people.</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-7"><span style="background: white;">All who see me mock me;</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-7"><span style="background: white;">they hurl insults,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-7"><span style="background: white;">shaking their heads.</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">“He trusts in the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">,” they say,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">“let the</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="small-caps"><span style="background: white; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">rescue him.</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">Let him deliver him,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">since he delights</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-8"><span style="background: white;">in him.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="textps-22-16"><span style="background: white;">Dogs</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-16"><span style="background: white;">surround me,</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-16"><span style="background: white;">a pack of villains encircles
me;</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-16"><span style="background: white;">they pierce<sup> </sup>my
hands and my feet.</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-17"><span style="background: white;">All my bones are on
display;</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-17"><span style="background: white;">people stare</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-17"><span style="background: white;">and gloat over me.</span></span><br />
<span class="textps-22-18"><span style="background: white;">They divide my clothes
among them</span></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-18"><span style="background: white;">and cast lots</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> </span></span><span class="textps-22-18"><span style="background: white;">for my garment.” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-1">Not only the sufferings of Christ, Psalm 110 also predicted the glorious
exaltation of the Messiah when He shall reign and be seated at God’s right hand
to be a priest forever: </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-1"><b><sup>1 </sup></b>The</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-1">says</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-1">to my lord (<i>that is, Jesus</i>):<sup> </sup></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-1">“Sit at my right hand</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-1">until I make your enemies</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-1">a footstool for your feet.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-2"><b><sup>2 </sup></b>The</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-2">will extend
your mighty scepter</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-2">from </span><st1:city>Zion</st1:city><span class="textps-110-2">,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-2">saying,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-2">“Rule</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-2">in the midst of your enemies!”</span><br />
<span class="textps-110-3"><b><sup>3 </sup></b>Your troops will be willing</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-3">on your day of battle.</span><br />
<span class="textps-110-3">Arrayed in holy splendor,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-3">your young men will come to you</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-3">like dew from the morning’s womb</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-4"><b><sup>4 </sup></b>The</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-4">has sworn</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-4">and will not change his mind:</span><br />
<span class="textps-110-4">“You are a priest forever,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-4">in the order of Melchizedek.”</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textps-110-5"><b><sup>5 </sup></b>The Lord
is at your right hand;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textps-110-5">he will crush kings</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textps-110-5">on the day of his wrath.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">The crucified Messiah is also
the triumphant King who will put everything to right. He has ascended to His
throne at the right hand of the Father and reigns in the midst of His enemies. In
light of all these prophecies, our resurrected Lord said to his disciples on
the road to Emmaus: “<span class="woj">How foolish you are, and how slow to
believe all that the prophets have spoken!</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">Did not the Messiah <i>have to</i> suffer these things and then
enter his glory?”</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> The cross must come
before the crown. Why? Because that’s what has been prophesied. </span><span class="textluke-24-27">And beginning with Moses</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textluke-24-27">and all the
Prophets,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textluke-24-27">he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures
concerning himself.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">2) This is the salvation that
the church now proclaims. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white;">Look at verse 12: It was
revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke
of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel
to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The goal of all Scripture is to point us to Christ. This is
why the Bible is divided into two parts: Old Testament is written before the
coming of Jesus and New Testament written after His life, death and
resurrection. He is the main theme of all Scriptures. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The Old Testament prepares and promises the coming of this
perfect King. It gives people clues, hints and symbols about who He is, where
and how He will come, what He will do and so on. The New Testament records
eyewitness accounts of those who have seen and heard him. It unpacks the good
news of grace and explains to us the meaning of what Jesus taught and did 2000
years ago. So Christ is prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New
Testament. He is the main character in the story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For Christians, this unity in such diverse writings over
thousands of years and fulfilled prophecies are not by random accident. It is
evidence that the Bible is inspired.<span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">We can see this more clearly
after Christ has appeared, after His suffering and glory, and then when we go
back to the Old Testament, we can begin to make sense of how Christ fulfilled
everything in it. (Sixth Sense) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">But how would a prophet like
Isaiah or Micah understand fully all that they had written? If you were to ask
Isaiah: Who is this child born of a virgin? Or who is this suffering servant
pierced for our transgressions? If you were to ask Micah: “Who is this future
king from </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Bethlehem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white;"> whose origins are from ancient times?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">They would probably answer:
“I’ve been trying to figure out myself how that will come to pass. But I don’t
fully understand what that means. Part of that prophecy must be for someone
else. It must be fulfilled not for me, but for some future generations”. It was
revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you… The prophetic
ministry they exercised was for our benefit not theirs, because they were
fulfilled not in their days, but ours. They could only point to the future but
unable to enter in themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Friends, think about this – What
the prophets predicted but could not understand for centuries, we can
experience and proclaim today. This is the grace that has come to us. This is
the good news that we received. This is the amazing grace that we are now
privileged to share with others. What a privilege! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">If we don’t find this grace
amazing this morning, maybe for some of us, it’s ordinary grace… same, old,
predictable “I’ve-heard-it-a-thousand-times” grace. What have I missed? What keeps
grace from being amazing? Maybe it’s because we do not understand who we are at
all. We have a self perception problem. We like to think of ourselves as
basically good and nice people. If we’re not that bad, then God’s grace is not
that great. If we have committed only a little crime, then God’s mercy is
little. But maybe you don’t have to be a criminal to be a sinner. Our hearts
long for things that we shouldn’t desire. Our affections are full of idols.
Maybe it’s our careers, financial security, even families, or just a life of pleasure,
ease and comfort. These idols mini-gods that we bow down to and worship control
and destroy us. We do not long for and pursue God as we should. We are a lot
more sinful than we realize. We need to correct our self perception
problem. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">If we don’t find this news good
this morning, it’s because we have a distorted understanding of who God is: “Of
course, if God exists, He is quite relaxed about sin. It’s not a big deal. He’d
not bothered by holiness or concerned about His moral laws. God loves me, wants
me to be happy and forgives me. It’s his job to forgive anyway. It’s unfair of
Him to be angry at good people like me.” Make no mistake about it: God is more
holy that we realize. He has zero tolerance for sin. The wages of sin is death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">When you come to think about
it, real forgiveness, any forgiveness is costly suffering. Recently my tenants
damaged my apartment door and owed me one month’s rent and RM 800 electricity
bills, I can either ask them to pay all or we can share the costs (50%) or I
have to absorb the full cost of this myself. Someone has to bear the payment.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Forgiveness is a form of suffering. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<span style="background: white;">Since forgiveness means absorbing the payment of
sin yourself instead of making the guilty pay for it, should it surprise us
that when God forgives us, He went to the Cross and die there? He is the Judge
Himself receiving the punishment. </span><span lang="EN" style="background: white; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It is nothing like primitive gods that demand human blood
for their wrath to be appeased but God became human to offer his own blood so
that he can destroy all evil without destroying us.<span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">The essence of sin is we
human beings substitute ourselves for God while the essence of salvation is God
substituting himself for us.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Church: Our message is not
“good advice” on how to improve moral behaviors or build healthy self esteem.
It is not “good laws” a set of dos and don’ts that govern everything you wear
and eat. Our message is “good news” of salvation from sin and death… That
Christ must suffer and die to take upon Himself the guilt and punishment that
is ours. He absorbed our sin, our curse, our brokenness so that we could be
free. That He is raised to life again and reigns in glory so that we may have
new life, a transformed life to glorify and enjoy Him forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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True preaching is Christ-centered and gospel-saturated.
Church: That is the message that the people in Puchong needs to hear. That is
what every sermon on this pulpit aspire to proclaim every Sunday. That’s why I
am excited to know that Rev Wong is keen to bring in the Alpha Course, an
opportunity to share the good news with our friends in context of meals and
community. Would you pray with the leaders of this church that we become more
effective in our evangelism, in our outreach, in our gospel growth?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">3) This is the salvation that
angels long to watch and comprehend. Last sentence in v12: “Even angels long to
look into these things”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Books have always been a friend
in my spiritual journey. That’s why I set up a book table at the back so that
people can freely borrow one home to be their spiritual companion too. You’d
find books on spiritual disciplines, engaging culture, movie review, evangelism,
faith and work, biography and creation care. But my library has not always been
like that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">In my younger days, I was
obsessed with books about angels and demons. Not the Dan Brown novel, mind you.
How I long to have eyes opened to see the invisible spiritual realms! Christians
can be very fascinated with dreams, visions and Hollywood shows like
Supernatural or Constantine that give us juicy insider information into how
angels look like, how they operate and even how to command angels to do our
bidding. Wouldn’t it be nice to gaze into the ‘other side’ to find out more
about warrior angels, messenger angels, arch angels, fallen angels, guardian
angels and how to be touched by an angel? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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But the Bible never tells us to peek into the other side,
much less to order angels around. In fact, verse 12 tells us that the angels
long to look at and understand our salvation. Here’s the funny thing: we are so
fascinated by them but the angels themselves are more fascinated to see the amazing
grace that is ours. They are standing on tiptoe, as it were, like someone at
the back of a crowd trying to watch a parade. They are so eager to understand
God’s grace that they stoop down from heaven to gaze at what’s happening on
earth. <span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ray Pritchard says this: “During the Renaissance, a painter
named Tintoretto painted a version of the Last Supper. We see Jesus and his
disciples gathered around the table. Perhaps Jesus has just said, “This is my
body” and “This is my blood.” There is a sense of drama and tension as the
disciples struggle to understand. Above the table, an oil lamp gives off clouds
of smoke and angels were painted in the smoke, watching from above, their faces
strangely curious, as they too wonder at what the Son of God is about to do.
That’s exactly the idea Peter is driving at…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">W</span>hy would the angels
marvel at our salvation? The answer is simple. There are no “saved” angels
because salvation is not for them, but for us. Jesus died to redeem fallen men
and women, not the angels. There are good angels and bad angels; there are
obedient and disobedient angels, but there are no “saved” angels. Only humans
can be saved. Only we can be redeemed. We alone of all the creatures in the
universe can experience the wonders of God’s saving grace. This fascinates the
angels, and causes them to study and ponder the mysteries of a salvation they
do not share.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Here is the gist of Peter’s message: God loves you so much,
the angels are amazed. They are curious about grace and mercy and forgiveness.
They’ve never experienced new life, the second birth, the indwelling of the
Holy Spirit, or the wonder of deliverance from sin. That which we have
experienced in Jesus Christ, the angels never knew and will never know. We are
far more privileged than they. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Do we realize this privilege that is ours? What the angels
wonder at but never experience …We understand and experience every single day.
We have privileges even the angels don’t have. Do we realize that we are
privileged beyond our dreams? What the prophets have long predicted but never
understood, we now enjoy and share in Christ. We live in the reality of their
prophetic fulfillment."<o:p></o:p></div>
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So don’t take it for granted. Don’t give it up so easily.
Don’t be distracted from it. Treasure and guard it well. Go deeper into it.
Share it. It’s far more precious than anything the world has to offer. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s a famous 19th century Scottish missionary, doctor
and explorer of <st1:place>Africa</st1:place> named David Livingstone. He was
disappointed to see Christians concentrated in one city because he believes
that after a local church has been founded, the native leaders should be
trained and move on to new un-reached areas. And so he went and gave his life
to the people in the interiors of <st1:place>Africa</st1:place>. When people
asked about him leaving the benefits of <st1:country-region>England</st1:country-region>,
he replied: <o:p></o:p></div>
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For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has
appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in
spending so much of my life in <st1:place>Africa</st1:place>. Is that a
sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the
consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious
destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought!
It is emphatically <i>no sacrifice</i>. <b><u>Say rather it is a privilege.</u></b>
Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the
common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause
the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment.
All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in
and for us.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em><u>I never made a
sacrifice</u>.</em><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Yes, there are sacrifices to
be made if you want to attempt great things for God. It could mean worries,
exhaustion, suffering even danger. Yes there is such a thing as sacrifice. If
we could only see the privilege that is ours in Christ, if we realize the
privilege that is ours in the gospel, in the cross, in the grace of Christ, all
these are counted as nothing. I never made a sacrifice. If we only knew the
privilege that is ours, we’d be unstoppable. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">And do you remember our
friend Alexamenos (the guy who was ridiculed because of his faith in the cross
of Christ)? There’s something else that you need to know. In the next chamber, not
far away, there is another scribbling on the wall written in a different hand
writing. It is probably a response by an unknown person in his defense. And it
just says this: </span>“Alexamenos is faithful” or “Alexamenos the faithful”. Despite
the ridicule and imprisonment and perhaps even martyrdom, he has remained
faithful till the end. He knew that His Savior is worth it. <span style="background: white;">Because here’s the thing: We now know the good news
the prophets never knew, and we now experience the grace that the angels wish
they knew. </span>It’s worth everything that we may be called to give. It’s
worth it.</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-1983866438379235632014-04-11T18:38:00.001+08:002014-04-11T18:38:11.361+08:00Isaiah 53: Prophecy of the Suffering Messiah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="textluke-18-31"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Luke
</span></span><st1:time hour="18" minute="31"><span class="textluke-18-31"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">18: 31</span></span></st1:time><span class="textluke-18-31"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">- 34 </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="textluke-18-31"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">31 </span></sup></b></span><span class="textluke-18-31"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">“We are going up to </span></span><st1:city><st1:place><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Jerusalem</span></span></st1:place></st1:city><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">and everything that is written by the
prophets</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">about
the Son of Man</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">will be fulfilled.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">32 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">He will be delivered over to the
Gentiles.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">They will mock him, insult him and spit on him;</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">33 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">they will flog him</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">and kill him.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">On the third day</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="woj"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">he will rise again.”</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="textluke-18-34"><b><sup><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">34 </span></sup></b></span><span class="textluke-18-34"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The disciples did not understand any of this. Its
meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">-------------------------------------------------------------- <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">This painting is called The
Shadow of Death. It is not portraying any event recorded in the Gospels.
Rather, it depicts an imagined scene. Here Jesus is portrayed as a young man in
the carpenter’s workshop before his public ministry had begun. Tired from work,
he stretches his arms. His face carries a mix of rapture and agony. His shadow
is silhouetted against the wall across his tool board, creating the impression
of his body on the cross. In the corner, his mother Mary looks up, aghast to
see the shadow of the cross looming over her. If you look carefully, you see
that she is opening a chest that contains gifts from the wise men – gold,
frankinscense and myrrh which represent his kingship, his divine glory and his
death. Although this painting is not historical, it does truly depict a
biblical insight that the shadow of the cross hangs over the entire life of
Jesus. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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In the ancient world, there were three “supreme penalties”
that people fear the most. What are the worst methods to punish criminals to
death? Beheading was a horrible way to go, being burnt alive was worse (more
painful but sometimes, people died from inhaling the smoke before the fire
reached them). But the most extreme death penalty one can have was by crucifixion.
You catch a glimpse of how violent and agonizing a crucifixion looks like in
the movie The Passion of the Christ. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: white;">And that is Jesus’ destiny
prophesied in Scripture. It is his mission on earth. It is the reason He came. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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That’s not something you would expect. Our Muslim neighbors
would stress that the prophet of God cannot be allowed to be mocked and crucified.
Or suffer defeat. <span style="background: white;">Surely God will protect his
servant by rescuing him and replace someone else to be crucified instead. We
don’t want that kind of hero. According to a 16<sup>th</sup> century document
called the “gospel of Barnabas”, Judas Iscariot was supposed to have substituted
Jesus on the cross. You may like to know that manuscript written in Italian is
more than 1500 years removed from the actual event. So it’s not a reliable
historical source. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">But the Gospel of Luke,
written within only a few decades from the death of Christ, shows us that our
Lord was not surprised by what’s going to happen in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white;">. He knew it was coming. He anticipated it. He was
going to travel to the holy city one last time to celebrate the Passover. </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white;"> is the city where the temple is located, the sacred place
where heaven and earth meets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="woj">So Jesus rounds up His disciples and tells
them that He will be delivered over to the Gentiles.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">They will mock him,
insult him and spit on him. They will flog him</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">and kill him.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space">You may think: “Oh well,
it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that out. John the Baptist his
predecessor was also executed earlier. There was no freedom of speech in those
days, right? So what’s so special about Jesus’ death?” </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space">Well, in the case of
Jesus, look at verse 31 here, his death and resurrection happened so that “</span><span class="woj">everything that is written by the prophets</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">about the Son of Man</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">will be fulfilled”. It
has been foretold in Scripture. It has been predicted beforehand. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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In other words, it may look to bystanders as though Jesus is
the victim of betrayal and political conspiracy and mob violence and mock
trials and corrupt religious leaders. Yes, we see that a lot in this cruel
world. But what Jesus says is breath taking: I am in charge here. It’s all
taking place just as Scripture has foretold. Nobody takes my life from me. I
lay it down. I take it up. Jesus already predicted when he died, how he died,
and when he rose from the dead. Yet he still made that journey to <st1:city>Jerusalem</st1:city>.
