Got these questions from Let Us Reason Ministries and edited them a bit.
Before joining our JOSH fellowship on Sunday, make sure that we can answer these questions correctly.
Do we tell you not to question what is being taught because the leaders are honest and want the best for you so you must trust them?
Do we tell you not to ask questions why anyone left, you’re to accept the answers the leaders give you such as: they fell into sin, they didn’t receive correction, they weren’t open or they had a bad heart and didn’t want to be disciples?
If you want to leave are you being told there is no other church that practices truth and that you will be cursed?
Do we call those who leave fall away’s and enemies, dogs returning to their own vomit, using the examples of Korah or Judas or Absalom?
Do we stop you from reading anything negative about ourselves calling it spiritual pornography or recommend you not to read it for your own spiritual protection.
Do we defend all that we do even though it can be harmful or wrong?
Are we arrogant and demand you to obey if you are considering otherwise. Or is it done subtly by manipulating you into obeying by statements such as, “real Christians obey their leaders or if you were following Jesus you would see what I’m saying is right. true disciples did not question Jesus?”
If the answer to any of these questions is YES, then do not join us because we would be leading you to the wrong path. In fact, I would encourage you to run away as fast as you can in the other direction.
Thankfully, this is what we do:
Do we tell you not to question what is being taught because the leaders are honest and want the best for you so you must trust them?
NO. We acknowledge the imperfection of our leaders and encourage healthy debate and constructive criticism like the Bereans.
Do we tell you not to ask questions why anyone left, you’re to accept the answers the leaders give you such as: they fell into sin, they didn’t receive correction, they weren’t open or they had a bad heart and didn’t want to be disciples?
NO. We recommend hearing BOTH sides.
If you want to leave are you being told there is no other church that practices truth and that you will be cursed?
NO. Absolutely not.
Do we call those who leave fall away’s and enemies, dogs returning to their own vomit, using the examples of Korah or Judas or Absalom?
NO. Absolutely not.
Do we stop you from reading anything negative about ourselves calling it spiritual pornography or recommend you not to read it for your own spiritual protection?
NO. Iron sharpens iron.
Do we defend all that we do even though it can be harmful or wrong?
NO. If something is harmful and wrong, then, it is corrected not respected.
Do we demand you to obey if you are considering otherwise. Or, is it done subtly by manipulating you into obeying by statements such as, “real Christians obey their leaders or if you were following Jesus you would see what I’m saying is right. true disciples did not question Jesus?”
Last Sunday, while the world was celebrating Mother’s Day, from whom every child is birthed into this world, we also celebrated a new dawn, a new day and a new beginning.
Who are we?
We are a fellowship of Christians who commit to glorify God and enjoy Him forever and to fulfill the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We are believers who belong to the sheepfold of the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
We have no name. We have no registration. We have no properties. But, there is one asset that we do have: we have a Shepherd, JESUS IS OUR SHEPHERD.
I want to thank everybody who attended our first fellowship gathering on May 13, 2012. This week, we will be at Polish Community Centre (4015 Fraser Street Vancouver, BC) beginning at 10 AM. Hope to see you there!
To honour God as God, we must worship Him as He and He alone decrees. ~ RC Sproul
So ends RC Sproul’s treatise on worship, “A Taste of Heaven.” Are we supposed to sing hymns, contemporary songs, or choruses? Should the church be liturgical or non-liturgical, formal or informal? Should we use drums, pianos, brass bands and other instruments or none at all?
Sproul’s basic argument is that if we are to worship God, we must worship God the way God intended for us to worship Him. That is, God has given us instructions, in the Bible, regarding the ways and means of our worship. If then we are to offer sacrifices of praise that are acceptable to God, we have to do it God’s way or risk receiving God’s displeasure.
I agree with Sproul’s basic arguments. I too believe that the average modern day Sunday service is becoming more like a show than a sacrifice. Especially in modern day evangelicalism, too many church services are looking more and more like concerts with lights and all the fixings rather than church.
According to Sproul:
” The chancel is no longer called the chancel, it’s called a stage. The pulpit is not called a pulpit, it’s called a lectern, and the congregation isn’t called a congregation, but it’s called an audience.” (Pg. 146)
I agree that sometimes churches sacrifice reverence over attendance. That is, we focus so much on making the church building look comfortable and making the church program look entertaining that we fail to give the due reverence that is reserved for God. So, people stay in the Church because their seats don’t hurt and they get a few laughs here and there. I wonder, what if we removed the comfort and the entertainment? How many would continue to attend? How many would simply stop going?
