Klang Valley Expository Preaching Seminar 2010

KLANG VALLEY BIBLE CONFERENCE (KVBC) 2010
Expositions of Selected Parables of Jesus

Date: 13 to 15 September 2010 (Monday to Wednesday)
Time: 8:15 p.m. nightly
Venue: Clubhouse, Tropicana Golf & Country Club, Petaling Jaya
Speaker: Dr Donald A Carson
Free Admission

We hope to see you there! For further information, please visit our website http://www.kvbc.info/
Photo courtesy of DesiringGod


Please note that Dr Carson will also be conducting the Klang Valley Expository Preaching Seminar 2010, details as follows:

KLANG VALLEY EXPOSITORY PREACHING SEMINAR (EPS) 2010

Preaching from Apocalyptic Texts - with special reference to Revelation

Date: 14 and 15 September 2010 (Tuesday and Wednesday)
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Venue: Clubhouse, Tropicana Golf & Country Club, Petaling Jaya
Speaker: Dr Donald A Carson
Cost: to be confirmed (please refer to the registration forms when they are out)

Registration is required as seating is limited.

Registration forms will be available by end July 2010 from Evangel Book Centre (SS2, Petaling Jaya) and our website http://www.kvbc.info/

Taking Your Soul to Work

A three-part sermon series on prayer and work
July 11, 18 and 25

City Discipleship Presbyterian Church, Puchong
Speaker: Alvin Ung
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Hi! How's your work coming along?

Quick. What's the first thought that comes to mind? ___________.


Many people find work to be stressful, busy, tedious, and meaningless. For example:

a) Work = traffic jam, back-to-back meetings, endless projects, office politics, meaningless KPIs.

b) Work = cooking, washing, feeding, keeping the house neat, ferrying the kids to tuition.

c) Work = homework, more stupid homework. And trying to stay awake during boring classes.

Do you hope for meaningful work? Do you think it's possible for your work to help you become more Christ-like in the way you think and act? Do you desire to be more attentive to God's presence while you work? Do you long for Christ's presence? Do you want to take your soul to work?

If you identify with any of the challenges and questions above...

We invite you to attend a three-part series on Taking your Soul to Work. The sermons will be interactive, reflective and practical. Each sermon will feature a 10-minute conversation with a "mystery guest." After the Sunday morning service, there will be Q&A opportunities to interact with the guests.

Details as follows.
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July 11: Prayer as Work.

To take our souls to work, we prioritize private prayer as work. Jesus will serve as our mentor in choosing silence and solitude as life became increasingly busy. A lecturer/counselor at a large private university will share her experiences of what led her to spend eight days of silence in prayer -- and why prayer became so important for her as she faced the tyranny of the urgent.

What to expect: we will reflect and seek creative ways to practice prioritizing prayer as work.

July 18: Praying and Working.

To take our souls to work, we pray intentionally while we work. The Lord's Prayer will serve as our model and approach in praying regularly throughout the day. A senior business executive at a large corporation will share his experiences of what led him to pray before work, during work and after work -- and why he has found this practice to be so life-giving amid the stresses of daily work.

What to expect: we will reflect and seek creative ways to practice being attentive to God while we work.

July 25: Work as Prayer

To take our souls to work, we bring our whole selves to work. The Apostle Paul will serve as our mentor in transforming the fruits of his labor into prayer. A mother, counselor and CEO of a thriving restaurant and boutique business will share her experiences of what led her to place her life and work in God's hands -- to trust that all will be well amid the tough leadership decisions of daily life.

What to expect: we will reflect and seek creative ways to practice becoming 'prayer-full' workers.
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Dates: July 11, 18 and 25 (Sundays)
Time: Worship service starts at 10am
Venue: City Discipleship Presbyterian Church (CDPC) Puchong

1-13 and 1-15 (1st floor)
Jalan Merbah 1, Bandar Puchong Jaya
47100 Puchong

Directions: CDPC Puchong is next to IOI Mall's new wing, on the first floor above Puchong Lakeview Cafe.

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About the speaker:

Alvin Ung sees himself as a beginner in prayer. He regrets not being attentive to the life of prayer while he worked as a counselor, analyst, journalist and telecommunications executive. He's grateful that his subsequent work in theology, philanthropy, leadership development, fatherhood and marriage have become a training ground and playground for integrating prayer and work.