Why? <o:p></o:p></div>
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1) Because all that prophets have predicted hundreds of
years ago must be fulfilled. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You see, Jesus is not just another human prophet. Rather he
is the ultimate goal of all prophecy. He is their purpose. He is the
fulfillment of what the prophets have foretold. What was predicted hundreds of
years before had come true in his life. If you are considering the claims of
Christ and wonder if there is any good reason to suppose that His life and
death are unique, here is a powerful clue: Fulfilled prophecies. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Let me read to you a prediction written in the 16<sup>th</sup>
century and you tell me what event is being fulfilled here: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The great man will be struck down in the day by a
thunderbolt,</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>An evil deed foretold by the bearer of a petition.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>According to the prediction, another falls at night time.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Conflict at </i><st1:place><i>Reims</i></st1:place><i>, </i><st1:city><st1:place><i>London</i></st1:place></st1:city><i>
and a pestilence in </i><st1:state><st1:place><i>Tuscany</i></st1:place></st1:state><i>.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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(re-kan-s, tas-kanee) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Whose death do you think is being predicted here? You would
never have guessed by just reading it. The answer is: The assassination of John
F Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy. Who do you think wrote these four lines of
prediction? Nostradamus. <o:p></o:p></div>
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OK, thunderbolts and gunshots: not terribly dissimilar. And
the great man was struck down in the day, as John F. Kennedy was. The other
falling at nighttime would be Bobby Kennedy (five years later). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Science Channel: Now, it can work if you want it to, but do
you really think a Secret Service agent reading this passage in 1963 would have
cause to be concerned? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Probably not. It is so vague, vague enough to mean any other
great leader killed during day or night. And it doesn’t even say there were
related as brothers. And what of <st1:place>Reims</st1:place>, <st1:city>London</st1:city>
and <st1:state>Tuscany</st1:state>? Their deaths were
not related to any conflict or pestilence in those places. Not a terribly
impressive prediction. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now let us return to the death of Christ. Where was it
prophesied that the Promised One, the Messiah will die a violent death and rise
again from the grave? It would be amazing if such prophecies were true. But
were they really talking about Jesus? Or were they just too vague like this
one? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Around 700 years before
Christ was born, the prophet Isaiah made one of the clearest predictions of the
Messiah’s death and resurrection. It shed so much light to what He was doing
that the book of Isaiah came to be known as the ‘fifth gospel’ apart from
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">I would like to read with you
a portion of this prophecy about the suffering and vindication of the Messiah in
Isaiah 53: The God of Israel says: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="text">See, my servant will act wisely;</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">he
will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. (<u>resurrection, ascension,
exaltation?)</u> </span><br />
<span class="text"><sup>14 </sup>Just as there were many who were appalled
at him<sup> </sup>—</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">his
appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
his form marred beyond human likeness—</span><br />
<span class="text"><sup>15 </sup>so he will sprinkle many nations,<sup> </sup></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
kings will shut their mouths because of him.</span><br />
<span class="text">For what they were not told, they will see,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
what they have not heard, they will understand.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="textisa-52-13"> </span><span class="text">Who has believed our
message</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
to whom has the arm of the </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="text"> been
revealed?</span><br />
<span class="text"><sup>2 </sup>He grew up before him like a tender shoot,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
like a root out of dry ground.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="textisa-53-2">He had no beauty or majesty to
attract us to him,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-2">nothing in his appearance</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-2">that we
should desire him.</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-3"><b><sup>3 </sup></b>He was despised and rejected
by mankind,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-3">a man of suffering,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-3">and familiar with pain.</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-3">Like one from whom people hide</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-3">their faces</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-3">he was despised,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-3">and we held him in low esteem. (<u>rejection by people in
life</u>)</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="textisa-53-4"><b><sup>4 </sup></b>Surely he
took up our pain</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-4">and bore our suffering,</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-4">yet we considered him punished by God,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-4">stricken by him, and afflicted.</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-5"><b><sup>5 </sup></b>But he was pierced</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">for our
transgressions, (<u>the Roman spear pierced Jesus’ side</u>) </span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">he was crushed</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">for our iniquities;</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-5">the punishment</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">that brought
us peace</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">was on him,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">and by his wounds</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-5">we are healed.</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-6"><b><sup>6 </sup></b>We all, like sheep, have gone
astray,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-6">each of us has turned to our own way;</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-6">and the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-6">has laid on
him</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-6">the iniquity</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-6">of us all. <u>(substitutionary atonement language)</u> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="textisa-53-7"><b><sup>7 </sup></b>He was
oppressed</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-7">and afflicted,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-7">yet he did not open his mouth;</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-7">he was led like a lamb</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-7">to the
slaughter,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-7">and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-7">so he did not open his mouth. <u>(Did not fight his arrest,
accepted suffering)</u> </span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-8"><b><sup>8 </sup></b>By oppression<b><sup> </sup></b>and
judgment</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-8">he was taken away.</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-8">Yet who of his generation protested? (<u>False accusations, corrupt
trial</u>)</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-8">For he was cut off from the land of the living; <u>(means:
</u></span><u>His suffering led to death<span class="textisa-53-8">) </span><br />
</u><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-8">for the transgression</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-8">of my people
he was punished.<b><sup> </sup></b></span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-9"><b><sup>9 </sup></b>He was assigned a grave with
the wicked,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-9">and with the rich</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-9">in his death, <u>(Even though Jesus was poor and crucified
people are left to the dogs, Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of
Arimathea)</u> </span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-9">though he had done no violence,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-9">nor was any deceit in his mouth. <u>(He has committed no
crime or sin deserving death)</u></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="textisa-53-10"><b><sup>10 </sup></b>Yet it
was the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="textisa-53-10">’s will</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">to crush</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">him and cause him to suffer,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">and though the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">makes</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">his life an
offering for sin,</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-10">he will see his seed</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">and prolong
his days,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">and the will of the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="small-caps"><span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">will prosper</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-10">in his hand.
</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-11"><b><sup>11 </sup></b><b>After he has suffered,</b></span><b><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">he will see the light</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">of life<sup> </sup>and be satisfied;</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-11">by his knowledge</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">my righteous
servant</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">will justify</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">many,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-11">and he will bear their iniquities.</span> </b><u>(This is
all about the resurrection. Jesus would suffer, die, and buried in a rich man’s
tomb. And then, after the suffering, he’d get out of his grave, he’d see the
light of day, he’d enjoy life again, he would accomplish his mission to justify
many and take away sin, that he’d reconcile us to God. “It is finished.” He
will be satisfied to see His people, his seed prosper) </u><br />
<span class="textisa-53-12"><b><sup>12 </sup></b>Therefore I will give him a
portion among the great,<b><sup> </sup></b></span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">and he will divide the spoils</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">with the
strong,<b><sup> </sup></b></span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-12">because he poured out his life unto death,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">and was numbered with the transgressors.</span><br />
<span class="textisa-53-12">For he bore</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">the sin of many,</span><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">and made intercession</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textisa-53-12">for the
transgressors. <u>(Sin bearer)</u></span><u><o:p></o:p></u></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Now, who is This Servant of
the Lord? Who is Isaiah talking about in its original context? Some interpreters
would say, in its original context, the servant of the Lord refers to the
nation </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">. </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> has always been persecuted by the sinful Gentile
nations and suffered greatly because of the transgressions of others. Think of
Nazi Holocaust and similar tragic episodes throughout their long history. Yes,
sometimes in the book of Isaiah the servant of the Lord is clearly the people
of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> (Isaiah 41: “<span class="text">But you, </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">, my servant,</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Jacob, whom I have chosen, you
descendants of Abraham my friend, I took you from the ends of the earth,</span></span><span class="indent-1-breaks"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="text"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">from its farthest corners I called
you.<sup>”)</sup></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">. And sometimes
the servant refers to the prophet Isaiah himself (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Isaiah%2049.5"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Isaiah 49:5</span></a>)<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>"And now says the Lord, who
formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring back Jacob to him."
Here the prophet Isaiah is the servant who brings the people of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> back to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">But in Isaiah 53<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>the servant cannot be the prophet or
the people. Because the Servant is portrayed as substituting himself for both
the prophet and the people of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">. Verse 4: "Surely he [the Servant]<span class="textisa-53-4"> took up our pain and bore our suffering</span>." Verse
5: "He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our
iniquities." "Our" means "me, Isaiah" and the people
of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">. So this mysterious Servant is not the people of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> and not Isaiah, because he is the substitute for both
of them. His job is to restore </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> and bring light to the Gentile nations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Who then is this Servant of
the Lord? Ancient Jewish <a href="http://www.jewsforjesus.org/publications/issues/v02-n05/isaiah53">rabbis</a>
understood it to refer to the Messiah. So it is not surprising to find that Jesus
clearly understood this prophecy as being fulfilled in his own life and
ministry. He is the suffering servant who is crushed for the sins of the
people. What will soon happen to Him in </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> is fulfillment of this prophecy. He himself said,
"The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve (to be a Servant) and
to give his life a ransom [a substitute!] for many" (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Mark%2010.45"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Mark 10:45</span></a>). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">In all the history of </span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Israel</span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">, no one comes close to fulfilling this prophecy apart
from Jesus. <i>In Acts 8<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>there is an Ethiopian eunuch (a diplomat)
who was reading Isaiah 53<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>when
Philip joined him in his chariot. The eunuch asked, "Of whom does the
prophet Isaiah speak, of himself, or of someone else?" Philip opened his
mouth and beginning from this scripture he proclaimed Jesus to him (<a href="http://biblia.com/bible/esv/Acts%208.35"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Acts 8:35</span></a>).<s> <o:p></o:p></s></i></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Let me remind all of us that this was written 700
years before Jesus was born and there was no way Isaiah could have known it
unless it was revealed to him. This passage is packed with details about the
suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">2) Why did Jesus die? Why did
He press on to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> knowing certain death awaits him? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">What is the meaning of His
death? Actually it would be more accurate to say there are multiple layers of
meanings in the Cross of Christ. Like a diamond, it has many sides. The cross
is God’s victory over the powers of Satan because sin and death have no
dominion over those who are in Christ. It is Jesus’ non violence unmasking the
corruption behind oppressive powers. The cross is Christ satisfying God’s holy
requirements in the law. The cross is a demonstration of how much God’s love is
for us. <span style="background: white;">While we were still sinners, Christ died
for us so our indifference melts away. <span class="apple-converted-space">The cross inspires us to follow Him in self-sacrifice and
self-giving. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt;">All these are precious ways of
understanding the cross of Christ that should we should recover. And I would
also point out that all this is true because sacrifice is at the heart of the
cross. Jesus took up our pain and bore our sins. He was pierced for our
transgressions. </span></span><span class="textisa-53-5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">He was crushed</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-53-5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">for our iniquities; the punishment</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-53-5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">that brought us peace</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-53-5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">was on him, and by his wounds</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> </span></span><span class="textisa-53-5"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">we are healed. </span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt;">It was the Lord’s will to crush him as a sin offering. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">What the movies like Passion
of the Christ or the historical books cannot show us is what goes on spiritually
on the cross. They cannot show us the reality that we are separated from God by
our sin. That God is alienated from us by His holy anger. God doesn’t lose his
temper for no reason at all. His anger is provoked always by sin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"> Some people say this is not fair. This is like
me saying “You offended me. So in order that I can forgive you, I must go and
beat up Yoong Zhen first”. Some even call it ‘cosmic child abuse’ – an angry Father
punishes his own innocent son for the wrongs of others. But that’s a serious
misunderstanding of what the cross is about. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Firstly, Jesus is not an
unwilling third party here. He is not forced to do it. He willingly embraced
the Cross for the joy set before him. He and the Father are one in this plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Secondly, God the Father so
loved the world that He gave his only Son. It is not as though he is reluctant
and needs to be pacified by Jesus. Precisely because God is love that He has
made a way for sinful men to be forgiven without ignoring sin… without
downplaying sin. It is not just another man that the Father is punishing for
our sins, but Jesus the embodiment of God took upon Himself the sins of us all.
The One who passes judgment now steps down and receives the penalty. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">It is in the death of Christ
as a substitute and sacrifice that sin is removed and God’s wrath is absorbed,
so that God can look on us without displeasure and man can look on God without
fear. Sin is cleansed (expiated) and God is satisfied (propitiated). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">It is not justice. But it is
grace. God is showing us the love and mercy that we do not deserve. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">3) When
Jesus predicted His death, the disciples were clueless. They did not get it.
Does it surprise you? How can that happen? Is it because they couldn’t hear
properly or what? Or are they confused because what Jesus predicted was not
what they wanted to hear? Could it be that their misunderstanding is caused by
their refusal to understand? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">They are
ever hearing but never understanding because they wanted a kingdom that brings
judgment down on the bad guys. The Messiah should not suffer. He should cause
our enemies to suffer. We want a Messiah who brings power, prestige and
deliverance to us. A crucified Messiah is not what we would expect. He is
supposed to be the one crucifying others. Lest we become too harsh on the
disciples, let’s ask ourselves: Do we really understand any of this? What kind
of Savior are we looking for? What kingdom are we expecting? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">Do we seek a
kingdom where God blesses us with a lovely spouse who is always loving; always
understanding and agrees with us all the time? A kingdom where we are blessed
with above average children, always fun to play with, always healthy and obeys
us all the time? A kingdom where our nasty colleagues get fired and evil people
get zapped right now? A kingdom where our bank account grows steadily and keeps
us safe and secure? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">But the
focal point of Jesus’ mission is not our comfort. It is sacrifice. And that’s
hard to understand and if understood, it’s even hard to accept. Take up your
cross and follow me. Die to sin, be alive to God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">Here is
Jesus saying: I must go to </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">Jerusalem</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">. I must go to the cross. </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">U<span style="background: white;">nless a seed falls to
the ground and dies, it remains alone and lonely. But if it dies, it breaks
forth into new life and produces much fruit. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Christian life begins when we are forgiven of our sins and the Holy Spirit
breathes new life into us. So our discipleship is shaped by the cross and the resurrection
from first to last. As we die to our selfish pride, die to our greed and sinful
ambitions, die to the mindset of the world, we become alive to God, alive to
His purpose and design for our lives, alive to what it means to be in
community. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt;">Only through
death can we experience newness of life and joy in Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">And I wonder: How would we die to
sin today? Is there a legitimate pleasure that is controlling us, entangling us
from walking closer to God? Is there something that our Lord is asking you to
let go? Is He calling you to obedience in some area in your life? Perhaps He is
calling you to sacrifice comfort to pursue something much greater? </span></strong><strong><span style="background: white; font-size: 11.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Are we shaped by the self giving
pattern of Christ?</span></strong></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt;">Friends, the
cross and resurrection of Jesus is a once-off event that changed history. But
death and resurrection is also an ongoing process in our spiritual life… dying
to self and being raised to new life is the shape of Christian discipleship. We
have a cruciform spirituality. </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-16187025916800784312014-01-28T23:01:00.001+08:002014-01-28T23:01:09.680+08:00A Manifesto For Evangelism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Once upon a time, there was a village of fishermen who loved
to fish. They gathered to form a fishing society with the vision to promote
fishing all over the country. They published books on the benefits of fishing as
a hobby and as a career. They organized seminars on the latest technology for
boats, baits and fishing equipment. At these forums, they sang songs about the
joys of fishing. They also hired experts to research on the migration patterns
and breeding habits of various fishes. They were so busy with all these
activities that there was no time left… to fish. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until one fine day, a young girl actually decided to sail
out to the ocean and cast a net into the waters. Lo and behold, she caught a huge
load of fish. Instantly she became famous. She was invited to write a book about
her adventures. She was asked to share her amazing experience at fishing
conferences and travel the world to lobby for cross-cultural fishing. Of
course, she too became so busy that she forgot… to fish… </div>
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<br /></div>
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This is a parable... Spend 2 minutes to discuss what this
parable is about. When Jesus called his disciples, He said: Follow me and I
will make you fishers of men. This is a
call for them be with Him, to give their lives to Him and bring people into His
kingdom. It’s a call to evangelism… to make disciples of all peoples. And you
can’t make disciples unless you are first a disciple. We find those fishermen
funny but more often than not, we Christians can be a lot like them. We can
attend trainings, read books and sing songs about evangelism so much so that
the only thing we forgot to do is to evangelize. Really… how much of our
personal life or even our church activities can really be intentionally
evangelistic? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ouch… this is going to be a tough sermon this morning.
Whenever the topic of evangelism crops up, I think a lot of us squirm with a
sense of guilt… a sense of inadequacy… believe me, I know that feeling all too
well. But there is hope because Jesus says come to me, follow me, learn from
me, trust in me and I will make you fishers of men. There’s a promise. He will
do it. He will make us fishers of men. But will we follow? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Romans 10:13-15<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>For, “Everyone who
calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”<b> <o:p></o:p></b></i></div>
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<i>How, then, can they
call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one
of whom they have not heard?
And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can
anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the
feet of those who bring good news!” <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div nbsp="" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto;">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/202324362/A-Manifesto-of-Evangelism" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View A Manifesto of Evangelism on Scribd">A Manifesto of Evangelism</a> by <a href="http://www.scribd.com/Hedonese" nbsp="" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View Dave's profile on Scribd">Dave</a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
CDPC Puchong: We are a SIMPLE church. We are committed to
preaching through chunks of Scripture week in, week out to see how all of them
point to our Savior the Lord Jesus. Our desire is for all of our lives (in the
workplace, family and in the city) to be shaped by His truth, His grace and His
justice. One of our key values is to make disciples of all people groups… ergo,
City “Discipleship”. This year, we really want to focus on Making Disciples (through
evangelism, pastoral care and growing leaders). That’s our top priority. Why? Because
we want to be a gospel-centered church. Because if we don’t do that, then we
are not living up to our name. And because “gospel”, “community” and “mission” are
at the heart of the book of Romans. </div>
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<br /></div>
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As you may know, this month, we are continuing our
exposition on Romans 9-11. We have journeyed through 8 chapters last year and
it’s good to just back up a little bit and see where we are. What is the
purpose of this letter? Well, Paul is writing because he plans to go and bring
the gospel to <st1:country-region>Spain</st1:country-region>.
And he plans to stop over at the church in <st1:city>Rome</st1:city>
first for evangelism, for ministry and for mutual encouragement. So it’s like a
mission newsletter – Paul needs some assistance to preach the gospel somewhere
which no one has gone before. He needs the church’s support in prayer, help and
perhaps finance. Mission is always a community project, a church project. Even
an apostle doesn’t want to go it alone. But the church in <st1:city>Rome</st1:city>
doesn’t know him personally so he wrote this epistle to introduce himself as an
apostle to the Gentiles and what his gospel message is all about. He ended up
writing up one of the most important and influential books of all time but it’s
good to remember that he didn’t set out to write a theological textbook. Its
core concern is missional. It’s a manifesto, a public declaration for
evangelism. </div>
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<br /></div>
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And the other main purpose of writing the epistle relates to
a problem faced by the church itself. It was culturally mixed with a Gentile
majority and a Jewish minority. The controversy of whether obeying the law and
circumcision as boundary markers that segregate you as a member of God’s people
was unsettling the church. There were those who wanted to obey food laws and
ceremonial regulations, and others who didn’t. Paul wanted to step in and say:
The people of God are defined by faith in Christ alone. Your cultural, ethnic
differences are transcended by Christ so you now stand united in the gospel of
grace. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Guess what? That means gospel, mission and community are at
the forefront of the epistle. David Chong didn’t come up with these brilliant ideas
by himself, in case you are wondering. It’s not just a CDPC idea. It is a
biblical priority. They are all central concerns in the book of Romans, and if
you miss those things, you haven’t grasped it yet.</div>
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From the passage we read just now and the rest of Romans
9-11, we can see at least 3 things about </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
urgency of evangelism</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
hope of evangelism</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3)<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The
purpose of evangelism </div>
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<br /></div>
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If you recall, the broad outline of Roman goes something
like this imaginary chat. Paul says: “I am eager to preach the gospel. I am not
ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of salvation for everyone who
believes (first to the Jews, then to the Gentiles).”
Why, Paul, who do they need to be saved? “Because God’s holy anger is
revealed against all who suppress the truth in wickedness.”
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Well, how have they done that? “The Gentiles have suppressed
the knowledge of God available to them in creation and the moral law written in
their hearts. They are without excuse. The Jews have the revelation of God’s
written law but they break the law. They cannot keep the law. So all of
humanity have sinned and come short of God’s standards.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What then is the solution? That’s why the gospel is so
urgent. Why it’s so necessary. </div>
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We need the righteousness of God that is given though faith
in Jesus Christ to all who believe. All who believe are declared righteous (not
guilty) on the basis of what Christ has done on the cross. He redeemed us from
sin. He turned away God’s holy anger through His sacrifice for us, on our
behalf. Not by obeying the law, but by what Christ has done for us – His life,
death and resurrection. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>That’s why there is no
difference between Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor, bumiputra or non-bumiputra:
<u>Everyone </u>who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Saved from what? Our universal need is to be freed from the
guilt of sin. From the controlling power of sin. From the condemnation of sin. Saved
from God’s holy judgment. There is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles,
Indonesians, Malaysians, Egyptians and Americans. We are all sinners and we all
need Christ for salvation. All nations (the entire human race) must hear the
gospel. That’s the scope of evangelism: It’s world-embracing. Among us are
young people who have traveled hundreds of miles, away from home and family, to
be here in <st1:country-region>Malaysia</st1:country-region>
precisely because of this urgency, this longing to see Christ lifted up, adored
and treasured in hearts of peoples from every nation. A sister here told me of
a Bible study she’s part of with a Mongolian, Mainland Chinese, Omani, American
and Egyptian. Like United Nations. Wow, wouldn’t you like to be part of a Bible
study like that? Isn’t that beautiful? </div>
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<br /></div>
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My heart’s desire for CDPC is that we become partners in the
gospel with these young people and support them in any way we can. My heart’s
desire is that we all catch a glimpse of Paul’s heart, his longing, his agony,
his yearning for the salvation of people… “<span class="textrom-9-2"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish
in my heart.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="textrom-9-3"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">For I could wish
that I myself</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="textrom-9-3"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">were cursed</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="textrom-9-3"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">and cut off from
Christ for the sake of my people,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="textrom-9-3"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">those of my own
race,</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> </span></span><span class="textrom-9-4"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">the people of </span></span><st1:country-region><st1:place><span class="textrom-9-4"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Israel</span></span></st1:place></st1:country-region><span class="textrom-9-4"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">” (Romans 9) Of course, it is not possible for
him to trade places with anyone… but he so loved his people so much, that if it
were at all possible, he could wish that he was condemned in hell for the sake
of his people, that they may know and enjoy Christ. Can we say the same thing
for anyone who is spiritually lost? Paul can’t die for anyone’s sins, but
Christ was cursed so we could be blessed. Christ was cut off from the Father so
we may enter into His fellowship. There is only one Savior. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">But Paul is reflecting His Master’s heart… he yearns for
their salvation so much that he was ready to cursed for their sake. That’s the
heart of carrying the cross. The only people for whom I have that kind of
anguish and sorrow are for my own father and mother who are not yet believers.
