routergenie's Xanga

Ancestor Worship

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:24:22 GMT

I am pushed by ministry to think through this issue.

I think most of the time Chinese churches or Christians tend to emphasize what NOT to do on the issue of ancestor worship. We would talk about not participating in the rituals, not burning incense, not burning ritual paper money, not bowing to the photos, not placing the BBQ pork/duck before the photos, etc. The one primary theological motivation is that ancestor worship is demonic. Therefore, when the family is going through the rituals, the Christians in the family will refuse to participate. However, this makes the demonic too big and it isolates Christians from an intimate moment in the life of the family.

Therefore, here are what I suggest we should teach the Chinese Christians if their family is predominantly non-Christian and they perform the rituals.

(1) Jesus is the Lord of the universe and He holds the keys of death and hades.
(2) Ancestor worship is a form of idolatry especially when one asks the ancestors for protection.
(3) Praying to the dead is unbiblical.
(4) Christians are to honor their parents while they are still alive.
(5) If people do not burn incense to their parents while they are still alive, why should anyone do so after they have passed away?
(6) Dead people stay in hades and their souls will not walk around on earth.
(7) If (you think) a dead relative did answered your prayer, the one responding may not really be your relative but something else.
(8) For what reason will people become more powerful AFTER they are dead?
(9) Christian can participate in the ancestor veneration rituals. Just as Christian can be part of a funeral organized by Buddhists and the non-Christian family, ...

(i) instead of bowing to the ancestors, he will stand before the photos, and pray
(ii) he will not pray to the dead ancestors, but to God, praising Him for his family and petitioning on behalf of his family
(iii) he will not bow to the photos, burn incense, nor to burn paper money, etc.
(iv) he is free to eat the food that was offered to the ancestor for Jesus is the Lord of the food

Whether you are Christians or not, what do you think?

Searching For Discipleship Materials

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:39:14 GMT

[Started 3/3/2009]

I am looking for discipleship materials for I need to disciple a group of young Christians. I believe discipleship is a God-given mandate for the Church (Matthew 28:16-20). I also think a weekly dosage of Bible on Sunday alone is insufficient. We need to remember mess used to be done daily and the Reformers preached almost daily, sometimes more than once a day. Today's evangelicals have an emphasis on personal daily devotion; however, quality may suffer because each reads the Bible according to his/her own presuppositions. I still struggle with how discipleship can be done more effective so that a greater dosage of the Gospel truth can be given to these Christians. My goal is to disciple my group following the flow of the biblical text on Sunday while using other materials to present a doctrinal framework that addresses their life issues (during the week). I am looking for materials that do more than just proof-texting. I am looking for materials that present a rich biblical-theological framework. I just want to write down what I have found so far.

Philosophically, I am inspired by the work of Rev. Steve Smallman who has pointed out that discipleship "is a process of calling people to follow Jesus and then walking with them through that process, both before and after they confess faith." Discipleship is not only for the committed Christians. You can read more in his book Spiritual Birthline: Understanding How We Experience the New Birth.

(1) Sonship - Materials written and published by World Harvest Mission. Materials were inspired by Rev. Dr. C. John Miller's (also known as Jack Miller) work. (He has written books like A Faith Worth Sharing, The Heart of A Servant Leader, etc. His wife has also authored From Fear To Freedom) It was originally written for their missionaries in the field; however, it was subsequently used by many churches. There are videos or MP3 lectures accompanying the workbook. The set has 16 lessons. The materials present doctrines and practical maters so that Christians are prepared to handle tough issues in life. [more details]
(2) Gospel Transformation - Materials also written and published by World Harvest Mission. Materials are divided into 6 units with 6 lessons each. Now at its second edition. The first edition has been translated into Chinese by a team at Houston Chinese Church. This is a rewriting of the Sonship materials to make it more approachable to the lay people in the Church. Materials can be used in a small group setting and the book comes with materials for the group leader. [more details]
(3) The Journey - Materials written by Rev. Dr. Randy Pope at Perimeter Church, the author of T he Intentional Church.
It is a three-year program. Materials including group materials and MP3s.
(4) Materials from Redeemer Presbyterian Church - Materials written by Rev. Dr. Tim Keller, former professor of Westminster Theological Seminary, are available from Redeemer's website. All those materials come with leader's guides. The three-part series on Gospel Christianity is a good start [sample].
(5) NEW!! Gospel-Centered Life - A 9-week discipleship course with low commitment requirements. It is probably available on World Harvest Mission's website within a week. This course condenses and simplifies materials from Sonship and Gospel Transformation. [more details]

Let me know what you have found also.

Vision Statement of Northeast Philadelphia Mission

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:58:55 GMT

We are drafting our vision statement and core values. We are yet to come up with an official name for Northeast Philadelphia Mission of the PCA. Gospel Grace Ministries will continue to be the Chinese arm of this church (re)planting project.

