Rheumatoid joint pain - arthritis - is a signal of water shortage in the painful joint.
It can affect the young as well as the old. The use of pain-killers does not cure the problem, but exposes the person to further damage from pain medications. Intake of water and small amounts of salt will cure this problem.
Low Back Pain and Ankylosing Arthritis of the Spine are signs of water shortage in the spinal column and discs - the water cushions that support the weight of the body.
These conditions should be treated with increased water intake - not a commercial treatment, but a very effective one.
Not recognizing arthritis and low back pain as signs of dehydration in the joint cavities and treating them with pain-killers, manipulation, acupuncture, and eventually surgery will, in time, produce osteoarthritis when the cartilage cells in the joints have eventually all died. It will produce deformity of the spine. It will produce crippling deformities of the limbs. Pain medications have their own life-threatening complications.
The Healing Power of Water
The missing natural element from the body that prevents and helps to cure painful degenerative diseases.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Angina Pain : water deficit
Heart pain - angina - is a sign of water shortage in the heart/lung axis.
It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.
If you suffer from angina pain - that sudden, terrifying tightness in your chest that makes it difficult to move or even breathe - you've probably also been told you have coronary artery disease. Doctors will tell you it's cholesterol that's causing your arteries to narrow, and prescribe beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, balloon angioplasty or major, life-threatening surgery like coronary artery bypass.
But it's not cholesterol that is causing your pain. Angina is actually caused by dehydration. As prolonged drought sets in, your body becomes more acidic. Acid-like chemicals are produced that burn into the cell membranes in the linings of your arteries, causing painful angina spasms. Cholesterol actually plays a protective role, bandaging the damaged membranes and keeping them from peeling away. Only water can correct this acid imbalance and relieve the tortuous pain it causes.
It should be treated with increased water intake until the patient is free of pain and independent of medications. Medical supervision is prudent. However, increased water intake is angina's cure.
If you suffer from angina pain - that sudden, terrifying tightness in your chest that makes it difficult to move or even breathe - you've probably also been told you have coronary artery disease. Doctors will tell you it's cholesterol that's causing your arteries to narrow, and prescribe beta blockers and ACE inhibitors, balloon angioplasty or major, life-threatening surgery like coronary artery bypass.
But it's not cholesterol that is causing your pain. Angina is actually caused by dehydration. As prolonged drought sets in, your body becomes more acidic. Acid-like chemicals are produced that burn into the cell membranes in the linings of your arteries, causing painful angina spasms. Cholesterol actually plays a protective role, bandaging the damaged membranes and keeping them from peeling away. Only water can correct this acid imbalance and relieve the tortuous pain it causes.
time to die
the day you shall die ......Dear Mr
Exhumation of Bidadari Cemetery was undertaken by Housing & Development Board from 2001 to Dec 2004. Unclaimed graves were exhumed and cremated. The cremated remains were stored for a period of 3 years which expired in Dec 2007.
From 25 to 28 Mar 2008, unclaimed cremated remains were scattered at sea. Prayers were conducted by Monsignor Francis Lau of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and Rev. Peter Chen of the Singapore National Council of Churches.
Prior to the commencement of the exhumation, the Housing & Development Board had published the Notices of Exhumation in Singapore and some overseas newspapers in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand & Malaysia on several occasions inviting the next-of-kin/descendants to register their claims for their ancestors' graves.
Regards
Our friends see the best in us, and by that very fact call forth the best from us. Be the best prior to the day to die.
Exhumation of Bidadari Cemetery was undertaken by Housing & Development Board from 2001 to Dec 2004. Unclaimed graves were exhumed and cremated. The cremated remains were stored for a period of 3 years which expired in Dec 2007.
From 25 to 28 Mar 2008, unclaimed cremated remains were scattered at sea. Prayers were conducted by Monsignor Francis Lau of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore and Rev. Peter Chen of the Singapore National Council of Churches.
Prior to the commencement of the exhumation, the Housing & Development Board had published the Notices of Exhumation in Singapore and some overseas newspapers in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand & Malaysia on several occasions inviting the next-of-kin/descendants to register their claims for their ancestors' graves.
Regards
Our friends see the best in us, and by that very fact call forth the best from us. Be the best prior to the day to die.
Reward for seeking seeker
Seeker experiencer
The Reward of Being A Seeker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 20:15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you seeking? She, supposing that He was the
gardener, said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away,
tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.
(16) Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to Him in
Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means Teacher). (18) Mary the
Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, I have seen the
Lord, and that He had said these things to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we want to see something more of the Lord, we must have
more fellowship with Him. Mary's seeing the Lord was the best
morning watch [devotional]. In this morning watch, she met
the Lord and the Lord met her; she prayed to the Lord and the
Lord spoke to her; she fellowshipped with the Lord and the
Lord gave His word and His revelation to her.
In this chapter it is quite evident that there are three
kinds of disciples. The first kind is represented by Mary,
the second by Peter and John, and the third by the lazy ones.
The lazy disciples had no revelation or discovery of the
Lord's resurrection. Peter and John had the discovery and the
revelation but not the experience. Mary had the discovery,
the revelation, and the experience. What is shown in this
record is also true of Christians today.
This record reveals the accomplished fact of Christ's
resurrection, but the discovery of His resurrection still
requires our seeking, and the experience of His resurrection
demands even further seeking. We must first seek the Lord
before we can discover His resurrection, and we must seek the
Lord even more before we can experience His resurrection.
Do faith and reason conflict?
Renowned Indonesian evangelist Stephen Tong addressed the age-old debate head-on Thursday at a preaching session at the National University of Singapore.
His answer: faith and reason operate in different spheres and actually complement one another. Faith is the more important of the two.
True faith is not counter-reason, the Reverend Tong, 70, expressed with the help of his English translator. In fact, faith ‘improves’ reason and “makes it complete.”
“True faith will bring your reason that has been lost to be loyal to the truth,” he said.
Speaking to a lecture hall filled with students, he highlighted that every person exercises some form of faith in their day-to-day living. He was fielding a question from the audience during a segment designated for that purpose.
Mundane things people do like brushing their teeth and sitting down on a chair demonstrate faith. In the former, faith that the toothpaste is good for health is exercised. For the other case, faith that the chair will hold one’s weight is demonstrated.
Most people simply believe their parents are who they say they are. And most people believe the earth revolves around the sun without having actually seen it.
Indeed, the viewpoint that reason should come before faith is a contradiction in terms, he pointed out. This is because in holding such a view, one has already exercised faith.