We must remember that the primary reason we have church services is so that God’s people may gather to worship God. We must examine the motives and methods to the way we do church. Everything in the Sunday service must be worshipful. From the opening prayer to the closing prayer, everything in the program must be God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, Spirit-led and Gospel-centered. Amen?
Sproul, R. C.. A taste of heaven: worship in the light of eternity. Orlando, Fla.: Reformation Trust Pub., 2006. Print.
They say there is a first time for everything. This weekend certainly was a first time for many things. I am now home from my first mission trip for JIL Vancouver Island’s first Encounter Retreat . Ptr Mary, Ptr Louie, Sis Millet, Sis Salve and I went to Nanaimo Friday afternoon. When we arrived at Horseshoe Bay to catch the ferry to Nanaimo, a rainbow right over the ferry terminal greeted us. As we saw the significant sight, we were reminded of the word “covenant.” We remembered and claimed that God was faithful to fulfill His covenants with His people. That, His promises always stand.
We were in the lane for vehicles with reservations when someone on the PA announced that the ferry will be delayed as ferry officials were trying to determine whether or not the ferry would sail at all; it was a very windy day. We knew we had to sail on that day otherwise the retreat which started on Saturday would be delayed. So, we sat in the van and waited until another PA announcement was made. We were anxious. What if we were delayed? What if there would be no more sailings for the entire day? What would happen tomorrow? With all these questions, we continued to believe that God was faithful. Thankfully, the person on the PA announced that they were now commencing boarding on the ferry. It would turn out that the ferry we rode on was one of the last to run on that day.
The sail to Nanaimo was a bumpy ride. It was the first time I’ve ever sailed with winds and waves gusting about. But, we made it to Nanaimo safe and sound. Two of our team mates, Sis Sahlee and Sis Lotus, however were unable to sail over to Nanaimo because BC Ferries had halted sailings for the day. These two members were our Keyboardist and our Worship Leader. We began to wonder what were we going to do on Saturday? Who would play? Who would lead worship? Despite a bumpy start to the weekend, we continued to believe that God was faithful. Thankfully when Saturday came, Ptr Louie was able to play the guitar and then the keyboard after the guitar strings broke. And I, I led worship during the first session until Sis Sahlee and Sis Lotus arrived.
Camp Imadene, the camp where the Encounter was held, was spectacular. A mountain provided the background for a picturesque autumn retreat. A serene lake laid beneath the mountain over which flocks of geese would fly and then have their rest. Leaves were falling like snow turning the green lawn into a blanket of gold, orange, red and brown. What a glorious sight! It was my first time at Camp Imadene and every chance I had to look out into the beauty of God’s creation I could not stop myself from recognizing God’s faithfulness which is new every morning and God’s mercies that never come to an end.
Of course, the highlight of the retreat was what God did for His people, 16 delegates from JIL Victoria and JIL Nanaimo. Souls were saved; wounds were healed; bondages were broken; and, lives were changed. There were many tears shed at the foot of the Cross of Jesus Christ as each of the delegate totally surrendered themselves to God and to His service. As each of the delegates shared their testimony, God’s unfailing love and faithfulness to His people were magnified. God was restoring families. He was healing broken hearts. He was delivering His people from the bondages of witchcraft, sexual sins, ungodly relationships and other wicked works of the devil. Truly, God was proving that we were more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord.
As we were going back to Vancouver, a few of the team went up to the Sun deck of the ferry. We saw the moon and the stars shining above the waters. We could not help but sing “How Great Thou Art” and “Great is thy Faithfulness.” Finally, one of the team members played the song “To God be the Glory (My Tribute)” to end our night. The song fitted the moment. God truly deserves all the glory for all the things He has done for us and most especially for the retreat delegates.
The rain had let up outside but the tears flowed like rivers inside. This is how I would describe what happened Friday afternoon during my friends’ wedding ceremony. You may remember my former post about attending a Caucasian wedding. Well, this time, I was back in a familiar setting: Filipino, emotional, with all the effects and then some.
Going to Swan-E-Set Resort in Pitt Meadows was a challenge. It was raining cats and dogs and it appeared as if the only thing on the road were trucks. Normally, this would not be a problem unless you’re riding in a small sport’s car and the mist from the trucks’ wheels and the splash from the puddles they go over blur your vision. It was quite intimidating. Thankfully, we arrived at the venue safe and sound.
