The 'issues' of life!

Hullo everyone! I hope you have been keeping your heart with all diligence..

Anyway, this is the announcement:

Dat KS MEGAzine 2011 Issue 2 is out!

Distribution has begun. This time, it's free, so you don't have to find $2 from somewhere. That also means that anyone else can take a copy, so grab yours while stocks last!

~Timothy

Sola Scriptura

God’s Word is the only foundation of our faith – no other text has the same authority, and certainly not the words of the Pope. Through the ages, Christians have often been martyred because they treasured God’s Holy Word, and it is this same Word that churches should teach in its entirety.
 

(this tract is typed by Timothy, because the Holy Spirit overcame his writer's block)
 

What is the Bible to us? It is more than just another religious document, isn’t it? Yes! The Bible is aptly named so, a Book of Books, written by more than thirty faithful authors moved by the Holy Spirit ^[a]. The fact that men from different time periods, cultures, languages, and social status could put together such a consistent collection of works is almost unbelievable. Unless, of course, they were working under the direction of God.

 

In His wisdom, God chose to present the Bible to us with all its historicity. Through it He reveals Himself to us. The passages in scripture tell of His mighty deeds, they tell of His ways, and above all, they tell of His love. The Bible is a love letter from God to His people! In it we discover ourselves – the wretched sinner that we are; in it we learn about Jesus’ love, and how believing in His death and resurrection allows us to come to God. To the unbeliever the Bible offers good news, and then to the unrepentant judgement is promised. No other book in the world describes the reality of life and death as the Bible does.

 

God’s Word is sufficient, nothing more, nothing less

Throughout history, the devil had attempted to alter scripture. As the father of lies, he sows doubt against the authority of God’s Word. His very question to Eve, in the garden of Eden, began with the phrase “Did God say .. ?” The Bible strictly warns us to reject any attempt to change God’s Word. Moses, the author of the first five books, wrote^[b], “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it.”  John the Apostle echoed this in the last chapter of Revelations^[c].

 

In the days before the Reformation, the authority of the scriptures had been reduced. God’s holy word was augmented by Papal decrees and the decisions of Councils. The Apocrypha – uninspired works of man – were the foundation of unbiblical doctrines such as Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead.

 

In our age, there have also been attempts to add to the Bible. Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormons, claimed to be a prophet and wrote a few books – he tried to supersede the canonized scriptures. In certain churches, the Bible is treated as an outdated book, where presumptuous prophecies and dreams are supposed to supplement it. 

 

More common are attempts to take out, or ignore, parts of scripture which do not agree with man’s philosophy. People have produced Bible versions by taking out what they do not like: the Jehovah Witnesses have pulled out verses describing the trinity, and other groups have made ‘gender-neutral’ versions. No! The Bible is above man’s ideas. Similarly we cannot throw out Genesis chapter 1 to 11 because secular science denies it. We must not flip over passages which tell of severe punishment upon the wicked, even if we are uncomfortably reminded of God’s justice – otherwise what would we need saving from?

 

The Apostle Paul was bold to declare the whole counsel of God ^[d]. Therefore we must treasure every part of the Bible. Do we ourselves commit the sin of undermining scripture? Let us examine ourselves, do we ignore verses which go against our own ‘personal preferences’? We commit sin twice over if by reading a verse we are pricked in our hearts and still refuse to repent. May God grant us the courage so that we are not only hearers of His Word, but doers too.

 

Every Christian a student of the Bible

Be very grateful for the English Bible which you have. It was difficult for learned men in the 16^th century to translate the scriptures. The Roman Catholic church at that time insisted that the general public was not to read the Bible, because they would misunderstand it. Monasteries and churches only kept Latin Bibles, and thus the common folk were unable to read it. Now a man by the name of William Tyndale had a desire to translate the Bible so that any farmboy in England could read it. By God’s grace, he finished this work, and soon after he was executed (strangled while he burned at the stake). His execution was followed by many others – the authorities searched for anyone who possessed a copy of his translated Bible. Yet God caused the light of His Word to keep shining, so that now more copies of the Bible has been printed than any other book in history.

 

The concept that anyone has a right to read the Bible was not new, of course. Luke wrote^[e] of the Bereans, who tested and proved the gospel, having “searched the scriptures daily”. The Bible is meant to make sinners wise unto salvation^[f]: Recall the story of the rich man and Lazarus, where Abraham told^[g] the rich man that his surviving brothers could avoid hell by hearing ‘Moses and the prophets’ (i.e. the old testament).

