Questions & Answers
18 Jan 2009
1) Is the Genesis flood recorded
in the bible just a local Mesopotamian flood or it is really global flood
affecting the whole earth?
A. That is a good question and
we will answer this form the standpoint of both the scriptures and notable
facts and reasonable observations. There are some who undermine or doubt the
historicity of a Universal Flood, insofar as to surmise that the biblical
account just describes a local flood - one that affected only the Mesopotamian
region and not global. Those who advocate this, use their own puny imagination
in thinking that the flood only appeared to be universal but was actually
localized. The following offers convincing evidence and arguments to confirm
that the Genesis flood of the bible was definitely universal and not local
(summarised from John Morris and John
Whitcomb, The Genesis Flood ,1-35)
i. The Depth of the Flood (Gen
7:19-20)
If the flood were only
restricted in area, it is difficult to comprehend the fact that it covered the
highest mountains, even in a small area, without overflowing to other areas.
The phrase ‘under the heaven’ is significant in verse 19 and that it
rose above 15 cubits over the highest mountain. The fact that water seeks its
own level seems to be decisively against a local flood.
ii. The Duration of the Flood
The flood lasted for over one
year (i.e. 371 days) in all from the time Noah entered the ark until he left
it. Most of that time the water was upon the earth. No local flood in history
ever lasted that long. Any flood which endured for such a long period would,
therefore, have to be universal.
iii. The Size of the
Why would Noah build a vessel
large enough to accommodate all the land species on earth when all he needed
was one smaller vessel enough to save the species indigenous to
iv. The Need For an Ark at All
More fatal to the local Flood
theory is the utter lack of any need for an ark in such an event, for Noah
could easily have walked from the scene of the impending disaster, taking with
him any animal which were in any danger of drowning. Why did Noah spend 120
years building a huge boat commanded by God for which there was no real need?
v. The Testimony of Peter
In 2 Peter 3:3-7, Peter argues
that at the end of this age God will destroy the world with fiery judgment. He
bases his arguments for the extensiveness of this judgment on the analogy of
the destruction by water in Noah's time. If Peter is trying to teach a
universal devastation by fire by God in the end times, which he assuredly is,
why would he compare it to merely a local Flood in Noah's time?
vi. The Testimony of Rock
Strata
The great thicknesses of
sedimentary rock strata found throughout the world, and the existence of
fossils and huge canyons (eg. the
We accept by faith what the
bible says concerning the Genesis flood as an unpredicted global catastrophe
and do not doubt nor undermine this biblical event that is recorded for us in
holy and infallible scriptures. Hope this helps.
Jack Sin
1
Feb 2009
2) I am often at logger heads
with my children. How can I better communicate with my teenaged daughter and
understand her better as well?
A : That is a good but tough question. Parenting a teenager
is hard these days. Parents today are dealing with issues that our parents
probably never even thought about. As our society 'advances' the pressures
facing teenagers today grow, adding to the stress and strain of raising
Christian children and youths in the 21st century. Below are 7 suggestions that
may help you to become a more effective Christian parent for the Lord with His
grace and strength.
1. Know them well and engage
them often at their level
Knowing God and your children
a little better will help you treat your kids in a manner that is more
effective for building edifying relationships. How often do parents say, 'Because
I said so' or 'Because I am the father or mother' or 'I told you not to
do that already many times' when your child challenges your demands or
restrictions? Teenagers are capable of understanding why you make certain
decisions. Being honest with your kids can open up lines of communication and
respect. Take time to talk to your teenager about the things on your mind and
the reasons for doing or not doing something and get their agreement to it as
well. Let them know a little about what is going on in your mind (i.e. why I
cannot go to zouk or the foam party when my friends are there now?) Remember
what Job did in Job 1:5, 'And it was so, when the days of their feasting
were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the
morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for
Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.
Thus did Job continually'.
2. Listen to your children
with your eyes, ears and heart (but not noses i.e. nosey)
Listening with our eyes and
heart and not just our ears is a lost art today. Learn to pay attention to
young people and really open up lines of communication. Sit down and let your
teenager talk without getting upset or interrupting him or her. Be an active
listener. Use eye contact and nod your head. Ask clarifying questions and
repeat summaries of what it is being said to confirm the facts. Go on line and
engage them if necessary but do not overreact or lose your temper (Eph
5:28-29). One parent told me that she learnt more about her daughter in the
Facebook (or MSN) than in the home face to face. Do not jump to conclusion or
over react when things go wrong (i.e. when they lost their wallet or identity
card or have a new boy friend etc.). Talk it out in a gentle and non
threatening manner (Gal 5:22-23).
Make sure your teen knows you
are investing in the things he or she cares about. Teenagers are not always the
most communicative individuals, so when they do finally open up, you need to make
full use of those teachable moments with them.
3. Offer viable choices and
let them have a stake
Being the 'boss all'
the time in the house is not always the most effective way to build a strong
and lasting relationship with your teen. It can possibly undermine effectual
communication and promote rebellion. Sometimes it helps to offer your children
some choices. By offering options, your child feels like he or she has some
control. Allow your teen the chance to help you in the decision making
process (i.e. do you want to swim or roller blake or neither. Do you want to go
to Poly or JC or ITE or overseas? Ask them to pray about it first) Not only
will it foster respect, but it will also teach your child how to make better
decisions In the Lord's will one day when they are on their own. Eph 5:17 says,
'Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is'.
Let them know that there are consequences in life and you will continue to
support them if they do their part as well. Make it a partnership and a deal
and let us keep our part as well.
4. Do as You Say to the kids
Teens are very sensitive to
inconsistency or hypocrisy. Do both of you teach and practice the same thing? Do you expect of
yourself what you expect of your teenager? If you want your child to open up,
work hard or pray and come to church on time
with you or turn off the TV and sleep early, do you do the same normally
in your life? If you want your child to read his or her bible every night, it
will be more effective if he saw you reading your bible every night first. Then
half the battle is won. At the 1982 OCS Commissioning Parade, the Guest of
Honour, our former president said that the war cry is no more 'soldiers
charge' but 'follow me'. Your teen may not be excited about it, but
he or she will find it easier to follow the example you set than a command you
give but do not practice yourself (Jas 1:22).
5. Discuss Your Faith openly
and frequently
Even though you want your
child to go to church and grow closer to the Lord, are you discussing it often
in your conversations? Some parents do not share about God at all until on
Sunday morning and it can stumbling block to a child's spiritual growth. Make
faith sharing, thanksgiving, prayer or bible talk a part of regular
discussions. Ask how God is working in their school and personal lives.
Tell them how you see God working in you and around you (in the office or in
your home). The more you discuss faith in God and give thanks to God the more
natural it will become for them to do the same. 1 Thess 5:18 says, 'In every
thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you'.
6. Be the best friend and not
just a parent only
Parents should be their teens
'best friend' as well as a parent if possible. Teens need someone to
turn to for a good model and for right limits, standards, moral and spiritual
discipline. They need a friend to talk to and a parent to set an example. They need
a friendly parent to offer unconditional love, care and attention. Listen and
be interested in your kids and their friends and talk to them often about
common things that interest them. Teens will respect the parent in the
caring relationship not just a punitive one (Eph 6:4).
The church can be a
supplementary ministry to reach out to troubled girls and boys but it cannot
replace the covenant home. There are more and more troubled teens in the church
today which need pastoral counseling, devotional biblical programmes, fun
camps, outreaches, interesting games and edifying fellowship with other teens
but above all, we need godly and biblical parenting too and both of you are
equally important.
The most frequent teenage
problems include :
Teenage obsessive behaviours
like lying, stealing habits, jealousy, fighting, laziness, music, dancing ,
drinking or even self abuse (i.e. self inflicted mutilations) or drugs and
teenage pregnancies (hopefully not and more...) are common these days.
Sometimes life is stressful
even for youths. Many teens feel stressed in their lives in their final exams,
relationships, applying to college, or the first day of school. Stress can be a
pretty difficult thing because it clouds our judgment and can cause physical
problems like illness or insomnia. It can also get in the way of our spiritual
lives by fostering anxiety, anger or resentment toward God and possibly men.
7. Pray together, stay close
together to God and one another
Prayer is not just a part of
reducing family stress, but is keeping your focus and dependence on God. Phil
4:6-7 says, 'Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And
the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and
minds through Christ Jesus'. Use a devotional guide and pray and share
about God's grace and mercy. It can be a way for you to reach out to them.
Prayer to God will help improve your attitude, strength and relax from chores,
work, study and spend time with God and children in intercession (Phil 4:6-7).
There is nothing like getting
closer to God in order to reduce stress. Do not always talk about studies or
work to them or command them to do that and this. Sit down together as a family
and commit all of your worries and other feelings to God and He can guide and
relieve your stress too. Tell God about your present circumstances and hand
over all your burdens to Him. 1 Pet 5:7 says, 'Casting all your care upon
him; for he careth for you'. Ask them to pray for and with you, their
siblings and to share their own needs. Celebrate their success when they do
well and weep with them as well during bad times. Rejoice with them together
when God answers their prayer. Remember Isaiah 26:3-4 says, 'Thou wilt keep
him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in
thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting
strength'.
Conclusion
Laughter is also one of the
best medicines (Prov 17:22). When things get stressful, do the things that make
it right and laugh and get on with it cheerfully (i.e. how did we survive the
NS? We learn to laugh at ourselves too, our botak head, exacting obstacle
course, tough road march and the fearful stand by bed etc). There is a time for
everything. Pray together and laugh, have fun with children and friends as a
family. Have time out with light moments too in life together. Thank God for
giving us humour for what we are and imagination for what we are not. Remember
if you can laugh at it, you can live with it. Hope these tips help you to
reach out to your kids and build them up in the fear of God (Ecc 12:13-14).
Jack Sin
15 Feb 2009
3) Q
: As a Christian, is it alright for me to want to increase my net worth this
year?
A : There is a general tendency
for most people to want to multiply his or her physical assets or possessions.
Believers have biblical principles to guide us in their economic activities and
financial management. As Christians, we have a different set of principles from
the world. Stewardship and not ownership is a constant biblical reminder and
one desires to honour God first with our first fruits before self. 3 John 2
speaks of soul prosperity rather than just financial prosperity. Pro 3:9-10
says, 'Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all
thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall
burst out with new wine'.
Consider the following as some
useful guidelines :
1. Delight yourself in God first (Prov 3:5-7) and commit to
pray daily and ask the Lord for wisdom in the development of our skills and use
our talents to the fulnest and work diligently in a God-appointed vocation (Eph
4:1).
2. Save for rainy days for you and the family and put your
resources wisely in a relatively safe place to earn interest prudently as the
Lord tarries (Matt 25:27).
