What Ruler of Faith is Right?
What rules over you?
There are many kinds of faith patterns, and not all are scriptural, as decreed by God, written in scriptures.
Development of faith is not necessarily advancement of the Christian Faith.
Many are living with ungodly principles.
1, The New Testament is the ruler of my faith.
D.Lim: God did not reveal to us the NT only. The OT speaks of things to come, having the shadow of the glory revealed int he NT.
The OT strengthens Christians' faith telling prophesies that are fulfilled in the NT.
The OT also teaches us the will of God for good living, such as the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.
The OT speaks of the faithfullness and patience, and righteousness of God. Its the Alpha.
The NT closes the revelation of scriptures. Its the Omega.
a) The uninterpreted, literal words is the ruler of my faith.
Non-christian: If so, I could find some verses to make you do weird things.
D.Lim: Human minds do interpret whatever one reads. Without interpretation, words are symbols.
Conclusion is missed out without secondary interpretation.
b) Any plausible interpretations is the ruler of my faith.
D.Lim: If so, one would live under many ways of living, including contradicting ones.
One would be ever-changing in personal position.
c) The most probable interpretations is the ruler of my faith. Of course,
this depends on what you know at the moment.
Non-christian: But isn't this the way it has to be, you just have no other choice, you don't know what you don't know.
D.Lim: Christ never change.
The Bible has made many teachings so clear that even kids/children understand them and follow them.
d) The most detailed interpretations is the ruler of my faith.
D.Lim: Do you ignore the parts that are not fully interpreted? V Your interpretations? Or that of someone else?
Trust in Christ.
e) The interpretations by the official church is the ruler of my faith.
Someone: Are you a Catholic or Anglican?
D.Lim: This is non-Scriptural. Non-Christian.
No organisation may set itself above the Word of God. No church organisation can set itself between the believers and Christ.
True Catholic(Romanist, Roman Catholic, Pope/Papa Bishop/Holy See) and true Anglican(Anglo Catholic, hypocirte, sitting on the fence, Evangelical Anglican) is Christian, Biblical Christian(holding to Sola Scriptura).
f) The interpretations accepted by most Bible scholars is the ruler of my
faith.
Someone: Are you a Catholic Jesuit?
D.Lim: This expresses "the Majority Mind". Not the Biblical/right attitude.
Scholars of any organisation could make mistake or biased declaration.
g) The interpretations accepted by my pastor or bishop is the ruler of my
faith.
Someone: If so, I hoped you'd never sat under an imperfect pastor.
D.Lim: Christians ought to trust in Christ Jesus our Lord and Redeemer and Savior; rather than trusting in the wisdom of men. Now we see dimly as through a glass/mirror.
Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and its righteousness. The Kingdom of God is amongst you.
Listen to the still small voice of calm, uttered by God. He is not in the fire, or in the lightning, or in the earthquake.
Seek the personal God. Not a god of a medium, a declaration, a confession.
h) The interpretations accepted by my own Christian group is the ruler of
my faith.
Non-christian: If so, I hoped you were never part of a cult.
D.Lim: Denominationism and faction come into play. Elitism appears.
Are you sure you are always the best?
When has your group become the very best?
How is your group linked to the giver of the rules to your faith?
How did you first receive His word?
i) The interpretations I like is the ruler of my faith.
D.Lim: Very ecclectic. Not a biblical principle.
j) The easily acceptable interpretations is the ruler of my faith.
Someone: If so, we please people instead of God.
D.Lim: There are hard sayings and teachings even in the letter from Paul. God has unsearchable richness.
k) I don't want to pay attention to this.
D.Lim: Indifference. Miss out the plan of God.
2, The Old Testament is the ruler of my faith.
D.Lim: Not expecting this from any christian.
Redemption and salvation is made clear in the NT. Behold, all things have passed away and all things are new. Everlasting life has begun.
a) It's handled exactly the same way as the New Testament is handled.
Someone: So you still marry your dead brother's wife? Or do you still visit Jerusalem
every year?
D.Lim: Christ and the apostles never taught us to handle the OT exactly the same way as the NT.
b) It's handled differently from the New Testament.
