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Showing posts from June, 2013

Corinth - the worst city?

It is worth remembering that it is right in this city that God said to Paul: And the Lord said to Paul one night in a vision, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent, for I am with you, and no one will attack you to harm you, for I have many in this city who are my people. ” (Acts 18:9-10) May we never forget who the gospel is for. May we never forget from where did we come from.

Paul and the Epicurean and Stoic Philosophers in Acts 17

Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new. (Acts 17:16-21) (1) Christianity is meaningless to a person if it is classified as simply another school of thought, like the Epicureans or...

The Church's One Foundation

The Church's one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord; She is His new creation By water and the Word: From heav'n He came and sought her To be His holy Bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died. Elect from every nation, yet one o'er all the earth; her charter of salvation, one Lord, one faith, one birth; one holy name she blesses, partakes one holy food, and to one hope she presses, with every grace endued. Mid toil and tribulation, and tumult of her war, she waits the consummation of peace forevermore; till, with the vision glorious, her longing eyes are blest, and the great church victorious shall be the church at rest. Yet she on earth hath union with God the Three in One, and mystic sweet communion with those whose rest is won. O happy ones and holy! Lord, give us grace that we like them, the meek and lowly, on high may dwell with thee. See also: An Exposition of Genesis 2:24

Syncretism in 2 Kings 17

"So these nations feared the Lord and also served their carved images. Their children did likewise, and their children's children—as their fathers did, so they do to this day." (2 Kings 17:41) Full context ( Click here ) Lord, please purge us off our syncretistic worship towards you. Cleanse and purify us and have mercy on us.  May we serve you and you alone.

若是有你佇我的生命中

若是有你佇我的生命,我就永遠不驚惶 風雨那呢大 曠野這呢闊 有你同在無搖泏 若是有你佇我的生命 我就永遠不孤單 有你相作伴 與你逗陣行 充滿溫暖不畏寒 海水會乾石頭會爛 你的愛疼無變換 甘願為我受盡拖磨 將我當作你心肝 海水會乾石頭會爛 你的愛疼無變換 恩情這大怎樣感謝 一生與主連相倚

Recommended Reading - After Paul left Corinth by Bruce Winter

Got to know of this book thanks to a course at BGST. An amazing use of history and archaeology to illumine the text.

G.K. Chesterton on the Christian life

Using the backdrop of a Dane King, Alfred, inquiring from Mary on whether he will the win the war, G.K.Chesterton describes the Christian life, and rebuts against the astrology of the pagans. The gates of heaven are lightly locked, We do not guard our gold, Men may uproot where worlds begin, Or read the name of the nameless sin; But if he fail or if he win To no good man is told. The men of the East may spell the stars, And times and triumphs mark, But the men signed of the cross of Christ Go gaily in the dark. . . The wise men know what wicked things Are written on the sky, They trim sad lamps, they touch sad strings, Hearing the heavy purple wings, Where the forgotten seraph kings Still plot how God shall die. . . But you and all the kind of Christ Are ignorant and brave, And you have wars you hardly win And souls you hardly save. I tell you naught for your comfort, Yea, naught for your desire, Save that the sky grows darker yet And the sea rise...

G.K. Chesterton's beautiful tribute to his wife for introducing him to Christianity

"Lady, by one light only We look from Alfred's eyes, We know he saw athwart the wreck The sign that hangs about your neck Where One more than Melchizedek Is dead and never dies. Therefore I bring these rhymes to you, Who brought the cross to me, Since on you flaming without flaw I saw the sign that Guthrum saw When he let break his ships of awe, And laid peace upon the sea."

An Exposition of Genesis 2:24

An Exposition of Genesis 2:24 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.” Lots can be said about this wonderful verse. In it, we see the actions of God who created the wonderful gift of marriage. Thanks to God, we humans are capable of creating many things but to conceive of something as powerful as marriage is probably beyond us. Through His creative works, God has demonstrated his goodness and awesomeness. But if we stop there then we will never perceive God’s full goodness and awesomeness.  God’s goodness and awesomeness is not restricted only to His creative works. This verse is ultimately a command, and like all commands we find in the Bible, the one who never fails at obeying them is Christ alone. In the first part of this verse we see that it is decreed that a man shall leave his father and mother . Of this Christ Jesus did perfectly and in doing so, he demonstrated his condescension to us thoug...

Jesus Christ, the true and greater Samson

Thus Samson's riddle is most eminently fulfilled, Judges 14:14. "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." And thus the true Samson does more towards the destruction of his enemies at his death than in his life, in yielding up himself to death, he pulls down the temple of Dagon, and destroys many thousands of his enemies, even while they are making themselves sport in his sufferings--and so he whose type was the ark, pulls down Dagon, and breaks off his head and hands in his own temple, even while he is brought in there as Dagon's captive. - Jonathan Edwards, The Excellencies of Christ

All ministry in the end boils down to this

All forms of ministry in the end boils down to these four things: (1) To show the sinner that they are far more sinful than they currently think they are (2) To show that God is far more amazing than they currently think He is  (3)  By virtue of (1) and (2) being true, it holds that Christ’s love and sacrifice is far greater than they can currently conceive (4)  The result of (1), (2), and (3) is a state of humbleness, gratitude, repentance and dependence. A state in which God will once again be glorified. And rightly so.