Am I Religious?

Quoted from CBN: Signs of Toxicated Religion

1. A religious spirit views God as a cold, harsh, distant taskmaster rather than an approachable, loving Father. When we base our relationship with God on our ability to perform spiritual duties, we deny the power of grace. God does not love us because we pray, read our Bibles, attend church or witness, yet millions of Christians think God is mad if they don’t perform these and other duties perfectly. As a result they struggle to find true intimacy with Jesus.
2. A religious spirit places emphasis on doing outward things to show others that God accepts him. We deceive ourselves into believing that we can win God’s approval through a religious dress code, certain spiritual disciplines, particular music styles or even doctrinal positions.
3. A religious spirit develops traditions and formulas to accomplish spiritual goals. We trust in our liturgies, denominational policies or man-made programs to obtain results that only God alone can give.
4. A religious spirit becomes joyless, cynical and hypercritical. This can turn a home or a church completely sour. Then, whenever genuine joy and love are expressed, this becomes a threat to those who have lost the simplicity of true faith.
5. A religious spirit becomes prideful and isolated, thinking that his righteousness is special and that he cannot associate with other believers who have different standards. Churches that allow these attitudes become elitist—and dangerously vulnerable to deception or cult-like practices.
6. A religious spirit develops a harsh, judgmental attitude toward sinners, yet those who ingest this poison typically struggle with sinful habits that they cannot admit to anyone else. Religious people rarely interact with nonbelievers because they don’t want their own superior morals to be tainted by them.
7. A religious spirit rejects progressive revelation and refuses to embrace change. This is why many churches become irrelevant to society. They become so focused on what God did 50 years ago that they become stuck in a time warp—and cannot move forward when the Holy Spirit begins to speak in new ways. When religious groups refuse to shift with God’s new directives, they become “old wineskins” and God must find more flexible vessels that are willing to implement His changes.
8. A religious spirit persecutes those who disagree with his self-righteous views and becomes angry whenever the message of grace threatens to undermine his religiosity. An angry religious person will use gossip and slander to assassinate other peoples’ character and may even use violence to prove his point. Jesus, in fact, warned His disciples: “There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor” (John 16:2, The Message).

 I am! Remove this heart which is wicked beyond imagination and renew it Father, as to reflect your Grace and Mercy towards those around me.

Signs of an unhealthy Church

http://www.cyberscripture.com/warning.htm

This article talks about the signs of an unhealthy Church, which I find it very relevant to my own experience. I have been asking what’s the scope of responsibility of a pastor in the believer’s life that one should take on the role of controlling every aspects of it? Where is the line to be drawn? Particularly in the ideal community of believers in the book of Acts, there will never be a case when a pastor starts controlling the church, after all, aren’t we in the Body of Christ – the Church, so why are pastors fighting so hard to protect their own ‘turf’?

CBN resources
Part 1 of Spiritual Abuse
Part 2 of Spiritual Abuse
Part 3 of Spiritual Abuse

A praise song for Jezebel.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/books/web/2008/feb18.html

As I was browsing through my daily quick read of Christian news and articles, this article caught my attention about what happened at a concert at Wheaton College. I have heard disturbing news of reputable Christian colleges in United States compromising with the Age of the Aquarius and this just confirms what I fear to be the truth.

Example of a deluded Christian blinded by the lie of prosperity gospel

This comment appeared today on the post about TB Joshua.

Dear pastor,
I’m very happy to write you on mail for the very fisrt time in my life, and my belive is that as i’m writen you all my problem is end in jesus name. the popure of mailling you is that i need ur prayer and finacial asistance please any one render i will appreciate my mobile is 08058143592 God blessed you

I approved the comment for the very purpose of showing how Christians can easily buy into the lie of the Prosperity Gospel which stems from the root of New Age and Liberal Theology. That if one were to write to a pastor, all the problem will end in Jesus name? I have absolutely no problem believing that Jesus can indeed perform miracles, but in such a manner, by merely writing to a pastor that all problems will be resolved? His faith in TB Joshua is solely misplaced and he needs to look to Jesus. This is the fruit of the Prosperity Gospel that instead of eternal salvation of their soul, their concern is materialistic pursuit. It is just so wrong. Time to repent.

PS: I love you

This is a nice show, apart from the fierce looking warrior king of Gerrard Butler in 300, he is a husband to Hillary Swank. He died from a brain cancer, and fearing his wife Holly who rely on his practical advice, is not able to move on in life, he prepared a series of letters, a tour to Ireland, etc for her after he died and each is a reminder of how much he loves her so she can move on in life without him.