When the ceremony drew closer, I was looking for the groom because he had seemingly disappeared. I finally found him with the best man tucked away in a corner, pale, anxious, and quite unsure of how to express how he was feeling at the time. So, the best man and I did the best we could to help him gather his nerves because the ceremony was about to begin.
The guests were seated; the march into the sanctuary commenced; I, one of the groomsmen, walked the aisle; the rest of the entourage came forward; then, the emcee started to quote from the Book of Proverbs Chapter 31.
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
The moment the groom had been waiting for had come. He was about to finally see his bride. Everyone rose to welcome her. She was beautiful, simple yet elegant, gentle yet strong. As she walked the aisle, the groom sang for her. What a glorious picture of heaven!
In heaven, the bridegroom (Christ) is waiting to receive His Bride (the Church). And, because of Christ’s fullness of joy in the glorification of God through the redemption of His Church, I believe He Himself will sing a melody for all of heaven to hear. Note what the Word of God says,
Zep 3:17 The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.
Christ will sing; Christ will rejoice; Christ will exult in the redemption of the Church, His Bride.
The ceremony continued while the bride and groom approached the altar together. As the vows were being said, the waterworks began to flow. No, not from the bride–rather, from the groom. Those tears that were shed requires the question, tears of joy or tears of sadness? A husband once cried over marriage. He said that he finally understood that marriage is not a word. Rather, it is a sentence — a life sentence. This was probably not why the groom was crying.
Now, having known both bride and groom, I understood that the tears that were shed were tears of joy. For, those tears spoke louder than their words. They were the evidence of many more tears that had already been shed. They were the symbol of the broken road that God had used to lead them into each others arms. Those tears were the testimony of God’s faithfulness to both the bride and the groom. They were tears of gratitude, of awe, of wonder, of amazement and of worship to the only God who was the source of their love for one another.
After the wedding, my prayer for the bride and groom is that they would continue to remember the tears that they shed. I pray that from the tears they sowed they would reap a harvest of joy. I pray that their new life together may be filled with the love and blessing of the Father through the Son and by the Spirit.
Congratulations my friends! You are an inspiration to us all…
We make choices every day. The very first hour of every waking day, before we even get out of the house, is already filled with hundreds of choices. Do you get out of bed or do you press the snooze button? Do you eat breakfast or shower first? Do you eat breakfast at all? Is a shower necessary for that day or can it wait? Do you drink coffee, tea, juice, milk etc? What should you eat? Do you read the news, watch it on TV or read the news online? What clothing should you wear? Which colours match with which? Denim or slacks? Vest or jacket? Cotton or wool? How should you prepare your hair? Do you even have any hair to prepare? Do you wash the dishes now or later? Have you made breakfast and lunch for the kids? What will you put in their lunchbags? Making choices becomes sometimes so automatic for us that we forget we are making a tonne of them in a given time.
CROSSROADS
On Wednesday, my friends and I went to Swan-E-Set Resort for one of my friend’s wedding rehearsal. While we were there, the sign above caught my attention. It reminded me that with every decision we make, we are choosing one path over another. In other words, people are always at crossroads in their lives. We are faced with large and small decisions every day that will have an effect to our future. On October the 21st, my friends will be facing a significant crossroad in their lives. Their paths will converge and become one as husband and wife.
Wednesday’s events reminded me of Psalms 37:23 that says, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way.” What a glorious promise! Our steps, our small and large steps in our lives are directed, ordered and determined by God. In addition, this God who is directing our steps is a good God. So, we can trust that He has worked out His justice for us in Christ, so that He can work out His goodness, grace, mercy and love in us.
Today, we are celebrating Thanksgiving as part of the Young Adults Ministry (Y-AM) of our Church. Needless to say, young adults are faced with many crossroads. We have many choices to make. Some of us are in the phase of deciding what course to take in college/university. Some of us are in the process of going through college and university. Others are already engaged as professional labourers and blue-collar workers while others are just plainly engaged (ie. In a relationship). Some of us are dreaming of that high-paying, lofty job in a high-rise in Downtown Vancouver. Others in our midst are thinking, “why did I ever enter into this profession?” or “why did I ever take this course?” And still, others are in the valley of indecision. Some of us would simply say, “I do not know what to do with my life!” Some of us are so mesmerized by the variety of choices that we can make that we do not know what to choose.