For them, yes, I could gladly and willingly wish if it were at all possible to
trade places with them. But that’s nowhere near the kind of sorrow and love
that Jesus and Paul had for the salvation of even their enemies. Those who
rejected and opposed them… So our prayer this morning is that the Holy Spirit
would melt our hearts and give us the same intensity, the same love and
longing. That’s the heart of mission, the urgency of evangelism. </span></span></div>
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<b>The hope of
evangelism: <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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To call on Jesus’ name is to ask Him to save us according to
who He is and what he has done. See, you are the one who must call on the name
of the Lord. Nobody can do it for you. And everyone who calls on His name <i>will be saved</i>. There is no such thing as
a person trusts and obeys the gospel but gets turned down by God. “Sorry, I
know you decided to put your trust in Christ alone but so sorry, you are not one
of the chosen ones.” It doesn’t work that way. Everyone who calls on the name
of the Lord will be saved. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But the problem is: there are a million and one reasons why
people would not want to call on His name. They are too busy. They are too
obsessed with what the world has to offer. They are too self-satisfied with
their own achievements. They thought it would cost them too much freedom. You
know, if you have ever tried to share the gospel, there are just so many, many obstacles/excuses
that people give for not coming to faith. What hope is there for us to bring
our friends into our homes, into this church to listen to the gospel? It seems
like a distant fantasy… Maybe in our hearts we have given up hope long ago so
we have stopped even trying. What’s the use? What’s the point? I know that
feeling… </div>
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<br /></div>
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But then again, that’s exactly how we once were, right? We
too were once hardened in rebellion against God, we too were once too proud to
acknowledge Him, we too were once substituting other gods instead of worshiping
Him. We were too worldly. We were just like that. What hope did we have? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="textrom-9-16"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">That’s why Paul says in Romans 9: “It does not, therefore, depend
on your human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"> He
has mercy on whom he has mercy and he hardens whom he wants to harden.” There
is no hope unless and until God overcomes our rebellion by His love. There is
no hope unless and until He opens up our blind eyes by the light of His word,
and until the Holy Spirit melts our heart of stone and replace it with a heart
beating with new life. </span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only thing that prevents evangelism from being pointless
is the sovereign grace of God… The only thing that gives you and I hope in
pressing on with the gospel is the effectual call of the Holy Spirit. The only
thing that keeps us going when all hope is lost is the assurance that God so
sovereign that he can bring the most hardened sinner to faith… That’s the hope
of evangelism that drove missionaries and evangelists to the ends of the world.
That’s the hope that drives us (CDPC) to be salt and light in Puchong. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Back in those days, people do not have the Internet or
television so important news from the king travel by means of a herald. The
herald would run for many miles to the marketplace and announce the good news:
Our king has returned to <st1:city>Jerusalem</st1:city>.
He will restore the nation. You will all return from exile. So Paul quoted
Isaiah: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim
peace and salvation. The logic is simple there can be no salvation without
calling on Christ, and no calling on him without faith, there is no believing
in Him without hearing him, no hearing without the preaching of the gospel and
no preaching without preachers sent. And so Christ sends you and I to be
heralds of the gospel. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, what is the purpose or goal of evangelism? Evangelism
is not an end in itself. <st1:city>Mission</st1:city>
exists because worship does not. Evangelism gathers and unites us with the
people of God, an inclusive community that transcends racial barriers… a family
united in Christ of both Jews and Gentiles. In Romans 11 the picture is that of
an olive tree where believing Gentiles like wild olives are grafted in and
believing Jews are grafted back. We share the same history of faith that
extends back to the promise to Abraham. We stand in solidarity with the persecuted
people of God all over the world. The way we worship together, the way we serve
each other and treat one another especially when we disagree and have theological
differences should model the gospel of grace. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the ultimate goal of evangelism is the glory of God! That’s
why Paul ends chapter 11 with worship – “For from him and through him and to
him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen”. All that exists came
from Him… He is the creator… all that we are and all that we have are sustained
through Him… and why everything came into being and what is the reason for
their being? The answer is: For Him and to him are all things. He is the
source, the means and the goal of all things. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So we have seen the urgency of evangelism, the hope of
evangelism and the goal of evangelism… You may wonder: How can we evangelize?
What should we practically do? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let
me share this <a href="http://www.bethinking.org/who-am-i/intermediate/conversational-apologetics.htm">true story from Michael Ramsden</a>, whom I met at a youth conference
in <st1:place>Bali</st1:place>. He is an evangelist in <st1:place>Europe</st1:place>: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Conversations
over the course of normal, ordinary life that points the way to Christ … Sometimes
we just plan a seed, other times we soften the soil. Sometimes we water the
plant, other times we reap the harvest. It is God who makes it grow and bear
fruit. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And I
really have nothing more profound to say today than that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Talk
to the people you meet in church this morning… especially those whom you have
never met before. Our guests who are here for the first time… The last thing
you want to see when you bring a friend or student from <st1:country-region>Oman</st1:country-region>
to church is to see her checking her Facebook alone at one corner while the
rest of us were chatting among ourselves… Be welcoming, get to know people and
where appropriate, pray for them… invite them over for lunch… Show them the
hospitality of Christ… Serve them… Fetch them home, if necessary… Befriend the
families who come to the library… Play and read story books to their children… It
is holiday season with the Lunar New Year coming this Friday. A lot of us will
balik kampong, visit relatives, friends, colleagues and open houses… Those are
the contexts in which conversational evangelism can happen. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Let’s
not become fishermen who were so busy singing and talking about fishing that
they have no time left to fish.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-71152450475219356312014-01-14T14:24:00.001+08:002014-01-14T14:25:06.765+08:00The Reformation Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZON3YRMINzEprdm0D3r9cabOy8zCCRMt_jwruvfYq5YaLaceqAK1BLT0bH3umCaxACfvBowwuZpRH4sYKH4-EJaEUoQX9FE1w5s1Grlr_7J5iLGWaMQ1YKjlfQvQYXJ56x6u07A/s1600/reformation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="539" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZON3YRMINzEprdm0D3r9cabOy8zCCRMt_jwruvfYq5YaLaceqAK1BLT0bH3umCaxACfvBowwuZpRH4sYKH4-EJaEUoQX9FE1w5s1Grlr_7J5iLGWaMQ1YKjlfQvQYXJ56x6u07A/s640/reformation.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
For more details, check out <a href="http://www.ggf.org.my/">Gospel Growth Fellowship</a><br />
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-6851312120518338782014-01-01T23:41:00.002+08:002014-01-01T23:41:42.720+08:00What Is The Bible? Is It God's Word?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Can I have a show of hands? How many of you here have read
the entire Bible at least once? </div>
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<br /></div>
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No matter what your view on Bible is, whether
you have confidence and trust in it as being from God in any special way or
not, I would like to encourage you to pick up a Bible and read through it with
an open mind, with a critical mind at least once in your life. Even if you are
Christian or not, the Bible has such a profound impact on the English language
as literature (it’s the number one best seller of all time) and on human
culture and civilization that some Bible knowledge is essential just to make
your educational development more complete. If you do not have a copy, just
google <a href="http://biblegateway.com/">BibleGateway.com</a> and you are ready to go. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Now, what is the Bible anyway? Is it historically reliable? Is
it relevant for our lives today?</b> These are the three questions I like to address
today. </div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.5pt;">
<b>What’s the Bible?</b> <span style="background-color: transparent;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXMueECLkzyA3Gib0F3pXQ-O38D21j0mAeQDMK4JxHzZgh7irnEyxSTFkxAuBpwpXt5NqS9yir4vGLkTpKeGmPJUwAuXJBj_u-vtamK4bxcULEDq4S6wYw-imsioEW6wnt41ueA/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXMueECLkzyA3Gib0F3pXQ-O38D21j0mAeQDMK4JxHzZgh7irnEyxSTFkxAuBpwpXt5NqS9yir4vGLkTpKeGmPJUwAuXJBj_u-vtamK4bxcULEDq4S6wYw-imsioEW6wnt41ueA/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a>Here’s a
trick question: How many books am I holding in my hand now? The answer is not
one. Actually, the Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about various
authors (kings, prophets, fishermen, poets, wise men, song writers, even a
doctor named Luke), in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic).
They were written over a period of approximately 1600 years (1500 BC until 100
AD). It has been translated into more than 2000 languages around the world in
either complete or partial form. And the Bible contains many different styles
of writing such as poetry, songs, stories, history, law, letters, proverbs and
prophecy. To understand what they say, we need to read them in context of those
styles.</div>
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Even though everything seems so
different, the amazing thing is that the entire Bible tells one Big Story. In
spite of all that diversity and complexity, there is an overarching unity of
theme. Now some people think the Bible is a book of moral rules, to tell you
what you should or shouldn’t do. Well, there are some rules in it. They show
you how life works best. But the Bible isn’t mainly about you and what you
should do. It’s about God and what He has done for you. </div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.5pt;">
Other people think the Bible is
a book about heroes of faith, showing good examples you should follow. There’s
truth in that but people have been quite shocked when they find that these
heroes in the Bible like Moses, Abraham, King David, Samson, Solomon, Peter and
Paul are <i>often</i> not very good role
models after all. All of them made some pretty horrible mistakes, sometimes on
purpose. The fact is: they are all broken people (sinners) just like us and
they are all signposts that point us beyond themselves, they show us the only
one true Hero in this Story: His name is Jesus the Christ. By the way, Christ
is not his last name. It’s His title – the King, the Anointed One, the Chosen
One. </div>
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That’s why the Bible is divided
into two parts: Old Testament written before the coming of Jesus and New
Testament written after His life, death and resurrection. The Old Testament prepares
and promises the coming of this perfect King. It gives people clues, hints and
symbols about who He is, where and how He will come, what He will do and so on.
The New Testament records eyewitness accounts, it reveals and explains to us
what Jesus has taught and done in history about 2000 years ago. So Christ is
prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament. He is the
main character in the story. </div>
<div style="background: white; mso-line-height-alt: 9.5pt;">
For Christians, this
unity in such diverse writings and fulfilled prophecies are not by random accident.
The Bible itself claims to be inspired by God: “For prophecy never had its
origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as
they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” Jesus Himself says: “Heaven and
earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” God is the Author
behind all the human authors. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Now, what is this Big Story
that runs through the whole Bible? What’s the message?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtr91qcNwPVr75OE-kDd12P0bKgJ1BR8__4Lzh5kWDn06-f7iL55W2oYAoJsAP8VaGjPMonTANpljpnVrBSTPhKB16vvfHPpD8EEAAXWkr6MbB5kyAwfglfMwpvVBNLjLqjMFEQ/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVtr91qcNwPVr75OE-kDd12P0bKgJ1BR8__4Lzh5kWDn06-f7iL55W2oYAoJsAP8VaGjPMonTANpljpnVrBSTPhKB16vvfHPpD8EEAAXWkr6MbB5kyAwfglfMwpvVBNLjLqjMFEQ/s320/Slide2.JPG" width="320" /></a>Well, to summarize it briefly: you
can think of it as a love story with 4 chapters. A story of how God loves His
children and comes to rescue them… Right at the beginning (in the first book
called Genesis), we are told that God made the whole universe and everything in
it – the oceans and mountains, whales and lions, planets, quasars, atoms and
human beings – the wonderful design of our bodies, nervous system and encoded
DNA in every cell. We are created in God’s likeness with great worth and
dignity – with special ability to think, feel and we can have a special
relationship with God and with one another. Life is full of purpose, beauty and
harmony when it works according to His original design. </div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: 12.0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt; mso-line-height-alt: 9.5pt;">
Until the day <span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">when everything went terribly wrong. In Chapter 2: We
decided to run our lives and seek happiness apart from God. We became
self-centered, our desires turned inward. As a result, we seek our own good
above others' and exploit the world out of greed and violence. But there is no
happiness apart from God. Death, sorrow and sickness entered the world. The
wonderful relationship with God, with each other and with nature itself was
broken.<span class="apple-converted-space"> Evil has corrupted our hearts. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">But God loved the world too
much to leave it that way so he came to our rescue. Chapter 3: At the heart of
this Story is God coming to earth in the form of a human person – Jesus. Not
because of how good, humble or smart we are. Jesus lived the perfect life that
we should have lived. He died the sacrificial death that we should have died
for our sins. He died an innocent death on the cross and came back to life
again so that our relationship with God can be restored. Last chapter: Jesus
will return one day and His kingdom will turn back all that is evil and heal
all who suffer in the world.<span class="apple-converted-space"> Every tear of
sorrow will be wiped away from our eyes. Death shall be no more. </span>In the
meantime, Jesus invites all who follow Him to live in the way of His love,
justice and grace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"> So that in a nutshell is the big Story in the
Bible. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">You see, the best thing about this Story is – it’s true. If the Bible is
just about moral rules, it doesn’t matter if all this is just a fairy tale. Even
myths can tell you to do good without being historically true. But the gospel
or good news is not about what you do but what God has done. So it’s important
that Jesus lived and died and rose again 2000 years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;"><b>Which brings us to the next question: Is the Bible historically
reliable? Did it really happen? </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">More than any other book, the Bible has been analyzed, criticized,
dissected and defended by scholars, scientists, philosophers and historians for
hundreds of years. So you can easily find arguments on both sides disproving
and proving the Bible on Google and Youtube. </span></span><span style="background: white;">And this will go on forever. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white;">S</span></span><span style="background: white;">o first, let me just say
something about the discipline of archaeology and history. We need to know that
only a small part of ancient artifacts or documents survived the ravages of
time, war and humid weather. And only a fraction of ancient sites were found
and dug up for research. Some of them were never found. So the evidence that we
now have are </span>fragmentary, limited and partial in nature. They cannot finally
prove or disprove the Bible because new findings may come. </div>
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So archaeology is valuable to tell us more about the
historical context and background information of the Bible, but not to prove the
Bible. And the absence of evidence is never proof that something did not happen.
For example, for a long time, people doubted if King David and Pontius Pilate
the person who sentenced Jesus to death ever existed because we cannot find the
evidence: Ahh… this is just a myth. But with further research, documents and
inscriptions have now been found to confirm that they both existed. Sometimes,
we just have to be patient and wait for more evidence. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When it comes to the life of Jesus, we are lucky that quite
a few ancient documents outside of the Bible (even by enemies of the Christian
faith) provide details about him. Talmud (Jewish source): “On the eve of the Passover<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>Yeshu was hanged</u>.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo6MkMc5YgnWxxmDu5ITXODtYalmzeW_tzFi9AZQyDxnWVHxysKIsloXQ2wUcDAVAugE3VCUrAC4TWx1yOiBQI3IaK_s9ukbsjS1I6cMlE5ve1WxKdxii1tyKxueODMTyX3UAYg/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieo6MkMc5YgnWxxmDu5ITXODtYalmzeW_tzFi9AZQyDxnWVHxysKIsloXQ2wUcDAVAugE3VCUrAC4TWx1yOiBQI3IaK_s9ukbsjS1I6cMlE5ve1WxKdxii1tyKxueODMTyX3UAYg/s320/Slide3.JPG" width="320" /></a>Lucian (2<sup>nd</sup> century,
Greek writer): “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day who
introduced their novel rites, and was<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>crucified</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>on that account. . . it was impressed
on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers, from the moment
that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified
sage, and live after his laws.” <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tacitus (<strong><span style="font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A.D. 55 - 117, Roman
historian):</span></strong> “Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero
fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated
for their abominations, called<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><u>Christians
by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin,</u><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>suffered the extreme penalty during
the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus…”
<o:p></o:p></div>
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But the earliest and most complete
historical source about Jesus’ life is the Gospels and other documents in the
New Testament itself. The life and death of Jesus are historically verifiable,
not an imaginary fairy tale. There were eye witness accounts. Faith is not
blind, “take it or leave it”. Biblical faith is based on historical facts that
can be checked. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now, how do historians check
whether an ancient document is reliable or not? Well, they ask these questions:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">1) How many surviving copies of
that ancient document do we have to compare and test? The more manuscripts we
have, the easier it is to detect differences and check for any copying errors. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">2) What is the time gap between
the oldest surviving copies and the writing of the original? The closer to the
original, the more confidence we have in the manuscripts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">First let us look at the
statistics for non-biblical texts:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Caesar's <i>The Gallic Wars</i>
has 10 surviving manuscripts with the earliest copy dating to 1,000 years after
the original writing; Herodotus' <i>History</i> (8 manuscripts; 1,350 years
elapsed) and Tacitus' <i>Annals</i> (20 manuscripts; 1,000 years). The
best preserved of ancient non-biblical writings is Homer’s <i>Iliad</i> with about 650 surviving copies (500 years elapsed). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjLgMm3PJBSjucSNbcwon829mvKLjUgK8xXdknnF4FRwh_YNTGxXTU6UeUbkSW3lCJ9s0vtty2WFVrnMX8MGLzDPhISwpTZEU_YY71pYFG3GdZthC9ZmSZE1YWWRIR8D3Aex-7g/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjLgMm3PJBSjucSNbcwon829mvKLjUgK8xXdknnF4FRwh_YNTGxXTU6UeUbkSW3lCJ9s0vtty2WFVrnMX8MGLzDPhISwpTZEU_YY71pYFG3GdZthC9ZmSZE1YWWRIR8D3Aex-7g/s320/Slide4.JPG" width="320" /></a><span lang="EN">In comparison,
there are more than 5,000 existing Greek manuscripts that contain all or part
of the New Testament! They were was written from about A.D. 50 to A.D. 100. Two
major manuscripts, <em>Codex Vaticanus</em> (A.D. 325) and <em>Codex Sinaiticus</em>
(A.D. 350) date within 250 years of the time of composition. Most fascinating
of all, the earliest fragment of a small portion of John’s Gospel dates about
A.D. 120. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">If
skeptics dismiss the Bible as unreliable, then they must also throw out virtually
everything we learn from ancient history.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN"><b>OK,
so far we have seen how the New Testament is a basically reliable historical document
but is it really God’s word? A lot of ancient documents can be historical but
we don’t think that they are from God. How is it relevant to my life as revelation
of God?</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span lang="EN">That’s
a great question and we need to start with Jesus who is at the center of the
Bible’s Big Story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;">You see, Buddha did not claim
to be God. Moses never said that he was Yahweh. The prophet of Islam Muhammad
did not claim to be Allah. Yet Jesus said: He who has seen me has seen God the
Father (John 14:9). From the Bible, we also discover that Jesus claims to have
authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:5–7) and equal with God (John </span><st1:time hour="17" minute="18"><span style="background: white;">5:18</span></st1:time><span style="background: white;">). He claims to be the Son of Man who will judge the
world, rule over the nations and receive worship from all peoples (Matthew
26:63-65).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="background: white;">Someone who claims to be
equal with God cannot be just another human teacher. He is either mad or bad or
really, He is Lord of all. </span><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 7.0pt;"> </span><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="textmatt-12-38">When
some religious teachers said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="textmatt-12-38">from you. Show us a miracle to
prove that you are from God,” </span><span class="textmatt-12-39">Jesus answered,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">“Just as the prophet Jonah was three
days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">so the Son of Man</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">will be three days and
three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matthew 28:38-40) </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ER35jvEquvqkrx6D2wdeI-Id8py3WmnA5PIZz0n8q87bF5oJBm5Spv5CP4ItMT0IOE-JyYQEIObude3_w_zb5guHCUst8VFNRelPOXOyTMYbpccr70pJ4BjLvLO-b21XXnFIDQ/s1600/Slide5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ER35jvEquvqkrx6D2wdeI-Id8py3WmnA5PIZz0n8q87bF5oJBm5Spv5CP4ItMT0IOE-JyYQEIObude3_w_zb5guHCUst8VFNRelPOXOyTMYbpccr70pJ4BjLvLO-b21XXnFIDQ/s320/Slide5.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white;">Three days after he was dead
and buried in a grave, Jesus rose back to life and proved that His claims were
true. The resurrection is a miracle, a sign that vindicates His claims to be
true.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>All his disciples
except Thomas had seen him alive.<a href="http://y-jesus.com/endnotes/endnotes-did-jesus-claim-to-be-god" target="_blank"></a> So Thomas said he would only believe if he could put his
fingers on the nail wounds of Jesus’ hands and into his pierced side. So
finally Jesus appeared and told him: <em>“Put your finger here and see my
hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side.” </em><o:p></o:p></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 11.0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; mso-line-height-alt: 11.0pt;">
Thomas cried out: “<em>My Lord and my God!”</em><span class="apple-converted-space"> and worshipped Jesus. </span><a href="http://y-jesus.com/endnotes/endnotes-did-jesus-claim-to-be-god" target="_blank"></a>Jesus accepted his worship: <em>“You believe because you
have seen me. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me and believe anyway.”</em><a href="http://y-jesus.com/endnotes/endnotes-did-jesus-claim-to-be-god" target="_blank"></a> (John 20) <o:p></o:p></div>
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Jesus conquered Death to prove His claims to be true. Therefore we trust
and accept His teachings that the Bible is not only historically accurate but
also God’s word for our lives. Therefore we receive the answers Jesus gave to
the big questions: Where do we come from? Who are we? What is purpose of life?
