主内列位同道及朋友们平安：
除了主日崇拜之外, 每周一晚七时半在万民堂也举行器成人保健聚会, 旨在装备信徒成为合用器皿, 为上帝所用. 本周一邀请伯大尼堂洪茂祥牧师 分享更新教会的重要, 力求大家合力兴旺主工. 教会的需要更新有下面一段的心声:
末世教会时代 (1900- )
从圣经中的预言, 近代世界政治的演变, 军事的竟赛与武器之发展, 物质文明成了人类最高的欲望, 魔鬼的各种异端成为世人追求的信仰, 道得败坏的行为成了普通见贯的事. 教会神学明芽一种以怀疑态度, 重新估价并批判圣经, 乃以人的知识与理智来衡量并审判上帝的话语, 凡是人类理智所不能解释的地方, 他们认为不可信. 18, 19 世纪教会的战斗意志, 热心事主渐渐衰落, 只是靠着以往先圣所流下的根据继续生存, 基督教更正教会谈不上属灵真正的充分合作, 宣教及牧会专用人的确「方法」, 「组织」,「节目」和「活动」代替信靠圣灵和大能的明证 (林前二:4).
人们提倡宗教自由, 良心自由, 思想自由与纯正信仰, 朝向普世教会合一 (Ecumenical Movement) 的口号来维持教会的生存.
第七个世代大致上有以下的存在而产生了普协的新使命运动和迅速发展的灵恩运动, 原因:
(1) 欧洲帝国主义没落及第三世界兴起
(2) 西方国家道德灵性没落
(3) 比较宗教学和人类学兴起
(4) 世俗主义和新派神学的影响
(5) 小教派出现
(6) 圣经神学之动摇
(7) 普协结合政治导致解放神学
(8) 教会趋向世俗化
(9) 宣教事工退步
(10) 教会成为宗教集团,失去属灵的见证
求主用圣灵照明教会领袖及信徒们 「心中的眼睛」(弗一:18), 肯看出自己的缺乏, 存悔改的心追求圣洁和睦, 热心传扬福音, 靠信心得胜, 向敌人魔鬼宣战, 在圣经的指引, 圣灵的能力, 建立和乎上帝心意荣神益人的教会.
本主日表(十月五日) 下午六时虔守圣餐, 请赴会一同纪念主恩. 十月六日我们将在四周年感恩之前一同思考这封家讯的提醒. 请记得感恩聚会是定在十月十二日在 48, Wan Tho Ave 举行, 时间照常六时. 敬祝
日日更新 信望爱聚会全体信徒
及牧师黄鹏远 敬启
2008－09－30
Dear fellow believers and friends
Peace be with you.
Beside the Sunday Worship Service, every Monday nights from 7.30pm, we have the Healthy Lifestyle fellowship at the Peoples Presbyterian Church. The fellowship is aimed at equipping believers to become instrumental vessels for God’s purpose. This Monday, we are privileged to have Rev Timothy Hoon, church moderator and senior pastor of the Bethany Presbyterian Church to share with us the importance of church renewal, so that through every believers’ efforts, God’s work may prosper. The need for church renewal is as follows:
Church of the End Times (1900- )
From prophesies in Scripture, the recent political evolution, the military and the arms race, we can see that consumerism has become the highest desire of mankind. Satanism, cultic involvement and immorality became the norm of society. There is growing skepticism towards biblical theology; and the biblical hermeneutics is now based on human reasoning and knowledge. Where the human intellect cannot be comprehended or explain, then they cannot be trusted. Rationalism has taken over faith. In the 18 and 19th centuries, the decline of the church was evident from the lack of spiritual fervor and devotion to the Scripture. The vitality of faith and commitment to the Word which characterized the Reformed Churches was not perpetuated in the subsequent church development. Instead churches resort to using “methods”, “groups”, “programs” and “activities” to substitute reliance on the Holy Spirit and hence lost the manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 2:4).
Mankind advocated freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of thought and pure faith towards the universal Church (Ecumenical Movement) to maintain the survival of the church.
The rapid development of the New Life Movement and Charismatic movement in the church of end times can generally be attributed to the following reasons:
1. The Decline of European Imperialism and the Rise of the Third World
2. The Decline of Western Spirituality and Morals
3. The Comparison between Anthropology and Spirituality Resurgence
4. Secularism and the Impact of the Liberal Theology
5. The emergence of a small independent church groups
6. Growing Skepticism Towards Biblical Theology
7. Merging Ecumenism and Politics leading to the Liberation Theology
8. The Secularisation of the Church
9. The Decline of Missions
10. The Socialisation of Churches Leading to Loss of Spirituality
May God use the Holy Spirit to enlighten to leaders and believers that the eyes of the heart be opened (Ephesians 1:18), to see their own insufficiency, so as to repent and pursue holiness and in faith, fervently sharing the gospel, based on the teaching of the bible, fought and the strength of the Spirit, fought the battle against Satan so as to establish a church that is pleasing unto God.
This Sunday, 5 October 2008 at 6.00 pm, we will be observing the Lord’s Supper. Please attend in remembrance of the Lord’s blessing. 6 October 2008, days before the 4th Anniversary Thanksgiving Service, lets mediate on the content of this letter. Please remember that the Thanksgiving Service is to be held at 48, Wan Tho Ave on 12 October 2008. Time remains at 6.00 pm.
Wishing you days of renewals
Rev Bunyan Oey
Pastor
Faith, Hope and Love Service
30 September 2008
Faith, Hope and Love Services
