Worship - Favorites For Nov 08
Here are some of my favorite Christian songs for Nov 08.
Check them out at the You Tube sites.
Brandon Heath - Give Me Your Eyes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTsYAZvHsEQ
Toby Mac - In The Light
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_MpGRQRrP0
Hillsongs - This Is Our God - their latest album.
I must say this is their best album and all songs are great.
And especially these songs - Check these out.
This Is Our God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbrL64Ujb1c&feature=related
Desert Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgpQiL7YQk
And watch out for Casting Crowns who are coming to perform in NZ at the Parachute Music Festival 2009 - 23-26 January 09. I've got my tickets via courier already.
I like their "Praise You In The Storm" released earlier.
But the song below is a great reminder for men from their latest album "The Altar and The Door".
Casting Crowns - Slow Fade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7jT34j0R7Q
Happy Worshipping :D
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
How Do We Know There Is A Trinity?
The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible.
But that doesn't mean that the concept of the Trinity is not biblical.
A. TWO KINDS OF TRUTHS
There are two ways of arriving at our doctrines or teachings about God.
1. EXPLICIT TRUTHS / INSTRUCTIONS
These truths are explicitly or expressly and clearly stated in the Bible.
Examples:
a. We are to love our neighbours as ourselves - is an explicit truth and command found in Matt 22:39 as Jesus affirmed the Old Testament command found also in Lev 19:18.
b. We are to make disciples (Mt 28:19-20)
c. Our God is one God (Deut 6:4)
2. IMPLIED TRUTHS
These truths, although not explicitly stated, are implied in the Bible.
We draw conclusions from the Bible sometimes from implications and deductions.
Examples
a. God is one and yet there are three persons in one God. Therefore the Trinity.
b. We are to be immersed in baptism.
This is implied from tradition of those times and the meaning of the word.
c. Spiritual Gifts have ceased.
Implied from some passages.
As we can see, some implied truths derived by men's reasoning need to be held lightly (we don't defend it with our lives so to speak).
Explicit truths therefore have greater authority.
Implied “truths” - teachings derived from gathering and weighing the data available from the Bible - do not carry as much authority as explicit truths.
This clearly has to be the case for instance some denominations come to the implied truth that gifts have ceased. But more and more are now coming to the view that gifts are given for us to minister and reach out to people.
So for some implied “truths,” we hold it lightly.
But for the concept of the Trinity, because of the wide agreement to this understanding, Christians accept it almost like an explicit truth.
B. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT GOD IS ONE AND YET THERE ARE THREE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD?
The Bible is quite explicit about these “facts.”
1. GOD IS ONE
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
2. THREE PERSONS IN GODHEAD
The Bible mentions the Father as God, Jesus as God and the Holy Spirit as God.
a. HEAVENLY FATHER IS GOD
1 Cor 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
b. JESUS IS GOD
John 10:30 I and the Father are one."
John 20:28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
c. HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
1Co 2:10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
In Acts 5, Ananias lying to the Holy Spirit us tantamount to lying to God (Acts 5:4)
C. HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY
The Trinity, I believe, is outside the understanding of human mind.
How can there be three persons in one God?
But if there is biblical evidence to support the Trinity, then we accept it - even when we don't understand it.
Can a worm for instance understand man?
So for some concepts, we can't understand it as yet until God reveals to us.
The word “Trinity” is not found in the Bible.
But that doesn't mean that the concept of the Trinity is not biblical.
A. TWO KINDS OF TRUTHS
There are two ways of arriving at our doctrines or teachings about God.
1. EXPLICIT TRUTHS / INSTRUCTIONS
These truths are explicitly or expressly and clearly stated in the Bible.
Examples:
a. We are to love our neighbours as ourselves - is an explicit truth and command found in Matt 22:39 as Jesus affirmed the Old Testament command found also in Lev 19:18.
b. We are to make disciples (Mt 28:19-20)
c. Our God is one God (Deut 6:4)
2. IMPLIED TRUTHS
These truths, although not explicitly stated, are implied in the Bible.
We draw conclusions from the Bible sometimes from implications and deductions.
Examples
a. God is one and yet there are three persons in one God. Therefore the Trinity.
b. We are to be immersed in baptism.
This is implied from tradition of those times and the meaning of the word.
c. Spiritual Gifts have ceased.
Implied from some passages.
As we can see, some implied truths derived by men's reasoning need to be held lightly (we don't defend it with our lives so to speak).
Explicit truths therefore have greater authority.