It is an overly ‘arrogant’ thing to seek to live purely by reason, the Rev. Tong stressed.
Reason alone cannot bring fulfilment in life. This is because it is incapable of apprehending transcendent things such as love.
The evangelist told the story of a scientist whose mother wept over him. Being a rationalistic scientist, he simply stored her tears.
A teacher saw the bottle and asked him what it contained. When he told him the truth, he did not believe.
So the scientist brought the bottle to the laboratory in the hope of finding some proof that they were his mother’s tears.
Obviously, his investigation was lacking in the area that it could not detect his mother’s love. Here was a rationalistic scientist confounded by presuppositions he and the teacher had in common.
The Rev. Tong told the story in response to a question about proof of the existence of the transcendent.
In contrast, people who embrace faith are passionate and committed individuals. They are so confident that they are willing to pay any price for their faith.
“A person without faith is not perfect,” said the evangelist.
Prominent philosophers Blaise Pascal and Immanuel Kant acknowledged this.
Pascal, who invented the mechanical calculator, expressed that the heart has its own ‘reason’. Conventional reason has the ability to perform mathematics. Yet human beings have another faculty in them that affirms that something is right or good or ought to be. In other words, there is a moral and ethical dimension to human existence.
At the end of his life, Kant, who had written extensively on reason, expressed that there were only four things he honestly he wanted to know. First of all, what is a human being? Secondly, what can we know? Thirdly, what should I do? Fourthly, what is my hope?
Not even well-known atheists like Chairman Mao or Cold War Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev were consistent in their expressed beliefs.
Before his death, Mao told the late American journalist Edgar Snow that he was going to see God but had forgotten to buy a ticket. Khrushchev, when pressed to give an honest account of his religious beliefs, said: “God knows I’m an atheist.”
Evidence is not everything
In fact, “evidence is not enough to prove everything,” the Rev. Tong expressed. “Evidence is only a small part of the truth,” he said. “Science is only to know a bit about the superficial.”
Here, the evangelist addressed both rationalistic Christians and critics during his talk and in fielding some questions.
The first group seeks to prove the existence of God out of their piety. For a long period of time in church history, Christians have relied on major arguments in Natural Theology. They include such arguments as that God must exist because the universe is so magnificent, history has a direction and because mankind has a logical concept of the greatest.
But such efforts are ‘unworthy’ of God, the Rev. Tong emphasised. This is besides the fact that they do not stand up to intellectual scrutiny. Kant demonstrated that when he highlighted that the God ‘proven’ in Natural Theology need not be the God revealed in the Bible.
The evangelist responded to a declaration in a recent book by English physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking that God did not create the universe.
Even today, scientists do not fully understand the universe. So they should refrain from making such presumptuous claims, he advised. Actually, progress in human knowledge about the vast, expanding universe has only served to reveal human ignorance.
An evolutionary explanation of origins cannot stand the test of logic.
There are three unbridgeable gaps. They exist between non-existence and existence, existence and life and life and human beings, the Rev. Tong cited Alfred Russel Wallace as saying. Wallace was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.
In the final analysis, as Kant has said, it is difficult to believe in the existence of God. But it is harder to believe that God does not exist, in view of the wondrous universe made in many ways for the benefit of mankind.
The Rev. Tong highlighted just a couple of cases throughout the session to illustrate this.
The human face was designed so that it could hold up a pair of glasses. Even the fact that water expands and floats when it freezes is so that people can have seafood in the winter.
Convincing enough for the unconvinced
The evangelist described himself as a doubter as a young man. He had told God that if He would help him solve his questions, he would in turn help others solve theirs.
Because God did that, he became an international preacher. He has preached over 300,000 times. Every year, he holds 600 preaching sessions and travels over 300 times.
During his meeting, he defended the Christian understanding of God as a convincing one.
Asked why it is necessary to believe that God revealed Himself through the Bible, he expressed that a God who hides Himself is an unworthy one.[Continued From: Page 1] Before his death, Mao told the late American journalist Edgar Snow that he was going to see God but had forgotten to buy a ticket. Khrushchev, when pressed to give an honest account of his religious beliefs, said: “God knows I’m an atheist.”
Evidence is not everything
In fact, “evidence is not enough to prove everything,” the Rev. Tong expressed. “Evidence is only a small part of the truth,” he said. “Science is only to know a bit about the superficial.”
Here, the evangelist addressed both rationalistic Christians and critics during his talk and in fielding some questions.
The first group seeks to prove the existence of God out of their piety. For a long period of time in church history, Christians have relied on major arguments in Natural Theology. They include such arguments as that God must exist because the universe is so magnificent, history has a direction and because mankind has a logical concept of the greatest.
But such efforts are ‘unworthy’ of God, the Rev. Tong emphasised. This is besides the fact that they do not stand up to intellectual scrutiny. Kant demonstrated that when he highlighted that the God ‘proven’ in Natural Theology need not be the God revealed in the Bible.
The evangelist responded to a declaration in a recent book by English physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking that God did not create the universe.
Even today, scientists do not fully understand the universe. So they should refrain from making such presumptuous claims, he advised. Actually, progress in human knowledge about the vast, expanding universe has only served to reveal human ignorance.
An evolutionary explanation of origins cannot stand the test of logic.
There are three unbridgeable gaps. They exist between non-existence and existence, existence and life and life and human beings, the Rev. Tong cited Alfred Russel Wallace as saying. Wallace was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.
In the final analysis, as Kant has said, it is difficult to believe in the existence of God. But it is harder to believe that God does not exist, in view of the wondrous universe made in many ways for the benefit of mankind.
The Rev. Tong highlighted just a couple of cases throughout the session to illustrate this.
The human face was designed so that it could hold up a pair of glasses. Even the fact that water expands and floats when it freezes is so that people can have seafood in the winter.
Convincing enough for the unconvinced
The evangelist described himself as a doubter as a young man. He had told God that if He would help him solve his questions, he would in turn help others solve theirs.
Because God did that, he became an international preacher. He has preached over 300,000 times. Every year, he holds 600 preaching sessions and travels over 300 times.
During his meeting, he defended the Christian understanding of God as a convincing one.
Asked why it is necessary to believe that God revealed Himself through the Bible, he expressed that a God who hides Himself is an unworthy one.
"God is not a dying God, or deaf God, or blind God or dumb God," he said. "He is an existing God, a living God... the source of life... of truth... of grace."