Alvin is currently a Fellow at Khazanah Nasional, where is he is writing a book on the mindsets and methodologies of breakthrough leaders in Malaysia. His other book, Taking Your Soul to Work: Overcoming the Nine Deadly Sins of the Workplace, will be released by Eerdmans in September 2010. He is undergoing training in a three-year program as a Spiritual Companion in Ignatian spirituality. He's married to Huey Fern. They have a son, Andrew.

Biblical Environmental Stewardship

Question: Shouldn't we spend our time and resources helping poor people rather than animals or plants?

Vinoth Ramachandran once remarked that the question is like asking a poor mother not to bother about her child’s education because feeding him is more important. Of course, both basic needs should be our concern although in some contexts, saving lives would have higher priority than environmental conservation.

In most situations, however, it’s not an either/or choice. The well-being of rural poor is often dependent on a sustainable ecosystem. The natural resources are their ‘pharmacy’ (from which they gather medicinal herbs) and ‘local supermarket’ (from which they are supplied daily needs) and water supply system. Environmental degradation disproportionately affects the poor. Since there is close interdependence in the ecosystem, animal and plant extinctions would ultimately be unhealthy to people as well. Helping people to manage and develop their natural resources in a sustainable manner would in turn alleviate poverty.

Therefore, we must care for both people and for non-human elements of God’s creation.

Obeying God’s commandment to be responsible stewards of His world is also an expression of love for the Creator and for people, especially the rural poor.

The main challenge to creation care is to start with ourselves. None of us likes to change our lifestyle if it involves perceived inconvenience. If each of us care enough to act in the light of what we discover, we can begin to live a simpler lifestyle, reduce pollution load and free up more resources for those really in need.

Dean Ohlman wrote, “We must not prioritize our ethical obligations to such an extent that we excuse the plight of animals made to suffer unnecessarily by our neglect or cruelty.”

Question: Isn't this business about ‘saving the earth’ a distraction to the church’s task of ‘saving souls’?

This question is best addressed by asking a similar question – “Is parenting a distraction from our Christian task of evangelism?”

For those of us with children, parenting is a time-consuming responsibility we carry out daily. It’s part and parcel of living in obedience to God. We rarely need to choose between caring for our children and witnessing for Christ. We perform each duty when it is required and doing either one does not contradict the other.

In the same way, Dean Ohlman observed that “earth-keeping is a natural and integral aspect of our day-to-day decision-making regarding spending, work, consumption, transportation, waste management, and so forth. The problem is that not until recently have we come to understand how irresponsible we have been regarding this foundational aspect of daily living.”

A Christian analysis of environmental degradation sees its primary cause in our broken relationship with God which leads us on a futile quest for fulfillment at the expense of the earth. Instead of purveying more gloomy news and passing more laws, lasting progress can only come about when people have a radical change of heart. And the fruit of gospel witness should result in transformed hearts and reordered lifestyles towards God, other people and the creation as part of our discipleship.

The conservation movement today is in dire need of hope that the good news has to offer.

Not only that. Every time we care for creation, we are really witnessing to the Creator.

We are demonstrating to the community the practical outworking of the gospel with our lives.

For instance, A Rocha, a Christian conservation movement, took a piece of unkempt land in West London and turned it into an oasis for wildlife called Minet Country Park. It raised questions among the neighboring people, “Why are they doing this?” It gives opportunities for them to find out that our ecology is based on the gospel and our gospel is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Question: What’s the point? The ecological problems are so huge. What I do won't make any difference.”

Environmental stewardship is a loving response to God and turning away from consumerist lifestyles. As Christians, we can do what is right not primarily because of the perceived usefulness, but as an act of worship. This perspective frees us from the despair that secular environmentalists face – to act rightly while trusting in the sovereignty of God for the results even when the circumstances look bleak.