Implied “truths” - teachings derived from gathering and weighing the data available from the Bible - do not carry as much authority as explicit truths.
This clearly has to be the case for instance some denominations come to the implied truth that gifts have ceased. But more and more are now coming to the view that gifts are given for us to minister and reach out to people.
So for some implied “truths,” we hold it lightly.
But for the concept of the Trinity, because of the wide agreement to this understanding, Christians accept it almost like an explicit truth.
B. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT GOD IS ONE AND YET THERE ARE THREE PERSONS IN THE GODHEAD?
The Bible is quite explicit about these “facts.”
1. GOD IS ONE
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
2. THREE PERSONS IN GODHEAD
The Bible mentions the Father as God, Jesus as God and the Holy Spirit as God.
a. HEAVENLY FATHER IS GOD
1 Cor 8:6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
Ephesians 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”
b. JESUS IS GOD
John 10:30 I and the Father are one."
John 20:28 Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"
c. HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD
1Co 2:10 but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
In Acts 5, Ananias lying to the Holy Spirit us tantamount to lying to God (Acts 5:4)
C. HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND THE TRINITY
The Trinity, I believe, is outside the understanding of human mind.
How can there be three persons in one God?
But if there is biblical evidence to support the Trinity, then we accept it - even when we don't understand it.
Can a worm for instance understand man?
So for some concepts, we can't understand it as yet until God reveals to us.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Lessons For NZ Christians from Kenyan Christians In Their Elections
Christians in Kenya form the majority - accounting for 56% of the 32 million people there.
No where is the fire of the Holy Spirit burning more passionately in Africa than in Kenya.
They have the largest percentage of evangelicals in Africa - compared to say 34% Christians in South Africa and 26% in Nigeria.
But in Kenya's elections of Dec 2007, the Christian voice was not heard at all.
There was violence after that election when the opposition party claimed that they should have won but did not win. The NY Times (2 Jan 2008) reported that a mob burned to death dozens of people seeking refuge in a church.
See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/world/africa/02kenya.html
To stave further violence, there was a power-sharing agreement naming the opposition leader, Odinga, as the Prime Minister.
However, reports surfaced last year that Odinga had promised to implement the Islamic Syariah law and incorporate it as part of the Constitution if he receives the Muslim vote in the country if he was elected President.
Muslims account for 6% of the population.
The question then is - Where is the Christian voice with 56% vs the 6%?
What relevance has it got to do with the elections in NZ?
Do you know how many Christians are there in NZ?
There are just over 2 million Christians in NZ accounting for 51% of the population.
Isn't this statistic similar to Kenya?
Christians are a majority (51%) just like the Kenyan situation with 56%.
Is the Christian voice heard at all in NZ? Is it like Kenya?
Will it degenerate to Kenya's situation?
Perhaps not in terms of violence.
But in terms of legislation, the Christian voice is not heard.
Pray for the Christian leaders of NZ to have a unity of mind and heart.
What is it that prevents Christ Body from uniting to have a Christian voice and a Christian Prime Minister and a Christian dominant party in NZ - after all Christians are the majority?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
NZ Elections - Why We Need To Vote & Voting Strategy For A Family Friendly Government
A. Why We Need To Vote
We need to vote for 3 main reasons:
1. We need to vote to participate in Righteous Rulership In Relationship With God as part of our privilege and authority given to us in Gen 1:26-28.
Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Our God-given creation mandate is to rule the earth.
Unfortunately this Rule has been corrupted by Men's idea of Rulership that is hardly like God's idea of Rulership.
The Image of God idea of Rulership is that of a king / heavenly Father who care and nurture all people and its environment.
Men's idea of Rulership is that of a king who exploits people and the environment to benefit some of the people.
The corruption of God's idea of Rulership saw a shift from Theocracy e.g. Moses in the first stage; to Monarchy e.g. Saul, to Autocracy & Dictatorships e.g. Medieval kings in the 2nd stage; to Democracy in the 3rd stage which is an attempt to remove the excesses and injustice of the 2nd stage.
But democracy does not remove injustice so long as as the leadership is not in relationship with God.
In a democracy, we can actually have "Tyranny of the Majority" whereby those with a majority can push through legislation that suits them - leading to an abuse of the minority.
It can also have the "Tyranny of the Minority" because Parliament can impose a decision which is opposed by the majority of people e.g. Anti-smacking law.
Minority parties can also become king-makers and force the hand of the two major parties - and hence force legislation which may not be agreeable to the majority of the people.