If that is the case, He 'must' make some self-disclosure of Himself. A God who hides Himself and leaves mankind guessing is very cruel. But God is the source of wisdom, truth and revelation, he said.
"A true God must be true... honest... really love us... truly wanting to give us the truth," he said. "It's reasonable to believe in God through His revelation to us."
Asked why it is necessary to believe that Jesus Christ reveals God, he pointed out two things about Christ.
Firstly, He lived without having committed any sin. He did not speak a word of falsehood.
Secondly, He explained where His teaching came from. Christ said He came from the Father and will return to Him. He said that whoever knows Him knows the Father. Christ declared that He is the truth. He declared that He is God incarnate.
Comfort for the soul
Beyond intellectual argumentation, the Rev. Tong, who has preached to over 32 million people in 53 years, also offered comfort for the disheartened.
Nobody is useless, he emphasised, urging his young listeners to live optimistically. Indeed, even if one amputates every limb, such a person would still be useful – as an inspiration to others.
He encouraged those who stammer by telling the story of a man who sold more Bibles than his smooth-tongued colleagues, though he stammered. This was because those he approached wanted to get him off their backs.
The evangelist encouraged those in suffering that it is by suffering that the soul grows and matures.
Addressing those who had been jilted, he pointed out that such people think very differently. They are able to distinguish true love from infatuation.
The Rev. Tong cited the case of a popular voice professor. Students of this professor would have to do weight-lifting for a year before they would be taught to sing. This expands their diaphragm. The professor also told a student that he could sing better if he was jilted. And it happened.
On one occasion, the Rev. Tong addressed a question by a Christian who felt purposeless. He promptly commended the person for good handwriting and encouraged a career in copying Scripture. Seeing that people will surely be touched, he said half in jest.
Prayer for and tribute to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
While responding to the question, the Rev. Tong urged prayer for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He had been emphasising the importance of optimism in life.
The evangelist highlighted that often it is very difficult for the surviving spouse in such situations to carry on their lives. So he exhorted his young audience to pray that Mr Lee would find optimism to carry on.
Earlier, the Rev. Tong referred to Mr Lee as the greatest leader in Asia. He lauded him for transforming a small island without natural resources into the modern city-state it is today. Tong was explaining the theological argument that history has a direction.
Respect for other religions
The evangelist also urged respect for other religions.
He said: "Religion is a great thing. Religious leaders were great people.
"We should respect them, even though our beliefs are different."
About the preaching session
The preaching session was organised by the CVCF and co-hosted by the VCF, CCC, Navigators and STEMI. Another session will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at LT1A of the Nanyang Technological University.
Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com
The Reward of Being A Seeker
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
John 20:15 Jesus said to her, Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you seeking? She, supposing that He was the
gardener, said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away,
tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.
(16) Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned and said to Him in
Hebrew, Rabboni! (which means Teacher). (18) Mary the
Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, I have seen the
Lord, and that He had said these things to her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If we want to see something more of the Lord, we must have
more fellowship with Him. Mary's seeing the Lord was the best
morning watch [devotional]. In this morning watch, she met
the Lord and the Lord met her; she prayed to the Lord and the
Lord spoke to her; she fellowshipped with the Lord and the
Lord gave His word and His revelation to her.
In this chapter it is quite evident that there are three
kinds of disciples. The first kind is represented by Mary,
the second by Peter and John, and the third by the lazy ones.
The lazy disciples had no revelation or discovery of the
Lord's resurrection. Peter and John had the discovery and the
revelation but not the experience. Mary had the discovery,
the revelation, and the experience. What is shown in this
record is also true of Christians today.
This record reveals the accomplished fact of Christ's
resurrection, but the discovery of His resurrection still
requires our seeking, and the experience of His resurrection
demands even further seeking. We must first seek the Lord
before we can discover His resurrection, and we must seek the
Lord even more before we can experience His resurrection.
Do faith and reason conflict?
Renowned Indonesian evangelist Stephen Tong addressed the age-old debate head-on Thursday at a preaching session at the National University of Singapore.
His answer: faith and reason operate in different spheres and actually complement one another. Faith is the more important of the two.
True faith is not counter-reason, the Reverend Tong, 70, expressed with the help of his English translator. In fact, faith ‘improves’ reason and “makes it complete.”
“True faith will bring your reason that has been lost to be loyal to the truth,” he said.
Speaking to a lecture hall filled with students, he highlighted that every person exercises some form of faith in their day-to-day living. He was fielding a question from the audience during a segment designated for that purpose.
Mundane things people do like brushing their teeth and sitting down on a chair demonstrate faith. In the former, faith that the toothpaste is good for health is exercised. For the other case, faith that the chair will hold one’s weight is demonstrated.
Most people simply believe their parents are who they say they are. And most people believe the earth revolves around the sun without having actually seen it.
Indeed, the viewpoint that reason should come before faith is a contradiction in terms, he pointed out. This is because in holding such a view, one has already exercised faith.
It is an overly ‘arrogant’ thing to seek to live purely by reason, the Rev. Tong stressed.
Reason alone cannot bring fulfilment in life. This is because it is incapable of apprehending transcendent things such as love.
The evangelist told the story of a scientist whose mother wept over him. Being a rationalistic scientist, he simply stored her tears.
A teacher saw the bottle and asked him what it contained. When he told him the truth, he did not believe.
So the scientist brought the bottle to the laboratory in the hope of finding some proof that they were his mother’s tears.
Obviously, his investigation was lacking in the area that it could not detect his mother’s love. Here was a rationalistic scientist confounded by presuppositions he and the teacher had in common.
The Rev. Tong told the story in response to a question about proof of the existence of the transcendent.
In contrast, people who embrace faith are passionate and committed individuals. They are so confident that they are willing to pay any price for their faith.
“A person without faith is not perfect,” said the evangelist.
Prominent philosophers Blaise Pascal and Immanuel Kant acknowledged this.
Pascal, who invented the mechanical calculator, expressed that the heart has its own ‘reason’. Conventional reason has the ability to perform mathematics. Yet human beings have another faculty in them that affirms that something is right or good or ought to be. In other words, there is a moral and ethical dimension to human existence.
At the end of his life, Kant, who had written extensively on reason, expressed that there were only four things he honestly he wanted to know. First of all, what is a human being? Secondly, what can we know? Thirdly, what should I do? Fourthly, what is my hope?
Not even well-known atheists like Chairman Mao or Cold War Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev were consistent in their expressed beliefs.
