BLOGGER



Youngest kid of six with an inferiority and black sheep complex, but determined that God saves not just his soul to heaven but the remainder of his manic-depressive life, so others won't say he became a Christian and remained a jerk.


MAIN THEMES

On identity
i won't be transparent before i'm opaque. and you'll get to know me starting from the small things: who my favourite bands are. what kind of movies i like. who are my heroes.

On Christianity
I’m convinced that when confronted with sincere, real love, the Jesus factor will become obvious. But let’s not plant the cross before we carry it. I’m not trying to con you.

On dreams
Some dreams are meant to be achieved. I know that. But maybe other dreams are meant to drive us, privately. Never known to anyone but ourselves.


OTHER THEMES

On melancholy
It is a sadness that, when choosing between crying and sighing, will choose sighing. I'd almost say that melancholy is being sad about sadness itself.

On memory and nostalgia
It saddens me when life moves forward and people decide that certain things are worth forgetting.

On language
I've learnt that the word irregardless is filed as a non-standard word in the English language. That's a lexicographer's way of saying it's not a real word.

On politics
Crowds are fickle things. So when we stand in the thousands and cry against the present government, do we know who we're actually crying for?

On society
People always want the best for themselves. But I want to sometimes take second or third or fourth best, just so that the loser down the road doesn't always have to come in last. It must feel like shit to always come in last.

On growing old
Leasehold property make me feel sad. It doesn't matter how old the family photos are that you put on your wall. It's your family but it's not really your wall.

On philosophy
I ask you, if God loves everyone, and if God is also incapable of loving evil, how can there be such a thing as an evil man?

On a daily basis
One line quips, like this.


CHAT





Monday, November 01, 2004
THE WORLD DEBATE

We know that as Christians, God wants to give us all good things. he wants to prosper us, to give us a future. he wants to bless us and he has said over and over again, "ask and you will receive". this sounds ever bit like a God who wants to make life good for us.

At the same time, we are called to be in the world but not of it. we know that the world hates Christ and if we are of Christ, we must be prepared for the world to hate us. we are to deny the pleasures of the world and all its trappings. i'm planning to do a little debate of sorts with my cell this week and i thought in line with pastor charlie's message, i'd do it on this.

[topic changed since first posting]
so here's the topic: the christian life in the world is necessarily full of hardship. Yes or no? give me your opinion. scriptural backup will be HIGHLY valued!

[update]
the new question reads as: is the comfortable life in the world an unChristian life?

i found the old one too imbalanced and unsuitable for the purpose of debating!

Labels:



Genusfrog [ 1:12 am ]

6 Comments:

  • my answer would be both

    Matthew 7:13 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:
    Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

    Even as Christians some choose the easy path, some choose to idle and not seek God's will and direction for their lives. But those who seek to take up His cross will be blessed.

    Matthew 16:24-25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:45 pm  

  • thanks adonai! can really use the matt 16 verse. but i'm not sure how the matt 7s challenging "christian life as hardship" (if it's even supposed to be).

    ~ There are two kinds of people in the world: those who think there are two kinds of people in the world, and those who don't.

    By Blogger Genusfrog, at 1:46 pm  

  • There is a real tension here, isn't there? I don't think this is an issue that will be settled by stacking up Bible verses against one another and seeing which pile is highest! The central act of the ministry of Jesus is the Cross - without that there is no salvation or hope of resurrection. He calls, as the previous commenter said, to follow that way after him. Surrender and self-sacrifice are never going to be easy, but that's our calling as Christians.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:46 pm  

  • I too was interested in your use of 'my cell', because our new Minister was talking to us last week of ways in which he has previously enabled churches to grow. One was through cell groups, the others were through 'Walk to Emmaus' groups and through 'Disciple Groups'.
    I have done Disciple I and Disciple II, and i was once asked to write a letter fo a 'Walk to Emmaus'group in another church but I've had no experience of cellgroups - and they sound exciting and challenging. Please pray that we may follow the Minister's leading.

    I was a little concerned at your use of 'God wants to give us all good things' and 'Ask and you will recieve' - as though we have onlty to ask Him and we will be free from poverty, pain, etc. What about all the fine Christians in the badly impoverished countries of the world? But you are right to say that we will have persecution. I have had more persecution and physical pain than most people I know and I have found that Christ is nearest to me at such times than at quieter times. It is at such times that I discover that the joy He brings is greater than the pain of persecution or sickness. So my answer to your question is both 'Yes' and 'No'.
    Romans 15: (7 to) 13.

    Octomusings

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:47 pm  

  • thanks everyone, for your contributions. they're really awesome. octo, i know that disturbness - no, that's not how i see christianity... i know it's not an "ask for good things" journey. in fact, in the course of my research, i'm finding this question increasingly imbalanced and inadequate to generate a sustained debate. so i'm changing the question to read as follows:

    is the comfortable life in the world an unChristian life?

    ok, so how does that help? i guess, for the sake of a debate (that's all there is, folks!) it shifts the focus on comforts, and by extension, degrees of comfort. and it also sounds more controversial, which hopefully, will incite my cell members to stronger opinions.

    yes, it's a complex issue that can never be resolved by stacking up verses in a versus way. the word of God is one and complete and consistent. so doing that would be very unbiblical as well. i just really want to gee them up to scour through God's word to find explanations and then provide a conclusion as some of you have helped me arrive at!

    you guys rock! keep on commenting!

    By Blogger Genusfrog, at 1:48 pm  

  • Just wanna thank everyone who contributed. i told my cell about the responses i got in my blog... you guys really rock. it was a successful debate and a lively one too - which was my fear (my cell is quite the small group). and we arrived, as i think we should, with a balanced conclusion of the unity of God's message regarding both comforts and hardships. in the end, it's His prerogative how these are distributed to each of us.

    By Blogger Genusfrog, at 1:48 pm  

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