Appeal to Catholics

Recently my friends and I were chatting after a baptismal service and gospel meeting. Somehow or another the question arose of whether or not all Catholics are truly saved?
Its a valid question if under the right motives of course. By motives I mean are we inquiring because we have a genuine desire and love and concern for whom we know to have departed from the Word, or do we ask with a mocking attitude and thinking we're better than the other? Of course we hope its the former and not the latter, but I acknowledge sometimes we may tend to come across as the former. We need to rebuke with meekness and lowliness, to exhort, to encourage and show where the error is, and not blindly mock or ridicule, for we are all sinners, and by God's grace alone, we are saved through faith. I do pray that if there be any Catholic friend that reads the following, that they may come before God's Word wholly without any preconceived notions/traditions, but with humility, earnestness, eagerness, an emptiness to let the Word speak for itself and to examine ourselves and what we believe in to check whether it is true or false. It is ever true, seek, and we shall find.
Perhaps there are some who think that we, non Catholics have gone astray and departed from the truth. Indeed there are, in Christendom in general. BUT... But, God has preserved His Word, and that is to be our primary source of guidance and direction under the Light of the Holy Spirit, not man and his vain traditions. Hence, if one thinks that the other has gone astray, scripture is our final reference point to check whats true from falsehoods. Psa 119:1-2,5,9-12 "Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.".. ..
Can we too, cry with the psalmist, with my whole heart have I sought thee??
If one does not like to examine their beliefs, the question that follows is, why? Is our faith not to be defended and examined? Are we afraid of what me may find out? Are we afraid of the changes that need to be made? Is self getting in the way? Doesn't scripture quite indicate the opposite?
1 Pet 3:15 "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:"
Titus 1:8 "Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers."
2 Tim 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
Acts 17:11 "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
Now as regarding the initial question, on whether or not Catholics are really saved? If they believe that they are saved solely on the finished work of the cross, that our Lord Jesus Christ bore the penalty of sin on our behalf and that He died and rose again victorious, that we are saved only by grace (NOT GRACE AND WORKS, BUT BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH) through faith, then yes, they are saved. Anything apart from this, additions or subtractions from His Truth, leads nowhere sadly..
Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Eph 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."
If we are indeed saved, we need to grow in the word, learn His truth, that it may reveal our errors, growing in grace and sanctification. His Word is a light unto our paths indeed, His light shines upon our darkness and shows us for what and who we really are. We are called to mature in His Word and willingly and lovingly obey His Word, not man's feeble traditions.
The numerous catechisms add teachings contrary to God's Word, in essence it is man's traditions trying to come up against God's Word. The catechisms are really irreconcilable with God's Word. We'll try to go over a few catechisms and see the striking contrasts...
In this article, we'll try to cover regarding our final source of truth, our final authority, is it man's traditions, or God's Word? (from hereafter, quotations from the Catholic Catechism of 1994 are quoted in red). The outline from the book "Understanding Roman Catholicism by Rick Jones" will be utilized extensively. Interesting read, highly recommend.
95 "It is clear therefore that, in the supremely wise arrangement of God, sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture and the Magisterium of the Church are so connected and associated that one of them cannot stand without the others. Working together, each in its own way, under the action of the one Holy Spirit, they all contribute effectively to the salvation of souls."
82 As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence."
81 "Sacred Scripture is the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit."42 "And [Holy] Tradition transmits in its entirety the Word of God which has been entrusted to the apostles by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit. It transmits it to the successors of the apostles so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, expound and spread it abroad by their preaching."
Ok,yeah, Magisterium refers to the task of interpreting God's Word, and whenever Church is used in the catechism, it refers to the Roman Catholic Church.
85 "The task of giving an authentic interpretation of the Word of God, whether in its written form or in the form of Tradition, has been entrusted to the living teaching office of the Church alone. Its authority in this matter is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ."47 This means that the task of interpretation has been entrusted to the bishops in communion with the successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome.
So, basically, what the above has said is, that man's tradition has been put on the same plane as God's Word, and essentially that God's Word is insufficient hence the need for the sacred traditions!!... and the task for interpreting has been given to the Roman Catholic Church, and that to the clergy solely. Dear friend, you may not believe this, but this it what it says and implies in the catechism sadly..
119 "It is the task of exegetes to work, according to these rules, towards a better understanding and explanation of the meaning of Sacred Scripture in order that their research may help the Church to form a firmer judgment. For, of course, all that has been said about the manner of interpreting Scripture is ultimately subject to the judgement of the Church which exercises the divinely conferred commission and ministry of watching over and interpreting the Word of God."88But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me.89