 

If God meant for any literate man to read the Bible for himself, then surely scripture must be clear enough so that the layman can understand it and thus accept Christ. This is true! Where it comes to salvation, the Bible could not be clearer, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). We do not need to be a priest to understand that.

 

Now I am going to assume here that my readers learnt to read in school, and therefore you know what it means to be a student. Since God has revealed Himself in Christ, the Word ^[h], do you cherish the truth of the Bible by placing it above all other readings? If you believe in Christ, then the Holy Spirit dwells in you and He gives you the ability to understand it ^[i]. Do you thus prioritise your study of the Bible? Will you be a student of the Bible?

 

References

• A.      2Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
• B.      Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
• C.      Revelations 22:18,19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
• D.      Acts 20:27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
• E.       Acts 17:10,11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
• F.       2Timothy 3:15  And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
• G.     Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
• H.      John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
• I.        1Corinthians 2:11,12 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

Adressing ANGER

The following is an excerpt taken from a pamphlet created by SYFC (Singapore Youth For Christ) in a series called 'Age of Opportunity'. As it is addressed to parents, I've edited it a little so that it addresses us youths.

The reasons we teens give for our anger or angry expressions are to some degree valid (except the last one listed below)
1. Unreasonable authorities
2. No freedom to make decisions for themselves
3. Inconsistency of adults
4. Parents showing preferential treatment or double standards
5. Having too much to handle, unable to cope
6. AFter a bad day and yet those around are not sensitive
7. People trying to help when they don't know the problem or that they've not heard the whole story or give simplistic solutions
8. Having to clean up the mess that others made
9. When people are rude and inconsiderate
10. God made them with an angsty nature

The problem arises when anger leads to sin. When we are angry, we are in danger and highly vulnerable to do wrong - which is why Ephesians warns us not to "give the devil an opportunity"...

Despite the danger, Paul says it is possible to choose not to sin. Even if one has done wrong, he must change and do good - sharing what he has with others, and edifying those to whom he speaks.

A second danger is holding on to the anger. Paul says "do not let the sun go down on your anger". While we disapprove of Jonah's petty anger, so often, when we ourselves are angry, similar words like "I'm so angry I could die" creep in. THey may not be said aloud but they are repeated in our minds...Anger unchecked can eat away at the heart, affecting the wellbeing of a person as bitterness, wrath and rage develop. We want to "seek justice". The malice of seeing harm come to others surfaces. THese Paul says the believers must work to rid themselves of.

To let go of the anger, Paul turns us to the gospel of forgiveness. The next time the phrase "I'm so angry I could die" comes up, learn to let go of the anger by realizing the Christ has already died ( we don't have to die anymore) so that God's anger against sin is turned away. Since God has forgiven us in CHrist, we can also forgive the hurts we receive, and not fall into sin, from which Christ has redeemed us.

This is all well and good theologically but how do we practically work it out?

Here are some tips...
. Recognize and admit when we are angry.
. Practice restraint...don't react immediately...Replace angry words with gentle words - "A gentle answer quiets anger, but a harshw ord stirs up anger" Proverbs 15:1
. Look at how we are coping with our anger - whether we are repressing (which hurts ourselves) or expressing (wrongfully hurting others). There are people who suggest that the anger be directed to punching pillows or shouting it out, but these methods do not resolve the problem. Work towards resolving the root of the anger...
. Pray...ask God to help us determine whether our anger is righteous or unrighteous. Is our anger motivated by righteous anger or unrighteous, selfish anger? When our anger springs from selfish desires, we use anger as a weapon to manipulate, to get what we want. Throwing tantrums or flying into a rage can be very effective in getting others to bend to what we want, but it is absolutely wrong.
. ...tell God how we honestly feel and ask for His help.
. Work out practically how to use our anger to solve the problem quickly and in a godly and loving way.

A post about God's Tests amidst our academic tests and assignments. YAY!

Dear all :)

Before I begin with the message, I would like to congratulate those who have been through most of their papers by trying their best given the circumstances. I also encourage the rest to press forward! :) Remember, He would never give us a burden too heavy for you to bear, and that His grace is sufficient for thee. His strength is made perfect in your weakness. (2Cor12:9) WOAH. Which is more important? (God’s strength/Glory!)

 Don’t beat yourself up badly (figuratively, or maybe for some, literally!) if you feel overly lousy and inadequate. More importantly, don’t dwell on it for too long, that your mind becomes clouded from God’s purpose for you at the present moment. Move on, seek God in prayer and be resolved to improve.

That is the basis for this sharing, actually ;), concerning God’s purpose.