3. If you really need to invest in something, check out the
fundamentals first and then prudently and prayerfully diversify it (Eccl
11:1-2) but never to speculate for short-term gain or out of avarice for more.
4. More importantly, invest your life in eternity and lay your
affection above (1 Cor 4:2). Do not neglect honouring God first with our tithes
(Mal 3:8-10), talents in service, worship (1 Pet 4:10) and saving souls with
the gospel and building up God’s people in the word.
5. Beware of the covetous spirit and stop comparing other
people's gains or fortune with yourself. Be content with what the Lord has
given us (1 Tim 6:6. 10). Covetousness is a curse and remember what happened to
Achan (Jos 7:21-26).
6. Recognise and submit to the sovereignty of God and His
sufficient provision in following His will for us. Live your life daily in accordance
to God-given means for all things.
7. There is, to be human responsibility in all that we do. Do
the best you can in honest hard work in the office or school for the glory of
God and be thankful to God in prayer.
8. In all things, rejoice and be content, give thanks to the
glory of God and serve cheerfully to the advancement of His kingdom (Col
3:23,24).
9. Lean not on your own understanding but rely and trust the
Lord as your ultimate source of strength and guidance (Ps 37:25) and not on
your own human wisdom. Consider the Word of God as the map and compass for both
the spiritual and economic direction for your life.
10. Know that God rewards the diligent heart and hard work and not
the sluggard (Prov 6:6) and certainly not by the chance speculation of stocks
and shares or commodities or gold.
11. Prepare to meet thy God anytime (Amos 4:12). Let us live each
day with the constant awareness that it may be our last and know of our
accountability before God one day and occupy till He comes.
Conclusion
It is not wrong to want to do
well in this life as the Lord wills (Jos 1:8). Some of characters of the bible
like Abraham, Daniel, David and Job are well endowed and hold high positions in
society. It is the faithful and responsible stewardship of it that matters to
God. Remember that life does not consist in the abundance of things (Lk 12:15).
We do well to heed the advice of Jeremiah to his stenographer Baruch in Jer
45:5, 'And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for,
behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I
give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest'. Soul
prosperity is more important in the end (3 John 1-4). Ultimately, one must be
able to give an account before God for the way we employ our resources, time,
and talents from a heavenly perspective (1 Cor 3:13). Paul said in
Always think and act in view
of eternity and not our earthly enjoyment because that is where we will be one
day forever. It would not be too long before temporal things are gone (as we
can see in this economic downturn) and God's eternal kingdom begins. It is wise
to invest in the future which pays eternal dividends with a heavenly mansion
where God's kingdom is for that is where we belong for eternity. Improve and
enhance rather your spiritual net worth and be rich in the sight of God
instead.
Jack
Sin
22 Feb 2009
4) Q : How should or can I teach the Word of God to the children in the home
as well as in the church?
This a tall order but a very
important necessary work to all parents of covenant children and CED staff as
well. Consider the following principles.
Firstly, teach it
convincingly or with conviction. Deut 6:6 says : 'shall be in thine heart'.
If you do not believe it, if you do not practice it, you will not be teachable
it effectively. Do not expect them to learn in Sunday school or home if we do
not know it first. We need to teach it convincingly because you are convinced
yourselves.
Secondly, teach it
creatively with illustration and real life examples. Deut 6:6:7, says, 'And
thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when
thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou
liest down, and when thou risest up'. All of them must be taught to love God
and His word and His people (Psa 119:97, Gal 6:10, Mat 22:37-39). We should
teach our children to love God by Bible reading, prayer, bible stories, bible
games, bible verse memory, Christian books and other interesting practices.
Let us put some incentive for
them to encourage good behaviour and practices. A reward is recognition for
doing good (i.e. like bookmark, treat, gift etc.) Our God rewards faithfulness
as given in 1 Cor 4:2, Mat 25:30. Parents may reward chidren for good behaviour
and obedience. It encourages them as well in the right way to get rid of the
filth of the world and sinful desires with the Word of God. It should be taught
with deep conviction and creatively as
well.
Thirdly, It should be
taught consistently or diligently from our heart for easy understanding.
Verse 7: says 'Thou shalt teach them diligently line upon line, precept upon
precept, here a little there a little', over and over and over again. Consistency is the key word as we take time
to learn and it has to be reinforced over time.
Fourthly, it should be
taught conversationally or using common day languages or even dialects.
Verse 7 says : 'Thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and
when thou walkest by the way and when thou liest down and when thou risest up.'
Look in verse 20: 'And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying,
What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD
our God hath commanded you?' Encourage a holy inquisitiveness to study the
word and understand it. Spiritual vision and values are caught as well as
taught.
Finally, but it needs to be
taught conspicuously with clarity and object lessons for effective learning.
Verse 8 says : 'And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine head and they
shall be as frontlets between thine eyes'. What does that mean? The
(Orthodox) Jews took this so literally that they built little boxes they called
phylacteries and put the Scripture in and would take a ribbon, a piece of
leather and with the Scripture in that little box, they would tie it around
their head. That may not be necessary today in a physical tangible sense but
the principle is meaningful. We need sometimes tangible objects for an
effective learning process especially for children.
The phrase 'between your
eyes' show that all that we think should be controlled by the Word of God.
And then He said you take this Scripture and you put it on the doorpost of your
house. They call that a mezuzah and put that phylactery and Scripture on the
doorpost or the side of a house (and of our HDB door). The Lord is saying to
teach the Word of God not only put something to remind you, in your room,
church and office, living room, children's bedroom, living room, toilet or the
dining table. How do we teach the Word of God? We are to teach the Word of God
in such a way that our children will know Christ and trust they will grow up in
the fear and nurture of the Lord. May the Lord help all parents and CED staff
in this demanding but a needful task today.
It is a joy to impart the
knowledge of God for our children but it is also a grave responsibility and we
shall discharge it with fear and trembling and total dependence on the Holy
Spirit.
Jack Sin
(for a deeper study of this
subject, read J R Rice, The Home : Courtship, Marriage & Children,
1976.)
15 Mar 2009
5) Q : In the midst of the economic recession,
how do I know what is God's will for my life or career?
A : That is a good question. We
live in a world of consultants, where corporate firms would seek advice from
consultants as to how to manage the company. Many would seek worldly counsel
and help in secular business, employment, financial and corporate planning.
However, for the Christian given in the midst of a global economic downturn, we
have a heavenly omniscient consultant that is ever ready to help us and advise
us when we call on Him. Seeking career guidance and employment is a crucial
area of our lives that we do not want to err in this matter.
Paul said in Eph 5:15-16 says,
'See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming
the time, because the days are evil'. Many have suffered and gone through
distressing experiences in careers or jobs after learning that it is not God's
will for them to be in that vocation. Someone migrated to another country only
to return in six months' time and acknowledge that it was not the will of God.
Another took up an educational course and, after more than a year dropped the
course altogether.
The psalmist expressed a
universal sentiment of all sincere Christians in Ps 25:4, 'Shew me thy days,
O LORD; teach me thy paths'. Christians are in dire need of divine guidance
and direction every day. Life presents itself with so many problems; options,
influences and even believers are often at a loss in decision-making. What
should one do? A young lady called and asked if it is God's will for her to go
to a particular country for studies. Many have sought counsel concerning career
options, boy-girl relationships and a switching of jobs, migration, or shifting
of residence. Where do we get the answers and how do we know? We will examine
and investigate into this needful matter of divine guidance and counsel today.
Before we go into details,
firstly, we must understand that God is ever with us, willing to direct and
lead our every step if only we allow Him to (Ps 32:8). The Holy Spirit is our
Guide and Comforter. He will show us all things concerning Christ (John 16:14).
However, there is a difference between one sincerely seeking heavenly advice
and one who has already made his / her own decision already and was just asking
for a mere formal endorsement from heaven (i.e. marrying a non-Christian). We
must not deceive ourselves for God is not mocked (Gal 6:7-9). A sincere seeker
will find God and His wonderful leadership real in his or her life and be
blessed, but not an insincere hypocritical seeker. Check your motives first
before the Lord. Am I just going for a grand pay or a prestigious job? A few
things are needful in determining whether or not it is God's will for us in a
certain matter.
Firstly, it is the area of
our intimacy in our personal relationship with God. Are you in daily close
communion with God, constantly reading the Word and praying? If you are, there
is a sense in which you will want to know God's will, as a child would want to
know the desires of his father. Should l go to a pub, disco, lounge, watch this
movie or video, or join in this unedifying conversation? You know in your heart
that the answer is no. When I was staying in Jalan Bahagia in the 1970s, I used
to buy breakfast for my parents every morning and would ask them what they want
to eat. To the extent that when you are near to God, you will be sensitive to
God's will for your life. Prov 3:5-6 says, 'Trust in the LORD with all thine
heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge
him, and he shall direct thy paths'.
Secondly, there are certain
things you do not ask God for because it is revealed in the Word of God.
You need to study and read the Scriptures carefully and follow to do therein.
For example, two things are definitely God's will for our lives. 1 Thes 4:3
says, 'For this is thy will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should
abstain from fomication'. 1 Thes 5:18 says, 'In every thing give thanks:
for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you'. Any action or
decision that is consistent with these two scriptural injunctions should be
acted upon swiftly. For example, do you ask a question like, 'Is it God's
will for me to go to prayer meeting?' or 'Should I go for worship on the
Lord's Day?' or 'Should l work in a casino, cigarette making firm, a
abortion clinic or a immoral magazine company?' These are questions you do
not ask at all! Why? Because they are, clear from the standpoint of our
sanctification and the obeying of the moral commandments of God. There was a
prophet in the Old Testament who was told by the Lord not to eat with any one
on his mission. Later, an old 'prophet' came and invited him to eat and
he did. He was later punished and was eaten up by a lion (1 Kgs 13:1 1-24). He
had the clear expressed will of God but he rebelled against it. Disobedience
has its consequences. Alternatively, consider this question : 'Is it God's
will for me to marry this particular non-believer?' Read 2 Corinthians
6:14-18. You should never have asked in the first place because the biblical
injunction is unequivocally clear. It is a question of obedience (or rebellion)
not a question of guidance at all.
Thirdly, it is the matter
of fervent prayer. Have you been praying importunately to the Lord in
seeking His will (John 14:14)? Do you seek Him daily in persevering incessant
prayer? Our prayer answering Lord will answer and guide you. Read John 16:24
which says, 'Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall
receive, that your joy may be full', and Jer 33:3, 'Call unto me, and I
will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest
not'. God rewards those who diligently seek Him with a sincere and faithful
heart (Heb 11:6). Abraham's servant prayed when he was seeking for a spouse for
his master's son, Isaac. God answered his prayer and guided him and led him to
Rebekah (Gen 24:14). Our Lord says, 'And ye shall seek me, and find me, when
ye shall search for me with all your heart' (Jer 29:13). You will not be
cast away in the matter of guidance and counsel if you would zealously seek Him
in private and public prayers. Remember also that godliness with contentment is
great gain (1 Tim 6:6) and covetousness has its consequences.