Before his death, Mao told the late American journalist Edgar Snow that he was going to see God but had forgotten to buy a ticket. Khrushchev, when pressed to give an honest account of his religious beliefs, said: “God knows I’m an atheist.”
Evidence is not everything
In fact, “evidence is not enough to prove everything,” the Rev. Tong expressed. “Evidence is only a small part of the truth,” he said. “Science is only to know a bit about the superficial.”
Here, the evangelist addressed both rationalistic Christians and critics during his talk and in fielding some questions.
The first group seeks to prove the existence of God out of their piety. For a long period of time in church history, Christians have relied on major arguments in Natural Theology. They include such arguments as that God must exist because the universe is so magnificent, history has a direction and because mankind has a logical concept of the greatest.
But such efforts are ‘unworthy’ of God, the Rev. Tong emphasised. This is besides the fact that they do not stand up to intellectual scrutiny. Kant demonstrated that when he highlighted that the God ‘proven’ in Natural Theology need not be the God revealed in the Bible.
The evangelist responded to a declaration in a recent book by English physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking that God did not create the universe.
Even today, scientists do not fully understand the universe. So they should refrain from making such presumptuous claims, he advised. Actually, progress in human knowledge about the vast, expanding universe has only served to reveal human ignorance.
An evolutionary explanation of origins cannot stand the test of logic.
There are three unbridgeable gaps. They exist between non-existence and existence, existence and life and life and human beings, the Rev. Tong cited Alfred Russel Wallace as saying. Wallace was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.
In the final analysis, as Kant has said, it is difficult to believe in the existence of God. But it is harder to believe that God does not exist, in view of the wondrous universe made in many ways for the benefit of mankind.
The Rev. Tong highlighted just a couple of cases throughout the session to illustrate this.
The human face was designed so that it could hold up a pair of glasses. Even the fact that water expands and floats when it freezes is so that people can have seafood in the winter.
Convincing enough for the unconvinced
The evangelist described himself as a doubter as a young man. He had told God that if He would help him solve his questions, he would in turn help others solve theirs.
Because God did that, he became an international preacher. He has preached over 300,000 times. Every year, he holds 600 preaching sessions and travels over 300 times.
During his meeting, he defended the Christian understanding of God as a convincing one.
Asked why it is necessary to believe that God revealed Himself through the Bible, he expressed that a God who hides Himself is an unworthy one.[Continued From: Page 1] Before his death, Mao told the late American journalist Edgar Snow that he was going to see God but had forgotten to buy a ticket. Khrushchev, when pressed to give an honest account of his religious beliefs, said: “God knows I’m an atheist.”
Evidence is not everything
In fact, “evidence is not enough to prove everything,” the Rev. Tong expressed. “Evidence is only a small part of the truth,” he said. “Science is only to know a bit about the superficial.”
Here, the evangelist addressed both rationalistic Christians and critics during his talk and in fielding some questions.
The first group seeks to prove the existence of God out of their piety. For a long period of time in church history, Christians have relied on major arguments in Natural Theology. They include such arguments as that God must exist because the universe is so magnificent, history has a direction and because mankind has a logical concept of the greatest.
But such efforts are ‘unworthy’ of God, the Rev. Tong emphasised. This is besides the fact that they do not stand up to intellectual scrutiny. Kant demonstrated that when he highlighted that the God ‘proven’ in Natural Theology need not be the God revealed in the Bible.
The evangelist responded to a declaration in a recent book by English physicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking that God did not create the universe.
Even today, scientists do not fully understand the universe. So they should refrain from making such presumptuous claims, he advised. Actually, progress in human knowledge about the vast, expanding universe has only served to reveal human ignorance.
An evolutionary explanation of origins cannot stand the test of logic.
There are three unbridgeable gaps. They exist between non-existence and existence, existence and life and life and human beings, the Rev. Tong cited Alfred Russel Wallace as saying. Wallace was a contemporary of Charles Darwin.
In the final analysis, as Kant has said, it is difficult to believe in the existence of God. But it is harder to believe that God does not exist, in view of the wondrous universe made in many ways for the benefit of mankind.
The Rev. Tong highlighted just a couple of cases throughout the session to illustrate this.
The human face was designed so that it could hold up a pair of glasses. Even the fact that water expands and floats when it freezes is so that people can have seafood in the winter.
Convincing enough for the unconvinced
The evangelist described himself as a doubter as a young man. He had told God that if He would help him solve his questions, he would in turn help others solve theirs.
Because God did that, he became an international preacher. He has preached over 300,000 times. Every year, he holds 600 preaching sessions and travels over 300 times.
During his meeting, he defended the Christian understanding of God as a convincing one.
Asked why it is necessary to believe that God revealed Himself through the Bible, he expressed that a God who hides Himself is an unworthy one.
"God is not a dying God, or deaf God, or blind God or dumb God," he said. "He is an existing God, a living God... the source of life... of truth... of grace."
If that is the case, He 'must' make some self-disclosure of Himself. A God who hides Himself and leaves mankind guessing is very cruel. But God is the source of wisdom, truth and revelation, he said.
"A true God must be true... honest... really love us... truly wanting to give us the truth," he said. "It's reasonable to believe in God through His revelation to us."
Asked why it is necessary to believe that Jesus Christ reveals God, he pointed out two things about Christ.
Firstly, He lived without having committed any sin. He did not speak a word of falsehood.
Secondly, He explained where His teaching came from. Christ said He came from the Father and will return to Him. He said that whoever knows Him knows the Father. Christ declared that He is the truth. He declared that He is God incarnate.
Comfort for the soul
Beyond intellectual argumentation, the Rev. Tong, who has preached to over 32 million people in 53 years, also offered comfort for the disheartened.
Nobody is useless, he emphasised, urging his young listeners to live optimistically. Indeed, even if one amputates every limb, such a person would still be useful – as an inspiration to others.
He encouraged those who stammer by telling the story of a man who sold more Bibles than his smooth-tongued colleagues, though he stammered. This was because those he approached wanted to get him off their backs.
The evangelist encouraged those in suffering that it is by suffering that the soul grows and matures.
Addressing those who had been jilted, he pointed out that such people think very differently. They are able to distinguish true love from infatuation.
The Rev. Tong cited the case of a popular voice professor. Students of this professor would have to do weight-lifting for a year before they would be taught to sing. This expands their diaphragm. The professor also told a student that he could sing better if he was jilted. And it happened.
