Thank God for yet another opportunity to study His Words. His Words are like a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path. Even though I came after work every Monday evening, I felt very blessed to study God's Word with like-minded brethren. It is like a foretaste of heaven and I would not miss this opportunity to receive God's blessing. Moreover in heaven, we will be praising and worshiping God all the time. Nothing is more blessed than learning more about God and storing up treasures in heaven!
The first lesson already captured my attention and heart. The motto of John Calvin was displayed in his logo in Latin “Prompte et sincere in opera Domin” which means “Promptly and sincerely in the work of the Lord”. His motto really challenge my heart to be on fire for the Lord. We are now in the end times, therefore we do not have much time to work. We should be actively serving the Lord in this apostate period. Near to the last few pages of the book “A Glimpse of the Life and Works of John Calvin” that I have read for the assignment, there is something interesting to be noted. It is written that Calvin's initial is J.C., which is the same as Jesus Christ.
He wrote the Institutes, firstly, is to present it to layman people in a simple and a clear manner so that the basics of Christian faith can be taught and reach out to the people. Secondly, he wrote it to defend the Christian faith. He nearly lost His life for it! Thank God that he wrote this Institute and that it is still applicable till today. Truly he was like Christ in the manner that his life and teaching still serve as an example and learning aid for us. He being dead yet speaketh; which is in a way similar to Christ. Certainly, we can learn a lot more from this person that had laboured fervently for the Lord.
Truly, the study of Theology is much more superior than any other form of worldly wisdom. The study of Philosophy is really “Foolosophy”; it is not able to change a dead man to be alive in Christ. The knowledge of God is born in us. Our mind is corrupted by sin so we cannot define and describe God. It is our sinful nature that blind us, therefore we can only see God if He himself open our spiritual eyes. Thank God that God has opened my spiritual eyes and I pray that I can submit more to His Will rather than my own will. The love for God also ought to make me share more of my faith to other people.
One practical lesson that I learn about sharing the Gospel is that I ought to redirect the questions post from the opposite party back to the acknowledgement of sin. Once they received Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour, all their questions will be answered!
If there is a choice for Man to choose between God and the devil, Man will choose devil. Thank God that it is He who chose me before the foundation of the world and not I choose Him. The doctrine of election will lead me to immense gratefulness to the Lord and to have a more willing heart to obey the commandments. He could have not chosen me but He is so merciful and loving towards me. This magnitude of His eternal grace I cannot repay Him; the least that I can do is to serve Him faithfully all the days of my life.
The knowledge of providence of God in governing this world is a great comfort to me. He knows even the minuet details like how many strains of hair that I have! Without Him in control of everything, I may be injured or died in certain occasions. Sometimes when we are depressed, we may feel that if God is in control why are bad things happening to us. The understanding of this doctrine helps me to put more trust in Him when trouble comes. His special providence protects believers from harm and danger. Therefore, I ought to thank God for everything. In His general providence and common grace, God withhold evil to prevail. If He will not withhold evil in this world, I may not be able to live in this sin cursed world. The doctrine of providence also teaches, firstly, gratitude in prosperity. Secondly, reminded us to have the patience in adversity and finally the hope of wonderful security with respect to the future.
Some people like to correct the scriptures using textual criticism. However, it is the bible who approve us and not we approve the Bible. Certain people do not believe or understand the bible. I thank God that I can believe and understand the bible as the very Word of God. Certain people feel that the King James Version Bible is very difficult to understand. I can testify that it is not so because my English is very poor. When I was a new Christian, I may have found that the Bible is difficult to understand. That is because at that time, God have not given me the wisdom and the spiritual eyes to understand difficult truth. However as I grow in the faith, God gives me the godly wisdom to understand spiritual meat. Thank God for this grace that I am able to know Him better and in that it increases my faith. True faith is an enduring, overcoming, persevering and genuine faith. I pray that I will end the Christian race well. I am able to understand the bible and the messages that was constantly preached to me is sorely by God's given grace. I pray that I will love God's Word more and more and to live out His Words. Now I can truly echo “Psa 19:7-8 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.”