Where do we go after death? All these questions are relevant to our personal
lives. <span lang="EN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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If the Bible is a reliable record of God's word, then it is essential
that we take time to read and study it. It is sad indeed that many
Christians can devote hours to their hobbies or studies but often give so
little time to studying His written revelation. Many Christians have never read
the whole Bible even once, despite coming to faith years ago. If you are not
already in the process of studying the whole Bible, let me encourage you to do
so. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Not only should we read the Bible, we must also live it. 'Do
not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.' All
of us are dying and it is the message of the Bible, that alone can give us hope
and salvation.</div>
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As you read the Bible, don’t take it as just moral laws or
religious rituals that teach you to be a better person. The purpose is not that
you may impress God and earn your ticket to heaven by good deeds. The Bible
shows you God’s holy standard is so high that you will never reach it on your
own. It shows you what God has done in history – Jesus is the way, the truth and
the life. He doesn’t just show you the way. He is the way. You come to God
through Him alone. He is your hope. If you turn away from living for yourself
and trust in Jesus as the One who rescues you from your sin and as the King who
now rules over your life, you can have a living relationship with God. Today.<br />
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He can cleanse you from all your guilt and sins. Then the Bible will be a joy and a fountain of wisdom to
you. Because it always points you to Jesus, the God who became human and gave
His life up to save you.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-83406014069174946652013-12-10T14:26:00.001+08:002013-12-10T14:26:17.402+08:00Watching Movies Through The Eyes of Faith<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://puchong.cdpc.org.my/2013/10/21/oct-20-the-sacred-and-the-silver-screen-movies-through-the-eyes-of-faith-ps.-david-chong/">Sermon podcast for download and listening is available here</a><br />
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Let’s have a show of hands: Who hasn’t heard of Nicole Kidman? Brad Pitt? Shahrukh Khan? Or Andy Lau? Karl Barth? Probably more people here know more about these movie stars than about famous theologians. For those of us in their teens or twenty-something’s, movies are just a part of life. Our young people are more up to date with what’s coming soon from Hollywood, TVB or Korean drama than perhaps, any other topic. </div>
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Because we live in an image-driven culture, a film-watching culture. Otherwise Tanjong Golden Village and Golden Screen Cinemas would not be jam packed during weekends. Or if you need more evidence, try to find a home that does not have at least one television set. Or walk around the neighborhood and count the number of homes now installed with Astro satellite dish that can transmit more than 50 different channels to your living room at the press of a button. How wonderful is that? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b4l-inOX8AhJKTxK57t_L4SYM_9re9e4eTTYSUJqeoob_Q_epCP6zZqtqV9TRd8b9s_42cYFKWXpQqcGi8qIepVmEfZN46X_Ccbe0ua1Kn7MBrDHKHbtEk4cW6HaVcE5OKmAqA/s1600/Slide1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3b4l-inOX8AhJKTxK57t_L4SYM_9re9e4eTTYSUJqeoob_Q_epCP6zZqtqV9TRd8b9s_42cYFKWXpQqcGi8qIepVmEfZN46X_Ccbe0ua1Kn7MBrDHKHbtEk4cW6HaVcE5OKmAqA/s320/Slide1.JPG" width="320" /></a>When the lights dim and the silver screen is lowered, something magical happens. Movies are a magical portal that transports us into another world. To the grand fortresses of Gondor in Middle Earth. Or the wonderful ecosystem of Pandora. Or a galaxy far, far away where Jedi knights roam amongst strange alien creatures. Movies can enchant us and thrill us, make us laugh out loud or scare the living daylights out of us. They can change the way we think and how we feel. They convey values and meaning, what is good and what is important. </div>
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A good movie takes raw materials from the stuff of life – friendships, conflict, our quest for significance and redemption – and turn them into an experience, creating characters and a picture of reality that we can all relate to. It’s a visual storybook that could show us new insights about our world that would otherwise remain hidden from our untrained eye. </div>
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Like the short clip we watched a moment ago from the Pixar movie “Up”… It not only makes you smile and draws you emotionally into the story. It drives home gently some lessons about life too. It’s not just a cartoon for kids, I tell you. The scene where Ellie lost her unborn baby especially brings back memories of a similar episode in my own married life. Combining the ancient art of storytelling with cutting edge special effects, movies are, of course, very entertaining. But at the same time, they have also become a powerful medium by which people today discover and interpret meaning in their daily life. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoffDuF4Q0ohyPVYxmdWHoNQ045nz_zUiyOClEFaL30vzbZJA_XW5kxYIolbjjRbLNvNmUdnoehC1_muNkdVWzH8-DgSabVj7mdLyiK-_F-cJ427euDpyBbWlzqFlfkCQD80VUQ/s1600/Slide2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoffDuF4Q0ohyPVYxmdWHoNQ045nz_zUiyOClEFaL30vzbZJA_XW5kxYIolbjjRbLNvNmUdnoehC1_muNkdVWzH8-DgSabVj7mdLyiK-_F-cJ427euDpyBbWlzqFlfkCQD80VUQ/s320/Slide2.JPG" width="320" /></a>Let me show you how different patterns of communication have evolved in human society: at the dawn of history, stories are passed down by word of mouth, focusing on the ear: an oral culture. Think of our grandfather’s stories or the <i>penglipur lara</i>. Then we move into a literate age where the focus is on the eye: Think of libraries, reading books, the Renaissance, the invention of the printing machine. About a hundred years ago, we crossed over to a post-literate age that focus on both the ear and eye: think of television, movies, and news broadcast. And now with the Internet, Youtube, smart phones and social media, perhaps we are coming to a digital age where people not only consume culture, they also want to actively create arts and culture. People want to share stories, create music videos and short motion picture of their own. In fact, some talented youths in CDPC are already doing that, aren’t they? Have you checked out the recent cover songs uploaded by Eugene See and others? CDPC’s got talent! </div>
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If that is how people tend to communicate today, how should our Christian faith relate to the movie world? Or put another way, what has Jerusalem to do with Hollywood? </div>
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Well, for a long time, the church has a love-hate relationship with movies. They are often frowned upon for promoting worldliness, profanities, violence and sexual permissiveness. And that is quite often the case. And we are right to reject these elements.<span style="background: white; color: #1c1c1c; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 6.5pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>But sometimes, we can throw the baby out with the bath water. </div>
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For some people, movies are sometimes seen as helpful or acceptable when they depict biblical stories like the Jesus film used for evangelistic rallies. Apart from that, some of us don’t see much spiritual value in them. </div>
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On the other end of the spectrum, and perhaps more descriptive of us city folks, we may just mindlessly go along and consume whatever is offered at the box office. “All my friends watched it so why I cannot watch? Aiya… I just want to have some fun only. Don’t think so much lar.”. We don’t discern between good and bad movies. We just switch off our brain and allow our minds to “drift” along with the show. Just as a fish in water doesn’t realize that it’s wet; television and movies are so much a part of our lives that we hardly notice their impact on us. For better or for worse. </div>
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So I would like to reflect with you today how we can engage with movies with an open mind and yet, to do so in a discerning way. It’s a practical application of earlier CDPC sermons on “being culture maker” and “cultural engagement”. So, here are three ways we can approach movie culture </div>
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<b>1) Dare to say no! (Avoidance and caution) <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEKFUtEuC_UW-XyyJaTymNyVPNS81cLaVowbFZVL_Tv-2e5mJsYONIalIXUFosXWWB3zYTH8duy7FOWIAPt09ABmNtCuhXhOhgGVZUfsROUV4VBz7g7EM8DZzrS9xwK2EX4epNg/s1600/Slide3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEKFUtEuC_UW-XyyJaTymNyVPNS81cLaVowbFZVL_Tv-2e5mJsYONIalIXUFosXWWB3zYTH8duy7FOWIAPt09ABmNtCuhXhOhgGVZUfsROUV4VBz7g7EM8DZzrS9xwK2EX4epNg/s320/Slide3.JPG" width="320" /></a>It may sound obvious but there are many movies that we should intentionally avoid. We mustn’t be afraid of saying no. There’s benefit in leaving some films unwatched, some horrible music unlistened to, some junk food unconsumed. We must not worry about being labeled uncool, uncultured, or legalists. It’s more important that we learn to discern what we see in the light of the gospel and know where our own limits are. </div>
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For example, food (nasi lemak) like every gift in God’s created world is a good thing. But it can become a bad thing if we eat it recklessly, excessively or selfishly. It’s good if we consume it <i><u>not</u></i> as something we <u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">must</span></u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";"> </span>have (“My <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">preciousss</span>... Gollum must have it”) but as something we <u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">can</span></u> have, delighting in God’s good creation. </div>
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So ask yourself: Am I free to abstain from these good things <i><u>as much as</u></i> I am free to enjoy them? Am I able to say no? There’s no clear command in the Bible against watching movies or drinking coffee. But if we are not able to go without television or Starbucks for a whole day, then it has become an addiction. Or if we are so insistent on our Christian freedom to enjoy these things, that we look down on others who don’t like arty films or whatever, that’s also a form of legalism pretending to be “free”. </div>
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There are times when we need to say: Yes, I am not forbidden from watching this film. It is not evil, but because of my particular weakness and tendencies in this area and so that it won’t stumble my children and friends, and for the sake of my gospel witness, I think the wise thing to do is to abstain. I choose to, not because I have to. For example, if you give me a remote control I can surf channels for hours. If that’s also your weakness then you need to be extra careful how you exercise this freedom. </div>
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Cultural exposure is always related to a person’s spiritual and personal maturity. Even an excellent movie like Shawshank Redemption may not be appropriate for a 12 year-old. </div>
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You are in the best position to decide what films you are comfortable with, and where to draw the line. Ask yourself: How is my habit shaping my desires? Are they drawing me closer to God or to self? To holiness or to worldliness? </div>
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We all know of the glorification of guns, sex and materialism in some films. But there are less obvious spiritual dangers. French philosopher Jacque Ellul notes that the person who has the power to edits images in sequence chooses for you; he condenses or stretches what becomes reality itself for us. We are utterly obliged to follow this rhythm.” </div>
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Remember how our mainstream media covers the Bersih rallies last time? Someone has already decided for us what is “reality”– you don’t get to see a peaceful multi racial crowd of thousands. We are just fed with images of a few scattered samseng walking down an empty street, throwing bottles at police. A movie director has the same power of propaganda by making fun of certain people as stupid or intolerant in an unfair manner. As passive spectators, we are constantly being fed with a stream of images. Reality is substituted with an artificial construct like the Matrix that distorts our perception and manipulates our opinion. </div>
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Kairos research director Dr Kam Weng warns us that this image-driven culture can have negative impact on our education and spiritual health. TV, i-Pads and video games may over-stimulate children with fast paced sights and sounds. If we are not careful, it can stifle their ability to sustain attention on their own, to read patiently and use language actively. They just can’t sit still: Here we are now, entertain us! </div>
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CDPC Puchong has a library ministry that seeks to inspire children to be a lifelong reader. Why? Well, reading a book allows you to control the pace of information input. It invites you to think over and connect the words printed on the page. You can sit down and pause to explore this imaginary world of wonder, beauty and adventure that the author describes. Real learning needs patience, careful reflection. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYewqT7u3uiP5O_1Yfinli6rvZO5yaf2Ogozfej_81YyyQfqvHgkz7gG3KAz1Q-b051h7CZXyfW9g03hDAWhF6ThFux_7jBwHiE6lAz5I-dnjTLN1scUtsRpSvDXHgUrEteiG0Zw/s1600/Slide4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYewqT7u3uiP5O_1Yfinli6rvZO5yaf2Ogozfej_81YyyQfqvHgkz7gG3KAz1Q-b051h7CZXyfW9g03hDAWhF6ThFux_7jBwHiE6lAz5I-dnjTLN1scUtsRpSvDXHgUrEteiG0Zw/s320/Slide4.JPG" width="320" /></a>After getting married, having a son and working on projects at the office, I can hardly find the time to watch a lot of movies these days. So I need to choose carefully which movies to watch so time/money are not wasted. One way to do this is to find out what is the genre of that movie: Is it a romantic comedy? Is it an action thriller? Is it a ‘slasher movie’ like <i>I know what you did last summer</i>? If it is a slasher movie, it is usually about a <span style="background: white;">mysterious psychopath on the loose killing a lot people in all sorts of interesting ways until the final girl (it’s always a girl, don’t ask me why?) defeat him or escaped. </span>Once I know the genre, I have some idea what is the formula of the story and I’d say: No, thank you. And that’s just me. <span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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There are also solid online Christian resources that can help us make such decisions. They give you a good summary of what to expect, background info about the production and biblical evaluation of its major themes. Sometimes I would browse around and pick one or two recommended ones</div>
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<a href="http://www.damaris.org/"><span class="Hyperlink1">http://www.damaris.org/</span></a> </div>
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<a href="http://www.bethinking.org/culture-worldview/"><span class="Hyperlink1">http://www.bethinking.org/culture-worldview/</span></a></div>
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<b>2<sup>nd</sup> Approach: Dare to say yes! (Dialogue and Engagement) <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">Having said all that,</span> we cannot totally abandon the movie world that modern folks are already immersed in. Otherwise, we will only let this conversation be dominated by other voices and lose our ability to take part and influence it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBEekmwhjcQ3j3w52sVFrPbbTOoW_-9rDlPBirI63ezrfApiQmMd87LqbuTcaCCIce-27NT8mGfTVOBIoJbGNpOfXaXjsxGivZHY97cLvZriOAPYI0-j2YqP1B0CNiSkdWK0pXA/s1600/Slide5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBEekmwhjcQ3j3w52sVFrPbbTOoW_-9rDlPBirI63ezrfApiQmMd87LqbuTcaCCIce-27NT8mGfTVOBIoJbGNpOfXaXjsxGivZHY97cLvZriOAPYI0-j2YqP1B0CNiSkdWK0pXA/s320/Slide5.JPG" width="320" /></a>We need to talk about the movies we watch in order to celebrate what is good and perhaps clarify our own position on many of life’s questions. This means that we need to "train" our eye to understand the language of movies and not just offer knee jerk response like just counting how many curse words are spoken in it. </div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">In fact, there are many movies that can be watched “redemptively” – when we enter into a conversation with the film on its own terms. As we listen to the story, to ourselves and to God, we may leave the cinema with fresh insights and new inspiration. But to do that, as with any work of art, we need to lay aside our preconceived ideas and biases and listen fairly to what the film has to say. We must first allow another point of view to enter in, to interact and dialogue with our own view before making any judgment. Theological analysis should come AFTER (not before) the aesthetic experience of appreciating a movie. It’s a kind of open minded/suspend-judgment approach that says: “I hear what you say, but I don’t have to believe all you say”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">When we do that, we may be surprised by some “A-ha” moments that enrich our outlook on life. I’m sure many of you have encountered magical movie moments like that before. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_74Gkvo7ACHt17cBlsNb-hQvAxj0gdaAaJH0t0WgMWAi4dZqp1LIkwsmCBfaxkYlDsRygTelJgnQizte5A4b0JbQcHSIdYhsGYWIMuE61RRV-KyWBjRU_geprhR0-kn2WbhPMQ/s1600/Slide6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_74Gkvo7ACHt17cBlsNb-hQvAxj0gdaAaJH0t0WgMWAi4dZqp1LIkwsmCBfaxkYlDsRygTelJgnQizte5A4b0JbQcHSIdYhsGYWIMuE61RRV-KyWBjRU_geprhR0-kn2WbhPMQ/s320/Slide6.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext;">But let me share with you a real story how the movie <i>Awakenings (1990) </i>can impact the life of young man named Yoke Yeow. <span style="background: white;">It appeared at that time of his life when, as a pre-U, he worked hard to get good grades but he has no idea what to do with his life! In this movie <i>Awakenings</i>, Robin Williams plays Dr. Malcolm Sayer, a neurologist who ends up devoting his life to victims of a coma caused by degeneration of nerve cells. He accidentally discovered a wonder drug that brings these coma patients back to life! They have a short but exciting timeframe to recapturing their lost youth. But unfortunately the effect is not permanent. They are doomed to slip back into a prison of catatonia again: living zombies, trapped behind frozen, empty stares.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">Struggling through the tragedy, Dr Sayer says: "We can hide behind the veil of science,.. but reality is we don't know what went wrong anymore than we know what went right. What we do know is as the chemical window closed, another awakening took place. The human spirit is more powerful than any drug and that is what needs to be nourished." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtCEXwOZo9lGNKTVhSvlE4rUt-obNIiWz017rNQzUvPbz4ERB17cch2alwwCoDjpG8g7J3LulgK6R-VSIvMzHdQJ7jxkrw01dR6N_UgLfpF9c7CbQQSQhzU2aGAqKNAudWJhDHw/s1600/Slide7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtCEXwOZo9lGNKTVhSvlE4rUt-obNIiWz017rNQzUvPbz4ERB17cch2alwwCoDjpG8g7J3LulgK6R-VSIvMzHdQJ7jxkrw01dR6N_UgLfpF9c7CbQQSQhzU2aGAqKNAudWJhDHw/s320/Slide7.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">That movie changed Yoke Yeow’s life. He cried bitterly as he felt for the patients’ suffering and inspired by Dr Sayer’s passion for his work. Unknown to him, a vocation was being defined: to involve himself passionately in the lives of suffering patients and share in their struggle to keep alive their God-breathed identity. He has found his calling to be scientist, healer and friend. </span><span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">Good movies can serve as vehicles of common grace and touch our lives just like that. He who has eyes, let him see. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">Of course, the fun part of a movie is not only in finding some hidden spiritual message hidden inside. But many films actually explore and confront us with themes that relate to faith, relationships and important social issues. They convey our society’s myths, symbols and fundamental beliefs about the meaning of human experience. So we are invited to enter into a dialogue over these overlapping themes where the Bible and film meet together. We need to watch with eyes wide open to appreciate them.</span> <span style="color: windowtext;">Here is just a short sample of such films. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtxrTzISx3pAcZWX3-MFOf-lFe7k4qZHCW4c79C9MlVUD_52L3BgDcSqJGnMft30lA4bM5HUNZB2cF-Xuug7HYrM5Mkl7WhJNzNjzRekDETN5Wl2jTvxYO96RYwiyonJ7yTcukw/s1600/Slide8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVtxrTzISx3pAcZWX3-MFOf-lFe7k4qZHCW4c79C9MlVUD_52L3BgDcSqJGnMft30lA4bM5HUNZB2cF-Xuug7HYrM5Mkl7WhJNzNjzRekDETN5Wl2jTvxYO96RYwiyonJ7yTcukw/s320/Slide8.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Abortion (Cider House Rules)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Death punishment (The Green Mile, Dead Man Walking)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Biotechnology/eugenics (Gattaca) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Faith and Reason (Life of Pi / Contact) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Freewill/consciousness/Artificial intelligence (I, Robot/The Matrix/Minority Report) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Environment/consumerism (The Lorax, Wall-E ) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Conflict diamond trade/child soldiers (Blood Diamond) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Social control/Media ethics (The Truman Show) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Nuclear war (The Sum of All Fears, Terminator 2) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">Slavery (Amazing Grace, Amistad) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 9pt;">The Holocaust (Schindler’s List, Life is beautiful)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext;">So as parents and Christian leaders, we can wisely select and use some of them to guide and explore such issues with our children or cell groups for group conversation. A movie study may keep more people interested than a book study, right? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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To do this effectively, we need to ask the right questions. In almost any movie, the story of the main character(s) is an argument for a way of living or a world view in the form of a drama. Something is lost and needs redemption: But, how? As the hero changes his attitude or assumptions about the world through his experiences in the ‘reel’ world, so we see what the filmmakers are trying to persuade us about how we see the real world. </div>
