Tonight was searching lyrics for a song, accidentally come across some very interesting post and comments on the net regarding the church I am attending and the senior pastor who is guiding the lambs in it, there is one post left by brother Isaiah early of 2009 particularly draw my attention..
He specifically pin pointing a sermon preached by Pastor Kong Hee in that service teaching about goal-setting, and conclude that Pastor Kong's sermon is non-biblical..
While reading through his comment, my heart and mind is very burdened... Because I am confused if I am hearing the something that is true in City Harvest Church, if what this brother Isaiah saying is valid, then am I wasting my time in the CHC?
However, after searching through my understanding on some verses in the bible, I have a few words to say.. here in my blog off course to re-strengthen my understanding on the faith on God...
A few paragraphs from this brother's comment have been extra interesting:
This brother said :"
First off, our Christian walk is not a self-improvement course in how to better set goals and realize our best in finances, marriage, relationships, etc.! Our Christian walk is about our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and working with ‘fear and trembling’ towards our salvation"
It is natural for anyone to understand that our christian walk is about our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, yet it does not mean we can drop off other things from our hands. There are verses mentioning about bearing fruits , serving one another, love one another among the brethen (I just cannot figure out and imagine if our relationships is not good, is there love in place?), and even before Christ rise up to heaven, He has given us the Great Commission to follow... So our Christian walk with God is really more than just a surface thought of relationship with our Lord, it is something dynamic, as relationship building is a dynamic process involving our heart..
Moreover, I think finances, marriage and relationships and etc are all mentioned in the bible.. Finances -> God teaches about tithing in book of Malachi etc. Marriage -> New Testament got a few places teaches about marriage relationship, relationships as mentioned above. It is not about whether we should pursue goal in these area or not, it is more towards what is our true intention behind... Pastor Kong teaches the church that we should follow what Jesus said to be the salt and light of the world.. If we are not doing good in these area, how to be salt and light??
Another series of paragraph by this brother:"
Secondly, Kong Hee took passages from Bible versions as and when they fitted into the message he was trying to bring across. For example, if the New Living Translation (NLT) had the word ‘goal’ in one verse, he’d take the interpretation of Scripture in that version and underline that word.
Below is my point-for-point rebuttal of the sermon:
Taking Verses Out of Context
Kong Hee reads from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, citing Luke 11:34 and only mentioning the first part of the verse where it says “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light;”
It’s not surprising that he only mentioned the first part of the verse, because next up is veering the topic towards how the fact that “thine eye is single” equates to focus and therefore leads to goal-setting.
The entire verse in Luke 11:34 (KJV) actually states this:
The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.
Luke 11:34 (KJV)
Now, you tell me: even someone with some rudimentary knowledge of English will tell you that reading the entire verse does not give one the impression that it has anything to do with focus and goal-setting. One can easily infer from the word ‘evil’ in the opposite lesson the word ’single’ would mean something similar in meaning to ‘good’, no?
In fact, the English Standard Version translates that verse thus:
Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness.
Luke 11:34
There is nothing in that verse that speaks of focus and goal-setting!"
I found this comment is very interesting so I took out my KJV Concordance and refer to it to find the original Hebrews / Greek words about this term, and found out that this term is actually called
Haplous in the Greek, which means "folded together, i.e. Single" (or clear), it really does not mean good in the original text... and based on the context of the verse, my understanding is more towards the meaning of focus (on God), or taking on single-direction (one-direction) view or something like that... And my understanding from what Pastor Kong teaching is that what we focus will gain in strength and what we lose focus will be weakened...
This brother mentioned: "
Calling to Unbelievers
How does a sermon that has served nothing but to teach a non-Biblical lesson touch any non-believers in the midst of that many-thousand-strong congregation?
I was surprised that a call to the unbelievers was even made! Look, if I were an unbeliever, I wouldn’t have gone forward to be led to become a Christian unless I’d said “hey, I’d like some of that riches that your God gives!”.
What kind of Christians will they be?
Where’s the preaching of sin in the first place? I don’t believe anyone can become a true Christian and disciple of Christ unless there is conviction in their hearts that they are sinners and are repentant and know that only the Lord Jesus Christ is able to forgive them and make them acceptable before God!
Can someone be moved to know that he or she needs Christ because the pastor taught a lesson in setting goals? If so, we should be seeing more conversions at Anthony Robbins seminars than in churches!
I worry for the souls of those who went forward. I really do. Because like the parable that our Lord Jesus Christ taught, these will be those who shall be building their houses on shifting sand, and a great fall they shall have when the winds blow and the rains beat down!
"
I trust that he is indeed very worry about us who is attending city harvest, and I appreciate for this concern, however, his concern regarding a calling after types of sermon, I realized that Paul has the teaching found in 1 Cor 9:19 - 23... Paul does not limit himself to one type of teaching and/or one way of out-reaching... Even when Jesus first approached and called for Simon Peter, He is not sharing a teaching of sin that this brother is expecting, but the truth is Peter followed Jesus after that encounter with the Lord, and though he denies Jesus 3 times, God changed him from Simon to Peter... and I believe that this brother may not have understood or accidentally overlook that there are a few other factors... i.e.
1. during the time before the unbelievers attended the service, there may have been some sharing of the gospel message..
2. the respond to the altar does not just stop there, there is still further effort put in to continue disciple and share about the teaching of God after that..
3. God's involvement.. we never know what God has done and will be doing in those people who responded to the altar call..
Among the few last statement made by this brother:
The prosperity gospel is a false gospel that will lead you astray! It teaches nothing but worldly principles and treating God as some vending machine. And all you’re in fact doing when you give to the church (or sow, as they call it), is buying some lottery ticket that says “God shall bless me when I give more to the building fund”
I am not sure the rest, but giving to God, to me, is one learning process to a lifestyle and attitudes to express love to God. I am still thinking that it is the ultimate intention in heart that why we are doing so matters, of which the prosperity and blessing comes-by as like a "by-product" to this giving, to be honest, I never traced anything like "how much God has returned me back through His vending machine slot, whether God has short-changed me or something like that" ...
I understand my intention, so the comment saying that treating God as some vending machine is something I totally cannot agree, and I find it a bit insulting also... And also, my personal thought is: if one giving to God and believe that God's blessing will pour down upon him is equated as buying lottery which depends on chance and luck, it is very sad, as I personally believe that God is a good Father as who He said He is, and will one's true loving father choose to stay silent when His beloved children expressing their loves to Him? As i understand that God is loving Father and expressive God that He kept on repeating and reminding us that He loves us.. and it is unbelieving that sacrificing to God is like buying lottery... Also I remember in the old testament how the children of Israel gives to the priest to want to build God a temple (His house)... It is in the bible...
I am not perfect either, which makes my counter-comment potentially mislook certain teachings in the bible.. If so, it is my personal fault.. However, one thing I learn is that: God's words are wonderful and we never will fully understand everything in His Word... I will still need to continue to learn the Way...
Long post from me
A shopping area in Tokyo - Shinjuku's Street View, isn't it very colourful?
First eye-pleasing objects I saw in Japan
High Class Shopping Area - Ginza's Street View
Colourful Rotating LED Board for LG in Ginza
Some Christmas Decoration Captured in Ginza
My dinner - Tempura + Fried eel + some fried Vege pieces
Christmas decoration outside the
