Reformed Blogging

Today's reading from the Tecarta Bible is Ecclesiastes 3. I decided to focus on the first eight verses for my reflection today: Ecclesiastes 3:1-8  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. There's a time for everything. You can see how the cycle goes with life itself. We notice how these eight verses tell us that both g...

Right now, I'm taking a pause in my Bible study with 1 Thessalonians. I wanted to move forward but I'm stuck with the second chapter. The word contention (or conflict) is from the Greek word agoni where we get the English word agony . The New International Version (NIV) renders contention as opposition while the English Standard Version (ESV) renders it as conflict . I think I'd like to use the word agony since it's rooted in the Greek word where we get the synonyms. Now, enough of that and I'd like to share my thoughts on the matter. This is where Apostle Paul was narrating of his experience in Philippi where he met much contention or agoni in Greek. The Apostle Paul himself was no man-pleaser. He had given commands to servants (doulos or slave) to please God above their earthly masters. He was a guy who was commissioned to preach the Gospel even if it meant suffering. He had mentioned (in part) his experience in Philippi (Acts 16) where he got jailed and won a ja...

I was reading through Vernon McGee's commentary on Jeremiah and Lamentations. I always feel the guilt of not sharing the Gospel out of fear of rejection, falling into sinful compromise more often than not all because I'm trying to save my skin. Jeremiah was a man of sorrows who probably made a few converts who willfully followed his advice. The rest always ignored his warnings and preferred to listen to the comforting lies of the false prophets. He was always rejected because he was definitely what he was - a man who spoke the unwanted bad news! Jeremiah was the son of Hilkiah the priest. Leviticus 22 ordered the Levites to have families. Jeremiah never had the privilege to continue his Levitical line. God ordered him to stay celibate for a good reason - disaster was coming up. It would not be practical for Jeremiah to take a wife in her virginity and have children. He was going to be a prophet to be put to more danger than usual. He was going to be a priest who would be a...

Well it's December once again and I know I don't feel too good about December for many reasons. One of them is because Christmas is indeed the most hypocritical time of the year. Suddenly, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm called "old fashioned" or "old fashioned Baptist". Christmas being the worldliest time of the year is always in competition with the old fashioned truth that Jesus Christ is the only Way to the Father and that His incarnation was necessary because man isn't basically good! The reason is summarized in the song "The Old Fashioned Way". They call me old-fashioned because I believe That the Bible is God’s holy Word, That Jesus, who lived among men long ago, Is divine, and the Christ of God.   Chorus: My sin was old-fashioned, My guilt was old-fashioned, God’s love was old-fashioned, I know; And the way I was saved was the old-fashioned way, Thro' the blood that makes whiter than snow.   Old-fashione...

The more you persecute Christianity - the more it grows! That's the truth that the Bible had declared this wonderful truth of the Scriptures concerning persecution: 1 Corinthians 4:9-11  Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10 Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11 For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. This is the truth about Christianity. Jesus never promised an easy life yet He also promised that He would provide the grace to survive it. The Holy Spirit Himself doesn't only convict sin but also empowers the Christian. The truth of the matter is that Christianity itself has been persecuted many times. If unsaved Jews couldn't stop it, if the Roman Catholic institution couldn't stop it, if Islam couldn't stop it then what makes China's ath...

It's really one thing that history has proven is that you can't destroy Christianity. Mess up with God and He will mess you up! I thought about the very verse from the Bible: 2 Corinthians 4:8-10  We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed ; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. The apostle Paul passed through so many tribulations yet he continued on. Do you know the secret of Christianity's success? It has to do with this one factor - the Author of Christianity is Jesus Christ! Who is the Author and Finisher of the Christian faith? Philippians 1:7-8 says it's Jesus Christ! Matthew 16:16-18 says that the gates of Hell will not prevail against the Church. Is there a gate of Hell somewhere? God will push it down! When God says you can certainly believe it and that...

The Foxe's Book of Martyrs is one book that sent chills to my spine while reading it. I could read of many ways that Christianity has been persecuted. There were several ways that tortures were done. Fortunately, none of the methods were described in detail or I don't know if I could ever finish reading the book. The book spoke of how Christians were tortured in various ways especially with details about the Roman Catholic institution's use of the Inquisition. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:35-38:  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and...

I really hate reading or watching the news these days. The world isn't getting any better. You have politically correct people who say only if Christians were more "tolerant" then the world would be a better place. Worse, politically correct people say Christians are to blame for the world's conditions. They nitpick on the sins of the Christians while glorifying the immorality of the unsaved. That alone really drives me crazy with their double standard. What's worse is that Christians are just there to share the truth of the Gospel, that man isn't basically good and that Jesus is the only Way to the Father then these crybabies reveal how offended they are. They think they have the right not to be offended by the truth even if it was relayed to them in the nicest way possible without diluting the message. The social media landscape shows how irritating political crybabies are. Many of them commit several acts of online harassment or topic derailment for th...

I gave a thought on how frustrating it is that people would rather have the truth only when it's convenient. In short, it's always been pleasant half-truths over inconvenient truth. Whether you like it or not people are inclined to explode when their sins are exposed to them because they think they're basically good. People are inclined to get mad when the truth goes against their hardened hearts and minds. The question isn't only about how people react to the truth but also how do I react to people who don't want it? There's no mistake people are stuck in the problem of Isaiah 30:10 and Jeremiah 5:31. The prophets are rejected for giving the unpleasant truth. Whenever I read Isaiah and Jeremiah I think about how people today are no different. A church that's full of people is usually a church that doesn't belong to the Body of Christ. How many people would want to join the popular crowd and the same people are most likely to say born again Christia...