On one occasion, the Rev. Tong addressed a question by a Christian who felt purposeless. He promptly commended the person for good handwriting and encouraged a career in copying Scripture. Seeing that people will surely be touched, he said half in jest.
Prayer for and tribute to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew
While responding to the question, the Rev. Tong urged prayer for Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. He had been emphasising the importance of optimism in life.
The evangelist highlighted that often it is very difficult for the surviving spouse in such situations to carry on their lives. So he exhorted his young audience to pray that Mr Lee would find optimism to carry on.
Earlier, the Rev. Tong referred to Mr Lee as the greatest leader in Asia. He lauded him for transforming a small island without natural resources into the modern city-state it is today. Tong was explaining the theological argument that history has a direction.
Respect for other religions
The evangelist also urged respect for other religions.
He said: "Religion is a great thing. Religious leaders were great people.
"We should respect them, even though our beliefs are different."
About the preaching session
The preaching session was organised by the CVCF and co-hosted by the VCF, CCC, Navigators and STEMI. Another session will be held Friday at 7 p.m. at LT1A of the Nanyang Technological University.
Edmond Chua
edmond@christianpost.com
Breast Cancer patient decline Chemo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UyD1z9Heu8&feature=player_embedded#!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Cancer detective Holmes?
JC is a 44-year-old female. She found a lump in her breast sometime in mid-2009. The lump seemed to have disappeared after this initial discovery, only to reappear a month later. She consulted her doctor who dismissed it as something not to worry about. JC went to consult a specialist in a private hospital. A mammography was done and found nothing! However, an USG showed presence of lumps. A biopsy was done to one of the 1.2 cm suspicious mass. The result confirmed cancer.
On 21 December 2009, JC underwent a lumpectomy plus removal of 14 lymph nodes. Histopathology report showed a stage 1 (T1NoMx) cancer with no lymph node involvement. Immunochemistry indicated tumour cells totally negative to both oestrogen and progesterone receptors. However, p53 and c-erbB-2 were strongly positive.
After the surgery, JC was told that she should consider chemotherapy. The benefit of chemotherapy, based on ten-year survival rate, is 9%. Hormonal therapy does not provide any benefit to survival. In term of ten-year recurrence, chemotherapy provides a 16% benefit. Based on such statistics, JC declined further medical treatment. She came to seek our help on 10 January 2010. She was prescribed Capsule A, C-tea and Breast M tea.
As of this writing, JC had come back to see us thrice for routine consultation. Everything seemed alright. On 10 September 2010, she presented her latest blood results.
Alpha-fetoprotein
4.4
CEA
1.3
CA 125
12
CA 15.3
5.0
CA 19.9
34
Based on the above, her doctor said she was doing fine. JC needs only come back to see her doctor again after six months, instead of three. This was encouraging news for JC.
Over the past nine months, we managed to read JC’s energetic s thrice, using the AcuGraph. Below are readings taken on 4 April, 28 May and 10 September 2010.
While medically JC was told that she was doing fine, I told JC that she was not improving as expected based on these readings. There was nothing I could say about the result taken on 4 April 2010 since this was her first reading. There is nothing that I could compare it with. But the AcuGraph reading on 25 May 2010, after taking the herbs, was definitely an improvement. But the reading on 10 September was worse off than the two previous readings.
When patients come to see me, I usually ask these questions: How are you doing. JC’s answer was: Fine. Any problems? Again the answer was: Fine. But I told JC: Your energy was too out of balance this time. I then posed the following questions:
1. Did you sleep well?
2. How is your bowel movement?
3. How is your menses?
4. How is your urination or any problem with your bladder?
Why did I ask such questions?
Look at the AcuGraph reading on 10 September 2010. The PC (pericardium) meridian was high, so was the LI (Large Intestine). The meridians of the LU (Lung), HT (Heart), TE (Triple Energizer or Burner), SI (Small Intestine), SP (Spleen), LR (Liver), KI (Kidney) and ST (Stomach) were all out of balance. The BL (Bladder) meridian was low. Only the GB (Gallbladder) meridian was normal.
The balances of the meridian energetic can be understood and explained based on the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
1. Stress and Imbalances of the PC, HT, SI, TE and KI Meridians
The PC (Pericardium), known as the “King’s Bodyguard, ” is a protective sack around the heart. Its function is to protect the heart. Emotionally it is concerned with the psyche. Excessive emotional energies generated from other organs such as anger from the Liver, fear from the Kidney, grief from the Lung, could endanger the Heart. Such concept has no equivalence in modern medicine.
Since the PC is intimately connected to the HT (Heart) – SI (Small Intestine), it is no wander that both these meridians were similarly out of balance.
The common complaints from people with an imbalanced PC and HT meridians are: insomnia, excessive dreams, mental restlessness, forgetfulness and dizziness.
We must take note that the 12 pairs of meridians above do not function in isolation or independently. They are interconnected and they influence each other. It is said that the HT meridian is intimately connected to the TE (Triple Energizer) and the KI (Kidney). Any imbalance in the HT is also reflected in the TE and KI meridians.
2. Abdominal Pain and Imbalances of the LI and LU Meridians
The LI (Large Intestine) is known as the Great Eliminator. Medically, it is equivalent to the colon. The LI controls the transformation of digestive wastes from liquid to solid state and transports the solids onwards and outwards for excretion. Physically, an imbalanced LI could cause constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain or intestinal cramping. Emotionally persons with imbalanced LI may have a hard time dealing with grief and worry or has difficulty letting go. There may be feelings of depression, irritability, discouragement, distress and apathy. Strong emotions of fear or panic can produce an energetic-stool reflex reaction in the Large Intestine resulting in a spontaneous defecation.
The LI and LU (Lung) meridians are intimately connected. A disturbance of the LI meridian could also cause disharmony of the LU meridian.
3. Menstruation and Imbalances of the SP, KI, LR, HT Meridians
TCM has an elaborate theory about menstruation which involves the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung and Kidney.
· The Spleen, Kidney and Heart participate in the creation of blood.
· The function of the uterus is only normal if the Heart functions normally.
· Exuberant Kidney is necessary if menstruation is to occur with proper regularity.
· Thus, disorders of the Kidney and Heart may give rise to gynecological disorders.
· Liver plays an important role in the regulation of menstruation.
· The Spleen makes Blood which is then stored in the Liver. Deficiency of the Liver Blood indicates Spleen deficiency.
· The Lung has only a minor influence on the menstrual function. Sadness and grief can induce Qi insufficiency and stoppage of the menses.