Fourthly, have you consulted
or spoken to someone, who is a servant of God, who fears Him and who knows you
well? Have you discussed it with your Pastor or parents? Did you get the
valued opinion of your parents especially if they are believers who love the
Lordl? God used people, especially godly men, to help others along life's way.
Jehoshaphat (2 Chr 18:7-17) asked Micaiah, God's servant; Samuel asked Eli when
he was called of the Lord (1 Sam 3:9). Ask someone, a godly person (eg. your
pastor or elder or godly parents) for spiritual counsel and a word of advice.
While man's words are not infallible (eg. Nathan's advice to David on building
a temple for God), they are nevertheless generally useful especially when it is
confirmed by the other factors mentioned here.
Fifthly, what about the
prevailing circumstances in life? God often uses events in our lives to
awaken us to follow His will.
You want to go to a particular
country but there was an impending earthquake or typhoon. What do you do? Wait
upon the Lord for the right timing. Alternatively, are there any job
opportunities or interviews there that are suitable for me now closer to home.
What am l trained or gifted in? However it mast be noted that favourable or
unfavourable circumstances do not always mean it is or it is not God's will,
Jonah the prophet ran away from God and found a ship waiting for him at Joppa
(Jonah 1:3) but he was defying the clear command of God. Therefore, you have to
be careful that circumstances be not given undue emphasis. Other factors are equally
important and a consistent view of all of them together is important. For
example, does this company have sound fundamentals and good ethical and
financial track record? Does it encroach on Sabbath worship or my serving the
Lord and / or will it potentially lead or pressure me to compromise my biblical
or moral convictions? These are vital considerations too.
Finally, what about the
inner conviction and condition of your heart? Do you experience peace and
serenity when you have made a particular decision? (i.e. of one who apply for a
croupier job in the Integrated Resort and experience no peace of heart and
mind). God speaks to our head and hearts too. Sometime ago, a brother called me
concerning an offer he had from a certain company with an attractive salary and
prospect. He was attracted to it and wanted to have a career switch. He passed
the interview and was about to make that change, but he had no peace in his
heart. Circumstances were favourable. The money was good but there was one
complication - no peace in the heart. That settled it finally. Follow the way
of the Lord and 'keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the
issues of life' (Prov 4:23). A heart of peace, joy and contentment in the
Lord and time to serve God is more valuable than a quantum Increase in salaries
and perks. Make the right decision to put God first (CoI 3:2), and He will
surely bless and honour you. Remember Matthew 6:21, 'For where your treasure
is, there will your heart be also'.
Jack Sin
(NB. read Sinclair B.
Ferguson, Discovering God's Will for a deeper study on the
subject.)
From
past years…..
1) What
happens when an infant dies? Will he/she
be saved?
This is a tough
call. The Westminster Confession of
Faith states that elect infants are saved consistent with the doctrine of
election. But Spurgeon and other
reformed theologians taught that all infants who died in infancy are
saved. How do you reconcile the
two? Well, the answer is that could it
be possible that God have elected all infants who died in infancy to be
saved? Many reformed theologians believe
that God is all righteous, merciful and gracious and will deal with such cases
with compassion and lovingkindness as well.
A good case for
this is found in 2 Samuel 12:21-23, which reads "Then said his servants
unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for
the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and
eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I
said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I
shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." When David's son with Bathsheba died in
infancy, King David replied that he would see him in heaven giving us the
assurance of God's pardoning mercy to young infants who died before they reach
an age of maturity (although some interpret that this applies to covenant
families only, I take the magnanimous view that God could extend this to all
infants too by election). At the end of
it all, although we may not know for an absolute certainty, but we can trust in
the sovereign goodness and compassion of our Almighty God.
Jack Sin
2) I am
dating a great Christian guy now and we kind of like each other and have a good
relationship together. The only thing is
that my parents do not know yet because I am afraid that they may ask me to
break up with him. Is that ok to keep it
that way for the time being?
I can
understand that you and your boyfriend have a good relationship together, but
to keep our parents in the dark or disobey them on this important matter (i.e.
or even lying about it) is really not right at all. If you really want to please and honour in
your relationship, you cannot ignore what Jesus says about honouring your
parents (Exodus 20:12) and being truthful (Ephesians 4:25) to them and
yourselves.
Your parents
are God sanctioned guardians over you.
If you do not know what they think, then it is time to ask them. Have a calm, respectful conversation with
your parents where you work together to understand your current concern. We want to have the peace of mind when we
date and that we do not want to delay this because it will be worst one day if
they find it out themselves. Remember
God can use them to guide you in this matter and you do not want to regret one
day for not telling them and bear the consequences.
Why do you
think your parents may ask you to break up?
Have a heart-to-heart discussion with your parents who know you well and
they will trust you more if you tell them the truth. If you want them to see you as someone who is
responsible enough to date now or one day, then you need to be responsible
enough not to date behind their back or against their will, you do not want to
jeopardize your relationship with your parents just for this date.
So you need to
pray and seek God first about your boyfriend and talk to your parents honestly
about him and you. Tell them that you
have been dating this guy and how he is and ask, if they approve of it. They may or may not approve for good reasons
or they may see that you are responsible enough and may allow it in the end
with some sound advice or rules.
Whatever the case may be, this will restore their trust in you when you
abide by their rules and it is a good testimony for God and it augurs well for
you in the end.
Because you are
honest with them, they may (or may not) eventually allow you to continue to
date this person (or some other person) now or one day. But even if they do not, you will be
following God's command to respect them and that will be a blessing and joy in
itself and a right thing to do and you know that you are following God's will
in the end which is the best for us.
Remember that God will honour those who honour Him and their parents,
and the opposite is also true. Something
to pray about and act on. Let us do it.
Jack Sin
3) I like your opinion on a certain ritual by a certain Church. They
(the leaders) believe that when any of their members is sick, he/she could be
healed by taking Holy Communion and even conducted by an ordinary church member
(not necessary by an ordained minister). Is this practice biblical? Please let
me have your comments.
I have preached to warn against this false teaching and practice of
healing in the Lord's Supper last year when it was highlighted to me by a
member of another BP Church. This is a new fallacious and unbiblical doctrine
and practice and there is no scriptural basis or support for it at all (see both
1 Cor 11:23-31 on the meaning and practice of the Lord's Supper and Jas 5:13-16
for biblical practice for the sick and healing).
The elements of the (i.e. bread, wine and water) sacraments have no
supernatural, salvific or magical powers at all (i.e. Baptism does not and
cannot save (Acts 16:31; John 4:2) and the Lord's Supper does not heal either).
There are designed as a means of grace for a spiritual function where the
covenant of grace is represented, sealed and applied to its adherents.
Isa 53 which speaks of spiritual healing of our sins through the
atonement of Christ, the Suffering Servant, is often taken out of its context
to give a new twist of physical healing today. The most important thing about
the vicarious and particular atonement of Christ is the eternal and spiritual
redemption of lost souls and not the physical recovery of the temporal body for
we will get a new resurrection body one day, i.e. Christ need not die on the
cross if the physical healing is the purpose (see 2 Cor 5:21, Matt 1:21, Rom
5:1-12, Heb 9:11-14). The gift of healing that belonged to some of the OT
prophets, Christ and the apostles (Acts 5:12, 1 Cor 13:8) in the First Century
to authenticate their work and the Word of God) had ceased and God can heal in
answers to prayers and medication today according to His Will. The Lord's
Supper is never designed for the purpose of physical healing of the body but
for a spiritual commemoration of the death of Christ till He comes. We would
have changed the whole meaning and biblical significance of the Lord's Supper
if we do that which is potentially deceptive and absolutely erroneous.
Finally, the Lord's Supper was administered by Christ and by the
apostles and ordained ministers of the gospel who are called of God should
continue to administer it with reverence and fear of God properly to prevent
the abuse of it in the churches as practiced generally in most orthodox
Protestant churches today.
We are living in the last days of confusion and strange teachings coming
from some quarters of the church. Beware and be alert always and search the
Word to see if things taught or practiced are consistent with scriptures (Acts
17:11). Hope this helps.
Jack Sin
4) What
is the meaning of "leaving our parents and cleaving to each other" in
the context of marriage. Does it mean dumping my parents to have a healthy
marriage? I am quite close to my mom and it is going to be difficult.
A. That
is a good question. We need to fully understand one of the keys for a
successful marriage first. Healthy marriages are those in which two people
allow God to help them become one (Genesis 2:24-25 which says, "Therefore
shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:
and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife,
and were not ashamed."). God has designed leaving and cleaving as two
keys in realizing this.
Leaving does
not mean dumping your parents. You can still have rich relationships with them,
spend time together, share your joys and concerns, and pray with and for one
another. Leaving does mean that your spouse now becomes your primary focus,
commitment, and concern. It means that your primary dependence and loyalty are
no longer to your family (although you still love them) but to your spouse.
Although your family is still an important part of your life, your spouse now
becomes your chief source of support and encouragement, emotionally,
physically, relationally, financially, and spiritually in the Lord and what a
honour it is!
To cleave means
to cling on tenaciously, stick fast, and be faithful. Marriage means that we
have made a lifetime commitment and it is till death us do part. Cleave means
to resolve to stick together and when we have an argument or when problems
arise, we do not run back to Mommy or Daddy. We may talk with them and ask them
to pray for us, but we stick with our spouse first and seek his or her opinion,
and seek the Lord and talk things out, pray, seek wise counsel from a variety
of people (which may include your pastor or family members), ask God for
patience, forgive when appropriate, and trust God to use this problem to help
knit our hearts even more tightly together. 1 Peter 3:7 says, "Likewise,
ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the
wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of
life; that your prayers be not hindered."
We have
witnessed some instances when after an argument, one spouse (normally the wife)
runs home to Mom or Dad and stay there rather than face the problem and deal
with it. This behaviour can have a disastrous effect on the marriage. The
spouse who does this will not learn to work out conflicts in ways that lead to
deeper trust, bonding, healthy attachment, and an increased sense of safety and
intimacy with his or her spouse but will undermine the very foundation of the
covenant home.
Psalm 127:1
says, "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build
it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." Leaving
and cleaving is not about forsaking your family. It is about following God's
covenant plan for marriage and to be able to put the right persons first.
