Poor

These are the words of the faithful and true witness... You say, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing." But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.

Buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and withe clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.


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This was the image that came to mind during the prayer walk. Its so sad! People are going around thinking that they are rich and secure and safe, yet they do not realize that if Christ is not in the picture, nothing we do have any worth! Who have I in heaven but you? Even the splendors of Heaven are not worth anything if He is not in it. How much more the perishing goods of the earth?

It was as though the people walking around are the dry bones in the valley, just like what Ezekiel saw. They need the breath of God to breath in them so that they can really live!

For the god of this age had blinded the eyes of people... It is a lie. Its a powerful lie, but a lie never the less. It is the same lie as in the garden of Eden, that says that we can be happier without God.

People who had been set free.... are really in a privileged position. But woe to us if we do not share it.

Touching Heaven

Lifting up the Name of the Lord
In power and in unity
We will see the nations turn
Touching Heavens Changing Earth



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I think those who touch heavens will change earth... What do you think?

Warrior of God

Pastor Rudy, Chapel on 22/01/10, Warrior of God
Main Test: 1 Chronicles 5:24

"These were the heads of their fathers' houses: Epher, Ishi, Eliel, Azriel, Jeremiah, Hodaviah, and Jahdiel. They were mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of their fathers' houses." (NKJV)

1) God has choosen you

a. God has chosen you as a good leader in your family

b. God has chosen you as a mighty man of God and a brave warrior.

2) You are a warrior

a. You have the weapons of warfare
"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 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" (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)

b. You are equipped with the whold armor of God
"Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having grided your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:10-18)

3) Use the whole armor of God:
a. Helmet of Salvation: guard in our mind, Isaiah 59:17
b. Breastplate of Righteousness: guard in our heart (faith, love), 1 Thessalonians 5:8, righteous acts, Revelation 19:8
c. Belt of Truth: Isaiah 11:5
d. Gospel shoes or gospel of peace: spread the good news, Romans 1:16-17
e. Sword of the Spirit: Word of God, Hebrews 4:12, Jeremiah 1:5-10
f. Shield of Faith: the power of God, the presence of God, the fire of God, Deuteronomy 33:29, Hebrews 1:7

4) Use the authority that Jesus Christ has given you, Luke 10:17-20
"Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name." And He said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

Conclusion:

You are victorious chosen people of God
2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

Kidnap

I am planning to kidnap Margaret Seaweed! =p

Just kidding. But I am really in awe of her. It is really rare that someone can take a Bible and expound on it to that extent, and make it alive and powerful, with personal experience and applications. Daniel does this well, but she did it even better (sorry Daniel =p). She has such confidence in what she is saying from the twofold source of experience and careful study of the Word. By the way, if anyone has any quarrel with KJV, these 2 days (and probably tomorrow) had cured me of it. She was expounding from the KJV, and most of the class was using NIV and other newer versions, but none of us contradicted her in her explanation. Truth transcends through different wordings.

Amazing. ZM is officially a fan of Margaret Seaweed =p

Teachers

Such is the power of a testimony. How can anyone deny that you yourself had gone through such and such an event? It is also our own testimony that gives us confidence. Yet too often, these things are forgotten as the days go by. We see and marvel at God's work in our lives and other people's lives - and then we forget about it. Even my memory is not exempt from this.

Truly, the shortest pencil is better than the longest memory.

Songs

Sing with depth and power and meaning!

Now, where to find and learn hymns?

Of this and that

Just a few comments on some contentious issues I heard today... Seems like today is quite contentious?

1) "If you have Faith you can do anything (good)"

Probably quite a familiar idea to us. The implications being that if the thing you are praying about (eg: Healing of the sick) does not happen, that is because we do not have enough / perfect / right faith. Sounds better than the idea that God might not want to heal the person.

But we are told explicitly that there were those who died in their faith and did not receive what they set out to get (like Abraham?).

There is a third alternative to this riddle. Perhaps its not faith that is not sufficient, perhaps its not God who does not do what is the best for us - perhaps its our perception of Good and not Good that is faulty. For through the eyes of faith, you also see that in ALL things, God works for the good of those who love Him - even in things that seem not good.

2) Once saved always saved

Key among verses to do with this is Christ saying that the Father is greater than all and no one will be snatched from His hands.

Some try to go around this question by denying that those who turn around were ever actually saved even if they seem saved.

I have no easy answer - who can know for sure? How would anyone know? Yet, both positions will result in the same actions. None will deny the need to follow after Christ closely. With one, the implications is losing your salvation, with the other, the implications is never having salvation in the first place.

3) Mega churches and controversial healing evangelists

Do some names come to mind? Cough *CHC* cough.  Controversial within and without Christian circles. Especially when dealing with money issues.

Actually, after seeing some of the arguments against them (and some defending them), I find them to be a little out of point, and sometimes, even not true. They put comparisons, but the comparisons are not opposites of each other. (For instance, though this is not one of the arguments, the tension between Faith and Reason, or Faith and Works. These are false opposites; both can and do accomodate each other)

But more importantly... Some people preach the gospel for Christ, some for their own benefit, but whatever it is, people are coming to Christ, and for that I give thanks. And ask myself why more people are not coming to Christ through myself.


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Nope, these are not arguments, these are comments and light thoughts =p

But really seems like quite a lot of controversies today =p

PS: Actually, in the Megachurch controversy, good did come out of it. People who had backslided or sideslided felt passionate enough to take part in the discussion and quite a few Christians (even from opposing sides) gently asked questions, gave some advice and things like that, even while stating forth arguments against other people. Perhaps its for their sake that this controversy was made alive =p