A Lesson on Submission

^{1Peter 5: 5} In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
   “God opposes the proud
   but shows favor to the humble.”
 ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

^{James 4:13} Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 ¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 4

 ¹ What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Blind Leaders of Blind

On one occasion, Col. Robert G Ingersoll, the agnostic lecturer of the last century, was announced to give an address on Hell. He declared he would prove conclusively that hell was a wild dream of some scheming theologians who invented it to terrify people.

As he was launching into his subject, a half-drunken man arose in the audience and exclaimed: "Make it strong, Bob. There's a lot of us poor fellows depending on you. If you are wrong, we are all lost. So be sure you prove it clear and plain."

Matt 15:14 "If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

If hell is not real, does it matter what sins i commit, for there are no consequences?
But what if hell is real? (Luke 16:19-30)


If all roads lead to heaven, does it matter what my belief is? For couldn't I just believe in my dog?
But what if there is only one road, one way, one path? (John 14:6)


If doing good can lead me to heaven, does it matter how much good I do, for it is sufficient?
But what if I am not doing enough good? Not enough to guarantee me a ticket to heaven? (Romans 3:23)


If the bible teaches of a loving God who loves me dearly, wants me to be reconciled to Him in His eternal joyous Kingdom, wants to take care of me, wants to wipe off every tear that I have ever shed, is willing to accept me into His Kingdom regardless of the evil deeds I have done, is willing to die the most tragic death ever, to save me despite my sin, why am I hardening my heart to reject Him? (Man)

Sanctus, "I am a Christian"

"I am a Christian."

The young man said nothing else as he stood before the Roman governor, his life hanging in the balance. His accusers pressed him again, hoping to trip him up or force him to recant. But once more, he answered with the same short phrase, "I am a Christian."

It was the middle of the second century, where Christianity was illegal and believers throughout the Roman empire faced the threat of imprisonment, torture or death. Sanctus, a deacon from Vienna, had been arrested and brought to trial. The young man was repeatedly told to renounce his faith. But his resolve was undeterred. "I am a Christian."

When at least it became obvious that he would say nothing else, he was condemned to severe torture and a public death in the amphitheater. On the day of his execution, he was forced to run the gauntlet, subjected to wild beasts, and fastened to a chair of burning iron. Throughout all of it, his accusers kept trying to break him, convinced that his resistance would crack under the pain of torment.

But as Eusebius recounted, "He did not utter a word except the confession he had uttered from the beginning."

His dying words tell of an undying commitment. His rallying cry remained constant throughout his entire trial. "I am a Christian."

Matt 24:13 "But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved."

The Parable of the Sower - Retold for a new generation (Matt 13)

Jesus once told his disciples a parable of the sower.

A sower who sowed the seeds of the gospel sowed it across a field.

Guarding against Procrastination (Matt 13:19)

Some of the seeds fell beside the road where birds came and ate them up. The seeds are those who hears the gospel yet do not understand it. The devil comes and snatches away what is in the their hearts.

Are you this seed? Are you still procrastinating in believing the Word of God? Without faith first, can you understand? Has the devil snatched away what's is in your heart?

Being Prepared for Persecution (Matt 13:20-21)

Some of the other seeds fell on rocky places, where the soil is thin. They immediately sprang up because of the thin soil. Yet when the scorching sun shined upon them, they withered away for they had no roots. These seeds are those who hear the gospel with joy immediately. They might make emotional yet superficial commitments to Christ but the commitments are not real. They remain interested till persecution comes and there's a price to pay.

Are you this seed? Will you forsake what you received immediately with joy when persecution, inconvenience, costs, come into the picture?

Godliness in handling Prosperity (Matt 13:22)

There were some other seeds which were sowed among thorns. The seeds grew but were choked out by the thorns. These seeds are those who hears the Word, yet the world's worry and the deceitfulness of wealth choke their understanding of the Word and they become unfruitful. The make superficial commitments without true repentance. Yet, can't break from the love of money and love of the world.

Are you this seed? Are you a friend of the world, yet enemy of God? (James 4:4) Are you the rich ruler who cannot give up his possessions to follow Christ? (Matt 19:16-27)

Wouldn't a prosperity gospel introduce more 'weeds' to choke budding seeds? Why would we introduce more weeds when there are already many as there already is?

Guarding against Barrenness (Matt 13:23)

Finally, there were seeds which fell onto good soil. They are those who hears, and understands. Such bear fruits of repentance and fruits of the Spirit. They bear fruits of thirty fold, sixty fold and a hundred fold.

Are we bearing fruits or are we barren? The good tree bear good fruits. Any other tree is thrown into the fire. As such, only the seeds that grow into fruit bearing plants enter the Kingdom of God.

Which seed are we?

Do we guard against procrastination in believing God's Word or do we thirst for it?

Are we prepared against persecution or fall away when we have to bear the cost?

Do we sow seeds of the gospel or sow weeds of wealth's deceitfulness?

Are we barren plants or good trees that bear good fruits?

For the Master,
Jason

Are you seed thrown onto rocky soil?

From John MacArthur, Matt 13.

"If your confession of Christ, however you define it, if your confession of Christ, I'm talking about you personally, does not come from a deep inner conviction of your sin, does not come from a deep sense of lostness, does not include a tremendous desire for the Lord to cleanse and purify and lead you, if your confession of Christ does not involve a great hunger for self-denial and self-sacrifice and a willingness to suffer for His sake, then you have no root and it's only a matter of time.

And something will come along and you'll burn up and die, because you're not willing, as Jesus said, to take up the cross and follow Him. And if you're not, you're not worthy to be His ... what? ... His disciple.