Remember your marriage vows and honour it joyfully and God will bless your
marriage. It is about embracing your spouse in the Lord in ways that help you
achieve a vital and vibrant marriage relationship and with your family as well.
That is a healthy manner to develop a God honouring Christian family together.
Hope this helps.
Jack &
Angie Sin
5) My wife
puts me down all the time, especially in front of our children and even in the
extended family. I have asked her to stop it because it hurts but she will not.
What should I do?
A. That
is a tough one. It is important that we fear God and respect each other. The
Bible has a lot to say about love, honour, and respect, for God first and also
for each other and in a covenant marriage to set a good example for our
children. There is no biblical basis for man or woman to put down our spouses
to discourage them publicly. Colossians 3:18-19 says, "Wives, submit
yourselves unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands, love
your wives, and be not bitter against them.”
The best
starting place is not with confronting your spouse first. Sometimes just
stepping back and asking God to help you better understand your spouse can lead
to an edifying next step to reconciliation.
Some People who
put down others through sarcasm or blatant criticism may be overcompensating
for a deep sense of personal inadequacy. They protect themselves by attacking
others, and may not be aware of how discouraging and even destructive their
words or behaviour can be for the spouse and the children as well.
Others use this
kind of behaviour to reflect bitterness or resentment that is resulted from a
spouse's inattention and insensitivity in the relationship or to the children.
Before you
attempt confrontation, try focusing on what you might be able to do
differently. One of the lessons God has taught us in our more than 17 years of
marriage is the Psalm 139:23-24 principle, which says: "Search me, O
God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any
wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
This means
asking God what your part of the problem might be, especially if her comments
are stemming from some bitterness in your previous relationship. Is there
anything you could do that God might use to soften her heart and increase her
receptivity to you? Are there wounds that came from past events that you need
to mindful of or even apologize for and seek forgiveness?
How much time
do you spend praying for and thinking about ways you can encourage your spouse?
Do you ever just listen to her without trying to correct her opinions or
attempt to solve her problem? When was the last time you complimented your wife
or husband or vice versa for something he or she did?
Pray for him /
her and ask God to help you give your spouse specific compliments each day
meaningfully. Some men may find it helpful to write them down and to DIN (Do It
Now) and not postpone until tomorrow. Amazing things happen in our lives and in
the lives of others when we intentionally encourage, honour, love, respect,
nourish, and cherish each other in the Lord.
With some prayerful
reflection and a "servant" attitude, you will need to re-address this
issue with your spouse. The next time she puts you down, pray to the Lord and
wait until you two are alone and then let her know what she said was hurtful
and that, you feel dishonoured, disrespected and embarrassed by what happened
in front of the children or family. Let her know that it had a negative impact
on you, on your ability to be effective with the children as a care giver and a
disciplinarian as well and diminish your credibility before your family members
and those who heard it. Ask her to tell you in private the next time she wants
to communicate something negative and that you will attempt to be responsive to
her concerns by God's grace. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt
communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of
edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."
Tell her that
you appreciate her recognizing you as the head of the house and that you want
to have a part in this God honouring and edifying marriage and that there is a
proper time and place to share our concerns together and that need not
necessarily be in front of family and friends. Solomon says that Love covers a
multitude of sins, do not get even with him but forge ahead together and honour
each other, and build a blessed covenant home in the love and fear of God. A
couple / family that prays together stays together. Ephesians 4:32 says, "And
be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Hope this helps.
Jack & Angie
Sin
6) Is it okay
for a man and woman, who are good friends, to live together if they are not
married; or, to travel together and stay in the same room in a hotel to cut
cost?
That is a good
question. There is a common practice of cohabiting among the unmarried in the
West and has come to
Non-married couples
living together is unacceptable to a thrice holy God and may stumble others
morally and can be a potential temptation as well (1 John 2:15-17; Genesis
39:9). This warrants a different living arrangement, then that should be done
immediately. 1 Thess 4:2-5, "For ye know what commandments we gave you
by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that
ye should abstain from fornication: hat every one of you should know how to
possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; Not in the lust of
concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God".
Basically, an
unmarried man and woman living together in the same roof and sharing the same
bed is displeasing before God, and is a bad testimony to others. We do not want
to do anything that will be dishonouring to Christ and a bad testimony of our
calling as a Christian. This applies to unmarried friends of the opposite sex
travelling together. It is advisable to stay in different rooms (and this
principle applies to the tertiary institution students living in hostels as
well). Paul advised us in
Hope this clarifies
the matter.
Jack Sin
7) Can a Christian continue with ancestor worship and the worship of God
as well?
That is
a good question. Ancestor worship is the adoration and worship of deceased
kinsmen. This is different from the general rites for the burial of the dead
and beliefs about the dead in general. The reference to worship of dead kinship
is very important in ancestor worship.
When I was a boy, my
mother used to offer food, pray and burn joss sticks in honour of the dead
forefathers. She would often offer them cooked rice, vegetables, meat like
chicken, joss papers and incense and bowed to the ancestral tablet. This was
done at least once a year and the forefathers were generally forgotten until
the following year. (Now that my parents are saved by God’s grace and mercy,
she has since stopped this practice.)
Ancestor worship,
which is a common practice in eastern religions, is the superstitious worship
of the dead parents and grandparents, and it is then extended to a group of
ancestors. It is required that rituals (ie offering of food and chanting) be
offered to these ancestors so that they are satisfied and will live in peace in
the world beyond, which is a superstition and is unfounded in the Word of God
(Luke 16:19-31).
Ancestor Worship
Forbidden in the Word of God
Is there any
specific reference to ancestor worship in the Bible? There is a clear
indication that the giving of offerings to the ancestors was practiced by the
Canaanites and strongly forbidden in the Bible for God's people. In Deuteronomy
26:14, the tithe-giver was commanded to assure and say, "I have not
eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any
unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead".
There is reference
to the burning of incense for the dead in Jeremiah 34:5, "But thou
shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings
which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they
will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the
LORD."
In Ezekiel 43:7-9 we
read a strong condemnation of the practice of worshipping the dead (kings):
"And he said
unto me, Son of man, the place of my throne, and the place of the soles of my
feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and
my holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they, nor their
kings, by their whoredom, nor by the carcases of their kings in their high
places. In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their
post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my
holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have
consumed them in mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the
carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them
for ever."
The prophet Isaiah
in Isaiah 65:1-4 gave a powerful rebuke of the practice of rendering worship to
the graves of dead family members:
"I am sought
of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said,
Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have
spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a
way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to
anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth
incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in
the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things
is in their vessels".
The living is to
have no communication with the dead (ie necromancy) at all (Luke 16:27-31,
Deuteronomy 18:9-14). Consider once again Isaiah 8:19, "And when they
shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto
wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?
for the living to the dead?"
A Christian
Response to Ancestor Worship
How do we as
Christians respond to ancestor worship? Note that ancestor worship is not based
solely upon respect and deference for dead family members. This is not
rejected in Christian thought: The Bible commands us to honour and obey our
parents and elders. It is not wrong to remember the dead in a meaningful
way without worship. However, going beyond showing respect to veneration in
worship of them is against the Word of God. Honouring the dead in an excessive
manner by setting up images, candles, performing rituals, and making offerings
of various kinds of sacrifices to them indicate that some kind of idol worship
is involved and gives a false understanding of the afterlife. As Christians, we
should make a stand against this (ie in funeral rites) and not indulge in it,
for God does not approve of this in His Word.
This applies also to
non-Christian funerals where religious rites require bowing to the deceased in
worship or carrying of joss sticks or burning of incense or chanting rituals.
Ancestor worship and
biblical Christianity are incompatible. 1 Thessalonians 1:9 speaks of turning
away from idols to serve the living and true God. Those who are saved by the
Lord, need to prayerfully stop their ancestor worship and worship only Christ
the true and living God instead in obedience to His Word.
Hope this helps.
Jack Sin
8)
I have regular arguments with my spouse and now there seem to be a strain in
our relationship and is less than fulfilling. How should we address or mend
this?
It is not uncommon
to have disagreements between couples from time to time. Anger, excessive work,
frustration with each other and the problems with children, school, home, and
even leisure can cause conflict and tension between couples and may affect your
marriage. You need to take notice of it and do something about it before it is
too late! The fact is, any marriage can be threatened, no matter how fabulous
it was when you started out and Satan will try to destroy it if possible. If
you do not care for and nurture your marital relationship, then your marriage
can be in potential danger.
Many will probably
gave their relationship more time and attention when it was new, and now, after
being married for several years and that newness has worn off, and so has the
excitement and that has to be checked.
Marriages can be in
trouble when we stop spending time and energy on our relationship with God and
our mate and substitute it for work, friends, leisure, the children or even
some legitimate hobbies or interest. Some couples seldom even eat meals
together, or share the same room (due to overseas travelling or other reasons)
and rarely talk about or show their love to each other. There is a possibility
that it can become a weakened relationship! (An average American couple speaks
to each other about 12 minutes a day as revealed in a survey done the
To get that joy back
in marriage from the Lord and the joy and blessed fulfillment back in your
marriage, you need to work on it in the Lord. The fact is, fulfilling, happy
marriages do not just happen, they have to be pursued and realised with
conscious effort and love by God's enabling grace and mercies.
Here are five
pointers to help you get back on track into your marriage:
1. Put God first and then each other at
the second (Matthew 6:33). Move each other to the second of your to-do
lists, just below your love and devotion to and for Jesus. Make spending time
together a priority, just as you did when you were first dating. We are amazed
at how many spouses and children spent time at home with one another for a few
hours a week and thought it is sufficient. You need quantity time as well as
real quality time together to build up something meaningful.
2. Confess our sins to God and be
forgiving and kind to each other (1 John 1:9). Unresolved offenses and an
unforgiving spirit block all kinds of intimacy - emotional, physical and
spiritual. We know this from our own experience and from talking to many
couples over the past one and half decade where marital love has grown cold.
Trying to get close while the hurts remain is like trying to hurdle over a
100-metre fence. It will not happen easily without a serious commitment and
sacrifice and self surrender something has to go first? Is it pride,
indifference, self-righteousness, anger, immoral practices, covetousness or
your anger or jealousy or a negative stumbling block that has to go? Something
to think about.
3. Make an effort to deepen
relationships by purposeful interaction (Mark 3:13,14). Most men tell us
they were far more successful at connecting with their wives before marriage or
before children. And many women report to us that as family responsibilities
and challenges mount, they lose track of their husbands' most heartfelt needs.
