MARANATHA MESSENGER Weekly Newsletter of
Private Circulation Only
MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 8 May 2016 “Present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:28) Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore 509851 E-mail:
[email protected] Sunday School: 9.45 am Sunday English / Chinese Worship Service: 10.45 am Sunday Chinese Worship Service: 7 pm Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm
Evangel Bible-Presbyterian Church, Malaysia 10th Anniversary Our Lord has blessed the BP witness with the formation of many BP missions churches over the past decade In different Asian countries and you are one of them and certainly not the last. We are thankful to our sovereign Lord who has prospered and richly blessed the ministry of Evangel BP Church, Malaysia incepted providentially in April / May 2006 with a group of believers who had a burden to start a new church. We are indebted to Christ our Lord for His wonderful work in our midst. Over the past 10 years, God has opened doors and there many opportunities for outreach and evangelism and as a results of your zeal and faithful service. Many were edified and strengthened in the knowledge of the inspired and sufficient word of God and many have come to worship with us and quite a number have been saved by the grace of God and were baptised in Evangel BP Church by the higher hand of God. The Sunday school has also grown and now there is the YF and the monthly AF Bible studies as well. We see faithful stewards from Elder Dr Lim Yew Cheng to the various committed pro-tem committee members and even the choir, ushers and PA crew, ushers, musicians, Sunday School teachers, weekly editors, Bible Study and fellowship leaders, food stewards and those who drive the church van and many others as well. This augurs well for the growth and the future of the church. Maranatha BP Church is encouraged and blessed by our partnership and fellowship with your congregation over these 10 years and the opportunity to minister the word to the saints regularly in your midst. We thank God for the providing this present spacious premise in a nearby industrial building in God’s own timing that can be used for the church ministry and outreaches to the saving of souls and the equipping of the saints in these last days as we await the Lord’s soon return. Evangel BP Church has also launched out this year into missions in Tangkak BP Church, Malaysia to support and help them with their Sunday service ministry and with a team which is commendable. Evangel BP Church’s labour will bring forth much fruit in due season. There is still much work to be done in this old and now also new mission work of Evangel BP Church, in effectual evangelism and discipleship, the children’s work, follow up and to minister to all with their different spiritual needs. There is also a place also for the nurture and theological training of full time staff and lay leaders spiritually who can develop their gifts and talents to serve God more effectively in the Evangel Reformed Seminary which will be incepted soon as the Lord wills. It is our fervent prayer that you and your committee and the next generation will continue steadfast to grow in godliness, unity, labour fervently, to persevere on with the preaching of the pure gospel, teaching of the word and the vigilant defence of the most holy faith. There is a ripe harvest field in Kuala Lumpur and beyond into the neighbouring states of Malaysia. With the Lord’s enablement, 1
the church will continue to grow in spirit and in numbers and be a vibrant gospel lighthouse and a notable reformed witness in Malaysia and beyond. Let us be encouraged for we know that our labour of love is not in vain in the Lord (Galatians 6:7-10). May our Sovereign Lord richly strengthen and challenge you on this blessed occasion by this timely Pauline advice to us all, Romans 15:5-7, ‘Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.’ Jack Sin +++++++++
Q&A A : Should a Christian practice tai chi or qigong as a form of relaxation or exercise? The Origins of Tai Chi There were questions during the May Day Seminar on if a Christian should practice tai chi (or qigong by another) for relaxation. Here are some relevant information taken from Wikipedia and my comments below : The concept of the taiji ("supreme ultimate"), in contrast with wuji ("without ultimate"), appears in both Taoist and Confucian Chinese philosophy, where it represents the fusion or mother of yin and yang into a single ultimate, represented by the taijitu symbol . Tai chi quan theory and practice evolved in agreement with many Chinese philosophical principles, including those of Taoism and Confucianism. In China, tai chi quan is categorized under the Wudang grouping of Chinese martial arts. That is, the arts applied with internal power. Although the term Wudang suggests these arts originated in the Wudang Mountains, it is simply used to distinguish the skills, theories and applications of neijia ("internal arts") from those of the Shaolin grouping, waijia ("hard" or "external") martial art styles (adapted from Wikipedia). These are clear link to religious and philosophical roots of Taoism and Confuciansim and back to the days of the wudang martial arts as well as practices in the shaolin temple. God-honouring Christians will take a clear separatist stand from these religious practices and be set apart for the Lord as taught in His word (Romans 12:1, 2; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18). Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:1718 said, ‘Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.’ What about Qigong? There was a question asked about the popular Qigong practices lately and here are the facts of the origins of this practice today (from Wikipedia) and my comments below : Qi gong, chi kung, or chi gung (simplified Chinese: 气功; pinyin: qìgōng; Wade–Giles: chi gong; literally: "Life Energy Cultivation") is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used for health, spirituality, and martial arts training. With roots in Chinese medicine, philosophy, and martial arts, qigong is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance qi (chi), translated as "life energy". According to Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophy, qigong allows access to higher realms of awareness, awakens one's "true nature", and helps develop human potential. 2
With roots in ancient Chinese culture dating back more than 4,000 years, a wide variety of qigong forms have developed within different segments of Chinese society: in traditional Chinese medicine for preventive and curative functions, in Confucianism to promote longevity and improve moral character, in Daoism and Buddhism as part of meditative practice, and in Chinese martial arts to enhance fighting abilities. Contemporary qigong blends diverse and sometimes disparate traditions, in particular the Daoist meditative practice of "internal alchemy" (Neidan 內丹术), the ancient meditative practices of "circulating qi" (Xing qi 行氣) and "standing meditation" (Zhan zhuang 站桩), and the slow gymnastic breathing exercise of "guiding and pulling" (Dao yin 導引). Meditative practice of Qigong utilizes breath awareness, visualization, mantra, chanting, sound, and focus on philosophical concepts such as qi circulation, aesthetics, or moral values. In traditional Chinese medicine and Daoist practice, the meditative focus is commonly on cultivating qi in dantian energy centers and balancing qi flow in meridian and other pathways. In various Buddhist traditions, the aim is to still the mind, either through outward focus, for example on a place, or through inward focus on the breath, a mantra, a koan, emptiness, or the idea of the eternal. In the Confucius scholar tradition, meditation is focused on humanity and virtue, with the aim of self-enlightenment. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qigong) These so-called “harmless relaxation techniques or exercises” have a religious or philosophical background and as Christians, we need to be vigilant and fully aware of the spiritual dangers and compromise if we are tempted by others to practice them. The idea of stilling the mind and meditation is unsound and unbiblical. We need to be wary of this dangerous practices that can affect us spiritually often without us even knowing it. Paul in Colossians 2:7-8 said, ‘Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.’ Qigong as an art form / or meditation technique that can in some cases bring a person into contact with the spirit realm and we can be vulnerable to the temptations of the enemy. There is a lot of New Age infiltration of the church affecting many Christians knowingly or unwittingly. The so- called nice feeling or good effects after doing these new age practices is likened to a person who enjoys smoking the cigarette but oblivious to the grave health dangers of the nicotine in it that is harming his or her lung and may the Lord give us the godly wisdom and spiritual discernment to know right from wrong and the humble obedience of the heart to Christ and not be entangled by the seductive and attractive wiles of the enemy in these last days of spiritual deception and compromise. Hope this helps to keep us close to the Lord in His straight and narrow way. Jack Sin +++++++++
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Theme for the Quarter : Developing our Biblical Understanding of Christian Issues English Worship Service
Rev David Wong speaks on Biblical Understanding of Christian Discipleship (Scripture Text : Luke 9:56-62, Mark 1:16-20; Responsive Reading : James 1:1-27) [End of MM] 4