To bring peoples of the nations into a living, loving, and lasting relationship with the Lord of the nations and His people
through a ministry of the gospel of Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Reformation Day Party Lesson

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:30:12 GMT

A lesson for the Junior Youth Group (5th to 8th grade kids).

Jesus has cast out demons and crushed the Devil and the power of death by His death and resurrection. So, though demons are real, we have no fear of them nor do we follow them nor resurrect them on Halloween. Reformation Day (10/31) is a Christian festival to celebrate the recovery of the Gospel in the Christian Church.

Matthew 8:28-34
Ephesians 4:25-5:2
1 John 3:8

ESL Classes in Northeast Philadelphia (Fall 2009)

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:42:15 GMT

Sponsor: Qendra Shqiptare Jeta e Re/Gospel Grace Ministries/NECP
Location: Mayfair-Conwell Baptist Church Building
Address: 3300 Tyson Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19149
Beginners: Monday, Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30pm, Saturday 9:30 - 11:00am
Intermediate: Monday, Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30pm
Advanced: Monday, Wednesday 6:30 - 8:30pm
Phone: (215)279-9000

Sponsor: Northeast Family YMCA*
Location: Northeast Regional Library
Address: 2228 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19149
Beginners: Tuedays and Wednesdays 3:00 - 4:00pm, Thursdays and Fridays 11:00 - 12:30 pm
Intermediate: Tuedays 7:00 - 9:00pm
Phone: (215)632-0100

Sponsor: Chinese Christian Herald Crusade
Location: CCHC Philadelphia Branch Office
Address: 1020 Cottman Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111
Tuesdays 8:45-9:45am
Wednesdays 10:00-11:00am
Thursdays 9:00-10:00am
Fridays 10:15-11:15am
Phone: (215)259-3047

* YMCA stands for Young Men's Christian Association

Why In H--- Should We Be Afraid Anyway?

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:09:01 GMT

I have found it very interesting (OK, I actually like the word "strange" better) that many Christians are afraid of talking about hell, God's wrath, the Final Judgment, apostasy, etc. In fact, at times, I think Christians have more fear than non-Christians on these topics. Some Christians are trying very hard to avoid these topics and others may think they are simply too unappetizing that they should be avoided at all costs.

On one hand, Christians' fear can be justified because they believe God clearly teaches these fearful things, i.e. these are indeed horrific things, while it is also possible that our understanding of the Gospel of Grace is so one-sided that our theology only allows talks about God's love, God's grace, and it has no room for God's justice, God's wrath, hell, and apostasy. Nevertheless, I think our fear should not be so great that we think it is inappropriate for God to reveal these to us.

On the other hand, Christians' fear can also be unfounded because non-Christians (as long as they are not elects) simply do not believe in them. Why not just let people laugh at what we said? Cheer them up! Some Christians are fearful may be because they do not understand how these topics are presented in the Bible as comforts for the Christians who are persecuted and are suffering because of the truth they built their life on. Some Christians also may not understand how these doctrines can actually bring the elects out from the closets and help them to believe in the good and comprehensive salvation God has prepared for us in Jesus Christ.

So, why on earth should we be afraid anyway?

Pacifier

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 05:47:14 GMT

A device for the babies the adults designed to pacify themselves.

Would You Please Also Slap My Left Cheek Before You Go?

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 04:28:36 GMT

Jesus said,

"....But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:39, ESV)

This is one of the most understandable and yet also one of the most unpleasant instructions Jesus has given his disciples. People may also think this is one of the most unreasonable commands. I do have difficulties practicing this.

Who in the world will think this is actually reasonable or wise? Since this command is so foreign to our value and the usual practice of our community, do we need to destroy our thought in order to accept this instruction with faith (just as a Korean cultic leader teaches)?

To understand this, we must start with what God has told us about the way He takes care of the world. We need to learn to think God's thoughts after Him. We may think that God only takes care of good people or His worshipers (e.g. Chinese may say, "拜得神多自得神庇佑", "the more you worship Him, the more He will provide for you"), but this is not what He told us. Jesus said,

"....[H]e makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." (Matthew 5:45)

This means that people in the world can continue to receive His gracious gifts without ever thanking Him or acknowledging Him as God. God even takes care of those who deny Him and willfully reject Him. God turns His cheek when He continues to care for those who reject Him. He also turns His cheek when He nailed His one and only Son Jesus Christ onto the Cross for those who rebel against Him. He could have wiped out the evil, unjust, and unthankful people now and yet He continues to be patient with the world. Jesus has turned His cheek when He healed those He knew would not thank Him (Luke 17:11ff). Actually, there is no need to destroy our thoughts in order to accept this. We do see shadows or analogies of this in our daily life: Loving parents take care of infants who do not know how to thank them nor appreciate their cares. Loving parents continue to care for and properly discipline their rebellious children.