So, you see, The Catholic Church places itself above the Word, the Catholic Church places itself as the final authority. Surely this is the working of men, and not God, for nowhere in God's Word do we find the above advocated. In fact, a little logic will show us: the Bible has revealed the Truth to us, revealed to us that we are sinners, and need salvation, and made known the Truth of the Church, a called out people unto God and its principles,etc.. So, if God's Word is the foundation and final authority, when did men decide that they were?... WHEN DID MEN DECIDE THEY WERE THE FINAL AUTHORITY??.... ON WHOSE AUTHORITY DID THEY RECEIVE THIS AUTHORITY??....certainly not from God or His written Word, the Bible....
ok, now another very important question.... what does the Bible say about all this?
2 Tim 3:16-17 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
What is given? .... ALL SCRIPTURE!!.. not man's traditions etc..
Given by whom??... BY INSPIRATION OF GOD!!!... God-breathed words... not man thoughts on how things should be carried out...
Does it give the idea that it needs additions of mans traditions/sacred tradition??... now, be honest yeah!! :)... it DOES NOT .... profitable for doctrine,reproof,correction,instruction in righteousness... be perfect, throughly furnished..... does any of this give the idea of a diminished Bible or God's Word which needs man's 'sacred' tradition to be better equipped??... nope, none at all... so, why all the additional stuff??..
God's Word is perfect, is settled... there have been many attempts to discredit it, to confound it, to add and take away from it, but God has put His seal upon it, and protected it Himself, that we are left in no doubt at all that it is God's Word has been preserved.. (God-willing we'll cover the topic on whether the Bible is reliable in another article soon :) )
Psa 119:160 "Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever."
Psa 12:6-7 "The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thous shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."
Jn 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth."
if that's not enough, there's this familiar warning that's often heard, but rarely heeded sadly...
Rev 22:18-19 "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
If there are those that create disputes purposely and continually subvert the Word:
Rom 16:17-18 "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly(or body); and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."
Now, yes, we must correct and rebuke those who are going astray from the Word, but after much effort, if they willingly persist in their errorneous ways, all we can do is to pray for them..
We have to be aware of false teachers?... how can we be aware?... whats our defense?.... THE WORD :)2Tim3:16 ...understanding the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit...
Again, to those that subvert the truth:
Gal 1:8-9 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed."
God's word is sufficient... it needs no additional "sacred tradition"... these traditions are sacred to whom?... man!!... God had no part with it, hence we must flee from it... trust God, rather then man's falliability...
Prov 30:5-6 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar."
God's Word is settled forever...
Psa 119:89 "For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven."
Isa 40:8 "The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever."
1 Pet 1:23-25 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you."
God's word is perfect..
Psa 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."
Interpretation of our Bibles are not merely segregated to a certain portion of people as such as the Catholic Church claims...the Holy Spirit which indwells in every true believer guides interpretation... who else, but the Author's help Himself... isn't that marvellous!!!... and the teachers that's He's given us to help us and equip us, they too are able to teach because they lean continually upon God for the guidance in understanding, interpreting, and proclaiming the revealed Truth....
2 Pet 1:20-21 "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."
no private interpretation meaning scripture must interpret scripture as a whole and we have to be careful of not taking passages out of context. :)
2 Tim 3:15-16 "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
yes, these verses are quoted often... and rightly so... this again, as said previously is not referring to the magisterium of sacred tradition but to God's Word, the scripture, our Bibles...
You see, my dear friend, if you heed all these traditions of the Catholic Church, you are in a way saying that God is a liar (sorry, this may seem harsh, but if we probe deeper, it leads to this), because the Catholic Church implies that God's Word is insufficient and hence the need for all these other things of men, and not God have been superimposed on the Bible...
We ALL must take heed at the warning against the Pharisees, which Christ Himself denounced..
Mk 7:7-8 "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do."
For a fuller view on Christ's view on the Pharisees, pls do read the whole of Matthew 23. Its truly a sad thing when we elevate the traditions of men above the Word of God. For firstly, when or rather if we believed, did we believe(come to the knowledge and acceptance of salvation by the finished work of Christ on the cross) by the Word of God or through the traditions of men?... If we have begun, i.e. the foundation of our faith on the complete Word of God, why then do we clamour after the traditions of men?
and another thing, though they were energetic in heeding their traditions(they were not saved, just basically following their own devices), see what the Lord says of them:
Mt 23:33 "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?"
See how Jesus Himself elevated the Scriptures above the erroneous and uninspired human traditions:
Mt 15:1-3 "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
Mt 22:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."
God's Word is the FINAL AUTHORITY!!...
Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."
Be as those noble Berean's in Acts 17:11 who received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily to see if what's said was right or not.
John 14:23-24 "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me."