Only God can break up that stony heart and if you've got that kind of heart, you need to pray and ask the Lord to do for you what He promised to do for Israel in Ezekiel 36:26 when He said, "I'll take away your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh."

And so, He says there are ... there are these who hear but they never clean out the soil. The world is still there. And money is still there. And that's exactly why Jesus said - You cannot serve God and money ... you either hate the one and love the other or despise the one and cling to the other. That's why John said - If any man love the world, the love of the Father is ... what?... not in him.

You can't be that double-minded man. The soil that is going to produce the fruit must be cleansed of that stuff and that is why I'm so convinced in my heart that true salvation only occurs where there is true repentance...where there's a willingness to deal with sin in the life and that is a marvelous and gracious work of God.

Forgiveness

During the Korean war, a South Korean Christian was arrested by a young communist leader and was ordered to be shot. However, when the communist leader knew of this Christian who was in charge of an orphanage caring for small children, he decided to spare him and took the man's son instead to be executed.


So, in the presence of his father, the 19 year old son was shot.


Later, when the fortunes of war changed, the young communist leader was captured by the United Nations forces. He was tried and condemned to death.


But before the sentence could be carried out, the Christian whose boy had been killed, pleaded for the killer.


He declared that the communist leader was still young and did not know what he was doing. 


"Give him to me." Said the father. "And I will train him."


He was granted the request and the father took the murderer of his son into his home and cared for him for many years.


Today, the young communist is a Christian pastor.


Matt 5:22 "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgement... will be in danger of the fire of hell."


5:38-41 "You have heard "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."


5:43-44 "You have heard "Love your neighbour and hate your enemy. But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."


6:12 "Forgive us our sins, as we also forgive those who have sinned against us."


Luke 23:34. Jesus when nailed on the cross, during his last moments. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Charismatism - from Got Questions

Question: "What is the Charismatic movement?"

Answer: The Charismatic movement is an interdenominational Christian renewal movement and is one of the most popular and fastest-growing forces within the Christian world today. The movement traces its roots to 1906, at the Azusa Street mission in Los Angeles, California, a Methodist-sponsored revival. It was there that people claimed to have been “baptized by the Holy Spirit” in the manner recorded in Acts chapter 2 during the celebration of Pentecost. People speaking in tongues and miracles of healing roused people to a spiritual frenzy. The people who attended those meetings spread their enthusiasm throughout the United States, and the Pentecostal/Charismatic movement began.

By the early 1970s the movement had spread to Europe, and during the 1980s, the movement expanded with a number of new denominations evolving from it. As such, it is no longer unusual to see its practice in many other denominations such as Baptists, Episcopalians, and Lutherans, as well as non-denominational churches.

The movement takes its name from the Greek words charis, which is the English transliteration of the Greek word for “grace,” and mata, which is the Greek word meaning “gifts.” Charismata, then, means “grace gifts.” It emphasizes the manifestations of the gifts of the Holy Spirit as a sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are also known as the biblical “charisms” or a set of spiritual gifts which supposedly gives an individual influence or authority over large numbers of people. The prominent gifts among these “charisms” are speaking in tongues and prophesying. Charismatics hold that those manifestations of the Holy Spirit given to those in the first-century church may still be experienced and practiced today.

The Charismatic movement is most known for its acceptance of speaking in tongues (also known as glossolalia), divine healing, and prophecies as part of the grace of the power of the Holy Spirit. Most meetings are for prayer and spirited singing, dancing, shouting “in the spirit,” and raising hands and arms in prayer. Also, anointing the sick with oil is often part of the worship service. These are the primary reasons for the movement’s growth and popularity. While growth and popularity are certainly desirable, they cannot be used as a test for truth.

There is controversy over whether elements of the Charismatic movement are based on genuine expressions of worship or impassioned outbursts of emotion. Oftentimes, Charismatic preachers are labeled as charlatans or outright frauds, and worshippers displaying Charismatic expressions are dismissed as ignorant or unbalanced.

The question remains: is the Charismatic movement scriptural? We can best answer that question this way: we know that since the creation of mankind Satan’s insidious master plan has been simply to put a veil between God’s children and God’s inerrant Word. It began in the Garden of Eden when the serpent asked Eve, “Did God really say . . .?” (Genesis 3:1), thereby raising doubt as to the authority and authenticity of what God has said. Ever since that day, he continues to attack the inerrancy and sufficiency of Scripture. Without question, we know that Satan has stepped up the pace of this strategy (1 Peter 5:8).

Today, we are witnessing a growing menace of demonic activity in the realm of the miraculous. Where Satan does not succeed in taking the Bible from us, he works hard at taking us from the Bible. He does this simply by getting Christians to focus their attention on the claims of men and women to some supernatural experience. As a result, those who seek after the experiences of others have neither time nor interest in searching the Scriptures for God’s truth.

There is no denying that God performs miracles. Some of what occurs in the Charismatic movement very well may be a true work of the Holy Spirit. However, the core truth is this: the Body of Christ does not need new apostles, nor new faith-healers, nor self-styled miracle workers. What the Church needs is to return to the Word of God and proclaim the whole counsel of God in the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

Prosperity Preaching: Deceitful and Deadly by John Piper

When I read about prosperity-preaching churches, my response is: “If I were not on the inside of Christianity, I wouldn’t want in.” In other words, if this is the message of Jesus, no thank you.

Luring people to Christ to get rich is both deceitful and deadly. It’s deceitful because when Jesus himself called us, he said things like: “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). And it’s deadly because the desire to be rich plunges “people into ruin and destruction” (1 Timothy 6:9). So here is my plea to preachers of the gospel.

1. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that makes it harder for people to get into heaven.

