14th May 2008
May 10th, 2008
Psalm 96:9 - Worship him in the splendor of holy attire! I always thought it meant in the splendor or GOD’s holiness. When it really means (i think) is to worship him with our being holy. Of course.. his holiness covers us.. so its still his holiness.. but you get what I mean.
March 27th, 2008
Ha… its from this guy’s blog. a relative of John Piper I should think. Who’s stillborn baby girl was delivered 6 months ago causing this easter post recently featured here. He’s even got that quote pastor printed for his office.
The Desiring God blog comes from a pretty hardcore guy but overall, a stirring read. I’ve never said anything was “a stirring read” before. Not to say that nothing was before. Appropriate nonetheless. I like this post about the pastor’s accountability thing. Really brings 1 Corinthians 10:12 to life.
You’ll notice that the “On the Correctness of Girls Asking Boys Out” only contributed one word to this post. lol.
February 21st, 2008
Picking pastor to airport at 345am. haha.. This is crazy. Anyway, shall probably come home and spend some time in the word before FBI. So much to settle. Everytime I feel unsettled I stop reading until a whole pile of backlog collects. Still, I’m only reading because what other way to get right again? Not strictly by reading.. but by disciplining myself to draw near again and to allow the word to convict.
James 1:8 - I cannot be double minded
Matthew 6:24 - I cannot serve God and my own desires.
I must choose one.The decision is not hard, but the battle is. Still, the war is already won.
February 11th, 2008
I just googled myself. I was wondering if I have any reservations about what I said couple of years ago? haha.. Still, I’m like.. found in the weirdest of places. From blogs I don’t know and lists on NUS’s website. I mean.. thats kinda disturbing because there is personal info if you dig hard enough.
Next on my list, is something I’ve thought about since it was brought up.
2 Corinthians 10
The Spiritual War
1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. 2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Now again with the subject matter in bold
2 Corinthians 10:1-6
The Spiritual War
1 Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you.
2 But I beg you that when I am present I may not be bold with that confidence by which I intend to be bold against some, who think of us as if we walked according to the flesh.
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
it was proposed by a certain so and so that when we are with friends we tend to let down our guard and talk nonsense or be rowdy and unrestrained because we think we are in the comfort and company of friends. Indulging in well.. unproductive talk. Bible say we still must be restrained and wise in our words. Thats hit really really really close to me. For so long I’ve believed that certain changes in state or status prompted more “freedom” because of the social implications it afforded me. The opposite was so true! Wah man.. I suddenly am able to see the plank. Still,
1 Timothy 1:5-7
5 Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, 6 from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.
Wah.. this is worse. Because I think alot of times even if we don’t say ppl openly, we(I) judge them in our hearts. And we(I) do not do it
*smack smack smack*
Not enough? Bible says when I don’t have the above 3
I have turned aside to idle talk and desiring to be a teacher of the law, I do not understand what I say and affirm(definition here)
Ha. <– cynical laugh
Oh goodness me. Cannot make it.
January 31st, 2008
Now I know why there were so many rules and unspoken taboos in church. Because we are too young to handle freedoms and responsibilities and stay clean, pure and “untainted by the world” at the same time. As I went to BCM last year I was taken aback at how many rules there were to the point I almost find it ridiculous. I concluded that it was submission to authority that was the point but no… I now believe it is being as Romans 13:14 said, “make(ing) no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts”.
Tonight was an eye opener for me.. as I see people make poor choices in their conduct and being wise in their own eyes, shedding responsibility for their own action and blaming it time and again on their circumstance (”They dowan to talk to me first!” “You try living my life!” “But he should have…”). This kinda thing from more than one person.
I struggle to think and comment about this it because on the flip side would be judging them without love. I then thought what could we possibly do for them? Nothing. Haha.. really nothing other than to pray and wait for the LORD to work in their lives.
Lastly, I finally concede that what we need is not understanding of the word but obedience. To be servants and not masters of the word.
January 10th, 2008
For all those who think “it is not revealed to us” is a poor answer to some of the mysteries God has presented us with, let me counter with a question:
What is the Vermiform appendix (just to be more specific) for?