God is perfect and he changeth not (Mal 3:6). Our Lord Jesus is perfect and changeth not (Heb 13:8 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.").
Why then do some imply that God is not perfect and God forbid should blaspheme against the Holy Spirit in implying that He lies?...
Heb 6:18 "That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:"
Titus 1:2 "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"
Num 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"

There so many error laden teachings of the Catholic Church, because they have left the Word, and exalted the "sacred traditions" of men... for more info, do check http://www.chick.com/reading/books/160/160cont.asp

Are you willing my dear friend, to choose this very day itself, whom you will serve(Josh 24:15), God or the traditions of men?

This is another article by Mr. C.H. Mackintosh reproduced in its entirety. The wise and foolish virgins- professors vs believers. Are we living looking forward and hasting towards the Lord's return?
We now approach that solemn section of our Lord's discourse in which He presents the kingdom of Heaven under the similitude of "ten virgins." The instruction contained in this most weighty and interesting parable is of wider application than that of the servant to which we have already referred, inasmuch as it takes in the whole range of Christian profession, and is not confined to ministry either within the house or outside. It bears directly and pointedly upon Christian profession, whether true or false.
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." (Matthew 25:1)
Some have considered that this parable refers to the Jewish remnant; but it does not seem that this idea is borne out, either by the context in which this parable occurs or by the terms in which it is couched.
As to the entire context, the more closely we examine it the more clearly we shall see that the Jewish portion of the discourse ends with Matthew 24:44. This is so distinct as not to admit of a question. Equally distinct is the Christian portion, extending, as we have seen, from Matthew 24:45-25:30; while from 25:31 to the end, we have the Gentiles. Thus the order and fulness of this marvelous discourse must strike any thoughtful reader. It presents the Jew, the Christian, and the Gentile, each on his own distinct ground, and according to his own distinctive principles. There is no merging of one thing in another, no confounding of things that differ. In a word, the order, the fulness, and the comprehensiveness of this profound discourse are divine, and fill the soul "with wonder, love, and praise." We rise from the study of it, as a whole, with those words of the apostle upon our lips, "O, the depth and the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out."
And then, when we examine the precise terms made use of by our Lord in the parable of the ten virgins we must see that it applies not to Jews but to Christian professors-it applies to us-it utters a voice, and teaches a solemn lesson to the writer and the reader of these lines. Let us apply our hearts thereto.
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom." (Matthew 25:1)
Primitive Christianity was especially characterized by the fact here indicated, namely, a going forth to meet a returning and an expected bridegroom. The early Christians were led to detach themselves from present things, and go forth, in the spirit of their minds, and in the affections of their hearts, to meet the Saviour whom they loved, and for whom they waited. it was not, of course, a question of going forth from one place to another; it was not local, but moral, and spiritual. It was the outgoing of the heart after a beloved Saviour whose return was eagerly looked for day by day.
It is impossible to read the Epistles to the various churches and not see that the hope of the Lord's sure and speedy return governed the hearts of the Lord's dear people in the early days. "They waited for the Son from heaven. They knew He was to come and take them away, to be with Himself forever; and the knowledge and power of this hope had the effect of detaching their hearts from present things. Their bright, heavenly hope caused them to sit loose to the things of earth. They looked for their Saviour." They believed that He might come at any moment, and hence the concerns of this life were just to be taken up and attended to for the moment-properly, thoroughly attended to, no doubt-but only, as it were, on the very tip-toe of expectation.
All this is conveyed to our hearts, briefly but clearly, by the expression, "They went forth to meet the bridegroom." this could not be intelligently applied to the Jewish remnant, inasmuch as they will not go forth to meet their Messiah, but on the contrary, they will remain in their position and amid their circumstances until He comes and plants His foot on the mount of Olives. They will not look for the Lord to come and take them away from this earth to be with Him in Heaven, but He will come to bring deliverance to them in their own land, and make them happy there under His own peaceful and blessed reign during the millennial age.
But the call to Christians was to "go forth." They are supposed to be always on the move; not settling down on earth, but going out in earnest and holy aspirations after that heavenly glory to which they are called, and after the heavenly Bridegroom to whom they are espoused, and for whose speedy advent they are taught to wait.
Such is the true, the divine, the normal idea of the Christian's attitude and state. And this lovely idea was marvelously realized and practically carried out by the primitive Christians. But alas, we are reminded of the fact that we have to do the spurious as well as the true in christendom. There are "tares" as well as "wheat" in the kingdom of Heaven; and thus we read of these ten virgins, that "five of them were wise, and five were foolish." These are the true and the false, the genuine and the counterfeit, and the real and the hollow, in professing Christianity.
Yes, and this is to continue unto the time of the end, until the Bridegroom comes. The tares are not converted into wheat, nor are the foolish virgins converted into wise ones. No, never. The tares will be burnt and the foolish virgins shut out. So far from a gradual improvement by the means now in operation-the preaching of the gospel and the various beneficent agencies which are brought to bear upon the world-we find, from all the parables, and from the teaching of the entire New Testament, that the kingdom of Heaven presents a most deplorable admixture of evil; a corrupting process; a grievous tampering with the work of God, on the part of the enemy; a positive progress of evil in principle, in profession, and in practice.
And all this goes on to the end. There are foolish virgins found when the Bridegroom appears. Whence come they if all are to be converted before the Lord comes? If all are to be brought to the knowledge of the Lord by the means now in operation, then how comes it to pass that when the Bridegroom comes, there are quite as many foolish as wise?
But it will perhaps be said that this is but a parable, a figure. Granted; but a figure of what? Not surely, of a whole world converted. To assert this would be to offer a grievous insult to the holy volume, and to treat our Lord's solemn teaching in a manner in which we would not dare to treat the teaching of a fellow mortal.
No, the parable of the ten virgins teaches, beyond all question, that when the Bridegroom comes, there will be foolish virgins on the scene, and clearly, if there are foolish virgins, all cannot have been previously converted. A child can understand this. We cannot see how it is possible, in the face of even this one parable, to maintain the theory of a world converted before the coming of the Bridegroom.
But let us look a little closely at these foolish virgins. Their history is full of admonition for all Christian professors. It is very brief, but awfully comprehensive. "They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them." There is the outward profession, but no inward reality-no spiritual life-no unction-no vital link with the source of eternal life-no union with Christ. There is nothing but the lamp of profession, and the dry wick of a nominal notional, head belief.
This is peculiarly solemn. It bears down with tremendous weight upon the vast mass of baptized profession which surrounds us, at the present moment, in which there is so much of outward semblance, but so little of inward reality. All profess to be Christians. The lamp of profession may be seen in every hand; but ah, how few have the oil in their vessels, the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, who have the Holy Ghost dwelling in their hearts. Without this, all is utterly worthless and vain. There may be the very highest profession; there may be a most orthodox creed; one may be baptized; he may receive the Lord's supper; be a regularly enrolled and duly recognized member of a Christian community, be a Sunday-school teacher; an ordained minister of religion; one may be all of this, and not have one spark of divine life, not one ray of heavenly light, not one link with the Christ of God.