Jesus said, “How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” His disciples were astonished, as many in the “prosperity” movement should be. So Jesus went on to raise their astonishment even higher by saying, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” They respond in disbelief: “Then who can be saved?” Jesus says, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:23-27).

My question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry focus that makes it harder for people to enter heaven?

2. Do not develop a philosophy of ministry that kindles suicidal desires in people.

Paul said, “There is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.” But then he warned against the desire to be rich. And by implication, he warned against preachers who stir up the desire to be rich instead of helping people get rid of it. He warned, “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs” (1 Timothy 6:6-10).

So my question for prosperity preachers is: Why would you want to develop a ministry that encourages people to pierce themselves with many pangs and plunge themselves into ruin and destruction?

3. Do not develop a philosophy of ministry that encourages vulnerability to moth and rust.

Jesus warns against the effort to lay up treasures on earth. That is, he tells us to be givers, not keepers. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

Yes, we all keep something. But given the built-in tendency toward greed in all of us, why would we take the focus off Jesus and turn it upside down?

4. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that makes hard work a means of amassing wealth.

Paul said we should not steal. The alternative was hard work with our own hands. But the main purpose was not merely to hoard or even to have. The purpose was “to have to give.” “Let him labor, working with his hands, that he may have to give to him who is in need” (Ephesians 4:28). This is not a justification for being rich in order to give more. It is a call to make more and keep less so you can give more. There is no reason why a person who makes $200,000 should live any differently from the way a person who makes $80,000 lives. Find a wartime lifestyle; cap your expenditures; then give the rest away.

Why would you want to encourage people to think that they should possess wealth in order to be a lavish giver? Why not encourage them to keep their lives more simple and be an even more lavish giver? Would that not add to their generosity a strong testimony that Christ, and not possessions, is their treasure?

5. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that promotes less faith in the promises of God to be for us what money can’t be.

The reason the writer to the Hebrews tells us to be content with what we have is that the opposite implies less faith in the promises of God. He says, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:5-6).

If the Bible tells us that being content with what we have honors the promise of God never to forsake us, why would we want to teach people to want to be rich?

6. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that contributes to your people being choked to death.

Jesus warns that the word of God, which is meant to give us life, can be choked off from any effectiveness by riches. He says it is like a seed that grows up among thorns that choke it to death: “They are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the . . . riches . . . of life, and their fruit does not mature” (Luke 8:14).

Why would we want to encourage people to pursue the very thing that Jesus warns will choke us to death?

7. Don’t develop a philosophy of ministry that takes the seasoning out of the salt and puts the light under a basket.

What is it about Christians that makes them the salt of the earth and the light of the world? It is not wealth. The desire for wealth and the pursuit of wealth tastes and looks just like the world. It does not offer the world anything different from what it already believes in. The great tragedy of prosperity-preaching is that a person does not have to be spiritually awakened in order to embrace it; one needs only to be greedy. Getting rich in the name of Jesus is not the salt of the earth or the light of the world. In this, the world simply sees a reflection of itself. And if it works, they will buy it.

The context of Jesus’ saying shows us what the salt and light are. They are the joyful willingness to suffering for Christ. Here is what Jesus said, “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth. . . . You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:11-14).

What will make the world taste (the salt) and see (the light) of Christ in us is not that we love wealth the same way they do. Rather, it will be the willingness and the ability of Christians to love others through suffering, all the while rejoicing because their reward is in heaven with Jesus. This is inexplicable on human terms. This is supernatural. But to attract people with promises of prosperity is simply natural. It is not the message of Jesus. It is not what he died to achieve.

Cain's Offering

³ In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD. ⁴ And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

We know the story of Cain and Abel well. How so often we identify ourselves with being Abel. That oh, we have learnt from this lesson well, and ought to offer our one tenth, attend sunday services regularly...and that will be enough! Aren't we examples of Abel? Offering offerings that God favours? We are certainly not Cain right? We can't be. We offer pleasing sacrifices to God!

But the Word of God in describes Cain in this way. "He brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord."

Cain offered to God. He offered what he worked hard for. What he labored for. In our terms, Cain would have fulfilled his one-tenth, or marked his attendance in church. But God did not favor Cain's offering.

Does God looks at our offering in a way similar to Cain's offering? Yes, we may have done the deed. But if its not the best, not the most treasured which we offer unto God, it may not be favoured by Him. For He commands us to love Him with all our hearts, all our minds, all our souls and all our strength.

May God have mercy on us often distracted, often hypocritical, often weak, often forgetful people.

A letter to my Sunday School Class of 2010 (2 Tim 3:16 - 4:8)

Dear Sunday School class,

I have enjoyed teaching you all tremendously for these past two years. Teaching you brought me great joy as i see many of you growing both steadily in stature, and more importantly, in truth. I am also thankful for my fellow teachers, bro Jimmy and Moses helping to share God's wonderful truth to you all. I am most confident that the class will reach greater spiritual heights in 2011.

I wish to just use the scripture used for sun sch sun memorization as an exhortation to us all. Its Paul's last words to his fellow worker in Christ, Timothy to whom he has treated very much like a son, and always been a mentor to him.

Being Paul's last words and knowing that he was soon to be executed for the cause of Christ, you can be sure that it will be his heartfelt words that he wants communicated to him.

Be Equipped for Good Work

16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The reason for scripture towards is to equip us to do the good work that God wants us to do. Scripture is not to be just academically understood, intellectually analyzed and left there. Its purpose is to prepare us that we are to live it out by doing good works that glorify God and edifies men.

It prepares us by teaching it to us. But we so often disobey or ignores its teaching. Hence, God through His servants rebukes and corrects us to obedience. We in humility should both accept such rebuke, and have the courage to rebuke others in wrong, that they too are trained to do righteous acts, to be equipped for the good work of God.

