Friday, June 26, 2009

Quote on God's Holiness and Man's Sin -- Stephen Charnock

A 17th Century presbyterian Puritan pastor, Stephen Charnock, discussed God's Holiness and how much God hates sin. In one of Charnock's sermons he collected different analogies that the Bible uses to describe how much God hates sin. I'll quote a short passage from one of Charnock's sermon.


“[Because of God's holiness,] He cannot look on sin without loathing it, He cannot look on sin but His heart riseth against it.  It must needs be most odious to Him, as that which is against the glory of His nature, and directly opposite to that which is the lustre and varnish of all his other perfections... 

The vilest terms imaginable are used to signify [sin].  Do you understand the loathsomeness of a miry swine, or the nauseousness of the vomit of a dog? These are emblems of sin (2 Peter 2:22).  Can you endure the steams of putrefied carcasses from an open sepulchre? (Romans 3:13) Is the smell of the stinking sweat or excrements of a body delightful?  The word filthiness in James 1:21 signifies as much.  Or is the sight of a body overgrown with scabs and leprosy grateful to you?  So vial, so odious is sin in the sight of God.

It is no light thing, then, to fly in the face of God, to break His eternal law ... to trample the transcript of God's own nature under our feet, to cherish that which is inconsistent with His own honour, to lift up our heels against the glory of His nature... Sin, in every part of it, is an opposition to the holiness of God..." See Isaiah 1:5-6

(Charnock, "God's Holiness" p. 251, The Works of Stephen Charnock V. II -- Discourse of the Existence and Attributes of God).

Do you see your sin the way the Holy God sees your sin?

If you know your sin, Hebrews 4:13-16 is a great comfort.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

讓我們來上帝面前領受憐憫 Let us then draw near to God to receive mercy.

2009/6/21

希伯來書四章13-16節 -- "讓我們來上帝面前領受憐憫 "-- 印主烈 牧師
Hebrews 4:13-16 -- "Let us then draw near to God to receive mercy." -- Pastor Joel H. Linton

(Related Verses: Psalm 51, Psalm 139)
Examples cited: Stephen Charnock (1628-1680) -- Complete Works: God's Holiness p. 251

有罪的人 Believing that You are a Sinner in Need of a Savior

2009-6-14

路加福音18章9-14節 --"有罪的人" -- 印主烈 牧師

Luke 18:9-14 -- "Believing that You are a Sinner in Need of a Savior" -- Pastor Joel H. Linton

蒙召後靠聖靈行事 Walking with the Spirit

2009/6/7

加拉太5章13—26節 -- "蒙召後靠聖靈行事" -- 田天德 傳道

Galatians 5:13-26 -- "The Holy Spirit Leads us out of Sin" -- Caleb Tian

Sim-lāi chin chhiah-ia̍h 心內真刺疫

Lī-bī teh thiu-hiòng
利未在抽餉(收稅)
Siông-siông ēng tó͘-kiông;
常常用賭強(勉強)
Sui sī chin hó-gia̍h,
雖是真好額(有錢)
Sim-lāi chin chhiah-ia̍h
心內真刺疫(煩躁、不舒服、bē爽快)

Thiaⁿ-kìⁿ Chú Iâ-so͘,
聽見 主 耶穌
Chhiat-chhiat chin him-bō͘ ;
切切 真 欣 慕
Koat-sim beh hoán-hóe,
決心 欲 反悔
M̄-ài koh hoān-chōe
不要 再 犯罪

Iâ-so͘ chiap-la̍p i
耶穌 接納 伊
I chiū tōa hoaⁿ-hí;
伊 就 大 歡喜
Iā ū pān iân-sia̍h,
也 有 辦 筵席
Chhiáⁿ Chú saⁿ-kap chia̍h.
請 主 相及 食


Here is a rough translation in English:

Levi was a tax collector
He was often brutal in his dealings
Even though he was very rich
His heart was very unsatisfied and uncomfortable

When he heard and saw the Lord Jesus
He began to feel a great earnest desire
He made up his mind to repent
No longer did he want to sin

Jesus received him
He was so joyous
That he prepared a great feast
To have Jesus as the guest of honor to eat with him

(Translated by Joel Linton)

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Preparing your hearts for Worship

親愛的希望教會弟兄姐妹,

希望大家有愉快及風和日麗的假期!
請大家讀下列的經文為主日的心預備,在這個主日講道內容中將帶領我們思考這個問題 ''你這輩子想得到什麼?''


路加福音--九章23-25 節
彼得前書--二章11節
約翰ㄧ書--二章15-17節
提多書--二章11-14節

在基督裡,
印牧師


Dear New Hope family,

I hope you are enjoying the holiday and the good weather.

As you prepare your hearts to worship God on Sunday, please read the following Scripture passages. The sermon for this Sunday asks the question, "What are you trying to get out of your life?"

Luke 9:23-25
1 Peter 2:11
1 John 2:15-17
Titus 2:11-14

In Christ,

Pastor Joel