The bible is written down as public records and preserve for us through the ages, so that we can enjoy the true light of religion. The fulfilment of prophecies in the bible also serve as a warning and light to us so that we can take heed and to be more assured of our faith. Thank God that the bible and the church is indestructible so that believers will never be lost. True doctrine and truth will unites the church and love will divides us from unbelievers. Thank God that the bible is now completed and both Old Testament and New Testament points to Christ. We have a fuller picture now compared to the Old Testament saints. Thank God that because of the new covenant, we do not need the animal bloody sacrifice all the time. We can pray to God directly for the forgiveness of sins through Christ. There is less ritual to perform and that we only kept the Sabbath day. One new Theological truth that I have learnt is that God magnify His Words more than His name. In some countries, the bible is very rare and precious. Therefore, I ought to love and treasure the bible more.
The understanding of soul, spirit and body helps me to understand what is the difference between animal and Man. The soul and spirit is used synonymously. Human soul is a spiritual soul, we are able to worship God, reason and invent things. However, animal soul has no immortality; it will destroy once it dies.
God's action in the judicial hardening of the heart also serves as a warning to me. Those people who constantly reject or even make fun of God will face this terrible judgement from God. The frightening thing about this judgement is that there is no way of turning back to God. In a way, I feel quite scary as I pondered on this doctrine. May God keep me in the faith and that I will not come into this situation.
Human reasoning, will or sense is corrupted by sin. I learnt that we are not able to reason with God regarding sin. We are sinful, wretched people. It is only when we acknowledge our sins, acknowledging that we are nothing but dust before Him, then only can we obtain Godly wisdom and true light. The Lord show mercy to us, therefore our response is to live for Him. If God convicts us of our sins, I ought not to find excuses to ignore His Words else He will chastened me to bring me back to Him.
Thank God that we cannot fall out of God's salvation. Once God save us, He will save us to the uttermost. No one is able to pluck us out of God's almighty hand. Therefore, we can be assured of our salvation if we believe in Him. The fact that we are able to do good is because of God's grace. He gives us the ability to do good. All merits that we did belong to Him alone. If our salvation garment requires us to put one stitch of merits or works in order to complete it, our faith is gone. We are all man most miserable. Thank God that He had fulfilled all righteousness by dying on the cross of calvary to be the propitiation of our sins. He appeased God's wrath. When He says it is finished, that settles it. Do not try to add anything to our salvation to bring down God's glory.
Thank God that He has preserved the law of Moses for us. Firstly, the Moral Law function as a sword to slay me of my sin and condemns me of my guilt. Secondly, it functions as a rod to lead and guide me to the path of righteousness. And lastly, it functions as a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. My love for God should make me obey his commandments rather than fearing Him. Now I understand why human still have the conscience in our heart when we did something wrong. The reason is that the law is written in our hearts. Only the divine law can convicts and converts our heart because it shows God's holiness. The divine law is also more superior than the human laws because God deals with the heart condition. All sins start from the mind and heart, our heart is desperately wicked to sin. Man's response towards the law should be faith, love and obedience towards God. Human law only make good citizens but the divine law make good people.
Finally, Christ as my Prophet, Priest and King, the end of all prophecies, had fulfilled the task of purging away my sins and sit down at the right hand throne of God interceding for me. His love for me is depicted in one of my favourite hymns “The Love of God”. Truly, God's magnitude of love can also be seen in how He forgives my sin:
“Psa 103:12-13 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.”
All glory be unto Him. I am looking forward for the next semester of studying God's Word again if God willing!
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
"Strictly for Hymn Appreciation Personnels Only"
“Thank You, Lord-TSMS No. 264” is the first hymn that I have come across which I love very much. It was written by D. Burgess. When I sing this song, I was like being brought back to the December church camp in 1997. The theme of the camp was “He must increase and I must decrease” I was reminded of Shuhui and a few brethren who had gathered together to sing. It was during this church camp that God brought me back to His fold. The first stanza reminded me to thank God in times of trials for the trying of my faith worketh patience-James 1:3. In the process of growing, I learn to care for brethren. The second stanza reminded me of another wonderful promise in:
1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
There is no trials that are too hard to bear. Stanza three reminded me of Romans 12:1-2 that we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice; holy and acceptable for the Lord's use. When everything is put in place, you will be able to see the final destination; that is to be with the Lord forever. The chorus also reminded me not to yield to the flesh but let the Holy Spirit take control of my life. Sometimes we cannot hear God's voice because the human flesh takes precedence over the Holy Spirit indwelling in each believer. We ought not yield to the flesh but rather quieten our spirit to listen to God's soft prompting voice.