Suggested Resources:

http://www.arocha.org/
http://arochalivinglightly.org.uk/

Influence of Globalisation on Spiritual Formation

The Influence of Globalisation on Christian Spiritual Formation in Churches in Malaysia and Singapore

The technological advances in telecommunication and the Internet have shrunk the world into a global village. Malaysia and Singapore are actively involved in the globalisation process and its subset glocalisation. While there is no agreed definition of globalisation, it is often understood to have the following characteristics: increasing speed in communication, the interconnected world become smaller, the blurring of national borders, reciprocity, manageable risk, and presence of trust. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the influence of globalisation on Christian spiritual formation in the churches in Malaysia and Singapore, and suggest some possible measures for these churches to enhance the positive effects while limiting the negative ones.

read more

more of my articles on Glocalisation and Spiritual Formation

picture source

Common Questions About Creation Care

Why care for creation if it is to be destroyed by fire eventually (2 Peter 3:10-13)? Why bother since we'd be whisked away safely in our spirits from this God-forsaken physical planet?

Our Christian duty to be responsible stewards of God’s creation is based on clear biblical instruction in the Creation Mandate and motivated by love for the Creator and love for our neighbors, whose well-being depends very much on a sound ecosystem. (See Dr Leong Tien Fock’s article on Creation Care in this edition of Kairos for more details).

Therefore, it does not ultimately rest on any eschatological debate on whether the present universe will be utterly destroyed and replaced by a new universe created from scratch. It is clear though that the earth as it is now will not remain forever but will pass away.

The passage in 2 Peter 3:6-13 seem to imply that the present world will be subjected to judgment by fire but would ultimately result in the new heaven and the new earth. John Piper writes, “When Revelation 21:1 and 2 Peter 3:10 say that the present earth and heavens will ‘pass away,’ it does not have to mean that they go out of existence, but may mean that there will be such a change in them that their present condition passes away.

We might say, ‘The caterpillar passes away, and the butterfly emerges.’ There is a real passing away, and there is a real continuity, a real connection.”

Through fire, the present universe will be refined, restored, renewed and transformed into the new one. Just as the old world was destroyed by the Flood and the present world arose out of it, so also would the present world be dissolved by fire to give rise to a purified new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:5-7). 

Read on below:


Common Questions Christians Ask About Creation Care

Malaysia Bible Seminari Experience

Dr Tony Lim asked me to write of my experience as a part time student at MBS so here goes:

As a new Christian believer, I used to think that an intellectual understanding of what and why we believe is not important as long as we have an experiential feeling in our heart! The heart is what you used in a relationship with God but the brain is what you used while studying science, computers, economics and history in school.


This results in a separation of the heart for spiritual stuffs and the mind for secular stuffs. But when that happens, no wonder our faith has so little impact on how we do our work or studies in the world. And no wonder our daily activities outside the church have very little to do with God or the gospel. Yet Scripture tells us: “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your minds” (Romans 12:2). It doesn’t say “Be transformed by the removal of your minds”!

As I slowly discover that love for God involves all our being (heart, head and hands), I begin to see the value of theology in my own spiritual life and ministry. Together with a group of working adults, I enrolled in Malaysia Bible Seminari (MBS) on part time basis while working as an IT consultant. Despite the challenge of battling traffic jams to attend night classes, the MBS learning experience has been both personally-enriching and ministry-enabling. The able and helpful lecturers equipped me with a biblical framework of creation, sin and redemption through which I have the tools to discern truth from error, right from wrong, beauty from ugliness in contemporary Malaysian life and the world in general. Seminary training is an invaluable resource as I engage with marketplace issues through the blog: http://theagora.blogspot.com/

Today, there is an urgent and serious need for the church as a redeemed community to respond to current issues like racism, inter-religious harmony, creation care, globalization and ethics in medical technology. Since the gospel is public truth (not just private experience), we have a responsibility to think and speak biblically in the public square where such practical issues of life are discussed and decided. We cannot address these burning issues in our Malaysian society without faithfully and diligently applying our hearts and minds to connect God’s word with God’s world.

Liberation Theology: The Gospel and Solidarity With The Poor

Although liberation theology is by no means monolithic, certain broad emphases are discernible in how its practitioners understand the function of theological reflection. In contrast with abstract metaphysics that seem disconnected with ordinary life, liberal theologians stressed that theology should proceed in dialectical relationship with the common experience of oppression and poverty. The theologian is not a disinterested and neutral observer.

Rather his or her commitment to the poor against unjust structures which dehumanize God’s children becomes the particular, concrete context for critical reflection on praxis in light of God’s word. Committed action comes first, reflection follows as a second step. An understanding of liberation theology cannot be acquired by mere learning without actively taking the first step of embarking on its path.