· The Gallbladder, Bladder and Small Intestine are not accorded any direct or indirect role in the menstrual cycle.
Some of the causes of menstrual problems are:
· Overthinking and worry cause the qi to knot or bid inhibiting the meridians to function properly. This translates into obstruction or uninhibited discharge of the menstruate. As a result menstruation is delayed, scanty, blocked or painful.
· Insufficient physical exercise may lead to inhibited flow of the qi and blood, accumulation of phlegm and dampness and a weak Spleen and Stomach function. All these contribute to menstrual problems.
· Diet is a major contributing factor in menstrual problems.
4. Emotional Effects of KI and BL imbalances
The function of the Kidney and Bladder is similar to what we commonly know, i.e., the Kidney filters waste metabolites from the blood and send it the waste down to the Bladder for storing and excreting. Imbalance of the Kidney / Bladder meridians can lead to depression, inability to cope and fear of change. If the imbalance becomes chronic, it results in feelings of jealousy, suspicion, and holding on to long-standing grudges. Holding to fear may bring on phobias of all sorts – fear of heights, water, people, new things, sexuality, closed spaces, dark, or death. Indeed, there is no medical equivalence with regards to the emotional functions of Kidney and Bladder.
A close connection exists between the Bladder and the Kidney meridian. This Bladder meridian is associated with the autonomic nervous system. Bladder dysfunction can result in stress and tension.
What JC Had Gone Through
Having understood the basic TCM theory, let us now listen to what JC had gone through over the past months since her last visit.
In A Nut Shell
JC’s energetics on 4 April was mostly out of balance. She had just had her operation and was starting to take the herbs. At that time it was most likely that emotionally she was still not settled yet. Then the reading on 28 May showed significant improvements – after taking the herbs for four months and counseling from us. The PC, HT, TE, LI and LR meridians were all balanced. At that time she was more relaxed and was still on medical leave. There was no work pressure to contend with. She was on her healing journey.
But the reading on 10 September 2010 was worse than the previous readings. As we have heard from JC herself, she had been under stress – physically and emotionally. And this should not be allowed to drag on for long.
· JC had to go back to work and she had been over- working!
· Her father-in-law was hospitalized and this was emotionally straining.
· She was unable to sleep well and she also slept late.
· Because of her tight schedule she did not have time to do exercise as before.
· Her menses was delayed. If it was regular it would have been on 9 September.
· Her suffered abdominal pains the day before she did the AcuGraph reading.
From the above, it would be possible to explain why JC’s AcuGraph readings showed such imbalances. I did not have the opportunity to say that she was well and that there was nothing to worry about since her blood test showed good numbers. On reflection, I must say the AcuGraph is indeed a good “forensic tool” enabling me to probe into the lifestyle of patients to monitor their wellbeing.
Let me quote Harriet Beinfield & Efremkorngold (in: Between Heaven and Earth) Chinese medicine identifies disease as disorders of relationship, not as a singular unvarying entity. Problems recognized early on can be dealt with before they develop into complex, deep-seated, chronic sickness.
I was able to remind JC that even though her blood test results were good, she ought to remember that nothing is ever permanent. What is good today may just change a month or a year from now. She has to know that too much stress for too long may give rise to problems. She needs to change her lifestyle and adopt a different attitude in learning how to live with her cancer. And change she must if she wants to survive to a ripe old age. This ability to advise and forewarn patients is based on evidence, not just mere speculation. And this what AcuGraph does.
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Dr. Adrian Larsen, President of Miridia Technology Inc., USA, for his generosity in providing a unit of AcuGraph 3 for our research at CA Care. Since CA Care does not need to pay for this device, meridian reading at CA Care is done free-of-charge. www.cacare.com
On 21 December 2009, JC underwent a lumpectomy plus removal of 14 lymph nodes. Histopathology report showed a stage 1 (T1NoMx) cancer with no lymph node involvement. Immunochemistry indicated tumour cells totally negative to both oestrogen and progesterone receptors. However, p53 and c-erbB-2 were strongly positive.
After the surgery, JC was told that she should consider chemotherapy. The benefit of chemotherapy, based on ten-year survival rate, is 9%. Hormonal therapy does not provide any benefit to survival. In term of ten-year recurrence, chemotherapy provides a 16% benefit. Based on such statistics, JC declined further medical treatment. She came to seek our help on 10 January 2010. She was prescribed Capsule A, C-tea and Breast M tea.
As of this writing, JC had come back to see us thrice for routine consultation. Everything seemed alright. On 10 September 2010, she presented her latest blood results.
Alpha-fetoprotein
4.4
CEA
1.3
CA 125
12
CA 15.3
5.0
CA 19.9
34
Based on the above, her doctor said she was doing fine. JC needs only come back to see her doctor again after six months, instead of three. This was encouraging news for JC.
Over the past nine months, we managed to read JC’s energetic s thrice, using the AcuGraph. Below are readings taken on 4 April, 28 May and 10 September 2010.
While medically JC was told that she was doing fine, I told JC that she was not improving as expected based on these readings. There was nothing I could say about the result taken on 4 April 2010 since this was her first reading. There is nothing that I could compare it with. But the AcuGraph reading on 25 May 2010, after taking the herbs, was definitely an improvement. But the reading on 10 September was worse off than the two previous readings.
When patients come to see me, I usually ask these questions: How are you doing. JC’s answer was: Fine. Any problems? Again the answer was: Fine. But I told JC: Your energy was too out of balance this time. I then posed the following questions:
1. Did you sleep well?
2. How is your bowel movement?
3. How is your menses?
4. How is your urination or any problem with your bladder?
Why did I ask such questions?
Look at the AcuGraph reading on 10 September 2010. The PC (pericardium) meridian was high, so was the LI (Large Intestine). The meridians of the LU (Lung), HT (Heart), TE (Triple Energizer or Burner), SI (Small Intestine), SP (Spleen), LR (Liver), KI (Kidney) and ST (Stomach) were all out of balance. The BL (Bladder) meridian was low. Only the GB (Gallbladder) meridian was normal.
The balances of the meridian energetic can be understood and explained based on the understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
1. Stress and Imbalances of the PC, HT, SI, TE and KI Meridians
The PC (Pericardium), known as the “King’s Bodyguard, ” is a protective sack around the heart. Its function is to protect the heart. Emotionally it is concerned with the psyche. Excessive emotional energies generated from other organs such as anger from the Liver, fear from the Kidney, grief from the Lung, could endanger the Heart. Such concept has no equivalence in modern medicine.