Recapturing the joy in your relationship requires that you get to deeply know
your spouse all over again with intensive opportunities to pray, share and
mulls over things together. Get away on a holiday once a while and leave the
job and kids alone for a while. Remember to turn off the handphone for a season
and do not bring the laptop, the IPod or MP3 (and turn off the TV as well).
4. Manage your thinking with godly
discipline (Philippians 4:8). Are you always negative, who always in your
work, church, or spouses, and react angrily and retaliate? What are you playing
over and over in your mind about your spouse? Can you change the way you think
about him or her? You may have to do two things: (1) Be willing to want to love
again with your spouse. (2) Manage and discipline your thoughts against
unedifying notions. Focus your mind or thoughts on the qualities or events that
caused you to love your spouse whom God gave to you in the first place.
5. Rekindle your love for God and each
other and have special times together (Ephesians 5:2). Show your love to
your spouse often and but even more important is making sure your spouse feels
cherished. The need for just plain "good times" is very important.
Decide with each other what fun time is like for the two of you. Then plan it
and get away. Sit down with your calendar and be serious about setting time for
not being so serious. This is not a time to deal with work, and other heavy
issues. Let your spouse rediscover you with contentment and associate you with God's
given joy and blessing again. It is a great thing to be married to
someone you love in the Lord and love is the lubricant that takes away the
friction in life.
We can rekindle the
joy of being married again by deliberately honouring Christ in worship, service
and prayer together and spending time with each other. As you do that, pray
that God will revive and restore you and your marriage and nothing is
impossible with God.
Jack Sin
9) How can I lead a Bible study in my home or office?
A good Bible
study has five main sections which can be summarised in the acronym (ABIDES).
A - Aim / Attitude
Write down the
Aim (desired objective) for your study (eg: "to help my members to
understand the book of Genesis or roles in married life or work related lessons
from a biblical perspective").
Have the right
perspective as you prepare and why you want the Bible study to be designed for
(ie evangelistic). Pray and ask God for wisdom and strength, and determine the
place and frequency and gather the people. Psalm 119:105 says, "Thy
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."
B - Background / Bible
Gather
necessary Background data (ie. note, map, historical facts, etc.) that your
members do not have in the text. Keep it simple and usable and read the text of
the Bible and observe details. Read from the KJV and later explain from it
clearly.
Here you need
to do some homework as you determine the subject and text for your Bible study.
Read a commentary, concordance Bible dictionary or books to enhance your
understanding. Give a basic introduction to the content and develop it further
with each lesson.
I - Instruction / Insight
The purpose of
your introduction is to interest your listeners convincing them that what you
are about to say is worthwhile listening to. Be imaginative (you may use a
quote, a story, a anecdote or historical incident … whatever you use must be
relevant to your text).
This is the 3rd
stage where you actually organise your lessons with careful observation, proper
interpretation of the grammatical historical content and application points
(ie. what does Jesus meant by "ye must be born again?"). Hebrews 4:12
says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any
twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and
of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the
heart."
D - Discussion / Didactic / Demeanour /
Deliberation
Develop or ask
relevant thought provoking questions which are relevant to the text and to the
context of your members. Aim your discussion to stimulate your members to think
and then discuss and to apply the lessons (ie. what should we do with Matthew
6:21 or Philippians 4:8?).
Let the
participants share and give their thoughts before summarising the lessons
learn. Participation breeds commitment and in turn affects behaviour. Isaiah
1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but
thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do
according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way
prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."
E - Epitome / Example
An Epitome is a
kind of a "summary" of your study. The purpose of your summary is to
focus your membaers on the key biblical ideas you intended for the group to
know. Close with specific steps of action and give some concrete examples for
them to take note (ie. memory verses, action steps in the home or work place,
like ethics or avoiding certain moral compromises). James 1:22 says, "But
be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
S - Self-Examination / Supplications
This is the
part for reflection and prayer together before God. It is also good to end with
intercession for one another before the throne of grace (Psalm 139:23, 24).
Remember 2
Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that
needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Jack Sin
10)
How can a person who is dabbling with the occult be adversely affected and how
can we as Christians help them?
Introduction
The word
"occult" simply means "hidden," implying hidden forces or
knowledge. It becomes used generally to mean practices that include spiritism,
psychism, cabbalism (ie the Bible Code of Michael Drosnin), horror movies,
occultic books (ie Harry Potter) freemasonry, channelling, yoga, witchcraft, sorcery, telling the future
from tarot cards, voodoo dolls, crystals, palmistry, astrology and others.
Groups like the
freemasons, the mormons and the wiccan advocates dabbling with occultic
activities in their beliefs and practices as well, sometimes unknowingly.
Recently, an article in Computer Times (21 April 99) has a whole section
on computer games and one of them is Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Warcraft,
Diablos, Resident Evil, some of which has a segment on how to cast spells and
combat wizards and demons. These games are quite easily accessible from most
computer shops today. Let parents and their children be forewarned of this
before it is too late. Restraint, godly counsel and correction may be needed
here for some.
Most people are
either just inquisitive or are seeking for something that God has not allowed
us (e.g., consulting the dead) for this is dangerous and can have disastrous
results. The Word of God is not silent on this subject. Leviticus 19:26, 31
say,
"Ye shall
not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe
times . . . Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after
wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."
The practice of the
occult is strongly condemned in the Bible. It is an abomination to God and God
will not leave any unpunished, who indulged in these forbidden activities
(Hebrews 12:6-11). Saul consulted a witch of Endor, and he was severely dealt
with. Remember Deuteronomy 29:29,
"The secret
things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong
unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this
law."
The New Age practice
of channelling and yoga, hypnotic music, non-traditional alternative forms of
treatment and meditation have mesmerised many who are in search of spiritual
healing and contentment. Instead of seeking the living and true God, many are
misled into trusting the spiritual counterfeit, and thought that it will
satisfy them. The Word of God warns believers not to have anything to do with these
abominable practices. In Deuteronomy 18:9-12, our Lord says,
"When thou
art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn
to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among
you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or
that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, Or
a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the LORD: and because of
these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee."
The NT has the same
emphasis on total separation from the occult. One of the things that is clearly
condemned in Galatians 5:20 is witchcraft or sorcery. Ephesians 6:12 warns of "the
rulers of the darkness of this world" and "spiritual
wickedness in high places". Simon Magnus who was dabbling with the
occult was severely admonished by the Apostle Peter (Acts 8:9-11), and Elymas
the magician (Acts 13:8) and the medium of
Involvement in the
occult can only lead to spiritual bondage and fear of hearing voices or seeing
things in the night or mental depression, and open gullible people to demonic
obsession and possession. We see this in the account of the young woman in
The Forms of
Occultism / Witchcraft in the Old Testament / New Testament
Moses warned by
inspiration of God, "There shall not be found among you any one ...
that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or
a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord ..."
(Deuteronomy 18:10-12)
I. All forms of the occult like
divination, necromancy, astrology, hypnotism, tarot cards, yoga, wizardy, spell
casting, fortune-telling, magic, etc, are forbidden by God. Consider Leviticus
19:26-28, 31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:9-14; 2 Kings 23:24; Jeremiah 10:2.
II. The interest in the occult is not a
recent development. It is as old as the biblical times.
A. Witchcraft
was openly and widely practiced in Old Testament times. Read Isaiah 8:19; 19:3;
29:4; Ezekiel 21:21; Hosea 4:12; Micah 3:6-7; 5:12.
B. Occultism
and sorcery was rampant in the early church and the apostles had to deal with
them. Consider, Simon the magician - Acts 8:9, 11; Elymas the sorcerer - Acts
13:8; The girl at Philippi - Acts 16:16; The city of Ephesus - Acts 19:19.
C. The
Word of God testifies that there will be an increased activity in false
teachings and the occult in the latter days (Matthew 24:3, 4, 24).
III. The power behind these supernatural
manifestations of the occult.
A. The
teachings of spiritism and occultic activity are doctrines of demons! (1
Timothy 4:1).
B. Not
all miracles are of God. Satan can also perform lying signs and wonders to
deceive many. Consider, Exodus 7:9-12; 8:7, 17-19; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew
24:24; Mark 13:22; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; Revelation 13:13-14,16:14; 19:20.
C. Occult
involvement may lead to demon possession, obsession and other forms of
depression.
Acts 13:8, 10 (Paul called the
magician a "child of the devil!")
Acts 16:16-18
D. Scripture
says that they "sold their souls" to the devil by their occult practices
which they allow the evil one to possess or obsess them! (2 Kings 17:17).
IV. The Bible clearly states that these
diabolical workers of iniquity operate to deceive and enslave many. Read
Jeremiah 14:14; 27:9-10; 29:8-9; Zechariah 10:2; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2
Thessalonians 2:7-12; Revelation 18:23b.
A. It
is possibly true that fortune-tellers possessed by the evil one can reveal
something (see Exodus 7:9-12; 8:7; Daniel 1:20); but their power is limited
(Exodus 8:17-19; Daniel 2:2, 10, 27; 4:7; 5:7-8, 15) and we are not to seek
them at all.
B. God
challenged the people to see if the power of their astrologers was greater than
that of God and condemned their spiritual compromise. (Isaiah 47:12-14).
V. Consequences for involvement in the occult.
A. Under
the Law (Old Testament), the punishment was death by stoning as this is a great
affront to God. Read Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 13:5.
B. Saul
died because he participated in a seance (1 Samuel chapter 28),
and the kingdom was taken from
him (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
C. Those
guilty of practicing witchcraft shall have no peace (2 Kings 9:22; Isaiah
57:20-21), and they shall not escape judgment (Malachi 3:5).
D. Their
souls shall be rejected by God and suffer eternal consequences. Read Leviticus
20:6; 2 Kings 17:17; Isaiah 2:6.
E. They
shall be refused entrance into the kingdom (Galatians 5:19-21), and their end
shall be the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8; 22:14-15).
VI. Is occultism a serious offense? Yes,
consider the following,
A. In
scripture, witchcraft is paralleled to rebellion (disobedience) against God (ie
Harry Potter, Wiccan Clubs, etc). Read 1 Samuel 15:23.
B. God
says it is an abomination in His sight and He strongly abhors and forbids us to
seek occultic means (Deuteronomy 18:9-14).
C. God
says they "sold their souls" to the devil by their divination (2
Kings 17:17).
D. It
is not only spiritually defiling (Leviticus 19:31); but it has a bad spiritual
influence on others as well (Nahum 3:4-7, 19).
E. It
greatly displeases and angers God. Read 2 Kings 21:5-6; 2 Chronicles 33:6.
VII. Christians must separate themselves from
all forms of magic (ie voodoo dolls, spells, occultic books and games), and
they must renounce and destroy all associations of their former involvement in
the occult (Acts 19:19).
