Dualism
This is a view that all of life can be splitted in 2 ways eg Secular and sacred split.
This is promoted by Plato which taught about the body (can be seen) vs soul (cannot be seen). Of course, the further addition was that what could be seen is evil and what could not be seen is good. This kind of worldview crept right into the church father as well. St Augustine classified things as eternal vs temporal. ANd given his past, he condemned sex as always an act of lust; he could be see sex as from God ie a Fall-Redemption mindset. Aquinas added to St Augustine with Nature vs Grace. When this thinking flowed into the Institutional Church, grace was exalted above all of life. Nature was reduced and removed from the church agenda. As a result the church lost touch with the rest of the world and became inward looking.
Rise of Secularism
Interest in Nature (actually a God-given interest) was widespread and soon secularism became more exciting for people. And the institutional church was left into the private domain of one's life. In fact, it was viewed that only the weak need to have faith. But our gospel is a gospel of All things; we should never have left secularism to rob the nature out of the domain of our faith.
Schaeffer – “Nature began to eat out grace”.
Rise of Science
Science came into the forthfront since it was able to explain and empower man to provide "dominance over creation again". only this time, it is done without God's intention.
This god-less movement brought forth Empiricism and Rationalism – science revolution. there is nothing wrong with Science. But when Science beame Scientism (absolute claim over nature) it became a worldviews that set us apart from true worship of God.
(Worldviews are incarnated in our lives. They are more than mere concept.)
Affirmation of Creation
Renaissance – glory of man
Reformation – glory of God
Idols of Modernism
Scientism – omniscience ; There is nothing I cannot know
Technicism – omnipotence; There is nothing I cannot do
Economism – sovereignty; There is nothing I cannot have
We are encouraged to bow down to these “idols”.
Worldview Crisis
Attack from post-modernism
Modernism reduces humanity; that man is only rational
The dream has failed. “Worldview” of despair.
It’s all about power and coercion of people.
No Worldview is true.
Opportunity for Christian
We need to leave reservation ; time to claim that there is absolute
“the world can now put up with Christian so long as we stay in reservation. The moment we step out of reservation and speak, the world benign smile to savage stare.” – RC Sproul
Pastoral reflection
I read the many nice cards given to me since the tabernacle weekend. they are very encouraging indeed. but upon further reflection, i realised that i should be very wise in handling such affirmation and praises.
why?
they can create a false sense of spiritual accomplishments. i have come to know, after 14yrs of serving, that the person who praises you today can curse you tomorrow. thus, cards and notes are good for the moment but they are not representative of effective ministry.
what then is?
The heart of obedience.
The litmus test of an effective ministry is to see if your people truly obey the teaching you gave in the Lord. some can cleverly cover their disobedience with excuses and delay. others can be swamped by personal struggles and preferences. some simply bo-chap.
Thus, as a leader, we need to exercise obedience to the Leaders over us...we must also discern the heart of obedience in the lives of our members. if we have to make verbal demand for obedience, it will only mean that we are not there yet with them relationally and spiritually....The best outcome will be they obey you when you teach/challenge/admonish/correct/inspire in the LORD.
Thus enjoy your cards when you do receive ...especial when your friends or leaders had watched "I not stupid too". But don;t let them get into the head....discern the heart > than the cards...
why?
they can create a false sense of spiritual accomplishments. i have come to know, after 14yrs of serving, that the person who praises you today can curse you tomorrow. thus, cards and notes are good for the moment but they are not representative of effective ministry.
what then is?
The heart of obedience.
The litmus test of an effective ministry is to see if your people truly obey the teaching you gave in the Lord. some can cleverly cover their disobedience with excuses and delay. others can be swamped by personal struggles and preferences. some simply bo-chap.
Thus, as a leader, we need to exercise obedience to the Leaders over us...we must also discern the heart of obedience in the lives of our members. if we have to make verbal demand for obedience, it will only mean that we are not there yet with them relationally and spiritually....The best outcome will be they obey you when you teach/challenge/admonish/correct/inspire in the LORD.
Thus enjoy your cards when you do receive ...especial when your friends or leaders had watched "I not stupid too". But don;t let them get into the head....discern the heart > than the cards...
Praise God
The Lord is my provider!
I heard about how someone decided to start giving back his tithing that he owed the Lord and how God provided twice the amount back. I was very happy for the member.
But God is a God of humor...he asked if i dare believed Him for that too. i was hesitant..yes hesitant but i trusted and gave. The Lord showed me that He is indeed my provider. within a week, someone surprised me with a gift more than 50times of what i gave. it was an answer to a prayer for family overseas trip. but what blessed me more was that the Lord prepared the person 2mths back to give! Meaning God knew there and then i would be skeptical and i would be giving still....and He would be ready to surprise me. I am very humbled and blessed to know this God...who loves me despite my human weakness and ever so ready to show me His love....do you know Him as such? Ask God for a miracle for your lives and start to give/bless Him. you will be surpised and blessed.
The righteous shall live by faith......stretch your Christian experience....move in faith.
i want to encourage all of you to stretch your faith to believe God for lives to be given to you to disciple. If you are discipling nobody yet, ask God for your 12 by Dec. If you have 2-5, ask for 12 still. But don;t evaluate your goal only at Dec 06. Set a goal by end of March....close enough for personal evaluation and mid course correction if need be.
Meanwhile, we have also establish our tribe blog at www.makeourlivesmanymiracles.blogspot.com.
Go and post your remarks or comments or photos or whatever that is edifying. my blog will be link to this as well.
SO much for now....sow in Faith....
I heard about how someone decided to start giving back his tithing that he owed the Lord and how God provided twice the amount back. I was very happy for the member.