If you’ve ever read Alice in Wonderland, or at least, seen the movie with Johnny Depp, then you would be familiar with Alice’s exchange with the Cheshire cat.
” Come, it’s pleased so far,’ thought Alice, and she went on. `Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’
`That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.
`I don’t much care where–’ said Alice.
`Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,’ said the Cat.
`–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,’ Alice added as an explanation.
`Oh, you’re sure to do that,’ said the Cat, `if you only walk long enough.’”
Some of us are like Alice that when we are asked where we want to go, we say “so long as I get SOMEWHERE.” In fact, many people our age are in this situation today. Some young adults do not care where their destination is headed so long as they get somewhere. This type of person is without goals, without visions, without a grand mission in life. At the end of it all, this person will have no standard with which to examine whether or not he/she has accomplished anything in life. This kind of attitude and mentality will eventually lead to a wasted and purposeless life.
PURPOSE
So, what is the purpose of our lives? Why do we exist? What “grand mission” must ever be before us when we are faced with crossroads in our lives? The Westminster Catechism says that
“Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.”
This means that our purpose in life, the reason why we exist, our “grand mission” in life is to glorify God and to enjoy Him for ever. How do we glorify God? As a basic definition, glorifying God is making God look better. Now, this does not mean that God needs us to look better. Think about a microscope. Before the invention of this device, human beings were unable to look at the beauty of the cell and cellular organisms. However, when the microscope was invented, suddenly, we were able to peer into things we had never seen before. We were able to see the process of cell reproduction and we were able to discover a seemingly different universe within the cells of our body. Now, the beauty of the microscopic universe had existed before the microscope but it was only when the microscope was invented that we were able to see it for ourselves. Similarly, we are somewhat like microscopes for God in the sense that human beings are supposed to make God look bigger, look better, in other words, glorified or magnified. Why is that? So that we can behold His glory and enjoy His revelation of Himself to us and through us.
What does it mean to enjoy Him forever? This does not mean that He is some kind of celestial toy that we manipulate. That is not what “enjoy Him” means. To enjoy God is to find our ultimate pleasure in God and in God alone. This means that our joy, what makes us ultimately happy, is glorifying and magnifying God. In other words, unless we are glorifying God we remain unfulfilled and discontented. Unless God is being magnified in and through our lives, we remain void of true joy.
CROSSROADS WITH A PURPOSE
So then, whenever we will make a decision in our lives that will affect our future, we must always ask ourselves, is this the choice that will glorify God the most in my life? We must choose what will glorify God the most rather than what will glorify God the least. For example, every Sunday morning we are given the choice whether or not to wake up in the morning and go to Church. On the one hand, we can stay in bed, get a lot of rest and maybe even sneak in a few movies the night before. On the other hand, we can wake up early, go to Church, worship God with the brethren, feed our souls with the preaching of God’s Word and be blessed by the presence of God. If our question is what would make us feel better, the answer is simple, stay in bed. However, if our question is what would glorify God the most, the answer is also simple, go to Church.
What if we are faced with the decision over which person to court, for the men, and, for the women, who to entertain? Well, the same principle applies. Is the person a committed Christian growing in the sanctification of the Holy Spirit? Does the person possess the qualities of a good husband or a good wife? Is the person responsible and accountable? If looking for a husband, ask the question whether or not the man can lead. If looking for a wife, ask the question whether or not the woman can submit. Choose the person that will glorify God the most with you. Of course, this does not just apply to courtship but also to what kind of job we will pursue or what kind of education we will study. We must always ask ourselves when we are at these Crossroads which path will lead us to glorify God the most.
Now what about if there appears to be more than one possible choice where God will receive the most glory. This is a dilemma indeed but not that difficult to solve. If it appears that there is more than one possible choice on the table and it seems that taking any of those paths will give God maximum praise, then the solution is easy. Choose the one that you want. For example, if a person is choosing between studying nursing or education, one considers many things. The first, of course, is which of these two professions can glorify God the most; but both are honourable professions; both can be used to glorify God and magnify Him. So what would one choose? I say, choose either one so long as when we make the choice to follow one path over the other, we are deciding to glorify God the most while we are walking through the path we have chosen. Need a Bible verse?
1Co 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
His dilemma was whether or not he was going to eat or drink food that had been offered to idols. If he did not eat and drink, he would have offended the people to whom he was evangelizing. If he ate and drank the food, he would have offended those who believed that eating and drinking food offered to idols is evil. In the passage we read, Paul was basically saying that the eating, the drinking, the not eating or the not drinking is not what is the most important. The most important thing is that whatever we do, we are doing it to give God the glory. So, eat, don’t eat, drink, don’t drink; choose any of these so long as what you have decided is in line with God’s revealed will and that your motives are to glorify God. Need another verse?