Now there is something peculiarly awful in the thought of having just enough religion to deceive the heart, deaden the conscience and ruin the soul-just enough religion to give a name to live while dead-enough to leave one without Christ, without God, and without hope in the world-enough to prop the soul up with a false confidence, and fill it with a false peace, until the Bridegroom come, and then the eyes are opened when it is too late.
This it is with the foolish virgins. They seem to be very like the wise ones. An ordinary observer might not be able to see any difference, for the time being. They all set out together. All have lamps. And, moreover, all turn aside to slumber and sleep, and the wise as well as the foolish. All rouse up at the midnight cry, and trim their lamps. Thus far there is no apparent difference. The foolish virgins light their lamps-the lamp of profession lighted up with the dry wick of a lifeless, notional, nominal faith; alas! A worthless-worse than worthless-thing, a fatal soul-destroying delusion.
Here is the grand distinction-the broad line of demarcation-comes out with awful, yea, with appalling clearness. "The foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out." This proves that their lamps had been lighted, for if they had not been lighted, they could not go out. But it was only a false, flickering, transient light. It was not fed from a divine source. It was the light of mere lip profession, fed by the head of belief, lasting just long enough to deceive themselves and others, and going out at the very moment when they most needed it, leaving them in the dreadful darkness of eternal night.
"Our lamps are going out." Terrible discovery! "The Bridegroom is at hand, and our lamps are going out. Our hollow profession is being made manifest by the light of His coming. We thought we were all right. We professed the same faith, had the same shaped lamp, the same kind of wick, but alas! we now find to our unspeakable horror, that we have been deceiving ourselves, that we lack the one thing needful, the spirit of life in Christ, the unction from the Holy One, the living link with the Bridegroom. Whatever shall we do? O ye wise virgins, take pity upon us, and share with us your oil. Do, do, for mercy's sake, give us a little, even one drop of that all-essential thing, that we may not perish forever."
It is all utterly vain. No one can give of his oil to another. Each has just enough for himself. A man can give light, but he cannot give oil. The latter is the gift of God alone. "The wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you, but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut." It is of no use looking to Christan friends to help us or prop us up. No use in flying hither and thither for some one to lean upon-some holy man, or some eminent teacher-no use building upon our church, our creed, or our sacraments. We want oil. We cannot do without it. Where are we to get it? Not from man, not from the church, not from the saints, not from the fathers. We must get it from God; and He, blessed be His name, gives freely. "The Gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
But, mark, it is an individual thing. Each much have it for himself. No man can believe, or get life for another. Each must have to do with God for himself. The link which connects the soul with Christ is intensely individual. There is no such thing as second-hand faith. A man may teach us religion, or theology, or the letter of Scripture; but he cannot give us oil; he cannot give us faith; he cannot give us life. "It is the gift of God." Precious little word, "gift." It is like God. It is free as God's air; free as His sunlight; free as His refreshing dew-drops. But, we repeat, and with solemn emphasis, each one must get it for himself. "None can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him, that he should still live forever and not see corruption. For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth forever". (Psalm 49:7-9)
What sayest thou to these solemn realities? Art thou a wise or foolish virgin? Hast thou gotten life in a risen and glorified Saviour? Art thou a mere professor of religion, content with the mere ordinary dead routine of church-going, having just sufficient religion to make thee respectable on earth, but not enough to link thee with Heaven?
We earnestly beseech thee to think seriously of these things. Think of them now. Think how unspeakably dreadful it will be to find thy lamp of profession going out and leaving thee in obscure darkness-darkness of an everlasting night. How terrible to find the door shut behind that brilliant train which shall go in to the marriage; but shut in thy face! How agonizing the cry, "Lord, Lord, open unto us!" How withering, how crushing the response, "I know you not."
Oh do give these weighty matters a place in thy heart now, while yet the door is open, and while yet the day of grace is lengthened out in God's marvelous long suffering. The moment is rapidly approaching in which the door of mercy shall be closed against thee forever, when all hope shall be gone, and thy precious soul be plunged into black and eternal despair. May God's spirit rouse thee from thy fatal slumber, and give thee no rest until thou findest it in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and at His blessed feet in adoration and worship.
We shall just for a moment glance at the wise virgins. The great distinguishing feature which, according to the teaching of this parable, marks them off from the foolish virgins is that when starting at the first they "took oil in their vessels with their lamps." In other words, what distinguishes true believers from mere professors is that the former have in their hearts the grace of God's Holy Spirit' they have gotten the spirit of life in Christ Jesus; and the Holy Ghost dwelling in them as the seal, the earnest, the unction, and the witness. The grand and glorious fact characterizes now all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ-a stupendous, wondrous fact, most surely-an immense and ineffable privilege, which should ever bow our souls in holy adoration before our God and our Lord Jesus Christ, whose accomplished redemption has procured for us this great blessing.
How sad to think that, notwithstanding this high and holy privilege, we should have to read, as in the words of our parable, "They all slumbered and slept!" All alike, wise as well as foolish, fell asleep. The Bridegroom tarried, and all, without exception, lost the freshness, fervor, and power of the hope of His coming, and fell fast asleep.
Such is the statement of our parable, and such is the solemn fact of the history. The whole professing body fell asleep. "That blessed hope" which shone so brightly on the horizon of the early Christians, very speedily waned and faced away; and as we scan the page of church history for eighteen centuries, from the Apostolic Fathers to the opening of the current century [18th Century], we look in vain for any intelligent reference to the Church's specific hope-the personal return of the blessed Bridegroom. In fact, that hope was virtually lost to the Church; nay, more, it became almost heresy to teach it. And even now, in these last days, there are hundreds of thousands of professed ministers of Christ who dare not preach or teach the coming of the Lord as it is taught in Scripture.
True it is, blessed be God, we notice a mighty change within the last half century. There has been a great awakening. God is, by His Holy Spirit, recalling His people to long-forgotten truths, and amongst the rest, to the glorious truth of the coming of the Bridegroom. Many are now seeing that the reason why the Bridegroom tarried was simply because God was long-suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Precious reason!
But they are also seeing that, in spite of this long-suffering, our Lord is at hand. Christ is coming. The midnight cry has gone forth, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him." May millions of voices re-echo the soul-stirring cry until it passes in its mighty moral power, from pole to pole, and from river to the ends of the earth, rousing the whole Church to wait, as one man, for the glorious appearing of the blessed Bridegroom of our hearts.
Brethren beloved in the Lord, awake! Let every soul be roused. Let us shake off the sloth and the slumber of worldly ease and self- indulgence-let us rise above the withering influence of religious formality and dull routine-let us fling aside the dogmas of false theology, and go forth, in the spirit of our minds and in the affections of our heart, to meet our returning Bridegroom. May His solemn words come with fresh power to our souls, "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour." May the language of our hearts and our lives be, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
The dark stream of evil is flowing apace:Awake, and be doing, ye children of grace, Let's seek with compassion the souls that are lost, Well knowing the price their redemption has cost.While singing with rapture the Saviour's great love, And waiting for Him to translate us above-"It may be tomorrow, or even tonight"-Let our loins be well girded, and lamps burning bright.