Be Prepared to Preach, Correct, Rebuke, Encourage that Man will come to Christ

1 ...I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Part of the good work that Paul wants us to do is to preach the word. We are to prepare ourselves to preach at anytime. Do we know how to share the simple gospel facts to a friend? Have we ever done it? Most often, we do not know and we dare not do it. Because we are not prepared. Before an exam, before an interview, we prepare ourselves well. Why not before sharing the most important truth to a friend? Be prepared, and naturally, God will lead us to be able to share powerfully and courageously to someone in need of the truth.

Being prepared enables us to preach powerfully. Preaching involves telling. However, we cannot just stop there. Reflect on our own spiritual lives. Yes, we may understand the gospel facts after being told. But many times, we have fallen and disobeyed God's teachings. That is when we may need to correct and even rebuke someone who is still struggling to acknowledge Christ as Lord. The process of preaching includes telling, correcting, rebuking.

And the last component, encouraging. We tell, we correct, we rebuke and we encourage someone to come to Christ. Continue to follow up with someone by encouraging him to pray, to read the bible, to attend worship service, to come back to biblical truth. This is the entire spectrum of preaching God's truth.

The Problem Today – God's truth compromised for itching ears

3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

We are to preach, by telling, rebuking and encouraging. This is importantly so today, where we see that indeed where many are not putting up with God's truth but instead wants to hear a message that they think its from God and yet fitting for their own lustful desires.

Today, people wish to hear messages of undeserved favour, victorious living, living our best life now. These are mainly achieved through freedom from illnesses, being asset rich and having a successful career. They twist the truth for example, saying that when Jesus was born, because gold was offered to Him, He was rich from young. They turn aside, misinterpret and deny the verses that call us to deny ourselves and be willing even to the point of dying for the sake of Christ, DAILY.
God's truth is compromised, twisted, denied into a message of worldly hope, possession and freedom for itching ears.

Our Response to the Problem Today

5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

Yes we have the problems of God’s truth being compromised today. But we are not to just sit back and despair at the situation. Paul exhorts us to respond, to endure, to discharge our duties, with an alert mind.

Regardless of what debates and defense against falsehood, we are called to have an alert mind. To keep our minds, convictions and actions rooted and steadfast in God’s Word, that we stand on an absolute standard instead of being swayed by waves of men’s words.

When we do this, there may appear hardships. We mind be rejected, criticised, ostracised by family, friends, society. But we are called to endure this. Not for a moment, a day, a week, but even till the end of our lives. And upon endurance, we are called to action. To continue to discharge our duties in the midst of falsehood and attacks.

It maybe certainly difficult to follow this. But we have an example in Paul. And Paul has an example in Christ. Paul continues to exhort us with the example of a living sacrifice.

Being Poured Out like an Offering

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul here re-iterates that we should all be offered as living sacrifices. To be poured out like offerings unto God. To the point of death. Such is the weight of these words. To render all our thoughts, will, bodies, everything we owe unto God. Paul rendered all his thoughts unto God. His will all unto God. His previous riches forsaken for the sake of Christ. His body unto God that he knew he was going to be executed soon for the sake of Christ.

And because he has done these, he can truly say that he has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. Such words should not be haphazardly used on anyone’s grave unless he has truly earned it. And more importantly, he has earned the crown of righteousness bestowed upon by God Himself.

The Reward in Store for Paul

8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

When such has lived a life like Paul, there is a reward in Heaven. The reward is a crown of righteousness, given to a good, faithful servant of God. We might give up temporal earthly rewards, but let us fix our hopes upon the ultimate reward awarded by God. This reward is not exclusive only to Paul but all who longed for God’s appearing.

Yes, by God’s grace we are freely saved. But let us not be saved like a man escaping from a house in flames. But let us be saved, with full confidence, with God’s rejoicing in us entering His kingdom, rejoicing in awarding His crown unto us. Because we have served Him well in our current lives.

May this passage of scripture stay with us, to remind us, to mould us, to rebuke us, to encourage us, for the service of God, for the reaching out to unsaved men.

Jason

Tell, Warn, Exhort, Invite

The Word of God always demands a response. Any effective teacher of it must do more than just dispense facts; he must warn, exhort, and extend an invitation. He may have impressive knowledge of the truth, but if he doesn't have a passionate concern for how people react to it, he is not a worthy representative of Jesus Christ.

Redevoting ourselves

There was a powerful and touching testimony about how a pastor's kid came to really know of the Lord.

We would normally think that a pastor's kid would be saved definitely, having heard stories of Jesus from young. However, thus testimony will change your perceptions, that everyone needs to know of how Jesus died for you on the cross, for your sins, no matter who you are. Perhaps you are already a long time christian. But have we really experienced the love of Christ of the cross for us, till we are in tears?

There was a pastor's son who had average in primary and secondary school. He was the typical pastor's kid who was obedient, not to smart, yet not to stupid, but went regularly to church, served in fellowships. 

However, when he went to college, things took a turn. In college, kids typically went to colleges outside of their own state. And that meant that the student had to stay on his own in a hostel for the first time in his life, away from his parents. 

This kid moved out and went to college for his first year. He did ok for his first semester. However, for his second semester, his grades took a severe beating. He actually failed several of his subjects. 

When visiting back home to this parents and asked about his poor grades, he avoided the question and did not answer his parents no matter how hard they tried. He just kept it a secret as to what caused his poor grades. 

Semesters passed after semesters. He still suffered from poor grades. He still kept the matter from his parents. His parents were both angry and sad. Why was he suffering from such poor grades?