Latin American Liberation Theology: The Gospel & Solidarity With The Poor

Karl Barth: Neo Orthodoxy

Few theologians have exerted a greater influence on the theological scene of the 20th century than the towering figure of Karl Barth. Even so, his view on biblical revelation has often been targeted for criticism from both liberal and evangelical scholars. It would nonetheless be naïve to suppose that neither camp could benefit from the correctives he offered. According to Hunsinger, Barth has “achieved the dubious distinction of being habitually honored but not much read”.

The purpose of this assignment is to provide an overview of Barth’s position and an evaluation of his prodigious contributions on the doctrine of revelation.

The Prolepsis of God’s Revelation in History

Since the 1960’s, a different theological project that is concerned with the classical quest for ultimate truth again has emerged. The foremost among its proponents is Wolfhart Pannenberg, a former student of Barth. The German theologian sought to propose correctives to what he perceived to be increasing privatization of modern theology as a merely subjective sphere sheltered from public scientific or historical inquiry. The retreat of theology into a cultural ghetto owes much to a post-Enlightenment mindset which views authority and claims of truth with suspicion. For Pannenberg, systematic theology ought to be a discipline in search for universal truth that illumines all human knowledge. As such, theological statements ought to be boldly open to rational inquiry of the historical basis on which they rest.

Wolfhart Pannenberg: The Prolepsis of God's Revelation in History

The Dawn Of Liberal Theology

The seed that Schleiermacher planted would blossom into the liberalism that dominated Protestant thought in the early 20th century. In the autumn of 1797, Schleiermacher began to be connected with a circle of young Romantic friends devoted to aesthetic, literary and philosophical interests. It was to such Berlin bohemians who were influenced by idealistic spirit of the age, rather than skeptical rationalistic materialists, that he wrote his first book On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers. Not only was religion despised due to popular misunderstanding, his main concern was directed to clarify its essence and clear away confusions of substituting religious piety “for a mess of metaphysical and ethical crumbs” courtesy of the Age of Reason.

Seek Social Justice

Looks like a good resource for the youth group in our new church plant - Seek Social Justice

Easter Message @ Sg Buloh Orang Asli Village

Selamat petang ayah-ayah, ibu-ibu, anak-anak, aji-aji semua. Nama saya “Chong” dan saya sungguh gembira dan bersuka cita dapat menyambut minggu Kebangkitan bersama-sama anda semua. Tahukah anda apakah itu hari Kebangkitan?


Hari Kebangkitan merupakan hari kemenangan, hari Yesus mengalahkan musuh musuh kita iaitu kuasa dosa dan kuasa maut. Tiga hari selepas Yesus mati disalib demi dosa dosa seluruh dunia, Yesus bangkit semula, Yesus hidup kembali untuk selama-lamanya.

Pernahkah anda bertanya bagaimana adanya bulan dan bintang-bintang seperti permata di atas langit? Dari mana datangnya manusia, pokok-pokok dan haiwan di dunia ini?

Alkitab memberitahu kita Tuhan Allah menciptakan alam semesta, matahari, bulan dan bintang bintang di langit. Tuhan Pencipta segala kehidupan makhluk dan tumbuhan di bumi ini. Tuhan menyayangi kita dan memberi kita nafas hidup sebagai manusia supaya kita dapat mengenali, mendekati dan merapati Tuhan seperti Ayah/Bapa kita di syurga.

Akan tetapi hubungan kita dengan Tuhan diputuskan oleh dosa-dosa yang kita lakukan. Dalam hati kita ada perasaan dengki, tamak, benci, sombong dan dosa mementingkan diri sendiri. Dosa kita merosakkan hubungan antara manusia dengan Tuhan yang maha suci dan mulia. Kerana Tuhan mulia dan kita berdosa, maka semua manusia hidup di bawah kuasa dosa dan kuasa maut.

Bagaimanakah kita boleh memulihkan hubungan kita dengan Tuhan?

