Dear Folks, we'll be having our corporate meeting this Wednesday, 2nd November. As usual, we'll meet at the canteen at 6pm before proceeding to our allocated room, 4.17C.
Once again, the topic of the corporate meeting is "Predestination vs Free will". Guest speaker Mr Winston Tay has been invited to speak on the topic. To get maximum returns out of your time invested in coming for the corporate meeting, the following questions may provide some food for thought ahead of Wednesday. If you have answers to them, great! If not, even better! You can direct these questions to our speaker.
Arminianism (free will) is more appealing and simpler to understand. It is because it gives a more acceptable answer to the problem of evil. Arminianism says God permits us to do evil. Sounds better, protects the image of God. It also seems more compatible with the love of God. God wanting all to be saved but yet not preventing the free will of man is consistent with love. The harder questions are mostly targeted at Calvinism (predestination) therefore most questions are pro-Arminian.
1. Doesn't Calvinism make people into puppets? If God directs the human will, won't it just seem like we're actors in a play?
2. If we have free will, the will to choose whether to believe in God, then how can we say God is in total control? How can God's sovereignty be explained?
3. How can man be held accountable for his actions if he does not have free will? Is it fair for God to judge us as sinners then?
4. Calvinism makes God inconsistent. He offers the gospel to all men, yet all cannot believe. Isn't God deceitful, offering man with one hand and taking away with another?
5. How do we reconcile the fact that "God chose some to be saved" vs "God desires all to be saved."?
6. Why all the fuss? Why didn't God just elect all to be saved?
These questions are by no means exhaustive. Questions posted here are possibly the FAQs of "predestination" vs "free will". Feel free to post more questions on the SIM-SCF Facebook page for the benefit of the larger population.
Till Wednesday then! God bless! :)
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Prayer Month.
We give thanks, O Lord, for you are good,
you provide us with health and food.
And in sending Christ to earth,
now we sinners have new birth.
Help us Lord to walk aright,
with grace, mercy, love and might.
Teach us how to do your will,
as we strive your promises to fulfill.
But while we toil and suffer in your name,
let us learn to not complain.
Grant us patience to love our neighbour,
that we might just earn your favour.
Lord forgive us when we sin,
so that over Satan we may win.
We come before you Lord, our Maker,
in thanks for you have heard our prayer.
you provide us with health and food.
And in sending Christ to earth,
now we sinners have new birth.
Help us Lord to walk aright,
with grace, mercy, love and might.
Teach us how to do your will,
as we strive your promises to fulfill.
But while we toil and suffer in your name,
let us learn to not complain.
Grant us patience to love our neighbour,
that we might just earn your favour.
Lord forgive us when we sin,
so that over Satan we may win.
We come before you Lord, our Maker,
in thanks for you have heard our prayer.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Topic for Next Corporate Meeting: Predestination vs Free will
Perhaps you heard about the group of theologians who were discussing the doctrines of predestination and free will. When the argument became heated, the dissidents split into two groups. One man, unable to make up his mind which group to join, slipped into the predestination crowd. Challenged as to why he was there, he replied, "I came here of my own free will."
The group retorted, "Free will! You don't belong here!" So he retreated to the opposing group and when asked why he switched responded, "I was sent here."
"Get out," they stormed. "You can't join us unless you come of your own free will!" The confused man was left out in the cold.
Perhaps you, yourself, have probably participated in a discussion about predestination versus free will and concluded that the matter was either too complex or else irrelevant. Since there are Christians on both sides of the issues, you may be tempted to conclude that the controversy is really not that important.
Well then Mr Martin Luther has a word for you. He said that those people who are not interested in this issue "shall know nothing whatever of Christian matters and shall be far behind all the people of the earth. He that does not feel this, let him confess that he is no Christian." Wow, those aren't just words. Those are strong words.
Or maybe you do know all about predestination and free will. Perhaps you've heard about John Calvin's famous five points of Calvinism, T.U.L.I.P., and that the reason only some of the race of sinful men came to faith must be attributed to the eternal council of God. Or you possibly chanced upon John Wesley's Arminian quote on predestination calling it a doctrine "full of blasphemy", that predestination represents God to be "a hypocrite, a deceiver of the people, a man void of common sincerity". Perhaps you already have taken a side and wonder why on earth would anyone be on the opposite side.
My point here is this. Even if you know, or don't know, or know nothing about predestination and free will, I urge you to join us, SIM-Students' Christian Fellowship, on the 2nd of November, as we listen to our guest speaker Mr Winston Tay from Telok Ayer Chinese Methodist Church regarding this controversial topic.
Don't be left in the cold.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Ephesians BS 1
Hello dear CF-ers!