Non-christian: We are not discussing the details here.
D.Lim: To what extend?
c) I don't want to pay attention to this.
D.Lim: Indifference. Excluding the plan of God, earlier covenants/testament, that teaches us the truth of God, His nature, virtue, human nature and virtue, fulfilment of the OT prophesies.
Lack continuity. Leading transcient faith and practice; disregarding roots.
Not paying attention to non-christian accusers? Or to the OT? Too busy with the NT? Not yet digested the NT?
Feeling that the use of the NT is all sufficient for the time being? When will the OT be looked at? studied? and taught? and explained?
When did salvation and redemption begin?
When did the plan of God begin? When did God first love mankind?
When did chaos begin? When was the fall? When did grace begin? Received?
A sample of ungodly action by a registered organisation that is regarded as a Christian Church.
Letter from the lawyer expresses the use of the law of the land which is not scriptural, neither is it instituted and run by Christians.
It is not just a letter from any christian in a law firm; it is delivered by courier, and not by the eldership; everything point to secular legal action.
It is not addressing a christian brother, but being cold and formal.
The letter is re: Scarborough Chinese Alliance Church.
The solicitor/writer is referring the matter as the Church, an all embrassing name of the organisation. All cases would be embrassed by such a reference. This also suggest a lack of detailing on the part of the writer.
There is no religious office in a Christian church/assembly known as "solicitors".
Should any formal notice of any eldership be in the form of letter from a solicitor, whose professional position and social position has no part in the eldership?
A solicitor is not an elder. Neither is he an Overseer/Pastor/Bishop.
Now this solicitor is requesting rather than ordering. Yet later on at the end he is ordering. What confusion of attitude!
This solicitor is appeared to be speaking for the board of eldership. Is this a religious matter or a legal one? Should not the Pastor/Overseer be posting the notice instead? The pastor can still call the police if he likes; but why involve the secular into religion? Or is this religion? Dealing with religious matter? Or just moral?
Would it be moral for parents or custodians to call on the police against those under their care?
Prohibition for coming to a property on a piece of land, the person had contributed to its building and upkeeping. Is this moral? Here, we also have the classical attitude that the church building is the church. Prohibiting someone to the building equating to prohibition to the assembly.
It is never the NT's teaching that the body of Christ is the building or represented by such. It is the assembly for Christ that is the body of Christ.
Can a person be prohibited by a solicitor to get to a public place, if the chuch building(hence the church) is regarded as a public place? It would appear that this church/organisation has never been a public place. Note - no scripture is quoted in support of any decision or action.
Would you care to believe when scac sponsors a event it has power to exclude anyone(any citizen) from attending the gathering of the host? The guest has become the host. You like that?
The solicitor then threatens with laying charges that is not religious in nature. Do you want/like a church that is not religious? Many do! Too bad! So sad!
Is this a legal matter or a religious one? The NT does teach Christians to take care of their own affairs and not to involve their own dispute with the law of the land(1Cor6v1-5).
With what authority is this solicitor(whose nature is secular) to direct someone to cease and desist from his own personal activity? This is not an action of holding someone responsible. This is control; but with what authority? The person in question is not part of this scac organisation anymore. This scac has no legal right to apply any decision on such outsider. The scac cannot order an outsider to do as it wishes. Less can a building(premises) order or direct a person by words.
The use of a web site is not necessarily a religious matter. Reason not given in this letter. You order someone to fulfil your wishes by scaring them with the law of the land rather than supplying any reason? Is this not termed, "unreasonable"?
The writer or the organisation scac is directing the receiver to shut himself out from putting forward his own case by the use of web site www.scacc.org. Even the law of the land affords defence from the accused. Also the defender has the right to face the accuser. However, according to the testimony of the receiver - scac, its board of elders, the pastor only responded to his request for discussion with this letter from a secular society. This is hardly an act of patience, kindness and love.