2000 tahun yang lalu Tuhan menjelma sebagai seorang manusia bernama Yesus. Tuhan Yesus mengajar kita kebenaran, Yesus menyembuhkan orang buta, orang sakit, Yesus menyelamatkan orang orang yang berdosa. Hidup Yesus suci dan sempurna. Dan Yesus mati disalib sebagai pengganti kita demi dosa dosa seluruh dunia. Kerana dosa saya dan dosa anda, kita harus dihukum dan dipisahkan dari hadirat Tuhan yang suci. Tapi Yesus mati sebagai korban/pengganti kita supaya hukuman kita jatuh atas diri Yesus. Yesus menanggung segala dosa kita di atas salib kerana Tuhan meyayangi kita dan mahu menyelamatkan kita.

3 hari selepas Yesus mati disalib, Yesus bangkit dari maut dan hidup semula buat selamanya. Inilah sebab umat Kristian merayakan hari Paskah. Kebangkitan Yesus membuktikan bahawa Yesus sesungguhnya Tuhan yang berkuasa ke atas kehidupan dan kematian. Tiada manusia lain yang mampu mengatasi kuasa maut. Hanya Yesus satu-satunya Juru Selamat yang hidup semula. Barang siapa yang percaya kepada Nama Yesus, Nama di atas segala Nama akan diselamatkan dari kuasa dosa dan kuasa maut.

Kerana kebangkitan Yesus Kristus, Tuhan memberi kita pengampunan dosa dan kemenangan atas kuasa syaitan. Kerana kebangkitan Yesus, kita tidak lagi hidup di bawah ketakutan maut. Yesus telah bangkit maka maut hanyalah pintu masuk ke dalam Kerajaan Allah.

Yesus lah jalan pendamaian kita (umat manusia) dengan Tuhan sendiri. Kerana Yesus, kita dapat berdamai dengan Tuhan , Tuhan sendiri menhadi Bapa kita di syurga dan kita menjadi anak-anak Tuhan jika kita menerima Yesus sebagai Raja dan Juru selamat kita.

Yesus berkata: "Akulah kebangkitan dan hidup; sesiapa yang percaya kepada-Ku, dia akan hidup walaupun dia sudah mati, dan setiap orang yang hidup dan yang percaya kepada-Ku, tidak akan mati selama-lamanya. Percayakah anda?" (Yohanes 11:25b-26a)

Jika kita menerima Yesus sebagai Raja dan Juru selamat kita, hidup kita bebas dari kuasa dosa, bebas dari ketakutan maut dan Tuhan menjadi Bapa kita di syurga.

The Purpose Of Life (IMU Interfaith Forum)

Had the pleasure of doing an interfaith forum at International Medical University on the topic of The Purpose of Life alongside Saudara Shah Kirit (Islam), Bro Michael Aloysius (Catholic), Mr Ganga (Hindu) and Dr Phang (Buddhist). The message can be downloaded here

Easter: Coming To A Planet Near You

The tomb is empty! Christ has risen from the grave.


Startled with fear and doubt, the best theory His disciples could come up with was that they have seen a ghost! (Luke 24:37)

So he shows them His very physical hands and feet, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones”.

Still they remain stunned in joy and amazement. Then Jesus gave them the ultimate evidence.

“You’ve got anything here to eat?”

And the risen Lord of the universe munched down a piece of broiled fish in front of their eyes (Luke 24:42). His resurrected body is capable of swallowing food neatly unlike those messy ghosts we find in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean.

This is no phantom. He is back – with muscles, bones and a functioning stomach.


All over the world, Christians celebrate the bodily resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. It marks the end of Lent season of fasting, prayer and penance; and the beginning of Easter season that lasts for fifty days until Pentecost. Tom Wright wrote, “If Lent is a time to give things up; Easter ought to be a time to take things up.”

If Lent is a season to let go of old habits, sins and attitudes that hinder our walk with God, what are the new and wholesome things we should pick up for Easter season?

That really depends on how we understand the meaning of Easter for us today.

When many people think of the resurrection, they think of life after death in heaven. Like those popular cartoon sketches of people floating around in fluffy clouds, wearing white gowns with a harp in their hand and a halo on their head. The idea is to escape from this physical world. Life on this earth is just a temporary transit station to a disembodied state of bliss somewhere else.

And the danger of that is we can be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. It creates a mentality where we withdraw from life and passively wait for the afterlife.

But the Christian hope of eternal life is not like that. It is not about running away from reality. Our ultimate future is a new heaven and a new earth. This world we live in will be renewed, transformed and restored. It won’t be abandoned or left to rot.