He finally graduated. However, it was a border line graduation of the worst degree. He scrapped through. His parents then asked him what he wanted to do in life. He answered that he had no idea. He even answered that he was content on just being a road sweeper. This infuriated and saddened his parents even more. His pastor dad asked him, don't you know that our purpose in life is to do something for Jesus? He remained silent. He didn't know what was his purpose in life. Neither was he interested in doing something for Jesus.

Two years had passed. This kid actually got a proper job and it was evident in his life that he was a renewed person. What had happened?

One day, with teary eyes, he went back to his parents house and told them all that had happened. The reason his grades dipped in college wss because he was addicted to japanese anime, online games and online chatting.

He indulged in them non stop. Even when he was sleeping, his computer wss still on downloading games and anime. He was addicted. He could not stop. All he could think of was about the computer. He devoted no time to his studies. That resulted in his failing grades.

However, just recently, he attended a church revival meeting. In that meeting, his heart truly was opened and he understood how jesus love for him was so great to the point of dying on the cross, he wept, he wept. He prayed for repentance and a renewed belief in Jesus.

That night, he threw away all his CDs containing downloaded material and any other things that caused his distraction. HE was a renewed person in Christ. He truly understood the love of Christ, and how he was to recipocrate this love by repenting.

Are we long term Christians whom have not truly grasped the love of Christ, the suffering of Christ? Let us redevote ourselves to him this very day. Grasp hold his love for us, on the cross. The lion of Judah. The slained lamb worthy of all our praise.

The importance of knowing a book in the bible's background

As we read books of the bible, it's useful to get the background of the book when it was written. Why did the author write the book? In what circumstances was the author in when it was written?

In doing so, we really can appreciate more strongly the author's point as well as get the intended meaning correct.

For example, when we read 2 Timothy, if we know that this was Paul's last letter before he was to be martyred, that it was written when he was imprisoned in a cold roman jail with chains, we would read it in a different light.

A man in his last moments would definitely say the most important points to his most intended recipient. So you can appreciate from thus that 2 Timothy was paul's most dire words to his young co laborer in Christ.

But though Paul was in such a hopeless situation as most would see it, we see that he had actually the ultimate hope in him. That he would be with God soon and be given the crown of righteousness, for he had fought the good fight, ran the good race and kept the good faith.

If you had been to Cambodia and visited the tuol sleng prison, where thousands of people were prisoned with the end in mind being execution, and seeing their tiny and dirty cells, you can never imagine that you will still have hope if you are imprisoned there.

Yet Paul had. When people of this world thinks that he gave his life for nothing, he actually gave it for everything, that while in chains, then Word might be preached even more fervently because of his example.

So with all this background, when we read 2 Timothy now, it would be in a different light and we can almost feel it coming to life.

The word of God is not just boring texts. Get a bible handbook or study bible that introduces a book's background, and the text will come alive, that we can understand it better, proclaim it better, defend it better, obey it better.

On a Lord's day

Went church in the morning for Sunday school with wife and Caleb. Though it's a nice Sunday morning for sleeping and indeed a chore to wash up Caleb, we still have to make it for sun sch as it's the least we can do for reverence towards God.

Too many people miss church because they think it's too early, or inconvenient, or just lazy. Often we are hypocrites when we say we want to serve God with our best when we do not even take the effort to at least be punctual for church. I am not saying this to pinpoint anyone but just a reminder to myself and all. That God is not to be mocked but revered in all specific aspects.

Glad that pris and Sion could join us today. It's a joy seeing them growing in love and truth towards God. Make God be with them continuing them to grow in faith, word and deeds.

Came back home and started preparing for school the following day. Excel vba. Also continued working on some flash cards iPhone app. Indeed I have to remind and avoid copyright issues for I should not indulge in dishonest gains.

Eat with mama in the evening and watched some shows with wife, mama and Caleb running around.

May God continue to comfort mama's heart and strengthen upon her the hope that she will meet gong gong again in heaven. Worshiping our great God together for eternity.

My Beloved Gong Gong

My beloved gong gong was called home to the Lord on the 26th of sept 2010. I loved him.

I still miss him very much now as I type this entry out ten days later. There is much emotions to talk about but I will not post it here as it is reserved for my innermost heart.

Though he has left, I know he has departed to a far better place, where there is no tears, sorrow, pain any longer. One day we will meet again just as David said that he will go to his son one day.

Gong gong is in paradise, together with the Lord. Thank you Lord.

The Saddest Verse in the Bible

I think one of the saddest passages of the bible is found below.

13 But see, there is joy and revelry,
slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep,
eating of meat and drinking of wine!
"Let us eat and drink," you say,
"for tomorrow we die!"

14 The LORD Almighty has revealed this in my hearing: "Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for," says the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

The Lord was describing Jerusalem in this instance. That though they were in idolatry, sexual immorality, and paganism, they did not feel that they had offended God. They were not conscious of the presence of God and His commandments which if disobeyed, brings upon wrath.

They indulged in their sin, feasted, drank to their hearts content, committed immoral acts, just to 'enjoy life to the fullest' for tomorrow, we die. Life is short.

Sounds familiar? Isn't this what the world is doing right now? Enjoy now, for I have only one life. Isn't this what the world says?

What does the Lord say about this? He says. That till the day of your deathbed, your sins will not be cleansed. With sin, we depart into the hell, sheol, awaiting the judgement of the heat white throne, and then thrown into the eternal lake of fire.

Don't believe this article? it's not from me, it's from the Word of God, weigh your options. Continue to live in your life of sin and indulgence and risk eternal torment. Or, turn toward the savior Lord, and commit your lives to Him. Let me know if you choose to do the latter. With my fullest of energies, I will help you.

This verse doesn't have to be the saddest verse. It can be the happiest verse leading you to Christ.