This letter makes puts up no reminder/memorandum to previous meetings/discussion. It is no christian act to refuse discussion, admonition and open contest.(1Tim5v19,20, 6v12; Deut17v6, 19v15; Matt18v15,16 )
Also the solicitor's letter, having one signature of one representative is not representing 2 or more witnesses. Such action(concerning defamation and false statement) is unscriptural. This person or organisation employed/representing the scac is unscriptural(therefore un-christian) in his action.
When are letters and e-mails proven to be defamatory? Reference to verdict not supplied. You cannot just accuse someone who is excluded from your organisation of some legal crime. Why were the police not contacted to arrest him? When were law suits filed if there are any? What is the verdict? You do not suppose the board of elders is also the law of the land?
The writer expressed that the church(a stolen term, meaning the body of Christ. I personally at least, have not given scac any authority to be the church or my church. It just does not represent the biblical church it professed to be) will exercise all its legal remedies. This is against the teaching of the Bible (1Cor6v1-5). No spiritual remedy left? Finding insufficiency in christian and biblical conduct? No petiton to God.
The letter ends with an advice not solicited by the receiver.
A Testimony of an ex-communication from a non-biblical church:
Ross and Paul completed their outreach in Melbourne just before the end
of the year, and then returned to Sydney to meet Fran, who flew in from
India to spend New Year's Eve with relatives in Sydney. While in Melbourne,
Ross was able to make contact with a number of old friends and relatives.
It also included his wife, Heather, from whom he has been estranged for
20 years. Here is an account of this amazing situation, in Ross's own
words: Heather and I were married 20 years ago in a Pentecostal church
in Melbourne. I was 20 years old, and we were both young and immature.
We were married for one year before dramatic events unfolded in our lives.
I was nearing the end of my music teaching course at Melbourne Uni, when
I met Dave and his family preaching on the streets in Melbourne City.
He told me that I could and should be a full time missionary. I was amazed
by what he showed me clearly in the teachings of Jesus, and it confirmed
what had already been troubling my heart by the Holy Spirit.
I knew that the Pentecostal Church I was attending with my wife did not
teach these things. I tried to discuss these things with the pastor.
However, to my shock and dismay, I found him completely opposed to the
teachings of Jesus. And for even daring to question the church, I was
excommunicated by the pastor. This meant that no one in the church was
allowed to speak to me, and I was unable to tell them the truths that I
had discovered.
Like scales falling from my eyes, I realised that the church system I
had been involved in for five years was corrupt. While it had taught me
some good things, it was teaching FEAR instead of FAITH.
Unfortunately, my wife reacted in FEAR, and ran away from our marriage.
She went back to stay with her mother who is also a member of that church.
It was not uncommon for wives in this church to put emotional pressure
on husbands who strayed from church conformity in this way.
Unable to deliver my wife from the bondage of fear that she was under, I had to leave her behind in Melbourne, and take the road of Faith, in the hope that one day she would realise the truth and follow me. I was not to know then that it was to take over 20 years to make some progress in reconciliation between us. The important thing to note here is that neither of us divorced or remarried, and this has left the door open for reconciliation to take place. In this day and age this is nothing short of miraculous, because my wife has had to face opposition from her church friends, and strong pressure to dump me over the years.
Our community believes strongly in not breaking the marital bond, and despite personal temptations to do so over the years, God has kept me from destroying the purity of our marital commitment. Man must not separate what God has joined together.
I understand now just how much God is patient with his creation, and how
long he has waited for it to be redeemed. My wife is still very confused
and fearful, but slow progress is being made, and she has reached a level
of emotional maturity now which has made progress much more possible.
She
knows now more than ever that we can love each other despite religious
differences. At this stage we are only in touch via mail; but hopefully
that will improve.
Please pray for us.
I, Rev. David C S Lim, 林志誠 牧師, can be reached by internet 也在互聯网﹕
Preacher.html
meshiah
e-mail 電郵 
jesussaves91@hotmail.com
A Life changing show
耶穌基督的救恩將人從根本而終極的惡中救出來，藉著救主，死亡不再是終極的惡，它已被置於生命的力量之下。
完全的善是由耶穌而來。
在天上和地下只有耶穌基督的救恩是唯一使人的罪得赦及與神和好的途徑。