Reformed Blogging

Make no mistake that Christians are called to hate sin. Sin must be hated because God hates sin. But there's one thing that we fail to see that God hates sin, He will punish both sin and the sinner, He's angry with the wicked every day but Christians are called to love the lost. It's one thing to hate sin and it's another to love the sinner. That is loving lost sinners enough to tell them the truth about their being lost. What's the commandment of God? I'm called to love my enemies (Matthew 56:43-48, Luke 6:27-35). I'm called to love them enough to tell them the truth. I'm called to pray for their salvation even if they do all sorts of bad things. It hurts to be persecuted for the wrong reasons. It hurts to be falsely accused. Forgiveness doesn't mean condoning to the evil they do. Rather, it's all about not holding a grudge and letting God's justice take its course. So how am I to love my enemies? I'm called to rebuke the works of

I remembered reading a pamphlet written by a Roman Catholic apologist or read some passages from Catholic Answers that says Roman Catholics don't worship statues. They also say that it's not idolatry to pray to saints, angels and Mary because they're not pagan gods. I could agree with Roman Catholics that Mary of the Bible is not Semiramis or any pagan goddess or that they're not praying to pagan gods when they pray to saints and angels. But the problem is that they deny they're actually worshiping their saints, angels and Mary without knowing it. Here's the issue of idolatry that I could point out. Pagan religions pray to various non-existent gods and angels as well as historical people they've dubbed as patron saints. I remembered how I was told not to pray to the gods in Taoist and Buddhist temples because they're all idols but it's okay to pray to the Roman Catholic saints and angels or to Mary. Later, I realized the same stupidity in the

It's very easy for me to get tempted to do habits that I'm delivered from. Backsliding is not a joke and one of them involves returning to the occult. It's very easy for me to attempt transcendental meditation again when I'm feeling angry. Emptying the mind but not filling it with the Word of God only provides space for new filth. I feel it's very easy to return to believing in the foolishness of fortune telling to avoid disasters and to make decisions whenever things go wrong. It's just stupid to expect to go through life unscathed. This is because of the sin nature that I'm not yet fully delivered from.  Bad things have been happening to me one after the other. I feel like the demons are mocking me, telling me because I dropped believing in occult practices such as Feng Shui and the Horoscope that these things are happening. I even get reminded of how Manny Pacquiao's loss was blamed towards his conversion from Roman Catholicism to Christianity.

Why I consider myself my own worst enemy is because of my pride. I always feel that my pride wants to be fed, I want to rule above everything and remember it was pride that kicked Lucifer out of Heaven. It was pride that caused Lucifer to become Satan the adversary. Whether Satan is near me or not is not the issue because I can't blame him for my poor choices. Instead, my own worst enemy is myself. Romans 7:14-25 has Paul calling himself his own worst enemy.  It should be pure foolishness for me to believe that I'm saved and I must impress God on my own to do His work. God does expect hard work from the Christian but it's for His glory. He doesn't feed those who are lazy. He expects hard work and He chastises those who are in their times of sloth. But there's another issue. I would be so foolish to believe that I can do God's work without His amazing grace. He didn't save me and just decide to leave me alone. Instead, He gives provision for me to do H

2 Kings 6:4-7 says, " So he went with them. And when they came to Jordan, they cut down wood. But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it." When I think of the Sunday evening message that I heard, I'm afraid that I'm failing to trust God. I don't know if I'm having some direct demonic harassment right now or I'm just plain careless and God's calling my attention... but God has a purpose to allow either which. There's always the issue that if God gave me a river instead of a pitcher of water a day, He knows that I'll be complacent. Instead, He chose to provide my needs little by little. I want to have instant relief but that would mean broken fellows

I would believe that the subject of tithing is a very tricky one. Even if a sound Christian pastor doesn't believe in the prosperity gospel but he could still be teaching tithing. The verse that's frequently quoted to defend tithing is Malachi 3:8-10 which says: Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. The context of tithing is that it's in the Old Testament ceremonial law . God required the Jews to give a tenth of their earnings. The Old Testament tithe was meant to support the Levites. Israel was under an old covenant and that while the moral law is still effective for

