Repentance

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We Have Forgotten That the Way Is Narrow

September 9, 2008 in Christian Living by Isaiah | 10 comments

Thank God for preachers like brother Paul Washer, and brothers like Lane Chaplin who make these sermons available on YouTube!

This is one of the first of many Paul Washer’s sermons that I heard a good time ago, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much it has affected me and my Christian walk. If you’ve read my testimony you’d know that I was one of many who said that ‘miracle prayer’ and became a (carnal) Christian for many years after.

Knowing how dangerous that belief is, I beseech you — that If you haven’t heard this sermon before and truly examined to see if you are saved (2 Corinthians 13:5), please take the time to today! I pray that it has an impact on you as it had on me.

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Matthew 7:13-14 NASB

Total run-time: 70:05 minutes.

Note to Self

September 7, 2008 in Christian Living, Quotes by Isaiah | 4 comments

Go Directly To Jesus

“I feel, when I have sinned, an immediate reluctance to go to Christ. I am ashamed to go. I feel as if it would do no good to go, as if it were making Christ a minister of sin, to go straight from the swine-trough to the best robe, and a thousand other excuses; but I am persuaded they are all lies, direct from hell.

John argues the opposite way: ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father.’ I am sure there is neither peace nor safety from deeper sin, but in going directly to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God’s way of peace and holiness. It is folly to the world and the beclouded heart, but it is the way.”

Robert Murray M’Cheyne, quoted by Andrew Bonar
Robert Murray M’Cheyne (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1960), 176

HT: Of First Importance.

The Tears of Saints

July 23, 2008 in Evangelism by Isaiah | 2 comments

This morning I heard an account of an evangelism encounter that reminded me of the joy in our hearts when we carry out the Great Commission given by our Lord Jesus Christ and see and experience how God works on a person’s heart, drawing him to repentance and faith.

As Tony recounted this, I was moved as well.

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Grace, Illustrated

July 7, 2008 in Evangelism by Isaiah | 2 comments

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

No amount of good works can save you — not sacraments nor baptism at birth nor feeding the poor. Salvation comes through repentance of your sins, i.e. turning away from those sins and sinning no more, and putting your faith and trust in Christ Jesus acknowledging Him as Lord and Savior.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23

Sexy School Uniforms and the Depravity of Man

May 27, 2008 in Evangelism by Isaiah | 10 comments

Total Depravity of ManA recent uproar in Malaysia over remarks that school uniforms worn by school girls in the country are too sexy and encourages rape and pre-marital sex is both amusing and a great reminder of how depraved the minds of man are.

While I don’t agree that the girls are the primary ones to be blamed and men are just responding to their lusts as it is in their nature to do so, I’d like to state that it doesn’t matter if the school uniforms are perceived to be sexy to begin with, but that the total depravity of man itself is the primary lesson we can all draw from this episode.

Don’t look so surprised or shocked when I say this — that sometimes it doesn’t matter what a woman wears or how she looks, but that if a man has his thoughts on lust, those factors don’t matter one single bit. A woman can be all covered up, but some men can still have perverted pleasure in undressing her in their minds!

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The Fallacies That Stumble

January 16, 2008 in Christianity by Isaiah | 7 comments

Fallacies -- a steep and rocky slopeHave you ever considered why we back-slide now and then and fall away sometimes, or just don’t have the motivation to read the Bible, pray and sing praises to God?

While it’s a fact that we all go through dry spells, why then do some of us slip away so much that there’s an actual term for the condition, i.e. ‘backsliding’.

I got to thinking about this issue, because it’s not a unique problem to most Christians, including myself. I backslid down the slippery slope for years from my late teens after I left college and enlisted in the Army, and have just recently started to once again reach for the peak.

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The Prodigal Son

January 8, 2008 in Christianity by Isaiah | 4 comments

The Prodigal SonThe parable of the Prodigal Son is perhaps the most loved parable of Jesus Christ among many Christians, and probably the most told as well.

Why the popularity, so to speak? For one, it speaks volumes of God’s love for us sinners.

Secondly, most of us see ourselves in the prodigal son that returned to his father expecting the worst, but have found love, acceptance and comfort in the arms of our loving and holy Heavenly Father.

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Hating Sin

January 2, 2008 in Christianity by Isaiah | 29 comments

Slave to SinWe are all taught that God is love, and that’s all we seem to hear very often nowadays, from the pulpits down to bumper stickers. Yet, very few people remember to remind themselves that above all, God is holy!

Oh, we all get that fuzzy feeling that God loves us despite of all our shortcomings, but that’s a dangerous road because that leads to us continuing to sin while the back of your mind tells you that if you confess, God shall forgive.

Because, top and foremost, God absolutely hates sin because He is holy! And if you cannot grasp this concept, and put it above all the bumper sticker messages of “God is love” or “God loves you”, then you will never ever be able to follow the Apostle Peter’s exhortation to be holy as our God is holy.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:14-16

To start off, do you know how much God hates sin? Let me just give you some examples.

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Faith and Pornography

December 11, 2007 in Christianity by Isaiah | 18 comments

Faith & PornographyThe advertising adage that sex sells is taken to new extremes today — if you can’t think of some refreshing concept for a product or service, just slap on a nude female form (cover it in some cloth or put it in silhouette so that it passes the censors though) and there’ll be many who will notice it.

Job done.

Our senses are bombarded with sexual images all the time throughout the course of a day that you need to be blind in order to totally ignore them because they are just so in-your-face.

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Don’t Be a Religious Christian

November 27, 2007 in Christianity by Isaiah | 7 comments

Have I gone mad? Has resentment and anger gotten the better of me that I now write such spew?

No, no, no, not at all!

I have always maintained that Christianity is a faith, and not a religion, and I get quite upset that people, even Christians, do not seem to be able to make the distinction.

Just last night, I heard Mark Driscoll say in his sermon, which I shall display below, why and how religion is an enemy to the Gospel. And it rings so true even about me at times, and I am sure that it will speak directly to you too.

The central message is this: that we obey God and do His commandments because He loves us and our obedience to Him is a result of the fact that we love Him back, and not because we let religion dictate it to us.

Only God is holy, but we strive to live holy lives because we love God and therefore obey Him.

I hope you enjoy it, and heed the message as much as it is making me re-examine my own walk with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Shalom Aleichem.

What In the World Are They Doing?!

November 2, 2007 in Christianity by Isaiah | 15 comments

Has the pastor and his congregation lost their minds?

Listen up, Mr. Fred Phelps, our Lord Jesus Christ came to save the lost, not condemn them! And you are there with your daughters and the congregation that you lead doing exactly the opposite — condemning those who actually needs His forgiveness, comfort, and love most.

Did you think that by doing this that you are the light and salt of the earth?

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Thoughts On Repentance

October 12, 2007 in Christianity by Isaiah | 7 comments

RepentanceExcept that we be cleansed and go to God our Father in perfect cleanliness, washed white as wool by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, God our Father will not accept our offerings nor hear of our prayers.

“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.

“When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you
this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations—
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:11-17

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Are You Ready When the Time Comes?

September 11, 2007 in Christianity by Isaiah | 7 comments

In remembrance of Sep 11, 2001Six years ago on this date, September 11, more than 3,000 people lost their lives in a matter of minutes as two commercial jet airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.

I still remember it very clearly.

Just as those who experienced first-hand seeing J.F.K. shot remember vividly what they were doing at the time of his death, I remember this event so clearly like it only happened minutes ago.

My wife and I had just finished up some shopping we needed to get done at Ikea, and have just reached home. As I switched the television set on to CNN, these horrific pictures greeted us.

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