Ok, it is a chick soap show, apparently from Veron, all the girls were crying after the show, and as for me, no, i did not cry but reminded me of my love for Mercy. I will probably do the same for her if i do die earlier. And furthermore, this show is a reminder that life and love are more than money, a bigger apartment, a bigger pay check, and it is about when the moment in life with Mercy, all life ends as we know it. And perhaps, this is what is like with God. When we do know our purpose in life with our relations to Him, life ends as in it doesn’t matter anymore what comes our way, because I’ve found the centre of it, which is in Christ.

For those who have missed this show, don’t fret. You can wait for the DVD to be released. Wahahahahahaha, trust me, this is a good show, great show except for the occasional American satirical attitude towards sex. On the whole, the show is hilarious and oh yes, Ireland is a lovely beautiful place. It is exactly the kind of life i want.

My beloved Vodka

This is my beloved Vodka. Even tho I have not being spending time with him, he has always been a great example of faithfulness and love. I was hugging him last night and just spending time with him and i must have figured how much more it delights my Father’s heart when i spend time with Him in the same way, despite God knowing all our weaknesses, His Grace and Mercy shall never end, and in our fellowship, He delights in us just as I delight in Vodka’s  fellowship.

Two wrongs don’t right a wrong

In order to erase off the memory of a guilt of the past by another act that’s equally wrong? This generation or rather the world has influenced the very misconception of moral truth. In order to right a wrong, is to give it to God, whom by the very act of Christ’s redemptive death on the Cross, that we are being made righteous.  That includes even the memory of the past when it seems to haunt us, by giving it up both emotionally and mentally. Too often, we deny the fact we do love to hold on to those memories, but i felt we refuse to give them up to the opportunity that through the power of the renewal of our mind by the Word of God. Are we holding on to what the remnants of our past is, that we refuse to move on proclaiming and declaring the freedom for which the Gospel of Jesus is specifically set to do – to open blind eyes, to set the captives free. If Christ has set us free, we are free indeed, or have we really give our flesh up to really give Christ the chance to set us free?

New member of the family – Heidi

My brother Samuel has a daughter – Heidi Ho. She’s born on Valentine’s Day, 14 Feb 2008. She is adorable, tiny and beautiful.

Are you willing to stand up and defend your faith?

As i read through a comment posted by Kristy, my heart is disturbed and grieved to hear of a real life story of the evil preached from the pulpit of prosperity gospel. It is true, that we true disciples of Jesus have failed to stand up against this ‘another’ gospel which is destroying lives rather than giving abundant life. What is the Gospel that we are told to defend? Is it the gospel of Benny Hinn, or Copeland where they preached financial blessing when we give them money OR the gospel that Jesus preached in his inaugural sermon to set the captives free and the blind to see?

Valentine’s Day!

Another Valentine’s Day to go by with all the hype of giving flowers etc. Saw Jamie Yeo receiving a huge bouquet of flowers from the reception, and people sending e-cards, i still think it is ridiculous that it is only one day in a year to express love in such ways, when the rest of the year just move on quietly? I wonder if love is hugely misinterpreted? Love without justice is indulgence in selfishness, only Love acted out within the scope of acceptable biblical and even godly morals, is love epitomized in reflection of God Himself. When put against that standard, I’ve fallen beyond the standard, and found wanting.

Contemplative Christian Experience

A step towards a spiritual awakening, ten steps further from the centrality of the Truth of the Gospel. In the last one month or so, 2008 have seen several impact through the shockwaves sent in the Christian World, the investigations into the several Prosperity Gospel preachers, and many Superstars of the Christian world being exposed as false teachers, false prophets are some of the highlights to 2008. Contrary to many who prophesies that 2008 will be a year of multifold blessings, i say otherwise. It is the start of the birth pain that Christ is coming back. Churches are being judged, and separated from the sheep and the goat, the Bride will be chastized, and the world is moving towards a time that godlessness and wickedness will rule, the time of the Church is now at hand, to see the son of perdiction and iniquities being revealed, these things must come, because Jesus is coming back soon for His bride.

A faceless generation!

After about 2 years in Paradise of God, something extraordinary happened yesterday in Church. The leadership spoke up on the hurts and lack of vision for the Church and asking for forgiveness. It was something I have talked to Mercy so many times about the Church and where it is going, and that we will explore moving on, for i am thirsty, and hungry for God and i do not want to put on another show every week for a show of godliness. Like this song “Hosanna” from Hillsongs, this song breaks me, it is a song of a cry deep within for God. This is what we need. There is so much so much more than just putting on a show every Sunday in Church, and we need to grow from childlike faith to maturity as a Man of God. There will be a faceless generation “borrowing from Mercy” that will rise and do the will of God, a kind of desperation not seen since the day of Pentecost that Men and Women will rise up to do the will of God!