Nevertheless, we vote to participate in Rulership in a democracy.
2. We need to vote to Prevent Evil or to Prevent Family-Unfriendly Government.
If we don't vote and only those who are liberal vote, then laws like Decriminalizing Prostitution and Civil Union will be passed. And more of such laws will be passed.
3. We who want traditional family values need to vote to Register our Voice - if not we remain the Silent Majority.
A poll shows that 86% of kiwis are not in favour of the anti-smacking law.
Yet our 86% voice is not heard at all!!!
So we who are concerned for the preservation of family values need to vote.
How then should we vote in order that we have a Family-Friendly government.
B. Voting Strategy For A Family-Friendly Government
The Kiwi Party and the Family Party stand out as Family Friendly parties based on their mission statement.
The Kiwi Party is guided by Judeo-Christian values.
Our first instinct would be to vote for these parties, which would be the case in"First Past The Post" Elections.
However, in MMP, the government would be formed by either Labour or National - with their coalition partners if these two parties do not win a clear 50.1%.
That is where it becomes tricky.
We who want Family Friendly government are caught in a dilemma.
Normally our voting strategy would be thought of in this way - Which party and their coalition partners are more Family-Friendly?
But now, the voting strategy seems to be better framed in the negative - How can we vote to prevent a Family-Unfriendly government.
Kindly see the website www.valueyourvote.org.nz for a summary of how family-friendly the various parties are.
We can see that the Labour Party is not family friendly whereas the National Party fare better in terms of family friendly legislation.
We need to prevent a party that is not family friendly from coming to government.
Only the National Party can prevent this.
The National Party is not my first choice party vote.
The Kiwi Party would be my first choice.
But for this election, we need to prevent the Family-Unfriendly party.
If the Labour Party has no chance of forming a government, then we would vote for our first choice Family Friendly Party.
But if the Labour Party has even a chance of slipping into government, we need to prevent that.
How real are the chances of Labour sneaking in to return to form the next government?
Based on the Roy Morgan Poll for the period 9-16 Oct released on 24 Oct 08, the following are the ratings:
National: 43%
Labour: 32%
By moral right, National should form the next government being clearly more popular.
Alas it is not that straightforward.
If it is that straightforward, there won't be a voting dilemma and I can vote my preferred party.
If we factor in the parties' announced coalition partners, the picture is not as one-sided as it seems that National has over Labour.
National: 43% + United Future (0.5%) = 43.5% + Act (3.5%) = 47%
Labour: 32% + Greens (11.5%) = 43.5%
or
Labour: 32% + Greens (11.5%) = 43.5% + NZ First (4.5%) = 48% + Progressive (0.5%) = 48.5% + Maori Party (2.5%) = 51%
This close contest is also predicted by TV3 polls.
Kindly see 24 Oct Friday’s NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-election-2008/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501799&objectid=10539225
May God give us all wisdom as we vote this Sat 8 Nov for a Family Friendly Government as a first stage to restoring the Image of God in this nation.
A. Why We Need To Vote
We need to vote for 3 main reasons:
1. We need to vote to participate in Righteous Rulership In Relationship With God as part of our privilege and authority given to us in Gen 1:26-28.
Gen 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Our God-given creation mandate is to rule the earth.
Unfortunately this Rule has been corrupted by Men's idea of Rulership that is hardly like God's idea of Rulership.
The Image of God idea of Rulership is that of a king / heavenly Father who care and nurture all people and its environment.
Men's idea of Rulership is that of a king who exploits people and the environment to benefit some of the people.
The corruption of God's idea of Rulership saw a shift from Theocracy e.g. Moses in the first stage; to Monarchy e.g. Saul, to Autocracy & Dictatorships e.g. Medieval kings in the 2nd stage; to Democracy in the 3rd stage which is an attempt to remove the excesses and injustice of the 2nd stage.
But democracy does not remove injustice so long as as the leadership is not in relationship with God.
In a democracy, we can actually have "Tyranny of the Majority" whereby those with a majority can push through legislation that suits them - leading to an abuse of the minority.
It can also have the "Tyranny of the Minority" because Parliament can impose a decision which is opposed by the majority of people e.g. Anti-smacking law.
Minority parties can also become king-makers and force the hand of the two major parties - and hence force legislation which may not be agreeable to the majority of the people.
Nevertheless, we vote to participate in Rulership in a democracy.
2. We need to vote to Prevent Evil or to Prevent Family-Unfriendly Government.
If we don't vote and only those who are liberal vote, then laws like Decriminalizing Prostitution and Civil Union will be passed. And more of such laws will be passed.