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When watching a movie, ask yourself, <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext;">“What is the character flaw or problems of the hero at the beginning?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext;">“What does he learn about the way life ought or ought <i>not</i> be lived?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpYczbFIpfzN0Lhu5xRT3k2FWkooPcTL4GHVt9PKqJj_XEB9e2iisxkFA0Z6FKm8bze652lFb6fSj9-0RJX0L4Brm1AjgRmWch69JbtfGqbDC5hqYC8g8gwocB1I-srf6_M31Hg/s1600/Slide9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpYczbFIpfzN0Lhu5xRT3k2FWkooPcTL4GHVt9PKqJj_XEB9e2iisxkFA0Z6FKm8bze652lFb6fSj9-0RJX0L4Brm1AjgRmWch69JbtfGqbDC5hqYC8g8gwocB1I-srf6_M31Hg/s320/Slide9.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: windowtext;">“What is different about the way he sees the world at the end from the way he sees it at the beginning?”</span> (Brian Godawa, “Hollywood Worldviews”) <span style="color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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This could be a good way to start a conversation. <span style="color: windowtext;">Asking such questions and offering answers biblically help us to apply and connect our Christian beliefs both in the ‘reel’ world as well as the real world. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>3<sup>rd</sup> approach: Divine encounter <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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A lot of people experience a sense of awe and wonder when they are confronted with something heart-stoppingly beautiful – whether it is listening to an orchestra playing Handel’s Messiah, or gazing at a masterpiece painting in a museum or even scuba diving on a breath-taking coral reef. People often come way from encountering beauty with a small glimpse of the divine. </div>
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Have you experienced something similar? In the movie American Beauty, a broken young man from a dysfunctional family came across a plastic bag swirling around in the wind. It was just dancing around, like a little kid begging him to play with it. And he stood there and video taped the whole thing for fifteen minutes. He said: </div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">“That's the day I realized there was this entire life behind things, and this incredibly benevolent force, that wanted me to know there was no reason to be afraid, ever. Sometimes there is so much... beauty... in the world, I feel like I can't take it, and my heart is just going to cave in.” </span>It may seem like a mundane event but that encounter with a graceful dancing plastic bag gave him a sense of transcendence. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_AVayhT7BDBazywsyo7H5NOcEId2SLB6F8MJxQ4xgGvTuwoIZGfcLBN4s8NOVVhFXNMLY7ZH3jjEG8tUPJiQHOCUmy8L0FOaw8MPvx9bsWwrYZBA5itmrWLQGy2wTnCnz-mjnQ/s1600/Slide10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_AVayhT7BDBazywsyo7H5NOcEId2SLB6F8MJxQ4xgGvTuwoIZGfcLBN4s8NOVVhFXNMLY7ZH3jjEG8tUPJiQHOCUmy8L0FOaw8MPvx9bsWwrYZBA5itmrWLQGy2wTnCnz-mjnQ/s320/Slide10.JPG" width="320" /></a>So it is with a well made film like any great work of art… It can be an opportunity for a burning bush experience if we watch with our hearts open. Common grace is everywhere, ready to burst forth when we least expect it. </div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">Now, let us try to apply these three broad Christian approaches and see how they work with a Steven Spielberg war film “Saving Private Ryan”. Then you can compare and see which one(s) works for you. This is a story of 8 soldiers who were given a mission to rescue one man Private James Ryan from behind enemy lines. Why is he so important? Because his three brothers have all recently been killed in action; leaving him as the only child of a single mother. So the military leaders want him to be brought back alive. At one point, Captain Miller (the Tom Hanks character) says, “This Ryan had better be worth it. He’d better go home, cure some disease or invent the longer lasting light bulb or something.” And it turns out that the rescue mission claims the lives of all these eight soldiers, one after another. At the final battle scene, as the Captain himself dies, his last words to Private Ryan were: “Earn this – earn it”. In other words, look at the sacrifice we have made to save your life. You must earn it. Live a life that is worthy of our sacrifice. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">Fifty years pass, and in the closing shots of the film, we see an elderly Ryan returning to the Captain’s grave with his wife, children and grandchildren. He kneels, and as tears fill his eyes, he says: “My family is with me today… Every day I think about what you said to me that day. I’ve tried to live my life the best I could. I hope that was enough. I hope at least in your eyes I’ve earned what all of you have done for me”. Then he turns to his wife and asks anxiously, “Tell me I’ve led a good life… Tell me I’m a good man”. He has lived his entire life with the last words of his savior ringing in his ears. <i>Earn it.</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">How should we respond? Some Christians may choose to <i>avoid</i> this R-rated film because of the graphic, violent battle on the beach of Normandy at the opening sequence. Or they may be offended by the soldiers’ foul language. That’s one possible response. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">But others may recognize that this is a realistic description of World War II. They may be <i>cautious</i> about excessive violence, but they will seek a <i>dialogue</i> on the theme of war. Can war ever be just? Or is war always evil for everyone involved? The discussion becomes less abstract as you ‘see’ the concrete messiness of war. Or we may <i>engage</i> the human values of self-sacrifice and courage portrayed by Captain Miller and his men? How would you feel? How would you live differently if someone really gave away his own life so you may live yours? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTg85vXjSza0t1cFhyphenhyphenAhxTRo6oO8lrj5vpBImdAM3E9dSVYz_J6DIdxZ3kIFktlA9q2qoqoU8PCsn024KaEtENOmKGKdYkPUD_tEQIQb1nHxJ3969QnoQLjV_TW226nb5vQlxfMA/s1600/Slide11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTg85vXjSza0t1cFhyphenhyphenAhxTRo6oO8lrj5vpBImdAM3E9dSVYz_J6DIdxZ3kIFktlA9q2qoqoU8PCsn024KaEtENOmKGKdYkPUD_tEQIQb1nHxJ3969QnoQLjV_TW226nb5vQlxfMA/s320/Slide11.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">Perhaps, some may even be drawn to a divine encounter though it is not be the director’s intention. Jesus says: “</span>Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. You are my friends if you do what I command.” The fact is, Someone has already died for us and gave His life on the cross so that we might live to the full. And if we really get it, emotionally and personally, how can we live in the same old way again? It’s going to change everything. Your life is not your own. You have been bought with a precious price. How can we not love and sacrifice for others? How can we not live in a way worthy of the gospel? But there is a big difference: The Savior’s last words were not “Earn it. Earn my love”. His last words were: “It is finished!” It is done. The price has been paid. I have earned it for you. My love is costly and yet it is free. <span style="background: white; color: windowtext;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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As we talk about the movies we have experienced, we celebrate what is good and reject what is evil. It can serve as a bridge to connect with others who otherwise would never walk into a church or talk openly about their beliefs. Imagine your small group or family coming together to watch a good movie and then discuss and pray about them together. Wouldn’t that be interesting?</div>
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Movie, like art and culture, is a wonderful thing. It’s a gift immersed with general revelation and at the same time, tainted by sin. So we must be good stewards of it. </div>
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Sometimes that means having the courage to say no. Other times, it means we need the courage to engage and have a meaningful conversation. On some rare and sacred occasions, they can even be the humble tools by which the Spirit of God works to change and enlighten us. Or perhaps for some of you gifted young people seated here - you may consider film-making as a calling from God . </div>
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<span style="background: white; color: windowtext;">Phillipians 4:8 – Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-20687966617743546422013-12-08T15:24:00.001+08:002013-12-08T15:24:58.433+08:00Overcoming Sexual Temptation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sexual temptations come easy these days. I’m sure they have always been around but with virtual dirty chats, porn downloads and livestreaming video feeds, they are much more accessible to more people, more discreet and so much more deadly, isn’t it? And it’s big business too.
I came across an online dating website on Facebook recently. It has 21 million members and growing fast. Its niche market is for married people looking to hook up for sexual encounters. The tagline: “Life is short, Have an affair”.<br />
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In the Scripture passage we read a moment ago, we read of a story about sexual temptation, a story of Joseph’s encounter with a desperate housewife.
If we back up a little in the story, we read that Joseph was sold as a slave by his brothers for 20 pieces of silver. He ended up in a faraway land, in Egypt, where he worked for Potiphar the captain of Pharaoh’s guards. But God was with him and blessed all that he did. Whatever projects were assigned to him, they were on time, within budget and of such quality that his master was very impressed and put him in charge of everything except his food. We are told that God’s favour was on Joseph and that he was also a good looking young man. “Handsome in form and appearance,” we are told.<br />
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Unfortunately that worked to his disadvantage. Because Potiphar’s wife took a liking to him and she tried to seduce him. “Sleep with me,” she offered. She wanted a bit of fun and passion on the side. How bad can that be? But Joseph refused her flat. “Thanks but no thanks. Your husband put me in charge of everything but he didn’t ask me to take care of you. Because you are his wife. Not mine”. And he would be right because sleeping with Potiphar’s wife was never part of his job scope. It would be a breach of trust to his boss.<br />
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But Joseph went beyond that: “How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?” You see, Joseph could have said, “I’ve been dealt a cruel hand by Fate. I didn’t deserve to be a slave here in Egypt so I deserve this little bit of pleasure.” Or he could have rationalized: “I’m so successful in my career now. My boss will never find out anyway. I’m in charge of everything now. I deserve this pleasure”. Both self-pity and pride would have added fuel to the fire of his temptation.
But he saw this choice in a God-centered way. Before adultery is a sin against his boss or his desperate housewife, it’s first and foremost a sin against God himself.<br />
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An affair is a betrayal of trust, absolutely. But you cannot commit any sine without first committing the sin of betraying God’s trust, of violating his will, of deriving pleasure apart from Him who is the source of all happiness. And Joseph knew that – How can I sin against heaven? Favour with God and right communion with Him is much better than any sex he was offered. So he refused her not once, not twice… but day after day, as she doesn’t take no for an answer.
But one day when nobody’s at home, she caught him by his garment and tried to seduce him again. So he quickly ran away and left his garment in her hand. As the saying goes, “Hell knows no fury like a woman scorned”. With the garment as evidence, she accused Joseph of trying to molest her and her husband got so angry that he kicked Joseph into prison for sexual misconduct. Poor Joseph, he was punished for a shameful crime he did not commit. He suffered for something he did not deserve.<br />
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But the Lord was again with him and showed him steadfast love so that he prospered in all that he did even in prison.
In the bigger scheme of God’s plan, we can see why He is taking Joseph through this painful route. We can see a huge contrast between Joseph’s life of purity in Egypt and Judah’s sordid family affairs in Canaan (Genesis 38). There are major moral problems in Jacob’s family – his grandsons were marrying pagan Canaanites, they did such wickedness that God had to put them to death. Even Judah the firstborn solicited cult prostitutes. They were becoming like the corrupt culture around them instead of being a blessing to the nations. They are losing their covenant identity.
But here in Egypt God is now moving and preserving Joseph’s life in purity, preparing him to be the instrument that will save his family not only from famine but from the spiritual corruption in Canaan that would have wiped out God’s covenant family. Because unlike Judah, Joseph kept his heart pure and God’s favour was with him every step of the way.<br />
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So that in the fullness of time, the family line would be preserved from which the Messiah Himself would come.
For He too would be sold by his brothers for a few pieces of silver. He too would refuse the lust of the eyes, the flesh and the pride of life for the sake of His Father’s will. He would also be slandered and made to suffer for something He did not deserve. He too was punished for a sin he did not commit. Jesus says: If you look at a woman lustfully, you have already committed adultery with her in your heart. And all of us have fallen short on this score. He died a death on the cross that we deserve so that sexually corrupt and adulterers like you and I could be forgive<br />
n. So that God’s favour and steadfast love could now rest on all who would trust and obey Him as Lord.<br />
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When that happens, everything changes. There’s no room for self-pity because you are unconditionally and dearly loved by God. So much so that He died for you. It costs him everything. There’s no room for pride because all our success is a gift from God who prospered what our hands are working on. It’s His favour. That takes away the fuel that feeds the flame of lust. The problem is not that our desire is too strong. It’s too weak. We settle for far too little. When you embrace this costly love of God, when you see and savour Christ for all He is, you begin to experience the expulsive power of a greater affection, a greater desire that overcomes the lure of sexual temptations. <br />
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Picture source is from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_and_Potiphar%27s_Wife.jpg">here</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-71739612830774853672013-11-27T21:06:00.001+08:002013-11-27T21:06:52.851+08:00Homosexuality: Biblical Perspectives and Pastoral Concerns<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Ng Kam Weng: While Malaysian Christian leaders have maintained a silent indifference towards the homosexual controversy, young Christians are daily exposed to aggressive homosexual proselytization by the Western elite through the Internet and global entertainment culture. Not surprisingly, young Christians today are increasingly sympathetic towards homosexual practice. To be fair, this tolerance among young Christians is simply reflective of their easy going attitude in moral and religious commitment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The church does not need to react defensively to these developments and resort to censorious condemnation of homosexuals. It is more important that the church educate and exhort Christians, both young and old to uphold a sanctified life based on scriptural integrity and covenantal faithfulness. Following the full counsel of God’s Word would encourage individuals to maintain respectful, responsible and restraint courtship intimacy, fidelity in monogamous heterosexual marriage and challenge the church to develop pastoral models to address constructively the homosexual controversy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am pleased to share with you two papers that provide a scripturally and scientifically informed approach to homosexuality written by my friend Dr. Roland Chia. He is presently Chew Hock Hin Professor of Christian Doctrine at Trinity Theological College, Singapore.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.krisispraxis.com/archives/2013/11/homosexuality-biblical-pespectives-and-pastoral-concerns/">Part 1</a> </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.krisispraxis.com/archives/2013/11/homosexuality-biblical-perspectives-and-pastoral-concerns-part-2/"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Part 2</span></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-91950409359710918942013-07-03T20:25:00.001+08:002014-01-14T14:22:43.670+08:00The Dance of Marriage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Sermon audio may be <a href="http://www.sermoncloud.com/cdpc/the-dance-of-marriage/">downloaded here</a><br />
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<b>Ephesians </b><st1:time hour="17" minute="21"><b>5:21</b></st1:time><b> – 32</b></div>
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<span class="texteph-5-21"><b><sup>21 </sup></b>Submit
to one another</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-21">out of reverence for Christ.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="texteph-5-22"><b><sup>22 </sup></b>Wives,
submit yourselves to your own husbands</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-22">as you do to the Lord.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-23"><b><sup>23 </sup></b>For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the
head of the church,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-23">his body, of which he is the Savior.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-24"><b><sup>24 </sup></b>Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should
submit to their husbands</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-24">in everything.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span class="texteph-5-25"><b><sup>25 </sup></b>Husbands,
love your wives,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-25">just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-26"><b><sup>26 </sup></b>to make her holy,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-26">cleansing her by the washing</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-26">with water through the word,</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-27"><b><sup>27 </sup></b>and to present her to himself</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-27">as a radiant church, without stain
or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-28"><b><sup>28 </sup></b>In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-28">as their own bodies. He who loves
his wife loves himself.</span><span class="texteph-5-29"><b><sup>29 </sup></b>After
all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body,
just as Christ does the church—</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-30"><b><sup>30 </sup></b>for we
are members of his body.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-31"><b><sup>31 </sup></b>“For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and the two will become one flesh.”</span><span class="texteph-5-32"><b><sup> 32 </sup></b>This is
a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-33"><b><sup>33 </sup></b>However, each one of you also must love his wife</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-33">as he loves himself, and the wife
must respect her husband.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The Bible begins with a wedding in the Garden of Eden (with
the creation of Adam and Eve in the likeness of God as husband/wife). And the
Bible ends with a wedding feast (the union of Christ and His church) at the new
heaven and new earth. In between and throughout the Bible, the covenant
relationship between Christ and His people is described as a marriage. So, when
God’s people sin, the Bible doesn’t just say they’ve been ‘disobedient’ – it
says they’ve been ‘unfaithful’. And when God’s people worship false gods, the
Bible doesn’t just call them ‘idolatrous’ – it calls them ‘adulterous’. Why? Because</span> the Lord is a husband, who has entered into an eternal,
committed covenant relationship with any of us who will trust Him… We now
belong to each other. This covenant love is the reason behind everything that
happens in heaven and on earth. It is also the reason why CDPC is focusing on
building strong families (and healthy marriages) in year <st1:metricconverter productid="2013. In">2013. In</st1:metricconverter>
some profound, mysterious ways, our relationship with our spouse echoes God’s
design for marriage in creation and God’s plan in redemption.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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But everywhere we turn today it seems that the institution
of marriage is in deep trouble. Some activists are pushing to legalize same sex
marriages at a time when lots of young people no longer believe that marriage
is a desirable arrangement – “I don’t need a piece of paper to love someone”. Living
together without long term commitment is very common. Broken marriages carry lots
of pain and hurt for all involved – both adults and children. The destructive
effect of sin could also be seen within marriages. Husbands can be chauvinistic,
abusive and emotionally neglect their wives to climb the corporate ladder. Wives
can be overly dependent, sexually manipulative and nag their passive husbands
into submission. As a result, we have serious confusion about what it means to
be a husband or wife when our daughters need a clear model of what it means to
be feminine and our sons need a positive vision of what it means to be
masculine. <o:p></o:p></div>
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This is an opportunity for the
Kingdom community of Jesus as a whole is to live out a different kind of
marriage life, and to mirror another culture in our gender relationships. A
culture of forgiveness, repentance and change in the midst of this brokenness… In
the midst of widespread confusion, we desperately need to recover a biblical,
gospel-centered vision of marriage as revealed in Ephesians 5. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzAsxzyQhTJ5KkFPP1qnYV_gyZqmLSTqMbqXdJivQPUE1qMRyPWRiEeypQxBrGHKNsqrvnwzQHgg-BAjUg24QO0t-X4qm738VpfeDiGPXIao8AtPnqvmFRldfpKgEyzICpS_Rqg/s1600-h/ken+shirene.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5029082280781344210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzAsxzyQhTJ5KkFPP1qnYV_gyZqmLSTqMbqXdJivQPUE1qMRyPWRiEeypQxBrGHKNsqrvnwzQHgg-BAjUg24QO0t-X4qm738VpfeDiGPXIao8AtPnqvmFRldfpKgEyzICpS_Rqg/s400/ken+shirene.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="line-height: 24px;"></span>Some of
us in CDPC may still remember the wedding of Ken and Shirene by the beach in <st1:place style="line-height: 150%;">Penang</st1:place><span style="line-height: 150%;"> a few
years back. They are now studying in </span><st1:country-region style="line-height: 150%;">Australia</st1:country-region><span style="line-height: 150%;"> to be environmentalists, learning of ways to best care for
God’s creation. It was memorable because the couple started their wedding by enacting
their story with God and with each other through Latin dance. They were two
strong individuals and their shared passion in </span><i style="line-height: 150%;">salsa</i><span style="line-height: 150%;"> was an ideal medium to share their stormy journey and happy destination.