1Corinthians 13:4-8a Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:
Psalm:103-12-13 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
“The Love of God-TSMS No. 45” reminded me of God's Agape which is written in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a and also God's forgiveness of sin in Psalm 103:12-13. Although the forgiveness of sins is not clearly shown in the hymn, I will explain why I relate these two verses together. These two portions of the scriptures speak of God's perspective of love and His display of love that can be seen in how He forgives our sins. Coincidentally, these two verses are my favourite verses and are very dear to my heart. It speaks of God's love that is so great that if anyone were to write of His love, even the ocean of ink would not be enough to finish the writing of it. Such great love really melts my heart and brings my devotion to Him, guiding me on how to show love to others and also pledging to serve Him till the end! This hymn was written by F.M. Lehman. Not only is the hymn very catchy but the lyrics are so meaningful and devotional! Two years ago, in the mission trip to Kuantan, I managed to get the Chinese lyrics for this song. The lyrics are equally meaningful.
I want to side track a bit, giving an analogy of the life of a Christian; which will bring me to the next hymn. Christian walk is like swimming against the current. No one else in our church can experience that more than me because of the National Service vocation that I have gone through in two-and-a-half years. Swimming countless 2km almost every week in the sea swim during my trainee days makes me feel and realise that if I am not swimming fast enough and using the correct techniques with my fins; I will be swept away by the current. All your efforts that you have tried to propel forward will be in vain. Likewise in our Christian walk, you have to be quick enough to realise your sins or even backsliding before it is too late. However realising it is not enough; what you need is the Word of God and prayer (correct techniques) that will propel you forward in your Christian life. Therefore your Christian life is not stagnant but dynamic. You will not stay at the same spot all the time. You either backslide or you will increase in the knowledge of God.
However in the process of seeking God's knowledge and wisdom, we may be discouraged, spiritually down and lose our focus in our day-to-day responsibilities or even our service in Church. These problems are like the opposing current that you need to swim against. Therefore I need the hymn “Turn your eyes upon Jesus-TSMS No. 405/RHC No. 284” to remind me to focus on Christ alone and to read His Word daily. This hymn was written by Helen H. Lemmel. God had called us out of darkness into His marvellous light -1 Peter 2:9. In our difficulties, if we focus on the one and only true light; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our life will be more abundant and free. In the second stanza, he had conquered death, absent from the body and to be present with the Lord - 2 Corinthians 5:8. Sins no more have dominion over us. Third stanza gives the assurance that his Word shall not fail. Believe in his Word when trouble comes and share the gospel to fulfil the great commission.
Lastly, the hymn “For All My Sin-TSMS No. 175” reminded me of Christ dying on the cross for my sins. This hymn was written by Norman J. Clayton. It contains words of love and devotional lyrics that touch my heart. The high point of this hymn is at the last part of the chorus. “... His love can never decline and He loves me.” makes me feel good when I sing it. It is like proclaiming God's love that will never decline and that He will love me forever. This hymn also reminded me of my worthlessness as a sinner, saved only by the grace of God who died for me on the cross. This is the hymn that I hope to sing during the Lord's Supper to remind myself of God's Agape. It is a very reflective hymn that speaks of Christ’s passive obedience on the cross. Passive obedience speaks of Christ's sufferings on the cross in obedience to the Will of God the Father.
There are still a lot of hymns and choruses that I like. However, the above mentioned are the few which I love most. Hope that as you sing hymns and choruses, you do notice the words as they may suddenly pop up in your mind when trials or temptations come. One thing that I heard from Elder Seah that really encourages me is that he and his wife memorise the lyrics in the hymns so that they can sing to people as they evangelise to them. Music is next to Theology. I truly believe and can experience that. When you come to a point of time when you cannot have a bible with you, the memory verses that you have remembered and the hymns and choruses that you have memorised seem so very precious! I believe that there will be a time of great persecution where bibles will be scare. This is when the hymns that you and I have learnt and memorised come into great use. May the hymns of praise that we sing be as a sweet savour sacrifice unto God. Praise ye the Lord! Amen!