A. In
faithfulness to God, during biblical times the land was often ridded of all
mediums and spiritists. Read 1 Samuel 28:3, 9; 2 Kings 23:24.
B. Those
who "repented not" of their sorceries will be subjected to eternal
torment in judgment. Read Revelation 9:20; 16:9.
Conclusion
A genuine child of
God cannot be demon-possessed but that does not mean we can dabble with it. We
have the Holy Spirit indwelling within us. Remember 1 John 4:4, "Ye are
of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is
in you, than he that is in the world." It is possible, however, they
can be negatively influenced by demons. To guard against these attacks of the
evil one, we are told to submit to God first and resist the devil and he will
flee from us (1 Peter 4:7; James 4:7). We are also to put on the full armour of
God, to withstand the wiles of the devil, as mentioned in Ephesians 6:10-18. If
a believer persists in the occultic activities, God will discipline us as He
does to all sons (Hebrews 12:5-11), and there would be temporal consequences of
sin, that we may have to bear up with if we have crossed the line.
The only way of
deliverance from the occult is through repentance, belief and faith in our Lord
Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16 says,
"For I am
not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Christ came to break
the bondage of sin and stronghold of the evil one through His victory at the
Cross. Only the repentance from sin and a saving relationship with Christ our
Lord can protect us. Obey His Word and submit to His will constantly. Flee from
these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, truth, with those who
call on God out of a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Timothy 6:11-12). Jesus
Christ is the only way (John 14:6).
Jack Sin
11)
I used to cheat during the exam. Now, I have repented of my sin. But when the
exam is held, I am tempted to cheat again. What can I do?
Cheating at exams or
assignments or tests is a serious sin that is commonly committed by many
students, (but many are probably not caught) and need to be confessed and
repented of. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Although we confess and repent, the temptation can be present and one has to
take extra measures like:-
1. Pray that God will help you to be honest.
Jesus in Matthew 26:41 said, "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into
temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
2. Be well prepared for the exam. If you have
studied hard, you will be confident and not be so easily tempted. 2
Thessalonians 2:15 says, "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the
traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."
Diligence will enable you to know most of the answers and be humble to accept
that there may be some that you are unable to answer fully. Remember to cheat
is to be dishonest before God and men and has its consequences, but if you are
honest and hardworking, you will not only pass but be able to also do well.
3. Physically, make sure that you are seated
far from your friends so that there is no chance of cheating. Also remember to
keep your eyes on your own paper and not look around at other people's paper.
That is something you must consciously avoid.
4. Remember that your Christian testimony is at
stake. To try hard in exams and then to be disappointed with not so good
results is better than to cheat and do well. There is always another chance to
do better. But to be caught cheating (even if we are not) is a shameful thing
and destroys your good testimony, (A good name is rather to be chosen than
great riches - Proverbs 22:1). Worst still, it tarnishes the name of the Lord
that you worship and you are cheating God and yourself in the end. The next
time you are tempted to cheat again, pray and ask God for strength to fight
against it and He will honour you. Remember to study hard (so you do not need
to cheat) and glorify the Lord in all that you do (1 Corinthians 10:31).
Diligence, not just Intelligence, and Perspiration, not just Inspiration, is
the key to academic success.
Jack Sin
12)
How do I ensure that I maintain a good testimony during my National Service?
2 Timothy 2:3, 4
says, "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus
Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life;
that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier." It is
good that you are keen to maintain a good testimony for the Lord and uphold His
name. The first thing to do is not to hide the fact that you are a Christian. "Let
your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify
your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16). Therefore do not give
in to bad language, drinking, smoking, moral compromise or dishonesty. When you
witness to your friends at the camp, they will listen as they may have a good
impression of you. If you at times suffer, despised or ridiculed for the stand
you take, be like Paul who rejoiced that he was worthy to "suffer shame
for his name" (Acts 5:41).
Remember to say
grace before your meals, maintain a regular QT (this is where the discipline
regarding time will come in), keep away from the suggestive magazines or videos
or questionable internet portals, be nice to all, respect authority, do not
murmur or pick up swear words, maintain temperance and patience, stay away from
alcohol, cigarettes and gambling. Be disciplined in the use of your time. Lead
a godly life and be competent in your field of expertise. This is not easy but
pray without ceasing and ask God for His mercies and help.
The physical and
mental challenge is also great. Being mentally prepared is half the battle won.
Keep fit by doing some physical training and remember to respect authority.
This will help also to have the stamina and strength you need for your military
exercise and IPPT. Get those who have completed their NS to show you some of
the drills or tips that you need to know. Constantly look to the Lord for
wisdom, strength and understanding. Pray before, during and after every
activity and God will certainly guide you when you seek Him first (Proverbs
3:5-7).
Another tip is
always to find good Christian friends who are in the same platoon or battalion
working with you and who are willing to aid you in any way they can, offering
godly advice and sharing your problems and praying together and reading His
Word.
Manage your
emotional and spiritual life too by committing every thing to the Lord in
prayer. Do not be caught in a web of discontent with bad company or idleness.
Ecclesiastes says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to
every purpose under the heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1). There is a time to
serve the country and there will be a time when you would have discharged your
duty with honour when you ORD and have a good legacy behind as a faithful soldier
of Christ in the Lord’s army as well.
Jack Sin
13) What is the correct dressing when we go to worship God on Sunday if
any?
Our demeanour
and decorum is important before God and men. An important guideline to dressing
well is to dress appropriately. When you have to appear before the Prime
Minister or President, you will have to dress well to honour the
guest-of-honour. When you are at the beach, you can of course dress comfortably
to be able to run and jump and exercise. More important than just external
apparel, Peter adds in 1 Peter 3:3, 4 saying, "Whose adorning let it
not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or
of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that
which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which
is in the sight of God of great price."
How do we dress
when we go to God's house on the Lord’s Day? God is the King of kings and Lord
of lords. The Lord's Day is an important day of rest and worship of a Thrice
Holy God as we appear in church with other believers. We honour God by dressing
appropriately. Appropriateness would mean we dress modestly, moderately and
presentably relevant to the occasion. There is no need to dress elaborately or
seductively to draw attention to ourselves which is not right.
Biblical
worship should be in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), in the beauty of holiness
(1 Chronicles 16:29) and in decency and in order (1 Corinthians 13:40). We
should therefore not dress casually as if we are going to the beach, market or
for a stroll at the mall. Shorts, T-shirts, jeans, spaghetti stripes, slippers
and sandals that are associated with flippant attire or excessive accessories
should be avoided for Sabbath worship. A decent blouse and skirt for ladies and
shirt and pants for men would be appropriate with proper shoes.
To dress
modestly means we should not expose too much flesh and distract or tempt others
especially for the ladies. It is better to be conservative in our propriety and
decorum than to be seen as trendy and thus worldly. As Christians, we should
not be slaves to fads and fashions of the world (Romans 12:1, 2). Clean and
fresh clothes, worn modestly or presentably would be in order for Sabbath
worship of the Most High God, coupled with a right spirit of holiness and fear,
and be a good testimony to others as well. Your apparel tells about your
character and inner being. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye
eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
Jack &
Angie Sin
14) I often quarrel with my mother. How can I be a
better Christian in the family?
Many
youths complained that their parents do not understand them. Have you asked the
question, "Do I understand my parents?"
Whether
they are Christians or not, the fact is that they are your parents and do love
and care for you. They are humans too and would also like to be understood.
Sometimes they have their difficult moments too with you or in the office with
work. God is working with them and you, and as "
As
you want them to be patient with you, be patient with them. In this fast paced
world, they may need time to adjust to new technology and your new lifestyle
that they may not have experienced before in their lives. By such gentle and
loving, understanding behaviour, you need not quarrel with your mother. God has
instructed all of us to honour our parents and so honouring God is shown by
respecting them and obeying them as well (Ephesians 6:1-4).
Being
a Christian, your testimony and influence for God in the home to the other
siblings is important. Show your respect, obedience for them and be responsible
and hardworking in helping out with the household chores. This is honour in
action. Your God-given wisdom will also be of help in family problems provided
you know your Bible and what God commands us to do in different situation. As
you pray, ask God to guide you to influence and help your family positively.
Parents
often have good reasons for the way they act. They do not set that curfew for
you just to show you that they are in-charge. They are concerned about your
safety and spiritual and moral well-being getting in on time for they know what
can happen when young people stay out late. Their apparent strictness is
because they do not want you to get into trouble. They may have seen teenagers
in other families adversely affected and want to keep you away from danger.
They may demand a clean house or that you study hard with discipline and
diligence and seek God on the Sabbath for good reasons. It is good to come back
to a clean and tidy house. There is a need to learn to serve God and do
household chores responsibly as a good steward. Pray to the Lord to help you to
understand why your parents would encourage you to do something meaningful like
study hard or to help out or stay at home at times and be a good example to
your other siblings.
Respect
and pray for your parents and God can use them mightily as a guardian for your
souls. Your parents are way ahead of you in experience and they are appointed
by God to look after you and have your spiritual and moral well-being in mind.
Honour them by obeying them with a good attitude and God will bless and prosper
obedient children with long life and good spiritual and intellectual progress
according to His will (Ephesians 6:1-4). This is the will of God concerning us.
Jack Sin
15)
When my relative died recently, I was the only Christian so I joined the
Buddhist funeral ceremony. I regretted it. What must I do now?
When we sin out of
ignorance and sincerely repent, the Lord will surely forgive us if we sincerely
confess our sins to the Lord. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful
and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9.
You can be around to
show your grief and concern and to comfort your relatives, but avoid the pagan
religious rites and rituals (ie chanting, kneeling to the dead, and burning of
joss sticks to the deceased, etc).
As Christians, we
worship the One True God and none other (ie we are monotheistic not
polytheistic or pantheistic). When we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour
and Lord, we have turned from idolatry and false religious practices to the
living and true God (1 Thessalonians 1:9). We belong to Him and there is a
separation from false and dark practices of those who do not know the true God.
There is to be no compromise as Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:14 says, "Be ye
not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath
righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with
darkness?"
Continue to manifest
a good testimony before your unbelieving relatives and family. Show that you
respect family ties and care for them. The Bible exhorts us to honour our
parents and also those who are older than us. Do all you can to show that you
are a loving daughter or son, without compromising your loyalty to the Lord.
You may want to share with them the gospel and they may be receptive to the
good news that Jesus loves them and has died for them one day God willing.
The next time you
have to attend a non-Christian funeral, beware of some of the pagan rites and
keep clear of them to stand for Christ and be a good testimony to others.
Jack Sin
16)
Is it alright for a Christian to listen to pop or rock music?