So we look forward to a resurrection just like Jesus’ where we will be raised to life in an incorruptible and glorified body. (Not as a ghostly, floating apparition!)

What God has done in Christ on Easter morning, He would do on a cosmic scale for the entire creation, including us. There will be no more sorrow, sickness, decay or violence for God will wipe away every tear and restore all that is good. C.S. Lewis described the future redeemed world to be more substantial, more tangible and more solid than the world as we know it.

The fullness of God's kingdom shall come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. So we can expect to be fruitful stewards of His renewed universe and worshipful priests who glorify and enjoy God’s presence for eternity.

But while we wait for that glorious day, we can start practicing right now! In the meantime, we are to live today as if the future is already present. The way we go about our daily chores, prayers and worship are to be signposts pointing forward to what God’s reign in its future fullness would look like.

The church community is like a movie preview: We are to display some hints, glimpses or foretastes of the actual movie so people will look at us and go, “Wow! I want to see the complete show!” New Creation: Coming soon to a planet near you…

If that is what Easter resurrection means, shall we not take up some new things that model (in small ways) the future kingdom of justice, love and hope?

Now, how would that look like?

Perhaps it could mean simple things like signing up for a new project that gets our hands dirty conserving the environment. Or maybe, getting involved in caring for the poor and the sick around us? Ever thought of spending some time and energy on a worthy social cause that promotes fairness and peace in our country?

Surely the surprising reality of Easter Sunday ought to empower us to be witnesses of Christ’s death and resurrection the way it did for the early disciples.

If the present creation and our bodies will not be forsaken but ultimately transformed, then we are to work here-and-now in anticipation of that final vision. Resurrection power is lived out in down-to-earth realities, grounded in the real world where we do business, as we cook in the kitchen, when we play with our children, study in schools, draw a painting, love and be loved, infusing everyday life with fresh spirituality and power.

If Lent is a season for fasting, then perhaps Easter should be a season of celebrating the newness of life, the goodness of creation and the hope of future glory that may even include a hearty meal of broiled fish eaten to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

“If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection” (Romans 6:5)

Our DNA: Who we are

CDPC Puchong is a gathering of diverse followers of Jesus who journey together towards Christ-centered worship, Scripture-based preaching and grace-enabled spirituality that overflow in service and witness to the community in Puchong and beyond.

With Christian communities worldwide, it is our hope that our lives would be transformed by the grand vision of God and be involved in His redemptive story that runs through the past, present and future

1. Centered on Jesus Christ - Being transformed in Christ, and loving our Lord

2.Centered on the Gospel of Grace - Being made holy, and sharing God's good news

3.Centered on the Living Word - Being renewed, and preaching Christ in all things

Goals: What we do

Seek and celebrate God - Glorifying God in creative, contemplative and celebratory worship. Joining the global church through the ages in heartfelt worship.

Integrate faith and work - Celebrating God's presence at home, work and rest. Empowering disciples in the marketplace.

Make disciples of all peoples- Reaching the unreached in the city and Asia. Creating spaces for conversation, reconciliation and peace.

Plant churches - Establishing a culture for growing church planters. Developing a laboratory for sharing ideas and resources.

Love the city and families - Renewing the city through social justice and stewardship. Helping children and families play and grow.

Embrace Reformed theology - Living in sync with God's rule in every sphere of life. Facilitating spiritual renewal through church governance.

Be Yourself

Came back from Vietnam at 11 pm on Friday, drove up to Cameron Highlands on Sat morning for Riptreat camp 2010 and drove 4 hours back to Ipoh to attend Simon and Samantha's wedding... Amazing weekend! Tiring but I enjoyed the time with the Ripples youths again. Here is the sermon transcript with lots of Tim Keller influences all over. Have been reading his new book "Counterfeit Gods".

Be Yourself

Welcome to CDPC Puchong on 3/21

CDPC puchongCDPC puchong

Lent Reflection: Waging The War Within

Date: Friday, March 12
Title: Waging the War Within
The Bible Passage: Romans 8:1-17
Key Words: “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live” (Romans 8:13)

“I am a mother and I kill…”

That somber confession of a woman over the radio caught my immediate attention. Was that a serial killer on the loose?