Since the PC is intimately connected to the HT (Heart) – SI (Small Intestine), it is no wander that both these meridians were similarly out of balance.
The common complaints from people with an imbalanced PC and HT meridians are: insomnia, excessive dreams, mental restlessness, forgetfulness and dizziness.
We must take note that the 12 pairs of meridians above do not function in isolation or independently. They are interconnected and they influence each other. It is said that the HT meridian is intimately connected to the TE (Triple Energizer) and the KI (Kidney). Any imbalance in the HT is also reflected in the TE and KI meridians.
2. Abdominal Pain and Imbalances of the LI and LU Meridians
The LI (Large Intestine) is known as the Great Eliminator. Medically, it is equivalent to the colon. The LI controls the transformation of digestive wastes from liquid to solid state and transports the solids onwards and outwards for excretion. Physically, an imbalanced LI could cause constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain or intestinal cramping. Emotionally persons with imbalanced LI may have a hard time dealing with grief and worry or has difficulty letting go. There may be feelings of depression, irritability, discouragement, distress and apathy. Strong emotions of fear or panic can produce an energetic-stool reflex reaction in the Large Intestine resulting in a spontaneous defecation.
The LI and LU (Lung) meridians are intimately connected. A disturbance of the LI meridian could also cause disharmony of the LU meridian.
3. Menstruation and Imbalances of the SP, KI, LR, HT Meridians
TCM has an elaborate theory about menstruation which involves the Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung and Kidney.
· The Spleen, Kidney and Heart participate in the creation of blood.
· The function of the uterus is only normal if the Heart functions normally.
· Exuberant Kidney is necessary if menstruation is to occur with proper regularity.
· Thus, disorders of the Kidney and Heart may give rise to gynecological disorders.
· Liver plays an important role in the regulation of menstruation.
· The Spleen makes Blood which is then stored in the Liver. Deficiency of the Liver Blood indicates Spleen deficiency.
· The Lung has only a minor influence on the menstrual function. Sadness and grief can induce Qi insufficiency and stoppage of the menses.
· The Gallbladder, Bladder and Small Intestine are not accorded any direct or indirect role in the menstrual cycle.
Some of the causes of menstrual problems are:
· Overthinking and worry cause the qi to knot or bid inhibiting the meridians to function properly. This translates into obstruction or uninhibited discharge of the menstruate. As a result menstruation is delayed, scanty, blocked or painful.
· Insufficient physical exercise may lead to inhibited flow of the qi and blood, accumulation of phlegm and dampness and a weak Spleen and Stomach function. All these contribute to menstrual problems.
· Diet is a major contributing factor in menstrual problems.
4. Emotional Effects of KI and BL imbalances
The function of the Kidney and Bladder is similar to what we commonly know, i.e., the Kidney filters waste metabolites from the blood and send it the waste down to the Bladder for storing and excreting. Imbalance of the Kidney / Bladder meridians can lead to depression, inability to cope and fear of change. If the imbalance becomes chronic, it results in feelings of jealousy, suspicion, and holding on to long-standing grudges. Holding to fear may bring on phobias of all sorts – fear of heights, water, people, new things, sexuality, closed spaces, dark, or death. Indeed, there is no medical equivalence with regards to the emotional functions of Kidney and Bladder.
A close connection exists between the Bladder and the Kidney meridian. This Bladder meridian is associated with the autonomic nervous system. Bladder dysfunction can result in stress and tension.
What JC Had Gone Through
Having understood the basic TCM theory, let us now listen to what JC had gone through over the past months since her last visit.
In A Nut Shell
JC’s energetics on 4 April was mostly out of balance. She had just had her operation and was starting to take the herbs. At that time it was most likely that emotionally she was still not settled yet. Then the reading on 28 May showed significant improvements – after taking the herbs for four months and counseling from us. The PC, HT, TE, LI and LR meridians were all balanced. At that time she was more relaxed and was still on medical leave. There was no work pressure to contend with. She was on her healing journey.
But the reading on 10 September 2010 was worse than the previous readings. As we have heard from JC herself, she had been under stress – physically and emotionally. And this should not be allowed to drag on for long.
· JC had to go back to work and she had been over- working!
· Her father-in-law was hospitalized and this was emotionally straining.
· She was unable to sleep well and she also slept late.
· Because of her tight schedule she did not have time to do exercise as before.
· Her menses was delayed. If it was regular it would have been on 9 September.
· Her suffered abdominal pains the day before she did the AcuGraph reading.
From the above, it would be possible to explain why JC’s AcuGraph readings showed such imbalances. I did not have the opportunity to say that she was well and that there was nothing to worry about since her blood test showed good numbers. On reflection, I must say the AcuGraph is indeed a good “forensic tool” enabling me to probe into the lifestyle of patients to monitor their wellbeing.
Let me quote Harriet Beinfield & Efremkorngold (in: Between Heaven and Earth) Chinese medicine identifies disease as disorders of relationship, not as a singular unvarying entity. Problems recognized early on can be dealt with before they develop into complex, deep-seated, chronic sickness.
I was able to remind JC that even though her blood test results were good, she ought to remember that nothing is ever permanent. What is good today may just change a month or a year from now. She has to know that too much stress for too long may give rise to problems. She needs to change her lifestyle and adopt a different attitude in learning how to live with her cancer. And change she must if she wants to survive to a ripe old age. This ability to advise and forewarn patients is based on evidence, not just mere speculation. And this what AcuGraph does.
Acknowledgment: Thanks to Dr. Adrian Larsen, President of Miridia Technology Inc., USA, for his generosity in providing a unit of AcuGraph 3 for our research at CA Care. Since CA Care does not need to pay for this device, meridian reading at CA Care is done free-of-charge. www.cacare.com
Friday, October 8, 2010
The Cure for their Sin-disease.
When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth become useless, and intelligence cannot be applied. Death end.
On this day, evening, we celebrate your birthday at Sukon Thai Restaurant, followed by one Bengawan Solo birthday-cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!! Beloved friend, I pray that you may get along well in every way and may enjoy health, just as your soul is prospering.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
This Message is dedicated to you andeande
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." - Jesus said.
THE very grammar of this towering prophecy surely strikes a significant balance which defines the drawing-power of Calvary. Our Lord does not say that either He alone or the Cross alone would constitute the attraction. There is a deliberate dual emphasis when He says, "And I, if I be lifted up."