We do want to be treated like this. However, our inability and unwillingness to do this shows our sinfulness and our ignorance of God's grace and ministry before and (even) after we come to faith. However, by trusting in Jesus Christ, we receive the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our life so that we can live out this teaching and to love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors (Matthew 5:44). We continue in our journey of sanctification after we are justified and made saints once-and-for-all in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ through our faith as a receiving utensil. May the Lord grant us understanding so that we may not disobey Him.

Peter said,

"²³ When [Jesus Christ] was reviled, he did not revile in return;
when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.
²⁴ He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:23-24, ESV)

"I Can't Wait to Have More Rules In My Life!"

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:27:14 GMT

We probably think a control freak or a lunatic today would say something like that. Our culture worships freedom and our testimony stands in the New York Harbor. Restrains and rules are obsessions of millennium past. However, if you go to the Scriptures, you may find these...

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2)

Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commandments! (Psalm 112:1)

Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. (Psalm 119:35)

Similar attitude towards God's Law can be found in Psalm 119:46-48, 69-71, 77, 143, 174. However, this is not just an Old Testament attitude, Paul also said in the New Testament,

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being,... (Romans 7:22)

It is not hard to find Scriptures that talk about the Law of God as something to be obeyed and to be kept. However, there are passages where the Law is an object of delight and love. If this is so,

Are Christians unavoidably legalistic?

People could think of Christianity along this line. This is because most religions are about rules. Do this, these, and that and you will not need to suffer the pains of reincarnation. If you believe in X, then you cannot eat this, you cannot touch that, and you cannot see those. This shows that people consider religion an institute about I, me, and myself encouraging self-righteousness and narcissism.

Paul said, "These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh." (Colossians 2:23) This self-made religion can be written in Chinese as 人不為己、天誅地滅 (lit. "If a person does not look out for himself, the heaven and the earth will get rid of him."). This statement is just a convenient way to justify whatever one wants to do (to conveniently acquire a man-made righteousness). Hearing the Gospel, first questions new believers or seekers ask often are not about ways to go to heaven, not about what God is like, not about what Jesus has actually done, but Christian dos and don'ts. In the mind of many people, religion is naturally about restrictions, regulations, and rules, and therefore about me, my attitude towards them, and how I am justified according to them. However, the Christian faith's focus isn't rules or me or how God should meet my expectations, it is all about Jesus Christ and how He has rescued us from our sins when we care more about our expectations than all that is required in God's Law.

Undeniable, there are plenty of rules and regulations in the Bible that Christians can use the Law in legalistic ways; however, this way in using the rules do not exhaustively account for what God has revealed in the Bible. If Christianity is only about rules and the Law, we are hopeless (Galatians 2:16). However, in Jesus Christ, commandments and rules can do something else for us: They bring delights to our heart. Paul has said that the Law is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12,16). This is not a crazy idea at all. How does this work?

Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. (Psalm 119:98)

Commandments give wisdom in face of our enemies. Enemies can attack or they can fake an attack. Since Christ is our wisdom, there is nothing outside the expection and providence of God, and that Christ is our Emmanuel, we have every wisdom we need to handle a difficult situation or a difficult relationship by listening to the guidance of the Commandments.

Consider how I love your precepts! Give me life according to your steadfast love. (Psalm 119:159)

God's commands give life for they bring us to see how desperate we are, how insufficient we are, and then also to see God's love for us in Jesus Christ.

Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. (Ecclesiastes 8:5)

Keeping God's commandment makes one holy and pleasing to God as we trust in Christ. God's commandments also teach us discernment.

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. (Psalm 19:7-9)

The Law of God is good for our soul and our heart. It makes the wise uncomplicated and brings rejoice to our heart for we know who we are and where we are. With the Law, we can see clearly what is right and what is wrong and problematic.

Hear, O sons, a father's instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. (Proverbs 4:1-2)

Commandments give one insights and are good precepts.

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:25-27)

God's commandments (essentially God's words.....or actually this theme can easily be connected to Jesus Christ) make us holy and cleanse us. We can be freed from the bondage of sin, and other wrinkles and blemishes through the words of God and thus also the Word of God Jesus Christ.

This is an invitation to read God's words the Bible and to understand the Law of God in both the Old Testament and the New Testament in order that we may understand how Christ alone is sufficient for us.

Military Mental Training

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 03:48:55 GMT

Most military mental training is now designed to produce soliders who are intelligent and thoughtful individuals, with adaptability taking equal importance with courage and strength of mind. The modern soldier must have the mental capacity to switch from aggressive fighting patrols to food distribution in a matter of hours, even minutes, a phenomenon that the US Marines label the 'three-block war' - you can literally go from combat to non-combat duties in the space of three blocks. (p. 15-16)

[A]ll elite soliders will be found to possess the following attributes: intelligence, self-control, ruthlessness, knowledge, and resistance to physical discomfort. (p. 18-20)

Doesn't this sound like what the Bible is preparing us to do? For the attributes, except ruthlessness, aren't the rest more or less available to us in Christ?