She went on to describe how she mercilessly searched and destroyed Aedes mosquito larvae at home. It turned out to be an awareness campaign on dengue fever prevention! No empty container was left unturned. Her single-minded zeal to terminate pesky breeding ground was motivated by a fierce love for her children’s well-being.

It’s a serious fight to the death: Kill or be killed.

In a similar way, the failure to nail sin to the grave is lethal business. If we live under the domination of the flesh, we will die. But if by the Spirit’s power we are actively killing sin, we will live in holy freedom.

The mindset of our sinful nature is hostile to God. But if our minds are absorbed in what the Holy Spirit wants, it will lead to life and peace (v6).

Although we could not perfectly fulfill the demands of God’s law due to our inclination towards sin, the indwelling Spirit gives us fresh desire, discipline and determination to set ourselves apart from evil. This continual growth in holiness is a mark of our vital Father-child relationship with God Himself (v15). It is proof that we have been accepted into His family.

But how do we go about killing the “misdeeds of the body”?

- Sensitize ourselves to the ugly face of sin. Contrary to popular notions, sin is not funny or cool. It is hostile rebellion against God, making us His sworn enemies.

- Soak our mind on the things of the Spirit as revealed in His inspired Word. Be passionately immersed in what is true, good and beautiful.

- Stop flirting with sin. Don’t play around with temptation. Know your own areas of weaknesses. Remove its roots. Give it no room to breathe.

- Show no mercy. As Jesus hyperbolically put it, we must gouge out the eye that causes sin and cut off the offending hand (Matthew 5:29). Be ruthless and vigilant. Sin must be dealt with deadly force.

“Be always at it while you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you” - John Owen

Lent Reflection: Preserved to Persevere In Grace

Date: Saturday, March 13 

Title: Preserved to Persevere In Grace
The Bible Passage: Romans 8:18-39

Key Words: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

Date: Saturday, March 13
Title: Preserved to Persevere In Grace
The Bible Passage: Romans 8:18-39

Key Words: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)

John Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress depicted Christian’s spiritual journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the narrow road, he came across a host of temptations and dangers.

We read of how Christian was mired in the Swamp of Despondency, almost deceived by Worldly Wiseman’s advice, deserted by his fickle companion Pliable and wounded in a fight with the dart-throwing monster Apollyon. On other occasions, he was wearied into slumber on the Hill of Difficulty, bribed by Demas’ wealth and thrown into prison by Giant Despair of Doubting castle.

He was also mocked and persecuted after refusing to be enticed by the merchandises at Vanity Fair, the city of sinful pleasures! Bunyan’s classic allegory Pilgrim’s Progress depicted Christian’s spiritual journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City. Along the narrow road, he came across a host of temptations and dangers.

We read of how Christian was mired in the Swamp of Despondency, almost deceived by Worldly Wiseman’s advice, deserted by his fickle companion Pliable and wounded in a fight with the dart-throwing monster Apollyon. On other occasions, he was wearied into slumber on the Hill of Difficulty, bribed by Demas’ wealth and thrown into prison by Giant Despair of Doubting castle.

He was also mocked and persecuted after refusing to be enticed by the merchandises at Vanity Fair, the city of sinful pleasures! you recognize some of these challenges along your own spiritual trek to the Celestial City? Ever felt being abandoned lately? Tired of plodding on the road less traveled? Hurt by cruel ridicule or gossip? Knocked down with despair and doubt? Lured away by worldly comforts?

The apostle Paul says, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (v18).

As Christians, we do not wander like aimless vagabonds. Rather, we travel as pilgrims with a destination at heart. Our glorious hope of a renewed creation and resurrected bodies in God’s presence made the present hardships we face pale in comparison.

In the midst of all these obstacles, God works out His sovereign purposes for the good of those who love him. He has begun redemption in foreknowing, predestinating, calling and justifying us that we may be shaped into Christ-likeness. If God is for us, who can be against us?

If He has already done the hard part of giving His own Son to us all, how could He not do the easier bit of preserving us till the finishing line? What could possibly separate us from the love of God?

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:37-39)

“Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come,
Tis’ Grace has brought me safe thus far, And Grace will lead me home.”
- From the hymn ‘Amazing Grace’

Apologetics @ PKV

Presented this talk on Apologetics @ University Malaya PKV (Persatuan Kristian Varsiti) on 5 March 2010

PKV Apologetics