3. We who want traditional family values need to vote to Register our Voice - if not we remain the Silent Majority.
A poll shows that 86% of kiwis are not in favour of the anti-smacking law.
Yet our 86% voice is not heard at all!!!
So we who are concerned for the preservation of family values need to vote.
How then should we vote in order that we have a Family-Friendly government.
B. Voting Strategy For A Family-Friendly Government
The Kiwi Party and the Family Party stand out as Family Friendly parties based on their mission statement.
The Kiwi Party is guided by Judeo-Christian values.
Our first instinct would be to vote for these parties, which would be the case in"First Past The Post" Elections.
However, in MMP, the government would be formed by either Labour or National - with their coalition partners if these two parties do not win a clear 50.1%.
That is where it becomes tricky.
We who want Family Friendly government are caught in a dilemma.
Normally our voting strategy would be thought of in this way - Which party and their coalition partners are more Family-Friendly?
But now, the voting strategy seems to be better framed in the negative - How can we vote to prevent a Family-Unfriendly government.
Kindly see the website www.valueyourvote.org.nz for a summary of how family-friendly the various parties are.
We can see that the Labour Party is not family friendly whereas the National Party fare better in terms of family friendly legislation.
We need to prevent a party that is not family friendly from coming to government.
Only the National Party can prevent this.
The National Party is not my first choice party vote.
The Kiwi Party would be my first choice.
But for this election, we need to prevent the Family-Unfriendly party.
If the Labour Party has no chance of forming a government, then we would vote for our first choice Family Friendly Party.
But if the Labour Party has even a chance of slipping into government, we need to prevent that.
How real are the chances of Labour sneaking in to return to form the next government?
Based on the Roy Morgan Poll for the period 9-16 Oct released on 24 Oct 08, the following are the ratings:
National: 43%
Labour: 32%
By moral right, National should form the next government being clearly more popular.
Alas it is not that straightforward.
If it is that straightforward, there won't be a voting dilemma and I can vote my preferred party.
If we factor in the parties' announced coalition partners, the picture is not as one-sided as it seems that National has over Labour.
National: 43% + United Future (0.5%) = 43.5% + Act (3.5%) = 47%
Labour: 32% + Greens (11.5%) = 43.5%
or
Labour: 32% + Greens (11.5%) = 43.5% + NZ First (4.5%) = 48% + Progressive (0.5%) = 48.5% + Maori Party (2.5%) = 51%
This close contest is also predicted by TV3 polls.
Kindly see 24 Oct Friday’s NZ Herald http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz-election-2008/news/article.cfm?c_id=1501799&objectid=10539225
May God give us all wisdom as we vote this Sat 8 Nov for a Family Friendly Government as a first stage to restoring the Image of God in this nation.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Christian Living: Not A Life Without Challenges - Even When We Are Faithful
Lessons From Life Of King Hezekiah
The Psalms, Proverbs and many passages of the Bible tells us that when we are faithful, we will be blessed and we will be prosperous. This gives us a general impression that a Faithful Christian's life is a life without problems and challenges. Take for instance the passage below as I examined the life of Hezekiah:
2 Chron 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
But the verse immediately after this tells us a different story. Our theology is challenged.
2 Chron 32:1 After all that Hezekiah had so faithfully done, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded
Proverbs 10:22: The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it.
Not only did Hezekiah suffer
1. Invasion from Assyria, he also suffered
2. Illness to the point of death.
Details of these incidents can be found in 2 Kings 18-20 and also 2 Chron 29-32 as well as Isaiah 36-39. Interesting to cross-reference and to read inter-textually. So when we suffer, and we sometimes wonder whether we are faithful - rest assured that even when we are faithful, we too may suffer.
Remember 2 Chron 32:1 - even after all that Hezekiah had so FAITHFULLY done, he suffered invasion and illness.
But the story does not end there.
The Sufferings turned to victory as Hezekiah turned to the Lord and prayed.
Hezekiah was delivered by our supernatural God in two ways:
1. Supernaturally from the Invasion as the angel of the Lord wiped out 158,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kgs 19:38), and
2. Naturally from the Illness as Isaiah instructed King Hezekiah to take a "poultice of figs" (2 Kgs 20:7).
May you be blessed with assurance to know that:
1. We may suffer even when we are faithful. Suffering does not mean we are not faithful.
2. God can supernaturally deliver us - in supernatural and natural ways.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)