I can't help but condemn the Vatican's continued "pro-life" facade. While I can agree with the Vatican on certain issues like the divinity of Christ but I can't agree with them on other issues like how they put too much importance on Jesus' earthly mother Mary or the Rosary. The same goes that I do agree with the use of due process but I can't agree with the Vatican's stand against death penalty. The hypocrisy still sickens me and still sickens me. The Vatican pretends to be the true church that Jesus built based on a severe misinterpretation of Matthew 16:18. It's always been one lie begetting another. The Roman Catholic institution is built on lies from Peter as the supposed first Pope to making Mary a co-mediator to other lies all because Scripture is taken straight out of context. The same goes for their hypocrisy of going against the death penalty. I just can't agree with the Vatican about death penalty because of what the Scriptures ha

It reminded me of an encounter I had with a self-proclaimed Roman Catholic apologist (doubt it she even has her formal training seeing how Trent Horn of Catholic Answers or Mitchell Pacwa, SJ are very professional in defending their faith) who may also be a self-proclaimed visionary. She claimed that someone or she saw a vision of the "Blessed Mother" who told her Manny Pacquiao's loss was because of his conversion to the born again Christian faith. After I told her about the whole error she had with Roman Catholic Marian doctrine, not only did she insist that I was insisting to be an "orphan" but also she misquoted Mark 7:8-9. I found the whole event really mind-boggling because Roman Catholics reject the idea of Sola Scriptura. They think that there's still the need for extrabiblical revelations from apparitions and that the Council of Trent is their final authority. Because they're not even encouraged to read the Bible on their own so there's

There are times I just like asking God why He allows bad times to happen. There are times I just want to brag to him about how "righteous" I am never mind that my changed life was a result of His grace and imputed righteousness. Apart from which I have no righteousness of my own this timeless truth: 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Everything was the result of God's grace. There's no power against sin outside the grace of God. When I got saved I am an overcomer by the grace of God. I want to do good because He makes me want to do good. I want to choose good because of His grace. But when I start to say, "But Lord I've been so faithful why is this happening?" then I suffer from some form of self-righteousness. That's why Jesus told people to beware of the leaven of

Those who oppose traditional marriage says, "That's Old Testament!" to my face. I remembered how advocates of the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transgender (LGBT) communities say that I have no right to tell them that they're wrong if I keep eating bacon and shrimp. Others have their tendency to say "Love is all that matters." never mind that 1 Corinthians 13:8 says that love doesn't rejoice in wrong but rejoices in the right. Why do I still support traditional marriage? It's because God said it and He has good reasons to give those rules. I'm not going to stop there but I'm going to talk about several stuff in the Old Testament that's still relevant to the New Testament. If the Old Testament were obsolete so why do some people still follow the Ten Commandments? If the Old Testament were obsolete then stuff like incestuous relationships should be tolerated. Now I'd talk about the biblical standard of marriage vs. the sexual immora

One incredibly difficult task in reading through John Gill's commentary would be Psalm 119. It's the longest chapter in the Bible and it's also located in the longest book of the Bible. Doing an exposition on the longest book of the Bible should slow any good expositor down. I don't know how many sermons any expository preacher would have dedicated to Psalm 119 compared to other chapters of the Bible. My latest challenge right now is trying to read through a very long exposition of John Gill's commentary. This would mean reading one to portions a day in contrast to reading 2-3 chapters of the wonderful commentary. By God's grace I will accomplish this task. See also: I'm Reading John Gill's Commentary on the Book of Psalms

I remembered the question, "Must you be willing to turn from sin to be saved?" My answer is yes. What does it mean to be willing to turn from sin? The Greek word for repent is "metanoneia" which is "a change of mind which begets a change in purpose." To be willing to turn from sin is not to start doing good works but to have that sense of remorse and repentance from sin. Although I do find it redundant to say, "Admit you're a sinner." to be followed by "Be willing to turn from sin." but you can't deny admitting you're a sinner means you're willing to turn from sin. But there's one problem that also stops people from getting saved. Aside from the fact that they think they're "good enough" they also love their sin.  What's even more evil to think about is that many self-righteous people who think they're "good enough" for Heaven are also loving their sinful lifestyle. Some people

Former Roman Catholic now born again Christian, Philippine Senator Manny Pacquiao, said that death penalty isn't personal but a social issue . The situation itself differentiates revenge and justice. Revenge is personal but justice is social. Somebody may say that the death penalty may not bring back the dead victims to life. I can agree on that one but here's the issue. Death penalty should be and is all about defending society from vile people. It's a deterrent to criminal acts.  Opponents of death penalty love to misquote Exodus 20:13 and forget the rest. The translation "kill" used is actually ratsach in that verse. The Bible which condemns murder also teaches that death penalty must be carried out. Some atheists say that it's negotiable. No, it's not negotiable. The same God who orders you not to commit murder orders you to execute people guilty of crimes against life doesn't contradict Himself. This also includes to false witnesses who cou