There was even a risky move in which Shirene trustingly fell backwards and Ken
literally “saved her neck”. </span><br />
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Rev Wong preached from this same passage on that day. And he observed that in
Latin dance, the man is expected to lead and the woman responds best to a
partner that she trusts and respects. It was a beautiful picture of the mutually
enriching roles of man and woman in marriage. In his e-commentary, Pastor Soo
Inn also noted that both man and woman are led by the music. The man's
leadership in dancing is to help both him and his partner respond best to the
music. In one sense it is the music that leads. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So
marriage is like a dance. There is unity in that both man and woman move to the
same rhythm and mutually help each other to follow the Divine Music. They keep
in step with each other and share a common goal. Otherwise they would step on
each other’s toes. Marriage is also like a dance in that both man and woman
complement each other in their different roles. Sometimes, the lady would leap
into the air and the man would catch her as she lands. It’s beautiful when each
knows his or her unique role. So far, I haven’t seen a dance in which the guy
leaps into the air, waiting for the lady to catch him. It would look a bit odd,
right? In short, there is unity in diversity in the dance of marriage. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1)<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Unity in Marriage (What does it mean to be one in
marriage?) </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2)<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Diversity in Marriage (How can we celebrate our
differences and complement each other in marriage?) </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->3)<span style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Practical Applications (How do we practically help each
other to dance with God’s music?) </div>
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<b>Unity in Marriage <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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From the Ephesians passage just
now, we see that the covenant between Christ and His people (the church) is the
model, the pattern for our own marriage. Our marriage is
a visual aid that points us to the real thing: Christ’s love for His people. So
how a husband and wife should relate to each other cannot be separated from the
question of how we both are to relate to God. For those among us who are
single, perhaps we can gain some insights into the essence of marriage, how to
go about discerning future partners and start learning some of these
relationship dynamics. Come Chinese New Year, aunties may press you with
questions like “Got boyfriend, ah? When are you getting married and
start giving <i>ang pow</i>?” <span style="background: white;">The only thing more important to most Asian parents
than their precious children getting married is having grandchildren. </span>But the Christian faith sees singleness as good because the
<st1:place><st1:placetype>kingdom</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename>God</st1:placename></st1:place> provides the most lasting possible legacy and spiritual
descendants through the gospel. Unlike Western society that is obsessed with
romance and sex, we see singleness as good because our union with Christ can
fulfill our deepest longings. Hopefully, there’s something here for you singles
to prepare for marriage or decide if this is really something for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>So what is marriage, anyway? <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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In His covenant with us, God says:
“I will be your God and you will be my people. I will never leave you nor
forsake you”. Marriage is also a covenant when we say to our spouse: “I will be
your husband and you will be my wife. I will never leave you nor forsake you. <em><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-style: normal;">All
that I am I give to you</span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">,
and all that I have I share with<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><em><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-style: normal;">you</span></em><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">.</span>” It is something exclusive between
a man and a woman and permanent for life. It is not a contract. <span style="background: white;">In a contract, we say: “This is my part of the deal, I
will do this and you will do that and if you do not do your part, the deal is
off.” A contract is basically an agreement between two people for the purpose
of protecting their rights and limiting their responsibilities. </span>A
covenant is an unconditional laying down of our rights, giving up our own
agendas for the good of the other, for the happiness of the family before God. <span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white;">For a
Christian marriage, this covenant is made by three (not two) parties: the
husband, the wife and God Himself. So before getting into any fights about
‘who’s the boss?’ in a marriage; let’s start by saying that God is the boss of
our marriage. He composes the divine music that leads our dance. First of all, the
basis of our unity is: We must s</span><span class="texteph-5-21">ubmit to one another</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="texteph-5-21">out of reverence for Christ (verse
21). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="texteph-5-21">Mutual submission means: husbands also need to submit to
their wives just as Christ submitted Himself to suffering and death for the
good of the church. </span>The motivation for this mutual submission is
out of “reverence for Christ” (<st1:time hour="17" minute="21">5:21</st1:time>).
“Reverence for Christ” means that we do not just blindly follow even when it
means doing something contrary to Christ’s authority… To submit doesn’t mean
you are inferior to the other person either. No, Christ is equal to God the
Father in dignity and worth, but He willingly chose to say: “Not My will but
Yours be done.” He joyfully subjects Himself and subordinates Himself to the
Father. This voluntary yielding to others in love is a mark of the Christian
community because we want to honor and respect Christ who is our Lord and
Savior. He came to serve and not to be served. In the same way, mutual
submission is a sign of obedience and reverence to Christ. It should not be
seen as a sign of weakness. </div>
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In the days of the apostle Paul as
well in some traditional societies today, women were not granted full status as
human persons. A Jewish man would wake up in the morning and pray: “Thank you,
God, that I am not a slave, Gentile or woman”. The ancient pagan Greeks thought
that only males are created directly by the gods and are given souls. If they don’t
live properly, they reincarnate in the next life as women. But the Christian faith radically changes all that. In Christ,
there is neither male nor female. </div>
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The gospel subverts man-dominated systems by
insisting that both female and male were made in the image of God. Therefore both
are equal in dignity and intrinsic worth. Both woman and man deserve equal
respect and honor. And this is rooted not in modern cultural norms but in the
original design of the Creator. Matthew Henry commented about why God made Eve
out of a rib from Adam like this: “She is not <span style="color: #181818; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of
his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him,
under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved.” You don’t find
anything more romantic than that in a theological commentary… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Which
brings us back to the unity of marriage: The Bible says that husbands and wives
are “one flesh”, they share the same body: <span class="texteph-5-31">“For this
reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and
the two will become one flesh.” </span>In v28, Paul says that husbands and
wives are as integrated as a head is to a body. That’s unity. The two have
become one. The implication is: you cannot pursue your own separate agendas
anymore. If you do, you will only cause harm. If a head goes off in the
opposite direction from the body – both will be unhappy – because they’re one.
A head can’t be happy if the body is hurting and a body can’t be happy if the head’s
hurting. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A few months into my marriage, this reality still
hasn’t hit home. I thought that I could play computer games (Starcraft II) late
into the night while Grace was sleeping in another room. As a single, nobody
cares what time I go to bed. I thought my computer games had nothing to do with
her sleep… You do your own thing and I do mine. Only then did I realize that after marriage,
you could not now tell where she ended and where I began. We are now one. My
life is now forever bound up with another person. “She is now the bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh!” </div>
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From now on, after marriage, we
must pursue our joy in the joy of each other. I must seek my pleasure in the
pleasure of my wife. John Piper says: “<span style="background: #F8F8F8;">If you
live for your private pleasure at the expense of your spouse, you are living
against yourself and destroying your own highest joy. But if you devote
yourself with all your heart to the holy joy of your spouse, you will also be
living for your joy and making a marriage after the image of Christ and his
church."</span> So that’s unity in marriage… The man becomes independent
of his parents and the woman becomes united with him so that they become one
flesh. If you really understand that, then you cannot
pursue your own individual fulfillment apart from the other. Your happiness is
now in the other person. You have no joy now if it’s not a corporate joy. So
work hard for your happiness by serving each other like crazy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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It also
means that the essence of marriage is a commitment and a promise… that no
matter what happens in life, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, in
sickness and in health, when you feel romantic attraction or not, through the
years when you both will go through all sorts of changes, one thing remains:
that you will be true to each other. That is the context that real intimacy,
forgiveness, tenderness and spiritual growth can take place. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Diversity in Marriage <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Now, is there any difference in our
roles or callings or primary responsibilities as husbands and wives? Husbands
and wives are both equals in marriage, but they are not exactly the same.
Physically they are different, that’s obvious. But is there a difference of
maleness and femaleness in our souls? Is the way we see things, the way we
think and solve problems different? Diversity means that <span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #231f20;">the music of our marriage should not
be merely the sound of singing the same tune. It should be the combined sound
of soprano and bass, alto and tenor. It means that the differences of maleness
and femaleness are respected and affirmed and valued. We don’t try to compete
or duplicate each other. Rather, we enrich each other with our unique
qualities.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="background: #F8F8F8; color: #231f20;">Scripture says: Wives are to submit to their husbands just
as the church submits to Christ. And husbands are to love their wives just as
Christ loves the church. Does that mean that husbands don’t need to submit and
wives don’t need to love their husbands? Of course not! But there is a primary
responsibility and unique, complementary gift that each of us brings into that
dance.</span> Some may ask: “Isn’t this just a cultural household code that the
apostle Paul adopts rather than a timeless truth for everyone? After all, we now
live in a modern world where this kind of traditional role is outdated”. Well,
the Bible never gives specific instructions that husbands should go out to work
and wives stay at home. Or wives should do the dishes and husbands are
responsible to take out the cockroach... You don’t find any of specific lists
of do’s and don’ts like that. Proverbs 31 even describes an ideal wife who
works in real estate, investment, trading and takes care of her family. And do
you know that Jesus can cook? You didn’t know that ler… (Read John 21) So we
should not confuse what Paul says here with stereotypes that are
culture-specific. Like men should be Rambo and women should be like Cinderella.
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Having said that, it also appears that
Paul’s instruction on marriage points to creation and redemption, rather than
any specific culture. The key is to remember that the relationship between
Christ and the church is the pattern for the relationship between husband and
wife. Are Christ and the church mutually submitted? Yes, they are. But submission
doesn’t mean that Christ submits to the authority of the church. Christ submits
Himself to suffer and die for the good of the church. The church doesn’t die in
the place of Christ, but she gladly submits by affirming His authority and
following His lead. So mutual submission does not mean submitting to each other
in the exact same way… There is diversity of roles in the relationship. </div>
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Similarly, the husband’s role is to take the initiative in
sacrificial, loving, servant-leadership to protect and to provide while the
wife’s role is to shape, affirm, encourage and nurture that leadership. Submission
is her distinct calling and unique strength to help carry through his guidance
according to her gifts. And we need each other’s unique gifts and strengths to
complement each other. It is not a domineering headship nor is it mindless
submission. What does ‘head’ mean? Well, it refers to two ideas: </div>
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1) To be ‘head’ is to be the “source” of the body. The body
gets nourishment from the head (verse 29). The mouth is in the head so
nourishment comes through the mouth to the body. The body also gets guidance
and protection from the eyes and ears in the head. The husband is to be a
source of provision, protection and guidance to the wife. </div>
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2) “Head” also implies authority.
For example, we speak of the ‘head of this department’. It doesn’t mean dictatorship.
It is to be exercised in Christ-like, servant leadership. Not power over,
control over. But authority exercised to serve, to love and to sacrifice for
the spouse. Obviously husband and wife (as one flesh) need to have
conversations, planning things together in decision making. But what if you
can’t agree? Don’t make a decision lor… But what if a decision has to be made?
Like, where to send your child to school? You cannot afford not to make a
decision and let the child stay at home. In those few, rare cases of a real <i>impasse</i>, let the husband accept the
burden of making the final choice… even though he may, very often, choose to surrender
his own preference to his wife’s where no moral issue is at stake. </div>
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There’s a classic case of a pastor
who felt called to plant a church in <st1:state>New York</st1:state>
but his wife refused to go. It’s too risky. It’s against her ‘nesting instincts’.
So the husband (Tim Keller, by the way) said, “Alright if you don’t want to go,
then we won’t go. I’m not going to force you”. But then Kathy, his wife, turned
around and said: “Hey, wait a minute… What are you doing? You just let<i> me</i> break the tie. What’s the use of you
being the man around here? If you see God calling you to do that, for God’s
sake, then be a man. Break the tie.” The husband doesn’t want to take the
responsibility to lead. Submission takes a lot of strength and courage. It’s
not for the weak. But by deferring to him, in a most feminine way, when she
says: “I will support you no matter what and I will not say “I told you so” no
matter what happens” she is enabling him to do the most masculine thing he has
ever done. Both are submitting to their role in the dance of marriage. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
Ok, so there’s unity and diversity
in marriage… now how does that cash out practically? <b>How do we play our part in the dance of marriage?</b> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
Well, brothers, we have a huge
responsibility on our shoulde<span style="line-height: 150%;">rs. Headship is not a privileged position of
control. It is a responsibility to serve our family and lead by example. If the
family bought too many things on credit, then the financial debt is ultimately
our fault. If the family never reads the Bible or seldom seeks the </span><st1:place style="line-height: 150%;"><st1:placetype>kingdom</st1:placetype>
of <st1:placename>God</st1:placename></st1:place><span style="line-height: 150%;">, God holds </span><u style="line-height: 150%;">us</u><span style="line-height: 150%;">
accountable. The ‘head’ must answer first. Scary huh? Sometimes, it can be so
intimidating that we would often rather run away from it. But if we feel
inadequate or overwhelmed, the good news is we can run to God. Our sense of helplessness
can drive us to draw near and find resources from God. We need wisdom – that
means we need to take God’s word more seriously than ever before. We need grace
and divine strength – so we need to humble ourselves and take our prayer life
more seriously than we do. We make mistakes and mess up a lot of the times – we
need forgiveness, repentance and the righteousness of Christ. Marriage is a
powerful means of grace to help us grow into spiritual maturity and apply the
gospel in everyday life.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YmqvRNVUWS90Fyq-R9B3otcD9HlD9CWfPPgMnIuDDJKRW59lYBkNcYQQACQvuWfA0tirDs3C8mCtaKKafx0JfbjIslITMHBiYASnrf7brR98PUZIqbu80ddLsAW2VOYSlOMn9A/s1600/gods_design_for_marriage_umjr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3YmqvRNVUWS90Fyq-R9B3otcD9HlD9CWfPPgMnIuDDJKRW59lYBkNcYQQACQvuWfA0tirDs3C8mCtaKKafx0JfbjIslITMHBiYASnrf7brR98PUZIqbu80ddLsAW2VOYSlOMn9A/s320/gods_design_for_marriage_umjr.jpg" width="320" /></a>How do we
love the woman in our life? Look at Jesus. He loved the Church and gave Himself
up for her. He sacrificed Himself in her place even when she is still a sinner.
Jesus gave up His rights, His resources, His freedom, His life for the sake of
His Bride. And because of this self-giving
love, Jesus has created a people who are radiant, without stain or wrinkle or
any other blemish, but holy and blameless. So husbands, you are not to
love your wives just because she’s beautiful (though she is) – you are to love
her in order to make her beautiful. When there is cold silence after a fight,
like the way Christ loved the church, we need to die to our ego and take the
first step towards reconciliation. The first step is the most painful, right? In
a conflict, we are to take the initiative even when she is wrong or unlovely to
bring reconciliation.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
Wives – would you be happy to
respect this kind of servant leadership? Sisters, when you see your husband
doing his best in this role, would you use your nurturing strength, use your
feminine gifts to affirm, shape, support and share in that leadership? Won’t
you feel glad that he is not passive? Would you feel yourself honored and freed
and secure by his caring strength? Won’t you respect him for that? </div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background: white; line-height: 150%;">
That is a profound mystery. When
we do that, we get in touch with a deep part of our souls as male and female.