... ..

Was just reading an article in the Malaysian Insider. It was an interview with the Hindraf chairman, Mr. Waythamoorthy. Its sad, and at points frustrating to see what they come up with every now and then. Now, for those of you that may be aligned with Hindraf, don't skewer me just as yet. What they're doing is good, they're concerned about the poor and underprivileged. But is it all encompassing? What criteria do they use to show they're care and concern?
Is it merely the amount of melanine in our skin that guides them and being of the same faith, ie Hindu? Based on what they say, that seems to be the case. They just want to push their own interests, not really caring about the others. Yes, they have been marginalized in this country for a long time, but does that allow the capacity just to merely look into their own interests? Assuredly not.
It says quite a lot in what we believe in, the manner in which we act and think and speak are fruits of who we are, ie as man as sinners without God or man as having being redeemed from death and sin by God (see Eph 5:19-26 for brief listing of the contrary nature of flesh and the Spirit, do notice too that in vv 19 and 22 the words 'works of the flesh' ie plural suggesting diverging lusts and ensnarements whereas in vv 22 its the 'fruit of the Spirit' ie singular but with its own list and well, suggesting the unified nature and results that follow). The care that one shows to others for example, its not meant to be exemplified to those whom we choose or have certain preference, it should be the same measure to everyone.
Malaysian politics is race based, we all know it. Hence the clamour for change by the supposedly 'enlightened' generation, if i may so term it. But in this clamour for change, do we really examine carefully whats wrong with us personally, or just follow the fad of change and hope the other person changes, and try to make superficial outward changes hoping desperately it will work.. Will it??
NO!! For a long time as country as a whole we have been burying issues under the carpet, even personally we do so. But my dear friends, this carpet is not a bottomless pit, it accumulates and bulges everywhere along the way, it will eventually burst. What we try to do currently with this desire for 'change' is merely stepping on this bulges with our hands, feet, or sometimes we may even sleep over it (can cover more bulges perhaps :) ), but what happens when we do so?..
The bulges move to another side of the carpet!! Its still there, those buried problems!! Its not been dealt with.. (A more important question is can we, on our own, without God in our lives and accepting His free gift of grace and mercy, really change?) What's really needed a change of carpet, in fact the whole floor, not only that the FOUNDATIONS!!!
What are you building on? Yourself?
Can it hold through the storms?
The answer is no, not ever. You may disagree, but if you think a bit more, you will realize it as well. Man is in a desperate state. We have all gone astray, there is none righteous. But thankfully, there is a Redeemer. We are saved from death and condemnation when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. He died that we may have life, and have it in abundance.
Alas, there's much more that can and needs to be said, but I'll end here, for now.