But God is a God of humor...he asked if i dare believed Him for that too. i was hesitant..yes hesitant but i trusted and gave. The Lord showed me that He is indeed my provider. within a week, someone surprised me with a gift more than 50times of what i gave. it was an answer to a prayer for family overseas trip. but what blessed me more was that the Lord prepared the person 2mths back to give! Meaning God knew there and then i would be skeptical and i would be giving still....and He would be ready to surprise me. I am very humbled and blessed to know this God...who loves me despite my human weakness and ever so ready to show me His love....do you know Him as such? Ask God for a miracle for your lives and start to give/bless Him. you will be surpised and blessed.
The righteous shall live by faith......stretch your Christian experience....move in faith.
i want to encourage all of you to stretch your faith to believe God for lives to be given to you to disciple. If you are discipling nobody yet, ask God for your 12 by Dec. If you have 2-5, ask for 12 still. But don;t evaluate your goal only at Dec 06. Set a goal by end of March....close enough for personal evaluation and mid course correction if need be.
Meanwhile, we have also establish our tribe blog at www.makeourlivesmanymiracles.blogspot.com.
Go and post your remarks or comments or photos or whatever that is edifying. my blog will be link to this as well.
SO much for now....sow in Faith....
it is February - a time to sow
So quickly we have entered Feb 06. i was blessed to be reminded that we will have a NEW beginning last week at the service.
i was also been reminded separately that God will give us a new anointing ONLY when He is giving us a new assignment. We don’t need a new anointing for an old assignment. We may need a fresh anointing to continue an old assignment. ….. BUT the rhema word is NEW…God is giving us a NEW chapter, a NEW anointing for a NEW assignment….and a NEW YOU! I pray that God will have His ways in your life and that you will be indeed NEW (relative to now) in Christ by Dec 06.
Let's continue to sow in tears before God for both personal and corporate revival. We want to see the EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES OF GOD BY DEC 2006. BUT the process must start NOW........
So…start sowing….
“Teach me to pray with groanings so that there are earth quakes in hell.
Teach me the groaning of the Spirit until angels stand in awe.
Teach me Spirit-born intercession that changes history.
Teach me the birth pangs of the Holy Spirit until hell shaking revival is born.
Lead me into travail that will hold back divine judgment from the nations for a little season.
Let me be the living sacrifice on the altar of prayer, “bleeding to bless”, until flood tides of mercy sweep the nations.
Lord break my heart in intercession until my eyes, like those of Jeremiah, are a fountain of tears weeping for the slain of an educated, but spiritually dead, people.”
- Leonard Ravenhill”
The biblical principle is that when we sow in tears we will reap with joy. We cannot expect to reap in joy without any sowing; there is no reaping if there is no sowing.
Start S.......O........W.........I.........N..........G! We want to see our tribe reach 2000 Lord!
(picture is from GCYC. a picture to remind us about the nations...about expansion for His kingdom!)
a pastoral concerns - The Da Vinci Code
I did a simple teaching about what was wrong about this book sometime last year. i was surprised by so much interest among our students at LOS. we literally packed the room. Since then, we knew about the production of the movie, more illustrated books, etc to promote this distorted fiction book to the readers.
Do we just sit and let Dan Brown has his "distorted" say about our faith?
Certainly NOT!
I am glad that Campus Crusade for Christ and Covenant Evangelical Free Church have come together with several other concerned agencies to launch the DVC project. We were invited to participate so that the Body of Christ can turn the movie into a time for TRUTH to prevail.
As a stater, i will encourage all of you who are reading this blog to go to www.davincicode.org.sg
to read more for your personal information. We in Youthnet will work out something for all of you soon. Have a Blessed Chinese New Year.
Do we just sit and let Dan Brown has his "distorted" say about our faith?
Certainly NOT!
I am glad that Campus Crusade for Christ and Covenant Evangelical Free Church have come together with several other concerned agencies to launch the DVC project. We were invited to participate so that the Body of Christ can turn the movie into a time for TRUTH to prevail.
As a stater, i will encourage all of you who are reading this blog to go to www.davincicode.org.sg
to read more for your personal information. We in Youthnet will work out something for all of you soon. Have a Blessed Chinese New Year.
Pastors' Summit 06
Dear family,
You would have heard pieces of news here and there…I thought I will write some for your prayer direction.
Indeed this is a summit of difference….not so much solid teaching but solid call for us back to prayer.
We are reminded to return back to prayer habit of our past ie prayer walking, warfare prayer, personal prayer.
But personally, I was encouraged that the word I released about multiplication and focusing on leadership development for our 12/144 was reaffirmed many times in the summit.
Yes, we need to talk more….essentially, we need to believe that God wants us to be fruitful and that includes bearing fruits through birthing and building of our 12/144. what it means for all of you is that we need to believe God that you can be a leader of 12/144. don’t give discount and make excuses…but ask God for wisdom and His ways to see this Extraordinary Possibilities for everyone of us in SJ tribe.
Go for God’s Glory.
You would have heard pieces of news here and there…I thought I will write some for your prayer direction.
Indeed this is a summit of difference….not so much solid teaching but solid call for us back to prayer.
We are reminded to return back to prayer habit of our past ie prayer walking, warfare prayer, personal prayer.
But personally, I was encouraged that the word I released about multiplication and focusing on leadership development for our 12/144 was reaffirmed many times in the summit.
Yes, we need to talk more….essentially, we need to believe that God wants us to be fruitful and that includes bearing fruits through birthing and building of our 12/144. what it means for all of you is that we need to believe God that you can be a leader of 12/144. don’t give discount and make excuses…but ask God for wisdom and His ways to see this Extraordinary Possibilities for everyone of us in SJ tribe.
Go for God’s Glory.
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