When we do that, we imitate the dance of God in creation and the dance of
Christ and His church in redemption.<br />
<br />
Credit goes to insights from <a href="http://www.graceatwork.org/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/archive/gaw/20070208160750/">Ps Wong/Ps Soo Inn</a>. </div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-31391257168155434432012-12-17T03:26:00.000+08:002012-12-17T03:26:04.928+08:00It's The End of the World As We Know It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Good morning Mr. Chairman, distinguished panelists, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for this honor to speak before you today. Interfaith dialogues are critical to promote mutual understanding, knowledge sharing and respect in a multi-religious society like ours.<br />
<br />
<br />
Let me begin with a question: How would you react if someone came up to you on the sidewalk, waving a huge card board saying, “Repent, Repent, Doomsday is near”? I guess you might decide to run away or keep a safe distance, thinking: “How gullible are these people to believe in all these Doomsday predictions? Hmph! Another nutcase religious cult…” <br />
<br />
I’d probably do the same thing. But then again, the end of the world doesn’t sound so crazy now that we have the technology (the know how) to destroy the earth and wipe out the entire human race many times over. We have atom bombs, hydrogen bombs and nuclear bombs. See how smart we are! If you consider the very real possibility of a nuclear holocaust, of global climate change, of earthquakes and tsunami, of disease outbreak, pollution or a giant asteroid crashing into our planet, then perhaps we are kidding ourselves to believe that our little world is immune to destruction. Contemporary movies such as Armageddon, The Day After Tomorrow, The Matrix, Resident Evil and Terminator show that we are still fascinated with various plausible end-time scenarios. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/116557227/Doomsday" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; margin: 12px auto 6px; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Doomsday on Scribd">Doomsday</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="1.33333333333333" data-auto-height="false" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_10490" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/116557227/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-1aljglxjbc6z5r7p0n0" width="100%"></iframe>Now what do Christians believe about Doomsday (Hari Kiamat)? Well, in order to understand that, we need to first go back to the beginning of the world. Christians believe that this planet and everything in it (the sunsets, the oceans and mountains, the diverse ecosystem of animals and plants, and human beings with the ability to think, love and worship)… all of that is created by God, and therefore they are originally good. But the human race rebelled against the Creator. We wanted to be the boss of our lives apart from God’s way. By doing so, we have distorted the harmony in creation. Relationship with God and relationship with each other were broken. Sin is the root of suffering in the world – the injustice, corruption, discrimination and wars. So God cannot forgive our sins just like that because He is holy and righteous. Sin must not go unpunished. <br />
<br />
So what’s the solution? Well, in spite of all that sin and darkness, God did not leave us to rot. He did not just send us prophets and messengers to teach us what is right. He came personally into the world as a human being to rescue us from sin – His name is Jesus the Messiah (or Isa Al-Masih to Arab speaking Christians). He loved us so much that He willingly died on the cross to pay for our sins. That settles the question of God’s justice so that God can now freely show mercy and forgive us. When we turn away from sin and follow Jesus as Lord, relationship with God is restored. Three days after He was dead and buried, Jesus was raised to life again and conquered the power of death. We call it: Resurrection. One day, the Bible calls it the Day of the Lord, Jesus will return to earth to judge both the living and the dead. He will destroy all that is corrupt and evil, and ushers in His kingdom, reign and rule of justice, peace and healing. <br />
<br />
So that, in a nutshell, is God’s rescue plan. Christians call it the good news. Instead of an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth, this grand story has a beginning, a climax and an ending. History is linear: it is progressing and moving towards a purpose, an ultimate meaning and final destiny. <br />
<br />
The Bible tells us what we need to know about the day of the Lord: “Do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you… He is giving us time, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.<br />
<br />
But the day of the Lord will come unexpectedly like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. <br />
<br />
Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter chapter 3) <br />
<br />
Let us unpack the practical things that we can learn from this Bible passage <br />
<br />
1) Christians are skeptical of any attempt to set dates or countdown to the end of the world. Because the Bible clearly said that the day of the Lord would come unexpectedly like a thief in the night. You won’t know when to expect it. Nobody knows the date and time. Come 21 December 2012, you can sleep better. <br />
<br />
2) When many people think of heaven, what do they have in mind? Well, from Hollywood movies and cartoon strips, a lot of people have the mistaken notion that heaven is a place where people float around in fluffy clouds, wearing white gowns with a harp in their hand and a halo on their head. The idea is to escape from this material world into that ghost-like, abstract, spiritual existence somewhere else. It creates a mentality where we withdraw from this present life and passively wait for the afterlife. “Why bother making this world into a better place to live in when we will end up in some other place?”<br />
<br />
So we need to be careful with how we use terms like Doomsday and end of the world. What exactly do we mean by that? When the Bible says the present earth and heaven will ‘pass away,’ it does not mean that they disappear or go out of existence. It does not mean that the old car is destroyed so we need to replace it with another one. What we mean is: the same car that was destroyed is now fixed, restored, transformed, upgraded and given a complete makeover into a brand new car.<br />
<br />
We might say, ‘The caterpillar passes away, and the butterfly emerges.’ It means that there will be such a radical change that the present condition will pass away but there is also a real continuity, a real connection to the new heaven and new earth. <br />
<br />
Through fire, the present earth will be dissolved, refined, and purified to give rise to a future world that will be more substantial, more tangible and more solid than one we know. God did not create this material world only to abandon it. Rather, He will renew and rescue it. So Christians have every reason to care for the material world, to protect the ecosystem and to heal the sick and work for social equality and relieve the suffering of the poor and marginalized. Because our hope of eternal life is not to escape from the world. But to renew and transform it… In the meantime, while we wait for that day, we pray and work so that God’s will is done and His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. <br />
<br />
3) We see lots of suffering, violence and corruption today. Much of it is caused by people’s greed: consuming and accumulating things as if they will last forever. Often we see the bad guys win and the good guys lose. And we struggle with the question of whether evil that appears so powerful can ever be defeated. Christians do not believe that good and evil are two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other. Rather the day of the Lord is a promise that Jesus will return as a righteous Judge to put right all that is wrong in the world and restore all that is lost. Evil will not have the last word. It also reminds us not to build our security and significance on wealth and power because they will soon pass away. These things are temporal and provisional. The idea that there will be a final judgment is a comfort, encouragement and strength to those struggling with evil and suffering. For God promised a new world where there will be no more sorrow, pain or violence. He will wipe away every tear and restore all that is beautiful, noble and true.<br />
<br />
4) Some people may wonder, “Now, that all sounds very good but it’s been 2000 years and Jesus hasn’t come back yet. Why so slow, wan? How can we be sure that it will ever happen?” Well, the Bible says that God is not being slow. He has his own time table. A day is like a thousand years from the perspective of eternity. He is actually being patient with us. He is giving us time to turn away from our selfishness and be reconciled to him before Judgment Day. He does not desire for anyone to perish in their sin because it would mean eternal separation from God’s presence. Forever. <br />
<br />
And how do we know that God’s kingdom will indeed come? Well, the evidence is found in what happened to Jesus after his death on the cross. If He stays dead, there will be no Christian movement starting in Jerusalem. But on the third day, His tomb was found empty and many eyewitnesses testified to have seen Him alive. It changes everything. His resurrection (coming back to life in a glorious, incorruptible, physical body) is a sign, an evidence and guarantee that the future kingdom has already broken into the present. It is like a seed that will grow until it covers the whole earth. It means that death will not be final. It is a foundation of hope when you are faced with the shadow of death or cancer. It is the sign that Jesus has won the decisive battle over evil, the evidence that He is indeed the Lord of the universe and has now received authority and power to judge the nations. <br />
<br />
For Christians, the physical body is not evil in itself. It is not a prison from which our souls need to be set free. The ultimate hope of Christians is the resurrection of the body. On that great Day, those who follow Jesus as Lord and Savior will also be raised to life in an incorruptible, glorified and physical body just like Jesus. These are the ones who say: “God, I am a sinner. I cannot save myself with my religious performance, my moral achievements. When I do achieve these moral standards, I feel proud and superior to others. When I fail to do them, I feel condemned and despair. So I will not trust on my own strength, my own merits and performance. I will put my trust in what You have done on the cross for me. You accepted me freely therefore I obey. I will give my life over to You as Lord and Savior to transform me and renew me and forgive me from inside out”. <br />
<br />
This is what Christians believe about the destiny of the world, and the destiny of our own personal stories. Thank you. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-41773621384606098972012-11-13T18:46:00.001+08:002012-11-13T18:46:46.800+08:00Book Review: The Other Six Days<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/110574776/Review-The-Other-Six-Days-Paul-Stevens" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Review: The Other Six Days (Paul Stevens) on Scribd">Review: The Other Six Days (Paul Stevens)</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_85196" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/110574776/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-1hc4ghosvrsooz4fj8mr" width="100%"></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
For most of church history, the people of God have been divided into two categories – those who “do ministry” (the clergy) and the objects of ministry (the laity). This clergy-laity division perpetuates a caste system of “spiritual” work with missionaries and pastors at the top of value chain, followed by people-helping professionals (like doctors, teachers, nurses) and “barely-religious, secular” jobs (such as lawyers, politicians and jazz musicians) close to the bottom! In The Other Six Days, Stevens challenged that dualism with provocative biblical, theological and practical reasons.<br />
<br />
In Part I of the book, the author sounded a clarion call for reframing a theology “of the whole people of God” (where every member of the church is gifted, chosen and called by God for service in the world), “for the whole people of God” (which intentionally empowers the ordinary believer for practical, applied living) and “by the people of whole people of God” (where academic theologians work together with ordinary believers in the furnace of marketplace realities). By doing so, we recover an ecclesiology where each member is “ordained” to do the Lord’s work from Mondays to Saturdays and equipped to apply biblically Kingdom values to his daily concerns.<br />
<br />
He argued that even in the Old Testament, the entire nation of Israel was called to belong to God and serve His purposes (Exodus 19:6). But within that people, were not some given a special call to be priests, prophets and kings? According to Stevens, the new covenant envisaged by the Old Testament promised a day in which all people will have God’s law written in their hearts (Jeremiah 31:34). The once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus the great High Priest has fulfilled the function of the Old Testament priesthood so that now the entire church is a royal priesthood. But he cautioned against ‘anti-clericalism’, stressing the need for gifted leadership of dedicated pastors as God’s will for the church (page 53). Drawing from the doctrine of Trinity, he outlined how the church needs to mirror that perichoretic life of God by rejecting individualism and embracing every member to contribute to the unity/ministry of the whole community of faith. <br />
<br />
In Part II of the book, Stevens explores the thorny subject of calling and vocation in a culture where we no longer find meaning at work in relation to God. It is common to hear believers in ‘full time’ ministry speak of a special call from God but it seems not to apply to other believers. Stevens proposed that we do not separate God’s calling for humanity into two, disconnected mandates – The Creation Mandate (Genesis 1:27 – 30) and The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20). It has tragic consequences to emphasize one and downplay the other. Rather, we ought to see our human calling in terms of a “covenant encompassing creation, redemption and final consummation. Salvation is both a rescue operation (recovering our lost vocation in Eden) and a completion project (preparing for the final renewal of creation at the second coming of Jesus)” . In that sense, all believers are called to communion with God, community-building (relationships, family and holy sexuality) and stewards in caring for the creation. “Every legitimate human occupation (paid or unpaid) is some dimension of God’s own work: making, designing, doing chores, beautifying, organizing, helping, bringing dignity and leading.” <br />
<br />
In Part III of the book, Stevens explores how the biblical ministries of prophet, priest and king relate to the whole people of God in the wider world. As priests, the church intercedes for others in God’s presence and offers up everyday life as ‘spiritual worship’ (Romans 12:1). As regents, they bring in Kingdom values to bear on all of life. They embody the rule of God on earth as it is in heaven. As prophets, they bear witness to the gospel and challenge dehumanizing powers and idolatrous systems. People can be encouraged to see the marketplace as a natural place for evangelism by “using workplace terminology to share our faith; by connecting Sunday and Monday through interviewing people about their work, and praying for them; by extending pastoral care to the workplace, especially when there is injustice or unemployment; and dealing with workplace sins and temptations as part of church discipline” . I am encouraged to put into practice some of these recommendations on a weekly basis during worship service to facilitate this paradigm shift.<br />
<br />
The Other Six Days is a most worthy and inspiring read for Christians who seek deeper connections of faith to their work in the office, factory, school, field or at home as well as pastors who seek to send out the congregation to minister in the world. When we recover a biblical theology of work, ministry will be transformed as pastors are liberated from the crushing burden to minister to every need in the church. Rather, they exercise leadership gifts to empower and equip the people to spiritual maturity and service with God’s word. Similarly, mission is transformed when a church of one hundred members serve throughout the week in all the contexts in which God has placed them. They do not need to go into the world because they are already there.<br />
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</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-74468151160188405422012-11-12T21:00:00.001+08:002012-11-12T21:00:28.130+08:00Book Review: How Long, O Lord?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/110574669/Review-How-Long-O-Lord-DA-Carson" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Review: How Long O Lord? (DA Carson) on Scribd">Review: How Long O Lord? (DA Carson)</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_77426" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/110574669/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-8o74t3lxhdde4hz010q" width="100%"></iframe></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-63146810404804968942012-08-21T06:52:00.001+08:002012-08-21T06:52:51.110+08:00The Reason for God: The Clues for God<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div align="center" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>It is one thing to say
that there are no good reasons against believing the Christian faith. It is
another to argue that there are sufficient reasons FOR believing it. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But what counts as ‘sufficient’ reason? Must it be proven
rationally by logic? Must we experience God with our five senses? Or only what
can be scientifically proven by experiments is true? Must the evidence for God
be so bomb-proof irrefutable that almost everyone will see it? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Ce13iwghMbxQx_PE44Nn2ZLqISJZKznGrc76bYVSDEW0dizJ9fOqhj-JcZC8k7-dG0OayhcF08MoUrDXJ_7MiWbaK4Ov7MtFVFZjS-93KuVgL-v5cNCqf7VvL3Bh_U3XdSfgw/s1600/30370_Tales_of_Old_England_Sherlock_Holmes_Kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic8Ce13iwghMbxQx_PE44Nn2ZLqISJZKznGrc76bYVSDEW0dizJ9fOqhj-JcZC8k7-dG0OayhcF08MoUrDXJ_7MiWbaK4Ov7MtFVFZjS-93KuVgL-v5cNCqf7VvL3Bh_U3XdSfgw/s320/30370_Tales_of_Old_England_Sherlock_Holmes_Kit.jpg" width="240" /></a>Tim Keller questions <i>strong
rationalism</i>: “How could you empirically prove that no one should believe
something without empirical proof?” That’s ultimately a belief. <a href="http://www.calvin.edu/academic/philosophy/virtual_library/articles/plantinga_alvin/two_dozen_or_so_theistic_arguments.pdf">AlvinPlantinga</a>: The argument is like the drunk who insisted on looking for his lost
car keys only under the streetlight <i><u>because</u>
</i>the light was better there. Or even worse: Because the keys would be hard
to find in the dark, they <i><u>must</u></i>
be under the light. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
No one can be totally neutral when it comes to the question
of God’s existence. All of us have a deep desire for Him to exist or not to
exist. We all have vested interest in this. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But that does not mean we cannot discern whether a belief is
better than another. <b>Some beliefs are
more reasonable than others, but all arguments are <i>rationally avoidable</i> in the end</b>. Even scientific theories that
are tested and accepted are open to revision or abandoned in light of a better
model. They are not ‘proved’ in the strong rationalist sense. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Richard Swinburne: If God exists, we would expect the things
we see today – that there is a universe at all, that scientific laws operate in
it and that humans have consciousness and moral sense. If there is no God, you
won’t expect any of these things. Belief in God offers a better explanation for
what we experience daily than the alternatives. Bahnsen goes further: It’s the
only view that does not make nonsense of the human experience. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Gargarin thinks there is no God because he couldn’t find Him
in outer space. But that is like Hamlet (story character) searching the attic
in his castle in hope of finding Shakespeare (author). We shouldn’t expect to
prove God as if he were an object within our universe. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
C.S. Lewis: <b>I believe
in God as I believe the sun has risen, not only because I see it, but because
by it I see everything else”. Look at what the sun shows us. Which belief has
more ‘explanatory power’ to make sense of what we see in the world and in
ourselves? </b>These are the clues for God. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If God is the Author of everything, then we would find clues
to His reality that He has written into the universe (including us). If we are
made in God’s image as rational and personal beings, then we would expect some
correspondence between His mind and ours. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But reason alone won’t be enough. The Author has written
himself into the story as the main character in history when Jesus was born,
crucified and rose from the dead. The ultimate evidence for God is Jesus
Himself. He is the one we have to deal with. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>So, what clues are
there for God? <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Alvin Plantinga argues that belief in God is properly basic
so Christians do not have the burden to prove God. We don’t have to, but that
doesn’t mean there are no good reasons for believing in God (if we want to). </div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-82732548424145022142012-04-11T19:51:00.001+08:002012-08-21T06:50:56.977+08:00Models of the Atonement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/88762796/What-Did-The-Cross-Accomplish" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View What Did The Cross Accomplish? on Scribd">What Did The Cross Accomplish?</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_66131" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/88762796/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&access_key=key-g4iq92246ltc0qzok0i" width="100%"></iframe><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Every religion or ideology has its representative symbol. The
lotus flower depicts the emergence of purity from murky waters in Buddhist
thought. The Star of David is a symbol for modern Judaism while the crescent
moon became internationally associated with Islam. Even secular Marxism is
signified by a hammer and sickle to represent industry and agriculture of the proletariat.
At least since the 2<sup>nd</sup> century A.D., the cross has been used as the
visual emblem for Christianity. For believers, it signifies that the death of
Jesus is central to their faith even though crucifixion was a much-feared form
of capital punishment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br />
Throughout the centuries, Christians have cherished and grappled with this
mystery of how His death brought about reconciliation with God. The canonical Gospels
devoted such disproportionate attention on events surrounding the final week of
Jesus’ life on earth that they were sometimes described as “passion narrative
with an extended introduction”. It is as if the action shifts into
high-definition, bullet-time motion when the story reaches its climax in the
crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. But what exactly did Christ accomplish
on the cross of </span><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Calvary</span></st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">? Several frameworks for explaining the atonement have consequently gained
wide acceptance in various historical contexts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Models of the Atonement<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Surrounded by pagan occults, many early Greek Fathers interpreted
Christ’s death as a ransom paid to Satan to redeem captive humanity from his
clutches. In Mark </span><st1:time hour="10" minute="45"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">10:45</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">, Jesus said, “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give his life as a <i>ransom for many</i>.” Origen has a popular analogy that likened Satan
to a ferocious fish that swallowed the bait of Christ’s human form and got
caught by the hook of His deity. The forces of hell bit off more than they
could chew when Christ rose victoriously from the grave. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Drawing from these patristic
sources, Gustav Aulen, a Swedish theologian, viewed the cross as Christ’s
public triumph over evil powers in a cosmic battle to unshackle humanity from
bondage. The <i>Christus Victor</i> motif
found biblical support in passages like Hebrews 2:14: “Since the children have
flesh and blood, (Christ) too shared in their humanity so that by his death he
might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>and free those who all their lives
were held in slavery by their fear of death.<span class="apple-converted-space">”
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Influenced
by Roman legal codes, early Latin Fathers such as Ambrose construed the cross
as Christ satisfying the requirements of God’s law. They drew support from
Galatians 3:13, which read, “</span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Christ redeemed us from the
curse of the law by becoming a curse for us<span class="apple-converted-space">”.
During the medieval period, the <i>satisfaction</i>
theory of the cross was developed further by Anselm as satisfying God’s honor.
In feudal societies, an overlord whose dignity was offended could either punish
the guilty peasants or forgive them when his honor is satisfied by another.
Although God was dishonored by our rebellion, Anselm believed that we are
forgiven because Christ’s obedient, meritorious death compensated for His
honor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Peter
Abelard, a younger contemporary of Anselm, reacted strongly against the
prevailing theories and insisted that Christ’s suffering is primarily a display
of how great God’s love is for us. “</span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">God demonstrates his own love
for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (<span class="apple-converted-space">Romans 5:8).</span> <span class="apple-converted-space">His sacrificial death melts away our enmity,
awakens moral change and moves us to seek forgiveness. Some proponents of the <i>moral influence</i> theory also reject any
objective requirement to appease God’s anger. Rather, the sole obstacle to
salvation lies in the subjective resistance of sinners. Consequently, the cross
as an expression of God’s love is required to inspire us to imitate Christ’s
self-giving ethics. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Last but
not least, some influential Church Fathers such as Athanasius in the East and
Augustine in the West (to name just a few) also held that Christ took upon
Himself the deserved penalty of fallen humanity as a sinless substitute in
their place. The <i>penal substitutionary</i>
view was further developed by the Reformers. </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">1 John 4:8-10 declares, “God is love.