Being True to self?... or God?

Last Saturday, our youth fellowship had a discussion on ‘Peer Pressure’. It was quite good and relevant; after all, we’re all affected by it, its not just teens. :) But there are few things that need mentioning as well, will get to that in a while.

Yeah, I think we’d all admit that we cave in to our surroundings quite often. Caving in to outside influences i.e. ‘worldly assumptions and values and norms etc (many forms such as fashion, language, sexual laxity/perversion, disobedience, stealing, what’s right and wrong according to ‘general opinion’.. the list goes on and on..). The question is what do we do about it? Are we oblivious to them, or know and choose to ignore them?... Is there any defence against it?.. Thank God there is, its His Word and we need to heed it and not only that, but the Lord Himself intercedeth for us, and we need to bring it all unto Him and repent of them, and learn from Him with a meek and contrite spirit, ever yearning to learn and grow more and more into His likeness, lovingly and eagerly submitting unto Him. Like that Sunday school song that always is sung, ‘Trust and obey, for there’s no other way.’ :)

Now, there is also this idea that we frequently hear and being propagated ‘Be true to your self’ when dealing with topics such as peer pressure or when instilling moral values and what not. What does this mean?
If what we mean by this is being honest and not hypocritical, perhaps it’s ok, but again the questions arise, honest to what? Or whom? What standard?... Myself?... Surely that can not be so, right?... Indeed it can’t. Self is sin, we live not according to the flesh but according to every word of God which is pure and perfect and nourisheth. It needs to be rephrased, ‘Be true to God!!’:)

Can we trust our hearts to be our guides? Jer 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” . . We would not want that to be our guide now, would we?... Surely not rite.. Thankfully when we’re born again, we’re given a new heart (Eze 11:19). But that is not the end; we must diligently search scripture, and learn and heed it.

Psa 16:1 “Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.”
Psa 18:1-2 “I will love thee, O L­­­ORD, my strength, The LORD is my rock, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.”
Psa 25:4-5 “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psa 26:2 “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

When we’re facing difficulties or ‘peer pressures’ mounting us to conform, the benchmark is not self examination by our mere own standards or others, but must come before God to be examined, the measure is His Word, and never our own standards. The more we seek God to direct our paths, the more will be revealed, when the light shines upon our darkened hearts, and then follows repentance and further obeying and maturing in Christ. :)

The Word shows us for who we really are. Heb 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” As much as we would try to hide, when we approach the word of God, our hearts are laid bare before God, as much as we would try to fool those around us by what we say and do, our Lord is a discerner of our hearts, He trieth the reins.

With so many false teachings and erroneous thoughts, and apostasy increasing (Acts 20:29-30 “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”), we need to hold fast to the faithful Word (Titus 1:9 “Holding fast the faithful words as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” )

Throughout scripture we see the immense importance of heeding God and His gracious revelation that we have in our hands today, our Bibles, which is His inspired Word. If we love Him, we will keep His commands (John 14:15). There and many paths that seem right unto us, bringing temporal satisfaction to self glorification, but is it honouring unto the Lord, and glorifying Him?
Prov 16:2, 25 “All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”

Which way then? John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Its not many ways, there’s only one, and that is our Lord Jesus. :)

Regarding all this, an important aspect is reverential fear of the Lord. Its important in guarding ourselves against the sins that so easily beset and entice us. Prov 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Another frequently quoted verse is Prov 3:5-7 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.”
That pretty much sums everything doesn’t it? :) Not some of our ways, or ways that we would like to choose, in ALL our ways we should acknowledge Him.
When we’re girded up with His Word and constantly relying upon Him for strength and guidance, we’ll be able to resist the temptations that surround us as well as discerning more clearly the deceptiveness of things around us, and won’t go after cunningly devised fables. Prov 1:10 “My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.” That being said, we must not let pride creep in either and think that we’re strong and well grounded, more oft than not, its when we think that we’re strong that we’re more likely to have a greater fall, we have to always, always, watch and pray. 1 Cor 10:12 “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

We’ll end with a quotation from Psalm 37: 3-7 and a hymn.
“Trust in the LORD, and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”

Trust, Delight, Commit and Rest in the LORD.