God is the creator, redeemer and sanctifier.

We have been created by Him.
We want to be redeemed by Him.
But do we want to be sanctified?
Are we willing to be sanctified?

We want to spend time for ourselves.
We want to do things that our lusts wants.
We do not want to count the costs of following Christ.
We want to live in comfort more than bear His cross.
We want to walk in our wilful and sinful ways.

Are we willing to be sanctified? If we are not sanctified, we are but hypocrities, lukewarm, false prophets, being spit out from Christ into the place of brimstone and burning lake.

Let us re-examine ourselves, our faith, our lives, our minds.

True Wisdom

"This is the whole duty of man, to fear God and keep His commandments."
Ecclesiates 12

We often sought wisdom. We try to find in the world, in books, through seminars or through networking with people.

But we forget about God's revealed source of wisdom for us. More specifically, the books of proverbs and Eccelesiates.

Read it. There can be no greater gain of wisdom through these. And know that, wisdom, comes from God, is for us to fear God, is for us to love God, is for us to obey God.

Zeal

Romans 9:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but serve God zealously.

Never be too piled up in excelling in academics that you lack zeal to serve.

Never be too tempted and chasing after profits, that you lose the true blessings of God.

Never be too envying of people, that you forget the graces of God on you.

Never let anything, diminish your zeal for God.

Overcoming evil with good

Romans 12:9-21
Repay evil with good.

Love those who shame you.
Love those who suspect you.
Love those who criticize you.
Love those who gossip about you.
Love those who who shame you.
Love those who hurt you.
Love those who take advantage of you.
Love those who kill you.

Paul did this. Stephen did this. Jesus did this. God commanded this.

Blessed is he who hears, and DOES the Word of God.

Turning away from a life of sin

Living as Children of Light

Sermon preached on 15 aug by rev Teo kiak hock. My sermon notes.

There was a recent news article on husband and wives. Wives attempted to wake their sleeping husbands up but on several attempts, the husbands continue to sleep. However, when the wives mentioned that they are checking their husbands SMS, immediately, they woke up with some even responding if they had seen the photos.

Some of the husbands were Christians. Now how can this be? Why is it that professing Christians can still be leading a life of such sin? Using paul's terms, we have not put off our old self and put on the new self. We keep going back to our old sinful ways. That is why Paul said in Ephesians 4:17-19

17So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

Paul is giving us a warning here. A warning not to go back to our old ways of sin. For the consequences of that is separation from God. And with separation, our sinful selves will harden itself and we will continue to lust for more and more sins.

The downfall of a Christian is not sudden but slowly, progressively degrading. You start initially to console yourselves that skipping a service is ok, then skipping two, then more, and finally, the only service you go to is the funeral service. Sin slowly creeps in unnoticeably. Be warned against this great danger.

Paul proceeds to tell us practical examples on how we can avoid turning back to a life of sin.
First:

25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.

We should not tell lies. We lie for two reasons. First, we lie because we are afraid. Second, we lie because we are greedy. Ananias and sapphire lied for greed of money and face. They envied barnabas who offered everything he had and sought to earn the same respect. We should not lie because God is truth and we should live in truth which includes telling the truth.

The other practical lesson Paul teaches is about anger.

26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold.

It is not wrong to get angry. What is wrong is to sin in your anger. Many great man in the bible got angry. Moses got angry when he saw the Israelites worshipping the golden calf. Jesus got angry when he saw his temple being exploited as a market place for people to make profits.

Also, we should rage for a prolonged period as it gives rise to rage and bitterness.

Hence, how do we turn away from a life of sin?

21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Be taught the truth. Know the truth. Meditate on it, flush it constantly into our minds. Like how flushing clean water into any polluted source clears it.

Also, be made new in our attitudes. In our emotion. To thirst, to love, our God. Understand how much he loves us. Finally, renew our will to serve Him.

1 John 1

True joy. Complete joy.

1 John 1
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4We write this to make our joy complete.

True joy. Not money, promotion, human relations. But knowledge and fellowship with God. To do His will. To share with others His grace. To put things of eternity before earthly.

All things work for the good of those who love Him.

I was fetching a preacher back home yesterday. He recently had an accident where a bus ran over his feet. His was utterly crushed and all the muscles and nerves were crushed to death. Till today, about two months after the accident, the dead skin and flesh has to be scrapped out from his feet. His mobility is of course affected and needs to take the cab more often.

In spite of all these, he shared with me that if he was not a Christian, he would be filled anger and impatience. Why did this happen to him?

But he carries on saying that because he is a Christian, he is instead filled with peace and joy. I immediately wondered if I would feel the same thing if it happened to me as well. I have read many times o experience joy and peace from God. But how exactly can I do that when it's a time of trial like what happened to the preacher?

I asked him. He answered. All things work for the good of those who love him. All things. Yes, even bad things. In each bad thing, there is God's wonderful will for us. That it would be good for us. Once you know this, you are at peace cause you know that God has in store goodness for you through the trouble and also joy because it's the best way for you given that it's God's way.

And it's that simple. Trouble, trials, tests? All work for the good of us.

Lessons from Jonah Chapter 1

Lessons from Jonah Chapter 1

Ever heard of the story of Jonah? Its the story where a great big fish swallowed a man and kept him in its stomach for three days and three nights for he had disobeyed God's command.

Perhaps you might have heard of the story before, in children sunday school, in stories, television programs, but let us take a closer look at the story of Jonah, as recorded in Jonah chapter 1, and learn valuable lessons.

Jonah 1 

1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 2 "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

 3 But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

 4 Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. 5 All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.
      But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. 6 The captain went to him and said, "How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us, and we will not perish."