Disclaimer: Remember the memory verse about how unsearchable His ways are? Well, I am not contradicting that verse nor the bible, No WAY. We may not be able to gain full knowledge and be anywhere near are wise as Him, but we can be thankful for the wisdom and thoughts, for even the ability to read His word, that enables us to pick up truths and know more or less what we ought to do and ought NOT to do.

I’m only day7 of this book that my neighbor passed to me upon entering a residence in NUS. However, I cannot wait to share some insights with you!

I’ve shared with two of you recently about the 3 T’s that the author mentioned, and how they can help to guide our time here in this temporary “home” (although we should be cautious not to think of this world as a “home” where you belong, where you return to, per se). So what are the 3 T’s?  I’ll cover the first here, with some personal thoughts.

#1) Life is a Test.

Yes life is a test, but don’t be quick to groan at this! It’s written all over the bible and I’m sure you have come across words like trials, temptations, testing and refining. Even from Genesis, we see the test of Adam and Eve’s faithfulness and obedience towards God! So right from the beginning, we are told, and instructed about such tests that will come our way. Not randomly like cannonballs, but as in Romans 8:28, they are given to us by God. 

Certified, confirm PLUS chop PLUS stamp.

As I mentioned earlier:  “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1Cor 10:13)

So…What kind of tests are these? They are tests of love, faith, hope etcetera, mentioned briefly in the book. They are tests/Opportunities given to you to demonstrate your love to God and others (Two great commandments!), and your DEPENDENCE on God. Note: not all tests are obvious to you, and some may be too easy to pass, or to Fail. I hope that all of us would pray first, for AWARENESS of His presence and His tests, of which we often take for granted.

These are my thoughts:
By bearing this in mind, we know that things and people may be instruments of God, who help sharpen and refine us, and what would a test be without a “marker” or an invigilator? Yes. He is watching over you, every step of the way, even on simple things like picking up something that lies in your path, how you respond to your friend’s swearing and using God’s name in vain etc.

Do you contemplate picking up the litter? Do you continue to smile politely at someone who says “OMG!!”? (I framed this question hoping that the user of such terms is not any of you, I pray to God for that.)? If you are unsure and would argue that “the bible did not say we cannot smile when people take the glory away from God”, maybe you can try thinking, would Paul be smiling? Would God be smiling when you smile politely? I guess not :X

The idea of tests may be scary, and that people tend to tremble before receiving their results as we often heard our primary schoolmates going “I feel like peeing in my pants :S” *look of restraint and effortful control”.

However, many of you have noticed how people LEAP for joy J Don’t we wish we were one of them when we receive our results? And if we have been there before, does it not feel great? But as Christians, we want to leap for joy because we’ve put in effort to please God, not the education system. And if the education system don’t reward you with a “temporary crown” or as well as you expected (peppered with the amount of pride in you), are you ready to humble yourself and seek His kingdom further? Even if it is an innocent wish, I hope and pray that such a wish approximates being like those children of God who have been tried and tested for His Glory, and may have even passed on without getting any earthly rewards, but benefitted those who would follow (Hebrews 11). Their life wasn’t in vain, nor were their tests unreasonable. I learnt and was encouraged by them, and this lesson in itself is precious. Christ’s crucifixion was also a test which worked together for (our/His/God's eternal) good, now would you groan or complain? Accept and relish each test for what it is, seeking the power of the Holy Spirit, trusting God, and looking unto Jesus.

Stay Tuned for the remaining two T’s! PRESS ON!!

A Prayer for Examination (special thanks to Jo for it!)

Lord grant me the right attitude towards my examination,

That even when I study, I want to glorify your name.

Give me the strength that I may press on,

Perseverance that I can endure,

Good health that I may study effectively.

Help me to be single-minded when I study,

Remove all other thoughts, distractions and anxieties,

Give me the power to concentrate,

The ability to understand and to remember.

Show me the way to study intelligently,

To know what is important and what is not.

Provide me Lord with quality time in my studies,

Remove all tensions and fears within me.

Fill me with Thy confidence,

Teach me to draw strength from you each day.

Let me learn to trust you in such times.

In the examination hall, be with me Lord.

Grant me the clarity and shaprness of thoughts.

Let me not get distracted by things around me.

Give me concentration and calmness Lord.

Help me to gather my thoughts of what I've learnt.

Grant me the discipline to space out time equally on all questions.

Most of all, help me to complete the question on time.

Despite examination Lord, continue to grant me

Quality time with you, let me not neglect You.

Give me a balanced diet between my studies and my service for you.

I just want to commit the whole examination into your hands,

Knowing that you are a God who cares and answers prayers.

THANK YOU!

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and Saviour, AMEN.