. . . This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his
Son to be the <i>propitiation</i> for our
sins.” In explaining this biblical passage, Calvin wrote that God, at the same
time when he loved us, was also hostile to us because of our transgressions.<span class="MsoFootnoteReference"> <a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/Desktop/Assignment/Models%20of%20Atonement/Kairos-Atonement.doc#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">[1]</span></span></a></span>
Reconciliation was made possible because Christ appeased His holy wrath and
opened the way for our pardon. By doing so, God can be both just <i>and</i> the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus (Romans </span><st1:time hour="15" minute="21"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">3:21</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">-26). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Pierced For Our Transgressions<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Although
penal substitutionary atonement has been the predominant theme in evangelical
preaching, some theologians today seem to favor a plurality of atonement
theories. In differing degrees, the various models stress crucial facets of
Christ’s work on the cross that should be recovered. They need not be mutually
exclusive. Indeed, </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">it appears that when we understand the centrality of the cross as
something accomplished primarily in relation to God Himself that its
implications for the cosmos, demonic powers and ethics come into more balanced
perspective. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Let us attempt a synthesis of these themes: <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">The
heart of the cross is, first and foremost, </span></span>Christ’s vicarious
sin-bearing to take upon Himself the just wrath of God (Isaiah 53). He absorbed
the punishment that we deserved as a substitute so that sinners may be forgiven
while <i>satisfying</i> the righteous
demands of God’s law. However, the moral law ought not to be seen as a higher
abstract entity independent of the Law-giver, but a reflection of God’s own
holy character. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Unless the cross <i>objectively
</i>rescues us, it would be an empty show of sentimentality just like a silly
lovesick boy who declares, "Darling, I will prove my love for you by
jumping off </span><st1:city><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Niagara Falls</span></st1:place></st1:city><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">". It is only a meaningful act
of love if the beloved is in real danger so that diving into the waters would
be an attempt to rescue her. <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And would it not be inappropriate to
conceive of the cross as Jesus paying the devil a “pound of flesh”? God owed
the devil nothing but retribution. Rather, the ransom was paid to God on behalf
of sinners so that we now could belong to Christ. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">And yes, by looking at the cross, we can learn much about Christ’s
obedience even unto death and denying one's will to do the Father's. <span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">2 Peter </span></span><st1:time hour="14" minute="21"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">2:21</span></st1:time><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;"> says,</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> “<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that
you should follow in his steps.” </span>Yet, it is because Christ has rescued
us from moral condemnation that we have the most powerful, liberating
motivation for obedience in life. Otherwise, our moral performance degenerates
into yet another self-salvation project. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Furthermore, a painful death by crucifixion
is not apparently victorious if we conceive it <i>exclusively</i> as cosmic warfare. The demonic powers were stripped of
their condemnatory weapons and made a public spectacle precisely because Christ
forgave our trespasses by nailing our legal debts on the cross </span>(<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Colossians </span><st1:time hour="14" minute="13"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">2:13</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">-15). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">The first Passover serves as an illuminating
paradigm for connecting the deliverance of God’s people from spiritual bondage
with penal substitutionary atonement. Nine plagues had fallen upon their
Egyptian oppressors while the Israelites were spared in a protracted “power
encounter”. But Pharoah stubbornly refused to let His people go. The stage was
set for the climactic “judgment on all the gods of </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">” (Exodus </span><st1:time hour="12" minute="12"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">12:12</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">). If the tenth plague followed the same pattern as the
preceding ones, it would be a coherent narrative of how divine judgment liberated
humanity from evil powers. But unlike the other plagues, the firstborn of the
Israelites were <i>not</i> automatically
spared when God struck down the firstborn of </span><st1:country -region="-region"><st1:place><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">Egypt</span></st1:place></st1:country><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">. Instead, they were
instructed to slaughter a spotless lamb and apply its blood to the door so that
</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">the wrath of God would
“pass over” them. The Passover lamb was a sacrificial substitute for the
Israelite firstborn so they may be spared from divine judgment (Exodus </span><st1:time hour="13" minute="11"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">13:11</span></st1:time><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">-16). What a sobering caution against
<i>triumphalism</i> to realize that God’s
people are not merely victims but guilty sinners in need of atoning grace! Similarly, our own liberation from Satan’s accusing
condemnations is secured on the grounds of Christ’s once-for-all atonement as
the Lamb of God (Hebrews 9). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">The Divine Conspiracy <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">In summary, we can make much sense of various biblical themes
of atonement through the lens of Christ's vicarious sacrifice. But in and of
themselves, these motifs are emptied of their power. Unfortunately, this doctrine
of penal substitutionary atonement has recently been described by critics as
'cosmic child abuse', portraying a fierce Father who needs to punish the
innocent Son before He could forgive the guilty. But the objection fails to see
that Jesus is not just a third-party bystander. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">He is the Judge Himself receiving the punishment. He is the
incarnate God, eternally one with the Father. The cross is biblically portrayed
as a Trinitarian conspiracy of love where the Father ‘</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">so loved the
world that he gave his only-begotten Son’ (John </span><st1:time hour="15" minute="16"><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">3:16</span></st1:time><span lang="EN" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">) and the Son voluntarily accepts the cross as the
supreme expression of His own love: “Greater love has no man than this, that a
man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends.” (John 15:13) That’s
the kind of love that continue to inspire countless choruses of worship devoted
to the Sinless One </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 200%;">who
became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 200%;">In Christ alone! who took
on flesh<br />
Fulness of God in helpless babe!<br />
This gift of love and righteousness<br />
Scorned by the ones he came to save:<br />
Till on that cross as Jesus died,<br />
The wrath of God was satisfied -<br />
For every sin on Him was laid;<br />
Here in the death of Christ I live.<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/Desktop/Assignment/Models%20of%20Atonement/Kairos-Atonement.doc#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="color: black; font-size: 11pt;">[2]</span></b></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<hr align="left" size="1" width="33%" />
<div id="ftn1">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/Desktop/Assignment/Models%20of%20Atonement/Kairos-Atonement.doc#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></a> <i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Institutes of the Christian Religion, </span></i><span style="font-size: 11.5pt;">Book II. xvii. Section 2. </span> </div>
</div>
<div id="ftn2">
<div class="MsoFootnoteText">
<a href="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/user/Desktop/Assignment/Models%20of%20Atonement/Kairos-Atonement.doc#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">[2]</span></span></span></a> “In
Christ Alone”, Words and Music by Keith Getty and Stuart Townsend, Copyright @
2011 Kingway Thankyou Music</div>
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</div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-73690187651985013982012-03-26T01:20:00.002+08:002012-03-26T02:18:03.509+08:00The Reason For God (Reloaded)<a title="View Reason for God II on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/86660238/Reason-for-God-II" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Reason for God II</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/86660238/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-2it2xdyey0rh0r77xzpn" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_19106" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
<br />
CDPC Puchong will organize a series of 8 sessions exploring a positive case for faith in God as revealed in Jesus the Messiah. <br />
<br />
1. The Clues of God<br />
2. The Knowledge of God<br />
3. The Problem of Sin<br />
4. Religion and the Gospel<br />
5. The (True) Story of the Cross<br />
6. The Reality of the Resurrection<br />
7. The Dance of God<br />
8. Where Do We Go From Here? <br />
<br />
Proposed Time and Venue<br />
Day: Sunday<br />
Time: 12.30 pm<br />
Venue: City Discipleship Presbyterian Church Puchong <br />
Frequency: Twice a month<br />
Recommended Reading: The Reason For God by Tim Keller<br />
<br />
If you are keen to join the discussion group, please contact David Chong at "hedonese at yahoo dot com". The point is not about getting armed with generic arguments and answers, rather to be equipped to become conversant with ways to sensitively, humbly and gently think and talk about these big questions in the safe context of community.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-22877525539763374002012-02-20T12:50:00.002+08:002012-02-20T12:50:57.011+08:00Gospel in the CityDear colleagues in the ministry,<br />
<br />
Redeemer Presbyterian Church New York, City to City Asia and our church City Discipleship Presbyterian Church are organizing a 2 days seminar on "Transforming our cities by planting Gospel Centered church" on April 17 & 18. I am one of the coaches for church planting working alongside Redeemer New York and City to City Asia and have been tasked to help churches to understand Gospel as the motivating force that shapes all of life, from the heart to a church and to cities. Our goal is to start a movement of planting gospel centered churches through networks of churches, church leaders and cultural leaders with the aim to transform cities in Malaysia and Asia. The two days seminar will take us through 8 plenary sessions and expose us to Gospel DNA that will bring about deeper commitment to gospel renewal in the family, church and in the city.<br />
<br />
Let me know what you think and how you feel. I look forward to hearing from you.<br />
<br />
Registration fees cover the cost of lunches, refreshment and printing materials (you will have solid reading materials from Dr. Tim Keller). <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dFFWSTBlcEhqUnB5NURNTTdkZDJFbmc6MQ">Please register early</a><br />
<br />
Date: April 17-18 (Tues - Wed) 2012<br />
Time: 9 am to 6 pm<br />
Speakers: Rev Abraham Cho and Rev Wong Fong Yang<br />
Video Plenary by Rev Timothy Keller<br />
Registration Fee: RM 60Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-11958533541737682652012-02-12T20:24:00.002+08:002012-02-12T20:24:09.584+08:00The Christian And Interfaith Relations<a title="View The Christian and Interfaith Dialogues on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/76429024/The-Christian-and-Interfaith-Dialogues" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">The Christian and Interfaith Dialogues</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/76429024/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-5frozfes2crcg5fp9cq" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.706697459584296" scrolling="no" id="doc_87571" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-88256802837690942702012-01-20T03:15:00.001+08:002012-01-20T03:15:22.866+08:00The Life and Legacy of John Calvin<a title="View The Life and Legacy of John Calvin on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/78342253/The-Life-and-Legacy-of-John-Calvin" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">The Life and Legacy of John Calvin</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/78342253/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-ap84n3gsd3wcynhotwa" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_1501" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script><br />
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When pro-reform supporters regained power in the city councils, Calvin was urged to return and continue his work in Geneva. Martin Bucer, the reformer at Strasbourg, was reported to have employed Farel’s earlier strategy: If Calvin refused to resume his ministry he will be acting like Jonah who tried to run away from God! In September 1541, Calvin reluctantly accepted the request and picked up preaching from the Bible passage where he had left off three years ago. Timothy George commented, “In this way Calvin signaled that he intended his life and his theology to be, not a device of his own making, but a responsible witness to the Word of God”.<br />
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Click here to read <a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/78342253/The-Life-and-Legacy-of-John-Calvin">the life and legacy of John Calvin</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-74049520005223338832012-01-09T00:08:00.001+08:002012-01-09T00:08:50.038+08:00Love God With All Your Mind<a title="View Love God With All Our Mind on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/16482705/Love-God-With-All-Our-Mind" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Love God With All Our Mind</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/16482705/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1zcdym6o475riokt1t2l" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="" scrolling="no" id="doc_37323" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><br />
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I found out that for many Christians an intellectual understanding of what we believe and why you believe is not important as long as you have an experiential feeling in your heart! The heart is what you used in a relationship with God but the brain is what you used while studying science, computers, economics and history in school. There is a separation of the heart for spiritual stuffs and the mind for secular stuffs like dinosaurs. When that happens, no wonder our faith has so little impact on how we do our work or studies in the world. And no wonder our ‘daily activities’ outside the church has very little to do with God or the gospel. <br />
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But the Bible seems to say: “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds”. It doesn’t say “Be transformed by the removal of your minds”! So we don’t need to remove our brains in order to be a Christian. In fact, renewing our mind with God’s truth and kingdom values is crucial to our spiritual growth.<br />
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The following is sermon transcript for today's sermon at Klang Presbyterian Church<br />
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<a title="View Love God With All Your Mind on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/77551012/Love-God-With-All-Your-Mind" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Love God With All Your Mind</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/77551012/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-bezhjplrk7b227pn2w7" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_69599" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-19402916141125858392011-12-17T16:08:00.002+08:002011-12-17T16:08:58.980+08:00Embryonic Stem Cell Research: Ethical Considerations<a title="View Embryonic Stem Cell Research - Ethical Considerations. Dr Roland Chia on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/71622391/Embryonic-Stem-Cell-Research-Ethical-Considerations-Dr-Roland-Chia" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Embryonic Stem Cell Research - Ethical Considerations. Dr Roland Chia</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/71622391/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1sabw9al234qtkp5b7pn" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.603550295857988" scrolling="no" id="doc_53643" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-85221389866205480692011-10-30T03:27:00.000+08:002011-10-30T03:27:00.411+08:00Green Spirituality: What Has Ecology To Do With Theology?<a title="View Green Spirituality: What Has The Christian Life to do with Nature? on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/70806682/Green-Spirituality-What-Has-The-Christian-Life-to-do-with-Nature" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Green Spirituality: What Has The Christian Life to do with Nature?</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/70806682/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-h0nnuyh0n3ljwavu11z" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_52952" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script><br />
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The 2009 blockbuster movie “Avatar” told a futuristic tale of two species locked in a struggle for the planet Pandora. The villains were a group of greedy, materialistic and colonizing humans hell-bent on mining precious minerals even though it would destroy the habitat of the natives. For these cut-throat mercenaries, Pandora’s lush, intricate eco-system was “nothing but ferns”. On the other hand, the protagonists were 10-feet-tall, blue humanoids called the Na'vi who lived in harmony with nature and worshipped Eywa, the life-force permeating all of life. In the context of ecological problems that plague our own planet, it appears that popular culture presents us with a similarly straightforward choice between crass capitalism and nature-friendly pantheism. <br />
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For instance, the well-known Lynn White thesis traced the historical roots of our modern ecological crisis to the emergence of medieval Christian belief in “man’s transcendence of, and rightful mastery over, nature” . Ancient pagans were afraid to cut down a tree or mine a mountain because of spirits that supposedly reside in them. But by supplanting pagan animism, it was argued that Christianity made it possible for Western man to exploit nature in a “mood of indifference”. If the Bible legitimates man’s dominion over nature, isn’t Christian theology guilty of providing justification for environmental degradation? Isn’t a pantheistic belief that “everything is divine” or “we are one with the universe” more helpful to engender respect for every rock, tree, animal or blade of grass? In this assignment, I would like to propose that Christians could draw on powerful resources from within its own spiritual tradition to care for creation without worshipping nature. <br />
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<a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/70806682/Green-Spirituality-What-Has-The-Christian-Life-to-do-with-Nature">Read on here</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-22079679112426827342011-09-13T19:19:00.002+08:002011-09-13T19:19:45.932+08:00Book Review: Conformed To His Image<a title="View Book Review: Conformed to His Image (Kenneth Boa) on Scribd" href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/64252308/Book-Review-Conformed-to-His-Image-Kenneth-Boa" style="margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;">Book Review: Conformed to His Image (Kenneth Boa)</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/64252308/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-e17scytf5kprs0f1ijs" data-auto-height="true" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" scrolling="no" id="doc_97287" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })();</script><br />
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Spirituality is very much woven into the very fabric of life in Asian cultures. Even more modern-minded and upwardly-mobile generation of younger Malaysians gravitate to feng shui paraphernalia, bomoh medicine and yoga gurus for the promises of health, prosperity and self-fulfillment. A similar awareness and hunger for spiritual renewal is also evident amongst Christians, but how is an authentic biblical spirituality any different from that of their surrounding cultures? What are the distinctive marks of Christian spirituality? <br />
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In his book Conformed to His Image: Biblical and Practical Approaches to Spiritual Formation, Kenneth Boa seeks to provide a more comprehensive and balanced approach to the spiritual life from a biblical perspective. He describes spirituality as a “Christ-centered orientation to every component of life through the mediating power of the indwelling Holy Spirit” (page 19). It is analogous to a pilgrim’s journey which starts with our embrace of God’s free grace and progresses through lifelong faith and obedience in Christ. Even though the book is designed as a college or seminary text, it is highly readable with chapter overviews, helpful charts and emphasis on practice. There are thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter intended to lead us to reflect and apply what had been learnt earlier. I would heartily recommend it as an excellent, balanced and indispensable resource for small groups, churches and lay leaders who seek a deeper spirituality as well. <br />
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Click on the Scribd Document above for a summary and review of this bookUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-39881162431078935442011-08-31T18:12:00.001+08:002011-08-31T18:12:57.563+08:00Book Review: Spiritual TheologySome reflections on <i>Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life</i> by Simon Chan (Inter-Varsity Press, 1998) <br />
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Theology is "the doctrine of living unto God," wrote the Puritan theologian William Ames. As such, true theological reflections ought to arise from personal encounter with God in Jesus Christ and lead to a deeper spiritual life. However, since the Enlightenment period, theology becomes increasingly fragmented into specialized, merely “academic” branches (dogmatic, biblical, philosophical and so on) that are often disconnected from its goal of guiding us to godliness. As a result, the church is impoverished if her devotional books are doctrinally thin and her theological works are spiritually vacuous. In his book <i>Spiritual Theology: A Systematic Study of the Christian Life</i>, Dr Simon Chan seeks to address this modern weakness by placing Christian spirituality on solid theological foundations while exploring the practical implications of various Christian doctrines. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vGj52lOVh7-UfbKwywJKqgtsRa8Yq6Q8EX9zorsaLZ9siFjv3WKeNZ5OpA7ZVGJ4lDF0Zm-L4NkHun63fdRxhqFrpF-GZggwEd-uOwJRVa7C-ZZEmQOPtnc8X8AcspSAFtUBdA/s1600/spiritual-theology-systematic-study-christian-life-simon-chan-paperback-cover-art.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="299" width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vGj52lOVh7-UfbKwywJKqgtsRa8Yq6Q8EX9zorsaLZ9siFjv3WKeNZ5OpA7ZVGJ4lDF0Zm-L4NkHun63fdRxhqFrpF-GZggwEd-uOwJRVa7C-ZZEmQOPtnc8X8AcspSAFtUBdA/s320/spiritual-theology-systematic-study-christian-life-simon-chan-paperback-cover-art.jpg" /></a></div><br />
In the first part of the book, “The Theological Principles of Spiritual Theology,” he argues that our knowledge of who God is determines the shape of our spirituality. In spite of the Trinitarian language that pervades the church’s liturgy and creeds, our practice is often inconsistently focused on only one Person of the Godhead. A spirituality of the Father affirms our common humanity as His children and therefore, undercuts all forms of discrimination. But it may lead to the universalistic notions that “all will be saved since God is the Father of all” if uncoupled from the salvific work of the Son (page 46). <br />
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Similarly, a Christological spirituality that focuses on forgiveness of sins and personal relationship with Jesus engenders a warm piety over against impersonal religiosity (page 47). But it may also lead to individualistic tendencies that see church life as optional and secondary. <br />
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According to Chan, the spirituality of the Spirit as represented by Pentecostalism instils an expectant openness to God’s surprising work beyond what we can predict or control. Its weakness lies in attempts to ‘routinize the extraordinary’, making miracles the stuffs of daily living (page 48). <br />
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In contrast, a Trinitarian spirituality is modelled after the inner life of the Godhead. It is characterized by a personal intimacy with God through Christ (the Son) and openness to the powerful works of the Spirit that finds its inter-penetrating unity in a basic ascetical structure of life (the Father). <br />
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For more information about this book review, contact me at hedonese at yahoo dot com Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19583782.post-86915030225399875332011-08-17T19:16:00.003+08:002011-08-17T19:16:43.643+08:00The Providence of God<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y5gVKNANYdg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Conference title: Thinking Theologically Conference - The Providence of God<br />
Dates: 31 August to 3 September 2011<br />
Organiser: Gospel Growth Fellowship<br />
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God says in Isaiah 45:7, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” Do you find it hard to accept what this verse says?<br />
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“Providence” is a helpful, if rather old-fashioned, term denoting the way in which God is in control of all events such that they are directed to fulfil his purposes. It’s something we Christians know in part but often find hard to explain, practice, apply, really believe in, or even want. With all the bad going on around us we’d often rather not think about what that implies about the God we love.<br />
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Some Christians choose to respond optimistically, citing Romans 8:28, ‘in all things God works for the good…’ Some say if we pray hard enough things will work out for us. But in private, when faced with the pain and evil of this world, many of us wonder how God can really be in control – especially bad things happen to good people.<br />
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What should Christians living after the resurrection of Christ think about these things? Will we brush our questions under the carpet, or will we face up to the reality of life as it is every day? Come along to this year’s Thinking Theologically Conference, conveniently scheduled over the Hari Raya holidays, to work this out in the company of fellow Christians.<br />
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For more info and registration, please visit <a href="http://www.gospelgrowth.com.my/biblical-literacy/ttc/2011">Gospel Growth Fellowship</a> or call Mark at 016 335 7137.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0