I shouldn't be surprised at sexually immoral people tell me that I'm making the world worse. What's their idea of a better world? I could imagine what their perverted minds think of what a better world is: a world without moral absolutes, a world where they can sin without having to pay the consequences and for the atheists among them the want a world without God. The bad news (at least for them) is that these can't happen. Just think of how some atheists have often expressed how they wish God would disappear and stop intervening with their lives. Some of them nitpick on whatever sins I struggle with. I'm not proud that I have my tendencies to be dishonest for my convenience or lose my temper over the slightest issues. But for the world one Christian's sin is more heinous than the millions of sins that their own commits. It's like how David's life was a mess after his adultery with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 16:13) while wicked kings still keep getting prai...

I'm giving a thought on how often I lose my cool when I'm promoting biblical truth. I often remember how people discourage me from reading the Bible because they're not comfortable around someone who uses it for endless debates. I end up becoming a big Bible thumper whenever it comes to discussing the truth. Worse, I get so angry that I really want to cause physical harm to the person for the insults they're throwing at me. I just want to get even especially when these scoffers start telling me I'm stupid and start throwing their worst insults at me. What I often ignore is that the Bible tells me to turn the other cheek (Matthew 5:39).  Seriously... is it even considered Christlike to respond to insults and put downs by throwing a fit of rage or worse hitting the other party physically? I always tell them that God is not a God that is all love, that I'm not a fan of sugar-coated preaching, that the Gospel is offensive towards lost sinners, that people must...

People tell me that I should be more tolerant and loving or that all religions are welcome. What I'm seeing right now from this clip is hardly complete tolerance. Douglas Wilson a Presbyterian pastor speaks at Indiana University and you have a couple of people breaking the courtesy rule. I guess such people only appeal to manners and right conduct if it benefits them. So much for saying that atheist morality is superior because it's not. If people have no fear of punishment then what reason would they have not to do anything wrong? If there are no moral absolutes then what's the use of calling Christian propaganda as whatever accusations they have in this video? Here's what I would like to bring up. It still makes me puke how these "liberals" continue to insist that that we should just accept everyone. Then if they should just accept everyone but why are they harassing people who contradict their beliefs? You can see that kind of intolerance when homose...

There is the statement that says that it doesn't matter how much you know if it's not done in love. Is it wrong for Christians to study science? They are encouraged to know the facts so they could defend the faith. But there is the problem of the atheist who in spite of all the evidence shown upon them that they still choose to mock it. One of the worst arguments is that they can use is that the watchmaker is a human invention while the human body is a product of atheistic evolution. This is really a temptation to get mean towards the atheist especially when they start calling names to the other person or make every form of mockery.  I reflected on how often I fail to remember that it doesn't matter what I know if I don't have love. I could go ahead and do diligent research to defend my stand. I could listen to one expository sermon after the other, I could dig for facts in science, I could just do everything to gather evidence for my faith. But 1 Peter 3:15-17...

The Bible always has the command to renew your mind. The Bible commands that Christians are nto to be conformed to the ways of the world but are to be transformed according to the holy image of God. So what does it mean?  Romans 12:1-3  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. My favorite apologetic program as of current is by R.C. Sproul Sr. called "Renewing Your Mind" from Ligonier.org with all the useful links. Although I'm a Baptist and Sproul is a Presbyt...

It's very easy for anyone to be envious at the prosperity of the wicked. I could remember what David said in Psalm 73:3-12: For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. It's very easy for me to think that justice no longer exists and why a God s...

Whenever somebody hurts me, I always have two thoughts in my mind which are to (1) love my enemy, pray for the person, return evil with kindness, or (2) get even and have my revenge. The problem was that when I was newly saved, I struggled with it and I foolishly tried to trust my flesh of arm to save me. But the problem of the flesh which is greatly said when the Apostle Paul mentioned his struggle with the flesh: Romans 7:18 -  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. If there's nothing wrong with the flesh, why should I even trust it? All its "good works" are just dead works. Some people think they've forgiven the person but all they did is to merely suppress that grudge instead of truly forgive. The flesh wants to be satisfied and trying to fight it by suppressing that hatred for a person who hate me is just delaying my wrath. I remembered being...

I remembered how I had a rather intense argument with some self-proclaimed Roman Catholic apologists. They said that born again Christians are jealous of the Pope's popularity that everyone bows down to him while they say no born again Christian pastor is suffering for Christ's sake. It's pretty much a bad case of double standard. So is their basis for right and wrong based on popularity? Let's check what the Bible says and I seek to refute them with the Bible they so misquote for their own convenience. The Bible has a very different warning. Here's what the Bible says about being loved by the world: Matthew 7;13-14  Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Luke 6:26   Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to...

Right now, people say that I should be more tolerant. First, let's define tolerance. Tolerance means the ability or willingness to tolerate or allow something. It also means to have a fair, permissive and objective attitudes, opinions and beliefs that varies from one's own. It also means the ability to endure. Now are we called to tolerate? To a certain extent. Is it good to have an open mind? It depends on the case. But today the problem is the demand for complete tolerance. The problem of those vile people who call themselves liberals is that they demand people to "coexist" even if it's impossible. But what they really mean is comply. Allow me to tell you why I believe that complete tolerance to be 100% impossible. The world has opposing forces and we know it. The two forces that will never walk together are good and evil. Amos 3:3 warns that the two can't walk together except they be agreed. While there are differences that can be compromised but there...