Psa 33:2-3 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
1Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
There is no trials that are too hard to bear. Stanza three reminded me of Romans 12:1-2 that we must present our bodies as a living sacrifice; holy and acceptable for the Lord's use. When everything is put in place, you will be able to see the final destination; that is to be with the Lord forever. The chorus also reminded me not to yield to the flesh but let the Holy Spirit take control of my life. Sometimes we cannot hear God's voice because the human flesh takes precedence over the Holy Spirit indwelling in each believer. We ought not yield to the flesh but rather quieten our spirit to listen to God's soft prompting voice.
1Corinthians 13:4-8a Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:
Psalm:103-12-13 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.
“The Love of God-TSMS No. 45” reminded me of God's Agape which is written in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a and also God's forgiveness of sin in Psalm 103:12-13. Although the forgiveness of sins is not clearly shown in the hymn, I will explain why I relate these two verses together. These two portions of the scriptures speak of God's perspective of love and His display of love that can be seen in how He forgives our sins. Coincidentally, these two verses are my favourite verses and are very dear to my heart. It speaks of God's love that is so great that if anyone were to write of His love, even the ocean of ink would not be enough to finish the writing of it. Such great love really melts my heart and brings my devotion to Him, guiding me on how to show love to others and also pledging to serve Him till the end! This hymn was written by F.M. Lehman. Not only is the hymn very catchy but the lyrics are so meaningful and devotional! Two years ago, in the mission trip to Kuantan, I managed to get the Chinese lyrics for this song. The lyrics are equally meaningful.
I want to side track a bit, giving an analogy of the life of a Christian; which will bring me to the next hymn. Christian walk is like swimming against the current. No one else in our church can experience that more than me because of the National Service vocation that I have gone through in two-and-a-half years. Swimming countless 2km almost every week in the sea swim during my trainee days makes me feel and realise that if I am not swimming fast enough and using the correct techniques with my fins; I will be swept away by the current. All your efforts that you have tried to propel forward will be in vain. Likewise in our Christian walk, you have to be quick enough to realise your sins or even backsliding before it is too late. However realising it is not enough; what you need is the Word of God and prayer (correct techniques) that will propel you forward in your Christian life. Therefore your Christian life is not stagnant but dynamic. You will not stay at the same spot all the time. You either backslide or you will increase in the knowledge of God.
However in the process of seeking God's knowledge and wisdom, we may be discouraged, spiritually down and lose our focus in our day-to-day responsibilities or even our service in Church. These problems are like the opposing current that you need to swim against. Therefore I need the hymn “Turn your eyes upon Jesus-TSMS No. 405/RHC No. 284” to remind me to focus on Christ alone and to read His Word daily. This hymn was written by Helen H. Lemmel. God had called us out of darkness into His marvellous light -1 Peter 2:9. In our difficulties, if we focus on the one and only true light; our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our life will be more abundant and free. In the second stanza, he had conquered death, absent from the body and to be present with the Lord - 2 Corinthians 5:8. Sins no more have dominion over us. Third stanza gives the assurance that his Word shall not fail. Believe in his Word when trouble comes and share the gospel to fulfil the great commission.
Lastly, the hymn “For All My Sin-TSMS No. 175” reminded me of Christ dying on the cross for my sins. This hymn was written by Norman J. Clayton. It contains words of love and devotional lyrics that touch my heart. The high point of this hymn is at the last part of the chorus. “... His love can never decline and He loves me.” makes me feel good when I sing it. It is like proclaiming God's love that will never decline and that He will love me forever. This hymn also reminded me of my worthlessness as a sinner, saved only by the grace of God who died for me on the cross. This is the hymn that I hope to sing during the Lord's Supper to remind myself of God's Agape. It is a very reflective hymn that speaks of Christ’s passive obedience on the cross. Passive obedience speaks of Christ's sufferings on the cross in obedience to the Will of God the Father.
There are still a lot of hymns and choruses that I like. However, the above mentioned are the few which I love most. Hope that as you sing hymns and choruses, you do notice the words as they may suddenly pop up in your mind when trials or temptations come. One thing that I heard from Elder Seah that really encourages me is that he and his wife memorise the lyrics in the hymns so that they can sing to people as they evangelise to them. Music is next to Theology. I truly believe and can experience that. When you come to a point of time when you cannot have a bible with you, the memory verses that you have remembered and the hymns and choruses that you have memorised seem so very precious! I believe that there will be a time of great persecution where bibles will be scare. This is when the hymns that you and I have learnt and memorised come into great use. May the hymns of praise that we sing be as a sweet savour sacrifice unto God. Praise ye the Lord! Amen!