 7 Then the sailors said to each other, "Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity." They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah.

 8 So they asked him, "Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?"

 9 He answered, "I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land."

 10 This terrified them and they asked, "What have you done?" (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so.)

 11 The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

 12 "Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

 13 Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. 14 Then they cried to the LORD, "O LORD, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O LORD, have done as you pleased." 15 Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. 16 At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

 17 But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

We see that God commanded Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh to repent before God punishes them, for Nineveh was a city that committed great sins detestable to God. However, Jonah disobeyed God's command. This was because he was a Jew, and the Jews were sworn enemies with the people of Nineveh. Jonah was not happy that God wanted to spare Nineveh. He wanted God to inflict punishment on them.

However, God is a loving and merciful God, not willing that anyone should perish. He does not want sinners to perish, does not want evil do-ers to perish and will give ample chances for them to repent, and have faith in Him. However, when sinners choose to go their way to such an extend that God can no longer extend His merciful hand, God has to give them over to their sin. In this case, God still is merciful over Nineveh. It is however Jonah that does not sympathize with the people of Nineveh.

We see that due to one man's in-submission to God, an entire city can fall into God's wrath. (Of course God can choose to use other servants for His purpose.) Remember that there are several tens of thousands in Nineveh, including innocent young children. Yet Jonah was unwilling to preach the message of repentance to Nineveh.

Jonah fled away from God. Went to Joppa, bought a ticket to board a ship heading towards Tarshish. Tarshish was in the West, just in the opposite direction towards Nineveh which was in the East. The ship had to sail across the Mediterranean Sea.

While across the sea, God sent a huge storm, so huge to the extend that it threatened to tear up the ship in two. Even the sailors who were experienced in sailing were afraid. It was the most fearful storm they had even seen. So fearful till the extend that they cried to their own god. They also threw their cargo overboard in a bid to lighten the ship's load that it would not sink.

In the midst of the storm, everyone on board the ship would be busy doing all they could for each of them would drown to death if the ship were to sink. However, Jonah was sleeping soundly below deck! It is incredible that we see the ignorance of Jonah to such an extend, that admist all the chaos, he still could sleep.

It took a pagan, a non-believer, the ship's captain, to wake him up. Furthermore, the pagan had to remind Jonah, a prophet of God, to call upon his true God, that they might not perish. How ironic that the pagan captain will use all his means to pray upon false gods, yet the prophet of God will not even call upon the true God.

It took casting of lots, to find out that Jonah was the cause of the storm. This does not mean that we should cast lots in superstition to find out God's will for He has clearly commanded us not to indulge ourselves in black arts and magic. But God used this means this time to clearly depict that Jonah was the cause of the storm, and He wanted to give Jonah the opportunity to repent and revive his commission to preach to the people of Nineveh.

Jonah, the believer in the true God, the God of heaven who created the sea and the land didn't call upon Him. But instead had to rely on the reminding of pagans who worshipped false gods to call upon the true God. It is indeed humiliating. At this point in time, he volunteered to be thrown into the sea, for he knew that he was the cause of it all. Yet, we instead see the love from the pagans who did not want to throw Jonah till they had tried their best to overcome the situation. They tried their best till they could try no more and prayed to the true God for forgiveness that they not he held accountable for Jonah's life for it is God who caused the storm due to Jonah's rebellion.

The pagans then threw Jonah overboard and a big fish swallowed him and kept him in its stomach for three nights and days. It would be dark, lonely and with great filth in the fish's stomach. It will resemble hell. Perhaps this provided the opportunity for Jonah to understand the consequences of the people of Nineveh if he does not abide by God's command to preach to them. And because of this, in chapter two, it records then Jonah said a prayer of repentance. To ask for God's forgiveness, and re-committed himself to God's commission to preach to Nineveh.

What homework can take away from chapter one of Jonah? First, to know that by one's in-submission, you can actually bring great harm to others. If Jonah did not preach the message of repentance to Nineveh, they stand the possibility of being in God's wrath. This reminds that if we refuse to preach the gospel, the salvation from Jesus, we bring harm to others. We are in God's grace, yet we refuse to extend this grace to others. A true friend will bring his friend, to Christ. The greatest good, if we do not introduce it to our friends, how can we call ourselves a true friend?

Second, know that if we are not right with God, we are heading downhill. We need a right relationship with God. Jonah's relationship kept going downhill form the point when he rebelled against God. From disobeying to go to Nineveh, to heading for Tarshish in the ship, to going under the deck, to being thrown into the sea, to being swallowed into the big fish, we see that if we disobey God's will for us, we will be heading downwards.

Thirdly, that God will discipline us if we continually go against Him. Jonah was disciplined by God, through the storm, through the reprimanding of pagans, through the throwing over into the sea, through spending the time in the fish's stomach.

May we bring the good news of salvation to people, have a right relationship with God, and be sensitive to His disciplining in the areas of life where we go against Him. For God disciplines those whom He loves.

Notes for 11th July 2010 sermon

The church is not a building. It's the community of christians. On Sunday, we congregate in a building to worship God. On Sunday, we gather in a church and we worship as a church.

However, come Monday to Saturday, each of us is a church. We are a church to the people we associate with. Whether you are a student, businessman, teacher, housewife, doctor or engineer.

We are told to manifest Christ who lives in us. To live out the imitation of Christ to those around us. To love, to care, to give, to rebuke, to feed. All this, that every good work be a revelation God's love to them. That the gospel be lived out for them to see, that when the opportunity comes, we may witness Christ to them.

Faith. Love. Obey. Preach. Love. Save.

Live - ers of the Word

No one really wants to hear what we have to say about the love of Jesus until they’ve seen it in our lives (Matt. 5:16).