No answer right? Only guesses. The almighty wikipedia doesn’t even answer it for sure. Still, although doctors do not know what it does, it doesn’t take away the skill of a doctor to cure your ailment? They don’t know the answer to everything right? even a simple super common thing like the appendix can’t be known in full.
To make the analogy more accurate, we as patients have no idea what doctors do to us in the operating room but we still trust them. In such manner, let us trust the great physician Jesus Christ, Jehova Rapha, to heal our spiritual diseases even though we cannot understand why 9/11, tsunami,*insert disaster which befelled seemingly innocent people* happened, because honestly, just like how unimportant the question of “why we have an appendix” is to a doctor trying to fix your cancer, the question of “why did 9/11, tsunami,*insert disaster which befelled seemingly innocent people* happen” is just as unimportant to your spiritual sickness and condition.
People (like you and me) don’t go to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ. Technically, if they weren’t sinners and they weren’t born of adam, they wouldn’t go to hell if they were perfect. So don’t tell people they will go to hell because they don’t believe in Jesus Christ and acknowledge him as Lord and Saviour. They go to hell because they are sinners and are born in the line of Adam and for no other reason, are headed to hell. God wouldn’t allow us to go to hell if we were perfect and not born in sin.
Hmm.. I think distinguishing the reason for going to hell is quite important because it is not entirely true that we go to hell for not trusting in God to save us.
January 6th, 2008
In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them.
I was laughing with zg last night after I read this because with the tongue a man speaks.. but with the lips he shuts up. Its subtle things like this that amuse me sometimes. How much thought and wisdom flowed through Solomon into the verse when he wrote it.
Anyway I’m kinda lost again with regards to the music ministry but I wonder if my flesh is at work. I really still have no idea what my calling is. After today’s sunday school, everything was a blur except for a single phrase that stuck.
Every man should not seek to master the scripture, but instead, be a servant of the scripture.
Of course, “master” has 2 meanings here
Actually, both kinda mean the same thing and that sentence is not just a play on words. How often you find men who can wield the bible to justify all his own carnal desires? I’ve been gobsmacked before by verses thrown at me to justify actions which were clearly not in the spirit. Makes me fear because I wonder if I read verses and then interpret them how I like to understand them.
The next thing would be “serve”. And it really makes sense. Service is obeying.. service is being in subjection to another power. John 1:1 clearly says the scripture/ the Word, IS God. And therefore obeying and serving the word, is obeying and serving God.
Oh dear. I think I’ve let my flesh run wild last night by not resting adequately (though I was at ZG’s house I still could have slept at 1 at least) and being so tired today. Though it isn’t wrong strictly speaking, it clearly wasn’t the best for me.
Thats it for now! I just re-did up the netcaster’s area on the website. I’ve got a whole entire new website in experimentation now. I’m going to build it up and populate it and learn learn learn. And with that same vigour, I shall do my reading and watching FBI. Haha…
January 5th, 2008
I really hope God will watch over my heart. Does that previous sentence sound lame? Haha.. it is la! Of course God watches over my heart. I thought of this as I came home from small group bbq. Observe the many many translations:
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.GOD’S WORD® Translation (©1995)
Guard your heart more than anything else, because the source of your life flows from it.King James Bible
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.American Standard Version
Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.Bible in Basic English
And keep watch over your heart with all care; so you will have life.Douay-Rheims Bible
With all watchfulness keep thy heart, because life issueth out from it.Darby Bible Translation
Keep thy heart more than anything that is guarded; for out of it are the issues of life.English Revised Version
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.Jewish Publication Society Tanakh
Above all that thou guardest keep thy heart; for out of it are the issues of life.Webster’s Bible Translation
Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.World English Bible
Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life.Young’s Literal Translation
Above every charge keep thy heart, For out of it are the outgoings of life.
Hmmm.. Lastly, I’ve been trying to think ahead of the watchman nee book I’m reading. What do I mean? I’m trying to predict what he says next and get the picture before I read it. Like, since we must crucify the old man daily but Christ was already crucified for us and our sins but that was for our sins. So what does it really mean to crucify the old man daily and die to self. This man, I believe, must have been taught by God himself. How else would any man understand what he writes in such great volume? I’m going over to Zegang’s place. Then picking tim and lulu in the morning! Goodnight my friends.