Music is a powerful
medium that influence our minds and words and is not neutral. There are some
biblical principles that are helpful for all Christians to know to guide them
in wise and God-honouring decisions. In the book, Christian Perspective on
Contemporary Youth Issues (p. 152-153), the authors have devised the 4Es
which are four questions that you may ask yourself to evaluate this.
1. Is it expedient? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Although you have
the freedom to choose and it is not unlawful, is it beneficial or profitable to
me spiritually? Is listening to loud and jarring pop music and the lyrics
helpful and spiritually uplifting for my soul?
2. Is it enslaving? (1 Corinthians 6:12)
Do I become
dependent on it, enslaved by its repetitive and hypnotic sounds? Do I always
try to sing like them? We can be addicted and be in the bondage to worldly
contemporary music if we are not careful and must listen to it all the time on
the IPods, MP3s, PDAs, handphones or the laptops.
3. Is it an example? (1 Corinthians 8:9)
In this verse, Paul
tells us to be careful about our Christian testimony lest we stumble or
discourage other younger Christians in the faith. Is it offensive to other
Christians or will they be stumbled or edified when they hear it in my house or
car or IPod?
4. Is it edifying? (1 Corinthians 10:23,
31)
In other words, does
the song and the music increase our love for the Lord? Words have meanings and
so do the words edify or build up faith? If it is just superficial romantic or
suggestive lyrics, it would just leave you with a false picture of God's love
that the Bible talks about. Does listening to it cause us to have more faith,
more love to God and more holiness in your walk with Him? Is it glorifying to
God? Is the name of Christ exalted? There can be edifying music that will
glorify God and edify us when we sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs
(Colossians 3:16), but some worldly music are sensual and the content even
immoral or unwholesome.
Remember that our
calling is to grow in faith and holiness and to be a sanctified blessing to
others and not a stumbling block.
Jack Sin
17)
I am a science student and am curious and interested to find out if the Bible
does support empirical science that we study today.
Yes, true empirical
science (ie not the false or pseudo science of evolution or psychology) is
consistent with scripture. There are many of the principles of modern science
were already spoken of in the Bible as facts of nature many years before
scientific research finally made the empirical discoveries. Let us consider a
few below.
The Law of
Increasing Entropy
It has been
established that in all physical processes, every ordered system tends over
time to become more disorganized, and also to lose energy in the form of heat,
and to slow down; everything gets old and wears out, or runs down. This
increasing randomness, disorder, and cooling is called "Entropy," and
this situation is described in physics by the "Second Law of
Thermodynamics."
We see this
principle expressed in the Bible (in about 1000 BC), when it says (concerning
God): "Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the
heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:
yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change
them, and they shall be changed: But thou art the same, and thy years shall
have no end." (Psalm 102:25-27).
We know that if the
stars in the heavens get very old, they will all burn out, and they will all
undergo "heat-death" until everything in the universe cools off to
the same temperature. In the first century AD, the apostle Paul brings out the
same idea when he writes, "For the creature was made subject to vanity,
not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of
corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans
8:20-21).
So, the Bible
accurately describes the modern Law of increasing Entropy, as the entire
material universe relentlessly runs down and loses available usable energy, in
a process of "decay".
The Number of the
Stars in the Universe
In the years 161-126
BC, the man who is said to have first started the study of astronomy,
Hiparchus, counted the number of stars in the heavens, and put the number at
1,080. This number was considered to be fairly accurate 300 years later, when
Ptolemy announced that the number was more like 1,056.
It was not until the
invention of the telescope that people realized that the number of the stars
was huge ... in the countless millions. The Bible did not make the mistake of
saying that the number was merely a few hundred or thousand, but rather, in
about 600 BC, the prophet Jeremiah says the number is "As the host of
heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I
multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto
me." (Jeremiah 33:22). Also, from the year 1500 BC, the same concept
comes from Genesis 22:17. And this is correct, as some estimate the number of
stars to be approximately 10 to the power of 26th (which may also be a fair
estimate of the number of the grains of sand on all the earth's sea-shores),
but the actual number is "countless" for us to attempt to precisely
count. However, God, who is infinite in knowledge, knows the exact number, as
the Bible says, "He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them
all by their names." (Psalm 147:4).
The Immense Size
of the Cosmos
The Bible makes it
clear that the knowledge of God, and His ways of doing things, are virtually
infinite beyond that of mankind, and the size of the starry cosmos is used as
an illustration of this, when God says (in 700 BC), "For as the heavens
are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my
thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9).
The Roundness of
the Earth
It had once upon a
time be taught that the earth is flat. In fact, as recently as the 16th
century, sailors would threaten to mutiny on ocean-going ships that sailed too
far from land, for fear of sailing off the edge of the earth, which was thought
by many to be flat like a table top.
(Some have wrongly
thought that the Bible teaches a flat earth, but it does not. The Bible speaks
of the "four corners" of the earth (in Revelation 7:1), but this is
only a figurative way of referring to the "four points" (basic
directions) of the compass and this same verse speaks of the "four
winds," which refers to the same thing.)
In comparison, the
Bible actually says, "It is he (God) that sitteth upon the circle of
the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers" (Isaiah
40:22). In that verse, the word translated "circle" is the Hebrew "khoog",
which can also be translated as "roundness", "circle",
"circuit", or "compass" (ref: Strongs Dictionary,
2329). The roundness of the earth is a viewpoint from space that no mere man
had in 760 BC when those words were written. (Although, it might easily be
suspected that the earth is round, by looking at the sun and moon).
The Earth is
Suspended in Space
For centuries
various cultures around the world speculated what holds up or supports the
earth among the stars, sun and moon. The ancient Greeks believed that a giant
being, Atlas, stood with the earth on his huge arms and shoulders, while the
Hindus believed that the earth was supported on the backs of immense elephants,
which stood on the shell of a great cosmic turtle which then swam around in the
"cosmic sea".
But the Bible, on
the other hand, gives an amazingly accurate picture of what we have confirmed
to be scientific reality today, as seen from space. The Bible says (concerning
God): He "hangeth the earth upon nothing" (Job 26:7).
This is an accurate description of what it is like to view the earth from outer
space, from any direction. It also does not run counter to the gravitational
(and momentum) force which "suspends" the earth in space "over
nothing." Amazingly, these are words written in about 1500 BC!
Orderly
Astronomical Movements in Space
In about the year
600 BC, God declares through the prophet Jeremiah: "Behold, the days
come, saith the LORD, ... which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the
ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night ... If those
ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also
shall cease from being a nation before me for ever." (Jeremiah 31:35,
36). So, there is an orderly relationship in the positioning of the sun, moon,
stars and earth, which is established in relation to each other. However, this
is not a static or motionless relationship, because God created the sun, moon
and stars to move in a regular fashion for the measuring of time, as God said
(as written in 1500 BC), "Let there be lights in the firmament of the
heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons,
and for days, and years" (Genesis 1:14). So, the orderly relationship
and motions of the bodies in space has been established by the God of the
Bible, and their regular and orderly motion has a time-measuring function. Such
order arises from the laws of physics which are part of what God created in
matter.
Vision of Birds
of Prey
It had long been
thought by generations of scientists that birds of prey (such as eagles and
falcons) located their prey by means of an acute sense of smell, however it has
since then been discovered that such birds actually have a very poor sense of
smell. Instead, ornithologists have determined that such birds have remarkable
vision capabilities. In fact, it has been discovered that while some such birds
are diving to catch their prey, the shape of the cornea varies during the
descent, enabling it to maintain a perfect focus. In about 1500 BC, Job 28:7
makes note of the falcon's excellent vision, and in Job 39:27-29 it states that
the eagle looks down from an inaccessible cliff, and spies out its prey
"from afar."
The Hydrologic
Cycle
In a good brief
description of world-wide air movements and the hydrologic water cycles of the
weather, we read, "The wind goeth toward the south, and turneth about
unto the north; it whirleth about continually, and the wind returneth again
according to his circuits. All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not
full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return
again." (Ecclesiastes 1:6-7). In similar manner, Job 36:27-28 says, "For
he (God) maketh small the drops of water: they pour down rain according to the
vapour thereof: Which the clouds do drop and distil upon man abundantly"
which is a statement from 1500 B.C. It was not until data and measurements were
taken all over entire hemispheres of the globe in our modern era that such an
understanding of the hydrologic cycle and world air-currents was achieved, and
then once again, the Bible is confirmed as correct.
Conclusion
Such examples (and
there are more like "life is in the blood" in Leviticus 17 and the
principle of quarantine to prevent spreading of infectious diseases, ie SARS in
2003 in Leviticus 13) are evidence of divine inspiration, as they demonstrate
that there are many principles of modern science which the Bible states as
facts of nature thousands of years before scientists confirmed them by
observation and experimentation. Although there are various statements in the
Bible which describe some things in a "phenomenological" way (such as
saying the sun "rises" and moves "across" the sky), we make
the exact same statements today despite being fully aware of modern scientific
facts, and so the Bible should not be unfairly faulted as making a
"false" statement of science when it is not actually asserting or
teaching a scientific fact, but is using every-day expressions.
In fact some of the
renowned scientists like Pascal, Faraday,
However, the MOST
important "Proof" is Christ Himself. Though a piece of descriptive writing from God
did not contradict actual facts of science, such facts are not among the most
important things which demonstrate that a piece of literature is from God, an
encyclopedia gives many more science facts than any piece of religious writing.
The most
important "proof" is the fact of the bodily resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-58). Any fact of science are
insignificant compared to this. Since Christ has risen from the dead, this
gives us proof that his words are truth. This gives us proof that Christ is
deity (God) in a human body, and that he is worthy of all praise and ultimate
worship ... and remember that Christ accepted such worship. The risen Christ
himself, and his sinless victorious life over the grave, is the greatest fact
of all history ... and it is the resurrected Christ who quoted most of the
prophets of the Bible as authoritative, which gives God's mighty endorsement to
the words of the Bible. He is the only true Saviour who can save us from our
sins when we repent and believe in him (Matthew 1:21; Romans 10:9, 10; John
14:6). This is the greatest truth of all times.
Compared to such a
vital fact or proof of Christ (and He is coming again), science fades into
insignificance, though the Bible does supply amazing science facts as well.
Hope this helps.
Jack Sin
18)
I like to play a lot of video games. It is my hobby and I enjoy the challenge
of online gaming and I think my parents who are against it are overreacting. It
should be ok, right?
Thanks for the
sincere question, there is a time for clean fun and games and there is a time
not to play certain games at all.
We need to beware of
the powerful urge of possible addiction to go on and on to conquer at that next
level. It is fine to take a break from studies and work and we often do that
too, but can you list five other things that you enjoy doing with your free
time, besides online gaming? Do you play more than three hours at a time and
have you ever lied to someone to hide time spent gaming? If your answer is yes
to the last 2 questions, then there is a cause for concern.