Simply trusting every day,
Trusting through a stormy way;
Even when my faith is small,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting Him while life shall last,
Trusting Him till earth is past,
Till within the jasper wall;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Brightly doth His Spirit shine,
Into this poor heart of mine;
While He leads I cannot fall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Singing, if my way is clear,
Praying, if the path is drear;
If in danger, for Him call;
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Trusting as the moments fly,
Trusting as the days go by;
Trusting Him whate’er befall,
Trusting Jesus, that is all.

Earth Hour

Earth Hour, there was quite a bit of enthusiasm about this recently. Before we go any further, don't get me wrong, I concede that we should all take care of our planet that God has graciously given us to live in, but... but.. that is just part of the matter, lets attempt to dig a little deeper into this whole thing..
At the bottom line, I gather its about global warming and enlightening us on the impact of our actions and the results that'll we'll incur on ourselves if we don't change our "outward" actions but while the "inward" man remains the same, unchanged in character essentially.
We often hear the phrase 'save the Earth'. But what does it mean really? Does it need saving? If we say that it needs saving, we:
recognize that there is something inherently wrong with the world in which we live in
have an ideal that we hold to, and concur that present and past situations show that things are getting worse, on a personal level and externally (ie when the person gets worse, his actions will ultimately follow as well, and hence our surroundings externally will as well get worse)
So, if we recognize this, the questions that lingers in our mind is why is this so?.... Have things being continuing and continuing as they were before and is life is just merely a cycle of progression 'moving forwards' without end or reason for that matter? If like evolutionists assert, that everything we see happened by random chance, then why bother with the 'saving of the earth'? (Actually this a whole issue in itself, God-willing will be able to address it another time.)
Another thing, what about its occupants?.. I mean the earth's.. Supposedly if we manage to 'save' the earth from getting more polluted and heated etc, what then?, will all be fine and dandy? Assuredly not, for the people remain exactly the same, we have washed ourselves outwardly but inwardly are utterly corrupt. Was the world made for men or men for the world?.. I mean where and which is the focus?... The world was made by God to be lived in by men...
Besides that, many assume that the Earth will last forever, and that we humans can chart its own destiny, as we desire to chart are own as well, and put God out of the picture, so to speak. But will the Earth last forever? Do men live forever? Why do people die? (yes, these are all important questions and topics in themselves, and need to be explained separately as well).
We need to remember that God has created everything. John 1:3 "All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made." Col 1:16-17 "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Heb 11:3 "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." These are but a few of the verses from scripture indicating that God created everything out of nothing (creation ex nihilo, we'll come across this term quite frequently when dealing with creation), and called things into existence by the very Word of His power (Gen 1). So yes, God created everything, and it was all good, "very good" (Gen 1:31). If everything was perfect, then why are we in the situation that we're in now one might ask? ... ..
That's because of sin. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and were deceived by the serpent (Gen 3) in the garden of Eden, sin entered the world, and that was the fall of man. God who is perfect and Holy, and Just, and Righteous, and Loving, abhors sin, in any form. As a result of sin, God's curse was brought upon creation (Gen 3:17), death entered the world, Adam brought down into his ruin the old creation, of which he was lord and head. Christ will bring into moral unity with God, and into eternal life, all of the new creation of which He is Lord and Head (Eph 1:22-23). Even the animal and material creation, cursed for man's sake (Gen 3:17), will be delivered by Christ.
Rom 8:21-22 "Because the creature also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and traivaileth in pain together until now."
The Lord Jesus Christ who is verily God Himself, came into this world to redeem us. We realize that a price needs to be paid for our sins, our sins need to be atoned for. We're all sinners, we all come short of the glory of God. Rom 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;". 1 Jn 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." When we do something wrong, in us we ourselves bear witness that the wrong that has been committed against some one has to be atoned for. But what if the wrong that has been committed is against God?..... .. .. With what can we pay, we are bankrupt... our hearts are corrupt, only someone perfect could do so... .. Thanks be to God, that He Himself is our redeemer!!... and not only was He able, but He was willing to come as a man in our midst, to die for us to pay the penalty of sin, "for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23), but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The Lord Jesus Christ was fully man and is fully God. As Mr. H.C.G Moule has remarked, a Saviour not quite God is a bridge broken at the farther end. Our redeemer has to be perfect, and indeed He is, He is the perfect, spotless, unblemished Lamb of God. And not only did He willing lay down His life for us, wretched, blind, weak, ungodly sinners, He rose again from the grave on the third day victorious!!... Death has lost its sting, the grave has been conquered... Rom 8:31-34 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.".. . . Thats the thing, do we deserve this marvellous gift from God?... no, nothing in us merits this most blessed gift, it is by God's grace that we may have life, and have it abundantly, eternity awaits in His presence... an often quoted verse is ever true.. John 3:16 "For God so lover the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Our Lord says elsewhere as well, John 10:17-18 "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
There is no life apart in Christ, where will we spend eternity?.. in Hell or Heaven?... if any be reading this and has yet to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally as Lord and Saviour, seek Him, ask Him for forgiveness, confess that you're a sinner, repent of you're sins, and receive His gracious gift of eternal life... find an assembly of believers gathered unto the name of the Lord, contact some of your Christian friends for more info, email me too if you wish for any other queries (in the info section), read your Bible and trust and obey it :)...there's lot more to learn, but by His guiding light, He will lead us when we seek earnestly.. :)
For those of us that think things have been continuing as they are forever and will continue to do so, some basic laws of science beg to differ. Now, i am no physicist, but let me try to explain. The laws of thermodynamics are among the most fundamental of physical sciences. Here are its two laws:
The total amount of mass-energy in the universe is constant.
The amount of energy in the universe available for work is running down, or entropy is increasing to a maximum.
If the total amount of mass-energy is limited, and the amount of usable energy is decreasing, then the universe cannot have existed forever, otherwise it would already have exhausted all usable energy and reached what is known as "heat death." Ex: all radioactive atoms would have decayed, every part of the universe would be the same temperature, and no further work would be possible. So basically, things are running down. We see in Genesis, people living long lifespans, but over time, people and creation as well are deteriorating, shorter lifespans, more diseases, mistakes in gene-pool etc... Creation had a beginning, but is deteriorating... what about its Creator?... God?...God is the uncreated creator of the universe... He is eternal.. the great "I AM" (Exo 3:14).. He is ever the same, He is the unchanging God...with Him is no shadow of change..
God is the Creator .. Rom 1:20 "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: " The 'they' referring to unbelievers...