Psa 33:2-3 Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.
Does listening to worldly Music harmful to a Christian?
I am a music lover. By now, everybody should know that. However, do you know which are the hymns and choruses that are close to my heart and why I like them? In this short sharing, I will tell you a little bit more and why I love them in a personal way. I strongly recommend that you have the Revival Hymns and Choruses (RHC) and Then Sings my Soul (TSMS) song books with you as you continue reading.
Before I start, I want to address one problem that we may have but we just choose to ignore it. That is the problem of listening to worldly songs. In my sharing, I will not comment on Charismatic Songs or Hill Songs as they are not so serious. Well, how do we define worldly songs? Worldly songs are tunes and lyrics that contain the philosophy of the world. Some of us will argue that “Come on la, it is OK! I WILL NOT be affected by the lyrics! I KNOW MY LIMITS! I CAN CONTROL myself!” Notice the words in BOLD. I have a few questions to post to you:
1)Are you really sure that it is OK? What happens when the Lord suddenly returns, will He be pleased with what you are listening to? (it is OK)
2)How many times have you sung these songs knowingly or unknowingly? (WILL NOT be affected)
3)Do you feel like dancing to the tempo of the music sometimes? (KNOW MY LIMITS)
4)Do you watch pop concert, Singapore Idol, American Idol or Superstar on television and waste such precious time when you can read a christian book or the Bible? (CAN CONTROL myself)
Dear brethren, stop deceiving yourself! I have been through all that! In your sub-conscious mind, you are already affected. You will discuss what you hear with your friends. You will sing the songs unknowingly when you pass by a shopping centre playing the song. You will satisfy your flesh and feel good about the worldly songs. You will think that watching concert is just a form of relaxation. It is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” and in 1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” and in Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” and in 1Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” If you know that it is going to affect you, why put yourself to such a test?
Well I have said enough, godly advice given but the decision lies with you. Thank God that I have decided to stop listening to Chinese Pop Music 93.3 FM and have switched to Classical Music 92.7 FM instead. I decided to put a stop and I do not want to deceive myself. It is my sincere plead that you will stop listening to such music if you are still doing so. Thank God that this decision has greatly improved my appreciation of sacred music. Now I tend to avoid such worldly music so as not to be affected by it. Thank God also that I can appreciate hymns and choruses better as I practise playing them on my piano.
Before I start, I want to address one problem that we may have but we just choose to ignore it. That is the problem of listening to worldly songs. In my sharing, I will not comment on Charismatic Songs or Hill Songs as they are not so serious. Well, how do we define worldly songs? Worldly songs are tunes and lyrics that contain the philosophy of the world. Some of us will argue that “Come on la, it is OK! I WILL NOT be affected by the lyrics! I KNOW MY LIMITS! I CAN CONTROL myself!” Notice the words in BOLD. I have a few questions to post to you:
1)Are you really sure that it is OK? What happens when the Lord suddenly returns, will He be pleased with what you are listening to? (it is OK)
2)How many times have you sung these songs knowingly or unknowingly? (WILL NOT be affected)
3)Do you feel like dancing to the tempo of the music sometimes? (KNOW MY LIMITS)
4)Do you watch pop concert, Singapore Idol, American Idol or Superstar on television and waste such precious time when you can read a christian book or the Bible? (CAN CONTROL myself)
Dear brethren, stop deceiving yourself! I have been through all that! In your sub-conscious mind, you are already affected. You will discuss what you hear with your friends. You will sing the songs unknowingly when you pass by a shopping centre playing the song. You will satisfy your flesh and feel good about the worldly songs. You will think that watching concert is just a form of relaxation. It is written in 1 Corinthians 3:16 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” and in 1 Peter 1:16 “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” and in Daniel 1:8 “But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.” and in 1Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” If you know that it is going to affect you, why put yourself to such a test?
Well I have said enough, godly advice given but the decision lies with you. Thank God that I have decided to stop listening to Chinese Pop Music 93.3 FM and have switched to Classical Music 92.7 FM instead. I decided to put a stop and I do not want to deceive myself. It is my sincere plead that you will stop listening to such music if you are still doing so. Thank God that this decision has greatly improved my appreciation of sacred music. Now I tend to avoid such worldly music so as not to be affected by it. Thank God also that I can appreciate hymns and choruses better as I practise playing them on my piano.
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