Pastor visited grand dad on Wednesday. He also bought with him some gifts. The baptism certificate and also a large poster of the Lord's prayer.

It so occured to me that it really is the most perfect gift my grand dad cld have. The lord Jesus teaching him how to pray.
That God be glorified, that he be delivered from evil and temptation, that he will have God's daily bread with him. That he will have a part of God's kingdom.

Thank God for such messengers.
Thank you.

Interested in iPhone Development?

Will being writing a series of tutorials for iPhone programming. Visit the site below.

http://easyiphonedevelopment.blogspot.com/

Don't lose it

Blog blog blog... Think most people nowadays are content with reading and writing on facebook. Short quotes, lesser content. No more long blog posts.

Make sure that you don't lose the skill of reading, and writing！

Sexual Immorality, Homosexuality – We are in it TOGETHER

Dear friends,

We sinners are in NO POSITION to condemn the homosexuals of their sin for we ourselves, are sinners, committing acts that greatly angers God. We are wicked to the core, desperately wicked, no one can fathom what evil we can do. When the adulterous woman was brought before Jesus and the crowd, he only said one sentence. That whoever has not sinned can take the first stone to kill her. One by one the crowd left till there was no one left. Only Jesus was left, to which he said, “neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your lift of sin.” (John 8)

Yet, with a sad heart, I plead with anyone who is contemplating that homosexuality is not a sin to re-evaluate it in accordance to the Word of God. I plead with you, to just consider what a sinner, has to say. For I am no better than the worst of sinners, yet by the grace of God, I am saved and this is my hope for you as well, to have God’s grace and not His wrath, upon you. For it is only responsible that I should warn of the consequences of sin.

There are common debates on homosexuality, that it is ok, that its genetic, inborn, a psychological illness. One side argues this. Another argues that. Whose stand are we to accept?

I plead you to understand that the discussions and debates between pro and anti homo-groups DO NOT make an absolute stand. It is but an exchange between man to man, his principles, his standards.

We can only rely upon the Word of God as the ABSOLUTE STANDARD of everything including homosexuality. Its just like groups debating that 1+1= 3 and other parties debating that 1+1=1.5. But there are mathematical TRUTHS just as there are physics truths at work in the universe. 1+1 is equal to 2. Period.

Yet, there is an even more important and greater truth that we must know and that is the TRUTH of God revealed through His Word. The ABSOLUTE TRUTH. The Word of God, the BIBLE. The bible is clear about homosexuality.

Genesis 19:24 “The Lord rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah” because of the great sin of the people of those cities. They yearned to have unnatural relations with parties of the same sex and often in orgies (19:5). A similar group of people is recorded in Judges 19:22-30 in Gibeah.

Jude 7 “Sodom and Gomorrah gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.”

Lev 18:22 “Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable”

Lev 20:13 “If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.”

Romans 1:27 “Man abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.”

One day we will stand before God in judgment, giving an account of all our beliefs and actions whether you like it or not, believe it or not. Homosexuality is detestable to God.

As mentioned, we sinners are in NO POSITION to condemn the homosexual of their sin for we ourselves, are sinners, committing acts that greatly angers God. We are wicked to the core, desperately wicked, no one can fathom what evil we can do.

The apostle Paul says,

1 Cor 6:9-10 “The wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived. Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexuals offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”

We might not be homosexuals. We do not fall into such temptations. Yet, we fall into other sexual immoralities i.e. to be explicit; pornography, or the seemingly innocent lusting after someone walking down the street. Question: If our thoughts were to be burned into a DVD, would you want to show it to anyone?

We all commit other sins as Paul mentioned, greed, theft, slandering, swindling, and many more by which you know because your conscience rebukes you. Before God, homosexual or not, we are sinners, deserving the wrath of God. We have no right to condemn the homosexual because we are but sinners ourselves.

But yet we are entrusted with the Word of God to warn others, that God’s wrath is true and will come upon those who harden their hearts and do not repent. We are made right in the blood of Christ. So can anyone, by faith in Christ, that you believe that He borne your sins unto the cross, shed His blood for you, nailed for you, died for you, and realizing His great grace, repent of your wrongs.

A homosexual, just like a sex addict or pornography addict will definitely find the clutches of sin having a strangling hold over him. It will be very difficult to break or repent from the old ways. Yes, there will be temptations dragging him back. Yet, with man, things might be impossible. But with God, all things are possible. (Matt 19:26)

And by the grace of God, once freed from the clutches of sin, he will experience indescribable joy in God. The hope, the knowledge that God’s wrath is not upon Him. The Christian’s journey is not an easy highway. It is an arduous journey with temptations pulling us back into the pits and dangers entrapping us into new ones. Yet, our God will be with us, not giving unto us any temptation too much for us to bear. And step by step, He leads us daily through prayer, through reading the Word, through serving Him and His people, through bearing salt and light for Him in the world, to finally reach the wonderful place He has prepared for us.

The Christian church EMBRACES ANY homosexual that is willing to seek God. He might not have yet known how to or convicted himself to weaning off his act. There are many Christian ministries that especially cater to such individuals, eg.

· Exodus International

· Cross Power Ministries

· International Healing Foundation

· Homosexuals Anonymous

Ultimately, the Christian should love that which God loves AND hates what He hates. God loves the homosexual. God detests the sin but loves the individual. Let us not harden our hearts towards Him, but come unto Him, experiencing His love, grace, truth, hope, peace, joy and salvation.

This is very sad

Leviticus 10:1-3

1 Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command. 2 So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

2 Samuel 6:5-7

5 David and the whole house of Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, sistrums and cymbals.

6 When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God.

John 4:23-24

23Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

1 Peter 1:16
"Be Holy for I am Holy"