Psa 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
If our hearts and lives are focused on glorifying God and enjoying Him, there is a great probability that what we want most is already in line with God’s will for us. Take note however that no one misinterprets what I am saying. I am not saying that every desire we have is necessarily God’s will. I’m not saying that just because we desire it, it becomes God’s will. What I am saying is that if we are fulfilling the purpose of our lives to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then He Himself will give us the right desires. He will shape our wants to fit His will. This means that if we are endeavouring to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, then the desires that we would have would have already been authored and implanted there by the Holy Spirit. So, if we are faced with choices where it appears that God will get glory either way and our motives and methods are in line with God’s revealed will, then we can choose that which we want the most.
The difference between an Alice in Wonderland attitude and a godly kind of attitude is a sense of direction. Not only does Alice not know where she is going but she doesn’t even know the reason why she is on the path in the first place. For us however, there are times when we do not know which path to take but we know the reason why we are on the pathway. Sometimes we are faced with great decisions in the Crossroads of our lives but at least we know that our being on the path has a purpose. We have a destination. We have a “grand mission” that we are trying to accomplish, mainly, to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
“For some of you, God objectively and personally hates you!…God doesn’t just hate what you do, He hates who you are!” ~ Mark Driscoll in his preaching, “Jesus Sweats Blood,” Oct 9, 2011. http://marshill.com/media/luke/jesus-sweats-blood
Mark Driscoll’s words somewhat disturbed me when I listened to them. It disturbed me not because of the content but because of the context. He was preaching in a Sunday service and I had never heard a Pastor/preacher explicitly tell the congregation, “God hates you!” I began to wonder whether this was a Biblical thing to do as a preacher. Can a preacher of the Word proclaim in the pulpit that God hates people? Would it not be better just to focus on the love of God?
Suppose for example that I had a 2 dollar coin in my pocket. I go to the supermarket to buy some bread and when I get to the counter I show the cashier my toonie (Cdn $ 2.00). To my surprise, the cashier gives me back the coin and says it’s a fake. “Why?” I ask her. And she tells me that the coin is fake because the other side is blank.
See, God’s love and God’s wrath are two sides of the same coin. If we worship a God who is only love, that is a false God. If we worship a God who is only wrath, that is a false God. The true and living God is the God of love, justice, wrath, mercy, holiness and these are just a few of His amazing attributes.
Does the Bible teach that God hates? Yes. What does He hate? He hates sin, that is, lawlessness or rebellion against God. Because God is holy, He hates all things that are unholy. (Psa 5:4-5, Psa 11:4-7, Psa 34:15-16; 1Pe 1:15-16)
Psa 7:11 God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day.
Psa 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.
Does God hate sinners? Yes. Not only does God hate the sins that are committed but He is also indignant towards those who commit sins.
Pro 6:16 There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him:
Pro 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pro 6:18 a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil,
Pro 6:19 a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
Notice that the verse does not just include the sins that God hates but even the sinners who participate in them. So, Marc Driscoll’s words were Biblical. God, in His holy justice and wrath is right to be angry at sin and at those who commit sin.
So if God hates sin and sinners, how can the Bible say that God loves us? God loves us in Christ.
Eph 2:1-7 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience–among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ–by grace you have been saved–and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
What were we? We were dead in the trespasses and sins, sons of disobedience, by nature children of wrath. In Christ, who do we become? We become alive together with Christ, raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places.
How should we take Marc Driscoll’s words? If we are sinners, we should take them as a warning because sinners are storing up wrath and judgment because of sin and disobedience. We should repent and put our trust in Christ alone for our salvation. If we are in Christ, we should take them as reasons to praise God because Christ took upon Himself the wrath and judgment of God that we might receive the mercy and love of God. These words should also spur us to evangelism because we have known the provisions that have been given in order for sinners to be saved.
Personally, I probably would not use the words that Driscoll used. I have not yet used the words “God hates you” in the pulpit. However, I will continue to proclaim the full revelation of God. That, God hates sin. God hates sinners. But God has made a way for sinners to experience the love of God. And that only through repentance of sin and faith in Christ is the love of God made available for us.
Joh 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
2Co 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1Jn 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