Now, coming back to this Earth hour thing, i hope those reading thus far have been able to follow, and have not fallen asleep or decided to see whats new on Facebook instead.. haha :) . . anyway, yeah, when a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord as Saviour, he or she is born again. . John 3.. " Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:4-7)
We are a new creature in Christ, His Spirit dwells in us and the "inward" man is changed... God dwelling within us and guiding us... there's a lot more to be explained, nevertheless for the time being hopefully it sufficeth.. we are no longer following our old self's, we have a new nature that guides us... and reveals to us what is sin ie wrong in our lives, and convicts us of our wrong and leads to repentance and changing of thoughts, actions, motives, basically everything, and we are a new creation in Christ! :) The "new man" is the regenerate self as distinguished from the old self, and is a new self as having become a partaker of the divine nature and life, and in no sense the old self made over, or improved. The new self is Christ "formed" in the Christian.
2 Cor 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."
Rom 6:6 "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. "
Eph 2: 10 " For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."
Many people try to be as good as they can, and try to be as righteous as they can, but again, according to whose standard?.. our own? Ours is not the standard, it is God's. And that's why we are accepted in the beloved, we are accepted in Christ, for He alone was the perfect mediator between God and man, we are accepted on account of His perfection and righteousness. Marvellous isn't it?!!... but sadly many of us still try to be as good as we can, thinking that if we be as nice as possible etc, all will be alright while neglecting the One True God. . "perhaps if i try to take care of the earth all will be ok"... it wont...have be right with God first, then the good works..
Rom 10:3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."
Isa 64:6 "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Jam 2:10 "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."
Scripture gives us a stark comparison of our own righteousness ie "filthy rags" and the righteousness that of Christ ie "fine linen" which is imputed to us. .
Again, the inward condition is what determines the outward and not the other way around..
Rom 10:9-10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
You see, all this show of trying to save the earth and this earth hour thing, basically does not do anything. Some people may marvel in the 'unity' being displayed by all the people and nations throughout the world turning off their lights for one hour at night, but is it real unity?... where is that 'unity' the day after, month later, or year later, or for that matter the following hour?... and if its unity, it should manifest itself in other aspects as well, but it does not, does it... IT DOES NOT... its perhaps ppl being united in being not united... :)... the big organizations will feel guilty and pressured if they dont participate in it, and hence they do, to show that they somehow are 'caring'... true there may be some out there who genuinely care about the earth, but again, the emphasis or focus is misplaced... and forget or dont want to realize that is WE who need the fixing!!.. :) Many people liked the idea of turning off the lights and viewing all the major landmarks in darkness and felt it was cool. . but feeling cool about something does not change anything, people will continue to behave according to their own standards... again, its just a show. . perhaps if they really cared, the earth hour would have been carried out in daylight.... heheh... but you see, people want to be seen, they want to be seen that they care... and also some may doubt that people actually turned off their lights if it was carried out in daytime, and this itself shows that people are indeed fundamentally flawed, ie sinful... its indeed ironic i guess, light and darkness with this earth hour thing. .:)
John 8:12 "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."
John 3:19-21 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
Again, let me emphasize that its true, we need to take care of our surroundings (Adam and Eve were to tend to the garden and dress it and take care of it in Eden too), but we need to have the right emphasis as well, and to realize that this world is not eternal, we are but pilgrims on a journey, this world is not out home, we who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ patiently await and look forward to His coming again to take us home.. :)
Rev 21:1-8 " And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
May the Lord lead and guide us as we go through our lives and may we lean on His Wisdom in discernment, and living lives continually being sanctified and maturing in Him.