I was sent this link by a friend of mine, whom I am sure is sincere and meant it for good, but what I saw made my blood boil. You can read it (and see the video clip) here.
As it can be seen, the triumphalism in this video sickens me. And the facts are in fact just the opposite. And the prominent "pastor" in this article and post, Joseph Prince, is a heretic! Fact of the matter is that what is growing in Singapore is the Word-faith heresy and the New Apostolic De Reformation. Far from becoming an "Antioch of Asia", we are in fact becoming the church of Sardis — having a reputation of being alive but actually is dead (Rev. 3:1b). The churches are degenerating, compromising and moving on the road to apostasy, and yet we are being joyful (Is. 22:13)? What's the point in being zealous for evangelism when the evangel (the Gospel) that we are supposed to proclaim is corrupted?
It looks like they aren't wrong -- the video that is.
ReplyDeleteChristianity here is presented as an after-thought: now that I have everything in life, oh I got to fill that Jesus-shaped hole in my heart!
And that seems to be the premise of the whole report.
Wow, US 4mil a year is just 10% of the annual budget?! I wonder how the other 90% is utilized...
p.s. thanks for the dictionary link. Didn't need it this time, though, lol!
k la at least pastor prince is not the worst of the lot
ReplyDeleteIsaiah:
ReplyDeleteEh.... the dictionary link was provided just in case, but I am using it slightly differently from the dictionary defintition, and more similar to the way discernment ministries are using it...
Marn Chi:
Oh? Then who is? Yap Kim Hao?
Sooo ka!
ReplyDeleteI blame it on insomnia. ;)
Who is Yap Kim Hao?
Eh... Yap Kim Hao is the apostate former Methodist archbishop, who openly champions "gay theology". He is also involved with the Inter Religious Organization (IRO) (read interfaith ecumenism), and he states that we should not evangelise as this is arrogant and demeaning to other people. I have blogged about him once - search via google or technorati to find it, or under the category 'Liberal 'christianity''.
ReplyDeleteAye, thanks mate.
ReplyDeleteThanks for adding me to your blogroll. I'm honored. :-)
Heh, I didn't know Yap was *that* infamous. Last year, I was rather peeved when he wrote a full page editorial in the straits times (with a colour photo of him praying in a mosque), claiming that Christians and Moslems worship the same God. *roll eyes*
ReplyDeleteIsaiah:
ReplyDeleteyou've noticed? Haha. Thanks for the link too =)
Yongchun:
Personally, I'm not surprised, after I found out he is the "Christian" representative at the IRO, which incidentally is linked to our government (yep, our 'respector of all faiths government')
I'm sharp when I got enough sleep, I think. ;-) You're welcome, your blog has been on mine for a good while now.
ReplyDeleteOh Danny boy, don't be full of negativism...ain't like the character of Jesus...be careful with the thot on "what's the point in being zealous for evangelism when the evangel (the Gospel) that we are supposed to proclaim is corrupted"... Satan's happy to hear that spirit of defeat...be not religious and start believing God in the heart/spirit and not with the head...you are quite learned and religious (be careful of that)...
ReplyDeletexer2003:
ReplyDeleteyou said: 'be not religious and start believing God in the heart/spirit and not with the head'
Are you suggesting that there is a dualim between the heart/spirit and the head? What is believed by the head IS believed by the heart/spirit, otherwise it is not true belief, according to the Scriptures. And I see that you have not tackled the point I am making at all. It is not "full of negatism", but it's the facts. Facts are facts, so let's face up to it. My faith is based on the faithfulness and truthfulness of God, and am not defeated. On the contrary, this spurs me on towards greater fervency in ministering unto others, warning them against false teachers etc. And I know that in the end Jesus WILL triumph, the only thing that I do not know is how many people will be deluded and lost, and how many people will be saved, when He comes back to estalibish His Kingdom and destroy His enemies. So we are working to bring greater glory to God through decreasing the number of souls going to hell (and that includes lots of professing Christians btw, and Joseph Prince if he doesn't repent), and increasing the number of people going to heaven.
Firstly I'm not here 2 defend anyone (there’s no need) nor call anyone heretic. Neither I’m here to start any biblical intellectual sparring. If there is any spiritual warfare, the battle belongs to the Lord! I'm here to share some concern for you. Since this kind of exchanges may never end, so this will be my last piece of thought.
ReplyDeleteGot a friend who share similar "insight" like you about Joseph Prince but when asked if he had heard his teachings before passing such a conclusion, he gave a BIG BLANKITY NO! Amazing how people spread falsehood or pass judgment with no real hard findings. What facts are talking about? They just depended on hearsays and gossips. I give you the benefit of the doubt or assume the learned you must have heard a series of his messages before calling him a heretic. Yes? No? If no, then do your homework first. 1 Peter 3:10 says “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.”
Pardon me on the dualim thing. When the head receives the message of God’s love, it must flow down to our hearts and not stay up there as head knowledge. Danger is getting puffed up and start boasting. Let God put the law of love in our hearts as He writes them in our minds. 1 Cor 13:4-5 says. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” If there is any evil in the world, go to God and let Him handle it! Otherwise you have 16k to start with Joseph Prince's church and then 22k with Kong Hee's. How many have you won for Christ? Joseph Prince is reaching Australia, US, Africa, etc. You need to catch up!
Jesus has already triumphed and not will be. The battle is already His.
Lastly, share with you the parable of the wicked vinedressers, Matt 21:33-42. May you receive revelation from this parable. Beware of becoming a modern day Pharisee. I boast not my righteousness but Christ’s righteousness in me!
xer2003:
ReplyDeleteI have heard a bit of Prince, and read more (of his articles). Just because I didn't tackle specific errors of Prince's teaching does not mean I know next to nothing about what he teaches.
Regarding your points:
>If there is any evil in the world, go to God and let Him handle it!
And God told us what to do regarding such people in the Scriptures. We are to contend for the faith (Jude 1:4), to warn the flock of heretics; wolves that will devour them if they are not careful and ruin their Christian walk (1 Tim. 1:3-7; Gal. 1"6-9, Acts 20:28.30).
> How many have you won for Christ?
First of all, you do not know how many I have won. Secondly, God does not judge based on the surface, but on our faithfulness to Him. How many did Jeremiah won for God? Zero! Yet he was commended for his obedience to God's command. And btw, the most 'fruitful' evangelist in the Bible, Jonah, was rebuked despite his success in evangelism for the TRUE God.
>Joseph Prince is reaching Australia, US, Africa, etc
And he is damning those souls to hell by his false gospel. Prince reaches no one with the true gospel and therefore no one is saved through his message. Rather, they are saved to a false faith, a false religion that repudiates the lordship of Christ and blasphemes His holy name. And those people who truly follow his heresies will find out to their horror that they were never saved at all in the first place, despite attending church all the while.
>Beware of becoming a modern day Pharisee.
The sin of the Pharisee WAS NEVER that they were strict on doctrine; their sin was that they added their man-made rules to God's Word, and that they were hypocrites who preached one thing while doing another. To call men and women who insisted on right doctrine Pharisees is to call Jesus and Paul and the Apostles Pharisees too, whereas nothing could be further from the truth.