There is a deep
rooted problem in video games; and as the technology improve, this problem has
worsened. One of the problems is women being exploited in video games and
occultism and violence are rife too. This is rarely discussed in the industry,
although it should be. There needs to be accountability for the ways they are
molding young minds. The players who commit acts of violence against women
virtually need to know the fact that they may do it to a real person one day.
Some video games are
almost about pure killing. There are games where there is not a 10-minute hunt
without a kill at the end. Blast, kill, blow up, shoot, bang, kick, punch and
kill. They attempt to simulate all the weapons in our real world as exactly as
possible but they show the worst, most totally incorrect portrayal of the
results of their use. Virtual people do not suffer, do not even feel pain, just
quickly die and gracefully depart, leave no children behind, with no legal or
moral repercussions. Many young people today are not doing well in their school
work; Bible reading; fellowship with others or relationships with (and worship
of) God, friends and parents due to their craving for computer gaming.
There are a few
traits that are credited for the game's irresistible nature. First, it offers
rewards to its players very quickly. After creating your character, you are
able to conquer the computerized mobs and first few levels fairly easily. This
provides the resources and skills required to upgrade your character in order
to face the increasing challenges. Like a carefully controlled gambling
machine, they encouraged the first few wins or losses and it keep you wanting
more. Many video games instruct the player to kill; run someone over with a
car; shoot or torture someone, and then mutilate and mangle the victim.
Sorcery; witchcraft;
Satanism and magic play a vital part in many of the games. Do you want to play
a obsessive game of being a WITCH OR SORCERER or combating against one?
Some have shunned
its mystical or violent makeup after learning its hard lessons. Other players
have reported severe depression and even suicides after players' fictitious
characters were killed. On the other hand, some argued the game enhanced
creative thinking and provided players a safe opportunity to live out
fantasies. A March 2002 article from the
Paul advise us, "Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."
(Philippians 4:8)
Some video games are
perfectly legitimate recreation when played in moderation. It is not that all
video or online games are evil. In fact, this is more a matter of prayerful
wisdom and moderation and the stewardship of time. It may not be wrong to play
some video games (ie intellectual puzzles and educational ones), but it is
unwise to give the game more mental, emotional and creative energy and time
than you should for God and His word and your studies and family. Paul wrote, "All
things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are
lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (1
Corinthians 6:11-13).
If the idea of
giving up excessive gaming (or any pastime) in your life makes you extremely
uncomfortable before the Lord and robs you of your precious time for Him
(remember the good old principle of opportunity costs that we learnt in
economics), that activity is "mastering" you. Be honest with
yourself. Pray to God about your time management and desires. Ask your father
or mother, elder or deacon or godly friend to show you some edifying activities
(ie sports, reading, fellowship, games, etc) that will be truly beneficial to
you. It is serious decision making time. Do not be a incorrigible
"hooked" audience, and fulfill a game manufacturer's dream and your
family's ultimate nightmare. Something to think and pray about seriously. Hope
this helps.
Jack Sin
19) How can I reconcile the reality of hell
with the Christian's God of salvation?
This is
a good question. The Bible has much to say about the reality of a place of
eternal condemnation called hell and it is not a figment of imagination as some
liberals and cults have claimed.
Remember what Jesus said to those who refused to acknowledge Him,
'Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels' (Matt. 25:41). It is a place reserved for those who willfully
reject Christ as God and Saviour. A loving God provides us with the only means
for salvation through Jesus Christ who died for our sins. (Acts 4:12) A
merciful and just God is not a contradiction.
The Lord clearly
states, 'Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord
GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?' (Ezek 18:23).
In explaining the
historical account of Lazarus and the rich man, remember what Jesus says, 'Son,
remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise
Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.' (Luke
16:25). ie in hell suffering for eternity.
Consider these
strong words, to the self-righteous Pharisees, Jesus retorted, 'Ye serpents, ye
generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?' (Matt 23:33).
How then can we escape the everlasting damnation in hell? The answer is given
by Paul in Rom 10:9-10,
"That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart
man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation."
Hell is a place
where the devil and the demons (ie fallen angels in Jude 6-7) will be
incarcerated forever, burying with fire and brimstone (Rev 20:10).
Hell is reserved for
those who will not acknowledge Christ as their personal God and Saviour who is
the only living and true God. The Lord is not willing that any should perish
but for all to come to repentance (2 Pet 3:9). So let us not take God's warning
of hell lightly and let us forsake all and seek Christ as our personal Lord as
Saviour now while He may be found (2 Cor 6:2) and escape the eternal damnation
of hell. There is no contradiction with a gracious and merciful God and the
teaching of hell in the Bible at all.
Jack Sin
20) Can a
Christian ever commit the unpardonable sin In Mat 12:31-32? Can you explain
what it is?
No truly converted
Christian can ever commit this sin. No spiritual revival will ever come to that
soul that does it. A spiritual hardening process will have taken place and one
will know it as in Judas Iscariot. Jesus warns of this sin in Mat 12:31-32.
'Wherefore I say
unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever
speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this
world, neither in the world to come.'
In another passage
we read: "But he hath shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never
forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:' (Mark 3-29).
The tragedy lies in
the eternally unforgiven and rebellious soul. Since the Holy Spirit is the
Divine Agent in conviction and conversion of the soul, there can be no
regeneration without the Holy Spirit. To purposely condemn the work of the Holy
Spirit is to sin against God perpetually. To blaspheme against the Holy Spirit
is to shut one off forever from access to God by going against the prompting of
the Holy Spirit wilfully with an evil intent. No Christian can commit this sin
accidentally. 'There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray
for it.' (I John 5:16).
You will know if you
cross the line. Those who have committed this sin are completely given over to
Satan and have not the slightest interest in spiritual matters. Paul describes
them as "having a reprobate mind" (Rom 1:26-28). It is
depraved and wilful contempt of God and unbelief exhibited to its fullest. The context was that Christ healed a dumb and
blind man possessed with an evil spirit but they ascribed the work of our Lord
to Satan and falsely accused Him of collaborating with the evil one, Beelze
bub.
Blasphemy in
ignorance is not unpardonable. Saul of Tarsus was a blasphemer before, and he
was pardoned when he was regenerated and transformed by the Lord along
Jack Sin
21) How can I build up my prayer life and why
is it that God does not answer my prayer? What can I do instead?
That is
a good question.
One of the highest
honour accorded to a child of God is to come directly before God's holy
presence without any hindrance. All the infinitely rich and inexhaustible
sources of heaven are available to us as God responds to our prayer
according to His sovereign purpose. Our Lord Jesus reminds his disciples to
pray, in John 16:24, "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask,
and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."
The end of all
prayer is the glory of God and it not about ourselves and our wants only. The
lack of drive for prayer is an indicator that our love for God has grown cold. Sin will keep us from prayer or prayer will
keep us from sin and we are to pray according to His will always. The Apostle
John summarised the vital principle of God-honouring prayer in 1 John 5:14-15,
"And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us,
whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of
him."
The Word of God
commands us to pray always and not faint (Eph 6:18) and to pray without ceasing
(1 Thes 5:17). Prayer is a both a privilege and duty and the neglect of prayer
is to our spiritual loss. When God answers prayer, He will be glorified and He
desires His subjects to be engaged in intercessory for the saving of souls
and the building up of His kingdom. The primary reason for prayer is not
only the granting of our requests according to our will, but also the display
of God's goodness, wisdom, power and grace to His glory. 2 Cor 1:11 says,
"Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed
upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our
behalf."
On how to build up our
prayer life, firstly, consider our Lord Jesus who set the perfect example for
us to follow in the habit of prayer in Mark 1:35, which says, "And in
the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into
a solitary place, and there prayed." It is often profitable to wake up
early and to be alone with God first before men (Ps 5:3). The Psalmist also
said, "Early will I seek you" (Ps 73:1). It requires settling
aside a place and time to be disciplined to do it especially in the morning if
possible.
Secondly, consider
also Daniel who prayed three times a day with thanksgiving on his knees without
fail (Dan 6:10). Kneeling gives us a good standing before God. Luke 6:12
says that our Lord Jesus continued all night in prayer to God. Can we last more
than ˝ hour in private intercession with God while we talk for hours on the
phone with a friend?
Thirdly, it is
important to note that prayer is not a magical incantation or meaningless
chanting. It is the heartfelt expression of the soul to God for such
things that will glorify God and in accordance to His perfect will. Prayer
should be a way of life for all the saints of God.
One of the useful
analogies is to compare praying to our breathing. Inhaling and exhaling are so
natural to us that we do it every second involuntary. Should not this be our
frequent spiritual exercises ('inhale' through prayer and the Word and 'exhale'
through confession of our sins) and for the good health and vitality of our
souls?
Fourthly, our prayer
life should be accompanied by importunity or persistence. Luke 18:4-5
gives us an important example whereby the perseverance of prayer brought about
a positive response. May this challenge us and increase our fervency and
frequency in daily intercession.
God our loving
heavenly Father longs to answer our prayers but He may test our intensity of
desire or persistence to see if we really ask him. Keep asking, seeking and
knocking and you will be pleasantly surprised one day (Matt 7:7). As to why God
did not answer your prayers it is noteworthy that. There are generally four
answers to prayer; namely :
Direct-Yes,
Denial-No,
Delay-Wait,
Different-Something else.
Prayer should be
accompanied by fervency and frequency. An example is a man called Epaphras. Col
4:12 says, "Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth
you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect
and complete in all the will of God."
To pray aright
consider using the acronym ACTS that may be helpful here:
Adoration, (or worship of God)
Confession of sins
Thanksgiving in all things
Supplication for ourselves and others
Our personal
petitions and supplications can be included in our prayers as well. Phil
4:6 says, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
We can ask for inner strength, victory, comfort, peace, wisdom and guidance in
our daily walk, work, salvation of our family and friends among other things.
Do not forget to thank God when He answers and not be weary to pray for the
salvation of our loved ones.
Prayers ascend to
God as sweet smelling odour or savour that is well pleasing to Him (Rev 5:9,
8:4).
A prayerless
Christian is a powerless Christian. There are obstacles to fervent prayers; including ill-discipline, sin,
leisure, excessive care for business or studies, carnality and worldliness that
may prevent us from coming to the throne of grace often. Satan will not let us
pray easily. We need to be resolute, disciplined to call on God daily and be
truly refreshed and blessed by the joy and privilege of persevering in personal
and corporate intercessory prayer as in the church weekly Wednesday night
prayer meeting. Hope this helps.
Jack Sin