The Cross itself apart from Jesus Christ has no saving power ; nor has even the Lord Jesus Himself apart from the Cross. Therefore, in the saving sense, neither Christ Jesus nor the Cross apart from each other has this drawing-power. But together they are the most wonderful magnet which ever drew the hearts of earth's sin-cursed millions. I was one of them, you are one of them, they too. And herein lie two vastly momentous truths which need strong reassertion today.
First : it is not Christ Jesus apart from the Cross on Calvary who draws and saves. Calvary was the place of crucifixion for criminals by the Roman Empire . Many modern divines have a way of eulogising Jesus without any reference to His death as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin. If they bring in the Cross at all, it is decked with the draperies of a sublimated sentimentalism which obscures its real nature, tragedy and glory. Yet the real power of the Gospel Of human souls' Salvation , to draw and to save lies in the very Cross with Christ which these aesthetic preachers deem to be its most unattractive feature. They fondly dream that if they preach His exemplary life without His ignominious death, men/women will be attracted to Him ; but they are wrong. Christ Jesus, presented only as supreme Teacher and Ideal, has never drawn the sin-conscious sons of Adam, humankind, who are far too fallen to be charmed into holiness by a mere exhibition of moral excellence, however perfect. What human race need is not just a beautiful portrait, but a cure for their sin- disease. It is the Christ Jesus of Calvary Cross, and He alone, who really saves and really draws.
Second ; it is not the Cross apart from Christ Jesus which draws and saves. For there were many other crosses beside His. Let the public evangelist guard against the easy danger of preaching the Cross as a mere doctrine, or as a sort of detached transaction which in itself can save. There is a cheap evangelistic jargon today which almost sounds like bargaining the Cross off to those who will only "believe" in it and lift up their hands in meetings, show of hands - as though the Cross by itself were a free entry-permit to heaven, apart from a persevering, life-long faith-union with Christ Himself which sanctifies character and conduct. We are making a true distinction when we say that it is not strictly the Cross itself which saves us, but Jesus Himself who saves us through the Cross. And, remember, it is not the mere creature-Christ of the so-called Christian Scientist, the Spiritualists, the Jehovah's Witnessess denominations, and other such unitarian cults, but the Christ Jesus who is the Son of God and God's only begotten and Delight.
It is the deity life behind the manhood which makes the Cross an atonement. It is the manhood within the divine deity incarnation which makes it an atonement for us, humankind, and such a magnet to us, lost souls. Wondeful Christ ! Wonderful Cross !
Still, still He draws ; true Man, incarnate God,
Who once the sad, brown earth as Jesus trod,
Until, with pinioned limbs and deep-torn side,
On yonder rough-hewn beam and bar He died.
Yes, still that Cross with Christ Jesus compels our gaze today ;
Sin nailed him there ; yet sin He bears away !
Yes, His death on the Cross enables us to celebrate our yearly birthdays without fearing for death right through eternity, He has given eternal life to us to love and share. Happy birthday again, !!!
On this day, evening, we celebrate your birthday at Sukon Thai Restaurant, followed by one Bengawan Solo birthday-cake. HAPPY BIRTHDAY !!! Beloved friend, I pray that you may get along well in every way and may enjoy health, just as your soul is prospering.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
This Message is dedicated to you andeande
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me." - Jesus said.
THE very grammar of this towering prophecy surely strikes a significant balance which defines the drawing-power of Calvary. Our Lord does not say that either He alone or the Cross alone would constitute the attraction. There is a deliberate dual emphasis when He says, "And I, if I be lifted up."
The Cross itself apart from Jesus Christ has no saving power ; nor has even the Lord Jesus Himself apart from the Cross. Therefore, in the saving sense, neither Christ Jesus nor the Cross apart from each other has this drawing-power. But together they are the most wonderful magnet which ever drew the hearts of earth's sin-cursed millions. I was one of them, you are one of them, they too. And herein lie two vastly momentous truths which need strong reassertion today.
First : it is not Christ Jesus apart from the Cross on Calvary who draws and saves. Calvary was the place of crucifixion for criminals by the Roman Empire . Many modern divines have a way of eulogising Jesus without any reference to His death as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin. If they bring in the Cross at all, it is decked with the draperies of a sublimated sentimentalism which obscures its real nature, tragedy and glory. Yet the real power of the Gospel Of human souls' Salvation , to draw and to save lies in the very Cross with Christ which these aesthetic preachers deem to be its most unattractive feature. They fondly dream that if they preach His exemplary life without His ignominious death, men/women will be attracted to Him ; but they are wrong. Christ Jesus, presented only as supreme Teacher and Ideal, has never drawn the sin-conscious sons of Adam, humankind, who are far too fallen to be charmed into holiness by a mere exhibition of moral excellence, however perfect. What human race need is not just a beautiful portrait, but a cure for their sin- disease. It is the Christ Jesus of Calvary Cross, and He alone, who really saves and really draws.
Second ; it is not the Cross apart from Christ Jesus which draws and saves. For there were many other crosses beside His. Let the public evangelist guard against the easy danger of preaching the Cross as a mere doctrine, or as a sort of detached transaction which in itself can save. There is a cheap evangelistic jargon today which almost sounds like bargaining the Cross off to those who will only "believe" in it and lift up their hands in meetings, show of hands - as though the Cross by itself were a free entry-permit to heaven, apart from a persevering, life-long faith-union with Christ Himself which sanctifies character and conduct. We are making a true distinction when we say that it is not strictly the Cross itself which saves us, but Jesus Himself who saves us through the Cross. And, remember, it is not the mere creature-Christ of the so-called Christian Scientist, the Spiritualists, the Jehovah's Witnessess denominations, and other such unitarian cults, but the Christ Jesus who is the Son of God and God's only begotten and Delight.
It is the deity life behind the manhood which makes the Cross an atonement. It is the manhood within the divine deity incarnation which makes it an atonement for us, humankind, and such a magnet to us, lost souls. Wondeful Christ ! Wonderful Cross !
Still, still He draws ; true Man, incarnate God,
Who once the sad, brown earth as Jesus trod,
Until, with pinioned limbs and deep-torn side,
On yonder rough-hewn beam and bar He died.
Yes, still that Cross with Christ Jesus compels our gaze today ;
Sin nailed him there ; yet sin He bears away !
Yes, His death on the Cross enables us to celebrate our yearly birthdays without fearing for death right through eternity, He has given eternal life to us to love and share. Happy birthday again, !!!
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