Some people tell me that I should just return to the Roman Catholic institution. They tell me that I'm just misinformed. Aside from the ugly history of Roman Catholicism which has been well hidden from the laymen but there's also the Scriptural truth to why I can't return to Roman Catholicism. I won't return to Roman Catholicism because I can't return to it. I can't return to it because I'm already saved. Former churchmates tell me I can still return to becoming a Roman Catholic but here's my answer. There's one thing you have to know about true conversion. Even if a Christian isn't perfect and may struggle with old habits but they don't indulge in sin. They may be weak with the faith but there's one absolute truth in 1 John 2:19. If you're truly saved then you're always saved. The evidence of eternal security is continued fellowship and unity in Christ. Even if a Christian may suffer from ups and downs. Christians may still

I listened to the lecture on the " The Rise of Cults in America " by W. Robert Godfrey and I'm urged to write this new post. There's the rising trend that has a so-called prophet that says he (or in some cases she) has come to restore the "true church" to its original roots, that they had a revelation from God that the Church had apostasized and it must be restored. But there's one huge problem with that claim. That claim makes God a liar. I would rather trust the words of Jesus or the apostles in the Bible than any religious lunatic because this is what Jesus guaranteed: Matthew 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it . 1 Corinthians 10:4  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ . Jesus Himself said that He'd built His Church upon the Solid Ro

Reading through John Gill's commentary is really no walk in the park and I'm momentarily stuck with his exposition of Psalms. It has been a long difficult process that after reading the Bible cover to cover for the nth time. I wanted to chew on my spiritual food to savor the flavor of the Word of God for the Christian life. My Bible reading has been slow trying to understand verse by verse and chapter by chapter. By God's grace I reached the Book of Psalms and I'm in the 89th chapter. The struggle isn't easy. Sin and the forces of darkness are working their way. If Satan's not there then it's one of his demons but I take note that I'm my own worst enemy. The flesh is always trying to give me an excuse not to continue the spiritual exercise of reading a thorough Bible exposition. With psalms as the longest book of the Bible I need God's grace to really read through it. Sometimes, I'm stuck with one to two chapters a day if it's going to b

The Catholic apologist may say that Galatians 2:11-13 and the incident in Acts 15 is not proof whatsoever that the Pope doesn't have the right or privilege to papal infallibility. They may say that Paul was simply giving brotherly correction. They may say that it would be just like a cardinal telling the Pope about being wrong on certain stuff. One situation they may want to compare is would be a cardinal tells the Pope something like, "Your holiness, you are wrong about my favorite food. I don't like pasta."  This kind of problem happens because of a lack of understanding of what Roman Catholics believe about papal infalliblity.  I agree with Roman Catholics in the sense that the Pope isn't perfect and that he can still make mistakes. The doctrine of papal infallibility doesn't teach that the Pope is always right. On the other hand, it means that the Pope is supposedly preserved from doctrinal error. Here's what the Vatican II Council says: Vatican

I remembered these words by Paul David Washer and I agree with it 100%: "False teachers are God’s judgment on people who don’t want God, but in the name of religion plan on getting everything their carnal heart desires. That’s why a Joel Osteen is raised up. Those people who sit under him are not victims of him but he is the judgment of God upon them. And they want exactly what he wants, and it’s not God." I'm reminded of what Isaiah 66:4 that says that God will choose their delusions. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-13 says that God will send strong delusions upon those who have pleasure in unrighteousness . Even after I showed the verses in context they still refuse to believe it. I start gathering evidence for the truth yet they refuse to believe it. The fact that they refuse to believe the obvious truth is because God is judging them through their delusions. A false teacher is raised up because unsaved people want o have them around (Jeremiah 5:31).   Why do I

There's one huge problem with having knowledge without love. I could go ahead and master the Scriptures. I could go ahead and start talking about how wrong their doctrine is based on the Bible and history. But if I don't do it in love then I'm nothing. This is what the Bible says about having all the knowledge in the world but not having love at all: 1 Corinthians 10:2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. While knowledge isn't useless but having knowledge without love is useless. It's like giving a sword to a person who has no self-control. The problem isn't knowledge per se but how the person handles the knowledge one acquires. As Paul would say that it doesn't matter how great you are but if you don't have love (spelled as charity in the King James) then you're nothing. It profits nothing