On Wednesday September 7th 2011, we began our 4-month long journey on the book of Ephesians. We extend our warm welcome to the freshmen who joined us. We also welcome back our seniors who have certainly make good use of the holiday given to them. Everyone came together to study the Word of God after a long hiatus, facilitated by the wonderful cell-group leaders of each of the 4 CGs. Kudos to everyone who attended the first bible-study! It was an open, fruitful discussion about the Word, as well as about ourselves. We are blessed by the fact that God predestined us to be His children through the work done on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ, lifted us to be heirs to His glorious inheritance and guaranteed it through the mark of the Holy Spirit. Such grace is accorded to us, who were utter sinners with no hope of salvation. We have to worship Him for His unending love for us and be in awe of His mighty power and authority. We thank God for being among us and led us through that wonderful time of sharing and discussion. I also thank Him for bringing in people from different backgrounds so we can understanding the true meaning of "one body in Christ".
Exactly one week prior, Jeremiah conducted an excellent overview on the book, which provided us with the correct contextual framework to have a deeper understanding about this Pauline epistle. We must bear in mind that Paul lived in a different era from us. We need put the social, political and cultural context of that era into perspective before we begin our journey. Despite that, God's message for all of us transcends the boundary of time. The God of Paul's era is the same as the God of our current era. The question now is how are we going to live out this message. Throughout this series of 10 bible studies, there will be many thought-provoking questions on how are we going to apply the concepts, ideas and message of the book of Ephesians into our daily lives. There must be a rock-solid biblical foundation to everything that we do; otherwise, we will be no different from the other non-believers. Knowledge of the Word is never enough; we need to live out the Word. The questions are geared to encourage self-reflection and exchange of ideas on how to live a life that glorify His name. Everyone, Christians and non-christians alike, watches our life constantly to look out for signs of God's work in us.
Having known about our spiritual blessings in BS 1, we need to bring these blessings to the people around us. Christianity is never just about knowledge. It is also about action. Jesus' life is one of constant movement and activity. You can find him teaching about the Word one day, then healing the sick and casting out demons on another. He traveled throughout Galilee and Jerusalem in His 3 years of ministry. He even sacrificed sleep to pray to our Heavenly Father throughout the night. He was doing just that on the night of His arrest. Keeping in mind of our theme of the year "Living Christ Inside Out", action and activity is a very important aspect of our programme for this annual year. We provide you with the chance to bring your friends along to join our activity so they may get to know about us and the Saviour that we believe in. This is the chance to live out the Word of God. EPL (Eat.Pray.Live) is right round the corner. Have you invited your friends to join us in a time of interaction and sharing of God's love through sports? You should know what to do... :)
On Wednesday September 7th 2011, we began our 4-month long journey on the book of Ephesians. We extend our warm welcome to the freshmen who joined us. We also welcome back our seniors who have certainly make good use of the holiday given to them. Everyone came together to study the Word of God after a long hiatus, facilitated by the wonderful cell-group leaders of each of the 4 CGs. Kudos to everyone who attended the first bible-study! It was an open, fruitful discussion about the Word, as well as about ourselves. We are blessed by the fact that God predestined us to be His children through the work done on the cross by our Lord Jesus Christ, lifted us to be heirs to His glorious inheritance and guaranteed it through the mark of the Holy Spirit. Such grace is accorded to us, who were utter sinners with no hope of salvation. We have to worship Him for His unending love for us and be in awe of His mighty power and authority. We thank God for being among us and led us through that wonderful time of sharing and discussion. I also thank Him for bringing in people from different backgrounds so we can understanding the true meaning of "one body in Christ".
Exactly one week prior, Jeremiah conducted an excellent overview on the book, which provided us with the correct contextual framework to have a deeper understanding about this Pauline epistle. We must bear in mind that Paul lived in a different era from us. We need put the social, political and cultural context of that era into perspective before we begin our journey. Despite that, God's message for all of us transcends the boundary of time. The God of Paul's era is the same as the God of our current era. The question now is how are we going to live out this message. Throughout this series of 10 bible studies, there will be many thought-provoking questions on how are we going to apply the concepts, ideas and message of the book of Ephesians into our daily lives. There must be a rock-solid biblical foundation to everything that we do; otherwise, we will be no different from the other non-believers. Knowledge of the Word is never enough; we need to live out the Word. The questions are geared to encourage self-reflection and exchange of ideas on how to live a life that glorify His name. Everyone, Christians and non-christians alike, watches our life constantly to look out for signs of God's work in us.
Having known about our spiritual blessings in BS 1, we need to bring these blessings to the people around us. Christianity is never just about knowledge. It is also about action. Jesus' life is one of constant movement and activity. You can find him teaching about the Word one day, then healing the sick and casting out demons on another. He traveled throughout Galilee and Jerusalem in His 3 years of ministry. He even sacrificed sleep to pray to our Heavenly Father throughout the night. He was doing just that on the night of His arrest. Keeping in mind of our theme of the year "Living Christ Inside Out", action and activity is a very important aspect of our programme for this annual year. We provide you with the chance to bring your friends along to join our activity so they may get to know about us and the Saviour that we believe in. This is the chance to live out the Word of God. EPL (Eat.Pray.Live) is right round the corner. Have you invited your friends to join us in a time of interaction and sharing of God's love through sports? You should know what to do... :)
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